November/December 2015

Toys

through Time

Yesterday's classics and today's favorites

Going to

Space 'Rocket Man' inspires future generations

Santa , with love from

Coweta Santa crafts joyful holidays for young and old alike NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2015

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contents

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32 | Classics on the Side On Thanksgiving, most of the attention often is directed

our features

toward the turkey during the culinary aspect of the holiday.

In this issue, we offer a little help with traditional dishes that accent the main course.

40 | This IS Rocket Science Ever want to rub elbows with a bona fide rocket scientist?

Well, we found one in our own backyard. Meet Bobby Braun, an engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

50 | Buffalo and Arrowheads David Brown has a passion for history – particularly Coweta

County history. The Senoia resident has built a museum on his property to share his passion with the rest of us.

10 | www.newnancowetamag.com

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◗ in this issue

You’ve Got Friends in Newnan.

32 features (cont.)

62 | Princesses and Other Possibilities NCM’s Rebecca Leftwich takes a look at

the changing zeitgeist of girls’ toys during the Christmas season. Hint: It’s not as “Barbie” as one might think.

72 | Boys Will Be Boys From action figures to video games,

toys for boys have maintained a similar theme even though the names and the technology have changed.

61 Bullsboro Dr. Newnan, Ga.

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◗ in this issue

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on the cover Nothing puts us in the Christmas spirit more than a Santa Claus who makes his own toys. Meet Dade Foote in our hobby section.

82 in every issue 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 82 |

From the Editor Datebook Roll Call Sweet Tea Hobby Q&A Style

88 | 90 | 96 | 98 | 98 |

14 | www.newnancowetamag.com

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◗ welcome

◗ datebook

The Coolest Gift

T

here’s precious little in life better than being a kid and waking up early Christmas morning, before the sunrise, still confident in Santa Claus’ existence and certain the perfect gift will be under the tree.

I was a fortunate child. I remember receiving the perfect gift from Santa almost every year: The army set that invaded the living room, the Atari 2600 that provided hours of enjoyment and competition well after the holidays (I ruled at Asteroids), Star Wars action figures with all the accessories, and Batman’s Bat Cave, which, unfortunately, was inexplicably pitched in the trash can months after St. Nick had delivered it. (It’s OK, Mom. It took years, but my 7-yearold self has forgiven you.) I think the worst Christmas memory I have as a child was having to share with my sister the RCA TV Santa delivered but which had to remain in her bedroom because she was the oldest.

That was baloney.

“Bah humbug, Fat Man,” I thought at the time.

But I quickly adjusted and learned to share, which was the lesson Santa and my parents wanted me to learn on my way to adulthood.

Which leads me to Sean, who delivered perhaps one of my favorite gifts as an adult only five Christmases ago.

I met Sean when I was in my late 20s and he was in his early to mid teens. I was renting a house in downtown Newnan and he, his mother and his sister had moved in across the street.

At the time, Sean was kind of a punk. He wore his ball cap cockeyed, had a bad attitude, skateboarded with his friends up and down my street and played his drums at odd hours. The drums I didn’t mind so much because he was pretty good at playing them. He may have smoked marijuana as a young teen; I’m not sure. He occasionally got into trouble at school.

But I liked him. He’d come over every so often and talk about music and girls, this and that.

One particularly bad night during an audible

16 | www.newnancowetamag.com

SANTA ON THE SQUARE

breakup of mine to which I’m confidant my close-knit neighborhood was privy, Sean came softly knocking after I was alone. His thoughtful mother had sent him.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” he’d said.

“I’m just a kid.”

So we watched ESPN for a spell. We mostly sat in silence.

Soon after, Sean and his family moved away from the neighborhood. More than a dozen years passed.

Five years ago, during the holidays, he called out of the blue and wanted me to go with him to a Falcons game. So we went to the game and reconnected. We talked about my job, his job, his wife, his plans for being a father (which later came to fruition), that night of ESPN, and football.

Then, on the drive home to Newnan from Atlanta, he told me he wanted to thank me. He wanted to thank me for being a positive male role model when he was on the precipice of going in the wrong direction. He said I’d showed him how to be a regular guy. From across the street, he’d studied how I’d liked music and drums, too, but that I also read books and talked about “big stuff” and that, most of all, I stayed out of trouble without coming across as an old fogey.

When I got home that night, I realized he’d given me the greatest Christmas present. I understood that his whole purpose had been to deliver that message.

I’m single, and even though I’m pretty good with my friends’ kids, I don’t have any of my own. As much as I love hanging out and being the fun Uncle Will – even watching those kids grow up – there’s something humbling about having been a role model to a kid who needed one. There’s something rewarding about being in the right place at the right time to steer a young teen in the right direction – even if I simply thought at the time we were just talking about cymbals and top hats.

Sean, if you’re reading, thank you, brother, and Merry Christmas.

Will Blair, Editor will@newnan.com

Santa on the Square will return on Nov. 27 in downtown Newnan, beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m.

Santa will be making a list of area children’s present requests, and the Court Square Christmas tree will be lighted for the event.

FIDDLIN' FLEA MARKET AND FAMILY FESTIVAL

Fiddlin’ Flea Market and Family Festival will have a four-day “Christmas Spectacular” Dec. 3 - Dec. 6, 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. daily at the Powers’ Crossroads festival grounds, 4766 Ga. Hwy. 34 West. It will feature Christmas lights, a Christmas village and animals, as well as food vendors, arts and crafts and flea market vendors, and children’s activities. Visit www. fiddlinfleamarket.com or call 678-326-6182 for more information.

SENOIA CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES

The annual Senoia Candlelight Tour of Homes will return on Dec. 13 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. The tour will feature historic homes and the Senoia United Methodist Church. Refreshments will be served at the Senoia Area Historical Society House. Buy tickets in advance for $12 each at Senoia Coffee & Cafe, Gail’s Antiques, Table Talk, Beyond the Door and Secondhand Sams. Tickets will cost $15 each on the evening of the tour at the Senoia Welcome Center.

november / december 2015 | 17

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015

ROLL CALL

◗ thank you

SAMANTHA SASTRE moonlights

ELIZABETH MELVILLE – a

as a writer, but is really just a crazy lady who loves to cook. When she’s not spending time at home with her wife, two stepchildren, three dogs, and a cat, she can be found outside gardening, camping or kayaking. She believes laughter and Advil are the best medicine. On the Side and

Cloven, pages 32 and 91

JEFF BISHOP is a freelance writer, public historian and author of “A Cold Coming,” a story of murder and family history, and “Flies in the Well,” a play based on the John Wallace murder trial.

Buffalo and Arrowheads and On Cooper Street, pages 50 and 90.

former crime reporter for The Newnan Times-Herald – is a financial administrator for a private school in Peachtree City, as well as a freelance writer.

In her spare time, she enjoys immersing herself in culinary pursuits and avoiding Yuletide melodies. Just Say No to

Christmas Music, page 88

When she’s not writing for NCM or covering education for The Newman-Times Herald, CELIA SHORTT spends much of her time reading, channeling her inner Wonder Woman and spending time in Newnan with her husband and their lab mix. What is Your

Favorite Part of the Holidays?, page 92

REBECCA ROWLAND LEFTWICH spent many

PATTI FERCKEN is a native of

childhood Christmases fighting her four brothers for the Sears Wish Book. She is a freelance writer and editor who loves Barbies, Hot Wheels and Cards Against Humanity. Princesses and Other

Something for Everyone, page 89

freelance sportswriter and a longtime user/ buyer of toys. He has owned an estimated eight Coleco Electronic Football Games – having broken the other seven – and is learning all about the current boys’ toy market with his wife, Jennifer, while buying for their 11-year-old son, Jake. Boys Will Be Boys, page 72

During this holiday season and every day of the year, we wish you all the best.

New Jersey who finds plenty of ways to enjoy Christmas music during the holiday season. A graduate of the University of West Georgia, she is now studying to work as a paralegal. She loves her dogs, and loves to laugh. Christmas Music –

Possibilities, page 62

JON COOPER is a

Merry Christmas

Art Holbrook, CFP ®,

Daniel A. Arenas

Baskin Brown III, AAMS®

Jennifer E. Camp

Financial Advisor 6 Jefferson Pkwy.

Newnan, GA 30263 770-251-3500

820 Ebenezer Church Road Suite 104 Sharpsburg, GA 30277 770-252-2391

10 The Boulevard, Suite 5 Newnan, GA 30263 770-251-8316

53 Main Street, Suite B Senoia, GA 30276 770-599-3981

Josh Colwell

Allan Duncan

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Ashley Stapleton

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AAMS®, CRPC®

When MEGAN ALMON isn’t traveling around the nation speaking for the Life Training Institute, she’s probably curled up on her porch swing with a good book, riding motorcycles with her husband, Tripp, and their two kiddos, or [thanks to what she learned in the writing of this issue’s feature] gazing at the night sky with renewed wonder. This IS Rocket

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

Science, page 40

AMY LOTT, an electric coopera-

tive communicator and former reporter for The Newnan TimesHerald, is a mother of two who writes for fun and tries to be a classy Southern lady, with mixed results. Scarves: The Ultimate

Complement, page 82

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Let Us Hear From You!

Financial Advisor Newnan, GA 30265 770-252-3742

Feel free to send thoughts, ideas and suggestions for upcoming issues of NewnanCoweta Magazine to magazine@newnan.com MKT-1920A-A-AD

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Financial Advisor

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november / december 2015 | 21

◗ hobby

Life at Wesley Woods is engaging!

From our lush 54-acre campus complete with gardens, walking trails, a stocked pond and putting green to our lively schedule of fun and challenging activities, cultural offerings and seasonal events, there’s something for everyone…all year-round!

Q&A

Life at Wesley Woods is welcoming!

A warm, hospitable home is always open to family and friends…including your best four-legged friend! Furry pals are welcome in our pet-friendly community.

Life at Wesley Woods is comfortable and secure!

with

'SANTA' DADE FOOTE

Dade Foote dresses as Santa and makes toys. Though his two hobbies go together like, well, Santa Claus and a toy workshop, they developed independently. Before he became a toymaker, Foote was a structural engineer, and his engineering skills often come into play when designing some of his creations.

“When he is coming up with a new idea, I’ll see sketches all over the house – very complicated sketches,” said Foote’s wife, Bebe.

After living many years in Atlanta, the Footes moved to Coweta in March 2004.

Around Christmas in 2003, Dade was a mall Santa in Birmingham. Bebe happened to ride through Newnan. She saw the downtown Court Square lit up for Christmas and “immediately fell in love.” She called Dade, who had visited Newnan years before while taking part in a craft show in nearby Gay, Ga. Later that evening, she picked out what would soon become their new home in SummerGrove. “He never even saw where we were going to move until Christmas was over.” Now, “Santa Dade” has a large workshop in the basement of the house.

Here, you’ll enjoy every modern convenience and amenity in our well-appointed apartments and cottages, along with the reassurance of a full continuum of onsite healthcare.

Q. A.

How did you get into making wooden toys?

My first wife was a school director. And one Christmas, she decided to give all the kids in the school a teddy bear ornament made out of wood. And my daughter, Elizabeth, said, “I bet I could do those.” She was using my great grandfather’s band saw – it was at least 100 years old, and it wasn’t good. We had to buy a new saw to do them, and she made and painted about 180. The new saw came with two puzzle books. She said, “I can make some of these.” So she made puzzles. People liked them and bought them and it just kind of

Call Beth today to schedule a tour and complimentary lunch!

Be sure to ask about our new cottage expansion plan.

770-683-6833 • wesleywoodsnewnan.org 2280 North Highway 29 | Newnan, GA 30265 A senior living community on 54 acres offering independent apartments and cottages, personal care, memory care and nursing care, all on one campus.

Compiled by SARAH FAY CAMPBELL | Photographed by AARON HEIDMAN 22 | www.newnancowetamag.com

november / december 2015 | 23

◗ hobby

These are some of the toys Foote has crafted over the years.

Most of his creations are traditional, but several of his pieces are geared toward early education.

Be our Guest!

Beautifully appointed and nestled in a backdrop of trees, the Newnan Centre can accommodate 10 to 700 people.

Our professional and friendly staff will ensure your event’s success!

DOUBLE DUTIES

Dade Foote is both a Santa and a toymaker. After years of being a "mall Santa," he now only dresses the part for private parties. During the rest of the year, he crafts wooden toys in his shop.

Call Carol Moore at 678-673-5494 or email carol@newnancentre.com PREMIERE EVENTS VENUE

24 | www.newnancowetamag.com

Corporate meetings • Business Training • Proms • Weddings Receptions • Reunions • Banquets • Fundraisers • Conferences

1515 LOWER FAYETTEVILLE RD • NEWNAN, GA • WWW.NEWNANCENTRE.COM november / december 2015 | 25

◗ hobby

Foote makes most of his toys from scratch and from his own designs.

On opposite page, he shows the basic building blocks of his tank.

you shave it off but I wish you would.” I said, “I’m not going to shave it.” I just kept it. When I first started being Santa, I used to have to go to the beauty parlor at the start of the season and go through the five-hour process of getting it bleached. The woman I went to was known for doing Santas. They came from all over the country to her. There would always be three or four old fat guys with beards sitting around her shop. I was lucky that I just had to be done once.

Some of them had to come back every two or three weeks to get touched up. Eventually, it got to where it was a natural color. Bebe curls my hair. She puts me in hot curlers.

blossomed. She would come over to my house, and I would work with her. We just started making things. We decided to go to a show in St. Simons. We made enough money to pay our expenses and it just developed from there.

We’ve been doing it since 1998. I’m more into toys and she makes puzzles.

Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.

What were some of the first toys you made?

The first thing I made was an airplane. I’ve made 700 or 800 of those since we started.

How do you come up with your designs?

It’s just something that comes to me. For example, one time, we switched to a different kind of ice cream that came with a stick that was fat on each end. And I thought – well, that looks like a helicopter. So I made a car and drilled a hole and put that stick on top. And I made a helicopter.

Q. A.

When did you decide to dress up as Santa Claus?

I got into the Santa thing when I got fat and my beard turned gray.

Seriously, how did you become Santa?

I started growing the beard in 1975. I was designing bridges for the Forest Service and we were on a five-week camping trip. Kind of on a lark I said, well, I’m out here camping and grubby. I might as well not shave. When I got back to work my boss said, “I can’t make

26 | www.newnancowetamag.com

Q. A.

Why do you keep doing it?

It’s just a fun thing to do. I have spent a lot of time at schools with kids, so I know how to relate to them. I get along much better with kids than I do with adults. I’ve been Santa since 1997. The first year I only did a couple of parties. There was a guy in Tyrone who supplied Santas for malls.

He had a training session. It’s a real business, you have to work with an agent. I worked for him for three years working at different malls.

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What is it like being a mall Santa?

The way I work, I get to know the kids. It is not just a one-shot thing. I’m there early. When there’s hardly any crowd, I’ll walk around the mall and talk to them. Some of them will come back. I always had a good time walking around and getting to know the people in the stores.

I got to know one little boy pretty well. It turns

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out there was a domestic problem. He wanted his daddy to quit hitting his mother. That was my first experience with that sort of thing. Right at the end of the season, I came in and there was a little teddy bear and a card and the mother had written me a note. That was the first stuffed animal I’d received from a child. I’ve gotten so many stuffed animals through the years, now I have them all attached to a wooden cane. The saddest story was one little sad-eyed girl with hand-medown clothes. I asked, “What would you like for 28 | www.newnancowetamag.com

Christmas?” She said, “I just would like a hug.” I spent a lot of time with her. She got a lot of hugs.

Bebe’s favorite story is from my first year. I got a note from one of my helpers. It read, “Kristen and Darien tore up the basement but they’re not worried because Santa doesn’t know about it.”

I watched them until they got to the front of the line. I looked at them and said, “Wait a minute, we’ve got to talk about something – now who started trouble in the basement?” Their eyes got so big.

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or our Some of Foote’s designs, such as this numbers truck, have educational elements. Adding blocks to this tow truck helps children understand the basics of addition and subtraction.

“I got into the Santa thing when I got fat and my beard turned gray.”

Q. A. Q. A.

Is there anything about being Santa that might surprise people?

One thing that surprised me is the number of adults who get in line. I had one 84-year-old lady sit in my lap. She wanted to send the picture to her older brother.

What is your favorite thing about being Santa?

Seeing the children. Seeing how happy they get when they come and sit with me. Babies are the most fun – you just hold them. I like the special needs kids, too – the Down Syndrome kids are among my favorites. I just love them. They’re so happy.

30 | www.newnancowetamag.com

Q. A. Q. A.

What do you like most about making toys?

It gives me something to do. And when the toys turn out well, they’re popular and people buy them. It’s kind of an ego trip. It’s just fun to do.

Do making toys and being Santa ever combine?

Not really. It’s sort of two separate things in my life, except when I’m at shows [and take some toys with me]. Kids will ask me if I’m the real Santa. I tell them, "I look like Santa, so what do you think?” Or I’ll answer, “You’re a real little boy, aren’t you?” It makes no sense, but they’re satisfied.

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“...we’re kicking the bird to the curb and are letting side dishes have their rightful moment in the sun.”

Classics on the Side Complementing the turkey a must on Thanksgiving

F

OOTBALL SEASON IS IN FULL SWING,

a certain crispness permeates the air, and the leaves are dropping around us faster than manufacturers can invent new products featuring pumpkin spice.

Autumn has arrived, which means Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. Soon the humble turkey, transformed for a day into something majestic, will take its moment in the spotlight on tables throughout the country: Roasted, fried, brined or grilled, the bird is the word. This year, though, we’re kicking the bird to the curb and are letting side dishes have their rightful moment in the sun.

After all, where would a hero be without his trusty sidekick?

Thanksgiving side dishes invariably bring up happy memories. One whiff can

transport us back to our grandmother’s house or our mom’s kitchen. Maybe you helped mash the potatoes or got to lick the gravy spoon after sneaking a bite of dressing from the stillcooling casserole dish while growing up.

All these memories can bring up good-natured challenges from one cook to another. Favoritism is fierce as aficionados of a certain dish swear that theirs is, quite simply, the best. Perhaps you, too, have caught the cooking bug and want to prove yourself on this food-centered occasion. Nothing says loving like something from the oven, right? Fire them up, folks. If you’re going to make one meal the whole year, Thanksgiving dinner should be the one, and your side dishes will be what set you apart from the competition.

Anyone can throw a turkey in the oven, but who has what it takes to create an entire spread on the blank canvas of your dining room table? We’re here to help you get started on your journey of kitchen dominance. Consider these recipes below as arrows in your quiver as you aim for greatness.

Let’s begin with an old favorite.

Invented by Campbell Soup Company in 1955, green bean casserole was quickly adopted as a staple holiday food item, as it was inexpensive, fast, and used items typically on hand. While the traditional version uses the iconic cream of mushroom soup and french fried onions, we’ve taken ours up several notches.

The following version comes to us from Food Network’s Alton Brown and uses fresh ingredients to make it a Thanksgiving classic.

Written by SAMANTHA SASTRE | Photographed by SHAUNA VEASEY

november / december 2015 | 33

◗ food

Sprinkle

Green Bean Casserole

some Cheer!

Serves 4-6

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For the topping:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 Tbs. panko bread crumbs 1 tsp. kosher salt Nonstick cooking spray

For beans and sauce:

2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt,

divided 1 lb. fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved 2 Tbs. unsalted butter 12 oz. mushrooms, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions two to three times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans.

Bring a gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the 34 | www.newnancowetamag.com

cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 tsp. salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

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staple of North American agriculture for centuries, sweet potatoes rank among the most nutritious vegetables in existence. Whipped up with some spices, sugar, and butter on Thanksgiving, they may lose some of their healthy benefits, but hey, it’s a holiday, right? It’s shockingly simple to turn ordinary vegetables into something incredible that will add brightness and a pop of color to your table.

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3 lbs. sweet potatoes 6 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature 6 Tbs. packed dark brown sugar ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. coriander ½ tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated ½ tsp. finely chopped lemon peel ¼ cup fresh orange juice After piercing, bake the sweet potatoes at 350 degrees on a lined sheet pan coated with cooking spray until very soft, about 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, place in a bowl and mash until smooth. Mix in 4 Tbs. butter, 4 Tbs. brown sugar, the spices, and ginger. Add the orange juice and mix well.

Place in greased casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 Tbs. brown sugar and dot with the remaining 2 Tbs. butter. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 until heated through. Serve warm.

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W

hether you stuff your turkey with it (aka stuffing), or bake it up on the side, no holiday feast is complete without dressing.

The familiar mix of bread, onion, celery, and spices is the perfect way to sop up all that turkey juice and gravy. It also does a fine job of soaking up some of that holiday wine you may have been imbibing! No fresh herbs around? Use half as much as the recipe calls for of each dried herb.

Simple Dressing Serves 6-8

M

acaroni and cheese is a quintessentially American dish, with variations of it dating back to the 1800s. With that much time between then and now, one can only imagine how many variations of this classic dish appear on tables throughout the United States. Don’t even mention the blue Kraft box … true mac and cheese is light years ahead. Here, we present an unfussy version of this delicious comfort food. Feel free to jazz it up with additional cheeses or perhaps some Sriracha in place of the Tabasco for a spicy kick.

Macaroni and Cheese Serves 8-10

2 ¼ cup uncooked elbow noodles 3 cups milk 3 Tbs. salted butter 3 Tbs. flour ¾ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper 1/8 tsp. nutmeg A few dashes Tabasco sauce 16 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

36 | www.newnancowetamag.com

Topping:

2 Tbs. melted butter 3 slices bread, pulsed into crumbs Blend together and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9x13 pan or casserole dish.

Cook the elbow noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinse in cold water and drain.

In another pot, heat the milk to just below a simmer (not boiling). In the pasta pot, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour, whisking continuously for two minutes. While still whisking, add the hot milk in small amounts until incorporated and smooth.

Remove the white sauce from the heat and add salt, pepper, nutmeg, tabasco, and half the cheese.

Stir in the pasta.

Spread 1/3 of the pasta mix in the buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the cheese. Layer another 1/3 of the pasta and another 1/3 of cheese.

Top with the remaining pasta mixture. Combine the rest of the cheese with the breadcrumbs and scatter on top.

Bake for 20-25 minute until golden and bubbling.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

NCM

1 ½ sticks salted butter, divided 1 lb. good quality “day-old” white bread torn into chunks (about 10 cups) 2 ½ cups chopped yellow onion 1 ½ cups sliced celery 1 clove minced garlic ½ cup chopped parsley 2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage 1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme 2 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 ½ cups chicken broth, divided 2 large eggs

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Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Butter a 13x9x2 baking dish and set aside. Scatter bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about an hour. Let cool and transfer to a large bowl. Raise the oven temp to 350.

Meanwhile, melt 3/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and celery. Stir often for 8 minutes. Add the garlic. Saute for 2 more minutes until just beginning to brown. Add to bowl with the bread. Stir in the herbs, salt and pepper. Drizzle in 1 1/4 cups of broth and toss gently. Let cool.

Whisk 1 1/4 cups broth and eggs in a small bowl. Add to the bread mixture and fold gently until thoroughly combined. Transfer to buttered dish, cover with foil, and bake for 40 minutes.

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november / december 2015 | 37

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ast but not least, one cannot forget cranberry sauce. It’s tradition. If perhaps you would prefer that yours did not arrive on your table in the form of a gelatinous tin can, this next recipe will be of vast assistance.

Cranberry Sauce Serves 6-8

1 package frozen cranberries, thawed Zest and juice from one orange ¼ cup sweet red wine or port ½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 Tbs. cornstarch 2 tsp. water In a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the first seven ingredients and bring to a boil. Bring

38 | www.newnancowetamag.com

the heat down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and mash cranberries slightly with a fork. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, then mix into the cranberries slowly to thicken them. Remove from heat and let cool.

It only takes a little bit of time to whip up some truly feast-worthy dishes for your Thanksgiving meal. A great and memorable side dish is worth the effort. One goaround of your family’s rave reviews will convert you into a cooking dynamo and can help spark new traditions passed on for generations. Food truly brings people together during the holiday season.

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Research allowed him to blaze his own path, so he joined NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia with a clear goal – “landing things on Mars.”

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RockeT Science Newnan’s Bobby Braun takes space exploration to the next level

T

HE CLASSIC LINE “This isn’t rocket science” soars to new heights when you’re married to a bona fide rocket scientist.

Especially when your significant other was an integral part of the team that designed, developed and landed the Mars rover “Sojourner” in 1997. ​K aren Braun glances at her husband, Dr. Robert “Bobby” D. Braun, and can’t suppress a grin. ​“I use it,” she admits. ​If Bobby struggles with a task around the house, she’ll say with affection, “You can land something on Mars, but you can’t do this?” ​According to Bobby, unperturbed, he often grins in return and spins the joke in his favor – “I’ve always thought that [the existence

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Written by MEGAN ALMON | Photographed by CLAY NEELY 40 | www.newnancowetamag.com

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of] that joke points to the impact my profession has had on the culture.

Everyone’s being compared to us.” ​The Brauns are at ease in the sunroom on the back of their Newnan farmhouse, the stylish comfort of the space indicative of Karen’s Georgia roots. The scene – a far cry from planetarium decor – could easily grace the cover of Southern Living, right down to her white blouse and blue jeans and his Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga. Tech) polo. Their young, eager-to-be-your-new-bestfriend St. Bernard, Lexie, sprawls on the floor, her eyes bobbing back and forth with the easy conversation. ​A s evening sunlight plays on the swimming pool’s surface outside the

windowed wall, the pair talks about the past, the present, and the future.

Especially the future. With an area to explore as vast as outer space, Bobby’s head spends a great deal of time well beyond the proverbial clouds, mapping stars and planets.

LOOKING BACK (OR, BLAST FROM THE PAST) One might think that a man like Bobby Braun dreamt of being an astronaut from the time he could play with toy rockets. He didn’t. ​In July 1976, Bobby was invited by a neighbor to the Goddard Space Flight Center to watch the climactic moment of NASA’s Viking mission. Goddard is located down the road from John

Hopkins University, where Bobby’s father worked as an electrical engineer in the applied physics laboratory.

Eleven-year-old Bobby took in the first successful landing on Mars on the center’s observation screens. ​“It was pretty exciting,” he recalls. ​When the time came to choose a major at Penn State, Bobby gravitated to aerospace engineering. He had his sights set on the Red Planet and pursued graduate studies at George Washington University, earning a M.S. in astronautics in 1989, followed by a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University. ​Bobby was undeterred by the lack of any Mars program since Vikings 1 and 2 in 1976. Research allowed

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Braun is hard at work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He recently implemented a pipeline of bright, NASA-bound engineers at Caltech much like the ones he oversees at Georgia Tech. To learn more about his work, go to www.Braun.gatech.edu. submitted photo

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ON THE FARM

Karen runs the family’s scenic farm with help from her dad, fulfilling a lifelong wish – “I always wanted horses,” she said.

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him to blaze his own path, so he joined NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia with a clear goal — “landing things on Mars.”

Mars Pathfinder (1992-1997), which culminated with the successful landing of the Sojourner (rover) on July 4, 1997, was a major catalyst for the creation of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. ​Pathfinder was just under way when Bobby made another discovery that would change the course of his life – Karen. ​K aren Braun (formerly Granroos) has called Newnan home for as long as she can remember – she was just a toddler when her family moved to the area. ​While studying nursing at Auburn, she jumped at the opportunity to visit a friend in Virginia. During her stay, she

attended a chili cook-off with her friend at Bobby’s house. In true Southern belle fashion, Karen wrote thank you notes to her hosts. ​“It was automatic,” she jokes. “I had been raised to always write a thank you.”

The note impressed Bobby, calling to mind the young woman he’d enjoyed meeting.

They were married in 1994, and Karen joined Bobby in Virginia where he continued working directly with NASA until 2003 on teams responsible for designing and developing space systems including the Mars Microprobe and Mars Sample Return – both designed to collect surface samples for analysis – and the Mars Surveyor project (2001), which relayed surface mapping information, contributing to the determinations of optimal

landing sites for future Mars rovers. ​During their time in Virginia, Bobby and Karen had three children: Zack, Allie Grace and Jessica. ​When Bobby started working at Langley, he hadn’t envisioned successful Mars missions taking place until decades later. His original plan was to successfully land something on Mars, then take up teaching. The latter endeavor arrived earlier than expected with job offers from multiple top-notch institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Georgia Institute of Technology. ​MIT was a leading choice, but a visit gone awry changed the couple’s minds. While exploring potential houses with a Realtor, Karen was overcome by a number of odd symptoms that landed her in the emergency room. Her doctor concluded that the culprit was acute anxiety, probably related to the potential move. Then and there, Bobby decided against it. ​Georgia Tech held promise of home and extended family for Karen, so Bobby became the David and Andrew Lewis Associate Professor of Space Technology in 2003 (he was promoted to professor in 2009), and the Brauns settled on Newnan’s north side near Madras. ​Bobby started working in several capacities. He taught Georgia Tech students how to do what he had done; he continued research to improve each consecutive design in terms of planetary entry, descent and landing; and he contributed to NASA in an advisory role. ​With three children in schools where she volunteered regularly, Karen took up missions of her own, one of which was to implement a Young Astronauts Program at Madras Middle School. She organized regular interaction between young Coweta students and visiting

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DowntownLaGrange.com

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Merry Christmas from Downtown LaGrange

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CANDLELIGHT HOLIDAY SIP & SHOP Friday, November 20th – 5 pm to 9 pm • • • • •

Wine & food tasting - available to registered shoppers Register for wine tasting at the Chamber of Commerce Plaza & participating shops Special sales Complimentary gift wrap Wreath silent auction at each participating location starts at 5pm

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students from Georgia Tech. The middle schoolers had opportunities to build and launch model rockets, organize “missions” of their own using easily accessible materials (constructing designs with pasta, for example), and hear from astronauts who visited as guest speakers. ​The family moved to their Newnan farm in 2007, fulfilling one of Karen’s lifelong wishes – “I always wanted horses,” she said. Additionally, farm life offered the kinds of activities they envisioned for their growing children such as swimming, fishing, bonfires and four-wheelers.

THE HERE AND NOW ​With 12 years at Georgia Tech under 46 | www.newnancowetamag.com

his belt, Bobby has successfully built a pipeline of young engineers that feed into NASA’s programs, including Mars exploration. From 2010-2011, he concurrently served as NASA’s first chief technologist in more than a decade. He continues developing technologies for future, larger-scale missions with a focus on more effective and cost-efficient entry, descent and landing systems. Since Mars Pathfinder, each mission has proven more capable than its predecessor. ​These days, Bobby’s calendar stays full of an array of activities. Aside from teaching at least one graduatelevel class each semester, he oversees the research and contributions

of around 15 graduate students (meaning regular mentoring meetings), remains involved with ongoing NASA projects as an advisor, and serves on committees which ensure continued support for planetary exploration. In July, he was asked to testify before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology as it prepared to make decisions regarding the kaleidoscopic benefits and funding of current and future space programs. ​The Brauns recently returned to Newnan after a six-month relocation to the West Coast, where Bobby worked to implement elements of the Georgia Tech engineer pipeline program at the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) in Pasadena, Calif.

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◗ closer look

RED PLANET

Braun helped land the Mars Sojourner in 1997.

​ he interesting twist on the halfT year venture was Karen’s work with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), also in Pasadena. Her years of volunteer work with the Young Astronauts Program combined with a passion to raise awareness of NASA’s far-reaching impact landed her a position with JPL’s education office. She worked to promote interaction with the public, facilitating a JPL information booth at major educational and science events including California’s jam-packed high school robotics competition. She led a science fair that enabled 60 young science enthusiasts and chaperones — on a first come, first serve basis — to present their projects to the JPL community. The event was a big deal to the students who participated, in 48 | www.newnancowetamag.com

terms of access it provided to both the highly protected site itself and the minds employed there. Additionally, Karen oversaw the “Spaceship Program,” a highly competitive JPL internship available to only 10 high school juniors, many of whom were drawn from struggling communities. ​With Zack at Ga. Tech and Allie at Furman University, Jessica, a senior at Northgate High School, accompanied her parents cross country, studying online for the semester with one added elective – surf lessons. ​Now that they’re home, Bobby has resumed responsibilities at Georgia Tech and, because he’s a man who wears many hats, travels regularly. ​K aren has returned to running the farm with a helping hand from her dad, Newnan’s Dave Granroos. The

extra hands are needed to manage six horses; an ever-increasing number of rescued barn cats (currently nine); guinea hens; Lexie and her canine pals, Prissy and Shadow; and Elvira, the resident donkey that keeps coyotes at bay and stars annually in the live nativity scene the Brauns host on site during the holidays.

LOOKING OUT, AND AHEAD Bobby’s busy schedule doesn’t allow for a luxurious amount of recreationally observing the night sky. Most of his star-gazing happens on computer screens. But the final frontier still beckons, making those frequent long, difficult days worthwhile. ​Leisurely sitting as the sun sinks lower and the stars await their queue,

he pauses for a moment and smiles. ​“ You can’t look at the night sky without thinking, ‘Where did we come from?’ and ‘Are we really alone?’” he says. “The space program is all about researching and designing in order to answer those questions.” ​The more men and women like Bobby Braun learn about the universe, the more questions arise. His work is perpetually future-oriented by default. And in an increasingly technological age, new knowledge and a multi-faceted cascade of “spin offs” from NASA research create an astounding number of benefits across society in general. ​A few of NASA’s technological advancements that have crossed over from research laboratories to everyday life include the Internet, biotechnology, the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Weather Channel – and the mechanism that enables an iPhone camera. Developments designed to enable human space exploration also led to increasingly lighter-weight winter clothing and nutrient-filled baby formula. The list goes on and on. ​Meanwhile, a solar-powered U.S. spacecraft is en route to Jupiter; the New Horizons mission completed a successful summer-long fly-by of Pluto; two rovers are scouring Mars’ surface; and U.S. orbiters are relaying previously unknown information about Mars and Saturn. ​A recent Ga. Tech-led study involving Braun found evidence of hydrated salts on Mars, meaning water on the Red Planet isn’t just frozen or ancient.

That discovery has huge implications for the possibility of sustaining human life on Mars. ​The past few years are dotted with discoveries of Earth-like planets – “ocean worlds.” Accessing those unexplored ocean terrains is a new and exciting horizon, especially given increasingly streamlined, economical technologies that enable cost-efficient missions. ​This alluring mix of advancement and discovery is the very thing that captures the imaginations of up-and-coming successors of Braun and his colleagues. Which is why he was able to tell Congress confidently, “The grandest era of space exploration lies ahead of us.” ​One giant leap at a time. ​NCM

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016 CALLAWAY AUDITORIUM november / december 2015 | 49

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Buffalo & Arrowheads Senoian’s museum digs into Coweta’s past

D

AVID BROWN WAS CLEANING OUT HIS OLD BARN on Al Roberts Road

in Senoia when he had that Kevin Costner moment.

You know the one. That “If You Build It, They Will Come” moment.

“He said, ‘You know what? I’m going to build a museum,’” said his wife, Rita.

Brown isn’t your typical museum operator.

A soil scientist by training, Brown has been called a “conservation pioneer” for his work at the 400-acre Longview Farm, which he purchased from Proctor & Gamble in 1991. History has always been a passion of his, but more of a hobby than anything.

“But I told him to go for it,” she said. “I

think David has a way of bringing history alive that a lot of people could appreciate.”

Bringing the dead back to life is something of a David Brown specialty.

Take the farm, for instance.

“The farm was highly depleted, highly eroded, with not one fixed improvement on it,” Brown said. “It had been through 100 years of the cotton era, and then used for timber when Proctor & Gamble got it in the 1970s.”

During World War I, the price of cotton went through the roof, according to Brown, and “every acre was utilized to grow cotton.” After the war, prices bottomed out, and the land eventually found other uses. As Brown worked the farm and restored it, he realized his farm EARLY LIVING

“This farm was first settled in 1820,” said David Brown, owner of Longview Cattle Farm, located between Haralson and Senoia on Al Roberts Road. Brown collects tools from that era to help illustrate early farm life in Coweta County.

Written by JEFF BISHOP | Photographed by MARK FRITZ 50 | www.newnancowetamag.com

november / december 2015 | 51

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“Some of the artifacts found at our site are believed to be 5,000 years old.”

While cleaning out his barn recently, Brown was inspired to create a museum. A mural shows the evolution of the land from a dense forest canopy to fields where buffalo roamed and an Indian village was settled, right up to the establishment of a cotton plantation in the 1800s.

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The seat of this early settler’s chair was made from corn shucks. At right, Brown points out some of the antique pitchforks in his collection that once were used to transport bales of cotton.

had a story to tell.

He has now dedicated himself to telling that story, which stretches back thousands of years.

“About 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, Native Americans reached Coweta County,” Brown said. “Some of the artifacts found at our site are believed to be 5,000 years old.”

These artifacts include pottery pieces, a grinding stone, spear points and arrowheads.

54 | www.newnancowetamag.com

He also discovered old hatchets, blades, rusted iron tools – various implements used by different people at different times to work the land. As his collection grew, he thought he might find a way to share it with the community.

“So about two years ago I started this museum from stuff I had in my collection,” Brown said. “I cleaned out the barn and I began to nail things up.”

Brown has arranged the artifacts into a timeline stretching from before the Native

On Jan. 5, 1897, J.J. Dennis requested that a post office be established at “Maywood.” The request was granted. However, the name was changed to Farmdale.

Dennis was appointed postmaster on May 20, 1897. The post office was located in Land Lot 140, First District, near the intersection of Gordon Road and Al Robert Road, largely on land currently owned by David Brown as part of his Longview Cattle Farm.

“The Dennis farm was 650 acres,” Brown said.

“He usually had the first bale of cotton of the season, which was a big deal at the time. They had a school called Farmdale and even had a little post office.”

He said an old crepe myrtle tree is all that remains of the original farm.

A June 1897 issue of the Times-Herald reported that “Farmdale is the name of a new post office recently established at J.J. Dennis’ about equally distant from Senoia and Turin, and he has been appointed Postmaster.”

He was also trustee of the Farmdale School, located in Land Lot 169, First District. Other trustees were J.M. Strickland, W.B. Harris and J.R. Couch.

On July 25, 1899, William L. Brakefield was appointed postmaster and the post office location was moved three-quarters of a mile to his store in Land Lot 168, First District, near the intersection of Gordon Road and Nixon Road.

Postmasters at Farmdale in the late 19th and early 20th centuries also included James K. Strickland, Ida L. Strickland, Thomas J. Gay and Luther Gilbert. The Farmdale post office was discontinued on Oct. 14, 1905.

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Cotton was one of the most important early crops, along with corn, but intensive cotton farming depleted the land, according to Brown.

Brown has enlisted several family members as well as local artist Joshua Westerman to paint interpretive murals.

Americans into the early 20th century.

“I begin by trying to help people understand what this place looked like when it was a climax forest, when very little sunlight reached the ground and the trees were 100 feet high. It was a lot different than anything you see now,” he said.

Native Americans altered the landscape significantly, building villages along the waterways.

Thousands of years went by, and eventually corn was introduced into the landscape.

“It worked its way up from Mexico,” Brown said. “The Indians would plant beans, corn, and squash together in what was called a ‘3 in 1.’ Mountain people still use it. You plant corn in a little mound, about three feet 56 | www.newnancowetamag.com

apart. Then you plant your beans, which grow up and around your corn stalks. And you put your pumpkins in between.”

To help visitors visualize the different eras, he enlisted family members and Joshua Westerman, a local artist, to paint interpretive murals on plywood across the barn/ museum walls.

“You see the buffalo?” Brown asked.

“My granddaughter, Madeline, did those. A lot of people don’t know there used to be buffalo here. Not as many as there were out West, but they were here.”

Cougars, wolves, and black bears also once called the Longview Farm home, according to Brown.

“In ‘Coweta Chronicles,’ they talk

about killing the wolves,” Brown said.

“Of course we still have bobcats – plenty of them. But there were no coyotes, armadillos or starlings in those days.”

The highlight of Brown’s collection is his massive trove of tools used by early settlers and farmers. Some he purchased, but many were found right in the furrows and pastures at his farm.

“I had to replace the handles on some of them. See this ax, with the offset handle? You don’t see that every day. That’s so you wouldn’t bust your knuckles.”

Brown said he learned a lot about the ways of life of the settlers as he worked to assemble his backyard museum. They used to make “pretty

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From Indian stone artifacts through early wooden and metal tools, Brown’s Longview Farm has it all. Above, he demonstrates how massive logs were hewn into beams for barns, corn cribs and homes.

much everything” back on the farm in those days, he said. That included roofing shingles, brooms, and many farm implements.

“American tools were different,” he said, taking a seat on a kind of homemade broom-building work station.

“America was the first place to make things you could sit on while you worked. In Europe, almost everything was stand-up.”

His barn includes scales, weights, pulleys, blades – if it was used on a 19th-century farm, you can probably find it in Brown’s museum.

“The anvil was important. See that 58 | www.newnancowetamag.com

anvil? That’s a 100-pounder cast in Anniston, Ala. It has three parts to it.

There’s a lot that has been forgotten.

“See this chair? That rope in the seat was made with corn shucks,” he added. “They kept twisting them and made rope that way.”

Another piece is made entirely of items scrounged from the forest.

“You see things like this from the Depression era, when times got really hard,” he said. “They would build what they could from what they could find, and then sell it by the side of the road when the tourists from the North would come through. They would sell

something like this for a quarter.”

Brown invites anyone interested in the history of the land to come check out his Coweta County Heritage Museum. He has many stories to tell, and wants to share them.

“I believe a museum should tell a story in an interesting way,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ve accomplished that here. I know what this piece of property means to me. It’s like a sanctuary. It feeds my soul. It helps me to commune with the past, and it reminds me of the struggles people had. It tells that story. I want to share that with others.” NCM

I believe a museum should tell a story in an interesting way. The purpose of this small endeavor is to tell the history and use of land in Coweta County in layman’s terms.

Very few people wonder what the land was like before mankind changed it in so many ways ... usually exploiting the natural resources.

If we assume the Earth is very old, 4.5 billion years, and that mankind emerged from the rift valley in Africa about 200,000 years ago, we can safely say it took them a long time to get to Coweta County.

What was our county like before any man reached here? It was quite different than today.

Keep in mind, rainfall and climate greatly affects undisturbed climax vegetation. The sea of prairie grass in the West, with a few cottonwood trees along the waterways, is because the annual rainfall is about 50 inches.

Here in Coweta, it is about 50 inches. Therefore, over a period of thousands of years, an oakhickory forest developed. It was 80 to 100 feet high and very dense, with very little sunlight penetrating to the ground. These old trees offered the perfect habitat for many species of birds and animals. Hardwoods also provided food for many species. A modern take on this is that Mother Nature was furnishing the bluebird and purple martin boxes that modern man must provide, because today there are very few tree cavities for birds or wildlife in our new growth forests.

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Princesses Other Possibilities

“Toys for girls sought to prepare them for their lives as happy homemakers.”

and

Girls’ toys historically reflect societal roles, evolving choices Written by REBECCA LEFTWICH Photographed by AARON HEIDMAN

A

S THE ONLY GIRL AMONG FIVE SIBLINGS, I never had any difficulty figuring

out which pile of gifts Santa – who rarely bothered wrapping anything for the rowdy tumble of junior Rowlands – left for me on my childhood Christmas mornings.

We never hung our stockings, just placed them in birth order on the five cushions of our living room furniture, counting on decorative edging to mark the personal real estate on which St. Nicholas would place our loot. That jolly old elf was mighty good to us all, but the occasional squabble broke out amongst my brothers when a collectively coveted toy (like Evel Knievel, complete with stunt cycle), perched precariously atop Mount St. Middle Child, would shake loose during the thundering holiday stampede through our house and land backside-up on Secondborn’s Peak, touching off a fierce turf war.

Parental intervention was swift: Separate the warring factions, return the toy to its rightful owner, turn bloodshot eyes toward the clock (5 a.m.) and politely remind us of the reason for the season.

I observed the goings-on with detachment. I knew had the plastic daredevil applied himself, he’d have managed to land an entire toy mountain over to find himself in the infinitely more desirable company of Raggedy Ann or Chrissy Doll instead. He could have tallied sales on my tin cash register and sipped Earl Grey from a tiny porcelain tea set, or he could have tried out the working escalator at Barbie Plaza. Why he wanted to pop wheelies on his dumb old motorcycle all day was a mystery to me.

While my four brothers were busy each year with the year’s popular action figures and assorted motorized mini-vehicles capable of maiming

ROLE MODELS

Tin banks and typewriters were all the rage in the 1950s, while Easy Bake Oven was the dream of little homemakers in 1963.

november / december 2015 | 63

and scarring prepubescent boys, I was steadily working my way through the expected – mandatory, even – little girl’s wish list.

IF YOU CAN DREAM Turns out I wasn’t the only one. Toymakers have spent an unfathomable amount of money on research, marketing, development and target audience advertising over the past few decades, convincing generations of little girls – and their parents – that finding Chatty Cathy or an Easy Bake Oven under the Christmas tree would make their lives complete.

Toys historically have followed societal trends. A separate industry devoted solely to producing playthings for children evolved as the Industrial Revolution unfolded, and the dawning of a new century brought with it a steady stream of toys such as Lionel trains and Erector Sets mirroring boys’ ever-growing fascination with the “iron horse” and construction.

During wartime, toymakers cranked

out cap guns, binoculars and toy soldiers; the Space Race brought ray guns, miniature rockets and astronaut helmets.

Meanwhile, little girls continued to amuse themselves with dolls and miniature housekeeping tools as reflected their societal roles as keepers at home.

“Toys for girls sought to prepare them for their lives as happy homemakers,” writes author Robin Cherry in “Catalog: The Illustrated History of Mail Order Shopping.”

“Catalog pages touted items ‘for the little housekeeper’ and included sewing machines, dresser sets, sewing boxes, ironing boards and laundry sets for the doll’s laundry.”

My mother was born in 1940, the year Sears ceased offering complete home kits through its mail-order catalog – a publication that to my mother and her four sisters served as a beacon of pop culture, fashion and, of course, toys.

Cash was scarce in working farm

households in rural Alabama when Mama and my aunts were children, so the holiday catalog published by Sears really was a Wish Book for the Jordan girls, who received practical gifts like socks and underwear for Christmas each year. Family members made gifts for each other as well.

It was not uncommon for children of that time to receive communal gifts – like the single bicycle my mother and aunts shared – rocking horses and other play-upon wooden toys, wagons and board games. Most mid-century family dwellings likely contained tin banks, tops and other toys bearing the likenesses of popular cartoon characters of the time – Woody Woodpecker, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck. Child-sized tin typewriters and cash registers were also popular girls’ toys, as were tin dollhouses.

While holiday “wish books” from Sears, JC Penney and Montgomery Ward remained popular resources, holiday toy advertising began to make its way onto radio and TV with

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Move over, baby! Barbie arrived on the toy scene in 1959, breaking a decades-long baby doll monopoly.

catchy jingles and tie-ins with hit programs and personalities to sell everything from coonskin caps to transistor radios.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD But it was the introduction of the Barbie fashion doll on March 9, 1959, at the American International Toy Fair in New York that marked the beginning of a new era in girls’ toys. Barbie creator Ruth Handler based what would become an icon of the toy world on her then-teenage daughter, Barbara.

“My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be,” Handler, who referred to herself as the doll’s mom, explained at the time.

Around the time Barbie hit the market, increasing numbers of women were beginning to pursue higher education and careers in addition to – or instead of – fulfilling traditional homemaking roles. Handler herself was a bit non-traditional for the time, a savvy businesswoman who co-founded Barbie parent company Mattel Creations with husband Elliot in 1945.

“Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices,” said Handler, whose plastic “daughter” has kept pace with the evolution of women’s roles in society while managing to remain one of the most

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popular – and at the same time, most reviled – girls’ toys in history.

In the 1960s, changeable wardrobe dolls who could talk, drink and wet their diapers – the height of desirability in dollies for many of the preceding years – and the hot-selling Barbie were joined by fashion dolls like Tressy (1963) and Crissy (1969) with hair that could be temporarily lengthened or shortened. In 1965, a revamped version of the classic Chatty Cathy (1959) was Singin’ Chatty for little girls, who also were scrambling to dry the weeping eyes of Cheerful Tearful (1965).

Joining its tin and pressed metal predecessors in 1963 was the Easy Bake Oven, a glorious turquoise plastic contraption that swerved sharply from its peers in that those who possessed it could actually bake real snacks from special mixes inside the appliance, which utilized an incandescent lightbulb (subsquent models used real stovelike heating elements).

As the ‘70s dawned and women became a significant part of the public workforce, the Equal Rights Amendment became a talking point and feminism a household word. Barbie began wearing business suits and carrying briefcases in addition to her more fashion-forward attire, but homemaking stayed on the toy aisle with contemporary versions of child-sized housekeeping tools remaining popular. The Sunshine Family of dolls gave a nod to the nuclear family while television shows like “Donny and Marie” and “Charlie’s Angels” flooded the shelves with shrunken plastic celebrities, who nested on the shelves alongside oddities like Monchichi, Weebles Sea Monkeys and troll dolls.

The ‘80s gave us Cabbage Patch dolls, Rainbow Brite, Care Bears, Garfield and Strawberry Shortcake. It also brought the debut of Pleasant Company’s award-winning American Girl dolls, a line of 18-inch dolls of varying ethnicities and origins with names, books and wardrobes representing different periods of history throughout the world. American Girl expanded its line in 1995 to include an annual “Girl of the Year” doll with more contemporary appeal, as well as “Truly Me” look-alike dolls. Boutiques and stores featuring American Girl dolls – including Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins for younger girls – and accessories, doll repair services, and restaurants with special accommodations for AG dolls are popular destinations for fans of the Mattel-owned franchise, which exploded onto the scene in 1986.

Resurrected classic toys, sometimes in throwback packaging, and collectible stuffed animals like Beanie Babies marked the ‘90s, while the 2000s brought us girlcentric Legos, Disney Princesses and 2001’s Bratz Dolls, which shortly after their introduction became embroiled in what seems to be a never-ending legal battle with Barbie for the title of Divine Diva. (Ladies, please. Stop the madness – you’re both beautiful.)

AS LONG AS THERE’S CHRISTMAS

ALL DOLLED UP

Collectible and sophisticated dolls as well as feminine versions of classic building toys have been a big part of little girls’ Christmases for several years now.

Allison Rogers, an elementary school teacher and mother of daughters aged 10 and 14, grew up in Newnan. She has experienced several waves of girl toy trends – from her own childhood fascination with the Easy Bake Oven to her youngest daughter Caroline’s Rainbow Loom bracelet-making frenzy a couple of years ago – both as a mother and as a teacher. Rogers admits she bookmarked many a wish book as a child, as well as added items to her Christmas lists based on some well-produced commercials.

“Mama said she wished they’d stop showing commercials on TV because our lists just kept growing,” Rogers joked.

Rogers says she was more interested in activitybased gifts than gender-specific ones. In addition to her treasured Easy Bake Oven, Rogers said she enjoyed her original Lite Brite. Books to hold stickers bought off rolls in Scott’s Book Store made one year’s list, and another favorite was Disney records, which she spun while reading the accompanying storybooks.

“I remember Tinker Bell or Jiminy Cricket would make a noise on the record when it was time to turn the page in the book,” she said.

Toy time was over the year Rogers’ list consisted of Sebagos, a Member’s Only jacket and Don Henley’s “Building the Perfect Beast” on cassette.

Where her own children are concerned, Rogers said Santa Claus has not necessarily followed popular trends. Board games and puzzles usually make their way into the mix, and one year when Rogers’ eldest daughter, Anna Grace, was spending a lot of time outdoors with dad Jay, Santa brought a particularly specific gift: A coon-hunting light.

However, “Santa typically brings three gifts,” Rogers said. “Things we want, things we need. Toys, but also socks, coats … things like that.”

Then again, he hasn’t made any rules against trendy toys. Over the years, Santa has left Anna Grace and Caroline gifts of American Girl dolls, scooters, Gigapets, Webkins and Silly Bands, too. An odd school-wide trend among boys to wear bright yellow Nike Elite socks up to their knees and Caroline’s current desire to see a pair of Vans in her size under the tree aside, Rogers says she sees a growing trend toward electronic Christmas gifts among her students.

“It seems almost like kids now go straight for electronics at an earlier and earlier age, maybe even 5 or 6 now,” she said. “They have tablets, iPhones, iPods, a DS. I’m surprised at what some of these kids get for Christmas.”

Grandmother probably thought the same thing the

Christmas she was jolted out of bed at 5 a.m. by the five of us, all busy with some type of noisy electronic gift.

I WONDER I can remember wishing for only a few things I never received from Santa, who fortunately is wise as well as jolly. A Jaime Summers doll would have been nice, but Kenner’s selling point was a bionic ear. The toymaker never got around to an upgraded Bionic Woman action figure with the ability to rip a 4-inch phone book in half like the “real” Jaime did in one episode of the 1970s show, which is what I really wanted.

I wished for Shaun Cassidy himself, not a Shaun Cassidy doll – though I admit I felt his presence while I was humming “Hey, Deanie” and swinging the Hardy Boys lunchbox that held my cheese-and-mustard sandwiches for one whole school year.

Months ago, my teenage daughter texted me a link to the ukulele she wants for Christmas, and it’s been years since she so much as glanced at the American Girl catalog. I thought we were finished with crayon circles and hearts marking wish book selections.

Only … it seems like her toddlerhood obsession with princesses has returned. She has added “a few more ideas” to her list, and they all seem to involve Princess Anna costumes, characters from “Sherlock” and “Supernatural” and anything Disney that does not feature “fake Elsa.”

So somebody pass me the Sharpies and hand over those Disney and cosplay catalogs. I have serious work to do. NCM

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Top-10-Store.com has compiled a list of what it predicts will be the best-selling toys for girls this holiday season.

1. VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX (ages 4-­9) – List price: $64.99 2. Girl Scouts Deluxe Cookie Oven (ages 8-­15) – List price: $59.99 3. Nerf Rebelle Secrets & Spies Arrow Revolution Bow BlasteR (ages 8­-older) – List price: $39.99 4. LeapFrog Epic Tablet for Kids (ages 2­-9) – List price: $139.99 5. LEGO Friends Pop Star Limo Set (ages 6-­12) – List price: $24.99 6. Disney Frozen Sing­A­Long Elsa Doll (ages 3­-older) – List price: $39.99 7. VTech Flipsies Sandy’s House & Ocean Cruiser (ages 4­-9) – List price: $41.99 8. Play­Doh Crazy Cuts (ages 3-­older) – List price: $14.99 9. Shopkins Fashion Boutique Playset (ages 5­-older) – List price: $29.99 10. LEGO Disney Princess Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle (ages 6­-12) – List price: $39.99 70 | www.newnancowetamag.com

on

gender-neutral labeling In August, Target announced on the company’s website its intention to eliminate gender labels on the toy aisles.

“In some cases, like apparel, where there are fit and sizing differences, [gender labeling] makes sense. In others, it may not,” the statement read, adding the decision was a response to customer feedback. Now the signs are simple: Barbie. Board Games. Legos.

I enjoy hearing my children’s opinions on issues like this one. My 19- and 14-year-old sons are fans of Avenged Sevenfold, first-person shooter video games, fail videos and all things Adult Swim, but they also are enthusiastic Bronies (male fans of My Little Pony) and, therefore, unlikely to hesitate if the sign indicating Rainbow Dash’s location in the toy section happens to be pink.

The same cannot be said of my 16-year-old daughter.

Fueled by Disney Princess Power, she wears a “Slay Your Own Dragons” pendant and wonders out loud why a toy company would feel the need to produce a “pretty” archery set specifically for girls (see Rebelle Secrets & Spies Arrow Revolution Bow Blaster, No. 3 on this year’s Top 10 Girls’ Toy List) unless there was some anatomical difference that prevents female archers from using the same Nerf sets as boys.

I had plenty of dolls and “girl toys” while growing up, and I loved them all: Tea sets, Barbie styling heads, toy kitchens. But I also loved board games, bikes and Simon, all things I could enjoy with my four brothers.

Of Time Magazine’s 100 greatest toys of all time, a solid majority could be considered gender-neutral: Wagon.

Chemistry set. Yo-yo. Viewmaster. Bubbles. Silly Putty.

Play-Doh. Etch-A-Sketch. Lite Brite. Shrinky Dinks.

Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine. Rubik’s Cube.

Let’s dispel a common myth: All girls don’t like dolls.

A friend was telling me about her mother’s childhood Christmas gift from an aunt who refused to listen to her little niece when she asked for “anything except a doll.” Her brothers received BB guns but she got exactly what she did NOT want – a doll. Her aunt was horrified to see the doll

again a couple of weeks later, tied to a barbed wire fence where it was being used as a target for the BB guns. Her niece had handed over her gift in exchange for the chance to shoot her brothers’ guns.

Psychology Today tells of a 2002 report by Gerianne M. Alexander of Texas A&M University and Melissa Hines of City University in London, whose research showed vervet monkeys exhibiting the same gender-typical toy preferences as humans.

Their study, published in Evolution and Human Behavior, tells how Alexander and Hines “gave two stereotypically masculine toys (a ball and a police car), two stereotypically feminine toys (a soft doll and a cooking pot), and two neutral toys (a picture book and a stuffed dog) to 44 male and 44 female vervet monkeys. They then assessed the monkeys’ preference for each toy by measuring how much time they spent with each. Their data demonstrated that male vervet monkeys showed significantly greater interest in the masculine toys, and the female vervet monkeys showed significantly greater interest in the feminine toys.

The two sexes did not differ in their preference for the neutral toys.”

In 2008, the study was repeated with a different species of monkey and yielded similar results.

Gender-specific signs are meant for ease of shopping, according to Target’s website, which added, “Historically, guests have told us that sometimes – for example, when shopping for someone they don’t know well – signs that sort by brand, age or gender help them get ideas and find things faster.”

The store also removed its “unnecessary” genderspecific signs in its home and entertainment sections and, presumably, expanded its gift card selection as well.

Frankly, if monkeys are smart enough to choose their own toys without benefit of color-coded signs, surely human children can do the same.

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t’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

Proof of that is the increased talk by my son of his wish list for Christmas. That translates to a lot more time in the toy aisles and on various web pages.

While my son and I are approaching the time when we connect on fewer and fewer things, one subject upon which we can always relate is our love for toys. For boys, toys have always been important – regardless of how they’ve changed in the decades that separate my toybuying days, which are long gone, to his, which are right in their prime.

It’s a passion that never goes away, and it can be rekindled in toy stores of all types.

“We save childhood memories. When people come in here they’re going to see stuff. If you are anywhere between 25 years old and 50 years old, and with our antique store, maybe even older than that,” said Richard Mix, coowner of Full Circle Toys in Newnan, which has specialized in selling toys, antiques and collectibles since 2008. “People who grew up in the mid-‘70s through the mid-‘90s, when they come in here, they’re going to see something they remember that they had when they were kids. So it’s kind of reliving your childhood.”

Childhood toys are as unique as the individual and represent a kind of slice of life of the time. They also mirror progress in technology.

Entertainment was much simpler in the ‘50s and early ‘60s, as something as simple as Mr. Potato Head, where one creates and rearranges funny faces on a potatoshaped piece of plastic, or a Slinky, a thin, elongated springlike object that was supposed to amaze and defy gravity by walking down a flight of stairs, was a big deal. There were things like Silly Putty, which allowed you to

press on a newspaper and soak up the ink, creating an image for you to manipulate. Big fun, huh?

In the ‘60s, there were cool games like Operation, a game that required a steady hand in – as the name suggests – a simulation of surgery, pulling out pieces inside body parts of an animated body without touching the sides and setting off an electronic charge, and Twister, a rather bizarre game that took advantage of kids’ flexibility in making contortionists of us all, and Battleship, which tested players’ craftiness in strategy as well as their honesty.

In the ‘70s, video games arrived, although, like TV itself, the games started rather low-tech.

“I remember being little and playing Pong. That was the most awesome thing in the world,” said Brad Tschantz, a 36-year-old father of four – a 13-year-old son, a 7-year-old daughter and 15-month-old twins. “We were one of the few families on the street that had it. So all the kids were always over at our house playing Pong. Now, looking back, and I’m like, ‘Wow, it was just a dial and a paddle-boy with a ball going back and forth.’”

Game systems have progressed from yesterday’s Atari and Nintendo to today’s PlayStation and Xbox. There’s even game platforms on our cell phones. But back in the day, it’s not really surprising that a game like Pong helped make it easier for Tschantz, his older brother, and countless kids like him to want to play outside.

Tschantz says he considers himself fortunate that his eldest prefers playing real sports. So does Nick Howard, 35, whose 8-year-old son has

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fought off the lure of game-makers.

“A lot of this stuff now is geared toward kids staying inside and not getting outside and exercising,” Howard said. “One of our favorite things to do is throw the football, but he loves the Lego-themed video games for Xbox One, so those are the two things that we do most together.”

Replica jerseys have done the trick as far as gifts during many Christmases for Howard. The owner of approximately 15 replica Duke Blue Devils Basketball jerseys, he’s passed on that love to his son, who has around seven of them, with the prize being RGIII (Washington QB Robert Griffin III). Replicas go for as little as in the low teens for a cheaper knock-off to hundreds of dollars for a true detailed jersey and have become big business.

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Childhood toys are as unique as the individual and represent a kind of slice of life of the time.

The Lego phenomenon also has grown remarkably over the years.

Gone are the days when sets simply consisted of different sized squares and rectangles, which limited the kinds of things you could create and required real imagination to make come to life.

Today’s Legos not only come in all shapes and sizes with the smallest of details, they include action figures in them, complete with accessories.

“Lego mini-figures are huge,” said Kelli Mix, co-owner of Full Circle.

“In fact, a lot of kids buy the Lego sets that are really expensive, they pull the figures out, and then they sell me back the sets without the figures.”

“The Lego Movie” went a long way in promoting the Lego boom. It grossed nearly $470 million worldwide, $69 million the first weekend.

The Lego empire now extends into sets based on just about any TV show or movie.

There are aisles crammed with Lego sets in stores and even Legothemed stores. It’s enough to put even adult Lego lovers into, shall we call it, “Leg-stacy.”

Bryan Gladu, a 30-something Harley Davidson mechanic, admits that his love of Legos may have contributed to his career choice.

“I still go see the Lego section because I can’t help myself. I want to buy some but I can’t get myself to do it,” said Gladu, who also once was an avid follower and collector of He-Man Master of the Universe action figures and still hangs on to that love of the little plastic pieces.

“Sometimes I just research stuff on eBay, just to look at old toys, late’80s, early-’90s. I love to reminisce about the old times, especially old Christmases. Legos, for sure.”

With a nod to his wife, Gladu said he would love the Millennium Falcon Lego set for Christmas this year, and he’s likely not alone.

“For every decade you could argue that Star Wars is the most popular toy, since 1977, when it came out,” Kelli Mix said. “The new movie is coming out in December, so I almost can guarantee that it will be the hottest Christmas item.”

“Star Wars” is the biggest – and promising to get even bigger – show/ movie series, but it’s not the only one that is making a hit on the current action figure market. “‘Walking Dead’ merchandise is really popular,” said Kelli, adding that the most popular figure of the Atlanta-based zombie-action drama is Daryl Dixon (portrayed by Norman Reedus).

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The popularity of action figures goes back as far as the ‘60, with G.I. Joe, the boys’ answer to Barbie, while celebrity action figures span everyone from the Six-Million Dollar Man to Stone Cold Steve Austin, one of the most popular wrestlers ever from the WWE. Liberace had his own action figure. So have fictional TV stars like the Simpsons, the California Raisins, and just about any kids TV show – from “HeMan” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to “Transformers” and “Teletubbies.”

Pro sports have also gotten involved. In the late ‘80s, Major League Baseball had “Starting Lineup” action figures, although, ironically, their biggest drawback was the fact that these stars, known for their athleticism, were immobile, stuck in one position and attached to a base.

Over time, action figures have gone from basically statues, where the biggest thing might be movable arms and legs, to today’s action figures armed to the teeth that can move in more versatile ways than the actors who portray them.

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The wildly popular building toy has expanded from basic blocks to sets featuring popular movies and TV shows, like “Ghostbusters” and every “Star Wars” character imaginable.

But Richard Mix, who grew up with figures of motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel, and from TV shows “The A-Team” and “The Dukes of Hazzard,” isn’t a big fan of these new figures.

“Some of the stuff that’s being cranked out now is really ultracheap,” he said. “I think a lot of it is being made in China now. Some of it’s cool. It just depends on the line. Overall, I’d say quality has gone down and the older toys are much better quality. Older action figures are much better quality.”

“They were made better back then,” Kelli agreed. “The articulation is a lot better, how their arms and legs move. The newer figures, there is either the problem of they have too much articulation, every single joint moves and kids break them really easy, or they have no articulation – it’s just an action figure, where it’s just to look at.”

That sentiment seems to be holding true for video games, as well, where a return to retro is the trend.

“All the old video games, the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega games,

ACTION FIGURE LOVE

From G.I. Joe to KISS, and everything in between, action figures have remained at the top of boys’ wish lists for decades.

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november / december 2015 | 77

THE SEASONAL SELLERS

Passing the torch from generation to generation, He-Man, Pokémon, Power Rangers and E.T. have all experienced their time as being the perfect gift for young boys on Christmas morning.

come back around again where a lot of people are playing that in place of the newer stuff that’s coming out,” Richard said. “Everything old is re-emerging again.

“It’s kind of funny when I see kids playing with stuff that’s very crude and pixelated and archaic but maybe it’s just more simple,” he continued. “Maybe there’s a saturation point with too much noise and too much to see, so now it’s kind of simplified and people can relate to it a little easier. I don’t know.”

There are exceptions, of course. Sports video games like Madden NFL, NBA 2K, MLB The Show, and FIFA seem more likely to take advantage of the opportunity to update every year and have been big with their realistic graphics. EA Sports’ current favorite, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, recently even included a game for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 that allowed players to play Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Course, so it seems unlikely it will be going back to its first golf video game – 1999’s Mario Golf.

While apps and games for the iPhone continue to sell well, Richard Mix also has seen a return to the older handheld games, including the Coleco Football Game – a very basic video game with simple graphics from the early ’80s.

“You would have expected by now that we would be wearing helmets and have 3-D, realistic images floating in the air, but actually, a lot of the stuff kids play with now is very 1970s and ’80-ish,” he added. “It’s almost gone retro. My kids play Minecraft and stuff like that, kind of pixelated, and the same is true with some of the most popular games. They’re very pixelated, and the graphics are NOT good. They’re crude. And young boys seem to like that.”

Nothing is cruder or brings back more memories for me than that Coleco game, with its slow-moving, up-and-down and forward-backward arrows and annoying simulation of a whistle. The size of the game made it perfect to throw, although its ability to handle contact, say against a wall, was less than perfect. It’s doubtful that throwability was the makers’ intent, although kudos to them for knowing their audience if it was.

Coleco Electronic Football isn’t the only way to bring back the old days for parents. There is always the six-sided, multi-colored brain-teaser/nightmare known as the Rubik’s Cube. Tschantz would love to see that phenomenon return.

“I want my kids to get frustrated the way I did,” he joked.

“I never once got that thing solved. So a Rubik’s Cube that is something that I would definitely get for them to try to do. Hours of frustration for them.”

Ah yes, parents and their children coming together and sharing emotions over Christmas toys during the holidays.

Really, isn’t that what it’s all about?

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november / december 2015 | 79

What’s hot

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Top-10-Store.com has compiled a list of what it predicts will be the best-selling toys for boys this holiday season.

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CALLING STAR WARS A FRANCHISE may not be strong enough.

Compared to other movies, “Star Wars” is in its own galaxy, far, far away from anything else.

According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, Star Wars franchise revenue has earned an out-of-this-world $27 billion. The movies have brought in more than $4.277 billion at the box office, nearly $3.8 billion in DVD sales, and $3.1 billion in book sales ($1.8) and other items ($1.3 billion).

Then there’s the toy market, where action figures, toys and other items have brought in $12 billion, while video game sales are at $2.9 billion.

Those profits will increase exponentially on Dec. 18, with the release of “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” the first part of the final trilogy of the three-trilogy series.

“The cool thing about Star Wars that’s not true of a lot of other toy lines is that it transcends generations,” said Richard Mix, co-owner of Full Circle Toys in Newnan. “You have second-generation Star Wars fans. The parents saw the original when they were teenagers, now they’re seeing it when their kids are teenagers, or they are little, and they share a common bond with Star Wars. You don’t see that with Star Trek. You don’t see that with Masters of the Universe or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It seems to be special with Star Wars. The adults who are in their 30s and 40s and kids who are in their early teens or a little bit younger or a little bit older share that same excitement about Star Wars.”

The excitement for “Star Wars 7” is already being felt on the toy market, as the Black Series Kylo Ren Force FX Lightsaber is among the best sellers.

“Star Wars 7” is expected to make $1.3 billion. NCM

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◗ style

carves S ULTIMATE The

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What’s fall and winter fashion without the most versatile and insouciant of fashion accessory staples?

A

S THE STICKY-SKINNED, HOTHOUSE HUMID DAYS OF SUMMER IN THE SOUTH give way to harvest-crisp fall

evenings that tickle the neck and thrill the senses, women (and men) from New Orleans to Nashville often rekindle their seasonal infatuation with that most versatile and insouciant of fashion accessory staples, the scarf.

Scarves have been “having a moment” for years now, and their ability to add a certain je ne sais quoi of European élan to one’s outfit cannot be denied. The right scarf, if draped properly, can infuse mystery, hint at seduction, radiate elegance and transform a lackluster ensemble into something chic and vibrant while also serving the utilitarian purpose of keeping out a chill.

With origins in ancient Rome, where it was used not for warmth, but cleanliness, the first scarf was called a sudarium, which literally means “sweat cloth.”

Luckily for style lovers, scarves have come a long way since then. From associations with Chinese dynasties, various religions, cowboys, the military and 17th century Croatian soldiers (their cravat was a necktie precursor), the scarf has a checkered past. Not surprisingly, the real turning point came when women began wearing them – the trend caught on like wildfire.

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november /december 2015 | 83

◗ style

With origins in ancient Rome, where it was used not for warmth, but cleanliness, the first scarf was called a sudarium, which literally means “sweat cloth.”

Due to its incredible popularity, the Hermès scarf has actually become one of the world’s most recognizable accessories – it’s said one is sold every 25 seconds. Since 1937, celebrity fans have used their Hermès in ingenious ways and unconventional, from light bondage in the movie “Basic Instinct” (Sharon Stone) to a fashionable sling for a broken arm (Grace Kelly).

Given all the options, scarf-wearing is akin to metamorphosis. With seemingly endless tying possibilities available to them, scarf-wearers can choose to be sophisticated or breezy, polished or romantic, timeless or trendy, cozy or couture. Scarves flatter all shapes and sizes, complement most garments and weather fleeting fads with casual savoir-faire. Sounds like the perfect accessory, right?

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how to actually wear a scarf without looking over-accessorized may seem intimidating.

For example, one might ask, “How can I look more ‘Parisian ingenue with panache’ and less ‘badly wrapped hobo burrito?’” And she would not be alone. The query “How to wear a scarf?” is consistently one of the most-Googled fashion questions, so the need for sartorial neckwear advice clearly exists. Whether the goal is to achieve the eternal poise of Audrey Hepburn or the boho glam of Kate Moss, there is a signature style for every mood.

The first step to wearing a scarf with flair is choosing a color that enhances complexion and hair. The right hue can make eyes pop, tresses gleam and even bare skin glow like it is lit from within.

Next, consider the drape – an important attribute determined solely by fabric. The fabrication, in turn, dictates texture, appearance and weather-appropriateness. The most common scarf fabrics are: alpaca, made of lustrous, silky strands from the South American animal of the same name; cashmere, a soft, luxurious mountain goat wool; cotton, a cool option best

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These luxe scarves often cost hundreds of dollars and eventually become collector’s items. The beauty and opulence of vintage silks harken back to a bygone era – think Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy in the bold geometric designs of Emilio Pucci, or Brigitte Bardot with an Hermès square knotted under her chin just so.

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◗ style

For a refined look, try a French knot or loose wrap, both simple and easy to master.

When wearing that must-have blanket scarf, try a kerchief style to handle

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French knot, cowl neck and infinity styles keep scarf looks fresh and ladies’ necks warm on a cool evening.

for warmer months; jersey, a stretchy, lightweight cotton; linen, made from fibers of the flax plant and known for breathability; pashmina, made from a finer version of cashmere goat’s wool; satin, a glossy cloth made from silk or polyester; silk, a delicate, natural protein thread obtained from mulberry silkworm larvae cocoons; and wool, a warm fleece from sheep and other animals.

With color, drape and fabric selected,

it’s time to choose a style, and the Internet can be an invaluable resource.

For a refined look, try a French knot or loose wrap, both simple and easy to master. When wearing that must-have blanket scarf, try a kerchief style to handle the bulk. Infinity scarves are a snap to recreate in thinner fabrics by tying the ends in a knot and looping around the neck in a figure eight.

To copy a double-sided look, put two fabrics back to back, loop around the

neck and twist. For long, rectangular scarves, the simple loop and cowl neck are go-to basics that always do the trick.

No matter the scarf style, the most important thing is that the wearer feel confident. She should flaunt this indispensable wardrobe item, let it affect everything from her walk to her attitude. With tailgating, family get-togethers, girls’ nights and holiday parties on the horizon, life is too short for boring accessories. NCM

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The long-standing popularity of scarves is not only a testament to the loveliness of fabric or design, but also to their adaptable, transformative nature, as seen in this selection. (Scarves for photo shoot provided by Lee-King Pharmacy.)

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november / december 2015 | 87

Just say no to Christmas music

O

Let’s not fail to mention that some of our beloved Christmas carols are actually kind of creepy.

ELIZABETH MELVILLE

is a financial administrator for a private school in Peachtree City, as well as a freelance writer.

In her spare time, she enjoys immersing herself in culinary pursuits and avoiding Yuletide melodies.

H THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL, but the fire is so

delightful, and since we’ve no place to go, Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!”

Sounds festive, right? Except that you’re hearing these lyrics in a department store around Halloween and it’s still warm enough outside to be uncomfortable in jeans. Not to mention snow flurries are still months away – if you’re lucky.

Such is the nature of the holidays in the South – a lot of feigned enthusiasm while we glamorize the season by making cinnamonfilled breads, sipping spiced beverages and going to mandatory Christmas events, all to pretend that “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Really, a Christmas song that might resonate with more people today might include: “The weather outside is moderate; drivers are becoming intolerant; I’m grateful for one day off work, but I have a four-course meal to prepare.”

And while we’re on the subject of the most wonderful time of year, when did Thanksgiving become the invisible holiday?

Is it because big-box retailers can’t quite find a way to capitalize commercially on a holiday known for sharing delicious food and quality time with loved ones sans the obligatory gift giving? The perfect holiday has been steamrolled by its flashier red and green counterpart – and we’re supposed to sing half the year about it!

Do “they” think we’re so impressionable that the sound of Dean Martin’s voice is going to send us running for white chocolate mochas and Bloomingdale’s shopping sprees?

I say give me Halloween music, give me Thanksgiving music and then give me Christmas music. Shoot, give me Guy Fawkes Day or Black Friday music. Christmas is a bully.

I’m also irritated by the apparent lack of new, quality Christmas music in the past 100 years. How many times can you hear “Frosty the Snowman” on repeat? As any parent of a child can tell you, the better part of the past two years already has been spent listening to a song about building a snowman. Enough already. They can’t seem to “let it go.”

88 | www.newnancowetamag.com

Don’t even get me started on the jingling of bells. It’s like the required background to any Christmas track. It’s like the incessant nagging of cheer trying to interrupt those of us who are a little more contemplative – OK, impatient. “Jingle Bells” isn’t going to magically make joyful the experience of waiting an hour to get your dad’s department store shirt gift wrapped.

Let’s not fail to mention that some of our beloved Christmas carols are actually kind of creepy. Case in point, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”: The neighbors might think (Baby it’s bad out there) Say, what’s in this drink? (No cabs to be had out there) I wish I knew how (Your eyes are like starlight now) To break this spell (I’ll take your hat, your hair looks swell) Listen, darling, he clearly put something in your drink. You need to get out of there while you still can.

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” to the average Santa-believing kid, is a song depicting a traumatic experience that may land said kid in years of therapy. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” – a song about premeditated, remorseless murder.

And can we all be honest for a minute about Christmas carolers? If a group of strangers really did show up singing oddly exuberant music at your front door, wouldn’t you rather flee through the back door?

Before you put coal in my stockings, please know that I get the reason for the season.

“Oh Holy Night” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” are definitely my favorite carols to sing during the Christmas Eve service while washed in the amber glow of a sea of candles. And I’ll be the first to stream White Christmas Pandora on the big day – but that’s because they are the appropriate songs at the appropriate time.

If disliking Christmas music the remaining 364 days of the year makes me Ebenezer Scrooge, then Bah Humbug! Now, excuse me, I have to stop putting off my Christmas shopping. NCM

Christmas music – something for everyone

T

RADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MUSIC NEED NOT BE YOUR CUP OF EGGNOG to enjoy some good tunes

around the holidays. Depending on your musical tastes and your holiday approach, different styles of Christmas music can enhance your yuletide experience – if you let them. So perhaps plug into the Yuletide on YouTube, kick back and explore the variety this seasonal genre offers.

Remember with the classics: Christmas music begins with some of the finest voices of the 20th century. Treat your inner child to Gene Autry singing “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” All grown up? You can’t get any more frosty cool and old school than Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow.” (That voice!)

Be still ... with instrumental music: While vocals are present, the focus is the movement of the music. Reminiscent of Pachelbel’s Canon, The Trans Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Canon” is an elegant overlay of spirit in song. This ensemble is entrancing – listen and you will see why. Next, sung by a then-13-year-old Peter Auty in the animated movie “The Snowman,” “Walking in the Air” is a discovery you must make if you haven’t already. With the exception of this song featuring Auty’s gossamer vocals, “The Snowman” can be experienced with eyes closed – it is done entirely in song. Like the crystal sound of snowfall, this style of music halts the world for one beautiful, suspended moment.

Empathize: “Do They Know It’s Christmas” (by Band Aid – the combined talents of notable rockers of the 1980s) and “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo” famously reflect the compassion of the season. However, the black sheep of this collection is “364 Days,” brought to you by the Murder City Devils. (Yes, this is a Christmas song.) “364 Days” inspires empathy for a non-celebrity version of St. Nicholas. He is tortured by the isolated nature of his work.

In private he suffers, alone and absent the jubilance he displays on the one day he is in the public eye. The desperation he portrays deserves a place here. In the true spirit of

the Christmas season, remember that even a small show of empathy can go a long way. By the way, this is not a children’s song.

Rock out! “364 Days” might be heavy, but if it struck a chord in your rock ‘n’ roll soul, here is your holiday sound stage. Bruce Springsteen’s “Merry Christmas, Baby” is tied with The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” for best rock intro. In this writer’s humble opinion, the electric guitar is a great amplifier of the Christmas spirit. The Christmas rock genre isn’t complete without the staple of musical matriarch Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” And the fantastic Darlene Love original “All Alone on Christmas” is another fun, high-energy tune that recalls many fun cinematic memories. It is also perfect driving music – perfect for our next category and for seeing how high your highest high note is.

Travel. Road trips are wonderful when traveling to see friends and family for the holidays. Chris Rea’s “Driving Home for Christmas” is good music to make good time on the road. But don’t get me wrong, three lattes and 17 off-key renditions of the James Lord Pierpont original “Jingle Bells” is a blast in the car, too (and Pierpont didn’t even know what a car was).

Laugh! If the mulled wine doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit, laughter will. “A Christmas Carol” by the wryly humorous Tom Lehrer pokes fun at the “commercial spirit” that was nothing new even back in the 1950s.

It is a true satirical gem. Now be honest, what holiday is complete without redneck parody?

Go one year without hearing “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or anything

by Ray Stevens and you’re missing out on some serious silliness. And sure, I’m arguing for Christmas music here, but you can’t get through the holidays in America without “The Chanukah Song” by Adam Sandler. He wrote “A Christmas Song,” too, but listening to it won’t get you on Santa’s nice list anytime soon. ​Begging your gracious pardon, I painstakingly omit many worthy artists from this column space. With wishes for you to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” à la Frank Sinatra, I ask, what songs are in your Christmas soundtrack? NCM NCM

duel pages IN THIS CORNER

IN THIS CORNER

duel pages

... plug into the Yuletide on YouTube, kick back and explore the variety this seasonal genre offers.

PATTI FERCKEN

is a native of New Jersey who finds plenty of ways to enjoy Christmas music during the holiday season. A graduate of the University of West Georgia, she is now studying to work as a paralegal. She loves her dogs, and loves to laugh.

november / december 2015 | 89

A collection of original works by Coweta poets and writers On Cooper Street

By Jeff Bishop

It happened on Cooper Street, Nexus of now and neverwas.

We’d held the reunion for 75 years now But no one knew the other And one of the no ones brought in the box of old photos, Set them on the table.

“Take them if you want them,” he told me.

“Or put them in the trash.”

The Shoulder Shrugger took his cigarettes and left.

No one could name them, the people in the picture.

I could.

Here was Great Grandpa Bishop, Oscar, And his first wife, “Etter” Shedd, Her parents, Omi and Nate, And their son, Will, beaten to death For denying someone A drink of water.

And Aunt Teeler, his sister, Who lived to 102 And still remembered making dolls with her sister In the broomstraw.

And on the back of one of the pictures It said, “Cooper Street.”

So I had this interview with the girl from the TV station, She had this gap in her teeth.

She was a Palestinian, or Syrian, or something, Anyway her skin was smooth and brown.

I sat on the steps of the McIntosh cabin at the Reserve (Only it wasn’t a reserve, and it wasn’t his cabin) And we weren’t even talking about McIntosh, 90 | www.newnancowetamag.com

But she asked me, “Why?” Why this?

And I told her the answer is along the Five Notch Road, The road I drove to get there, The road I drove to get back, That same day, To Cooper Street, Somewhere I had never been, But the photo had been taken there.

So I drove the road, The road that’s worn into the landscape like a memory.

They call it Highway 5 now, but we remember its name, in places, here and there, And I was thinking of the Indians who gave the road its name And of Cooper Street, And thinking, Why? And we talk about the Power of Place, Dripping with pretention and portent, But it was there, anyway, as I drove down the old Indian Road, As I turned into the vacant lot where the old mill had been, The Lois Mill that burned to the ground a few years ago, Some punks or something, Looking for the place The place Where my grandfather was born, The one who never finished second grade, never learned to

read or write, Where his mother had died, Because they didn’t have enough food to eat, And they called it pelagra, or pollygurry, or pelagara, but no matter how you pronounced it, You wound up just as dead.

And so there’s this picture of her.

She’s buried at Sweetwater Creek Cemetery, Just a few miles away, Next to her baby that died on Christmas.

And my illiterate grandfather remembered that baby, that Christmas, Like he remembered everything, Graven in his mind with a different kind of implement.

That Christmas, Just before the baby got sick, Playing with Leo in his crib, And they only got one orange for Christmas back then, Just the one orange, And the baby died, It got a fever and died And my great grandmother died of pleagara or what-have-you, Maybe it was cancer, And the main thing my grandfather recalled, Going back and forth, to the mill village, to Cooper Street in Douglasville, Was the vulture Sitting on the fence post When the car broke down That one hot summer day.

My grandfather had asthma But it didn’t kill him.

He played the guitar, the mandolin, the banjo, Anything with a string.

He recited the Bible, But could not read a verse.

And so I was on Cooper Street

And I was holding the photo And looking at the houses And trying to match Something There was the family, minus my great grandmother, minus the baby But there were many of them still, outside that house on Cooper Street, Next to the dirty road and the big wash pot, Cooking clothes or food, I do not know But the houses looked much the same.

There were ways of telling.

Some porches were higher than others, some waist high.

Some of the houses were gone, Leaving pits in the landscape, vacant grounds, And my granddaddy used to talk about playing under those porches With rocks and sticks and spools, And pretending the rocks were cars, which they could not afford, Neither the cars nor the toys.

And he didn’t even have shoes.

He didn’t have shoes.

And they made their own instruments, or traded for them, And so there it was.

The frame, the two houses, All matching, There at that intersection with another street, which I cannot remember its name.

And the Five Notch Road had brought me here, And it had brought all the white “settlers” here, (We call them settlers. That’s what we call them. There are reasons.)

And those who had lost everything in the War, Even themselves.

But here was something Not much, but something, Here on Cooper Street.

The end of something, and the beginning.

And now no one remembers their names, And the task was to get rid of them, these photos,

This photo.

But I will not throw them out just yet.

I know the names Some of them I know stories Some.

The Five Notch Road can still take me there It’s only one hour away, If not years, If not decades, Or a century, And I can still read the writing, faintly, on the back of the picture And I can see their faces, still, And that is why. NCM

Cloven

By Samantha Sastre

When she smoked, it was only clove cigarettes. I once asked her why, and she mumbled something about them being “better on the senses.” I had to agree with her, something about them almost had me wanting a puff or two. But no, it wasn’t really a smoke I wanted at all, was it?

…

It was that Saturday night during a game of pool at the bar. You had polished off your beer and made that amazing bank shot right into the corner pocket, and I knew then. You asked what I was staring at, and I told you, “I was just spaced out for a moment.”

You laughed and had no idea.

We went camping once, just for a night, where there were no RVs

or electricity or other people, and it was perfect. We had just hiked along until we found an alluring clearing that called out to us. I stole glances at you as we hunted for firewood and grinned at the methodical way you examined each piece before bundling it into your arms. You never did mind a little dirt. Later, the clove scent mingled with campfire smoke and bug spray while we roasted hot dogs and talked about our dreams. I only told you half of mine. I listened to as many as you could remember: tornados and zombies, and that one where you were in your house but it wasn’t your house and then it turned into high school. You made me laugh until I cried and my face hurt with the joy of it all. God only knows what time it was when we crawled into our tents. I dreamt of fathomless oceans.

When your birthday came, we cooked your favorite dinner: fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits washed down with sweet tea vodka and lemonade. I called you Idgie Threadgoode and joked with you about your “Southern Belle meal.” You smacked me with a pillow and knocked me onto the couch. I pulled you with me and suddenly your face was there … right there … hovering just above mine, and every decision I had ever made paled in comparison to that moment. Your eyes registered momentary amusement and then something else entirely.

I kissed you.

Everything stopped.

You tasted like cloves and honey and the time of year when summer melts into fall. Your hair smelled like the forest after it rains and you were warm, so very warm.

And you were kissing me back.

After hours and minutes and seconds had trickled by, you fell asleep, curled into me like a comma while I ran my fingers through your hair and made you every promise as you slept.

You awoke and with a wink said, “I had the craziest dream.”

Funny, so did I. NCM november / december 2015 | 91

F

◗ street poll

‘What is your

favorite part of the

holidays?’

amily traditions are my favorite part of Christmas. Each Christmas ornament on our tree has special meaning. It is always a special time to decorate.

My children love counting down to Christmas with their Advent calendars and lighting the candles on the Advent wreath each Sunday. The Elf on the Shelf brings lots of excitement to our home. Going to Atlanta to ride the Pink Pig and visiting Santa are traditions from my childhood that I love sharing with my children. Going to Valley, Ala. to ride the merry-go-round is a childhood tradition of my husband’s that we look forward to each year, too. Making hot chocolate and riding around town to see all the Christmas lights is always entertaining. Our church has an Angel Tree and each year we pick a child to help. On Christmas Eve, we go to the beautiful Christmas Eve service at our church then come home and get ready for Santa. Our traditions are a special part of Christmas, but the most important tradition is celebrating Christ’s birth and knowing that he is the true reason for the season.

— Kelli Zachry, Newnan

W

HEN TASKED WITH THIS YEAR’S MAN-ON-THE-STREET POLL for the holiday issue of NCM, I decided to keep it simple: What is your favorite part of the holidays?

Before hitting the pavement and asking anyone else this question, though, I had to answer it for myself.

I thought a lot about family. Other than my husband, I have no immediate family within eight hours of Newnan or Coweta County. So, the holidays are a time for us to reconnect. For Thanksgiving, we typically go to Virginia to see my Mam-maw and the rest of my dad’s side of the family, and on Christmas we usually congregate at my parents’ house in Ohio and enjoy our annual seafood meal on Christmas day.

Both traditions are pleasant, but I can’t say either is my absolute favorite part of the holidays. As I thought about all the times I’ve spent with family during Thanksgiving

and Christmas – New Year’s Day was always the holiday where we cleaned the house or something mundane like that – several pleasant memories crossed my mind. I remembered my Grandma Jane taking me and my siblings Christmas shopping and then wrapping the presents we had picked out for ourselves – all so we could act surprised when we opened them. I recalled making homemade peppermints with my Mam-maw and the time my little brother got into the peppermint oil and smelled like it for days. And that’s when it hit me, my favorite part of the holidays is simply having the opportunity to create memories. Nothing on the calendar compares to this time of year when family, food and fellowship are at the forefront.

Once I had my answer, I hit the ground running and asked people from all over Newnan and Coweta the same thing – What is your favorite part of the holidays?

Written by CELIA SHORTT 92 | www.newnancowetamag.com

M

y favorite part about the holidays is being able to spend time with my family and creating lifelong memories with them. Whether it’s taking a train ride in the beautiful fall outdoors, shooting off fireworks at my parents’ house, or going to enjoy Christmas lights, I like being able to spend quality time making memories with my beautiful wife, Paula, and my wonderful children, Landon and Adalyn.

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P laid Friday

— Aaron Corley, Newnan haring gifts with others.

With my family, we have a big Christmas Eve gettogether. It’s a huge family.

There are probably 50 people there. We have a lot of fun. Every month, we also have some type of birthday celebration. There are lots of celebrations with us.

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Sponsored by SHOP LOCAL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON november / december 2015 | 93

◗ street poll

M

y favorite part of any holiday is the time spent making memories with family.

We usually bake cookies together around the holidays; I enjoy spending time together using old family recipes while sharing stories of past holidays together as well as what everyone has been doing during the year. Time spent laughing and just being together - whether we’re playing games, watching a movie, or enjoying a delicious meal, when we are together, it’s the best part of all.

— Carrie Dumm, Senoia

C

hristmas just seems like the most bright and cheery time of the year. People are nice. I enjoy them saying “Have a good holiday” and things like that. The energy is very bright.

No other time of the year is like that.

Jason Coker, Peachtree City/ Newnan

I

love Thanksgiving and Christmas time. My family is really big on the outdoors.

We always have a bonfire. I also enjoy the giving and receiving during that time. My parents are divorced, and I have four families. I enjoy being with all of them and seeing everyone get what they wanted.

Just the spirit of the season is really something I enjoy.

— Ashlynn Waller, Senoia

M

y family getting together. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas my family comes together at my Nana’s house. There is lots of food. Nothing bad goes on, and we have a good time. I also invite people who don’t have a family to celebrate with.

etting family together and seeing all of them. I have family in Athens, and I don’t get see them a lot.

The food is great, too.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas, we have a traditional dinner at my grandma’s house. I also like Christmas morning. My dad reads the Christmas story from the book of Luke in the Bible. It’s a tradition, and I hope to pass it on.

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was brought up in church, and we were always taught the celebration of the birth of Jesus as the real reason for the season. We read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve and we usually go to church.

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Public hearing tonight on county budget PROPOSED CUTS A WORK IN PROGRESS

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL

the agenda for tonight’s commissioner’s meeting. Once the public hearing is closed – likely during tonight’s meeting – no more public comment will be taken on the budget.

Coweta n s who ca n’t at tend t he meet i ng ca n email or fax comments on the budget, but they must be received before the public hearing. For the comments to be read or considered, the commenter must request that they be “made a part of the official meeting.” Comments should be emailed to Ftabor@coweta.ga.us and Szerangue@coweta.ga.us.

Other written comments go into the minutes f ile but usually are not read or reviewed by commissioners or staff.

You can view a copy of the proposed budget at www. coweta.ga.us. Click on “2016 Budget” on the home page under “top stories.”

sarah@newnan.com

PHOTO BY DEBBY DYE

William W. “Billy” Thomasson, president of The Newnan Times-Herald, enjoys a light moment with Dorris Gilbert at the newspaper’s 150th birthday celebration. Gilbert, who is believed to be the paper’s longest subscriber, has known Thomasson all his life.

NTH celebrates its 150th

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com Dozens of people attended the open house at The Newnan Times-Herald on Wednesday as the newspaper celebrated its 150th birthday.

Visitors were invited to circulate among the items on display. through the building so they could see Refreshments were served on both the news, advertising, circulation and floors of the building. There were two business areas of the newspaper. His- birthday cakes featuring the newspatorical displays were arranged in the per’s sesquicentennial logo. Shrimp, front lobby and in a couple of other pasta salad, cookies and brownies – THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 areas in the building. along with punch – were also served.

IN FOOD, 1B THE FOLD of the IN LOCAL, 3Areaders Old newspapers and aBELOW copy Visitors included longtime CHASE were‘FIDDLE DEE DEE’them OFFERS – among DorrisEVENTS Gilbert, who has newspaper ’s 1967 cookbook DOWNTOWN, BANK RECIPES, NOSTALGIA AT CHURCHES MARK 9-11 ROBBED Cookbook geared for ‘Gone With the Wind’ fans 14th anniversary Friday

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been taking the paper more than 75 years – and relative newcomers who wanted to see the building and meet members of the staff. Staff members were on hand to greet visitors and to answer questions.

A magazine celebrating the history of the newspaper and the community was included in home delivery copies of The Times-Herald on Wednesday, and open house guests could get magazines to take home. Copies are now available at the front desk of the newspaper office, times-herald.com The Newnan Times-Herald

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To d a y ’s p u b l i c h e a r ing will be Cowetans’ only chance to voice their opinion on Coweta County’s proposed 2016 budget.

Fol low i ng t he Coweta Cou nt y Com m issioners’ recent decision to go with the “rollback” millage rate, county staff has revised the proposed budget, making $3.3 million in cuts. County sta ff had proposed a n increase in the property tax millage rate. The rollback rate is a decrease in the rate; however, the rollback rate brings in the same amount of revenue as last year’s rate, because of an increase in property values.

The original proposed budget was $72 , 56 4, 576 , and the revised proposal is $69,258,236.

However, the budget is a “working document,” and county staffers were still working Wednesday on possible changes.

The public hearing is on

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he excitement of the kids getting their presents. I work at a comic book store here in Newnan, and I really enjoy seeing the kids’ excitement when they come into the store during the season. We can get jaded about the holidays as adults, but kids still really enjoy it and even believe in Santa.

2F or T

One Gif t Fits All.

al i c pe S ay lo id H

By CLAY NEELY teller and demanded money, clay@newnan.com according to Newnan Deputy A suspect made off with Police Chief Rodney Riggs.

The suspect is a black male a n undetermined a mount and believed to be in his late of m on e y a f te r r o b bi n g 50s – “possibly around 6 feet the Chase Bank at Newnan tall andSee 190 morepounds,” pictures accordCrossing on Tuesday. on page 2A ing to Riggs.

Just before 6 p.m., the sus“No one saw him get in pect slipped a note to the a car, so we’re assuming he

sarah@newnan.com

To d a y ’s p u b l i c h e a r ing will be Cowetans’ only chance to voice their opinion on Coweta County’s proposed 2016 budget.

Fol low i ng t he Coweta Cou nt y Com m issioners’ recent decision to go with the “rollback” millage rate, county staff has revised the proposed budget, making $3.3 million in cuts. County sta ff had proposed a n increase in the property tax millage rate. The rollback rate is a decrease in the rate; however, the rollback rate brings in the same amount of revenue as last year’s rate, because of an increase in property values.

The original proposed budget was $72 , 56 4, 576 , and the revised proposal is $69,258,236.

However, the budget is a “working document,” and county staffers were still working Wednesday on possible changes.

The public hearing is on

While there was no weapon involved in the robbery, the suspect still faces charges of robbery by intimidation.

IN LOCAL, 3A

14th anniversary Friday

teller and demanded money, left on foot,” R iggs sa id. according to Newnan Deputy “We are still looking at surA suspect made off with Police Chief Rodney Riggs. veillance videos from sevThe suspect is a black male eral businesses in the area to a n undetermined a mount and believed to be in his late see if we can acquire more of m on e y a f te r r o b bi n g 50s – “possibly around 6 feet information." the Chase Bank at Newnan tall and 190 pounds,” accordWhile there was no weapon Crossing on Tuesday. involved in the robbery, the ing to Riggs.

Just before 6 p.m., the sus“No one saw him get in suspect still faces charges of pect slipped a note to the a car, so we’re assuming he robbery by intimidation.

Youth gather to make community flag

Luthersville resident Johnsie Reeves, center, works with glo ATL artists Ashley Daye, left, and Lauri Stallings as they arrange fabric on one part of a community flag. The art activity was part of a community arts event held at the Lone Oak Community Center on Monday. Meriwether County was one of four Georgia communities selected for the program. Coweta residents were among the participants at the event.

The Coweta County Board of Education recognized two school system administrators at its monthly meeting for earning national recognition.

We s t e r n E l e m e n t a r y School Assistant Principal Stan McMichael was honored as a 2015 Outstanding Assistant Principal for Georgia by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the U.S. Department of Education.

“I’d really like to thank you all for being part of the community, supporting the community, supporting us in the hard work that we do every day,” McMichael told the board members. “At Western and all throughout the county, we don’t do anything. We just get our teachers, our students, and our parents together to make things happen.”

McMichael said he likes to

Youth gather to make community flag INSIDE

Obituaries....................... 3A Community Forum ........4A Sports ............................. 6A

Food ............................... 1B Comics .....................8A, 9A Classifieds....................10A

TODAY

83° | 67°

60 percent chance of thunderstorms

Luthersville resident Johnsie Reeves, center, works with glo ATL artists Ashley Daye, left, and Lauri Stallings as they arrange fabric on one part of a community flag. The art activity was part of a community arts event held at the Lone Oak Community Center on Monday. Meriwether County was one of four Georgia communities selected for the program. Coweta residents were among the participants at the event.

Twitter

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To d a y ’s p u b l i c h e a r ing will be Cowetans’ only chance to voice their opinion on Coweta County’s proposed 2016 budget.

Fol low i ng t he Coweta Cou nt y Com m issioners’ recent decision to go with the “rollback” millage rate, county staff has revised the proposed budget, making $3.3 million in cuts. County sta ff had proposed a n increase in the property tax millage rate. The rollback rate is a decrease in the rate; however, the rollback rate brings in the same amount of revenue as last year’s rate, because of an increase in property values.

The original proposed budget was $72 , 56 4, 576 , and the revised proposal is $69,258,236.

However, the budget is a “working document,” and county staffers were still working Wednesday on possible changes.

The public hearing is on

the agenda for tonight’s commissioner’s meeting. Once the public hearing is closed – likely during tonight’s meeting – no more public comment will be taken on the budget.

Coweta n s who ca n’t at tend t he meet i ng ca n email or fax comments on the budget, but they must be received before the public hearing. For the comments to be read or considered, the commenter must request that they be “made a part of the official meeting.” Comments should be emailed to Ftabor@coweta.ga.us and Szerangue@coweta.ga.us.

Other written comments go into the minutes f ile but usually are not read or reviewed by commissioners or staff.

You can view a copy of the proposed budget at www. coweta.ga.us. Click on “2016 Budget” on the home page under “top stories.”

celebrates its 150th School administrators earn NTH national recognition

By W. WINSTON SKINNER been taking the paper more than 75 winston@newnan.com years – and relative newcomers who wanted to see the building and meet Dozens of people attended the open members of the staff. Staff members house at The Newnan Times-Herald were on hand to greet visitors and to on Wednesday as the newspaper celanswer questions. ebrated its 150th birthday.

A magazine celebrating the history of Visitors were invited to circulate among the items on display. the newspaper and the community was through the building so they could see Refreshments were served on both included in home delivery copies of The the news, advertising, circulation and floors of the building. There were two Times-Herald on Wednesday, and open business areas of the newspaper. His- birthday cakes featuring the newspa- house guests could get magazines to torical displays were arranged in the per’s sesquicentennial logo. Shrimp, take home. Copies are now available at front lobby and in a couple of other pasta salad, cookies and brownies – the front desk of the newspaper office, areas in the building. along with punch – were also served.

Old newspapers and a copy of the Visitors included longtime readers newspaper ’s 1967 cookbook were – among them Dorris Gilbert, who has 150TH, page 2A

See more pictures on page 2A

By CELIA SHORTT

remember, you remember how you felt when you left that day,” he said. “So, we gotta make it a little fun.”

“Thank you so much. This is the first award I think I’ve ever received … I didn’t really expect it,” he added.

We s t e r n E l e m e n t a r y E l m St reet E lementa r y School Assistant Principal School Principal Dr. Christi Stan McMichael was honored Hildebrand was honored for as a 2015 Outstanding Assisbeing named Georgia’s 2015 tant Principal for Georgia by National Distinguished Printhe National Association of

by NAESPearn andnational the U.S. Elementary School Principals Schoolcipal administrators recognition Department of Education ear(NAESP) and the U.S. Departlier this year. ment of Education.

PHOTO BY CELIA SHORTT “Most of all … I just want “I’d really like to thank you to say I know that this recogall for being part of the com- Western Elementary School Assistant Principal Stan McMichael, SCHOOL, page 3Aleft, is recognized by the Coweta County Board of Education for nition was not earned on my munity, supporting the combeing named a 2015 Outstanding Assistant Principal for Georgia by own merit and absolutely is a munity, supporting us in the the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Western °| ° °| ° °| ° 83hard 65 work 75 that 52 collective team effort; not just we75do50every Elementary School Principal Denise Pigatt,Youth to make right,gather introduced from the students and staff day,” McMichael told the McMichael to the council. community flag and parents of Elm Street but board members. “At Western from our district and system and all throughout the county, we don’t do anything. We just think of three things every ing and relevant. They inspire level leadership as well,” Hildebrand the75 board on| 50 get our teachers, our students, day – engage, inspire, and by motivating others, and 83 | 67 | 65 | 52 83told 75 they have a little fun every and our parents together to have a little fun.

To engage, he and the staff day. make things happen.”

“Because everything you McMichael said he likes to try to make learning interestSCHOOL, page 3A celia@newnan.com

The Coweta County Board of Education recognized two school system administrators at its monthly meeting for

PHOTO BY CLAY NEELY

An undetermined amount of money was stolen from the Chase Bank by Newnan Pavilion on Tuesday evening.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

40 percent chance of rain

60 percent chance of thunderstorms

Sunny

Food ............................... 1B Comics .....................8A, 9A Classifieds....................10A

teller and demanded money, left on foot,” R iggs sa id. according to Newnan Deputy “We are still looking at surA suspect made off with Police Chief Rodney Riggs. veillance videos from sevThe suspect is a black male eral businesses in the area to a n undetermined a mount and believed to be in his late see if we can acquire more of m on e y a f te r r o b bi n g 50s – “possibly around 6 feet information." the Chase Bank at Newnan tall and 190 pounds,” accordWhile there was no weapon Crossing on Tuesday. involved in the robbery, the ing to Riggs.

Just before 6 p.m., the sus“No one saw him get in suspect still faces charges of pect slipped a note to the a car, so we’re assuming he robbery by intimidation.

An undetermined amount of money was stolen from the Chase Bank by Newnan Pavilion on Tuesday evening.

By CELIA SHORTT

Luthersville resident Johnsie Reeves, center, works with glo ATL artists Ashley Daye, left, and Lauri Stallings as they arrange fabric on one part of a community flag. The art activity was part of a community arts event held at the Lone Oak Community Center on Monday. Meriwether County was one of four Georgia communities selected for the program. Coweta residents were among the participants at the event.

remember, you remember how you felt when you left that day,” he said. “So, we The Coweta County Board gotta make it a little fun.” of Education recognized two “Thank you so much. This school system administrators is the first award I think I’ve at its monthly meeting for ever received … I didn’t really earning national recognition. expect it,” he added.

We s t e r n E l e m e n t a r y E l m St reet E lementa r y School Assistant Principal School Principal Dr. Christi Stan McMichael was honored Hildebrand was honored for as a 2015 Outstanding Assisbeing named Georgia’s 2015 tant Principal for Georgia by National Distinguished Printhe National Association of cipal by NAESP and the U.S. Elementary School Principals Department of Education ear(NAESP) and the U.S. Departlier this year. ment of Education.

PHOTO BY CELIA SHORTT “Most of all … I just want “I’d really like to thank you to say I know that this recogall for being part of the com- Western Elementary School Assistant Principal Stan McMichael, nition was not earned on my munity, supporting the com- left, is recognized by the Coweta County Board of Education for being named a 2015 Outstanding Assistant Principal for Georgia by own merit and absolutely is a munity, supporting us in the the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Western collective team effort; not just hard work that we do every Elementary School Principal Denise Pigatt, right, introduced from the students and staff day,” McMichael told the McMichael to the council. and parents of Elm Street but board members. “At Western from our district and system and all throughout the county, we don’t do anything. We just think of three things every ing and relevant. They inspire level leadership as well,” Hilget our teachers, our students, day – engage, inspire, and by motivating others, and debrand told the board on they have a little fun every and our parents together to have a little fun.

To engage, he and the staff day. make things happen.”

“Because everything you McMichael said he likes to try to make learning interestSCHOOL, page 3A

INSIDE

Obituaries....................... 3A Community Forum ........4A Sports ............................. 6A

TODAY

PHOTO BY CLAY NEELY

celia@newnan.com

Rainfall (in inches)

83° | 67°

a1 thursday front (PC)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 BELOW THE FOLD

IN FOOD, 1B

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SATURDAY

75° | 52°

60 percent chance of thunderstorms

Food ............................... 1B Comics .....................8A, 9A Classifieds....................10A

TODAY

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°

60 percent chance of thunderstorms

SUNDAY

FRIDAY

°

75° | 50° Sunny

°

40 percent chance of rain

SATURDAY

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°

60 percent chance of thunderstorms

SUNDAY

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Sunny

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times-herald.com

IN LOCAL, 3A

‘FIDDLE DEE DEE’ OFFERS EVENTS DOWNTOWN, RECIPES, NOSTALGIA AT CHURCHES MARK 9-11

CHASE BANK ROBBED

Cookbook geared for ‘Gone With the Wind’ fans

The Newnan Times-Herald

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14th anniversary Friday

COWETA COUNTY’S NEWS SOURCE

ISSUE 279 | NEWNAN, GA | 50¢

Public hearing tonight on county budget PROPOSED CUTS A WORK IN PROGRESS

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com

By CLAY NEELY clay@newnan.com

Yesterday (as of 6 p.m.) 0.00 Monthly total 1.03 Year-to-date 41.30

60 percent chance of thunderstorms

BUDGET, page 5A

Police search for bank robbery suspect

remember, you remember how you felt when you left that day,” he said. “So, we gotta make it a little fun.”

“Thank you so much. This is the first award I think I’ve ever received … I didn’t really expect it,” he added.

E l m St reet E lementa r y School Principal Dr. Christi Hildebrand was honored for being named Georgia’s 2015 National Distinguished Principal by NAESP and the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year.

PHOTO BY CELIA SHORTT “Most of all … I just want Western Elementary School Assistant Principal Stan McMichael, to say I know that this recogleft, is recognized by the Coweta County Board of Education for nition was not earned on my being named a 2015 Outstanding Assistant Principal for Georgia by own merit and absolutely is a the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Western collective team effort; not just Elementary School Principal Denise Pigatt, right, introduced from the students and staff McMichael to the council. and parents of Elm Street but from our district and system think of three things every ing and relevant. They inspire level leadership as well,” Hilday – engage, inspire, and by motivating others, and debrand told the board on they have a little fun every have a little fun.

To engage, he and the staff day.

“Because everything you try to make learning interest-

INSIDE Obituaries....................... 3A Community Forum ........4A Sports ............................. 6A

Facebook

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL

School administrators earn national recognition earning national recognition.

By CELIA SHORTT celia@newnan.com

online edition

Follow the times-herald on facebook.com

sarah@newnan.com

BUDGET, page 5A William W. “Billy” Thomasson, president of The Newnan Times-Herald, enjoys a light moment with Dorris Gilbert at the newspaper’s 150th birthday celebration. Gilbert, who is believed to be the paper’s longest subscriber, has known Thomasson all his life.

Police search for bank robbery suspect

By CLAY NEELY

The Newnan Times-Herald

ISSUE 279 | NEWNAN, GA | 50¢

Public hearing tonight on county budget

PHOTO BY CLAY NEELY

An undetermined amount of money was stolen from the Chase Bank by Newnan Pavilion on Tuesday PROPOSED CUTS A WORK IN PROGRESS evening.

PHOTO BY DEBBY DYE

clay@newnan.com

times-herald.com

IN FOOD, 1B

Cookbook geared for ‘Gone With the Wind’ fans

COWETA COUNTY’S NEWS SOURCE

see if we can acquire more NTH celebrates its 150th information."

By W. WINSTON SKINNER been taking the paper more than 75 winston@newnan.com years – and relative newcomers who wanted to see the building and meet Dozens of people attended the open members of the staff. Staff members house at The Newnan Times-Herald were on hand to greet visitors and to on Wednesday as the newspaper celanswer questions. ebrated its 150th birthday.

A magazine celebrating the history of Visitors were invited to circulate among the items on display. the newspaper and the community was through the building so they could see Refreshments were served on both included in home delivery copies of The the news, advertising, circulation and floors of the building. There were two Times-Herald on Wednesday, and open business areas of the newspaper. His- birthday cakes featuring the newspa- house guests could get magazines to torical displays were arranged in the per’s sesquicentennial logo. Shrimp, take home. Copies are now available at front lobby and in a couple of other pasta salad, cookies and brownies – the front desk of the newspaper office, areas in the building. along with punch – were also served.

Old newspapers and a copy of the Visitors included longtime readers newspaper ’s 1967 cookbook were – among them Dorris Gilbert, who has 150TH, page 2A

‘FIDDLE DEE DEE’ OFFERS EVENTS DOWNTOWN, RECIPES, NOSTALGIA AT CHURCHES MARK 9-11

CHASE BANK ROBBED

the agenda for tonight’s commissioner’s meeting. Once the public hearing is closed – likely during tonight’s meeting – no more public comment will be taken on the budget.

Coweta n s who ca n’t at tend t he meet i ng ca n email or fax comments on the budget, but they must be received before the public hearing. For the comments to be read or considered, the commenter must request that they be “made a part of the official meeting.” Comments should be emailed to Ftabor@coweta.ga.us and Szerangue@coweta.ga.us.

Other written comments go into the minutes f ile but usually are not read or reviewed by commissioners or staff.

You can view a copy of the proposed budget at www. coweta.ga.us. Click on “2016 Budget” on the home page under “top stories.”

left on foot,” R iggs sa id.

“We are still looking at surveillance videos from several businesses in the area to

PHOTO BY DEBBY DYE

William W. “Billy” Thomasson, president of The Newnan Times-Herald, enjoys a light moment with Dorris Gilbert at the newspaper’s 150th birthday celebration. Gilbert, who is believed to be the paper’s longest subscriber, has known Thomasson all his life.

PHOTO BY DEBBY DYE

William W. “Billy” Thomasson, president of The Newnan Times-Herald, enjoys a light moment with Dorris Gilbert at the newspaper’s 150th birthday celebration. Gilbert, who is believed to be the paper’s longest subscriber, has known Thomasson all his life.

NTH celebrates its 150th

By W. WINSTON SKINNER been taking the paper more than 75 years – and relative newcomers who winston@newnan.com wanted to see the building and meet Dozens of people attended the open members of the staff. Staff members house at The Newnan Times-Herald were on hand to greet visitors and to on Wednesday as the newspaper celanswer questions. ebrated its 150th birthday.

A magazine celebrating the history of Visitors were invited to circulate among the items on display. the newspaper and the community was through the building so they could see Refreshments were served on both included in home delivery copies of The the news, advertising, circulation and floors of the building. There were two Times-Herald on Wednesday, and open business areas of the newspaper. His- birthday cakes featuring the newspa- house guests could get magazines to torical displays were arranged in the per’s sesquicentennial logo. Shrimp, take home. Copies are now available at front lobby and in a couple of other pasta salad, cookies and brownies – the front desk of the newspaper office, areas in the building. along with punch – were also served.

Old newspapers and a copy of the Visitors included longtime readers newspaper ’s 1967 cookbook were – among them Dorris Gilbert, who has 150TH, page 2A

See more pictures on page 2A

the agenda for tonight’s com-

missioner’s meeting. Once To d a y ’s p u bl i c h e a r - the public hearing is closed – ing will be Cowetans’ only likely during tonight’s meetchance to voice their opin- ing – no more public comion on Coweta County’s pro- ment will be taken on the budget. posed 2016 budget.

Coweta n s who ca n’t Follow i ng t he Coweta Cou nt y Com m issioners’ attend t he meet i ng ca n recent decision to go with email or fax comments on the “rollback” millage rate, the budget, but they must be county staff has revised the received before the public proposed budget, making hearing. For the comments $3.3 million in cuts. County to be read or considered, the s t a f f h a d p r o p o s e d a n commenter must request increase in the property tax that they be “made a part of millage rate. The rollback the official meeting.” Comrate is a decrease in the rate; ments should be emailed to however, the rollback rate Ftabor@coweta.ga.us and brings in the same amount Szerangue@coweta.ga.us.

Other written comments of revenue as last year’s rate, because of an increase in go into the minutes f ile but usually are not read or property values.

The original proposed reviewed by commissioners budget was $72 , 56 4, 576, or staff.

You can view a copy of the and the revised proposal is proposed budget at www. $69,258,236.

However, the budget is a coweta.ga.us. Click on “2016 “working document,” and Budget” on the home page county staffers were still under “top stories.” working Wednesday on possible changes.

BUDGET, page 5A The public hearing is on

Police search for bank robbery suspect

By CLAY NEELY teller and demanded money, left on foot,” R iggs said. clay@newnan.com according to Newnan Deputy “We are still looking at surA suspect made off with Police Chief Rodney Riggs. veillance videos from sevThe suspect is a black male eral businesses in the area to an undetermined amount and believed to be in his late see if we can acquire more of m on e y a f te r r o bbi n g 50s – “possibly around 6 feet information." the Chase Bank at Newnan tall and 190 pounds,” accordWhile there was no weapon Crossing on Tuesday. involved in the robbery, the ing to Riggs.

Just before 6 p.m., the sus“No one saw him get in suspect still faces charges of pect slipped a note to the a car, so we’re assuming he robbery by intimidation.

PHOTO BY CLAY NEELY

An undetermined amount of money was stolen from the Chase Bank by Newnan Pavilion on Tuesday evening.

School administrators earn national recognition

By CELIA SHORTT

remember, you remember how you felt when you left that day,” he said. “So, we The Coweta County Board gotta make it a little fun.” of Education recognized two “Thank you so much. This school system administrators is the first award I think I’ve at its monthly meeting for ever received … I didn’t really earning national recognition. expect it,” he added.

We s t e r n E l e m e n t a r y El m St reet Elementa r y School Assistant Principal School Principal Dr. Christi Stan McMichael was honored Hildebrand was honored for as a 2015 Outstanding Assisbeing named Georgia’s 2015 tant Principal for Georgia by National Distinguished Printhe National Association of cipal by NAESP and the U.S. Elementary School Principals Department of Education ear(NAESP) and the U.S. Departlier this year. ment of Education.

PHOTO BY CELIA SHORTT “Most of all … I just want “I’d really like to thank you to say I know that this recogall for being part of the com- Western Elementary School Assistant Principal Stan McMichael, nition was not earned on my munity, supporting the com- left, is recognized by the Coweta County Board of Education for being named a 2015 Outstanding Assistant Principal for Georgia by own merit and absolutely is a munity, supporting us in the the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Western collective team effort; not just hard work that we do every Elementary School Principal Denise Pigatt, right, introduced from the students and staff day,” McMichael told the McMichael to the council. and parents of Elm Street but board members. “At Western from our district and system and all throughout the county, we don’t do anything. We just think of three things every ing and relevant. They inspire level leadership as well,” Hilget our teachers, our students, day – engage, inspire, and by motivating others, and debrand told the board on they have a little fun every and our parents together to have a little fun.

To engage, he and the staff day. make things happen.”

“Because everything you McMichael said he likes to try to make learning interestSCHOOL, page 3A

celia@newnan.com

Youth gather to make community flag

Luthersville resident Johnsie Reeves, center, works with glo ATL artists Ashley Daye, left, and Lauri Stallings as they arrange fabric on one part of a community flag. The art activity was part of a community arts event held at the Lone Oak Community Center on Monday. Meriwether County was one of four Georgia communities selected for the program. Coweta residents were among the participants at the event.

INSIDE Obituaries....................... 3A Community Forum ........4A Sports ............................. 6A

Food ............................... 1B Comics .....................8A, 9A Classifieds....................10A

TODAY

83° | 67°

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FRIDAY

83° | 65° 40 percent chance of rain

SATURDAY

75° | 52°

60 percent chance of thunderstorms

SUNDAY

75° | 50° Sunny

• The convenience of print home delivery • Comics • Special print inserts • Newnan-Coweta Magazine 6 issues per year • Annual Coweta Living magazine

IN SPORTS, 10

IN ENTERTAINMENT, 13

Cowetans asked to bring their ice buckets on Sept. 19

Cougars to be challenged by Sandy Creek

Documentary premieres Saturday

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ISSUE 278 | NEWNAN, GA | 50¢

Celebrating 150 years

EXTRA, EXTRA: MAGAZINE, OPEN HOUSE MARK OCCASION

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com Today, The Newnan TimesHerald celebrates its 150th birthday.

The newspaper is holding an open house today from 2-4 p.m. and inviting the community to see the inner workings of the newspaper. A magazine celebrating the history of the newspaper – and the county – is making its debut today, as well.

“This is an exciting time not only for the Times-Herald, but also for Newnan and Coweta County,” said Publisher John A. Winters.

“Today, we celebrate not only

the history of our newspaper over the past 150 years, but that of our county as well.”

The Newnan City Council, the Coweta County Commission and the Georgia House of Representatives have all passed resolutions honoring the newspaper on its milestone birthday. The first issue of The Newnan Herald, the first newspaper started in Georgia after the Civil War, was read by Cowetans on Sept. 9, 1865.

The Newnan Times-Herald has the longest continuous history of any Coweta County business.

The 180-page magazine cel-

ebrating the Times-Herald’s sesquicentennial includes chapters on each decade of t h e n e w s pap e r ’s h i s tory. There are features on the Thomasson family, who founded The Newnan Times in 1936, and on famous newsroom alums Lewis Grizzard and Margaret Anne Barnes.

The magazine profiles the favorite stories of readers, tells the stories of some readers who have subscribed to The Times-Herald for half a century or more, and takes an incisive look at the coverage of race in the local newspaper

PHOTO BY JEFFREY LEO

William W. Thomasson, left, owner and president of The Newnan Times-Herald, and John A. Winters, the newspaper’s publisher, hold copies of the magazine highlighting The Times-Herald’s 150th

150TH, page 4 birthday. Open house will be held at the newspaper offices today from 2-4 p.m.

NEWNAN COUNCIL

Greentop topic shifted to evening meeting

By CELIA SHORTT

additional homes was also cited.

Some of the initial changes Rosenzweig suggested were rezoning the area south of Greentop Road to RS 20 and making the maximum number of lots for the property 150.

The council approved his request with a vote of 5-2, as Newnan Mayor Keith Brady had recused himself from the request because his wife’s family is one of the owners.

Rosenzweig was supposed to present his revised request at the 6:30 p.m. council meeting on Monday, Sept. 21, but during its Aug. 11 meeting the council approved moving it to the Oct. 15 meeting so all council members could attend.

According to a letter to the city council, Rosenzweig said that after meeting with representatives of Newnan Pines, Lake Hills and the Lake Ridge area – subdivisions located near Greentop – there was a

celia@newnan.com

Beauvoir, the last home of Jefferson Davis, sustained heavy damage during Hurricane Katrina. The home, now a museum, was rededicated in 2008 after a restoration partly funded by FEMA.

Davis home in Biloxi restored

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com The human loss – the devastation of interrupted lives – is the most searing and lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina.

The hurricane that ravaged the Gulf Coast a decade ago also swept away some of America’s history, including the loss of artifacts at the retirement home of Jefferson Davis, who had earlier served as president of the Confederate States of America.

In his retirement years, Davis visited Newnan at least once. During his presidency, he came close – reviewing

troops at Palmetto.

Beauvoi r, bui lt bet ween 18 4 81852, faces the Gulf of Mexico. Sarah Dorsey was the second purchaser of the house, and in 1877 she invited Davis, a family friend, to use one of the pavilions – separate buildings in front of the house – to work on his writing. Davis loved the location and offered to buy Beauvoir.

The selling price was set at $5,500

– with Davis to make three payments.

Six months after the first payment was made, Sarah Dorsey died. Davis was her sole heir, so he inherited the entire estate.

Hu r r ic a n e K at r i n a h it B e auvoir hard. The two pavilions were so heavily damaged they had to be reconstructed.

According to a story in the Biloxi Sun Herald, 40 percent of the artifacts at Beauvoir were lost to Katrina’s winds and rains. More than half of what remained had damage that could

DAVIS, page 5

The Newnan City Council approved changing its meeting time on Oct. 15 to 6:30 p.m. to accommodate public attendance for the controversial annexation application for Greentop Road.

Originally the meeting was scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

In its meeting on July 21, attorney George Rosen zweig asked the city council, on behalf of the Ellis Estate fa m i ly a nd B a r ron fa mily, to reconsider the previous denial of the annexation request for 169 acres on Greentop Road, which would include 161 residential lots.

Rosenzweig told the council he could address most, if not all, of concerns the public had raised about the proposed project.

Council originally voted against the annexation, which was opposed by a majority of nearby residents who opposed the smaller lot sizes included in the proposal.

Increased traffic from the

GREENTOP, page 4

SUSPECTS FIRE AT BUILDING

No injuries in nightclub shooting

Rainfall (in inches) Yesterday (as of 6 p.m.) 0.00 Monthly total 1.03 Year-to-date 41.30

Yesterday (as of 6 p.m.) 0.00 Monthly total 1.03 Year-to-date 41.30

No one was injured after an individual fired shots into the Hideaway Tavern from a moving car on Saturday.

By CLAY NEELY

away Taver n – for merly drove away in a silver Merknown as the Oasis Bar and cedes before returning and No one was injured dur- Grill – just after 2:20 a.m. firing three to four shots into ing a nightclub shooting on when several individuals got the building, according to into a shoving match with a authorities.

Saturday.

No one was hit, but a car According to the Coweta bartender.

After the subjects were window was shot out. The County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred at Hide- removed from the club, they investigation is ongoing.

clay@newnan.com

Rainfall (in inches) Yesterday (as of 6 p.m.) 0.00 Monthly total 1.03 Year-to-date 41.30

IN HEALTHY LIVING, 8

SUPPORTERS HOPE TO SET DEFENSE DOING ITS MEMORABLE FINAL ACT ALS CHALLENGE RECORD JOB FOR NEWNAN LIFTS JOHNNY CASH FILM

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INSIDE Obituaries....................... 14 Community Forum ..........6 Sports ............................. 10

Health ............................... 8 Comics .................... 12, 13 Classifieds......................15

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Coweta County’s News Source, Published 5 Days A Week

16 Jefferson Street | Newnan, GA 30263 | 770-304-3373 Expires 12/31/15. (Subscriptions must be paid in advance. Does not apply to mailed subscriptions.)

Rainfall (in inches) Yesterday (as of 7 p.m.) N/A Monthly total 0.39 Year-to-date 40.70

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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

92.5 The Bear................................................... 17 Advanced Aesthetics, P.C............................... 7 AllSpine Laser & Surgery Center.................... 9 Arbor Terrace..................................................87 Atlanta Market Furniture and Accessories..........................................83 The Bedford School.......................................59 The Boulevard Salon......................................45 Brookdale Newnan.........................................77 C. S. Toggery..................................................... 4 Carriage House...............................................49 Charter Bank....................................................27 ChemDry of Coweta.......................................75 Christian City................................................... 11 Cosmetic Laser & Skin Care Center............... 3 Coweta-Fayette EMC.....................................99 Dental Staff School.........................................87 Dermatology Institute....................................37 Design House..................................................37 Digestive Healthcare of Georgia, P.C..........39 Downtown LaGrange Development Authority.............................47 Edward Jones.................................................. 19 Elizabeth Sloan Salon.....................................37 Expressive Flooring........................................ 67 Georgia Bone and Joint, LLC........................ 15 Georgia Farm Bureau.....................................59 Grannie Fannie’s.............................................93 The Heritage School......................................79 Jack Peek’s Sales............................................... 6 J Perry Boutique..............................................49 Kemp’s Dalton West Flooring.......................55 LaGrange Symphony Orchestra..................49 Lee-King Pharmacy........................................85 Let Them Eat Toffee!......................................93 MainStreet Newnan........................................93 Massage Envy..................................................35 McGuire’s Buildings........................................53 Meat ‘n’ Greet..................................................31 Mimi & Me Vinyl Boutique.............................27 Morgan Jewelers............................................45 The Newnan Centre.......................................25 The Newnan Times-Herald...........................95 Northside Hospital Cancer Institute............ 41 Pain Care............................................................ 5 Peachtree Immediate Care...........................71 Piedmont Newnan Hospital............................ 2 Renaissance Skin Care Centre......................21 Smallcakes Cupcakery...................................35 Somerby of Peachtree City...........................43 South Atlanta Leisure.....................................73 Southern Crescent Equine Services, LLC................................................83 Stemberger & Cummins, P.C........................45 Stonebridge Early Learning Center.............55 Thomas Eye Group..... ....................................69 Traditions In Tile and Stone...........................57 Treasures Old & New.....................................65 Uniglobe McIntosh Travel.............................81 United Bank..................................................... 13 Vein Specialists of Georgia............................. 8 VITAS Healthcare............................................29 West Georgia Health....................................100 Wesley Woods of Newnan............................23 Yellowstone Landscape.................................79 98 | www.newnancowetamag.com

◗ january/february preview

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what's

It’s About Shine Coweta County always has been a dry county.

Or has it? Revisit an age of quiet home deliveries and a shadowy underworld composed of reputable public figures when NCM takes a look at the once profitable and widespread business of bootlegging.

Volunteer Work From retirees and students to church members and good Samaritans, those who volunteer their time and skills to help others are the backbone of goodwill, spreading charity and binding the community. We will spotlight a few of our local volunteers in the January/February issue.

details

Magazine Advertising Deadline December 1, 2015

Next Publication Date: January 1, 2016

For more information on advertising opportunities in Newnan-Coweta Magazine, please call

770.683.1707

We’ve been known in this region for over 75 years

Now we’re recognized in the

top 5% nationally

for patient safety

Award-Winning Quality at West Georgia Health We’re more than a friendly hospital focused on patient care. We’re ranked among the top 5% in the nation for patient safety according to Healthgrades®. On top of that we rank in the top 10% of all U.S. hospitals for Medical Excellence in hospital, medical and surgical care by CareChex®. So while we’ll continue to do our best to treat you well, know that we’ll continue to advance our technology and medical expertise to treat you better.

To learn more, visit WGHealth.org.

So Healthy Together LaGrange, GA