Dear Neighbors,
As the seasons change and the beauty of our neighborhood shifts once again, I’m reminded that life itself is a lot like Callaway Woods always growing, always renewing, and always more beautiful when we work together.
These last few months have reminded us how important community truly is. In a world that often feels divided, what sets Callaway Woods apart is the way we look out for one another. Whether it’s a friendly wave from a neighbor, a helping hand during a storm, or the quiet pride we take in keeping our homes and streets beautiful these simple acts of kindness are what make this place more than a neighborhood; they make it a family.
As we move through this season, I want to encourage each of us to continue spreading hope and love right where we live. The smallest gestures a smile, a word of encouragement, or even just slowing down to say “hello” can make a powerful difference in someone’s day. You never know how much your kindness may mean to someone else.
Let’s take time to appreciate not only the beauty of our homes and trees, but also the people who live among them. Together, we can continue building a community where every person feels valued, every child feels safe, and every heart feels at home.
On behalf of the Callaway Woods Homeowners Association, thank you for making our neighborhood such a special place to live. May this season bring you peace, joy, and the reminder that love and hope grow strongest when they’re shared.
With warm regards,
President, Callaway Woods HOA alfredrbarber@gmail.com
(706) 442- 8100
482 Dakota Trail
NEW PAYMENT SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2025
HOA dues for 2025 are $600 for each household, as well as for each vacant lot. Beginning January 2025, HOA fees will be billed in a single payment of $600 due January 1st. The following late fee changes are effective January 1, 2025
If the $600 is not paid in full within 60 days, (February 28th of the same year due) then a $100.00 late fee will be imposed.
If the $600 +$100 late fee ($700,00) is not paid in full by April 30th of the same year due a lien may be filed on your property.
In addition to our filing of the lien, you will also be responsible for legal and publishing fees of up to $500.
Methods for payment of your annual dues payment:
1. ACH – Contact your bank and set the payment up for an automatic transfer. The HOA will provide you with our Bank information that you will need to give to your bank.
2. Credit/Debit Card – Use your card to pay your dues via the website. Fill out the form online for a quick and easy payment. There will be a small fee added to your payment amount for this transaction.
3. Mail a check to:
Callaway Woods & Lakeside HOA PO Box 1163 Fortson, GA 31808
If for ANY reason you are unable to pay your HOA dues at the time of billing, please contact Al Barber, Burton Keller, or any board member. Do not wait until we must file a lien. We will find a way to work with you as long as you communicate with us.
alfredrbarber@gmail.com
askd57@gmail.com
r.burt@mchsi.com
burton@deltadatasoft.com
carolh1219@aol.com
janke02@bellsouth.net
jec1945@gmail.com
pdv@bellsouth.net
Reneebeenee@aol.com
markolivermd@gmail.com
captainjgsiii@gmail.com
sandi.mccann31820@gmail.com
“Where the Eagles Soar” is a Special Edition, published in the Fall of 2020, which contains the rich history of our community and is available on our website.
(Cutoff last week of ea. QTR)
Contributing Writers: Bud Paepcke Al Barber “The Eagle” is a Quarterly Report for CW Property Owners
Publisher: Al Barber
Editor: Dr. Sandi McCann
Graphic Artist: Matt Blaxton
Talk to your favorite vendors about being added to our website for $100.00 initial listing fee. So long as no neighbors have any unresolved complaints against the vendor, they can renew annually for $50.00.
*Purchasing an ad (half page min) in our publication, “The Eagle”, for (4) consecutive issues gets free advertising on the website for the first year.
“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” —
IThat Found Its Way Home
By Al Barber
Joel 2:25
n 1989, my home was broken into. Among the items stolen was a painting I dearly loved — a little girl holding a Raggedy Ann doll. It wasn’t just a piece of art; it was a piece of my heart, a reminder of home. I had paid $2,500 for it, and every time I looked at it, it filled me with quiet joy.
The painting was created by a local artist who had also begun work on a ministry project for me. Over time, we lost touch, and when the painting was stolen, it felt as though part of that connection had been stolen too.
Years passed and life went on, but every so often I would think about that painting. Where had it gone? Was it hanging in a stranger’s home? Would I ever see it again?
Then, twenty-five years later a full quarter of a century God wrote the ending to that story.
A Sidewalk Encounter
It was an ordinary day in
Columbus, Georgia. My office was just around the corner from a small shop that sold furniture and antiques on consignment. As I walked past, I turned onto a narrow walkway, maybe five or six feet wide.
And there it was.
Leaning against a column, facing directly toward me, was my painting. Not one that merely resembled it. Not something similar. The very same painting I had lost all those years ago. My breath caught — I knew it instantly, as if no time had passed.
A woman stood beside it, preparing to carry it inside. I told
her, “That painting was stolen from my house in 1989.”
She quickly assured me she hadn’t stolen it. She explained that she had purchased it at an estate sale in North Carolina for just $50. I told her I would gladly give her the $50 she paid, and right there on that little sidewalk, I handed her the money, and she handed me back a piece of my past.
More Than a Painting
What I didn’t realize in that moment was that God was using this painting for more than simple restoration. It became the thread that reconnected me with the very artist who had painted it the same artist who had once begun a ministry project with me.
In truth, God was returning the painting as one of the puzzle pieces He would use to reunite me with that artist and bring back to life a ministry vision I thought had been lost forever.
God the Restorer
Scripture is filled with stories of restoration at the perfect time. Job endured unimaginable loss, yet “the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10). Ruth “just happened” to glean in the field of Boaz a divine appointment that changed
her life (Ruth 2:3). Joseph’s betrayal and imprisonment were not the end of his story; they were the very steps God used to position him to save a nation (Genesis 50:20). Moses’ rescue from the Nile prepared him for the day he would lead Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 2–14). Even in the Gospels, Jesus met the woman at the well at the exact moment her heart was ready for the Living Water (John 4).
I believe God often gives us life’s puzzle pieces one at a time. Over the years, He moves people, places, and even lost possessions into our lives, arranging them until the masterpiece He intended all along begins to emerge.
This painting was one of those pieces.
The Bigger Picture
We are so intertwined with one another that nothing is wasted in God’s design. Every person He places in your path is there for a reason — perhaps to bless you, perhaps for you to bless them.
In many cases, He will even send what I call an “adjutator” someone or something that agitates us to help mold us into His image. As the saying goes, “Pressure makes diamonds.” Coal is transformed into a precious stone only through intense heat and pressure. In the same way, God sometimes allows difficult people or challenging relationships into
our lives to refine our character.
These pressures are not punishments; they are tools of transformation. The agitation we feel in those moments is meant to help us grow to become more patient, kind, understanding, longsuffering, gentle, and full of all the attributes of God’s love.
That’s why it is wise to pause and take an inventory of the people and opportunities God has placed in your life. Who has He put beside you in this season? What relationships, experiences, or even unexpected interruptions has He allowed on your path? These may not be random at all they may be divine connections, puzzle pieces waiting to be recognized and fitted into God bigger plan for your life.
Think about your friends, your family, your coworkers, the strangers you cross paths with, even the material things that seem to “just show up.”
Ask yourself: How might I be connected to them in God’s design? What is He teaching me
through them? How might He be positioning me to bless or encourage them?
When we begin to view both blessings and challenges this way, we start to recognize God’s fingerprints in every circumstance. Over time, as the pieces come together, we discover that He has been arranging a masterpiece far greater than we could see at first glance.
And one day, when all the pieces are on the table, you’ll see the beautiful picture He has been crafting all along.
MBy Carl “Bud” Paepcke
y daughter, Becca, is a graduate of the University of Georgia (UGA). After spending a few years in California, she returned home to her southern roots and in 2010 decided to earn an advanced degree in Education from Columbus State University (CSU) in Georgia. Since her parents had become residents of Fortson, Harris County, Georgia by that time, she chose to do her practice teaching in that county.
At the start of the 2011 publicschool year in the county, all the teachers (including those engaged in practice teaching) and the administrators were summoned to the beautiful Harris County High School, near Hamilton, for a preschool training session. My daughter told me that the educators were all seated in the auditorium, everyone was talking, and the place was rather noisy. Then someone energetically bounded onto the stage, and the crowd suddenly quieted down. All those present were expecting to hear a typically dull pep talk from the Superintendent of Schools or from a school board member. Contrary to what was expected, the man who began speaking to them from the stage was surprisingly dynamic, and his subject wasn't really about education...it was simply a presentation of wonderful country comedy.
Everyone in that auditorium
immediately identified with the man on that stage, every eye was focused directly on him, and every ear clearly heard what he had to say. And this fellow's goofy oneline quips ended with those familiar words, "You Might Be A Redneck!" You see, Becca and her fellow educators were being delightfully entertained by the unforgettable Jeff Foxworthy. Though a native of Atlanta, Jeff bought 3,000 acres of woods and farmland in Harris County from the Callaway family (of Callaway Gardens) in 2003 and spends much of his leisure time on that land with his family. His property was not far from the high school, and he graciously agreed to help kick off the educational training session that late summer morning. What a great beginning to what could have been a very boring day for Becca and her fellow educators!
Harris County, Georgia is renowned for providing a quality education for the children of our rural county and graduating productive young citizens for our nation. From what I have learned since becoming one of our county's citizens in 2007, it appears that education has been important here for many years. In 1930, during the beginning of the Great Depression, the citizens of the Mountain Hill community in our county funded the construction of a brand-new school with a $60,000 bond issue. That was a great deal of money in those days (over $1 million in today's money) and would have been
difficult for the folks of that era to financially support it by paying their taxes, but they did the best they could. That new school, the Mountain Hill District Consolidated School, incorporated state-of-theart features that included a central heating system, indoor plumbing and electricity, all amenities that would not have existed in most of the homes of the school's students. The new building had nine separate classrooms and a 436-seat auditorium that at that time served both elementary and high school students. It was utilized for the education of Harris County children for fifty-nine years and was still operating when I first became aware of its existence.
It was during the middle 1980s that I found myself temporarily parked late one night in the parking lot of the school, while I was assisting other law enforcement officers in a surveillance of some "bad guys" who were engaged in an illegal drug operation nearby. The investigation had nothing to do with the school, but it provided me the opportunity to see the old school, situated at the intersection of Georgia Highway 219 and Mountain Hill Road. I now reside within a few miles of the school and pay taxes to support our county's educational system.
In 1989, the old school ceased to function and was replaced by a larger modern elementary school. Plans were then made to demolish the old building, but
instead, it was surprisingly renovated and turned into a museum. It now still stands as a living monument to the civicminded folks of an earlier time in Fortson. The renovation was accomplished through private fundraising efforts, and Chester, one of the school's former students, gave his full support to that worthwhile effort.
Chester was born in Tennessee in 1924, but after his parents divorced, he eventually moved to live with his father in Fortson, Georgia, where he began attending the new Mountain Hill school. In his autobiography, Chester said of his time there in Fortson, "We were so poor and everybody around us was so poor that it was the forties before anyone even knew there was a depression." However, when he was asked to help to preserve his old school, he was no longer poor and because of who he had become, Chester was in a good position to provide substantial assistance. You see, he had become a highly talented and world -renowned musician, living and working in Nashville. He had selftaught himself to play a guitar and had utilized the boys' restroom at Mountain Hill to practice his guitarpicking because of the wonderful acoustics he found there.
Before graduating from Mountain Hill, Chester dropped out of school in 1942 and took a job at a Knoxville radio station, where he played fiddle and guitar with comic Archie Campbell (author of the hilarious Rindercella monologue). He became closely associated by marriage with the country comedy team, Homer and
Jethro, and joined Red Foley to perform with his band at the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in 1946. He performed with the Carter Family and Hank Snow and had his first hit single record, an instrumental version of "Mr. Sandman," in 1955.
By now, I'm sure you've guessed the identity of Chester. You know him as "Chet" Atkins, and he was also called "Mister Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman." Though he was a fantastic and award-winning musician, he was even more successful in producing the music of other artists. As the head of RCA Victor's Nashville Division, he produced hit records for the likes of Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Boots Randolph, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride and even Perry Como.
Chester was invited to perform at the White House for every President from John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush, though he was humble enough to help rescue his old Mountain Hill School with
several concerts. He noted at the time of those concerts that his very first concert was performed in the Mountain Hill School auditorium in Fortson when he was a student there. His generosity on behalf of the school where he began his rise on the national music charts and beyond has been commemorated by the naming of a stretch of the interstate highway near the school as "Chet Atkins Parkway."
Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins died in Nashville in 2001 at the age of 77. Might Chester have been a Georgia redneck? I don't know, and I refuse to say, though I suspect he probably wouldn't object to being called one. He might even broadly smile if he heard someone describe him as such, for "Chet" Atkins never seems to have forgotten his humble Fortson, Georgia roots. As a resident of Fortson for the last 18 years, I'm proud of his local connection.
Mountain Hill Schoolhouse Class of 37 - 38
September 2025 Board of Directors Meeting Highlights
The Callaway Woods Homeowners Association Board of Directors met in September, and we’re pleased to share the following updates and decisions:
1. Financial Update – 100% Paid!
We’re happy to report that all HOA assessments are paid in full — with no delinquent accounts this year. This is a major accomplishment and a reflection of our community’s shared responsibility and pride.
Timely payments ensure that the HOA can meet its financial obligations, maintain common areas, and plan for future improvements.
The Board believes the switch to a once-a-year billing cycle (due each January) along with our ability to now accept bank transfers and credit card payments made it easier for homeowners to stay current and keep our finances strong.
2. Pool Parking Lot Chain Schedule Adjustment
After thoughtful discussion, the Board voted to extend the evening closure time for the pool parking lot. Beginning on the first Sunday in November, the chain will be placed across the parking lot at 8:00 p.m. each evening.
Starting the second Sunday in March, the chain will go up at 9:00 p.m. nightly and remain at that time for the rest of the calendar year.
This schedule balances neighborhood access with security and safety considerations.
3. No New Projects Planned for 2025
The Board agreed that, with current amenities in good shape, no new capital projects are needed this year. Prudent financial management will allow us to carry approximately $20,000 into 2026, giving the HOA a healthy start to the new year and a strong foundation for future improvements.
Call to Order
The board of directors meeting of the Callaway Woods and Lakeside Homeowners Association was called to order by Al Barber at 6:40 pm on September 18, 2025, at the home of Al Barber.
Present
Board of Directors members Al Barber, Randy Burt, Burton Keller, John Cunningham, Pat Diaz-Verson, Renee Esten, Dr. Mark Oliver, and Carol Hiller were present.
The agenda was adopted by the board of directors.
1. New HOA Compliance issues this year – Renee Esten
a. The noncompliance issue of boats, trailers, 4wheelers, golf carts and others in the neighborhood were discussed.
1) A motion was made and seconded to grant the variance of 36 feet instead of the required 50 feet from the road for a garage to be built by a homeowner.
2) The motion passed unanimously.
3) A motion was made and seconded to deny the proposed garage design to be built using wood or board siding and horizontal windows.
4) The motion passed unanimously.
5) A motion was made to accept the proposed garage design to be built using brick and or stone with matching roof lines, colors, and consistent window design to maintain harmony with the existing home.
6) The motion passed unanimously.
b. Compliance letters have been sent to homeowners regarding overgrown trees, bushes and grass that neighbors have complained about. They have 30 days to comply.
c. All HOA dues are paid in full.
d. A discussion was held regarding the best time to place the chain across the parking lot at the pool area each evening.
1) A motion was made and seconded to use Daylight-Saving Time dates. The chain will be placed across the parking lot at 8:00 pm, beginning on the first Sunday in November and every evening thereafter until the second Sunday in March, when the chain will be placed across the parking lot at 9:00 pm each evening and every evening thereafter each calendar year.
2) The motion passed unanimously.
2. Building and Grounds Committee
a. The bridge and dock need to be pressure washed.
b. The pool area needs to be sprayed monthly for mosquitoes.
c. It is the responsibility of lake area homeowners to clear tall weeds from the easement around their property for the safety of the walking trail.
d. The ongoing silt buildup in the lake and the possible future use of the bags was discussed.
3. Financial Report – Burton Keller
a. Burton Keller reviewed the HOA finances.
b. Taxes, electric bills and water bills have increased this year.
c. Refreshing the entrances with landscaping was tabled.
d. No new projects are expected this year due to the budget.
4. With no other business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:28 PM. Minutes submitted by: Carol Hiller, Secretary
