V3 june2013 webpdf

Northwest Georgia's Premier Feature Reader / JUNE 2013

M AG A Z I N E

ROCK Guitar artisan ADAM SIKES sets the Seven Hills ablaze

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V3mag June2013 Features

14 Free at Last

THE ROME SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & HARBIN CLINIC FOURTH OF JULY COMMUNITY CONCERT

20 Touch of Whimsy DESIGNER CAROL YOUD & THE HOME OF D'ANN DOWNEY AND RANDY WARLEY

34 Have a Cigar

CIGAR-BOX GUITAR ARTISAN AND BROTHERS MUSIC FOUNDER, ADAM SIKES

Opinions

16 Pledge Hogs

ROBB RAYMOND RECONSTITUTES HIS ALLEGIANCE

BY WAY OF HOMEROOM REVELATION

30 Big Fork, Li'l Fork PRO MANNER-MINDER AND EVENTS PLANNER HOLLY LYNCH GIVES US A DINNER-ETIQUETTE REBOOT

39 Service Weapon

NEWCOMING COLUMNIST KENT HOWARD DECLARES A STATE OF CRISIS WITHIN TEEN AMERICA

43 Prostate of Denial DR. J.C. ABDOU OF THE HARBIN CLINIC CONFRONTS A SILENT YET TREATABLE KILLER

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The other day, as I watched my Jedi-minded son swiftly navigate my smartphone to play the latest Star Wars edition of Angry Birds, it suddenly dawned on me that my own generation, better known as Generation X, will soon become the last to remember a world before the Internet. Wow. The moment this realization took hold, I pictured myself dressed as Dana Carvey’s “Grumpy Old Man” character from Saturday Night Live, circa 1989.

“You youngsters don’t know anything about this,” I’ll tell my grandchildren in a warm, raspy voice, “but when I was a boy, we kids couldn’t just Google this and Google that. If we wanted to find something out, we had to pick up these big stacks of heavy paper called encyclopedias. They smelled like secondhand furniture, you had to buy new versions every year to stay current, and we thought they were amazing!”

I can already see my 12- and 6-year-old rolling their eyes when they get the memo that, whether they like it or not, they’re doomed to learn a handful of antiquated, soon-to-be-useless skills such as driving a stick-shift and reading a paper map. I don’t know why I just feel like they need to know those things, despite the fact they probably MANAGING PARTNER/ won’t ever use them.

CHIEF OF ADVERTISING

ian griffin

publisher's note

I tell you all of this because our June 2013 edition of V3 reinforces my silly little nostalgia act with a tangible throwback flavor, thanks to the composition and design mastery of editor-in-chief/creative partner, Neal Howard.

The first of two features that fit this bill, in particular, is a July Fourth retrospective on the Rome Symphony Orchestra that traces the ensemble’s Independence Day roots back to a sultry summer night in 1979 (see pg. 14, “And the Band Played On”). The second is our cover CREATIVE PARTNER/ feature on Brothers Music founder, Adam EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sikes (see pg. 34, “Fantastic Mr. Box”), who is selling his handcrafted, cigar-box guitars like hotcakes. And rightfully so, seeing as how his work allows pickers of all stripes to transform their old keepsakes into functional pieces of art, but also because, well, they’re just cool.

On a final note, we are also proud to report that this issue marks our seventh year publishing V3 Magazine, and while we certainly love celebrating our company’s hard-earned milestones, we instead prefer to place the credit where it truly belongs: with you. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy lives to pick us up each month and connect with your town on an emotional, historical, foot-forward level that local news outlets simply can’t provide.

Furthermore, thanks for making our little grassroots venture a mainstay success story. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate the love.

neal howard

IAN GRIFFIN, MANAGING PARTNER

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M AG A Z I N E EDITOR-IN-CHIEF + PRODUCTION MANAGER + ART&DESIGN Neal Howard

WRITERS J. Bryant Steele, Luke Chaffin, Holly Lynch, Lillian Shaw, Ray Marvin, Robb Raymond III, Kent Howard, Ian Griffin, Neal Howard

PHOTOGRAPHY Derek Bell, MFA 706.936.0407

CHIEF OF ADVERTISING + OFFICE MANAGER/ SALES DIRECTOR Ian Griffin

AD SALES + CLIENT RELATIONS Shadae Yancey-Warren, Chris Forino

AD DESIGN + CREATIVE ENGINEERING Ellie Borromeo

PUBLISHER V3 Publications, LLC

CONTACT One West Fourth Avenue Rome, Ga. 30161 Office phone_706.235.0748 Email_v3publicatons@ gmail.com

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W

hen passionate people come together to create something special for the community, John Carruth calls it a “happening.” That’s exactly what took place in 1979, the first year that Carruth, thenconductor of the Rome Symphony Orchestra (RSO), began to incorporate patriotic, orchestral music into Rome’s annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration.

In 1998, that tradition abruptly ended to the disappointment of many. But last year, Harbin Clinic partnered with the Rome

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Parks and Recreation Authority to bring the now 20-year tradition roaring back.

Of course, there’s no better way to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day than a group of people doing whatever it takes to create a happening.

This year’s Fourth of July shebang with the RSO, like its predecessors, will be held at Ridge Ferry Park, and promises to regale its flag-waving audience with a finely tuned product―a product that is the result of months of preparation, hours of donated labor, and years of tradition. The

event will once again feature acclaimed RSO conductor, Dr. Richard Prior, leading a spectacular ensemble against a backdrop of color-bursting phosphorous (better known as fireworks).

According to Harbin Clinic marketing manager Jill Packer, the night’s sponsor also has a few new tricks up its sleeve.

“This year, we’re really focusing on family,” Packer explains, noting the childfriendly games, giant inflatables, hula-hoop contests, and local food vendors that will be seen at Ridge Ferry this Fourth.

&the band P layedoN Reviving what has now become a culturally indispensible tradition in Northwest Georgia, the

ROME SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S HARBIN CLINIC JULY FOURTH COMMUNITY CONCERT promises to pack an even bigger bang in 2013

TEXT BY LILLIAN SHAW

PHOTO BY JILL PACKER

well-purposed and dedicated collective of community leaders, area businesses, ADDITIONAL PICS COURTESY OF KRISTI KENT and impassioned private citizens came together to donate their time and labor.

They built, among other infrastructural Until last year’s revival thankfully ended a necessities, the cement foundation from 14-year hiatus, the RSO was notably absent which the symphony would perform, and from Rome’s widely attended July Fourth even had to figure out how to wire the site celebration. For the preceding 19 years, John for power.

Carruth had conducted the ensemble on the The byproduct of their direly needed, banks of the Oostanaula River (see photos, culture-boosting campaign: “It became pg. 16), playing to crowds of thousands. a happening,” says Carruth, “a special Getting there wasn’t easy, says Carruth. happening right here in Rome.”

He recalls that first year, in 1979, when a

Carruth has a lot of stories like that.

A lifelong lover of American history, he made something of a creative leap when he began to incorporate visual reenactments of historic events along with the traditional orchestra performance. Another spike in the punchbowl was the summer when East Rome High’s football coach, Wally Wilkerson, reenacted Gen. George Patton’s famous 1944 speech to the U.S. Third Army prior to the bloody landings at Normandy; Another dice roll was the sailing of a halfscale ship model of Christopher Columbus’ vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

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Santa Maria down the Oostanaula on the 500th anniversary of his discovery of the New World. For several years, Carruth even coordinated with the National Guard to bring in an authentic, 75-millimeter Howitzer cannon for reserve troops to fire during the “Star Spangled Banner” finale. Even when a national energy crisis made the transport of the Howitzer impractical, Romans responded by coming together to construct an exact replica of a Noble Brothers three-inch rifle instead.

“Everybody did whatever it took to make it happen,” Carruth adds.

In 1989, the 175th anniversary of Francis Scott Keys’ publishing of “The Star Spangled Banner”, Romans once again joined forces to create a giant American flag some 42-feet long, 30-feet high, with each star having a 1-foot point span. The only money spent was for the purchase of

"ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN—AND OFTEN DID. IT WAS ONE OF THE

GREATEST PARTS OF MY LIFE."

a used, industrial-grade sewing machine and yards of red, white and blue parachute material. Men and women alike, shoulder to shoulder in solidarity, sewed the flag together piece by piece inside the only place big enough to house such a project: the floor of the city gymnasium.

“Anything can happen—and often did,” Carruth says. “It was one of the greatest parts of my life.”

Perhaps the Fourth of July moment emblazoned deepest in Carruth’s memory, though, was the year that falling firework embers lit some of the orchestra’s sheet music on fire. You should’ve seen the looks of terror from the clarinet section, he laughs. This year, the fireworks will be shot from Jackson Hill near the Rome Civic Center, allowing the show to be visible 16

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for miles around, yet far enough away that RSO woodwind players can rest easy.

Summerville native David Parker, founder of Parker FiberNet, is heading up the 2013 display, and event officials are alluding to a bigger and better spectacle than ever before. Pending approval from the fire marshal, this year’s fireworks will feature eight- and 10-inch shells that are said to explode even bigger and higher up than the five-inch shells used in the past.

Unlike previous years, Parker’s display will be fired entirely by electronic launcher.

He is donating the necessary technology and setup time without recompense (a process that entails roughly one hour of setup for every minute of fireworks), so, it appears that the funds he is allotted will go to purchasing some serious firepower.

With a mischievous grin, Parker attributes his penchant for pyrotechnics to his Summerville roots. “What redneck doesn’t love to blow things up?” he says. As a boy, Parker would often travel to Atlanta on the Fourth of July to catch the Braves game at Fulton County Stadium. But the real draw wasn’t the baseball; it was the fireworks.

“I remember walking through the parking lot after the game and finding half of a fireworks shell. I kept the shell so I could research how it worked,” It sounds innocent enough, sure, but behind the scenes, the Georgia Tech graduate, business owner and licensed pyrotechnician might be officially taking the diagnosis of “pyromaniac” to an all-new level. Case in point: Parker configured his own fully electronic fireworks system, uniquely designed to avoid the types of malfunction like the one that caused the now-infamous Big Bay Boom in San Diego just last summer, when an entire 7,000 firework, 17-minute display fired off in under 60 seconds.

Parker likes to say that fireworks are the only art form one must destroy to enjoy.

And, as with musical performances, neither blurry iPhone photos nor terribly distorted videophone footage can come close to recreating the experience of actually being there. This Independence Day, you could go to any city, large or small, to hear the national anthem and see some sparkly, exploding lights in the night sky. But why travel when a real “happening” is happening just down the road? VVV

ridge ferry park gates open @ 6 p.m.; games begin @ 6:30 p.m.; rso @ 8 p.m.; fireworks @ 9 p.m. (sunset ). food vendors will be onsite; picnicking is also allowed

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R obb Report2.0 with Robb Raymond III

Re—pledging Our A llegiance I It had been a very long time since I had suffered the social anxiety associated with being “the new kid” at school. Nevertheless, I traded in my Darlington School Tiger stripes and started my junior year as a Model High Blue Devil.

It was a decision that I regret to this day.

Almost every aspect of my school day was different than how I had grown accustomed to, and I immediately despised it. Every morning, antiquated speakers would crackle to life with morning announcements that, as far as I could tell, not a soul in my homeroom cared about one iota. That dusty box on the wall would blah, blah, blah ‘til my eyelids struggled to resist the lure of gravity. And just as I’d begin to teeter on the brink of sweet, sweet slumber, that faded yellow speaker-box would demand that I rise from my desk for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Day after day, I would stand with the rest of my classmates, face Old Glory, place my right hand over my heart, and recite those words 18

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that are forever etched into my memory. And without any second thought as to why I was doing what I was doing, or saying what I was saying, I would comply with the order transmitted over the loudspeaker.

That is, until the morning I didn’t.

At 17 years old, I exuded a rare breed of teen angst. I made a point to relentlessly question authority and test my boundaries whether or not an opportunity presented itself. Thus, one particularly hostile morning, when the others rose to their feet, I remained seated at my desk—a Pledge of Allegiance spectator, if you will.

Funny thing is, I had never before watched a group of people recite the pledge without joining in myself. And what I witnessed absolutely amazed me.

Never before had I noticed how monotone and robotic everyone seemed droning the pledge. Continuing this rebellion morning after morning, I remained seated and watched as those around me entered a trance-like state.

With glassy eyes transfixed, my classmates would chant in unison, raising their voices up to the small, red, white and blue American flag, hanging dusty and lifeless above the blackboard.

In under 30 seconds, the ritual would taxi itself to a sad halt, at which time life would resume precisely where it had paused, as if the previous half-minute hadn’t even taken place. Not a one of my classmates appeared to respect the gravity of the words they had spoken, nor did they appear to make any true emotional connection with their supposed,

solemn vow of loyalty to the Flag or the republic for which it stands.

Before this revelation, the reciting of the Pledge had always seemed so mundane and institutional. It was something I—all of us— did that was simply part of our everyday routine. I gave no more thought to it than I did to tying my shoes or brushing my teeth. In fact, at 17, I’m positive I gave more thought to brushing my teeth and tying my shoes. I only recited the Pledge at school, and only then if instructed to do so. Yet, after serving witness to its embarrassing recitation as a high-minded, piss-ant spectator, I decided to climb down from my gift horse and take a

of “my flag” to “the flag of the United States” in 1923.

One of its primary purposes was rooted in the National Flag Conference’s worry that newly assimilated immigrants might confuse loyalties between their birth countries and the United States. One year later, the words “of America” were added.

In 1940, several Jehovah Witnesses became victims of street-mob attacks following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Minersville School District v. Gobitis, a case deciding that all students in public schools could be made to swear the Pledge. Jehovah Witnesses considered the Pledge idolatry

United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Congress now recites the pledge at the beginning of every session.

Six months later, on Dec. 22, 1942, Congress amended the Flag Code to change the way U.S. citizens are required to salute the flag when reciting the Pledge. Up to this historic date, children across America were taught the “Bellamy Salute”, which required an outstretched right arm, pointed at the flag with the palm facing down. Having entered into World War II only the previous year, Congress felt the Bellamy Salute’s similarities to Hitler’s Nazi salute were now inappropriate, thus they changed the Pledge’s accompanying salute to require each civilian place his or her right hand over their heart.

On June 14, 1954, our inaugural Flag Day, the Pledge of Allegiance was finally cast to read the way we are taught in the classroom.

The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was well underway by this time, inciting a dangerous arms race that history now wishes it could redact from the annals. This standoff prompted posturing on both sides, as a predominantly Christian America perceived the communist Soviets to be godless and nefarious.

President Eisenhower, who’d been baptized only a year prior, claimed to have been moved by a powerful sermon while sitting in Lincoln’s pew at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. That particular Sunday, Eisenhower said, Pastor George MacPherson Docherty’s sermon had

Before this revelation, the reciting of the

Pledge had always seemed so mundane and institutional. It was something that I —all of us—did that was simply part of our everyday routine. I gave no more thought to it than tying my shoes or brushing my teeth.

closer look at the Pledge itself. I needed to know its raw origin, its integral meaning, its deeper purpose.

As historical consensus tells it, in 1892, Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, wrote the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance, which was later published in a popular children’s magazine, The Youth’s Companion.

The Pledge originally read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” This version has, of course, undergone numerous changes over the last century, beginning with the alteration

and refused to swear allegiance to anyone or anything other than God. In 1943 the ruling was overturned via West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, which ultimately shifted the Court’s decision to reflect that a “compulsory unification of opinion” stands in violation of the First Amendment. A later opinion ruled that students could not be forced to stand during the Pledge.

On June 22, 1942, the Pledge of Allegiance received official recognition from the United States Congress, some 50 years after it was penned. It was crystallized in the following form: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

continued on pg. 44 >>>>

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COLOR RAD

LUKE CHAFFIN ADDITIONAL NOTES TEXT

NEAL HOWARD

DEREK BELL

PHOTOS

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"...AFUNCOMBINATION O F W H I M S I C A L E L E M E N T S, B U T S T I L LW I T H THETRADITIONALLOOK."

—C A R O LY O U D (right)

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Surely, many of you can't help but to recall the memorable scene from Pretty Woman in which Julia Roberts’ character, Vivian Ward, is studying intensely her place setting in preparation for a fancy business dinner. There was tine counting and a worrisome look when the waiter didn’t bring the salad. After all, that’s the fork she knew.

In my business, I’m supposed to know all things etiquette. I’m supposed to know which fork to use for the dessert course, and why a water glass looks different than a wine glass.

I’m asked to teach business dining etiquette to Berry College students each year, and I’m presenting the same topic to an Atlanta chapter meeting for other wedding planners.

I will admit, however, that I don’t know all of the rules. So, I brush up, study, and prepare for events like the classes I teach.

Some rules come naturally. My parents took my sister and I to ‘nice’ restaurants many times as children, and we traveled with my dad on business. I learned to eat lobster by age 10, and I do know that lobster is both finger and fork food (and there’s a special fork just for lobster). I also learned to never order English peas in a restaurant. I ordered them once, while dining with my parents and a business associate of my father’s.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t learned about using bread as a ‘pusher’ for peas, and somehow decided to put my face down near the plate and literally shovel the peas into my mouth. I was probably only 8 years old, but my father was horrified. Everyone handled it well, and I wasn’t punished. Nevertheless, I was taught two valuable lessons that day: A) Never order peas in public. B) Use your bread, or the side of the butter knife, to push peas onto

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Trends&

Traditions your fork/spoon to eat them.

I explain all this in an effort to make you, dear reader, feel more comfortable with the fact that even etiquette ‘experts’ have to learn—and practice—their dining skills. A few of the finer points will be discussed here, since I’ve recently witnessed some rather boorish table manners amongst folks who should know better.

In a world of casual dining and rolled silverware, it is difficult to practice proper table manners. But a few rules still apply, even if you’re dining at the local chicken shack. The most important rule, the one I start with and emphasize in all of my classes (and the most difficult one to follow) is this: Do one thing at a time. That means, if you are eating, you aren’t talking. When you are talking, you shouldn’t also be cutting food or bringing it to your mouth. When you are talking during dinner, you run the risk of choking, spitting out food (ewh), and basically not being understood. Don’t talk while you’re eating. If you’d like to sip your wine, put your fork down. It’s a fairly basic rule, but almost everyone breaks this one at some point.

The ‘one-thing-at-a-time principle’ of etiquette applies continuously throughout the dinner. If you’re drinking, you’re not also chewing. Cut one bite at a time. Butter one

with HollyLynch piece of bread at a time. The only time you are allowed to cut more than one bite at a time is if you’re dining with a toddler. Dinner should take time. Don’t rush it.

When it comes to silverware, things can become very confusing. Remember, start from the outside and work your way in. If there’s a salad course, it is likely a smaller fork on the outside of the set of silverware.

The longer fork is the dinner fork. There shouldn’t ever be more than three pieces of any type of silverware on your place setting. In a fine restaurant, the servers will bring you additional pieces of silverware should your meal dictate another set. They’ll also take away something you don’t need.

Additionally, you should never be expected to keep your salad fork if you have an entrée as well. A fresh fork should be available.

When you are finished eating, do not push your plate away from you. Simply place your fork and knife together in the four o’clock position of your plate, with the tines of the fork facing up (I see people put their forks with the tines down frequently – this makes your fork more likely to fall off the plate when the server removes the plate, so keep the fork tines up). Silverware on your plate in a criss-cross position or otherwise

If you’ve been invited over to someone’s home for a dinner, or you are out at a restaurant as someone’s guest, wait for your host to signal what to do when. For example, when the host sits, you should sit. When the host puts her napkin on her lap, you should as well. The ladies should order first, and be served first.

Here’s another rule I find very intriguing: If food needs to come out of your mouth (i.e. it’s inedible or you find a bone), it comes out the same way it went in. Never, ever, ever should you spit food into a cloth napkin.

Officially, you would remove the offensive food with the same utensil it went in, with your hand in front of your mouth, and place the offending morsel on the edge of your plate, covered with another piece of food.

I wish I were making this one up. Sadly, there isn’t a special fork just for removing unsavory bites from our mouths.

Besides the aforementioned lobster, other finger foods include any shellfish with the shell still attached. For these, use your hands and the related tools, like picks and nutcrackers, to remove the meat from the shell, then use a fork to actually eat it. You may also use your fingers for olives if served as an hors d’oeuvre, appetizers served on a skewer, sandwiches (which should first be cut into quarters), nuts, crispy bacon, and corn on the cob. Asparagus, although there are three different types of serving pieces for asparagus, can also be eaten with the fingers if served without sauce.

A Salad Fork in the Road Unless your Friday-night date's name happens to be Richard Gere, chances are you won't receive a free dinner-etiquette seminar before the time to make a great impression is at your doorstep apart from each other indicates you are still eating. Silverware together, in the bottom right corner (a.k.a. the four o’clock position), indicates that you are done eating. Soiled silverware should never be placed on the table directly. Instead, it should always be placed on the edge of a plate.

Service staff should read this column, as well. At dinner the other night, my husband had his fork in his hand and the server tried to take his plate away. Seriously.

Some other basics: Put your napkin in your lap. Turn your cell phone off or silence it, then tuck it away it in your purse or pocket. Your phone should

never be on the dining surface. Contrary to popular practice, the cell phone is not part of the modern table setting.

Your purse should be on the back of the chair, on the floor beside you if possible, or on your lap. Use “please” and “thank you,” especially with service staff. Pass food to the right (counterclockwise). Always pass the salt and pepper together; they’re married.

If the meal is served family style, select the dish closest to you and pass it to the person on your right. Do not serve yourself first.

Elbows off the table, unless the dishes have been cleared and you’re leaning in for some really interesting conversation.

Now, what about fried chicken? Well, if it’s a casual affair, you should use a fork to get most of the meat away from the bone.

Only then can you use your hands for the smaller bites.

But please, please, please don’t lick your fingers—even if it’s finger-licking good.

For more on proper dining etiquette, consult the 18th edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette by Peggy Post, or The Art of the Table by Suzanne Von Drachenfels. The former is my go-to source for just about everything. The latter book explains in great detail the whys and whats of a table setting, from the most formal to the most everyday.

There’s even an entire chapter on forks. VVV

Holly Lynch is owner of/

head planner for The Season Special Events Planning at 250 Broad Street in Rome. vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

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LOVE

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TEXT IAN GRIFFIN PHOTOS DEREK BELL

If you can find it discarded in the back of your local cigar shop, or, better yet, stowed away somewhere high in your grandpappy's attic, BROTHERS MUSIC FOUNDER ADAM SIKES can make the old gal sing

FANTASTIC

MR.BOX 34

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M

ost aspiring artists find themselves trying to think outside the box, hoping to achieve a finished product that is uniquely creative. By contrast, Brothers Music founder, Adam Sikes, achieves the same end by focusing on the box itself.

An avid music buff, self-taught drummer, and member of local band Kid Dynamite, Sikes began tinkering with his cigar-box guitars shortly after moving to Rome from Valdosta in 2010. “When my wife and I moved to Rome, I left my bandmate back in Valdosta,” Sikes explains. “Without someone to practice with, I found myself still banging away on my drums all day.

But only being able to do that for so long, I started poking around online and stumbled onto a (video of a) guy ripping it up on a cigar-box guitar. It sounded really good, so I set out to find one and couldn’t track one down. After a while, I just figured this is really just a stick and a box with some strings on it; I can do that.”

Soon after, Sikes put together his first original model—which worked like a dream—and the rest is history. It didn’t take long for a list of requests from local guitarists to become quite long. Kid Dynamite’s guitar player wanted one, then another friend, then a half-dozen more.

Before long, Sikes decided he might as well make a little money for his efforts.

With a cache of newly crafted guitars on hand, he threw up a tent the 2012 Chiaha Harvest Festival to peddle his wares on a wider scale, and made his very first cash sale on the banks of the Oostanaula River that weekend. It was a bit of a surreal

experience, says the drummer-turnedartisan. He didn’t want to take the fun out of his hobby by making it his primary business, yet he didn’t want to waste what was clearly developing into a cool opportunity. Luckily for Sikes, a stream of unique materials brought in by a steady stream of new clientele has kept each successive creation both fun and engaging.

As for the price tag, numbers vary, but always on the lower end. “I had a lady talk to me about my prices, because she thought they were to low,” says Sikes. “I try to price each one by what I would realistically pay for them. Materials are the real kicker. If you want all the bells and whistles, it’s going to cost more based on those materials.

“But at the end of the day, I do this because I enjoy it, not because I want to make a bunch of money.”

Most guitars produced

by Brothers Music are best engineered for playing slide in open tunings, as most of Sikes’ independent concepts are fitted with only three to four strings. Per client request, however, Sikes can assemble whatever the player wants.

Each guitar will sound different, of course, because the boxes (or sometimes other hollowed materials, such as gasoline cans) are made out of different woods or thin metals. Attached

"THE QUALITY OF CREATIVITY IN THIS CITY IS IMPRESSIVE, TO SAY THE LEAST. IF THESE GUITARS CONTRIBUTE TO THAT CREATIVITY, I'M THRILLED TO BE A PART OF IT."

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by Sikes is a hardwood neck, a variable number of tuning pegs that correspond with the variable number of strings, and tuner accessory optional. Clients can keep their unique design as rudimentary as possible, or they can choose to “trick” it out as they see fit. For instance, one model

keepsake, Brothers Music guitars offer players a high-functioning art piece, as well. Many people have an old cigar box or antique tin lying around the garage or in the attic, an item that, perhaps at one time, belonged to a now-deceased loved one. This is just the sort of item into which Sikes and Brothers can breathe new life. “I have created guitars out of gas cans, wine boxes—I really don’t have any limits, as long as it is hollow and made out of wood or metal,” Sikes says. “I am currently working on an ammo can

Sikes recently completed was a six-stringer (the universal guitar standard) with two pickups, twotoned, with two, dual-volume pickups, a three-way switch, and an adjustable bridge and saddle.

(For those of you who don’t speak Guitar, that more or less translates to “fully loaded.”)

Much more than a novelty

that’ll be military themed, with six strings and stenciled lettering. I also have a wine box that I’m looking to make my first standup bass, if I can get the right tension out of [the strings].

“I’m constantly looking for new materials, and when they are suited for different kinds of instruments, it only allows me to expand what I’m offering.”

The other half of the duo that comprises Brothers Music is Mike Tappan, who makes custom amplifiers that are just as crafty and slick as their guitar counterparts.

When played in tandem, the sound forged by a Brothers-made guitar and amp is about as vintage as it gets—and at a price that won’t scare away customers.

“My wife and I really love it here in Rome, and we plan to be here for a long time,” says Sikes.

“It’s a beautiful area with great people and a shockingly strong arts community for such a small town. The quality of creativity in this city is impressive, to say the least. If these guitars contribute to that creativity, I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” VVV

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Touch

theLine with Kent Howard

A

As a current high-school teacher and basketball coach, yet first-time columnist, I find myself placed in a difficult position.

Only a pompous person would feel comfortable introducing oneself by demanding that tens of thousands of readers who’ve never heard of him do, well, anything. Yet, the teacher in me witnesses the rapidly worsening social condition of our young people on a daily basis and feels he can no longer sit idly by.

Hurried by what most of my fellow teachers and I recognize as an all-out crisis among the kids we help to mold, I feel all but forced to introduce myself in a more forward manner than I’d prefer: by calling on each and every parent and guardian out there to read this column and create a movement of service and selflessness in your household.

Let’s start the conversation with one opinion that just about all of us can agree upon: Comparatively speaking, our country’s population is a selfish one. Some may argue this, given an increased number of nonprofit organizations and philanthropic groups popping up in recent years. And sure, nonprofits like the Giving Pledge formed by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, are a testament to the fact that Americans are, by and large, very charitable people. But perhaps more telling are the conclusions reached in several recent studies on young people, which have all found that between the

The first step in preventing a disaster such as the entitled child to your right: fostering

a movement of service and selflessness in your home

Less ‘Me,’ More‘We’: Calling Our Kids to Serve

ages of 12 and 25, the human brain struggles to appropriately balance impulsive decision-making and blind self-interest.

Now, this may lead many readers to think that as Americans grow older, they become less selfish in nature.

But while the research on childhood brain development and the donations made by our philanthropic organizations may be at an all-time high, the social influence of the latter doesn’t coincide with what I see on a daily basis in the classroom, in the hallways, and through our children’s participation in extracurricular activities. All due respect to the philanthropists and scientists of the

world, but when you witness this stuff from the frontline five days per week, it’s impossible to ignore the evidence we see right before his eyes. I see what I see, I hear what I hear. I experience these kids’ fastchanging worlds with them firsthand, day in and day out.

The not-so-shocking truth gleaned from this close contact: Our nation’s young people are selfish. Period. Not to mention

increasingly preoccupied with trivial drama and material gains. It’s eerie, to be quite honest, to think that year after year, they are becoming our nation’s adults. Even more disturbing is the fact that it’s our fault—i.e. the adults who are raising them—because these developmental and moral shortfalls begin in the home.

In the 11 years I’ve spent teaching, I have been asked a hundred times: What’s vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

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wrong with kids these days? I always have the same response: As much as I hate to say it, the problem is us. Their reactions are typically—and predictably—those of shock, yet no one argues the claim.

The truth is that young people (a.k.a. kids these days) aren’t selfish because of genetic or premeditated narcissism, nor are they motivated by malice when placing their own interests above everyone else’s.

Instead, it’s a sad byproduct of an undeniably impressionable time in their lives; they simply model what they see. And what they see, among other impactful failures, is an obscene divorce rate in the United States nearing 60 percent, many cases of which involve one or more parent figures choosing his/her own selfish desires over what should be their lone, top priority: providing a good, stable example to the children they are responsible for shaping into upstanding adults.

Our nation’s entertainment industry, to name a second culprit, equates happiness and success with material possessions, popularity and net worth. And with little parental guidance at hand to dilute this poisonous worldview until our teenagers’ still-developing brains reach an age at which they can absorb these messages with discerning maturity, it will continue to produce corrosive results.

In addition to upholding a new standard of selfishness, our kids are also increasingly emboldened to do whatever it is they want on impulse, and with little thought given to the consequences they might face. Twitter and Facebook are a nightmare in terms of trivial daily dramas and the time wasted seeking their resolutions. Teenagers today say what they want, when they want, no matter whom they hurt in the process. With it often comes the ridiculous expectation that while their own lives should be filled to the brim with “happy for me,” while a connection between sowing seeds of concern for others’ well-being and this realizing of their own, personal happiness doesn’t appear to be made at all.

Simply put, they are impressionable because they are watching us fail daily—the parents, guardians, the so-called responsible adults in our society who model this ‘meand-only-me’ behavior. And if the thought I’m not a selfish example, but I know several people who are just ran through your head, chances are this column is about you.

Georgia’s adult population in the plainest manner possible: Guys, we officially have a problem. A big one. We are producing and positively reinforcing a selfish generation.

But amidst all these dark clouds, I’m happy to say there is an attainable, clearcut silver lining. All you’ll need to reach up and seize it is a portion of your time, a young person of your choosing, and a clearly devised plan in the form of a community service project. I cannot help you with the time element or the choice of young person, obviously, but I can tell you that when creating a communityservice plan to execute, you must lead from the front—i.e., be the person in your household who initiates a plan of action and sees it through.

First, you will need to call a family meeting, the purpose of which will be to create a clear, cohesive, understood vision of why you are doing what it is you’re doing. It is vital that you, the adult, be a good listener. Support your child’s ideas regarding community service and serving others, making adjustments, if need be, along the way. Ask your son or daughter questions such as, “What types of people do you like helping the most at school?” or “Have you ever thought about helping out the less fortunate?” Hopefully, this will help to stimulate the conversation and provide insight into your child’s personal passions—information that could, if used to our goal’s advantage, could really help drive home the message by giving your kids greater personal fulfillment in the interest of service. You might even be amazed at what your child shares with you.

Once your family has decided on an area of service, you’ll need to compile a list of organizations in your community that focus on those areas. Using the internet, a phonebook, or a reference from a community member, make a topfive list of organizations to which your family can begin dedicating some its free time. Start at the top, contacting each of these organizations for further information about specific guidelines relative to age, volunteer qualifications, and the dates and times of possible service opportunities. Ask any additional questions that might affect your decision to choose their organization.

Once you have contacted your top-five organizations, reconvene with the family and make a final, collective decision on your direction and plan. If you’re extra smart about it, you’ll also draw up a simple contract that every family member/participant must sign

SilverSpooner's Playbook

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he first step to correcting any problem, they say, is to admit you have one. So, allow me to put it out there for Northwest

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

and date. This is where the commitment equation comes into play, and though it’s important for several reasons, the most important is that it emphasizes the seriousness of your intent. Remember though, it’s up to you to actually see this thing through and walk your talk.

Which leads us to our final step: follow through. This is unquestionably the toughest part of the process, and it seems only fitting that the final step would involve practicing what you preach, doesn’t it? In a country full of lip service, the actual follow through will make the real impact on your impressionable youth.

It will speak volumes to who you are and who you expect them to be. If encouraging your young person to live selflessly is made a priority in your home, it will be a priority in theirs when they start families of their own and, hopefully, the cycle will propel itself down the generational line.

As a basketball coach, I can’t help but toss in a handy learning tool that comes in the form of an acronym:

Balance Eyes Elbow Follow through Anyone can shoot a basketball, but great shooters follow through until it backspins through the rim and strips the net. The same concept certainly applies in life, and community service is the first step in righting America’s ship. VVV

Kent Howard

is an 11-year educator and basketball coach.

He currently teaches business and coaches the varsity women's basketball team at Adairsville High School.

His column series, Touch the Line, is written with the hope of inspiring all adults in Northwest Georgia to take a more active, more strategic role in shaping our children for success.

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Prostate Cancer

Take on Health OUR PHYSICIANS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in American men, affecting 1 in 6 men. In 2013, more than 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 33,000 men will die from the disease. One new case occurs every 2.2 minutes and a man dies from prostate cancer every 15.6 minutes. It is estimated that there are more than 2 million American men currently living with prostate cancer.

Radiation Oncologist J.C. Abdou, M.D. Dr. J.C. Abdou completed his Radiation Oncology residency training at The Ohio State University, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute in Columbus, Oh., after completing an internship at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ. He completed his prostate cancer brachytherapy fellowship at the Seattle Prostate Institute. He is also board certified in Radiation Oncology by the American Board of Radiology, as well as serving on the board of the Northwest Georgia Regional Cancer Coalition, and as vice chairman for the Rome Floyd Cancer Initiative. His medical association memberships include the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the American College of Radiation Oncology, the American Brachytherapy Society, the Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

Q&A with Dr. Abdou

• How does prostate cancer progress compared with other cancers?

In general, prostate cancer tends to grow much slower than other types of cancers, although there are aggressive types of prostate cancer, which can grow much faster and are more likely to spread to other parts of the body. Fortunately, there are good screening tools which have allowed for early diagnosis. When prostate cancer is diagnosed early and confined to the prostate gland, there are several treatment options available with very favorable cure rates.

• Are certain men more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer?

Yes, African-American men are more likely to have prostate cancer than men of other races, and are more likely to have more aggressive cases with a lower rate of survival. For all men, the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer increases with age. Most cases occur in men older than 65. Family history and obesity are also primary risk factors.

• What are the physical symptoms of prostate cancer?

The vast majority of prostate cancers have no symptoms.

• If there are no symptoms, how is prostate cancer detected?

Most prostate cancer diagnoses come by way of a blood-screening test called a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA. Another screening exam is a digital rectal exam, where your doctor may feel abnormal growths within your prostate gland. If screening exams indicate an increased risk of prostate cancer, a biopsy may be recommended to confirm or rule out cancer. This biopsy is performed by a specialist called a Urologist.

• How is prostate cancer treated?

Not all prostate cancer needs to be treated. Many factors, including age and health status, play an important role in determining if prostate cancer needs to be treated and the best treatment options for a specific individual.

The main curative treatment options for prostate cancer are surgery and radiation therapy. A radical prostatectomy is a procedure performed by a urologist, by which the prostate gland is surgically removed; while radiation therapy may include a series of sophisticated X-ray treatments, each of which is focused on the prostate gland in hopes of killing the cancer cells. There is also a special procedure by which radioactive seeds can be placed into the prostate gland and seek out cancer cells to kill.

Surgery and radiation therapy have similar cure rates, but are very different from one another in their methods of delivery, potential side effects, and how they can affect men’s health in the short term and long term. Because of this, it is very important to have discussions with both a urologist and a radiation oncologist prior to making any final decisions on your prostate cancer treatment. Urologists and radiation oncologists are both specialists with expertise in treating prostate cancer, and the two work together as a team to help men make informed decisions regarding treatment options. VVV

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>>> from 19, “Re-pledging ...” referenced our 16th president’s use of the phrase “under God” in the Gettysburg Address. Docherty claimed these words were precisely why America stood apart from other nations, and that the Pledge of Allegiance was too generic in that it failed to capture the real essence of the American spirit. Hence, when Eisenhower later signed the aforementioned bill into law, he went on to state, “From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty.”

My homeroom teacher at Model, who always wore dresses and was a very prim and proper woman in her sixties, finally took notice that I wasn’t standing during the Pledge. She pulled me aside the following day and berated me for what she considered an outright show of disrespect toward the American Flag. Her hands trembled, her eyes pierced through me. She spoke slowly, deliberately, her teeth slightly clenched.

I told the principal about your little stunt, she said, and the principal had regretfully responded that there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. Legally, she couldn’t

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make me say the Pledge. I stood in silent shock as she concluded her venomous haranguing by letting me know that the rules made her sick, and that my apathy disgusted her.

I never said a word.

America—one Nation indivisible—is a nation founded on dissent, by colonial rebels who fought and died to ensure that each and every one of us are afforded the basic freedoms granted by our elegantly masterful and world-changing Bill of Rights. My refusal to take part in the Pledge’s recitation wasn’t because I hated the Flag or any such subversive, treasonous notion. It was simply because I needed it to mean more.

July Fourth is fast approaching, and American patriotism will be at its annual climax. Our entire nation will be prepping the backyard grill for family cookouts set to awe-inspiring fireworks displays.

Every street corner will be draped in red, white and blue, and I suggest that if the solemn vow contained in the Pledge of Allegiance is of great importance to you, spare the few seconds out of your busy life that it takes to recite this national treasure and face an American Flag.

Now, place your hand over your heart,

and pledge your allegiance.

Pledge it deeply.

And not because everyone else is doing it—because, chances are, no one else will be. Best you do it alone, privately, solemnly, while renewing your belief in these words:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. VVV Report your thoughts back to Robb @ v3robbreport@

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