Toombs County Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

Toombs County M A G A Z I N E

Pioneers of a Finer Frontier Creating a business based on family, farm and tradition

Country at Heart

Little Blue Truck & Farm Animals

Follow the Leader

Mitch Oglesby shares about writing for some of country music’s biggest stars

Williams King’s story of deep roots, family and friendship

Young professional Emma Hamilton takes a lead in our community

H O M E TO W N L I V I N G AT I TS B E S T

Vidalia @chickfilaofvidaliageorgia “It’s an honor to serve you and your families. ”

Left to right: Dr. Kacy Morris, Dr. Stewart Hamilton, Dr. Logan Christian, Dr. Rick Kimbrel, and Dr. Scotty Blanchard Jr.

Welcome to the team

The Dental Center of Vidalia proudly welcomes Dr. Logan Christian to their team of dental experts. Dr. Christian is a Georgia native whose physician father early on instilled in him a love for helping people. In May 2021, Dr. Christian earned his DMD from the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. From a small town himself, Dr. Christian understands the value of patient relationships and looks forward to serving our community.

Dental Center of

Vidalia

Cosmetic Dentistry • Preventive Dentistry Dental Implants • Restorative Dentistry

We offer state-of-the-art dentistry with highly-trained professionals and specialize in smile makeovers, plus: Full Service Dentistry with Two Types of Sedation | Veneers | Fillings & Extractions | Endodontics | TMJ Oral Surgery | Teeth Whitening | Licensed Orthodontics | Botox | Juvederm | Fillers and much more

Call 912.537.7048 to schedule an appointment!

311 Pete Phillips Dr., Vidalia, GA • www.dentalcentervidalia.com

If You're Buying or Selling Real Estate We'd Love to Connect With You

Community Contacts Emergencies Dial 9-1-1

CITY OF VIDALIA Police 912-537-4123 Fire 912-537-4388 City Hall 912-537-7661 Public Works 912-537-4566 Solid Waste/Recycling 912-538-1714 Recreation 912-537-7913 recdept@vidaliaga.gov

Vidalia City Schools Vidalia Board of Education 912-537-3088 JD Dickerson Primary 912-537-3421 Sally D Meadows Elementary 912-537-4755 JR Trippe Middle School 912-537-3813 Vidalia High School 912-537-7931 Hospital Meadows Health 912-535-5555

Toombs County Police 912-537-4123 Fire 912-537-4388 City Hall 912-537-7661 Public Works 912-537-4566 Solid Waste Landfill 912-537-9966 Cedar Crossing 912-594-8100 Gibson/Aimwell 912-526-4216 Tomlin 912-526-4218 Johnson Corner 912-565-0810 Ponderosa 912-526-0474 Normantown 912-537-4047 Resmondo 912-293-5881 Phone Service Att 800-288-2020

CITY OF LYONS Police 912-526-3638 Fire 912-537-4388 Public Works 912-526-3626 Recreation 912-526-3084 lyonsrec@lyonsga.org

Power Companies Georgia Power- City 1-888-660-5890 Altamaha Electric - Rural 912-526-8181 Gas Companies Patriot Gas Co 912-537-1943 Conger LP Gas Inc 912-537-8722 Ferrellgas 912-537-3032 Pacific Pride 912-537-3303

Business & Tourism Toombs/Montgomery Chamber 912-537-4123 Downtown Vidalia DVA Main Street 912-537-8033 dvamainstreet@vidaliaga.gov Lyons Main Street 912-526-6445 Convention & Visitors Bureau 912-538-8687 abritton@vidaliaga.gov

Toombs County Schools Board of Education 912-526-3141 Lyons Primary 912-526-8391 Toombs Central Elementary 912-565-7781 Lyons Upper Elementary 912-526-5816 Toombs County Middle School 912-537-3813 Toombs County High School 912-526-4286

Private Schools Robert Toombs Christian Academy Library 912-526-8938 Vidalia Heritage Academy Ohoopee Regional Vidalia- Toombs 912-537-9283 912-537-6679

912-537-8885 Vidalia, Georgia www.lovinsrealty.com 912-537-8885 www.lovinsrealty.com 401401 Church Street Street • Vidalia, Georgia Church

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2705 E. First St. • Vidalia, GA • 912-538-1880 © 2021 Zaxby’s Franchising LLC. “Zaxby’s” is a registered trademark of Zaxby’s Franchising LLC. Each Zaxby’s restaurant is independently owned and operated under a license agreement with Zaxby’s Franchising LLC. © 2021 The Coca-Cola Company. “Coca-Cola Freestyle” is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.

contents 24 | Lights, Camera...Color When it came to choosing a career, Kennedy Wright trusted her instinct and found success in the film industry

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36 | Pioneers of a Finer Frontier He’s soft-spoken and she’s outspoken, but together they make a great team

48 | Country at Heart Whether he’s plowing the family farm or writing songs for superstars, Mitch Oglesby will always be country at heart

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60 | Revisioning the Dream When life doesn’t go as planned, courage and perseverance can redefine the end result

68 | A Return to Glory With support from the Georgia Council for the Arts and our community, the Altama Museum of Art and History will stand the test of time

82 | Little Blue Trucks & Farm Animals Known as the “man with the goats,” William King’s story hinges on deep roots, family and friendship

82

68 at home 10 | Nothing Beats a Cookie Our staff favorites get you ready for summer

14 | The Great Outdoors Create a stylish retreat in your own backyard

98 | Follow the Leader Emma Hamilton is a young professional leading the way in her community

110 | The Wide World of Esports Technology is changing and so is the way we define our kids’ extracurricular activities

128 | Last Words It takes the full community to keep the gears turning

focus on health 20 | Are You Brushing Correctly?

Follow these tips from Dr. Logan Christian

22 | Exceptional Healthcare, Community Focus The name has changed, but the quality service at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital remains

in every issue 108 | The Local Marketplace 118 | Vidalia Main Street 120 | Chamber of Commerce 122 | Lyons Main Street 123 | Advertiser’s Index 124 | Scenes of Toombs

About the Cover Visiting Bob and Bessie on his family’s farm, it’s evident that they strongly align when it comes to farm, family and traditions. The two help tend to the farm and animals, and Bob turns wood in the same shop where he watched his father as a boy. With Bob serving as artist and Bessie as marketing manager, the two have created a business venture that centers around hand-crafted wood products.

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Your smile is in good hands.

Come see Dr. Mark Oxley for all your dental needs.

912-537-2238

Text: 912-205-3983 1618 Meadows Lane, Vidalia info@oxleydental.com oxleydentalvidalia.com

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Toombs County

write your own story

Perfect is boring. I spent a lot of my youth trying to live up to a self-imposed ideal only to discover as I got older that my imperfections are what make me unique. I mean, really, someone has to be late to every event, right? And who else constantly shows up wearing two different earrings? I say things that don’t come out right, there’s always a pile of laundry by the washing machine, and I do frequently forget to paint my toenails, but I have friends and family that still love me, and that matters more than always having it “together.”

I love the stories we share because they aren’t about perfect people. They are about perfectly imperfect people, just like you and me, making everyday choices to overcome fear and set their path in the right direction. Perfectly imperfect leaves room for growth and change and discovery. It reminds us that we shouldn’t judge, lest we be judged ourselves. It keeps us grounded and makes space for redemption.

As I was reading through the stories in this issue, Sonja Eason’s particularly struck a chord with me. She never said “My life isn’t perfect, so that’s the end of my story.” Instead she talks about the challenges she has faced and how courage and perseverance helped her redefine her future (p. 60). Mitch Oglesby planned to be a country music singer, but when things didn’t go quite as he thought, he didn’t give up. He just changed the plan and became an amazing songwriter for some of the most well-known people in the industry (p. 48). Kennedy Wright thought she had life perfectly figured out until instinct told her otherwise. Fortunately, she listened and found a rewarding career as a result (p. 24). Emma Hamilton’s perfect plan was to start a family after she married. Instead she’s pushing past a struggle with infertility and using her own experience to inspire and encourage other women who need her support (p. 98). You don’t have to look far to find the heros...and they aren’t perfect.

We are each writing a story called life. The journey often has twists and turns and unexpected surprises. The highs and lows are the story elements that drive the narrative. Sometimes mistakes are made. There may even be an all-is-lost moment. But the beauty of a story is the redemption that comes when we remain steadfast and hopeful.

Our stories aren’t meant to be perfect. Even when they’re filled with the greatest joys and the lowest lows, they’re a beautiful testament of what real living looks like.

keeping the stories alive,

M A G A Z I N E

PUBLISHER

Red Door Design & Publishing, LLC EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Stephanie Williams CREATIVE | DESIGN

Elizabeth Beasley Stephanie Williams ASSISTANT MANAGER

Nikki Anderson DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND MEDIA RELATIONS

Madison Beverly SALES

Dottie Hicks Randall Montague Daphne Walker CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Renée Martin Beverly McClellan Ann Owens Tonya Parker Teri R. Williams PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ruth English Allison Cobb Logic4Design/Eric Love Daphne Walker PROOFING

Stephanie Williams Executive Editor

Beverly McClellan COVER PHOTO

Ruth English

Have a Happy Summer!

To discover more that Toombs County has to offer, see our business index on page 123!

To share a story, send a note, or just get information: toombscountymagazine@gmail.com • (912) 293-0063 Follow us on: For more stories, visit us at www.toombscountymagazine.com 6

TO O M B S CO U N T Y M A G A Z I N E

Toombs County Magazine© is published bi-annually by Red Door Design & Publishing, LLC 148 Williams Avenue • Lyons, GA 30436 (912) 526-4195 All rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written authorization from the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein. Advertising is subject to omission, errors, and other changes without notice.

Now transactions are easier than ever

Altamaha Bank & Trust Chief Technology Officer Shan Venable and President Brent Sammons with a Deposit Enabled ATM

We understand more than ever how technology is shaping the future. That’s why Altamaha Bank is always looking for ways to make banking easier, safer and more efficient while offering the best services available. To learn more about all of your banking options, visit our Digital Banking page on our website.

www.altamaha.bank Jackson Street Branch: 912-537-1921 Vidalia West Branch: 912-537-9452 Uvalda Branch: 912-594-6525 Hazlehurst Branch: 912-375-5415

Here with you then.

Here with you now.

For decades, we’ve been your local hospital.

We’ve been here for emergencies, cancer treatments and to help you deliver your newest bundle of joy.

We were here for you then. We are here for you now.

And we will be here for you tomorrow.

We’re proud to celebrate a new chapter in caring for our community.

One Meadows Parkway | Vidalia, GA 30474 MemorialHealthMeadows.com

FOOD & DRINK taste of summer

Nothing beats a cookie In Italy, they are called biscotti, the Spanish call them galletas and in England they are known as biscuits. The name cookie is actually derived from the Dutch word koekje, meaning “small or little cake.” They name fits well since cookies came about when bakers would use a small amount of cake batter to test oven temperature and voila! the cookie was born.

Cookies come in a variety of styles–crispy, soft, fruit-based, sugarloaded, simple, savory, and the list goes on. We’ve rounded up a few of our staff favorites, so you can keep the cookie jar full all summer long.

R ABBIT COOKIES We don’t know where the name came from, but one ingredient gives these an added boost.

Ingredients 1 cup butter 2 cups brown sugar 6 Tbsp. white sugar 2 eggs 4 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3 tsp. crushed instant coffee 16 oz. chocolate chips Instructions 1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper 2 Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy 3 Beat in eggs and vanilla extract 4 Combine dry ingredients and beat into butter mixture 5 Stir in chocolate chips by hand 6 Drop by large spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet

Favorite take-along for the Beach

7 Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.

Makes 30 large cookies LEMON ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL COOKIES Inspired by locally grown Terra Dolce Olive Oil, this cookie disappears fast.

Ingredients 2 cups all purpose flour (don’t sift) 10

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1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (we highly recommend Terra Dolce Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the best flavor) 2 tsp. lemon zest 1/2 tsp. finely chopped FRESH rosemary 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper 2 In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt 3 In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat sugar, olive oil, lemon zest and rosemary until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Light and Flavorful

4 Slowly add dry ingredients 5 Roll cookies into tablespoon size balls, place them on baking sheet 1 inch apart.

6 Sprinkle each cookie with a little bit of sugar (optional) 7 Bake 11-13 minutes ALMOND JOY COOKIES You either like coconut or you don’t, but if you do, this is your cookie Ingredients 1 cup butter 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 4 eggs 3 tsp. vanilla 4 1/2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 4 cups chocolate chips 2 cups sweetened coconut 2 cups chopped almonds

Options are always better

Working with an independent agent means you have options, so you can choose insurance tailored to you. Brown Insurance Group has a variety of solutions for all your insurance needs.

Blake Brown

Home Auto Business Life

www.bigofga.com

5 1 0 CH URCH S TR EET V I DA L I A , GA 30 4 7 4

912-537-2111

FOOD & DRINK taste of summer Instructions 1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

2 Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

3 In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

4 Stir in dry ingredients until well mixed, then stir in chocolate chips, coconut and almonds.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets.

5 Bake 8-10 minutes. Cook on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

OLIVIA’S FAMOUS SNICKERDOODLES This is an easy favorite for a traditional cookie that brings lots of smiles Ingredients 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup salted butter 2 eggs 2 3/4 cup self-rising flour

CHOCOL ATE ICED BUT TERSWEE TS Melt in your mouth and slightly time consuming but worth every minute Cookie – 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup butter, softened ½ tsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla 2 cups all purpose flour Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream powdered sugar, butter, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy. Slowly blend flour into creamed mixture.

Shape dough into balls, using a teaspoon full of dough for each cookie and place on a greased cookie sheet. With thumb, make an imprint in the center of each cookie. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until very lightly browned on edges.

Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

(To make a deeper imprint in cookie, press again immediately after removal from oven). Fill each warm cookie with ½ tsp. of filling.

2 Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy and beat in eggs.

3 Slowly mix in flour.

Form into round balls of dough.

Yield: Approximately 3 Dozen

Instructions

4 Mix together 1/3 cup sugar with cinnamon

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13x2 inch pan.

5 Roll balls into mixture. Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

TO O M B S CO U N T Y M A G A Z I N E

In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips with water and butter, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, whisk in powdered sugar and blend until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

Ingredients 2 sticks unsalted butter 4 oz. unsweetened baker’s chocolate, chopped 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

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Frosting – ½ cup chocolate chips 2 Tbsp. water 2 Tbsp. butter ½ cup powdered sugar

LOVEY’S FUDGY BROWNIES This is not your ordinary brownie...fudgy on the inside with a slightly crisp top.

Instructions

6 Bake for 8 - 10 minutes and transfer to cooling rack when done.

In a small bowl, cream powdered sugar, flour, vanilla, and cream cheese until light and fluffy; stir in nuts and optional coconut. Set aside.

A cookie’s best friend

Topping 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Easy and Quick

Filling – 1 cup powdered sugar 2 Tbsp. flour 1 tsp. vanilla 3 ounce cream cheese, softened ½ cup chopped pecans ½ cup coconut (optional)

Perfect for Parties

2 In a large saucepan heat butter over low heat until 1/2 melted. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from heat, stir in sugar with wooden spoon.

3 Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

4 Add flour and salt all at once and mix until blended. Stir in nuts.

5 Bake 30 minutes.

We love smiles.

Since 1909 At Darby Dental Services we believe in keeping teeth for a lifetime, which starts with good dental hygiene and regular visits to the dentist. No matter what your needs, Dr. Jeremy Wood can help your family create a dental routine that ensures a lifetime of smiles.

New Patients Welcome! 912.537.3377

Jeremy D. Wood, DMD, PC OWNER

310 Jackson Street, Vidalia, GA | www.darbydentalservices.com |

HOME design+style

The Great Outdoors

CREATING A STYLISH RETREAT IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

L

iving in the South comes with wonderful advantages like having friendly neighbors, sipping sweet tea, and being able to enjoy the outdoors for a good portion of the year due to mild temparatures and sunny days. Outdoor living has naturally found its niche in our warm climate, but the pandemic forced us all to reevaluate how we use our space at home. Inspirational ideas from HGTV and Pinterest and a recession that have also helped shape a trend toward outdoor living that has blossomed into a multi-million dollar industry. Today, the retail market offers a multitude of innovative products that help us stretch out the seasons and create outdoor spaces that are as comfortable as any well-designed family room.

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When creating an outdoor space for your family to enjoy, think of the design as a continuation of your existing home minus the walls and traditional heat and air conditioning. Here are a few tips to help you get started: START AT THE BOTTOM Outdoor rooms don’t typically have walls, so one way to define an outdoor living space is to start by adding a rug.

A rug anchors and defines the area as a space to stop and relax. Rugs are available in a variety of colors and patterns that compliment your interior spaces, just make sure to choose one that’s made of material, like polypropylene, that will withstand the elements and can be easily cleaned.

Financial Strength In A Growing Community

537-8805

300 Jackson Street, Vidalia

526-8800

142 Victory Drive, Lyons

Your Local Financial Center...

Home Loans ¡ Auto Loans ¡ Consumer Loans ¡ Mortgages Checking Accounts ¡ Savings Accounts ¡ Safe Deposits Drive-In Service ¡ ATM & Debit Cards

24-Hour Banking: 537-4540

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ADD SEATING The purpose for outdoor rooms is typically for lounging and entertaining. So, look for furniture you want to sink into and that creates a cozy, inviting environment. Weather and fade-resistant fabrics are a must because they dry faster and are resistant to mildew.

Arrange the outdoor space as you would an interior one to allow for easy conversation. If the space allows, you can even create different seating areas and a table for eating.

SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE SITUATION Tiki torches are a nice addition for parties, but to truly mirror the intimacy of a regular living room, ditch them for traditional lighting. Overhead and tabletop light sets the mood for a nice evening while still offering plenty of task lighting. With outdoor rooms becoming a staple item in newer homes, manufacturers now offer a variety of beautiful and affordable chandeliers, lamps and candelabras that are interior worthy, but graded for exterior use.

SHINE IT UP Adding accessories and spots of color complete an outdoor living room. Accent pillows and drapes made of fade- and weather-resistant fabrics will soften the space and help distinguish it from the rest of the backyard.

They also allow your design aesthetic to carry through from indoors. Large planters and divider screens can help further define the space, but make sure you choose plants that won’t have to be moved once they reach maturity. Once you have a design theme for the space, select additional furnishings based on your lifestyle–a bar cart for entertaining, a coffee bar or table if you use the space to enjoy your morning latte, or a table for al fresco dining.

LITTLE EXTRAS Outdoor rooms allow us to be a little more creative with our choices. In an outdoor room you can do something unexpected, like hang furniture from the ceiling. Wide, comfortable swings the size of sofas or even twin beds are becoming much more affordable and they can work perfectly in an outdoor living room. Adding a string of lights across the seating area provides light and ambience, and an open fireplace provides warmth so you can use the space all year long.

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Design for brides

Your home is your refuge and should be a reflection of your tastes, inviting you back in every time you leave.

Mary Edmonds and the experienced design team at M Squared Design firmly believe in this statement. Since opening the doors of her design firm in 1984, Mary has continued her passion for beautiful design combining the elements of flow, color, scale and fabrics to make spaces that are suited to each individual client.

Now Mary has taken her passion for unique and individualized design and turned it into a quest for gifts and accessories that can help The M Squared Design team will help every customer create their own each bride select pieces that are beautiful space. Expanding on functional, versatile and beautiful. their passion for design, Mary and her staff are now offering a Bridal Registry service, so that newlyweds can begin creating inviting spaces right from the start. There is an absolute excitement and feeling of joy when a newly engaged couple come into the shop to choose the things that will help start their lives together.

The M-squared Design staff will guide each couple to make selections that enhance the warmth of their home and make every occasion special whether they are making simple meals alone or entertaining guests.

Selecting beautiful linens and accessories is not just for special occasions. By understanding a few simple design rules, any bride can make every meal and even take-out look and feel like a fine dining experience.

To achieve this, Mary suggests setting your table every time you serve a meal. Start with basics pieces and layer accessories and fabrics. The centerpieces and accessories that you choose will show your individual style and tastes. M Squared Design offers many timeless pieces as well as pieces that are easy to interchange. Interchangeable accessories work great for making everyday new and fresh. They can also help easily change your table from season to season making every holiday and occasion memorable.

Understanding how to combine pieces and get the most from your accessories takes some skill. Mary and her staff are prepared to guide you in choosing table linens, serving pieces, accent pillows, bedding, art and furnishings for your home. In addition, M Squared Design has access to countless vendors that cater to styles ranging from the simplest tastes to the most extravagant. This makes it possible to achieve the vision of a home life together that you’ve always dreamed about.

To start your new life journey in a home that is comfortable and beautiful, let M Squared Design help. We would be honored to be a part of your fairy tale that is turning into reality. We will gladly make an appointment, at your convenience to walk you through the process of making beautiful timeless choices for your future together.

Searching for the perfect look?

We have the perfect solution.

This completely remodeled custom kitchen by Mary’s M Squared Design Firm has a 13’ marble slab island top supported by artisan made hand-turned spindles. The cabinets were customized for storage and the chandeliers were chosen to match the room’s grandeur.

BEFORE

AFTER

Mary’s - M Squared Design Firm offers more than gifts and accessories. Our design consultation services can completely transform your home or business. Whether you are starting fresh or want a makeover, we carry exclusive lines and have access to unique products that will make any space spectacular.

115 CHURCH ST. | VIDALIA, GEORGIA | 912-537-4653 | MARYSINVIDALIA@YAHOO.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT

H E A LT H d e n t a l c a r e

when it comes to brushing

do you really know what you’re doing?

You’ve been brushing your teeth most of your life, so it’s easy to assume you’ve got the technique down.

But, this daily routine is one of the most important factors of dental care, so if you aren’t doing it right, you probably aren’t getting effective results. We spoke with the Dental Center of Vidalia’s newest addition, Dr. Logan Christian, to find out exactly how proper brushing can make a big difference in dental health.

What is the correct way to brush my teeth?

The first step is to choose a good toothbrush. You always want to use a soft brush

with a small head. Also, be sure to use only a pea size of toothpaste. A good brushing should take 2 minutes or ideally around 4 minutes. Try to brush your teeth after each meal. But if you can’t, brush at least twice a day after breakfast and before going to bed.

Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle toward the teeth and the gum. Gently press against the gum so the tips of the bristles go in between the gum and the teeth. Then apply lateral vibration for a few times and roll down the brush to sweep the plaque away from the teeth and the gum. Repeat this motion 6 to 10 times and move on to the next area

of 2 to 3 teeth. On chewing surfaces, short strokes will work best to get the plaque out of the grooves and pits.

Also when brushing the front teeth from inside, hold your brush vertically to be able to reach the teeth better.

After brushing, to maximize effectiveness, spit out the toothpaste, but don’t rinse your mouth. This keeps the fluoride in the toothpaste in contact with your teeth for a longer time.

What about using an electric brush?

Generally, electric brushes are more effective in controlling plaque than manual brushes.

You can achieve a very good

brushing with a regular hand brush but the movement of an electric brush makes the task easier and more efficient.

What’s the point of flossing?

Since surfaces between teeth are not accessible to brush, the best way to clean them is to floss. You can floss as often as you brush–ideally after each meal–though one time a day (before bedtime) is the minimum necessary. The goal is to clean the teeth surfaces and not the gum. In spaces between the teeth, press the floss against each tooth and gently move it back and forth and up and down before moving to the next tooth.

who is Dr. Logan Christian?

Dr. Logan Christian is a Georgia native who was born in Columbus and raised in Waynesboro. Like his father, Dr. Johnny Christian, he decided to pursue a career in medicine to help people. “Growing up, I watched my dad develop a relationship with our community both inside and outside of work, and I realized how valuable that is,” said Dr. Christian.

After graduating from Edmund Burke Academy in 2012, Dr. Christian attended Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he earned a degree in Chemistry, played football and met his fiancé Tilly. “As a college sophomore, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with a science degree. One of my teammate’s uncles had graduated in dentistry, and he kept telling me to come check it out. So I did, and I really liked it.” In May 2021, he earned his DMD from the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry.

Through alumni relations at MCG, Dr. Christian connected with Dr. Kimbrel and Dr. Hamilton of the Dental Center of Vidalia. He believes the standard of work, character and 20

TO O M B S CO U N T Y M A G A Z I N E

humility of the professionals at the Dental Center of Vidalia are unmatched making him a perfect fit with the staff. Hailing from a small town, Dr. Christian fully understands the value of patient care and relationships. “What I enjoy most is the relationship you develop with patients and seeing their satisfaction when a dental plan has been completed,” said Dr. Christian. “I really look forward to starting a family here and finding ways to serve the community.”

In addition to his love for dentistry, Dr. Christian is an avid sportsman. He enjoys being outdoors where he can often be found hunting and fishing. He also loves to travel–especially if Baker, his 3 year old Boykin, can tag along.

To make an appointment with Dr. Christian, call 912-537-7048

Dr. Logan Christian

Pursue Passion

www.BPC.edu

H E A LT H l o c a l c a r e

Exceptional healthcare, community focus The name has changed, but the commitment to quality healthcare and services at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital remains.

For more than 60 years, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital has provided high-quality healthcare for the people of Toombs County and the surrounding area.

Now, as a part of the HCA Healthcare family, Meadows joins one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services.

On May 1, Meadows Regional Medical Center joined HCA Healthcare’s South Atlantic Division. The hospital was renamed Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, keeping the proud Meadows name while also aligning it with Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah to reflect HCA Healthcare’s presence in the region. HCA’s scale enables them to conduct leading-edge research, share best practices and most importantly – deliver the type of care patients need, when and where they need it.

Meadows Hospital has rich history of caring for its community. The name honors the region’s first physician, whose son donated land for a hospital. Over the years,

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Meadows brought new medical services to the region including an 8-bed ICU, behavioral health center, and the area’s first MRI. In 2001, cardiologists performed the first heart procedure in their new cardiac catheterization lab. As Meadows’ impressive growth continued, hospital leaders recognized the need for a larger facility. Their new hospital building opened in February 2011; the $100 million facility was nearly 50% larger than the original hospital and boasted 20 emergency rooms and six operating suites. CEO Alan Kent stated at the time, “Everything is state-ofthe-art.” These advancements established Meadows as a major player in the regional healthcare community.

To secure the hospital’s long-term future, the Board and Hospital Authority began seeking a strategic partner in 2018 and HCA Healthcare expressed immediate interest in having Meadows join its growing network in southern Georgia.

“As a part of HCA Healthcare, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital will be able to expand its innovative and patient-focused care,” said Kent. “We chose HCA Healthcare because, like us, they are committed to high-quality, community-based hospitals and are focused on serving patients and giving back in a meaningful way to the Vidalia area.” The company lives out its mission, “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life,” through its commitment to its patients, communities and colleagues.

Clinical services will grow stronger by implementing industry best practices and investments. HCA Healthcare has already committed to invest $10 million over the next five years. The community should

expect new technologies and treatments for patients. Also, HCA provides millions of dollars in healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured populations; the Georgia hospitals in the South Atlantic Division provided $130 million in charity care in 2020.

To improve the health and well-being of the citizens of Vidalia and surrounding communities, HCA Healthcare will create a new $30 million Meadows Foundation to directly benefit the community. The foundation will also contribute $250,000 over a 5-year period for community initiatives. Vidalia and Toombs County will also benefit from taxes paid by Meadows Hospital. In 2020, the division’s Georgia hospitals paid $43.5 million in state and local taxes to benefit infrastructure, schools and more.

Meadows Hospital employees will also receive attractive benefits as HCA Healthcare colleagues. The company offers competitive salaries and benefits plans; this was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when HCA offered a pandemic pay program, hotel rooms (for colleagues treating COVID patients) and more. HCA also offers an employee stock purchase program, educational opportunities, tuition reimbursement and scholarships for colleague’s children.

And, as a national healthcare company, the company has a vast number of opportunities for colleagues who wish to grow their career or move to a new location.

Hugh Tappan, President of the South Atlantic Division, said, “By becoming part of HCA Healthcare, Meadows can continue to care for its community just as it always has but with the support, scale and resources of HCA behind Meadows.”

Memorial Health Meadows Hospital looks forward to providing exceptional care for our friends and neighbors in Toombs and surrounding counties.

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Lights, Camera...

color

Trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up can be daunting, but Kennedy Wright trusted her instinct and landed a career as a film editor and colorist in the entertainment industry.

f

inding your dream career can feel daunting. Part of discovering what you want to do is sometimes discovering what you don’t want to do before finishing four years of college with a degree in something you don’t like. Kennedy was lucky. After attending a two-week medical camp the summer after tenth grade, she discovered medicine was not what she wanted to do with her life. The only problem was that she had no back-up plan.

She had never imagined herself doing anything other than working in the medical field. In 2015, as her senior year at Vidalia High School came to an end, she faced the uncertainly of starting college without knowing what degree to pursue, a common dilemma for many college freshmen. Even so, Melissa and Sandon Wright’s oldest daughter, Kennedy, was determined not to be one of them.

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When she started her freshman year at Kennesaw State College in the fall, she had decided on pursuing an international business degree. In retrospect, “It was more the ‘international’ part that interested me,” she said and smiled. Along with core classes, Kennedy took accounting and economics classes with an international business degree in mind. Just before she was to start her sophomore year, she prepared to apply to the business college. “I thought I wanted to do something more on the creative side. After talking to an advisor, I settled on either marketing or advertising.”

When Kennedy was accepted into the University of Georgia (UGA) her sophomore year, she was suddenly faced with a fork in the road. “At Kennesaw, marketing and advertising are both in the business college. But at UGA, the two degrees were looked at very differently: Marketing is in the business school, and advertising is in the journalism school.” Between the two, “the more creative side seemed to be advertising,” she determined.

Sometimes film editing can be tedious because a view on a laptop won't be the same as on the big screen. It takes patience and time to get it right, but Kennedy finds the work satisfying.

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ABOVE Kennedy at Cannes Film Festival in France. Kennedy with Deborah Roberts and UGA Dean Charles Davis. On the set of a Dunkin Donuts commercial shoot. Kennedy and her all-female production crew won Best Overall for colleges and Best Screenplay in the 2019 Middle Georgia Film Festival for a short film they produced.

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As Kennedy looked over the list of majors in the school of journalism, a degree in entertainment and media studies caught her attention. “I thought, ‘I’ll start with both majors, advertising and entertainment and media studies and figure it out as I go,’” said Kennedy.

When she attended orientation for “journalism school intended,” she learned that she had to immediately apply to the school of journalism college. She also learned that you could not pursue two majors within the journalism college. Once again, she was at a crossroads and had to make a decision that would determine her future profession.

As part of the application process, Kennedy had to write a statement of intent. “You write about why you should be accepted into the program. That statement of intent is basically what determines whether you get in or not. They tell you to practice writing it, so you’ll have your thoughts together before you go in the testing center because you can’t take anything with you. When I sat down and began working on a letter of intent for both advertising and entertainment and media studies, it was very difficult to write about why I wanted to major in advertising, but writing about why I wanted to major in entertainment and media studies was easy.”

Writing that letter of intent allowed Kennedy to look back in retrospect. Like many children, Kennedy loved making videos. “I would direct my younger sister, Bentley, and make her do what I wanted for my video stories,” she laughed. “By middle school, some apps for making music videos came out. I thought it was just a fun thing my friends and I were doing.

But as I wrote my letter of intent, I realized that it was more. I had actually always been interested in entertainment and media.”

The realization was nothing new to her friends.

“We would be watching a Netflix movie, and I wanted to stop and discuss things. I wanted to know where the movie was made. Who were the actors? What had they played in before? Was the story based on true events? How did the writers get the information for the show or movie? What kind of research was done to create it? My friends even commented about my interests in all that stuff,” said Kennedy.

All the questions pointed straight to the path her heart was set on following. “When I went to apply, entertainment and media study was my top choice and advertising my second. I was not confident at all that I would get in. A lot of students applied.

Some were from Atlanta area schools that had media clubs in high school. I realized some were applying for a second.” Only sixty people were accepted into the entertainment and media study program, and Kennedy was one of them.

The first semester was the most difficult. “All sixty of us were thrown together in this class with Professor Biddle. All the professors in the program

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were either professionals currently working in the field or had worked in the field at some point. It’s a difficult field to break into, so they didn’t make it easy. That was part of it. You had to really work hard. That first semester was very comprehensive. We were terrified, but Professor Biddle was one of the best professors I ever had,” said Kennedy.

One of her favorite areas of study was film history. “We studied theory of film and different film movements through time. I learned about the first cameras and how the first movies were shot,” said Kennedy. Watching Turner Classic Movies together was a favorite pastime for her and her mother “I always paid attention to the directors and actors, so I was familiar with many of the films from the ‘60s.” She enjoyed that area of study so much that she chose film studies for her minor.

After taking a French films class her junior year, Kennedy interviewed for a study abroad program in France.

Getting in to the program was very competitive. “In addition to the interview, we had to send in writing samples on films.” Less than thirty students were selected, and, once again, Kennedy was one of them.

“We arrived two days before the 2018 Cannes International film festival began,” she said. “As part of

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the study abroad program, we received passes that got us into different buildings and some of the events. We had access to smaller films, but to get into the big premieres you had to have a ticket. And the only way to get tickets was to arrive early on the day of the event and stand outside with a sign that said, ‘One ticket, please’ in French, of course, to whichever film you hoped to see.”

Kennedy shook her head and laughed. “When the students who did the study abroad program before us told us that we would basically have to make signs and beg for tickets, I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m doing that.’” But when Kennedy got to Cannes, she and her friends realized that if they were going to see a premiere, they were going to have to buy poster paper and markers and, indeed, beg for tickets.

“You don’t go to Cannes unless you’re in the industry or a celebrity or really rich. Tickets are given to those people to get them to come see their films,” said Kennedy. As a result, these people end up with extra tickets. “If someone walks by, and they have a ticket they aren’t going to use and it’s for what you want to see, they’ll give it you.”

Kennedy and her friends decided that if they were going to beg, they might as well go for the big one. “It

was a world premiere of the new Star Wars movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. We all got tickets and rushed back by train to our apartments to get ready.”

In their finest gowns, the girls walked the red carpet at Cannes. “You walk the first bit of the red carpet and all of the celebrities are coming and walking beside you. Then, you kind of get pushed to the side and walk up the infamous red staircase. I saw Ron Howard, Sting, Adam Driver and the famous French actress Lea Seydoux on the steps. It was surreal,” said Kennedy.

In addition to her most difficult classes with major projects to complete, Kennedy did an internship her senior year with a video production company. “Professors push the importance of an internship, but it’s very difficult. You still have all your classes to attend. Besides, there were only two companies you can intern with in Athens that were like relevant to the entertainment and media studies major,” she said. At the same time, she worked in the school bookshop and performing arts center on campus. “I definitely did not have any free time,” she said and smiled.

During spring break her senior year (2019), Kennedy attended the South by Southwest Film Festival, which is in Austin, Texas. “It’s basically the opposite of Cannes as far as the atmosphere goes,” she said. “Cannes is very prestigious surrounded by all these designer shops. In Austin, celebrities would sit right in the audience with you. We saw the premiere of Olivia Wilde’s film Booksmart, and Jason Sudeikis was just sitting right there with everybody else. After the premiere, everybody stood up to go, and the stars of the film walked through us to go stand on stage. It was so different after Cannes.

I really liked that it was so much more relaxed,” said Kennedy.

Before graduating from UGA, Kennedy had gained experience in everything from work as an executive producer to the location’s manager.

“My last semester, I took a postproduction class. At that level, we could use the school’s really expensive

Kennedy at work directing a short film.

cameras and equipment that would have been very difficult to get our hands on otherwise.”

Kennedy was in an all-girl crew, which in itself was noteworthy. “The entertainment industry in general is male-dominated. It’s definitely getting better, but this year Chloé Zhao became the second woman to ever win an Oscar for Best Director.”

The class had two main projects.

“I was director for the first short film,” said Kennedy. For the final project, her crew rotated positions.

“This was our last chance to try something we hadn’t yet done, which for me was cinematographer. The cinematographer basically works the camera and decides with the director the staging and camera movements for each scene in the script.” The film was entered into the Middle Georgia Film Festival and won Best Overall for colleges and Best Screenplay.

In addition, Kennedy won Best Cinematographer, which was an incredible accomplishment.

By the time Kennedy graduated, she had received credit for her work in film on her own IMDB (Internet Movie Database) page. Her many accomplishments to date also include work on several documentaries

(listed below) and as a colorist on an upcoming documentary series on Netflix (title not yet released): Get Comfortable Athens, GA (Documentary short) (Assistant Editor)2018 Ruby Dog (Short) (Assistant Editor) / (Colorist)2019 Protect Our Water (Documentary short) (Assistant Editor) / (Colorist)2019 Family Powers (Documentary short) (Colorist) / (Assistant Editor)2019 Moments of Joy (Documentary) (Assistant Colorist) / (Assistant Editor)2019

One of Kennedy’s many areas of expertise is as a “Colorist.” “They don’t usually set up lighting in a typical documentary style shoot,” said Kennedy. “The sunlight is the light, like with the professional rock climber and his rock-climbing family in the documentary short ‘Family Powers.’ Sometimes you’re dealing with fluorescent lights like in ‘Moments of Joy,’ which is about children receiving treatment for cancer.”

Correcting things like skin tones and eyes is only part of the work of a Colorist. “Documentaries are much more difficult to fix, she explained.

“Many films will have a color tint.

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done in post-production and called ‘color grading.’ It can be as simple as creating exposure contrast or as setting the tone of the entire film with a certain ‘hue.’”

With three monitors and a DaVinci Resolve software, Kennedy looks for issues in different formats.

“It won’t look the same on your laptop as it will on your phone. The short film series I worked on was shown on a theatre screen, which is different than watching it on a computer screen. Each change I made, I had to go into an office, look at the color, make the changes I thought needed to 32

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be done, export it, and then put it on a screen.” The work was tedious, but it’s the kind of work that reminds her every day with satisfaction that she’s doing the right thing.

After graduation, Kennedy moved to Atlanta and worked as a freelance agent. She traveled coast-to-coast for work. One job, she might be editor or production assistant, and another a colorist or DIT (Digital Imaging Technician). “Some people call a DIT a ‘data wrangler,’ although it’s technically not the same,” said Kennedy. The terminology doesn’t matter, she figures, as long as you can

do whatever is needed. And without question, Kennedy can do whatever is needed.

When the covid-crisis made life in Atlanta just a bit too confining, Kennedy and her dog came home to Toombs County. As things begin to move back toward some semblance of normalcy, Kennedy is making plans to settle in Savannah. “Since I do freelance work, I have the ability to live wherever I want right now, and I want to take advantage of that while I can.”

Making a career choice can feel like a life and death decision when you’re in high school. Camps like the medical camp Kennedy attended or apprenticeships in a young person’s field of interest can help determine what he or she wants and/or doesn’t want to pursue as a career choice.

No matter what they say about cats, a child’s curiosity can be a helpful clue as to his or her particular “bent.” As Proverbs 22:6 puts it: “Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (AMPC translation / italics mine). Another translation says it like this: “Teach a child in the trade of his way, and when he is old, he shall not depart from it” (GNV translation).

Discovering gifting or personal inclination toward something doesn’t necessarily mean discovering what comes easy. It’s obvious that Kennedy is gifted in her field. But what she does is good because she works hard to do her best, and she’s willing to keep learning “the trade of [her] way” in the process. There’s a quote by Michelangelo that says, “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all.”

From now on, Toombs County has a personal reason to pay attention to the names that roll by with the credits on our favorite Netflix documentary or TV show. The sky’s the limit for Kennedy Wright. And the color of that sky? Well, it’s whatever she wants to make it.

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Pioneers

of a Finer FRontier

BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH

A soft-spoken country boy and an outspoken powerhouse unite to continue the traditions started by generations before them.

Bessie The fire happened on September 22,

2004.

When the ambulance arrived, Bessie was laying in the front yard with burns over 65% of her body. Before she collapsed, she managed to put out the fire that would surely have burned the trailer to the ground where she lived with her parents and four sisters.

Bessie came second in the order of her four girls. She had celebrated her thirteenth birthday five days earlier. “School had been canceled for a couple of days. It had something to do with the fuel crisis at the time, and gas prices went crazy. But Mama was a mail carrier and still had to deliver the mail. Daddy built bridges and had to be gone sometimes weeks at a time. But mama left us with a long list of chores to do to keep us busy.”

Of course, they were putting it off until the last minute. Hannah, the sister just under Bessie in age, went to the kitchen to cook french fries, which was something she had done many times before. Setting a pot on the stove, she poured in the bottle of oil. It only took a quick look in the freezer to realize there were no fries, but those few seconds were long enough to forget she had turned the burner on.

When smoke came boiling into the living room from the kitchen, the girls panicked. Emily ran to the sink and filled a glass with water.

Tossing the water at the pot of burning grease only caused the oil to splatter and the fire to spread. Bessie grabbed a flat lid to smother it.

Reaching behind the pot to turn off the burner, both her arms and face were immediately scorched. Hannah grabbed a towel to beat back the flames still pouring out of the burning pot of grease. In all the commotion, the pot flipped and fell. The hot grease poured straight down Bessie’s legs and feet.

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“I ran into the living room and began rolling on the floor,” she said. “When I stood up, I saw huge pieces of my skin laying there. I reached back to my hair and my ponytail came off and fell into my hand. One of my feet had already swollen up like a bowling ball.”

The girls were terrified at the sight of their sister’s burning flesh. But all Bessie could think about was the burning trailer. She ran out the front door and went around to the back of the trailer for the water hose. Entering the back door, she doused the kitchen from floor to ceiling. “I just kept thinking, ‘Mama is gonna kill me for getting the kitchen wet like this,’” she said with a sideways grin.

Miraculously, Bessie did manage to put out the fire and save the trailer, although the kitchen was ruined. Once the fire was out, she ran back to the front yard and collapsed on the ground.

When the ENTs arrived, Bessie was taken to the ER in Vidalia where she was immediately sent by ambulance to the Joseph M. Still (JMS) Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia. “It’s one of the most elite burn centers in the United States,” said

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Bessie. “I was lucky it was so close.”

Somehow both of her parents were there when she arrived. “Daddy was working on a bridge in Sylvania. I don’t know how he got there so fast. They had given me something for pain, so I was in and out. I couldn’t open my eyes or sit up. It was this terrible, dreamlike feeling.” But even drugged, Bessie remembered the doctor’s foreign accent and his next words.

“He said, ‘Tonight, we will take the right foot, and we will see tomorrow with the left foot if we can leave it or not.’ I told myself, ‘Bessie, don't you fall asleep. If you fall asleep, you're going to wake up without a foot.’ But my daddy just lost his mind. He hollered at the poor man, ‘You ain’t cutting nothin’ off my daughter!’” she laughed.

The reality was that Bessie’s right foot had been burned down to the muscle. It was taking a huge risk to even attempt to save the foot. The risk of infection could be deadly. But Bessie’s daddy meant that they were going to do everything and then some to try to save his daughter’s foot.

The healing process was long and tedious. It

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to discontinue tours and visits to the exotic animal farm, there were still animals to feed and orchards and gardens to tend.

“I love nursing,” said Bessie. But for now, I’m doing a different kind of nursing.” Bessie glanced toward the baby goat she had started bottle feeding after his mama had rejected him. But bottle-feeding baby goats was only one small part of what moving to Buckhorn Creek Ranch meant for Bessie and Bob. It was time to take Bob’s woodworking business to another level. And Bessie was just the person to make it happen.

Bob

Bob’s family history in Toombs County began in 1896 before the involved wound drains, saline rinses, compression dressings, hydrotherapy, skin grafts, long term antibiotics, several surgeries, individually tailored stockings and gloves to prevent large keloid scars, and intense physical therapy. After months of trying to save Bessie’s foot, a decision had to be made. “I was waiting to see if they were going to do another surgery for a cadaver skin graft on my foot. The doctor who saw me was the sweetest little woman. She pointed to these tiny little pink dots on my foot and said, ‘Don’t cry, baby. No surgery for you. Your skin has started growing.’

That was Jesus,” said Bessie.

Before the accident, she had been like most seventh grade thirteenyear-old girl, she explained. “That’s when you start thinking, ‘Am I pretty?

Do people like me?’ But I just got snatched into a whole ‘nother world of things to care about. I just wanted to be able to walk again.”

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had ever been so badly burned unless she you knew her story. But the experience had a deep effect on Bessie and her sisters. Even though no one in their family had ever pursued a medical career, three of the four, including Bessie, would become registered nurses (RNs).

For her sophomore year, Bessie went to STC and worked her way through school graduating as an RN in 2015. A year later, she and her high school sweetheart, Bob Coleman, became the proud parents of a baby boy they named Rowan.

In 2020, after five years of working in the ER at Evans Memorial Hospital in Claxton, Georgia, Bessie decided it was time to take a break.

The year had been a tough one, especially for those who worked on the frontlines during the covid pandemic like Bessie. “We saw a lot of people die in those first months,” said Bessie.

In 2019, she and Bob had moved out to his father’s ranch, which many know as Buckhorn Creek Ranch, to help Bob’s father, Steve, and his wife, Debbie. Even though they had decided

county was even founded. That was the year Moses Matthew Coleman Sr., (1851-1928) came to Lyons and built several stores including the old Elberta Hotel. According to an article from the Vidalia Advance in 1928, he was one of “Toombs County's pioneer citizens,” (findagrave.com). In the Vidalia Onion Museum, his son, Moses M. Coleman Jr., (1901-1984) is credited with helping to “pioneer” the popularity of the Vidalia Onion in 1931.

The next Moses Coleman was Bob’s grandfather, known as “Mose” Coleman Jr., (1926-2019). A true entrepreneur, he founded Coleman Sales, Inc. and published eight books documenting information from headstones he surveyed in cemeteries in Toombs and surrounding counties.

Bob’s father, Steve Coleman, taught history at Vidalia High School. But it was his father’s exotic animal farm that brought some two thousand visitors to Buckhorn Creek Ranch during the annual Vidalia Onion Festival in 2019. (The ranch was officially closed in 2020).

Bob’s upbringing was unconventional. The youngest of four children, his earliest memories

were of the two-hundred-acre ranch as a Russian boar hunting preserve.

When he was about seven-years-old, his father began to build a new kind of preserve gathering exotic and native animals for what would become Buckhorn Creek Ranch. “When my friends would come over,” said Bob, “it was obvious that no one got to spend time with a camel on a daily basis like I did. And we were as wild as the animals spending all our time in the woods.” Eventually, the ranch offered guided wagon tours so that visitors could help feed the herd as they learned about Bison, European red deer, Watusi cattle and all the other animals and fowl.

After graduating from Toombs County High School in 2011, Bob went to Gainesville State College outside of Atlanta. His plan was to major in journalism and psychology.

While there, he met a guy named Jay Shepherd. “Jay had injured his back when a jeep he was working on rolled over on him,” said Bob. “Since he was pretty much confined to his house, he started doing every woodworking project he could think of. I started spending time with him, and it didn’t take long for me to remember why I loved working with wood so much as a child.”

Bob’s interest in woodworking had developed naturally from time spent in the woods and watching his dad work.

“My dad taught me how to use simple tools when I was young. I always loved the idea of making something a lot more than buying it.”

It only took a year of working and going to school in Atlanta to convince Bob that city life was not for him.

Coming home to Toombs County was a not only a return to the family farm, but also to his high school sweetheart, Bessie Pittman. In 2016, Bessie and Bob’s son Rowan became the sixth generation of Colemans in Bob’s family line to call Toombs County home.

Bob spent the first two years after his return home working with his dad in his wood shop. “At first, it was just about spending time with him. I had been learning woodworking skills from him all my life and didn’t realize

it until now,” said Bob. “Pointing to a house down the hill surrounded by trees, he said, “That’s where I grew up.

I remember watching my dad build our house when I was three or four years old. He built all the buildings here.”

Bessie and Bob began helping at the ranch long before they made it their home. Whenever busloads of children came or day camps were held, Bessie and Bob were on hand. “While one group went out in the wagon to see the animals,” said Bob, “my dad would do an archery demonstration for the kids who were waiting, and I would talk to another group about working with primitive tools. We gave lots of different classes and did some day camps. Everything here from the exotic animals to the orchards and bushcraft skills was about teaching kids something meaningful.”

Even after the decision was made to close the ranch, the animals that remained still needed daily care. There were also several acres of orchards and gardens to tend. “We’ve basically been apprenticing under Bob’s dad Steve and his wife Debbie,” said Bessie. With a child of their own now, there’s a new reason to demonstrate what it means to value and care for the land and the animals that depend on it. “We’ve got our little boy to love and teach how to care for the animals and work on the farm. Eventually, we hope this whole place will be a reflection of our nurture and love for each other and the land.”

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Bob has turned the woodworking skills he learned from his father and his friend Jay into a business. In addition, he and Bessie take care of the animals and work on the family farm passing on their knowledge to son Rowan.

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A Finer Frontier

In the pioneering spirit of the family before them,

Bob and Bessie are making their own contribution to the Toombs County community. “Bob is a true artist,” said Bessie. “But he’s more of a good ‘ole country boy.’

He’s kind and soft-spoken, and I’m the extrovert of the century.” Bob gave her a smile. “When we combined forces, I took over marketing, so he could focus on new projects. We named our new venture ‘A Finer Frontier.’”

Now, instead of depending on word of mouth, Bessie put Bob’s woodwork on social media. She also set up an Etsy shop. “We go to every artisan market and arts and crafts festival we can find,” said Bessie. “We’ll set up a tent and table anywhere.” She has discovered her own untapped woodworking skills adding beautiful cedar chests, jewelry boxes, and other forms of boxes made from reclaimed wood to their repertoire.

Among Bob’s most popular products are his beautiful hand-carved spoons. Another bestseller is personalized wooden plaques. “With the CNC machine [computer numerical control router],” said Bob, “we can personalize plaques of reclaimed wood with letters, numbers, even scenes and images from pictures.” He pointed to a beautiful wood carving engraved with an image of their niece Vivian.

Another bestseller has been his handmade earrings that utilize everything from the tips of cast-off deer antlers to left-over wood shavings from the wood shop floor.

Every hand-crafted product is made from wood and/ or other natural/sustainable materials. “There are plenty of felled trees in the woods from hurricanes or that have been struck by lightning,” said Bob. “We’ll drag it out of the woods, cut it up at the saw mill, and stack it into boards. We sometimes barter with people who bring a tree to our saw mill. We may cut it up for a portion of the wood. Or perhaps they’ll want us to make a bench with a name or a verse engraved into it or a beautiful wood table for the family to gather around because it was on their land for a hundred years.”

“A local guy brought us an ancient piece of black walnut he happened on fishing in the Altamaha River,” said Bessie. “Bob used the wood to make the most beautiful spoons and bowls.” But bartering isn’t necessarily limited to the wood they receive from use of the saw mill. A few months ago, Bessie came up just as a customer asked Bob what he owed for a customized plaque. Noticing the wild boar piglets in the back of his truck, Bessie insisted on one as part of his payment.

When toilet paper, bleach, and other items disappeared almost overnight from grocery store shelves in the wake of the covid-pandemic, Bessie and Bob realized just how quickly provisions could become H O M E TO W N L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T

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Bessie sells Bob's hand-crafted wood designs online and at artisan markets.

She's even added a few pieces of her own.

inaccessible. “My daddy was getting me ready for the apocalypse from the time I was three years old,” Bessie said with a smile. “He was quoting Revelations to us all the time.” Turning more thoughtful, she said. “And now that I see this mess going on, I asked Bob, ‘Where do you think we can get some more chickens?’”

The couple’s intent is simple: “We want to be responsible with what we have,” said Bob. “My idea is to implement something new every year or so that will help us become less dependent on outside sources for our basic needs. When I get my dad’s age, hopefully I’ll be as creative at making and growing things as he is.”

Because of the work of the generation before them, Bob and Bessie can go further with the good they have in their hearts to do. “If we had to start from scratch and plant the fruit trees and gardens, it would take us twentyfive years or more to get to this point,” said Bessie.

The handmade crafts Bessie and Bob create speak of their honor for the past and their hope for the future.

Together, they are extending the roots of another generation of Coleman pioneers. Each work of art teaches us that everything we need is right here. In the woods, the rivers, the lakes, and backyard ponds. In fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and friends. In communities supporting local artists and family businesses. We each have something someone else needs today. Even if it’s just a wild boar piglet. A Finer Frontier is a family story told in reclaimed wood, itself a story of redemption. And redemption is possibly the most powerful story of all.

Found out more at Facebook: Finer Frontier http://finerfrontier.etsy.com, (912) 403-8452, finerfrontier@gmail.com 44

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Country at Heart From plowing on the family farm in Oak Park to writing songs for some of Nashville's most talented artists, Mitch Oglesby has risen in the ranks of notoriety while keeping his small town roots.

BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

t

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MITCH OGLESBY

he smell of the diesel mixed with that of the rich black dirt was the perfect accompaniment to the country music coming from the International 986 tractor radio. As the young boy plowed the fields on his family’s farm in Oak Park, he sang along. He knew every word to every song. With crops to plant, livestock to tend, and a poultry operation with over 50,000 laying chickens, there was always plenty of work to be done. Instinctively, the farm work shaped Mitch’s awareness of the connection between the music and the land. It’s really no surprise

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that his singing and writing led to his songs being recorded by artists like Chris Young, Cody Johnson, and a #1 hit by Chris Janson.

It takes talent and a lot of hard work for a song to become a CMA #1 hit song, which is exactly what 1990 Toombs County High School graduate Mitch Oglesby brought to the song “Done,” co-written with Janson, Jamie Paulin, and Matt Roy. The song is one of six that Mitch co-wrote on Janson’s most recent album called Real Friends including the title song, which Janson recorded as a duet with Blake Shelton.

Looking back, the road from the family farm to a publishing

deal was not a straight line. When Mitch graduated from TCHS, he said, “I kind of had in my mind that I was going to teach school and keep farming.” After graduating from Georgia Southern with a degree in Technology Education, Mitch started teaching technology at Treutlen Middle and High School in Soperton, Georgia. After a year of teaching, he began singing full time and developed a good following locally as well as up and down the east coast.

Mitch moved to Nashville around 2000 to further pursue his music career. Whether he was performing or listening to other performers sing, it was all a part of the learning. The music industry was a tough place to break into, but he was no stranger to hard work. He put his hand to the plow and kept working at perfecting his skill as a singer/songwriter.

The program director of Z-94 in Baxley, Georgia, once told Mitch that if he ever made a recording, he would play it. On Christmas Eve of 2002, Mitch took a song he’d recorded called “I Want Us Back” to the station. After a quick listen, the program director was impressed. On the way home, Mitch heard his voice on the radio for the first time. A few weeks later, he got a call from Z-94. “The guy said,

‘Mitch, I’ve counted the requests three times, and you’ve got the most requested song in South Georgia!’”

The song stayed at the top for three weeks running. Rick Paul and Leith Canty with the WXRS Morning show were also instrumental in making “I Want Us Back” a hit. “When Pat and Triste from the Y 96 Classic Country Jukebox picked up ‘I Want Us Back’

and ‘That Was Us’, both songs became big hits.”

In 2004, Mitch held back to back sold out shows at STC in Vidalia.

Back in Nashville, he was teaching computer skills to middle school students by day and singing at the bars on Broadway by night. In 2006, he got his first publishing deal. A guy named Troy Woodis from Muscle

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Mitch collaborated on six songs of Chris Janson's latest album Real Friends. When "Done" reached gold certification it was a high point for Mitch as a songwriter.

Shoals, Alabama, had been coming to Legend’s Corner on Broadway to hear Mitch sing for some time. “After a show one night, Troy said, ‘If you ever want to quit teaching and write and record music full time, I’ll pay you.’ I said back, ‘When you get a year’s salary in the bank, call me.’ I said it with sarcasm, but I meant it. And so did Troy. A year later, he called me and said, ‘I got your year’s salary.’ I put in my notice at the school and started writing and performing full-time.” The deal with Woodis lasted until the economic downturn of 2008 when everybody had to tighten their belts.

The big break for Mitch came while working on a handshake deal at Harlan Howard Songs, Inc. Kelly Lynn Janson, the wife of Chris Janson was sitting in on a pitch meeting at Harlan Howard songs. Kelly is not only her husband’s manager, but also has her own publishing company called KJM Publishing.

Kelly liked what she heard. In fact, she liked Mitch’s songs so much that she invited him to write with her husband. The result of that meeting was a co-venture publishing agreement with KJM Publishing and Warner/Chappell, which was just recently renewed for the fourth year running.

When Chris Janson released his second Album Everybody in 2017, Mitch was a co-writer on two of the songs: “Redneck Life”

Photo by musicrow.com

ABOVE In 2017, Mitch signed a joint publishing deal with KJM Music Publishing, owned by Chris Janson's wife Kelly (bottom right), and Warner/ Chappell Music. OPPOSITE PAGE For years, Mitch regularly performed on Broadway in Nashville and had a following of his own.

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(Chris Janson and Mitch), and “Who’s Your Farmer” (Janson, Buddy Owens, and Mitch). “Who’s Your Farmer” began with the idea for the title, which Mitch pitched to Chris late one night over the phone. The song is not only a good-feeling fun song, it’s also a shout-out to farmers.

On Janson’s most recent album Real Friends, Mitch collaborated on a total of six of the album’s songs (see inset). He was unquestionably one of the “real friends” to whom Chris Janson was referring when Janson said on songfacts.com, “I made Real Friends with actual real friends. I produced the album with real friends, wrote all the songs with real friends, took all the photos for the project with my best friend and wife, Kelly.”

According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) website, “Gold

& Platinum Awards have come to stand as a benchmark of success for any artist…” On April 8, 2021, “Done” reached gold certification. The achievement was a real high point for Mitch as a songwriter.

In addition to songs for Chris Janson, Mitch also co-wrote “Doubt Me Now” with Casey Beathard, which was released by Cody Johnson on his album Ain’t Nothin’ to It (2019).

According to Mitch, “Doubt Me Now” is one of his favorites. “That's my story,” he said. “It makes you feel quietly comforted with the thought of having the last laugh over all the haters.”

This past year (2020), Chris Young released an incredible song co-written

by Mitch, Matt Roy, and Greylan James, (with a few minor tweaks from Young to personalize the song), called “If That Ain’t God.” It was the perfect song to get our eyes looking up in the midst of all the turmoil. Another song recently recorded by Cody Johnson that Mitch co-wrote with Chris Janson is called “Build a Fire.” As of the

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“Seeing the process, what it takes to get a song out there, my heroes are now some of these great songwriters,” said Mitch.

Mitch, David Lee Murphy and Chris Janson co-writing songs.

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ABOVE Mitch with country singers Luke Bryan and Chris Janson.

BELOW Sometimes writing sessions with writers and musicians takes place online.

t s i l y a l P a Make Mitch collaborated on six songs from Chris Janson's latest album Real Friends.

The songs include: “Check” (Chris Janson, Tommy Cecil, Greylan James, James McNair, Mitch Oglesby) “Done" (Chris Janson, Mitch Oglesby, Jamie Paulin, Matt Roy)

writing of this article, the song had not yet been released. So, we’ve all got something to look forward to. “I’m especially proud of these two songs,” he said.

Growing up, Mitch thought of people like the “King of Country” George Strait as his heroes. Although Strait is still held in high regard, Mitch’s idea of a hero in the world of country music has somewhat changed. “Seeing the process, what it takes to get a song out there, my heroes are now some of these great songwriters,” said Mitch. At the top of his list is Casey Beathard with whom he co-wrote “Doubt Me Now.” Beathard has written hits for a long list of artists including Eric Church and Kenny Chesney. He’s received the Broadcast Music, Inc’s

“God’s Gotta Be a Good Ole Boy “(Chris Janson, Brock Berryhill, Brad Clawson, Greylan James, Mitch Oglesby) “Real Friends” (feat. Blake Shelton) (Chris Janson, Brad Clawson, Greylan James, Mitch Oglesby) “Beer Me” (Chris Janson, Brock Berryhill, Jason Blaine, Jay Brunswick, Mitch Oglesby) “Country USA” (Chris Janson, David Lee Murphy, Mitch Oglesby).

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“If a singer has a hit song of their own, great.

But in the times when they don’t, there are some wonderful songs written by songwriters that need to be recorded,” said Mitch. “A song is a powerful thing. Perhaps the most powerful thing.”

(BMI) Songwriter of the Year award twice. “He’s one of the guys I really look up to,” said Mitch. “I’m just inspired by him as a family man and for his belief in God.” Looking back on his own career as a songwriter, Mitch sees the turns he didn’t take, some he wishes he had and some he’s forever glad he didn’t. There’s learning in it all. Some of the best songs are the result of all that learning giving songwriters a springboard for inspiration. Songwriters need singers, and singers need songwriters. “Some artists today want to write everything they sing,” said Mitch. “If a singer has a hit song of their own, great. But in the times when they don’t, there are some wonderful songs written by songwriters that need to be recorded.

A song is a powerful thing. Perhaps the most powerful thing.”

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The right song can alter an atmosphere, give expression to heartheld emotions, and even shift the belief systems of a society. But the motivation of a songwriter is rarely that conspicuous. Songwriting is storytelling with music to interpret the emotion. A powerful song happens when a writer manages to tap into that magical fusion of music and words that bring together God and man like Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam.” I can’t think of any profession that would understand this creative merger any more than those who have worked together with the land to bring a harvest. As busy as he is with songwriting sessions that can last ten or more hours a day, Mitch still manages to come home and help his dad with the family farm from time to time.

There’s much more that he has to give to music. Not just as a songwriter, but also as a performer. It’s not just Mitch's songwriting, but his voice on the demos that gets the attention of other artists. And just as soon as things settle back into some sort of normal, Mitch plans to return to doing some concerts of his own. It’s been a while since he had those sold-out performances at STC. I can’t think of a better way to come back together after this past year than with country music sung by one of our own. As Eric Church said so perfectly at the 2020 CMA awards, “It’s going to be music that brings us out of this. That is the one thing that is going to save the entire world…” (cmaworld.com).

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BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH

REVISIONING

the Dream Life doesn't always go as planned, but having courage and perseverance can redefine the end result.

As a child, Sonja heard the same thing again and again. “You’re going to college,” her mama said. Army Ocilla Kent was determined the oldest of her three children would go to college. Like many families in Toombs County at the time, Army’s family worked as sharecroppers. But she envisioned a future for her daughter that would surely have seemed impossible to those around her. It was a big dream for a mother who was not allowed to finish high school.

Like her soldierly name, Sonja’s mother faced more than her share of adversity.

When it was discovered that she was pregnant, Army and her boyfriend, Ronald Fletcher, were kicked out of high school and not allowed to graduate. Both were seventeen when Sonja was born. Even though Army and Ronald did not marry, Sonja had a good relationship with her father throughout her childhood.

When she was twelve years old, her mother married a man who was a minister. Six months later, she took her children and hid away with them in Augusta due to the physical abuse she suffered from her minister husband.

Sonja graduated from T. W. Josy High School in 1985. After working for a year, she moved to Fort Valley to pursue a degree in economics at Fort Valley State University. In addition to financial aid and student loans, Sonja worked her way through college.

Her mother’s dream was now her own. In her junior year, Sonja Sonja with daughter Yanee' found out she was pregnant. It was not a part of Army’s dream for her daughter. Sonja’s pregnancy was a bitter reminder of her own past and the hardship she had faced as a single mother. But a mother’s love has the incredible ability to “revision” the dreams she holds for her children. Revision literally means “to look again.”

Often, when we look again, we can see the beauty in what we thought was only loss.

Sonja left college and moved back to Augusta where she gave birth to a beautiful

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baby girl; she called her daughter Yanee’, which in Hebrew means “He will answer.” When Yanee’ was seven weeks old, Sonja took her to visit family in Lyons. “I ended up staying,” said Sonja. “I lived with my great-aunt, who was like a grandmother to me. I had a great support system here.”

That same year, Sonja’s forty-two-year-old mother

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unexpectedly died of a massive heart attack. Yanee’ was only seven months old at the time. The loss was devastating for Sonja. Not long after losing her mother, she got involved in an unhealthy relationship. For a second time, she found herself single and pregnant. After the birth of her second daughter, Ashley, Sonja was determined to break free from what she recognized as a generational cycle of unhealthy relationships.

And with God’s help, she did just that.

Sonja met the challenges of being the single parent of two little girls head-on. She worked full-time at Oxford, part-time at Bi-lo, and took night classes to work toward finishing her degree. When she became reacquainted with Carlos Eason, who was someone she had dated years earlier, she knew the relationship was different than the relationships she had had in the past. In January 2000, Sonya and Carlos were married.

Four-year-old Yanee’ and two-year-old Ashley not only gained a father but also a big brother, Carlos’s son, Brandon. Over the next few years, the family grew LEFT Honoring Sonja's twice more with the birth of predecessor, Councilman Ben Sonja and Carlos’s son Carlos, Jr., Mitchell.

OPPOSITE PAGE When Sonja and daughter Cari. stepped into her new role as While raising a family Councilwoman, she was excited and working full time, Sonja to continue the work Mr. continued to work toward her Mitchell had started–especially degree. In 2003, at the age of at Vince Faison Park.

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” –Joseph Campbell (American Professor and author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces).

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thirty-seven, she graduated from Georgia Southern with her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics. From 2002-2008, Sonja worked at Trane as a Technical Trainer and HR Assistant. In 2009, she took an HR assistant position at Chicken of the Sea and later worked as a Training Specialist. After four years at Chicken of the Sea, Sonja transferred to U.S. Pet Nutrition and worked as an HR Manager. While at U.S. Pet, a board member from Action Pact (formerly known as Concerted Services) asked if she would consider applying for a position with them as a Human Resources Director.

That was almost eight years ago.

At Action Pact, Sonja helps provide services that bring people out of poverty. As a non-profit, the company provides many beneficial services including housing assistance, career planning, and financial literacy, just to name a few. Sometimes it means helping a young mother access childcare, helping someone further his or her education, and/or job opportunities. “We work with many other agencies and utilize government grants to help those in need,” said Sonja. “We have case management services to help determine services needed and access those services.”

Sonja has a personal understanding of the power of mercy and grace.

When help in the community is needed, she has been the first to step forward with her hand raised. Sonja has served on the Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors, the Lyons’ Housing Authority board, and a part on a Mock Interview Team with local high schools.

She graduated from the Economic Leadership and Development Class of Toombs County in 2010 and served as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer from 2019-March 2021. In this capacity, she worked with DFCS and the Courts to ensure children in foster care find stable and loving homes. She also founded a scholarship fund called SCOPE (Serving Communities with Opportunities for Personal Excellence) that assists students with college expenses.

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As chaos and fear swept the nation in 2020, Sonja was more grateful than ever to live in Lyons. “When I saw all that was happening in places like Atlanta, I was so grateful I live here,” she said. “I know that certain races are treated differently in some areas of the country, but I personally have not experienced that here.”

In December of 2019, Ben Mitchell, the Lyons City Councilman in Sonja’s district of Ward 2, passed away while in office. He had faithfully served Ward 2 for over 30 years. When a special election was scheduled for March 4, 2020, Sonja’s sister asked if she might be interested in filling the vacancy.

Sonja might never have considered running if it hadn’t been for an event that occurred a few months earlier.

“A minister from Vidalia wanted to open a counseling center in our neighborhood,” she said. “It was in a residential area right across the road from my sister, who also has a deaf child. I started going to the meetings to find out what it was about. He said that he wanted to help those who had just gotten out of prison get on their feet again. The entire community came together and said, ‘We don’t want this in our neighborhood.’ We kindly suggested that he go uptown and rent one of those buildings if he wanted to open a counseling center.”

When it came time to qualify for the city council seat in Ward 2, Sonja added her name to the ballot. When the results were in, Sonja had won by one vote. Her opponent requested a recount and a second count showed she had actually won by two votes. Sonja had now made history as the first African American woman to serve on the Lyons City Council.

Sonja spent the first few months as a councilwoman learning about processes and procedures. “I get a few calls now and then from people in the district who want me to do something right away. I’ve learned that it’s not that simple,” she smiled. “But I can promise to look into the situation right away.”

Before Mr. Mitchell passed away, he had obtained some grants for projects in his ward. One of those

projects was for work on Hallmark Park, which is now Vincent Faison Park.

As Sonja stepped into her new role, she was excited to be a part of some of those changes the grant provided.

“We were able to pave the street all the way through from Hilton Drive to Cobbtown Highway. We’ve put in new basketball courts, playground equipment, and built a pavilion. There’s a lot more work needed, but it’s a start.”

It’s not just Sonja’s service but the testimony of her life that is important to this community. From the day she moved back to Lyons with a sevenweek-old baby, she has worked to care for her family. When an unplanned pregnancy delayed her hopes of a college career, she revised her story and made it a part of the plan. Dreams take more than opportunity. They take the kind of courage and perseverance that Sonja showed by continuing to pursue her degree. And today, that beautiful, unexpected part of Sonja’s story named Yanee’ has a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and is preparing to enroll in law school.

There’s no time for judgment and critics. Only the courts of heaven matter, and the court we’re all invited to enter is one of mercy and grace. And grace, that God-given power to do the things we can’t do in our strength, was not wasted on Sonja Eason. When she visited her sick father in New Jersey recently, she could still feel how proud he was of her. How proud he has always been of her. For the mother and father who were not allowed to finish high school, Sonja was a gift.

The revision is always better than our carefully planned outline for the future. This isn’t justification for anything. It’s about appreciation for everything. Revision is God’s gift. Like Moses who turned to look again at the burning bush, the Voice that speaks in the desert restores our dreams. And in so doing, we become a way-maker. Like Sonja, the first at whatever the Voice from the burning bush has called us to be.

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BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH

A Return to Glory With support from the Georgia Council for the Arts and our community, the Altama Museum of Art and History will continue to safely serve our area.

PRESERVING THE PAST Are museums and art galleries still relevant in today’s digital age?

Can an image of the Sistine Chapel on a computer screen ever compare to standing beneath Michelangelo’s storied fresco of Biblical scenes and religious events of the times? Of course not. One is a reflection; the other, an experience. Although a visit to a world-class museum is always nice, smaller communities across America have recognized the importance of providing places for history, art, and artifacts in their own communities. In 1980, a group of Vidalia citizens did just that, forming the Altama Gallery, now known as the Altama Museum of Art and History, with the goal of bringing quality art closer to home.

At that time, the Brazell House on Jackson Street with its gigantic columns, multi-hipped rooflines, and grand porches had sat vacant for nearly a decade. In need of a place for their newly-formed nonprofit organization to hold art and historical exhibits, concert performances, and other cultural experiences, the group of art lovers in Vidalia contacted the descendants of the Brazell family about purchasing it. Built in 1911, architect/builder Ivey P. Crutchfield had designed the Brazell House for William Crawford Brazell and William’s wife, Mary Clifton Brazell. Known for his neoclassical style, Crutchfield designed many homes and businesses in Toombs County and across Georgia and Florida. Of those still standing, many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Brazell House which was added in 1981.

The only occupants to ever live in the house were the Brazell family. The oldest daughter, Emma, and the youngest of the Brazell’s five daughters, Sara, both married. But the middle three daughters did not. Anna, Nora, and Rusha lived out their days in the family home on Jackson Street.

People often saw one of the three sisters sweeping the sidewalks or sitting on the porches around the beautiful family home, even in their later years.

Many of the older homes in the historic district, also known as Jackson Heights, had been torn down over the years to make way for “modernization.” The Brazell House was an essential piece of architectural history for our region and a testament to the resilience of those early families in Toombs County. Preservation of the historical landmark would protect an important piece of history as well as provide the perfect space for the newly-formed organization.

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When the group contacted the Brazell descendants, the house was in need of a great deal of repair. Not wanting to see their family home torn down, the family graciously agreed to sell the house to the Altama Museum of Art and History for artistic and historical purposes. After extensive renovations, the gallery opened to the public in February 1981.

MAINTAINING IN THE PRESENT

THE SISTERS The Brazells were the only family to occupy the house. William and Mary Brazell had five daughters. ABOVE Youngest daughter Sara Brazell and her new husband Eliza Meadows on their honeymoon.

BELOW The middle three daughters, Anna, Nora and Rusha, never married and lived out their days in the house.

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In 2016, Jennifer Martinez, Jen as most call her, took over as Director of the Altama Museum. She was perfect for the position with her degree in Art from Berry College and a background in professional theatre. Her past work included costume production for the Atlanta Opera, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, and Music Circus in California, among others. She also held the position of Costume Shop Manager for Kennesaw State University’s Theater and Performing Arts program. Jen has brought the organization into the next century through branding, online and social media presence, and by focusing on high quality, family-friendly Arts programming and seeking new ways to engage with the public.

Over the years, the gallery’s collections have grown considerably, and now include Southern Contemporary art, antique prints, and decorative arts, including fine furnishings and historic costume.

Pointing to one of the beautiful Audubon prints, Jen said, “These were a limited production of very high

THE GALLERY The gallery’s collections have grown over the years, but its ultimate mission is to engage the community by providing opportunities to educate, promote the arts, and preserve local history. To make this happen, the museum is open from September through May, offering a unique calendar of fine art and historical exhibits, gallery openings, concerts and performances, classes, artist markets and special events.

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quality presented in book form and very rare. These prints were the way people learned about species before there were lots of scientific publications and the internet, of course. Anyone who considered themselves a naturalist would have sought copies of these to learn more about the species.” The John Gould (18041881) hand-colored lithographs of birds are another treasure in the gallery’s collection. “John Gould was a famed ornithologist and particularly noted for his beautiful renderings of birds in their natural habitat,” she added.

In large, glass cabinets, the museum displays one of the largest Staffordshire porcelain collections on public view in the United States. Before China closed its borders to Western trade in the mid-1700s, they had been the primary source of most white porcelain. It was discovered that the Staffordshire region of England had the proper clay, an abundance of coal, and salt, all required for ceramic production at that time. Since they could also provide transportation for trade, the region became the new hub of the porcelain market. “There are 211 different patterns and more than 250 individual pieces in our collection,” said Jen. “This is the oldest piece in the collection and was produced between 1775 and 1790,” pointing out a tiny teacup decorated with Oriental design. “The first pieces made in Staffordshire were duplications of the Asian market, and teacups did not have 72

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“...upkeep on a 4000-square-foot century-old house is no small expense.

Funding for a 501c3 is ‘always a thing,’” said Jen.

The Second Century Project relied on matching grant donations from the community. When it came time to build, the director and Board of Trustees agreed that sourcing locally would the best way to align with the museum’s vision and honor the community support it has received.

From the architect and contractor to the builder and landscapers, the museum was able to coordinate work with local businesses during a pandemic and within a time constraint–which was no small feat, but perfectly timed.

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handles. As time went on, handles were added, and the extended pinky while drinking one’s tea became a sign of class and distinction.”

When Jen first took over as Director, she knew the place needed a fresh coat of paint. “But upkeep on a 4000-square-foot century-old house is no small expense. Funding for a 501c3 is ‘always a thing,’” she said with a warm smile. “Most of the funding for day-to-day operations comes from private donations, museum membership revenue, and corporate sponsorships. We also receive some funding from the city of Vidalia.”

These funds enable the gallery to serve the community and visitors free of charge. But if the present generation hoped to preserve the collections and continue to bring in artistic opportunities, work would need to be done on the largest item in the museum’s collection, the Brazell House itself.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE “There’s a common misconception about grant funding for nonprofits,” said Jen. “While there are many grants available for programming, to bring in artists or host a particular class, for example, there are few available for ‘brick and mortar’ rehabilitation projects or operating funds. So, the ones that do come out are highly competitive.”

By early 2020, the Brazell House needed much more than a fresh coat of paint. Unmindful of the global pandemic and the economic disruptions that ensued, deterioration on the 109-year-old Brazell House could not

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ABOVE Local architect Fred Dean of Dean Architecture and Design created the drawings to guide the renovation project. BELOW Jennifer was able to match the original ‘haint blue’ color for the porch ceilings when samples of it were found under several layers of paint.

wait for a more convenient time. Structural repairs and threats to safety and accessibility had to be addressed.

The Altama Museum had already contracted with area architect Fred Dean of Dean Architecture and Design to assess the scope of work and produce drawings to guide a renovation project that, at that point, seemed likely to be done in stages over the course of years due to budget constraints. When Georgia Council for the Arts offered Cultural Facilities Grants with awards up to $75,000, it seemed an answer to the organization’s prayers and meant the possibility of accomplishing all the major goals in a shorter time frame might be a reality.

The deadline to apply for the grant was the end of June of 2020 and terms required that an organization prove they could obtain 50% of the grant money through matching donations. The Altama Museum’s board of Trustees wasted no time launching a fundraising campaign for the purpose, aptly entitled the Second Century Project. Contributions made by Sweet Onion Classic, Altamaha Bank and Trust, Georgia Power, descendants of the Brazell family, and many others, both corporate and private, enabled the organization to meet this requirement.

Finding a general contractor with experience in historical building renovation was relatively simple.

Finding one who was also available to work within the constraints of the grant-stipulated project completion date of June 30, 2021 was no small task—and the grant required three competitive bids. “Our greatest competition for GCs was an abundance of new construction projects and the many industries that were taking advantage of lower demand on facilities due to COVID restrictions to make improvements and additions to their commercial spaces.

“We waited four agonizing months to find out if we were going to receive the grant,” said Jen. “And we had to ask our bidders to be on deck until October of 2020 when awards were announced. There was no guarantee on the amount of money we would receive, if any. We were hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. There was a lot of trust involved.”

Because the Altama Museum cannot exist without the support of the community, the director and trustees made a commitment to utilize as many local subcontractors, suppliers, talent and resources as possible. “Because we would be receiving support from Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly, it was important to us that that money stay in this area,” said Jen. “We secured Kelvin Manning, owner of MMI Construction and Engineering in Uvalda, to provide general contracting services. He’s worked on a lot of projects in our area, including renovations on the Pal Theatre and other historic properties. We knew his work to be exceptional.”

Word finally came in late October that the Altama Museum of Art & History had indeed been awarded the grant. But as one time of waiting ended, another began.

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912-380-4101 “We had rain for days and days,” said Jen. “Then, when the rain stopped, it was already the holidays. Work was finally able to begin just after the first of the year.”

As soon as the renovation process got underway, crew with GG Landscaping and Design discovered original masonry septic tanks while removing a mess of vines and overgrown shrubs behind the back walkway. The two cisterns were six feet deep by four feet wide and had openings in the top just big enough for a small child to fall into. It was an unexpected hit to the budget right off H O M E TO W N L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T

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the bat. “Now I know why that oddly placed garden was there,” said Jen. “But thankfully, the solution was simple and permanent to have them filled with sand.” Addressing safety and accessibility concerns was a major priority of the Second Century Project.

The foundation needed only a small portion of underpinning and brick skirting repaired, which was quickly completed by Mr. Sam Gaffney, and DBM Roofing replaced a leaky porch roof with new durable material that should stand the test of southern storms.

Rhodes Electric oversaw the installation of new exterior lighting for security and aesthetics, among

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other improvements.

Fortunately, the “knob and tube” electrical wiring had been replaced during an earlier renovation in the ‘90s. Knob and tube wiring was fabric-wrapped wiring mounted to little ceramic knobs that went through the walls. Because it was cloth-covered, it was attractive to pests like rodents. As a result, it’s been responsible for a lot of electrical fires in older homes.

But the porch, railings, and ramp required a great deal of repair. “Over the years, the porch had deteriorated with water damage,” said Jen, “and the railings were falling apart in places. The ramp had also rotted and become unstable.”

With an eye toward ecological responsibility, new wood was only used where deterioration was beyond repair. When Harry and Jackie Moses renovated the house behind the museum, Jen asked for the old tongue-andgroove porch decking, which was being removed and slated for the city dump. “The house behind us was built only about ten years after the Brazell House, so we were really excited to utilize that material to repair our porch. It’s historically accurate, environmentally responsible, and budget-friendly.” When the work was complete, approximately 250 linear feet of the railing had been rebuilt and brought up to code.

One of the stipulations to being on the National Register of Historic Places is that any repairs or replacements must be as close to the original as possible. Since modern

wood is milled thicker or thinner than the original heart pine used for siding on the Brazell House, lumber for repairs was custom milled to the correct size by H.V. & T.G. Thompson Lumber Co. in Ailey. With so much wood work to replicate according to National Register standards, attention to detail is important.

“The quality of workmanship by our carpenters, Harry Harper, Jr. and Trey Squires, has been outstanding,” said Jen. Harry Harper Construction Company provided both construction and painting services.

Adding a new ADA-compliant restroom was a much-needed update, as the old restroom was claustrophobic with a step down and an undersized door. With the aid of designers Lyndi Dean and Stephanie Dunham, and guidance from Wheeler Plumbing, traditional fixtures were sourced that balanced design details appropriate to the home when it was first built with highly specific requirements of the Adults With Disabilities Act. An antique stainedglass window was sourced from Red Wagon Market in Lyons to bring much-needed light and architectural interest to the space. When asked about the small size of the former bathroom door and its opening, Jen said, “The bathroom door was purposefully smaller so you could tell which room was the bathroom without having to ask your host or accidentally entering a private space in the house.”

The exterior of the house received a full coat of paint, top to bottom, with shutters by gTs Plantation added in strategic places to create a more pleasing look than the backs of interior display walls. In keeping with Southern tradition, the porch ceiling was repainted its original shade of “haint blue,” which could still be found under layers of peeling white paint. “Haint is a Southern variation of the word haunt, which refers to a spirit or a ghost,” explained Jen. “According to folklore, the blue represented water. It was believed that spirits couldn’t cross water, so

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Feel right at home people would paint their porch ceilings ‘haint blue’ to keep them away. I’ve also heard it keeps wasps from building nests.” Jen added with a smile, “If the color only keeps out one, make it wasps!”

The restoration work on the Brazell House ensures that the Altama Museum of Art & History in the historic Brazell House will continue to open its doors for many years to come and fulfill its mission to educate, promote the Arts, and preserve the history of the region, in a safe and accessible environment to the enjoyment of all. From September through May, the museum offers a unique calendar of fine art and historical exhibits, gallery openings, concerts and performances, classes, artist markets, and special events.

As the pandemic slowly loses its grip, months of disruption to everyday life continue to take their toll. Countless studies have proven the benefits of art to our physical and mental health. But a reflection from a computer screen will never compete with the experience of standing in front of a painting and allowing the colors and images to awaken your senses.

The Altama Museum of Art and History continues to provide opportunities like these because of the support of the community. As we support the gallery, the gallery supports us. Art, history, and culture can help free us from the mentality of isolation that continues to linger in the aftermath of these past few months. With the restoration work of the Second Century Project complete, we can enjoy the restoration of community life together as we pass through the “haint blue” waters and leave the ghosts of this past year behind.

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BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH

Little Blue Trucks & farm animals William King is known as the "man with the goats," but his life story hangs on deep roots, family and friendship–all the things that make life grand.

T

he first time a comment was made in “Your Mind Online” in the Vidalia Advance referring to William King, it went something like, “I don’t know who the old man is in the blue truck with goats in the back, but whoever he is, I’d love to buy him lunch.” No one knows who made that first comment.

William has often been the topic of conversation in “Your Mind Online” many times since. But to whomever it was, I can tell you that lunch with Mr. King would be worth every moment of your time.

When I drove out to the North Thompson Community to meet the eighty-one-year-old man who carries metal goats in the bed of an old 1950 blue International truck, I had no idea we were related.

Our families, it seemed, shared an ancestor named Littleberry Columbus Thompson. The house Littleberry Thompson built in the 1840s for his new bride, Mary Moseley Thompson, still stands today because William’s brother, Larson King, and his wife, Johnnie Mae King, donated it to Brewton-Parker College’s historic community for preservation in the mid-90s. It’s a house William remembered well.

Born in 1939, he was the sixth of Frank Alton King and Flora Bell Chalker King’s seven children. World War II had just begun in Europe.

Like many families in rural Georgia at that time, William’s father was a sharecropper. With seven children to feed, Frank King also did parttime work cutting meat in a grocery store. It was there that he would suffer a fatal injury. “My father fell while working and broke his hip.

They operated on him, but he got gangrene, and they had to amputate his leg,” said William. “Penicillin was not available, and he died from infection.” (Note: Penicillin was discovered in 1928, but it would be 1942 before the first patient would be treated with the lifesaving

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antibiotic in the United States. In an online article

by Lily Rothman for time.com, she writes, “Even in 1943, there had only been enough penicillin made in the USA to treat about 30 people.”) At the time of his father’s death, William was only three years old.

Since a new tenant who could work the farm would be moving into the house, William’s mother moved the family into a small shack about a mile and a half from her in-laws, Anson Ball King and Dora Wing King, the same house that now stands in the historic community on the Brewton-Parker campus.

William and his siblings helped their grandparents with the farm work, which was all done with a mule and a plow until 1958. Any traveling was done by horse and buggy. “My grandfather would load up the wagon with whatever vegetables he had and go to the Farmer’s Market that used to be where Captain’s Corner is now to sell them.”

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William’s mother, Flora King, sold all the farm implements and animals except for one milk cow and went to work at the shirt factory.

“Rent for the shack was $8 a month, and we could hardly afford that,” said William. “The shack had two bedrooms and a kitchen. Mama scrubbed those wood floors with a corn scrub brush ‘til they were almost white. Every spring, she put pot-ash in tubs of water and threw buckets of it on the walls. That kept away roaches and any other kind of bugs.”

The windows were shutters held open with nails and wire. There was no running water or toilets. Water was drawn from a well, and the bathroom was an outhouse and a washtub for bathing. “At night, Mama let down a quilt she kept rolled up at the ceiling. Nails and rope held the quilt in place. She rolled it down at night and worked by the light of a kerosene lamp,” said William. Even though there was an electrical line out front, electricity wouldn’t come to their home until William was about twelve years old, and then it was only for one bulb with a pull string.

But William had no concept of poverty. “We had it tough as children, but so did everybody. We all went to school barefoot. Mama worked hard and made sure we always had food on the table. My older sisters, Betty and Loretta, helped raise my sister Joann, my younger William found his blue 1950 International truck in the back of a rundown store. He purchased it and restored it over a two year period. Now, he rides his "farm animals" around in the back and people all over Toombs County recognize him. BELOW William takes his truck to car shows for fun, but often he ends up bringing home awards.

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brother Hershel, and me. We just did what needed to be done and took care of each other.”

Which is not to say that there weren’t bumps in the road and a few scars along the way. If William’s sisters hadn’t gotten him to Dr. Gross in time, he wouldn’t have his left thumb today. “Betty and Loretta would go to the sawmill with the wagon and bring home discarded slabs of wood for firewood,” he said. These scraps were needed for both cooking and heating.

“I was about six years old. While they sawed the plank with the crosscut saw, I sat on top of the board to hold it down. The saw slipped, and I nearly lost my thumb. They took me to town, and ‘ole Dr. Gross sewed me up and sent me home.”

At night, William and the other children would stand outside and watch the searchlights scanning the skies for enemy planes. “That’s the reason Vidalia has an airport,” said William. “It was built during WWII. My older sister married a boy who kept up the equipment for the Army out there.

She moved off to New York with him.

When she started having babies, my mama rode the train from here to New York to see them.”

The first few years of school were difficult for William. He was twelve years old when it was finally discovered that he desperately needed eyeglasses. He had not been able to see the blackboard where every lesson and assignment had been written. He spent the next several years of school trying to catch up academically.

Like many children at that time, William picked cotton and tobacco by hand. He remembered well the sweet white onions his grandfather grew in the 40s that he would pick right out of the field and slice up to eat in his mama’s home-cooked biscuits. William also delivered The Atlanta JournalConstitution and bagged groceries at Shuman’s Grocery in Vidalia. There never was a time when he didn’t have at least two jobs.

After graduating from Vidalia High School, William went to Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus. He went on a work

scholarship and drove a bus for the school. In 1962, he graduated with a degree in upholstery. Back home, he met Jeannine, his future wife, at North Thompson Baptist Church. Littleberry Columbus Thompson, William’s great-great-grandfather, had donated the land for the church and adjoining cemetery years earlier. Littleberry’s sons, John Andrew Thompson and Littleberry Columbus Thompson, Jr., would later move to the other side of the county and donate land for South Thompson Baptist Church. John Andrew Thompson was my husband’s great-great-great-grandfather. The log house he built all those years ago stood for many years in the back field of the family farm.

In the Fall of 1962, an American spy plane discovered the Soviets were building sites to launch missiles that could potentially strike the United States, bringing the two world powers to the brink of a nuclear war.

In 1963, four months after William and Jeannine were married, he was drafted into the Army. After boot camp at Fort Gordon, he was sent to Fort Ord and Camp Roberts in California.

After Camp Roberts, William worked in supply ordinance in a supply camp at Fort Liggett, which was also in California. From there, he went to Fort Lewis in Washington State.

“You got paid every thirty days,” said William. “During all that movement, my paperwork got messed up somehow. The pay was about $78 a month, and $48 went home to Jeannine. That day when I went to collect my pay, the officer looked up from his notebook and said, ‘King, do you have someone who can send you some money?’ I said, ‘No, sir.’ He said, ‘Well, you ain’t got nothing coming this month.’” Although he would eventually receive the money for the missed month, he said, “I had food and shelter, so I could survive. But being broke taught me a lesson I never forgot.” From then on, William opened a banking account and took on extra work. He volunteered to work guard duty on weekends, which gave him an additional $20 and picked peaches in Washington State in the Yakima Valley

when he was off duty. Any off time was an opportunity to work.

In 1964, his diligence paid off in an unexpected way. When the Red Cross contacted him with the news that his sister Betty had died during what should have been a routine hysterectomy, they asked if he wanted to go home for the funeral. “I said, ‘Yes.’ I had not been home since leaving for boot camp. They said, ‘Do you have the money for your ticket?’ Until that happened, I always thought that the Red Cross would help send you home if something bad happened, but they don’t. They only help you with the details, but not the money. If I hadn’t had the money saved up, it would have come out of my paycheck from the Army. I said, ‘Yes, sir. It’s in the bank over there.’ I wrote him a check for $150 for the round trip ticket from Seattle to Atlanta and back.”

William’s service ended in 1965.

“When I got out, there was no respect shown to us for our service. It’s just in the last few years that organizations have started recognizing veterans.

You know, it wasn’t my choice. I was drafted and went and served. But, I’d go right now to serve my country.”

Back in Toombs County, everybody was looking for a job.

“When I heard Piggly Wiggly Southern was hiring, I went and applied.”

William was hired to work in the print shop, something he knew nothing about. Still, he was a hard worker and learned quickly. “Melvin Mixon was there, and he taught me a lot,” said William. And as he learned everything about printing, he fell in love with both the work and the work-family at Piggly Wiggly Southern. Before long, he was a supervisor at what became Southern Graphic Arts. “We printed all the circulars for Piggly Wiggly and several area newspapers, including the Vidalia Advance. We had some fine people, some talented people.”

William thought he would work there forever. But in 1988, Piggly Wiggly Southern was sold to Bruno’s Supermarkets. “They wanted me to go to Birmingham.” He said firmly, “That was out of the question.” Now, at fiftythree years old, William was suddenly H O M E TO W N L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T

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ABOVE In the military, one of William's jobs was working in supply ordinance in a supply camp at Fort Liggett, California. Here he is holding an M105 howitzer artillery dud.

BELOW While working with Piggly Wiggly Southern, William learned all about printing and became the supervisor of Southern Graphic Arts–the division responsible for printing Piggly Wiggly's circulars.

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out of a job. But within two weeks, he found work with the state. For the next ten years, William supervised prisoners in the printing shops at the prisons in Mount Vernon and Glennville. “I’ve never, never drawn unemployment,” he emphasized.

One job was never enough for William. He kept a big garden and raised everything from donkeys and bantam chickens to peacocks and goats. The farm work gave William and Jeannine’s children, Joseph and Dana, the opportunity to learn practical work ethics and responsibility. “We had a donkey, peacocks, pigeons, and bantam chickens,” said Dana.

“Dad loves animals.”

But there was always something about goats for William.

Although he was too young to remember, he knew his father raised goats. “Goats are a poor man’s cow,” said William smiling at his daughter.

In 2005, William retired from the state. Even then, he continued to work with his son in the lawn service business, which is how the infamous old blue truck came into his possession. “We were doing some work in Mount Vernon and found it in the back of a rundown store. It was about junk when I bought it,” he said.

“We had to cut down trees and use a come-along winch to pull it out of there,” said Joseph.

For two years, William worked to restore the 1950 International pick-up truck. “It had the original engine, but the carburetor and brakes needed a lot of work. You can hardly find parts for an International anymore. I changed the battery from a 6-volt system to a 12-volt system and had the seats reupholstered.”

From the first time William drove the old blue truck through town, he realized it was a great conversation starter.

“People would come and say, ‘My dad had a truck like that when I was a kid,’ he said. “The old truck has given us a lot of enjoyment. People borrow it from time to time for weddings and senior pictures.”

Pointing to the dozens of trophies that lined the shelves against the back wall at his home, Dana said, “He won those at car shows. He goes to all of them: The Real Squeal, the Moonshine Festival in Oak Park, Cruise-in for a Cause, Swainsboro Pine Tree Festival…” She named a few others.

Embarrassed by all the attention, William said, “I don’t win. They give a trophy to everybody for just coming.”

“He meets people. They exchange stories. And he does like to get a trophy,” said Dana, smiling at her dad.

For Christmas one year, Joseph gave his dad a metal goat as a joke. Even after all the farm animals and fowl were gone and the garden plowed under, his father still kept goats. And not just any goats. William’s herd of goats were the fainting kind. “They’re myotonic goats or Tennessee fainting goats.”

Noting my concerned expression, he quickly added, “They don’t actually faint. It doesn’t hurt them any. They'll fall over and look like they're dead, but they get up pretty quick.”

The following Christmas, his daughter Dana added another metal goat to her father’s collection. Without thinking about it, William set the metal goats in the back of his truck one day and took off to town. From that time on,

strangers, especially children, were delighted and drawn into conversation by his strange display. Since the first two gifts from his children, William’s collection now includes seven goats, two dogs, a duck with three ducklings, a pig, and a rooster. “Not long ago, I had a dad run me down in town to ask if I would bring it to his son’s birthday party. His son’s favorite book was Little Blue Truck, which was the theme of the party.” Since then, William has his own copy of the fun little cardboard book

by Alice Schertle. The picture on the front shows an old blue pick-up filled with farm animals.

As much as William enjoys these brief connections in the community, the most challenging part of retirement has been the loss of daily connection with friends that a work environment afforded. To compensate, he would drive the old blue truck down to Tammy’s Convenience Store, often arriving just as the doors were opened at 6:00 a.m., to chat with regulars like Garrett Wilcox, Tim Quigley, and Jimmy Davis as they stopped in for coffee on their way to work.

On Wednesdays, William started

spending lunchtime with the guys at Vidalia Muffler and Brake Shop.

“I got to know these guys from bringing stuff to be worked on when I was in the lawn business. They all like to fish. Sometimes we’d fry the fish they caught up at their shop on Wednesdays. When we didn’t have fish, we just grabbed some hot dogs and threw them on the grill,” which is how the ritual got the name “Weiner Wednesdays.” During COVID, William’s interaction with his friends greatly suffered. But since getting vaccinated, he’s been able to resume some of his former activities in the community.

“We fried fish together about a month ago for the first time since this virus shut things down.”

When William’s cell phone rang, it was a bit of a jolt to think that this same man carries within him the memory of life with no electricity or running water. The one thing I could see that has never changed for William King is the value he has for family, both past and present. In October, he and his wife Jeannine will celebrate their fifty-ninth wedding anniversary.

Only recently, William proudly

ABOVE In addition to the metal goats he hauls around, William has Tennessee fainting goats.

BELOW William has always been active in the community and was involved in the Lions Club for many years.

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MAGGIE BRICE SNELL BROKER / OWNER / REALTOR®

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discovered that he had an uncle who served in WWI. His father’s sister Alice married a Williamson. “Alice died in childbirth. I found both of their graves in Normantown,” he said. “I didn’t know until I saw my Uncle’s tombstone that he served in WWI.” Another recent fact about his father’s family was discovered from an old political pamphlet for Ed McNatt, a former sheriff in Vidalia running for a seat in the Georgia legislature. McNatt’s pamphlet contained the pictures of the Vidalia High School football teams from 1933, 1934, and 1935, which McNatt

ABOVE William and Jeannine with their two children, Joseph and Dana, and their families.

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mshahid • Printed: Wednesday, 27 April 2016 at 1:34:36 AM

played on. The caption read: “These teams were unscored on for three years.”

I don’t know if such a declaration won McNatt a seat, but the reason William’s brother had held onto it was that one of those players was Roy King. “That’s my daddy’s brother,” he said. “I asked my brother how they got to be so good because everybody came home after school. They had work to do on the farm.

Larson said that they could only practice during recess.”

Before he saw the pamphlet, all William knew about his Uncle Roy was that he and his wife had drowned at a

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beach in Florida while trying to save their baby as she was being carried out to sea. Miraculously, the baby survived.

“She had on a life jacket, and the waves eventually carried her back into shore.”

After learning of the connection between our families, I realized that each story William shared with me belonged to my family as well. Whether related by name or place, these stories belong to all who call Toombs County home. We honor the legacy of the lives before us when we take the time to listen. History matters for a million reasons, and each of them is the name of a grandparent or parent.

Before I left, I stopped by the pen to see the Tennessee fainting goats. And, yes, one hit the ground right in front of me. After a moment, the goat stirred and stood again to my great relief.

As I drove from North Thompson back to my home in South Thompson, I kept thinking of life with no electricity or running water, outhouses and plowing fields with a mule. “Life has been good,” he’d said while I gathered up the notebooks he offered to loan me on the Thompson family genealogy.

Perspective is everything, and everything that’s truly important for William King is about family, friendship, and the stories that bind us together.

For the man who drives the old 1950 International blue truck with metal goats in the back around town, it all adds up to a wonderful life.

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BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH

Follow the Leader As young professionals in Toombs County take the lead, Emma Hamilton rises to the top as a leader and strong community supporter.

Pencils, markers, paper, ruler, and notebooks. A backpack filled with school supplies. As parents, we check a dozen times to make sure our child has everything she needs on her first day of school. But the one thing we can't put in that backpack is the most important thing of all: the ability to make good choices.

When Karl and Ann Owens watched their oldest child, Emma, walk through the school doors for the first time, they had already planted all she would need to grow strong and true in her heart. With appreciation and respect for the past and a natural predisposition to lead, Emma (Owens) Hamilton creates her own legacy as a leader in our community.

Emma’s true talent for leadership quickly rose to the surface when she became a big sister at the age of three and a half to her twin sisters Abbey Ann and Hannah Elizabeth. “Maybe being bossy comes with being the big sister,” laughed Emma. But the desire to take charge and organize things was apparent whether at home, school, or work. It's her gift, even if her sisters might have called it something else when they were younger.

Emma grew up with a strong sense of community. She was only a child when her parents bought and restored the Estroff Department Store building and the corner bank building. Then in 2005, they purchased the historic PAL Theatre. Both are located in the downtown district of Vidalia. “I was nineteen years old when they sold the Pal Theatre,” said Emma. “Now, I wish I’d paid more attention to it,” she said. “Just the other day, I called my mom and asked, ‘Can you tell me again about the history of the Pal?’” Even though she couldn't see it at the time, the appreciation and value her parents held for the community and its history helped develop her own perspective and the path she would one day choose

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to follow. “Whenever my husband and I go out of town,” said Emma, “we always go straight to the downtown area of that place. That’s where the history is. That’s where the culture is. You can find out a lot about a town by just walking around the downtown area.”

Emma graduated from Toombs County High School in 2013 and attended East Georgia College her freshman year. She spent her sophomore year at Georgia Southern University. The following year, she returned home to begin the nursing program at Southeastern Technical College and be closer to her boyfriend, Chris Hamilton, a special ed teacher and football and wrestling coach at Vidalia High School. After one semester, Emma knew the nursing program wasn't for her, but the relationship with her boyfriend proved a more permanent choice. On New Year's Eve of 2016, she and Chris were married. The New Year was truly a new beginning for both.

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“You can find out a lot about a town by just walking around the downtown area.”

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“Infertility is something that we think is taboo to talk about for some reason,” said Emma. “But I have always found value in community, and I need people to lean on.”

Faced with her own personal struggles, Emma began an outreach for women dealing with infertility issues. Called “Women in Waiting,” it’s a support group and Bible study that gives women a space for sharing, encouraging and praying for each other.

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In 2017, Emma went to work at Altamaha Bank while taking online classes in business. In November of 2019, she took the newly-created position at Brewton-Parker College (BPC) as Online Admissions Counselor. The following year, she completed her bachelor of business management degree.

Many undesirable appellations could be applied to the year 2020, but the year also had its victories. For BPC, that victory was receiving approval as an experimental site to offer the Second Chance Pell Grant, which allows the college to provide associates and bachelor programs to students while incarcerated. Out of 180 colleges and universities that applied for it in the United States, BPC was one of only 67 to be awarded the grant. And with the grant, a new position was created at the school, a position Emma is transitioning into as the college’s Prison Program Coordinator.

The program began Spring semester of 2020 at Wheeler Correctional Facility in Wheeler County with about twenty inmates. In the fall, inmates at Johnson State Prison will have the opportunity to apply. “We will probably have about fifty inmates total between the two facilities,” said Emma, whose work is mainly on the admissions and academic advising side of things. “There’s a lot that goes into that. We have to get high school transcripts, college transcripts, and make certain their financial aid information is filled out correctly,” all of which is just the beginning of the process. “From there, I’ll work to make sure they have textbooks, are registered for classes and are on track to graduate.” Post-covid, when things settle back into more of normalcy, she said, “The plan is for me to actually work inside the facility two days a week.”

It’s not exactly the kind of work she imagined herself doing when thinking about her future. But it is work for which she has discovered a real passion. “The times I’ve been able to go into the prison, I was treated with so much respect by those inmates,” said Emma. “They were so grateful for the opportunity they have been given. They are among some of the hardest working students enrolled at BPC. Four out of the twenty made the Dean’s list last semester.”

It’s easy to become cynical about helping people serving prison time for wrongdoing, but we can all be thankful for God’s redemptive approach to justice. In an online article for theconversation.com published on December 23, 2020, and entitled, “Congress lifts long-standing ban on Pell grants to people in prison,” Andrea Cantora writes, “Research by the Rand Corp. has shown that participation in prison education programs reduces by 43% the rate at which people re-offend. The benefits of this program, she goes on to write, include: “…increased levels of educational attainment, more employment opportunities, higher earnings, and safer communities.” (Note: The author of this article is also an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Baltimore).

One of the characteristics of authentic leadership is

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knowing who to follow. Emma’s parents empowered her to discern which example to follow, whose word to listen to, and what decision to make in difficult situations. Following their example, she learned to care for her community, which is how she became the youngest person to serve as the Marshall Coordinator for the Vidalia Christmas Day Parade. “My dad had served as a Christmas Parade Marshall for as long as I can remember,” said Emma. “When more H O M E TO W N L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T

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want to invite you to join our Facebook group. We want to laugh, cry, and celebrate with you as we all learn how to wait together. This journey is hard and can feel lonely, but we know it's not meant to be that way. We have a couple planned events coming up, and I don’t want anyone from our area to miss out on them!

Marshalls were needed to help with the parade in 2018, my dad ‘voluntold’ me,” she laughed. It was a natural step for Emma to fill the leadership role as Marshall Coordinator when the position became vacant.

Coming alongside her mom, Ann Owens, a long-time member of the Downtown Vidalia Association (DVA), Emma became a member herself in 2019. She helps promote businesses that are members of the DVA by holding fun events like the “Chocolate Walk” held annually in February.

“All of the participating businesses make different chocolate treats,” said Emma. “There will be everything from brownies to chocolate martinis.

You buy a ticket, and at each store you go in to sample a treat, your card is punched.” During the event, stores also offer special discounts for customers to enjoy. “At the end of the day, the punched cards are entered into a drawing to win DVA Bucks, which can then be used just like money at any of the downtown DVA member stores.”

Emma's most recent community outreach event is an infertility support group she's named “Women 104

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in Waiting.” “After I had the idea to start Women in Waiting, I asked a dear friend of mine, Abby (Stanley) Adams, to co-lead the group with me.

Together, we plan events, provide food, and pray with and for our ladies.” She held her first gathering in September 2020. For almost three years, Emma and her husband Chris have been hoping to get pregnant, which has been made more difficult because of a condition called PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Even though it is prevalent and usually responds well to treatment, Emma and Chris have been through two early miscarriages.

“Infertility is something that we think is taboo to talk about for some reason,” she said. “Everybody is okay to keep it as private as they want. But I have always found value in community, and I need people to lean on. I couldn't find that, so I decided, ‘Then I’m going to bring all you people to me.’” She started with a bold post on Facebook: If you (or anyone you know) have been waiting on God’s timing to grow your family, we

As soon as her message was posted, women began responding from communities all around. This past Mother’s Day, which is one of the most difficult for women struggling with infertility, Emma held her second annual Women in Waiting “Mother’s Day Brunch.” Recently, the group began a three-week Bible study from the book of Habakkuk. While in the wait, Emma and her new friends continue to encourage one another with scriptures and personal stories.

“For anyone interested in joining them or for more information, go to the ‘Women in Waiting’ Facebook support group page and simply ask to join. They can also email me at: ekhamilton1231@gmail.com.”

There’s no shortage of people these days who want to tell our children that being a leader means rejecting their parents’ morals. That a child should think for themselves, all the while telling our children what to think. There’s no magic formula for raising children with discernment. There’s no class to send them to that will ensure they honor the history of a town or care for the community. Contrary to the common belief that the better the leader, the more followers, leadership is not about numbers or titles or accolades.

Leadership is about personal choices.

Paul told the Corinthians, “Follow me, as I follow Christ” (MEV 1 Corinthians 11:1). Whether Emma is leading Christmas floats or Bible studies, it’s with a discerning heart. And that is what makes this young professional woman in our community a true leader.

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A VISIT FROM GEORGIA FIRST LADY MARTY KEMP

PLANTING A GARDEN

FAMILY EVENTS

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The wide world of...

Esports

BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

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PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH

TO O M B S CO U N T Y M A G A Z I N E

As technology improves, kids' interests are changing, and we are faced with the realization that sports and activities look very different than they did thirty years ago.

“What has the world come to?” I can hear grandparents muttering when they hear that competing at computer games, or more accurately, esports, became a sanctioned sport by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) three years ago. We shake our heads as we hypocritically reach for our cellphones to check emails or play some word game that medical reports say may help stave off memory loss and dementia. When I met with esports coach Tyler Corley at Toombs County High School, I will confess that I came in with one idea about the new varsity sport and left with a completely different notion. What the world has come to is a technological age where esports is now one of the fastest-growing professional sports in the world.

The truth is, even MacGyver will need more than a paperclip to save the world these days, which is why he has his trusty side-kick Riley Davis on hand as his cyber specialist. Computing and Information Technology (IT) is vital for just about any career there is today, which is why the Toombs County School Board rallied to make this nontraditional extracurricular activity available for TCHS students from the start. And Tyler Corley, the digital and web design pathway teacher at TCHS, was the perfect Coach for the TCHS esports team.

Like most kids his age, Tyler played computer games when he was in high school but never played competition esports. Since becoming a teacher seven years ago, he’s coached Toombs County High School wrestling, soccer, and middle school football. “When it comes down to it, coaching esports isn’t much different from coaching any other sport,” said Tyler. “The coaching responsibilities are the same.

But when I’ve coached other sports, the programs were already established. With esports, we’ve been able to start it ourselves and mold it into what we want it to be.”

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“Esports gives our students who might not be gifted athletically the opportunity to do something to bring them in and connect with the school community,” says TCHS coach Tyler Corley.

Before we go any further, let’s back up a minute and take an honest look at these purported benefits of playing and competing at computer games. We all get how word games might ward off memory loss, but how do you explain the benefits of Rocket League, which, according to Tyler, is like “soccer with rocket-powered cars”? Let’s start with the main, and for some, the most important benefit: full-ride college scholarships.

That’s right. Colleges recruit gamers for their college esports teams. “The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) currently has 151

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member schools with varsity esports programs,” according to ncsasports. org. The Next College Student Athlete (NCSA) website also reports, “Several schools are beginning to offer full-tuition, and even full-ride scholarships.” Never mind that just like other professional athletes, some professional esports players can potentially make millions of dollars.

Now, let’s be good parents and talk about the “eternal” benefits of esports–discipline and commitment– and the practical benefit of socialization that helps that eternal stuff connect with others. “Like many

high schools, a significant portion of the student body does not participate in anything,” said Tyler. “They go home every afternoon and don’t do anything.” The dividing line tends to run between students who play a sport and those that don’t, the athlete and the nonathletic students.

“Esports gives our students who might not be gifted athletically the opportunity to do something to bring them in and connect with the school community.”

When the GHSA approved esports as an official varsity sport, the Toombs County School Board

ABOVE Esports requires dedication, teamwork and practice just like any sport. Coach Tyler Corley works with players in the technology lab after school.

immediately got on board and agreed to add it as a varsity sport, which brings it under the oversight of the school’s Athletic Department.

“They’re supportive of nontraditional extracurricular activities and put a lot of effort into this,” said Tyler.

It was quickly discovered that the regular school PCs could not handle what esports required. “The regular school system network structure wouldn’t typically support gaming,” said Tyler. “Conner Stanley, the technician at the Board office, assisted in getting the network structure in place. It takes a lot of work on the

networking side, and he’s been really helpful. We now have Game PCs with ‘flying T’s’ etched into the side of each one, and they light up on the inside.

Our lab is unlike anything anyone has around us. We’re really proud of it. We started with thirteen stations and added seventeen more for the fall giving us thirty stations total.”

According to Tyler, not all esports teams receive the same support as the Toombs County High School team receives. “We are treated just like any other athletic program,” he said. “But I’ve found that a lot of other coaches across Georgia don’t get that. Some

schools still refuse to acknowledge it as a sport and instead label it as an after school program or club.”

Esports has two seasons. The first begins in early September and ends with state championship games in December. The second begins in February and goes through April followed by another round of state championship games. Practices are scheduled after school like any other sport and include a summer schedule of workouts. “We have organized practice in the afternoons from 3:05 to 5:30 or 6:00. Competition games are played at 4:00.”

The first season of esports at TCHS was in September of 2020.

Forty-three students tried out with only fifteen making the team.

“Competition esports is very different from sitting at home casually playing video games,” said Tyler. “There’s a level of skill involved. Many who tried out did not realize the level of competition involved and/or the yearround commitment.” Although home

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internet access is not a prerequisite, computer skills are a necessity for esports.

“We started with Rocket League,” said Tyler. “After Christmas, we added Overwatch and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, which is a Nintendo game.

When we come back in the fall [2021], we will add League of Legends. We will also be adding Splatoon 2 this fall and Mario Kart Deluxe 8 in Spring of 2022, which will give us six games in which to compete this fall and seven games by the Spring of 2022.” This past spring (2021), Tyler had forty-five students try out for esports. Twenty made it. Practices will continue throughout the summer. The 2021 fall season will begin with nineteen boys and one girl.

“We scrimmage against ourselves and have an online network of coaches in Georgia that can set up practice games. We’ve also partnered with a web-based training program called

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GWOOP academy that helps players work on hand-eye coordination and visual memory skills,” said Tyler.

And just like with any sport, coaches scout out the team’s opponents to see what they’re up against before competitions.

Although the time commitment for Tyler and his assistant coaches, Connor Stanley and Alex Boyett, is the same as with any sports, coaching esports differs from other sports in that players are not all playing the same game. “Coaching esports involves coaching completely different games at the same time. With other sports, all the players are playing the same game. For example, football coaches all coach some aspects of football. “The coaching is different for each different game. Some games involve more strategy than others,” said Tyler. “Rocket League competes with three players as a team,” said Tyler. “Super Smash Brothers also

has three on a team, but they play individual matches. Overwatch has six players participating at the same time.

Overall, wins are tallied as a team.”

Esports is the only sports team at TCHS that plays an international schedule. “We played 127 different teams last year. Players were from thirty-one states and three teams from Canada. We’re probably the only sport that can do that since there aren’t travel costs. Most games are played virtually, although not all.

The state championship is played in person and was hosted last year at Kennesaw State University.”

In October, TCHS will host the first Sweet Onion Open Rocket League Tournament presented by Paul Thigpen Automotive Group, which they hope will become an annual event. “The virtual event is open to any team in the USA,” said Tyler. “We participated in a similar event with thirty-two teams from places like New

York, Michigan, and Illinois hosted by Harlem High School in Augusta. We anticipate that same kind of participation at our event. Three team members from California were Grand Champions in the Harlem Tournament, which means they are in the top 2% in the world.”

Even so, students from TCHS performed well in their first year of competitive gaming. Three players on the Varsity Rocket League team achieved three diamond status and finished eighth in the standings for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate overall for the state of Georgia. “Several of our players lettered in varsity sports and will get their letter jackets,” said Tyler. “They’re really excited about that.

Until now, this would have been unobtainable for them since they don’t participate in traditional athletics.”

Plans for this coming school year will also include some in-person events. “We’ve already had a coach from another school commit to coming here for an event. We’re going to set up our gaming PCs in our auditorium so that people can come and watch players compete just like with any other sport,” said Tyler.

Whether an esports scholarship helps a student go to college or simply gives them a place to belong while in High School, it’s an excellent opportunity for the students at TCHS. “There are a lot of careers from which esports can benefit,” said Tyler. Informational Technology (IT) career paths include computer programming, health information technicians, robotics engineering, and everything in between. As “Information Technology (IT) continues to change the way we live, play, and do business, [ ] it should come as no surprise that computing and IT is the fastestgrowing career field, and will continue to be for years to come,” (itcareerfinder.com).

Like many parents, I had concerns that video games were just one more evil enticement to keep our children in front of a screen and turn them into zombies. It wasn’t until our last child, Ruth, that I finally bought a used Nintendo 64 from my nephew Stephen when he upgraded to a PlayStation. Of course, her three older siblings all rolled their eyes and added it to the list of things “the baby got to do” that, for them, was taboo. I can’t say that playing Nintendo helped her graduate from college with a degree in 3-D design, but I can say she didn’t become a zombie. Just like her three siblings, she’s incredibly talented and hardworking.

According to technopedia.com, “Gaming refers to playing electronic games, whether through consoles, computers, mobile phones or another medium altogether.”

Although competitive gaming cannot be compared to playing a game of Candy Crush or Words with Friends, according to the above definition, I guess even a grandma like me is a gamer.

Expanding Esports Adding the program at Vidalia Comprehensive High School

Esports is growing in popularity at schools around the country. Here in Toombs County, both Toombs County High School and Vidalia Comprehensive High School now offer the sport to students. We asked Kevin Head, head coach for esports at Vidalia High School, to weigh in on how the program has been a great asset for his students.

For more information on esports at TCHS, contact Tyler Corley at Tyler.Corley@toombs.k12.ga.us

"We started the Esports program in the fall of 2019. Each school year has two seasons, but the Spring 2020 season was not completed due to COVID-19. I have always been interested in video games and teach the game design class here at Vidalia High School.

Because of my experiences with video games and the fact that I collect video and arcade games, the school approached me about coaching the team when GHSA started the program.

Since Esports is a growing sport, it helps students be better prepared for competition outside of high school. Many colleges are starting programs and are beginning to offer scholarships to Esports athletes.

Also, it gives students more chances to participate in school activities that may not want to participate in traditional sports.

We have 16 students who participate in Smite, Rocket League, and Super Smash Brothers teams. All competitions have been done here at the school, but the further along teams make it in the playoffs, they will have the opportunity to compete in the finals in the Atlanta area. The Rocket League team has been in the playoffs two out of the three full seasons that they have played. The Smite teams have been in the playoffs one out of the three seasons and missed out in this season’s playoff by just a few spots. The Super Smash Brothers teams started this season (Spring 2020), and we have a team in the playoffs that is ranked number eight in their division.

I would like for our team to continue to grow and for us to also compete in Madden Football and Fifa Soccer next year. I would love for more of my players to receive scholarships to compete in college."

For more information on esports at VHS contact Kevin Head at khead@vidalia-city.k12.ga.us

For more information, students can contact me at khead@vidalia-city.k12.ga.us or at the high school.

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Vidalia Main Street Shop Local. Eat Local. Spend Local.

Your community will thank you.

We have plenty of reasons to shop downtown and be a part of the Downtown Vidalia Association.

Watch for these upcoming events and don’t miss out!

Coffee Before Hours The 5:05 with DVA Spin to Win BIG Brighten up Vidalia, June 14-18 July 3 Independence Day Celebration @ City Park September 11 20th Anniversary of 9/11 October Scarecrows Round Downtown, Spooktacular November Veterans Day Black Friday • Small Business Saturday • Giving Tuesday Vidalia Tree Lighting • December Christmas Parade

In case you missed it, Downtown Vidalia has a new mural! Thanks to Ruth Williams English for the design and hand-painted mural.

Follow Us and Keep Up With What’s Going on in Your Hometown! www.vidaliaga.gov/dva 118

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Downtown Vidalia Association

@downtownvidalia

Don’t miss what’s happening downtown...

Downtown Vidalia is growing strong with lots of events that keep people engaged AND safe.

From the proceeds of the Sweeten Your Ride onion decals, we donated $1,000 to Safe Kids Toombs.

BOD Valerie McLendon, Greg Hudgins, Ruth English (mural artist), Tonya Parker, Jessie Carter, and Heather Mead

#besweetvidalia

Working at the Onion Ring fundraiser during the Vidalia Onion Festival

Winner of the Chalk Walk/Emily Cyree TCHS

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A New Brand for the Chamber

The Toombs-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce announced a new name change and branding at their Annual Meeting in March. The rebranding effort is designed to increase commerce throughout Toombs County by capitalizing on the notoriety of the globally recognized Vdalia® onion. To accomplish this, the chamber changed its name to The Greater Vidalia® Chamber and implemented a new logo, new website and an aggressive marketing strategy. According to 2021 Board Chair Steve McComas, the new name is “intended to propel our existing efforts to exhibit a progressive business climate to retain and attract small businesses and young professional talent.”

Also at the yearly event, Harry Moses received the Chairman’s Award from outgoing Board Chairman, Tres Herin and Steven McComas officially took over as 2021 Chair of the Chamber Board. Those in attendance enjoyed musician Justin Dukes closing the night with a country concert.

To find out more about the Chamber’s future plans, visit www.greatervidaliachamber.com

2021 Greater Vidalia Chamber Annual Meeting

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Save the Date

September 23, 2021

Business Solutions Summit with guest speaker Dee Ann Turner

Presented by 120

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ADMIT ONE

Fiber Optic Communications

Dee Ann is a 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Prior to retirement in 2018, she was Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability for Chick-fil-A, Inc. Selected as the company’s first female officer in 2001, she was instrumental in building and growing Chickfil-A’s well-known culture and talent systems.

Today, she leads her own organization, Dee Ann Turner & Associates, LLC, writing books, speaking to over 50 audiences per year and consulting and coaching leaders globally.

She is the author of the best seller, It’s My Pleasure: The Impact of Extraordinary Talent and a Compelling Culture. Her latest book is Bet on Talent: How to Create a Remarkable Culture and Win the Hearts of Customers was released in September 2019.

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Community Bucks are checks that can be spent at over 70 chamber member businesses. There is no fee to purchase a gift check.

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Why Buy Community Bucks?

The Chamber provides this as a service to our members and to encourage residents to buy local.

To stay updated on what your Chamber is doing, visit www.toombsmontgomerychamber.com and sign up for our email newsletters!

Become a part of the Chamber today!

Chamber Hosts Earth Day Recycling Event Most all of us know that E-Waste should not be dumped in the garbage and eventually the landfill. Old electronics contain toxic materials such as arsenic and lead that can potentially leak into our ecosystem, damaging plant and animal life and potentially impacting our food supply. We end up stacking our old equipment into corners, closets and attics until the time is right. Earth Day, April 22nd, was absolutely the right time to help our community get rid of their E-Waste and we enlisted the help of Tech 4 Success, a minority and Service-Disabled Veteran owned business out of Augusta. By 3:00 p.m. the truck was packed full and our community kept 6,000 pounds of electronics from polluting our Mother Earth. It was a fabulous day!

A special thank you goes out to the sponsors of this event, Sikes Brothers, The Advance, and Chickfil-A who generously donated gift cards to each person that made a drop off. It takes a village and Photos courtesy of The Advance ours is the SWEETEST!”

Mark your Calendar!

Business Solutions Summit- September 23, 2021 Business Expo- October 14, 2021 I Am the Chamber Day- October 20, 2021 ConnectHER- November 16, 2021

Congratulations to our Adult and Youth Leadership graduates!

Youth members: Merle (Brooks) MacGregor, Lazaria Williams, Kierston Coleman, Tabatha Bailey, Robert (Rob) Moore, Carleigh DeFee , Ellie Graham, Caleb Worth, James Poppell, Kenna Marsh, Jordan Powell, Jacob Thompson, Victoria (Torie) Lane, Caleb Proenza, Benjamin Beverly, Jackson Crawley, Ella Brown, Matt(Landry) Mead, Elizabeth Wilcox, Jonathan (Tucker) Coleman, Cheyenne Anderson, Brynna Wheeler, and Konner Owens.

Adult members: Carmen Roberts, Ben Helms, James Nixon, Jesse Powell, Sabrina Woodruff, Jack Downie, Cody Peters, Greg McKenzie Jr., Dana Brown, Brandi Anthony, Brittany Nabb, Paul Calhoun, Carson Tillery, Sabrina Taylor, Mindy Sumner, Lana Moore.

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Happening in your hometown!

Look for Main Street Changes in 2021 Lyons Main Street will be relocating to the building next door. It is under renovation and will allow for the museum to be open during business hours.

Our office, Welcome Center, and Museum will be in one building.

A new park on the corner of NW Broad St. and N Washington St. is under construction. We have wonderful volunteers dreaming up a special place for the community to meet, relax and have a good time.

Our website has been updated. Go to www.lyonsmainstreet.com to find a list of businesses, community calendar, walking map, information about Lyons, how to start a business, facade program, and other useful information.

Run What you Brung Race November 19 Rally Race November 20 & 21 The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival October 8 & 9 Winter WonderLyons and Lyons Lighted Christmas Parade December 3, 2021

Text LYONSMAINSTREET TO 22828 to sign up for our newsletter

First Ribeye Roundup is a success Our first SCA sanctioned Lyons Ribeye Roundup Steak Cookoff was held at Partin Park in May. Teams from Alabama, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia came together on a warm sunny day to compete for a chance at the Golden Ticket to cook at the World Championship, as well as cash prizes and trophies. Our very own local boy, Andy Clarke of Clarke Appliance won his Golden ticket and will get the chance to compete in Fort Worth, TX.

Catch the Derby Spirit

The Run What You Brung Race will be held November 19th this year so get your gravitypowered contraption built and ready to take a turn down Derby Hill!

Let Main Street help locate your new business!

If you enjoy meeting new friends and being active in your community, Lyons Main Street is the place to be! All of these events are sponsored locally and run by volunteers.

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Lyons Main Street Tales from the Altamaha Southeast Georgia Soap Box Derby The Real Squeal Lyons Ribeye Roundup

index of advertisers A Health Revival........................................................................ 46 AAA Roofing, Inc....................................................................... 78 Accessorize It Designs...........................................................103 Alexander Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning.............. 58 Allcare.......................................................................................... 78 Altamaha Animal Clinic............................................................ 92 Altamaha Bank & Trust............................................................... 7 AmericInn Lodge & Suites....................................................... 77 Arlene’s Fine Jewelry................................................................ 56 Barberitos................................................................................... 95 Big Al’s Country Market.......................................................... 66 Brewton Parker College.......................................................... 21 Brown’s Jewelry......................................................................... 94 Bryant O’Connor, LLP Attorneys at Law............................. 81 Canoochee EMC.....................................................................116 Chapman Healthcare Pharmacy............................................. 59 Chick-fil-A.....................................................Inside Front Cover Community Hospice............................................... Back Cover Dale’s Hair Care Center.......................................................108 Darby Dental Services............................................................. 13 Dental Center of Vidalia............................................................ 1 Dermatology Associates.......................................................... 17 Dixon O’Neal Agency............................................................116 DOT Foods..............................................................................105 Downtown Bistro & Catering..............................................108 Edward Jones.............................................................................. 66 Ella’s Boutique..........................................................................108 Farmers Insurance.................................................................... 55 Fowler Automotive .................................................................. 58 Frame Gallery............................................................................ 75 Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center..................................... 33 Georgia Eye Institute................................................................ 81 Gabby’s......................................................................................108 Georgia Eye Institute................................................................ 81 Georgia Properties................................................................... 90 Gilbert Jones & Associates...................................................... 55 Glow Salon................................................................................. 77 Greg McKenzie Builders.......................................................... 95 Ingley Roper Moore, LLC........................................................ 96 J&B’s Steakhouse.....................................................................108 K E Butler & Company Jewelers............................................ 78 Lasseter Implement Company............................................... 91 Linda P. Bishop, CPA, PC.......................................................... 94 Little Folks Farm & Childcare...............................................109 Lone Pine Charolais.................................................................. 80 Lovins Realty................................................................................ 2 MPHI............................................................................................ 91 Madonna H. Paradice, PC........................................................ 58

Mary’s/ M Squared Design Firm ...................................... 18-19 Meadows Advanced Wound Care Center.........................107 Meadows Park Health & Rehabilitation............................... 45 Memorial Health Meadows Hospital...................................8-9 Memory Lane Catering & Cakes........................................... 55 Million Pines Community Bank.............................................. 92 Mixon Pecan Company............................................................ 45 Mobley’s Well and Pump Service........................................... 66 Mount Vernon Bank.................................................................. 23 New Image Salon and Spa....................................................... 97 Nine Columns Bed & Breakfast...........................................108 Ohoopee Land and Timber, LLC............................................ 96 One World Solar....................................................................... 79 The Onion Inn........................................................................... 67 Oxley Dental of Vidalia.............................................................. 5 Oxley Park Health & Rehabilitation...................................... 59 Palmer Furniture.....................................................................108 Peoples Bank.............................................................................. 79 Phillips Pharmacy.....................................................................109 Quality Concrete Finishing...................................................107 Red Stag Tavern.......................................................................... 45 Reedy Creek Meat Company...............................................106 Regenerative Medicine Associates, LLC............................... 67 Reidsville Veterinary Clinic...................................................... 96 Rivers Air Conditioning & Heating......................................116 Robert Tooms Christian Academy......................................... 56 Salter Shook Attorneys at Law.............................................. 47 Solace Hospice.......................................................................... 43 Somers Real Estate & Investments........................................ 97 Southern Pine Landscapes & Design..................................... 93 Spa On First............................................................................... 57 State Farm Insurance/Kailey Dees........................................ 80 Swept Away................................................................................ 80 Tar Land and Timber..............................................................117 Thriftway..................................................................................... 92 The Tillery Firm PC..................................... Inside Back Cover Tom Peterson Realtors............................................................ 93 Tots 2 Teens................................................................................ 34 Vidalia Federal Savings.............................................................. 15 Vidalia Gymnastics Cheer and Dance................................108 Vidalia Honey Company........................................................105 Vidalia Pediatric Clinic............................................................. 35 Vidalia Small Engine Service.................................................... 94 Wiggins Family Practice.........................................................108 Willis Septic Systemsv& Mobile Home Movers...............109 Woody Folsom Automotive Group....................................106 Woody Folsom Nissan...........................................................117 Zaxby’s........................................................................................... 3

Shop local. Eat local. Spend local. Enjoy local.

Invest in your community.

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Scenes of

Toombs C

o.

S

pring always signifies new–new beginnings, new life, new stories.

It’s the season for tiny buds to sprout forth into an amazing array of color, the birth of nature’s critters, and creating plans for a

long summer. In this season of hopeful things, we can discover all there is to be thankful for if we only pause a moment to count our blessings.

The one great thing we have in common–we all get to live in this great community of

Toombs County!

photo by | LINDSAY RINER 124

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photo by | ED WONN

photo by | MILIZABETH MANN

photo by | JOE CLARONI H O M E TO W N L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T

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photo by | JOE CLARONI

photo by | DIANNE S. MIXON

Submit your favorite scene of Toombs County to ToombsCountyMagazine@gmail.com 126

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photo by | DIANNE S. MIXON

photo by | DIANNE S. MIXON

photo by | NICK OVERSTREET

LAST Words

Ann Owens is a writer, creative genius, entrepreneur, mother, and wife who enjoys pondering what makes the world click.

Creating a Vibrant Community it takes all hands on deck to keep the gears turning If you know me personally at all, you know how much I value a sense of community and how much I believe you should become involved, invest, and take an active role in where you live. Karl and I began our personal community journey in 2001 when we invested in a building downtown and immediately fell in love with being a part of the historic district family. Through the next several years, I volunteered on boards and committees, assisted in organizing and working events, and began to understand the value of loving where you live. It was an incredibly fulfilling time in my life.

In 2004, Karl and I had a temporary moment of insanity and purchased The PAL Theatre in downtown Vidalia. Collectively, we knew as much about running a movie theatre as individually I knew about peeing on a tree. All we were armed with was a growing passion for historic preservation and a deep desire to be community builders–and to us, that was all the qualifications we needed. Needless to say, we bit off way more than we could chew, but we chewed hard and consistently for 10 solid years. It was our desire to bring something new and a sense of pride in what our area had to offer in the way of the arts. It was a beautiful run in many ways. Sadly, the support was just never what we had hoped for, and we could no longer continue to keep

the doors open. In 2014, we finally walked away… disillusioned, heartbroken, and feeling bitter. My flame and passion were gone, and I washed my hands of all volunteer and entrepreneurial efforts.

As fate would have it, in February of 2020, through my employment with the Greater Vidalia® Chamber (GVC) and The Toombs County Development Authority (TCDA), we brought in a speaker by the name of Quint Studer.

Quint was instrumental in turning around his city of Pensacola, Florida, and had written a book entitled Building A Vibrant Community / How Citizen-Powered Change is Reshaping America. He surveyed our community, made a site visit, conducted a workshop attended by 150+ people, and formulated a roadmap for what we needed to do as citizens to grow and prosper. I am not kidding when I say I had a secret crush on this man who was 11 years my senior and who turned an entire city around. He had a vision and he made it happen, and I was just stupidly in awe of him. I read his book twice and everything came back to me, only this time I was older, wiser, and much more experienced. Also, and probably most importantly, I began to realize how naïve I had been about what is important. A Vibrant Community is made up of much more than pretty buildings, onions, and fun events for adults and children; so much more. That alone will not ensure the well-being of our citizens of all ages, that alone will not keep and/or bring our young people back to stay and thrive here, and that alone does little to improve lasting and overall quality of life.

Recently, we held our second workshop to reengage the Vibrant

Community efforts and, following Quint’s roadmap, we are asking citizens to engage in one or more of 4 gears that will take us to the next level – Economic Development, Placemaking (Downtowns), Civic Education & Engagement, or Early Learning & Education. We are looking for leaders, movers and shakers, people with passions and desires to make a difference in where we live.

We should be focusing on making sure pre-k enrollment numbers go up and that by 3rd grade, our babies are reading. Let us address teen pregnancy, workforce issues, childcare, housing, and mental wellness. And while we are at it, wouldn’t it be cool to have a dog park and bicycle paths? These elements, and many more, are what make up a Vibrant Community.

So, I ask you, where is your passion? Do you see yourself turning one of these gears? Do you have time, a skillset, resources, or just a heart to dive in with us? I mean, it’s cool if you don’t see yourself plugging into one of these areas, but it would be even more cool if you did because we can accomplish anything together, and it truly does take a village.

Through the help of Georgia Power, we have created a Community Dashboard which gives you 18 different sets of data on where we stand in categories such as education, wellness and workforce.

The results of our community survey, Quint’s site visit report, roadmap, and the dashboard can be found on our website at www.greatervidaliachamber.com > Locate & Expand > Demographics.

Scroll down until you see “Vibrant Community Documents”.

H O M E TO W N L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T

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