Truly Spring is a time to rejoice in the beauty of GOD’s creation, and give thanks and praise to HIM for there is none like HIM in the heavens, on earth are beneath the earth. We live in a community which displays GOD’s beauty in many ways, in our incredibly rich history, and in the present, our beautiful water ways and soft rolling hills, our tall trees and multitude of blooming flowers. I thank GOD for our community and an opportunity to live in Callaway Woods and to experience GOD’s beauty with my awesome neighbors.
I want to welcome back home Pat Diaz-Verson, a wonderful friend and dedicated hard worker for our community. Pat has been living in Florida for the last 8-9 years and we are excited to have her back home on Kodiak Trail. Welcome home Pat!
I also want to thank all who serve as officers, directors and committee members of your CWHOA. With a special thanks to our contributing writers, Bud Paepcke, Burton Keller and Jay Stelzenmuller.
This year our annual HOA member meeting will be held on May 14th, 2024 on a Tuesday at 6:30PM at our pool/pavilion. You will receive your annual notice of the meeting as always by USPS. Included in your notice will be an agenda and proxy for casting your vote. This is the year to elect our Bard of Directors, so be sure to make your nominations to for your favorite picks to become board members. We currently have 10 members of the BOD and our bylaws allow up to eleven. I hope everyone who can attend will join us and take part bin your community affairs.
alfredrbarber@gmail.com
(706) 442- 8100
482 Dakota Trail
Officers:
Al Barber President, alfredrbarber@gmail.com
Randy Burt — V. President, r.burt@mchsi.com
Burton Keller Treasurer burton@deltadatasoft.com
Carol Hiller Secretary, carolh1219@aol.com
Directors:
Al Barber Chairman
Randy Burt Vice Chairman
Burton Keller Director
Carol Hiller Director
Dale Askins Director
Dr. Mark Oliver Director
John Cunningham Director
Ken Janke Director
Pat Diaz-Verson Director
Renee Esten Director
Architectural Review Committee Jay Stelzenmuller, captainjgsiii@gmail.com
Building and Grounds Committee
Ken Janke, janke02@bellsouth.net
Communication Committee Dr. Mark Oliver, markolivermd@gmail.com
Compliance Committee
Renee Esten, Reneebeenee@aol.com
Education Committee Dr. Sandi McCann, sandi.mccann31820@gmail.com
Finance Committee
Dale Askins, askd57@gmail.com
Legal and Governmental Affairs Committee
Nominating Committee
Social Committee
John Cunningham, jec1945@gmail.com
Burton Keller, Dr. Mark Oliver, Ken Janke
Lindsay Norton, Lindsay.w.norton22@gmail.com
“The Eagle” is a Quarterly Report for CW Property Owners
“
Where the Eagles Soar
” is a Special Edition Published in the Fall of 2020 which contains the rich history of our community.
“Plain Talk” is another Special Edition scheduled to be published in late summer or early fall 2024. Plain Talk will help our homeowners navigate through what can be complex legal jargon in our covenants, byways and rules and regulations…a go to guide in Plain easy to understand language.
(Cutoff last week of ea. QTR)
Full Page ………………………. $ 250.00
Half Page………………………. $ 125.00
Quarter Page…………………... $ 75.00
Eighth of page………………..... $ 50.00
Preparing Camera-Ready ad…. $ 30.00
Call (706) 442-8100 to place an ad
Publisher: Al Barber
Editor: Dr. Sandi McCann
Graphic Artist: Matt Blaxton
Contributing Writers:
Bud Paepcke
Burton Keller
Jay Stelzenmuller
By Jay Stelzenmuller
The enclosed map of Burnt Hickory Farms and Refuge shows a land area of 806 acres which has now been expanded to 926 acres. This computation does not include the land utilized for our personal residence which is a part of Callaway Woods. The additional acres were obtained from the Saunders Family Estate and Trust and are located along the right side of Whitesville Road, north of Callaway woods.
The additional tracts were clear cut by the timber company which leased the acquired land from the Saunders Family interest and one tract subsequent to purchase by Burnt Hickory Farms. Since being acquired the tracts have been replanted in longleaf pines, and are now set up in a managed schedule for spraying and burning going forward. The controlled burning causes the Longleaf pines to grow more rapidly and also helps promote the growth of beneficial legumes and grasses to feed wildlife. The conversion from commercial timberlands growing Loblolly pine to open grasslands is part of our plan to re-introduce quail into this portion of Harris County.
The quail initiative is being undertaken with guidance from The Georgia Quail Initiative program and Quail Forever, a noted wildlife conservation organization.
This is a declining species because mega farms now plow to the edges of fields. (Hence, no hedgerows.)
Burnt Hickory currently has five feeders deployed and over the winter has been feeding approximately one thousand pounds of corn per week. These feeders have attracted many deer, wild turkey, squirrels, and dove. As spring brings forth the greening of our lands, we will back off the rate of feeding since the animals will have plenty to eat over the spring and summer months.
The expressed goal of Burnt Hickory Farms and Refuge is and has always been to foster a protected area for wildlife habitat and the reintroduction of quail onto our lands. No hunting is allowed and in the future our intent is to erect some wildlife viewing areas for guest to come see wild animals in native habitat.
In December, Burnt Hickory Farm purchased a new Caterpillar 299DE Land Management machine with a Denis Cimaf mulching head. This is in additional to our ASV RC-100 mulcher and will be used to further clean up our lands, along with our other equipment. You will likely notice a difference already on the northeast side of Lake Mobley where timber was selectively cut and the dense understory cleared for grass production. This project hasn’t been finished but we are well along with our plan.
A new management office is being built on land we acquired and upon completion, our office in Columbus will be relocated. This will permit on-site supervision of future land refurbishments and wildlife management. We are excited about this project and it is coming along nicely.
In closing, we would like to thank our neighbor, Willie Hughes for his help and assistance with our endeavors. He has been a great asset to us in stocking the feeders, cutting trees that have fallen from storms, and working with our ponds.
Fascinating tales have been told about lost Confederate gold from the American Civil War. One of them is a legend told to impress Boy Scouts as they sat around a blazing campfire at a scout camp in Callaway Woods. I will share the legend with you because it is part of our local history.
The central figure in this golden tale is Moses Cutler, a lawyer from North Carolina. Arriving in the Columbus area around 1845, 30-year-old Moses acquired a large tract of land in what is now called Midland. He named his new enterprise...Steed Plantation. He planted cotton, though he also raised horses as well as a special brand of peaches, which were shipped to destinations all along the Atlantic coast.
Georgia seceded from the US and joined the Confederate States of America, and Moses joined the CSA to defend his new nation. His political connections and his generosity
in furnishing horses for the cavalry quickly earned him promotions, and he bravely led cavalry units in several key battles. His intelligence and leadership were recognized by several generals, including Robert E. Lee, who specifically consulted him at times on the battlefield.
After Gettysburg, the war did not go well for the Confederacy, and Lee's army ceased all offensive operations, only defensively protecting the capital at Richmond. In 1864, General Sherman's army captured Atlanta, marched to the sea and took Savannah by Christmas. These events and the obvious untenable situation in Richmond caused Pres Jefferson Davis and Gen Lee to entertain a plan to move the Confederate capital back to its original location at Montgomery. Both believed Montgomery had not yet seriously been affected by the war.
To activate their plan, they had a secret meeting with some of the South’s most trusted personnel. Davis thought it was prudent to first transport
a large portion of the CSA’s gold to Montgomery. Some railroads in Virginia and the Carolinas were still in Southern hands, so the gold could be initially transported by rail. At least two wagons and a few teams of horses would also be loaded aboard a train.
Theoretically, when the gold arrived at end-of-track, it could be moved by wagon and mounted escort the rest of the way. Major Moses Cutler, who had already earned the trust of Davis and Lee, was chosen to lead that mission.
Moses gathered a small force of ten men whom he trusted, and they started their journey in early March 1865. There is no record of how much gold Moses was given by Davis, though the entire treasury was estimated to be worth at least $500,000. Moses and his unit were well on their way by April 2, when Lee informed Davis that his army could no longer defend Richmond and suggested the government start moving toward Alabama. As Lee's army vacated the city, Davis and other officials departed by train, taking with them the rest of the treasury.
Without Moses’ knowledge a number of historical events were taking place: April 9 (Palm Sunday) Lee surrendered to Grant; April 13 (Maundy Thursday) Johnston suggested to Davis that he surrender to Sherman; April 14 (Good Friday) President Lincoln was assassinated. Meanwhile, Moses and his wagons of gold miraculously avoided Union troops. After cautiously proceeding southwest from rural Washington, GA, they arrived in Columbus on April 15 (Holy Saturday) without incident. Though no one there knew about any of the events in the east, Moses soon learned that a large Union cavalry force had just captured Montgomery and was headed his way.
the woods and begin burying the gold. Moses and his unit returned to Columbus, joining the Confederate forces trying to defend the city.
woods trying to locate the gold. Death finally ended his search in 1890. To date, no one else has ever found the gold.
Realizing that further movement west would jeopardize the gold, Moses took the two wagons north along what we now call Whitesville Road into Harris County. When they reached a bridge that spanned Standing Boy Creek, Moses ordered his men to pull the wagons into
It was April 16 (Easter Sunday), and the last significant battle of the Civil War began in the afternoon and continued after dark. Union forces being more numerous, better armed and more experienced eventually defeated the Confederates. All ten of the cavalrymen Moses led on his mission were killed in the battle. Moses received a serious head wound, which took his sight. Sightless, Moses struggled with several unsuccessful trips to the
Since Moses’ death numerous reports have been made about a mysterious occurrence in our beautiful, historic neighborhood. Only in the springtime - always around Easter - a bearded old man has been spotted wandering the woods - in the moonlight - off Whitesville Road near Standing Boy Creek. All witnesses agree that the man is dressed in a Civil War uniform and carrying a walking stick which he uses to tap the ground around him. Who is this strange fellow who annually appears in our woods? Could he be the spirit of Moses Cutler? Is he still attempting to complete his mission? Hoping to obey the last order he received from Pres Jeff Davis: “Moses, please take good care of our gold, for it may be all we have left with which we can help the Southern people.”
- Carl “Bud” Paepcke
By Burton Keller
After we get a heavy rainfall, I often like to walk along the back side of my lot on Troop Drive which is bordered by Standing Boy Creek. I look for anything that may have washed up, including unusual rocks. I saw what looked like a rock, but had a faint design imprinted on it.
I researched it and saw that it looked very similar to a type of complicated stamped pottery called the Swift Creek style. I sent a picture to the archaeology department at the University of GA and they confirmed that it looked like it was Swift Creek style pottery.
This was made during the Middle Woodland period, so roughly between 200BC and 500AD.
Almost 60 years ago, in November 1961, Frank T. Schnell, Sr. and Billy Romeo, two amateur archaeologists, did some very careful digging somewhere along Standing Boy Creek on a specific, well-defined plot of ground that is now part of Callaway Woods. What they found at that site proved that this land was a home for some early Native Americans. The marvelous things they discovered included pieces of old pottery, flint chips, and small arrowheads.
Professional archaeological experts further examined the assorted pottery. Those experts unequivocally determined that the earlier inhabitants of this neighborhood were people of the Swift Creek Culture, who were mound builders and non-sedentary nomads. These Indians were already known to have occupied other areas of western Georgia, including the mounds at the Kolomoki site in southern Georgia.
What makes this discovery even more interesting is that these early Americans were probably here at the same time as Jesus Christ walked the earth. Some of these Indians might have even lived here as late as 900 A.D. With respect to the chalked flint chips and crude chipped blades that Schnell
banks of the creek, the archaeological experts also speculated that these items were probably associated with even earlier Native Americans.
For the full story, written by Bud Paepcke, checkout page 16 of our Special Edition publication ‘Where The Eagles Soar’.
Here is an excerpt from the special edition of “Where the Eagle Soars”, P.19 which describes Fred Schomburg and Mac McKenzie when they drove out to look at the land for sale, which became Camp McKenzie and later Callaway Woods:
“
Mr. Mack… and I went to the site in Mac’s car. The road was wild and rugged down to the old grist mill (on Standing Boy Creek).”
Having explored the creek for over 20 years now, I was aware of one of the old mill stones, but never knew the location of the mill. Recently, the heavy rains have uncovered the site of the old grist mill. When you look at the Boy Scout dam on Standing Boy Creek (behind the Rains house on Troop Dr) you can see that the concrete construction of the dam was poured on top of an existing stone works dam. This earlier dam provided a steady source of water for the water wheel which powered the grist mill. Very little is known about this grist mill, other than it was in existence back in the 1800’s and there was the only grist mill on Standing Boy Creek. The site of the actual grist mill is about 100 ft downstream from the dam. There would have been a millrace that carried the water from the dam down to the water wheel which was housed beside the grist mill. The grist mill would have been a two story building that housed the upper or runner stone and the lower or set stone. These were 42” diameter hand carved granite stones, which are fairly large when it comes to mill stones. The runner stone is the larger of the two and is around 30 inches thick and is in good condition. The set stone, as was found on the site, had been broken into two halves. Several pieces of the metal gears that converted the water wheel’s rotation into a drive shaft to turn the runner stone have been found. A small portion of the grist mill’s foundation can also be seen. Farmers would come from miles around to have their corn ground into corn meal. The miller usually kept some of the meal as payment for his services.
If anyone has any information on the history of this old grist mill, such as who owned it and the years it operated, please let us know and we will include that as an update in the next issue of the Eagle.
Nominating Committee: (New)
A nominating Committee has been appointed by the Callaway Woods and Lakeside Board of Directors, its members include Burton Keller, Ken Janke and Dr. Mark Oliver.
Callaway Woods and Lakeside Homeowners Bylaws
ARTICLE III MEETING OF THE MEMBERS
Section 1. Annual Meetings. The annual meetings of the Members shall be held once in each calendar year, at the date, time, and place set by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Notice of Meetings. Written notice of each Meeting of the Members shall be given by, or at the direction of the secretary or person authorized to call the meeting, by mailing a copy such notice, postage prepaid, at least 10 days before such meeting (30days if an assessment is to be issued)
Section E. Proxies. At all meetings of Members, each Member may vote in person or by proxy. All proxies shall be in writing and filed with the secretary. Every proxy shall be revocable and shall automatically cease upon conveyance by the Member of his Lot.
Section 3. Term of Office. The Directors shall have terms of 2 (two) years and the terms may be concurrent, staggered, or otherwise.
ARTICLE V. NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Nomination. Nomination for election to the Board of Directors shall be made by a Nominating Committee. Nominations may also be made from the floor at the annual meeting
Finance: Notice of Change for 2025
HOA dues for 2025 are $600.00 for each household, as well as for each vacant lot. Beginning January 2025, HOA fees will be paid in a single payment of $600.00 due January 1st Note the following penalties for late payments:
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.
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.
Al Barber- Finance Committee Member-President CWHOAArchitectural Review: All new building plans will need to be submitted to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) before work begins. This includes, docks, sheds, fences, additions to your home, pools, pool houses pavilions, and all other construction. In addition, certain tree removal must be approved by the ARC.
Submit all proposed plans to:
Jay Stelzenmuller captainjgsiii@gmail.com
In the last issue of The Eagle, we gave an update on the 2nd phase of the lake dredging project with Warr Grading. The lake dredging project was actually composed of two phases. The first phase, using a floating barge to dredge the lake, was unsuccessful, hence the 2nd phase with Warr Grading which was successful. We want to present the total costs of the lake dredging project, to include both phases.
Phase 1 costs …………….$100,065.38
Phase 2 costs ……………$224,139.00
Total lake dredge costs ….$324,204.38
Amount paid by the HOA $148,466.88
Amount paid by Jay Stelzenmuller $150,000.00
Amount paid by Al Barber $25,737.50
Total Project costs $324,204.38
Note: The above costs includes $12,000.00 in Phase 1 for cutting a hole in the dam and $3,500 in Phase 2 for installing a valve, to facilitate draining the lake. Also, we have on hand around $50,000 worth of de-watering bags left over from Phase I. We are hoping to either sell these or use them in the future.
Burton Keller-Treasurer
Picture taken from Jay's viewpoint
New salt water system installed
Trees previously located near pool
Trees being removed near pool
New robotic vacuum for the pool
