v3 april 2013

Northwest Georgia's Premier Feature Reader / APRIL2013

M AG A Z I N E

V3 Magazine Presents

horsepower

ATLANTA

Steeplechase 2013

$4.00

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3. power to live or grow: the vitality of Rome, GA.

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Darlington School Early lEarning acaDEmy

A more customized educational experience for your child Darlington School is offering an innovative and more customized approach to early childhood education, beginning in 2013-14. Students who would traditionally enroll in pre-k, kindergarten or pre-first will instead be part of Darlington’s Early Learning Academy, a progressive program in which instruction is based on the students’ individual needs.

Our goal is to build more creative, collaborative learners by meeting the children where they are and pushing them as far as they can go.

David Powell, Academic Dean

Students in the Early Learning Academy will work collaboratively on big ideas and break out into small, ability-based groups for the core areas of reading, writing and arithmetic. This will allow Academy teachers to build a directed, customized curriculum that takes into account the students’ strengths and levels of ability.

Program Highlights Customized curriculum that accounts for various levels of ability Small group, ability-based instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic Allows students to progress at their own pace Curriculum serves as the foundation for Darlington’s entire academic program Exposes all students to three highly qualified teachers, and to teaching and learning styles that are best suited for the students’ needs Provides structured classroom time with peers of the same age Integrates life skills and character education Promotes independence and self-control Builds creative, collaborative learners

The Early Learning Academy has a limited enrollment of 42 students. For more information or to enroll your child, please contact Lea Duncan in the Admission Office at LDuncan@darlingtonschool.org or 706-802-4378.

Catalyzing Extraordinary Lives. www.darlingtonschool.org/i_will | Rome, Georgia | 706-235-6051

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urlee s Fish House & Oyster Bar

Rome, GA Est. 2012

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V3 Magazine Presents

horsepower

ATLANTA

Steeplechase 2013

15 + Back in the Saddle A STEEPLECHASE PHOTO RETROSPECTIVE

16 Bird is the Word SWIFT & FINCH CATCHES A MAJOR BUZZ AT 600 BROAD

20 You Say Potato...

J. BRYANT STEELE CROSSEXAMINES THE AGE OF THE LOVESEAT EXECUTIVE

24 To Be Frank A COKE AND A SMILE WITH LOCAL BUSINESS LEGEND FRANK BARRON, JR.

30 Why We Ride A LOOK AT WHAT THE 48th ATLANTA STEEPLECHASE IS REALLY ALL ABOUT

36 Think Pink, Y'all

HOLLY LYNCH TELLS US HOW TO LOOK UP (AND FORWARD) BEFORE WE ALL LOSE OUR HEADS

38 The Edison of Offbeat AUTHOR/ARTIST SUSAN GILBERT HARVEY FURTHER ASSUMES THE MANTRA OF THE LIBERATED WOMAN WITH ROLE CALL

49 Hope in a Field of Horse Apples DR. FRANK HARBIN QUICKLY PARSES THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STRESS AND ANXIETY, FOLLOWED BY SOME HANDY TIPS

TruckTown Summerville’s Largest Selection of Trucks!

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A

As we close the door on a soggy winter, the promise of spring begins to unfold before our eyes and flowers bloom, sometimes literally, overnight. I can’t speak for everyone, but this reintroduction of color has certainly lifted my spirits over the past few weeks.

Along with all of this newly grown vegetation, spring delivers a fresh start for

each of us, as well. At the Griffin household, the change of season sets our kids’ desire for the end of the school year at fever pitch. Summer camps have long been booked, vacations planned, and if you listened to the two of them discuss it all, you’d think an eternity stood between themselves and the spoils of May. As for me, two annual events, The Masters in Augusta and Atlanta Steeplechase at Kingston Downs, officialize the arrival of spring. And it just so happens that this year, both are happening on the same weekend.

On Sat., April 13, thousands will dress to the nines and flock to Kingston Downs for the 48th Annual Atlanta Steeplechase, where V3 Magazine will be hosting its seventh consecutive tent party on the turn. For those who’ve never made it out, do the kid in you a favor and find a way to be there. It is an experience you will enjoy for several reasons, but primarily because it is the managing partner/ most uniquely charming, yet wild afternoon of fun chief of advertising available in this corner of the state.

IAN GRIFFIN

PUBLISHERS' NOTE

Each April, we also theme V3 Magazine with a little Atlanta Steeplechase flare, and this year is no different. To start, our extraordinary lead photographer, Derek Bell, resurfaces some of his stellar matte work from Atlanta Steeplechases 19971999, spliced by a Ray Marvin feature that gives us a behind-the-veil look at the event’s charitable partnerships with Zac Brown’s Camp Southern Ground and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

Proceeds from this year’s races will go to benefiting both entities. creative partner/lead Also featured this month: a piece on local designer/editor-in-chief author/artist Susan Gilbert Harvey; a muchneeded caffeine injection courtesy of 600 Broad Street’s new coffee stop, Swift & Finch; a jetsetting look at the life and times of NWGA business icon Frank Barron, Jr.; and be sure to check out the graphic work of a talented Rome High freshman, Lauren Moye, who recently joined V3 for an internship to try her hand at this breakneck line of work.

We hope you enjoy each of the above as much as we have. Happy spring, everyone. We’ll see you “on the turn” this April 13.

NEAL HOWARD

IAN GRIFFIN, MANAGING PARTNER

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

WRITERS J. Bryant Steele, Luke Chaffin, Holly Lynch, Mandy Loorham, Kim Treese, Robb Raymond III, 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

V3MAGAZINE.COM 8

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SAME TRACK. NEW TREAD A STEEPLECHASE RETROSPECTIVE 1997-1999

*

Pics continue, pgs. 22-45

V3 Magazine Presents

horsepower

ATLANTA

Steeplechase 2013

PHOTOS BY DEREK BELL vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

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frickin’ fraptastic

A

A great coffee shop is one part flavor, one part community. In this community, the coffee with the best flavor can be found at Swift & Finch. The shop is just a year old, celebrating its one-year anniversary this month, yet already it is an integral part of Rome’s downtown culture.

When co-owners Ellie Mahon and Abby Broadrick, friends since their days at the University of Georgia, found themselves transplanted in Rome, they also found themselves looking for things to do and places to go. They hatched Swift & Finch as a “third place” for the community—not home, not work, but a place to escape those things.

“It’s the place you go to find rest, to be inspired, and to be around other people,” says Mahon. “Abby and I really got excited about the idea of creating something together, and we

text lillian shaw

photos derek bell

The appeal behind Broad Street’s newest attempt at a cool joint to score your daily caffeine injection, swift & finch, is an ingeniously two-pronged one: grab your fix and scoot, or stay a while and make a new friend. Either way, brah, youʼre golden 16

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knew if we were going to do that, it would be coffee.”

But Swift & Finch is no ordinary caffeine-dispensing establishment. Their coffee beans are freshly roasted in-house, every day. When you walk in, the giant coffee roaster (affectionately nicknamed “Big Red”) is the first thing you see and, more importantly, smell. The raw coffee beans arrive from coffee farms spanning the globe, yet the magic happens here at 600 Broad Street.

Mahon roasts the beans in small batches, allowing herself greater control over the flavor and richness of the final product. “I’m only working with 10 pounds of coffee at a time, as opposed to hundreds of pounds, so I can roast each batch really carefully and with a lot of detail,” she explains.

Mahon first developed an interest in coffee roasting while studying photojournalism at UGA. While working on a school photo assignment at Jittery Joe’s Coffee, one of Athens’ most frequented caffeine hubs, Mahon ended up learning from the inside how independent coffee-roasting companies are run. “[Jittery Joe’s] was my home away from home,” she says, “and I learned a lot about the roasting process that way.”

It’s fitting then, that when Mahon and Broadrick decided to start Swift & Finch they chose 600 Broad Street, the building

swift&finch co-owner, ellie mahon

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that formerly housed Clyde Collier Photography. In fact, when Mahon and Broadrick moved in, they kept the dark room wholly intact. “One day—dream world, no promises—I’d love to restore his dark room,” Mahon says.

In addition to the best cup of coffee in town, Swift & Finch also serves up tea, smoothies, espresso, baked goods and specialty coffee drinks. (Highly recommended: the Coca-Cola coffee frap and the cinnamon chai). But while coffee is clearly the backbone of Swift & Finch, at its heart is also a genuine desire to bring together a diverse community of people.

“Drinking coffee is so much about the flavor of the coffee,” Mahon says, “but it’s also about the experience of holding the cup, who you’re sharing the cup of coffee with, and the conversations you have while you’re drinking coffee.”

Ergo, the Swift & Finch experience begins when you walk in the door. Whether you’re a newcomer or a regular, the space

itself feels comfortable, familiar. A bar near the counter lets customers chat with employees while sipping their daily coffee, something you would never see at a Starbucks. Mahon insists, “It’s a really simple

Camp Juliette Low thought, but it’s so important for us that our employees get to know our customers [and] for people to feel known when they walk in the door.”

The large tables and living room-style seating facilitates, even encourages, sharing and interaction. You could certainly find a cozy corner to plug in your headphones and ignore the world, but you may find that you don’t want to.

As with any business venture, Mahon and Broadrick’s journey has seen its ups and downs. “When you open your own business,” Mahon says, “you open yourself up to a community. You create a place and say, ‘This is what I love. Come share in this with us.’ ” Thankfully, Mahon and Broadrick’s passion for great coffee and helping to fuel the pulse of downtown of Rome has sustained their friendship through inevitable doubt and exhaustion. “I feel very grateful...to get up and do this everyday and be around all of our customers, who are so awesome,” says Mahon. “It’s been living out a dream, which has made it pretty worth it.” VVV Swift & Finch is open Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat. 8-11. For more on their growing selection or a run-of-themill espresso fix, visit them at 600 Broad Street or call 706.237.6750.

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Cents&

Sensibility . with J Bryant S t e e l e

i

It seems the good employees of Yahoo Inc. aren’t shouting yahoo! at the company’s recent ban on working from home. CEO Marissa Mayer, who is a new mother (and therefore expected to be sympathetic to working mothers and fathers) has drawn sharp criticism over her decision.

The issue goes beyond parenthood, though. Workplace flexibility in the U.S. has been at issue for three decades, and only escalated after the advent of home computers and the Internet. “Telecommuting” had come into our vernacular.

On one end of the spectrum, there are bosses who don’t care where you work as long as you get the job done. These people

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realize that time spent in commute to work is wasted time anyhow.

At the other end of the spectrum are the bosses who don’t trust you unless they can keep an eye on you.

When parsing the issue more personally, I can’t help but think about my parents. My mother was a school teacher. She had to be inside the classroom for her job, of course, but she always brought work home, such as papers to grade. My father was a builder who was onsite all day long, but he did his paperwork at night on the concrete floor of his corner “office” in the garage.

People have always worked from home.

The difference in 2013 is that our modern communication capabilities allow us to work from home all day, or to get an early start before going to the office, or to miss

evenings with family altogether in order to get more work done.

I received some unsolicited (though nonetheless interesting) emails from several friends in the wake of the Yahoo ban, each of which illustrates the sensitivity felt over the issue. “I prefer to keep home and work separate, and my personality would make me less productive at home,” wrote a retired teacher friend. “Being a teacher makes working at home necessary and impossible at the same time. You can’t get it all done with the [planning] time you’re given, but you can’t bring a bunch of kids home with you. When I managed tech people, they liked it when they could work at home because they didn’t get interrupted with the ‘I

just need a minute’ things and meetings.”

An attorney friend wrote, “My preference through the decades has been to stay late and/or come in on weekends rather than take work home, partly because it is hard to lug files and research materials back and forth. Of course, today those materials could be on thumb drives if the office was organized that way. I also think there is a lot to be gained by impromptu interactions among colleagues. On the other hand, saving the commute if a worker lives a long way from the office is a significant gain also.”

A former colleague wrote, “I learned very quickly that I could be more productive at home than in the office. There were no stupid, impulsive meetings to attend, lunch was a quick trip to the refrigerator, and the commute was eight steps down into my little home office.

“There were ancillary benefits: I could do the wash while writing and, when work was done, I could go outside immediately.

Since leaving (corporate work) my primary office has been at home, and I am even more productive than I was because I no longer worry about whether my supervisor is holding my working at home against me.

If I don’t work, I don’t get paid—but that has become liberating.”

all these. I loved the fact that when my son was born I had a speech-writing gig, and it was seldom necessary to go to the office. I could stay home, do my work, and nurture my son at the same time. My employer still got its pound of flesh, but I still had a boss who never understood that what was wait-

i

Steele's Biz Bits

It appeared for a moment that the Georgia General Assembly would finally pass a limit on gifts from lobbyists—albeit one with more holes than a wheel of Swiss cheese—but now lawmakers can’t even agree on that.

And who is doing the most crying of anyone involved? Lobbyists.

This is ridiculous, folks. As I have pointed out in several previous columns, Georgia is one of only four states that has yet to limit or outright ban gifts to legislators from lobbyists.

Newspapers have pounded this sad fact repeatedly, and Georgians are outraged. Yet, under the Gold Dome, it’s been ‘piddle, twiddle and resolve, not one damn thing do we solve.’

Lawmakers’ reaction to the rekindled debate over gun control has also been sadly predictable: More guns in more places.

And finally, remember back in the seventh grade when you learned how to locate Cyprus on a globe, then you forgot about it for the rest of your life? Well, break out those old spinning globes, guys, because now Cyprus is the latest speed bump to global economic recovery.

You can’t help but wonder, where’s Trump when we actually need him? The Donald could buy Cyprus. Problem solved.

VVV

Look out, Yahoo. People have held strong opinions on working from home for some time now, and it started long before you came into our lives

Sofa King CEO Another friend wrote that in one workplace situation, there was space “dedicated to partitioned cubicles and rolling file cabinets assigned to remote workers, recognizing there were times it was important for teams of people to get together periodically. An individual just called in to reserve a spot. The arrangement improved productivity and employee morale. Yahoo would be wise to look at such a hybrid approach.”

Perhaps my favorite email, though, was from a friend who writes that his son “works at home and loves it. Working for British Telecom in Denver makes it pretty hard to get to an office.” (But getting an expenses-paid trip to London every now and then would be wonderful, wouldn’t it?)

My own experience has been a blend of

ing in her email each morning came from my computer at 6 a.m., while she was still at home putting on her makeup.

Wherever you stand on the issue, it isn’t going away any time soon. How many people do you know who hate their jobs and are just counting the days until retirement?

I wouldn’t swap places with any of them, I can tell you that.

In today’s workforce, there is waning loyalty between companies and their employees. There are examples of longterm employees dismissed for no reason at all, or worse, for contrived ones. I have come to the conclusion that if you work for a single company, you are essentially a freelancer with one big client. Lose that client, and you’re out of business.

J. Bryant Steele is an award-

winning business reporter and feature writer based in Rome.

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V3 Magazine Presents

horsepower

ATLANTA

Steeplechase 2013

GONE IN 0.6 SECONDS 22

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There are plenty of reasons for W. FRANK BARRON, JR . to love Coca-Cola.

Bottling the recipe first devised by Dr. John Pemberton in the late 19th century helped make his family a fortune on tap, has provided him a personal window to the farthest reaches of the globe, and, let’s face it, the stuff just tastes like home

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TIME IN A BOTTLE Text by Luke Chaffin. Photos by Derek Bell

“S

“Selling Coca-Cola was selling five minutes of refreshment, escape, rest and relaxation,” explains W. Frank Barron, Jr., former Coca-Cola bottler and executive extraordinaire. Much of Rome and Northwest Georgia’s history is inextricably linked to the existence of the soda that literally painted the town red.

The rich Coke heritage runs deep within the Barron family, and started officially on Jan. 10, 1901, the day Frank Smith “F.S.” Barron (Frank, Jr.’s grandfather) received word that the purchase of his first CocaCola Bottling Company franchise had been approved. Based on records belonging to Barron and those kept by Coca-Cola, the Rome Coca-Cola Bottling Co. plant is the sixth-oldest franchise in the entire world.

“The bottling industry did not start with Coca-Cola,” Frank admits. When Coke first appeared on the scene in 1886, there was an existing soft-drink industry, albeit a smaller and less organized one. But in the nearly 130 years since, the recipe created by Atlanta’s Dr. John Pemberton as a cure for “malaise,” hangovers, and a sundry list of everyday ailments has become a worldwide phenomenon unlike any other.

“We owned our business, and we ran it,” Frank prides. He appears to lament an allbut-lost era of American franchising. The Coca-Cola Company and the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. were originally two separate entities. The Coca-Cola Company owned the syrup factories; the bottling companies contracted to buy the syrup. The Barrons owned and controlled the distribution and manufacturing of the actual Coca-Cola

products. Each bottling plant had its own territory and was bottled according to the sanitation and health codes of the day.

According to Frank, the only directive for franchise owners was simple, yet also somewhat vague: to “vigorously promote the sale of the product.” The Barron family seemed to have a firm grasp on this concept.

At one point, Romans were reported to have spent more money each month on Coca-Cola than they spent on buying and maintaining their cars. It cost as much as Romans spent on Coke to run the town at the time; enough to build seven Carnegie libraries. Rome reportedly had the highest per-capita consumption of any Coca-Cola bottling plant in the world, and, along with the rest of humanity, we were hooked.

The original Coca-Cola Bottling Co. franchise cost F.S. Barron $250. Another

vinividi vidivici vici//v3 v3magazine magazine 25 45 vini

several hundred dollars covered his equipment and setup costs.

“There isn’t much I know about the early years. He was probably doing well,” Frank says of his grandfather. The elder Barron was originally a grocer in the area. He became familiar with the Coca-Cola brand when his store began selling it in 48-bottle cases. Younger generations of the Barron family trace their immediate ancestry to humbler beginnings in Chattooga County.

“They were hard-working, farmer-type folks,” says Frank.

His father was one of the first in the Barron family to receive a college education.

It became customary in the beginning for those selling Coke franchises to look for community

Photo courtesy of the Rome Area History Museum

“...I had really worked there every summer since I was 12 years old ... My life revolved around getting up at

at the original plant on Fifth Avenue in downtown Rome, across from the historic courthouse.

Local historian and Barron family friend, Anne Culpepper, remembers watching the plant operations from outside one of the windows at the downtown facility. “When I was a little girl, I loved to stand in front of the plant and watch the bottles on the conveyor belt,” she says. “Several generations got to watch the ladies work.”

Per their franchise agreements, each of the Barrons’ seven facilities was a self-functioning operation with its own equipment and trucks. Like many children of the time, Culpepper recalls playing a game with her friends in which everyone would compare the origins of their glass Coca-Cola bottles. See, stamped on the

5:15 in the morning and going to work.”

leaders who were also entrepreneurs.

Franchisors would seek out bottlers to help with the more capital-intensive side of the business equation. In 1901 alone, three competitor bottling companies joined the ranks to manufacture and distribute the beverage. Prior to F.S. Barron’s death in 1936, the bottling operations were run by F.S. and his sons, Alfred Lee and William Franklin “Willie” Barron, the latter of which was Frank, Jr.’s father. Early on, the Barron holdings began to grow. They established

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plants in Cartersville, Carrollton and Cedartown. Another plant in Dalton was acquired in 1927, followed by Fort Valley, then Valdosta.

Frank, Jr. came on full time with the family business in 1956, after his time serving in the U.S. Navy. “Of course,” he explains with a wry smile, “I had really worked there every summer since I was 12 years old. That was before child labor laws were very active.” As a youngster, he would help out sorting bottles and sweeping floors

bottom of each one was the city where it had been bottled. Whoever’s had “traveled the farthest” was the winner of the game and was treated at the losers’ expense to—yep, you guessed it—a Coke.

By the late 1960s, the Barrons had amassed quite a labor force, employing nearly 500 people between the Florida and Tennessee state lines. In 1977, the new Rome plant began bottling operations as Willie Barron passed away. After a long and storied past with Coca-Cola, the remaining Barrons had sold off all seven bottling plants by 1986.

The remainder of his story plays out in the penning of W. Frank Barron, Jr.’s autobiography, How About a Coke? In talking with his son and son-in-law, Barron was eventually swayed to transcribe his business dealings, world adventures and family anecdotes to print. “They hounded me,” he says, “That book was written for my grandchildren.”

At one time, the closely tied cities of Rome, Cartersville, Cedartown and Dalton harbored the oldest Dr. Pepper bottlers in Georgia. Understanding the importance of diversification, the Barrons were early to pounce on the opportunity to bottle drinks other than Coca-Cola. “We always had

other products,” Frank says. “We believed very strongly that every now and then, a guy wants an orange or a grape beverage. If he was going to drink an orange, we wanted it to be ours.”

Among the Barrons’ holdings were four of the top 10 per-capita plants in the world.

Their own recipe for success helped make the family’s selling of the soft-drink magnate a successful move. Frank and fellow family employees exhibited an incredibly strong and dedicated work ethic throughout. “My life revolved around getting up at 5:15 in the morning and going to work. I was lucky if I got home by 6:30. We all did that. We worked hard at our business.”

Barron executives were also intolerant of competition. “We tried everything in the world to defeat [other soft-drink bottlers] in every way that we could. I make no apology for this because it made us better, and it may have made our competition better.”

Another important component to the Barrons’ generational success was community involvement, as well as displaying a strong conviction to carry out what they felt was a civic duty. Says Frank, “We believed that the things we did helped the community—but it helped our business grow as well.”

Join Us For A Diamond Event April 19th & 20th

The family business may have been with the Coca-Cola Bottling Co., but the Barrons’ commitment to their state and community was also a significant driving force in their lives. “The world has been awfully good to me,” Frank, Jr. says, looking back on his years in the business. His gratitude toward the Rome-Floyd community and both corporate arms of Coca-Cola has played a large role in his desire to give back.

“The platform of the Coca-Cola Company probably was the most important thing that ever happened to me,” he adds. “It was my livelihood. We lived here and wanted the community to be better.”

The list of the Barrons’ charitable contributions to their community is a lengthy one, and family members have served on the Rome City School Board of Education, the board of directors at Berry College, Shorter University and Darlington School, as well as various state commissions and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Historic Barron Stadium in Rome was named for Frank’s father, Willie, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the area.

According to Barron, many of the bottlers started with nothing more than a ball of lint

continued on pg. 50 >>>>

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GIFT HORSE FORTHE

GREATER

GOOD T

The Atlanta Steeplechase, one of Northwest Georgia’s biggest sporting events and outdoor parties of the year, is coming back this April 13. And while “the Chase,” as patrons like to call it, is brimming with many fun and familiar sights each spring—seersucker suits, big, gaudy hats, folks who like to drink a beer (or six) two from time to time—perhaps lesser known is precisely why this annual event is held.

To search for the “face” of The Chase is a race in and of itself. Each year it seems to grow larger, bearing neither the bleachedwhite marker of Southern aristocracy nor the sunburned, red and ruddy roots belying its venue at Kingston Downs. Perhaps this is because Atlanta Steeplechase isn’t about the faces you see at the event, but, instead,

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TEXT BY RAY MARVIN

ADDITIONAL TEXT BY NEAL HOWARD PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAMP SOUTHERN

+

+

GROUND SUE MYERS SMITH THE UGA COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Shown strumming away at a fireside CSG sing-a-long, platinum-selling country artist

Zac Brown plays, both literally and figuratively, to his smallest crowd in recent concert memory

From the outside looking in, the 48 th ANNUAL ATLANTA STEEPLECHASE may appear as little more than a oneday "staycation" for Northwest Georgians to selfindulge in spring cheer and great spirits (emotional and liquid). But if you ask the beneficiaries of countrymusic star ZAC BROWN'S CAMP SOUTHERN GROUND, as well as those from the UGA COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, if this mid-April Saturday is as frivolous as a stranger might presuppose, chances are they’ll say hold your horses

the ones that light up once the cheers have quieted and the party tents have been placed in storage ’til next April. The big secret here is that, in actuality, The Chase is an ode to the greater good.

The first arm of the charitable body that propels Atlanta Steeplechase, countrymusic star Zac Brown’s Camp Southern Ground (CSG), says in its mission statement that the camp operates “to allow children to overcome academic, social and emotional difficulties so they may reach their full potential by providing them with the opportunity and tools necessary to achieve excellence in all facets of

their lives.” Jean Peck, interim executive director for CSG, adds, “We aren’t just another camp for kids. This is Zac Brown’s passion project since he was a teenager (and camp counselor). His vision is to have a camp where all of the children will be integrated, not just based on their ability level or their background. At CSG, all socioeconomic backgrounds and abilities will be represented. It is a wonderful opportunity that celebrates everyone’s similarities, as well as their differences.”

In other words, CSG will serve as a forum for kids to better understand one another.

It will also employ some of today’s most

innovative therapies and rehabilitation programs in a push to help better integrate children with neurobehavioral issues and learning disabilities. As Peck explains, “These programs are probably Zac’s signature, helping children with autism, Tourette’s, dyslexia, ADHD… It is something spectacular to see the teamwork it takes to get everyone in a group to the top of the ropes course. Not only for the kids with special needs, but even for the children with typical needs, so they understand what it is really like to be the other child.”

Working to remove the unjust stigma placed on children with these types of

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special needs is a 24-hour job, but the camp has yet to break ground on its new, more permanent facility. Locked in fundraising mode for now, Zac Brown and CSG have already secured a beautiful, 500-acre property that is just waiting to be transformed into Brown’s broader vision. Construction is slated to begin this fall, and is projected to wrap in 18-24 months.

This timetable means that donations and manpower—as much as CSG can possibly amass—are required now, in order for the camp’s good intentions to bear fruit.

The other half-share of Atlanta Steeplechase’s proceeds will go to

ABOVE: Campers at Camp Common Ground spend the afternoon adrift with their new buddies, the hope being that times like these will foster a better understanding of one another's unique life backgrounds and the challenges each must overcome. BELOW: Student reps from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine stop for a quick pic at Atlanta Steeplechase 2012.

us for treatment, or their regular veterinarian is a member of our [University of Georgia] alumni community, or perhaps one of their children wants to one day attend our college, there are many, many ways in which our mission is connected to Atlanta Steeplechase and those who come to enjoy it.”

She says her CVM colleagues love the atmosphere of the Chase, adding, “Our volunteers enjoy interacting with everyone who is there to see and experience the event, and our veterinary students enjoy working with the horses, as well as their trainers and jockeys. Our large animal faculty looks forward to the event each year, as it provides them an opportunity to visit with clients, former students and veterinary colleagues, many of whom also attend the steeplechase.”

“...OUr Profession has great respect for the fine

the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), which is a fantastic bonus for the animal lovers and, And there are so many. . . animal lovers who attend this event that it's in particular, the horse enthusiasts who plan to hard to believe our college hasn't touched their lives in some way." attend this year’s Chase.

CVM currently sees over 18,000 animal Maybe the greater good of the 48th from our College, and that is true for patients per year, and has a red-line goal Annual Atlanta Steeplechase has a clear owners of cats and dogs, farm animals, of $33 million to raise for the its new face after all—and not a thing about it horses—all animals.

Veterinary Medical Learning Center. reads “Mayblossom senility.” VVV “In addition, our profession has great “It is our main purpose to educate respect and great love for the fine equine veterinarians and to ensure the wellathletes that participate in the steeplechase.

To purchase tickets to the V3 being of animals and people throughout And there are so many families and animal Magazine Presents: Horsepower the nation,” says Kathy Bangle, director lovers who attend this event that it’s hard tent party April 13, please call of veterinary external affairs for CVM in to believe our college hasn’t touched our One West Fourth Avenue Athens. “Most animal owners in Georgia their lives in some way. Whether they’ve likely see a veterinarian who graduated brought a member of their pet family to offices in Rome at 706.235.0748.

equine athletes That participate in the steeplechase.

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Trends& Traditions

f

w i t h H o l l y Ly n c h

For years, I have saved a greeting card that reads, “Optimism is looking for the pony when you find a pile of you-knowwhat.” As a card-carrying member and former president of the optimist club, you could say I am a glass-half-full kind of gal.

In recent months, however, and most notably in this column, I have found myself questioning my hope in the future. Is the glass really half full? Am I always looking at the bright side?

Maybe the question is one of where am I looking.

Interestingly, I find myself looking down a lot lately.

Looking at my phone, my keyboard, the pile of paperwork on my desk. I was driving on a busy street in town recently and was shocked to notice the driver of the SUV to my right looking down at her phone while the vehicle was moving. Instantly I was wary of her—and looking dead forward for us both. As we approached the traffic light, I was willed her with all my might to stop looking at her stupid phone and look up. Thankfully, she did just in time, because at that very moment a man with all his possessions strapped to his body crossed the road directly in front of us. (He seemed to assume she would look up and see him.)

That near-miss got me thinking about the things we tend to miss when we look down, and it certainly made me realize how much I too have been looking down.

(As a matter of fact, my neck just let out a sigh of relief when I looked up from this keyboard.)

During the ceremony at a beautiful, lakeside wedding this past weekend, I was looking at my trusty clipboard of notes to see where we stood on the schedule. Suddenly, it occurred to me: I’m no different than that girl driving the SUV. A little voice inside shouted, Look up, Holly! You’re about to miss something really important…

It was then that I raised my eyes to witness a sun shining brightly in the noonday sky, the birds chirping happily, and spring trees in early bloom. After a dreary, wet winter, spring had arrived. And standing before me were two beautiful, hope-filled people pledging their young lives to one another.

Life is good.

The sun on my face literally warmed me inside and out. God’s vitamin D was doing its job. I found that my lips were spreading into an involuntary smile, my cheeks blushed. Quite literally, I was tickled pink.

And all I did was look up.

The phrase “tickled pink” is a common one in the Southern lexicon, but it has nothing much to do with being tickled in the physical sense. It has everything to do with being delighted, though, so much so that your cheeks visibly radiate joy.

A music minister buddy of mine and I had recently engaged in a friendly debate on the merits of large-screen monitors in churches—you know, so that congregation members can see the lyrics to hymns. A key point he made was that the singing congregation can be heard much better if they look up from their hymnals. And so, after my wedding-day revelation, while in church the next morning, I did my best to look up while singing. As I sang out while looking up, I saw a big smile creep across my music minister’s face.

He could hear us more clearly, and he was absolutely delighted.

Not to mention the added bo-

nus for him that his point had been won by illustration: Looking up sure does change what we hear, and certainly what we see.

In light of these types of experiences, I have done my very best to stop worrying so much about what’s below my chin. Sure, I do live on my phone many days; it’s like a mini-laptop extension of my working life.

And no, I’m not going to start holding the

cancer-fighting friend right now, yelling at me to stop wasting time with pessimism.

Her story, and others like it, can teach us all the lesson that while there are always challenges in life, if we look up and look forward, there is also great reward in smiling through the pain.

I, for one, don’t want to miss anything happening in the world. The entertainment, the delight, is all around us. I want to resist

see that smile spreading across your face as you look up from this magazine. If we can all visualize ourselves thriving beyond this blackberry winter and into the beauty of a Georgia spring, we will surely see that things are looking up. There may be flipflops on my feet, but there will be sun on my face as well.

In the grocery store parking lot just the other day, after loading my bags into my car, a gentleman walked by with just one bag in his hand. He stopped and offered to take my cart to the return corral. It took me a minute

Tickled Pink:

If You Want to Kiss the Sky, You'll Need to Look Up phone out in front of me. But I do want to make the effort to look up more often, more consciously.

What’s in our hands isn’t nearly as important as what is above our heads.

Nevertheless, as I write to you these upbeat words, too many of my friends are confronting terrible medical diagnoses or suffering immeasurable loss. I don’t want this ‘trend’ to become a dark cloud or a catalyst for negative thinking. I can hear one

the constriction born of pessimism, to hear and to see things differently.

Wisely, Martha Berry saw to it that each building on her campus was designed with spires, so that students would be compelled to look up. And what is it she expected people to see? Blue skies, soaring architecture, blooming trees, bald eagles, a world bigger than temporary, mundane problems.

In looking up, don’t we also feel our souls surge with undiluted optimism? I

to realize he wasn’t wearing a Kroger uniform, he was just a random guy doing something kind to the delight of someone else. If I hadn’t looked up from my backseat, I would never have seen him making such a selfless gesture.

Before I could even shout thank you, the phantom good Samaritan was already gone. And I was tickled pink. VVV

Holly Lynch is owner of/head events planner for The Season Special Events Planning at 250 Broad Street in Rome.

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L ifetime Roleofa

Now that her 30-year-old autobiographical essay-turnedrecycled-triumph, ROLE CALL, can be placed among a quarter-century of fearlessly introspective (sometimes downright kooky) pieces, Rome artist/author/pioneer SUSAN GILBERT HARVEY may change capes yet again.

I

Is necessity really the mother of invention, or is reinvention the real theoretical Madonna? If you ask Rome-based artist and author Susan Gilbert Harvey, she’s likely to choose the latter. Quite possibly because even prior to the release of her latest book, Role Call, she managed to successfully reinvent herself so many times over.

When most artists go about attempting to reinvent themselves or their work, they try to do so far removed from the scrutiny of the public eye—but not Harvey. Her creative reinventions have been public, fearless, and altogether unapologetic. All of which work together just perfectly for the creative purposes of this former Southern belle turned performance artist, sculptor, poet and writer.

Oh, and just to let you know, she isn’t done yet.

Harvey grew up in Rome, where her family enjoys deep roots. Her grandmother, Edith Lester Harbin, founded the Rome Symphony Orchestra in 1921, and fostered a family environment in which Susan knew early on the difference between her salad and dinner forks, that she should never, ever wear white after Labor Day, and that a thank-you note follows even the simplest of kind gestures. She later graduated from Hollins College, married, and started a family of her own.

Life was going just as planned. That is, until Susan began to feel a nagging creative itch that just wouldn’t leave her alone. It was during this time that she began to study advanced design with Virginia Dudley of Shorter College. “Virginia taught me how to see things three dimensionally,” Harvey explains. “I had always worked two dimensionally—you know, with painting and the like. When I started putting things together in a threedimensional way, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. The door opened.”

What came through that door was not something that Susan or her husband, David Harvey, had seen coming. A new artistic medium would soon present itself in unanticipated form, this time through the image and persona of the stereotyped Southern belle, which Harvey would channel into her first semiautobiographical character—a.k.a. “Junk Woman”, a caped heroine who scours junkyards to create art and travels the country in pursuit of her beloved hobby. “Costumes and characters give me

TEXT BY MANDY LOORHAM + PHOTOS BY DEREK BELL

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a chance to express parts of my personality that I wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to,” she says.

She credits her husband with giving her the greatest gift of all, when, after 20 years of marriage, he said to her, “Why don’t you take the next 10 years and see what you can do with your artwork?” She laughs out loud,

homemakers. With these sculptures leading the charge, Harvey went on to participate in both solo and group art exhibitions up and down the East Coast. Her family was extremely supportive throughout, and David even helped her haul artwork from location to location while the children helped to book Susan future appearances in various cities.

“ The thing I like best about the egg standing is that there is no political agenda, no redeeming factor for anything. It’s just a fun thing to do ...

With all that I have done, this is what they’ll probably put in my obituary.”

“I took the next 10—plus another 20 years.

Once the genie was out of the bottle, it didn’t go back in.”

Junk Woman kept Susan busy for the time being, creating sculpture from discarded, everyday objects. This period of her work focused heavily on the feminist movement and, in particular, the social bondage many women still feel as a result of expectations placed upon them to be perfect wives and

After several years of whirlwind traveling, creating, and showing at exhibitions, Junk Woman was rapidly spiraling toward burnout. Harvey found herself craving quiet and renewed introspection. She created an all-white room in her home, and began a brief sojourn into her second autobiographical character, Monk Woman. She legitimized the self-infused character as a working poet, examined her dreams, and even began a

slow metamorphosis into what would be her third living character creation, the Lunatic Moth. “There was a great freedom in Lunatic Moth,” says Harvey. “She could do whatever she wanted to do. She didn’t have an agenda.”

As Lunatic Moth, Susan visited the Empire State Building and the Goodyear Blimp in search of the perfect launching pad. The kooky Lunatic Moth even coopted Rome’s historic Clock Tower during another of Susan’s far less heady creations, “Standing Ovation”, which began in 1985 as a collaborative experiment between Harvey and Sherrie Bacon of the Rome Area Council for the Arts. Rena Patton, then a teacher at the Darlington School, had heard that people in China were balancing eggs on one end to celebrate the spring equinox. The women thought, “Why don’t we do that? And, of course, the Clock Tower was the perfect place because it is the heart of the community.”

And so, on Mar. 20, 1985, at exactly noon, a small group of friends gathered at the steps of the Clock Tower and began carefully placing their eggs, one at a time, on one end.

“We made the mistake of calling it the First Annual Standing Ovation. Because when you say ‘first annual,’ well, of course that

continued on pg. 53 >>>>

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V3 Magazine Presents

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Steeplechase 2013

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And the Race is On DESIGN BY LAUREN MOYE

This ultra-cool graphic piece, a cut-out composite concept saluting the 48th Annual Atlanta Steeplechase, is courtesy of talented Rome High freshman, Lauren Moye, 15. The budding young artist worked with V3 graphic designers during a one-day internship in Spring 2012, further honing her fast-developing prowess in the wild and wearying world of computer-generated art. If she keeps this up, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if you see more of Moye’s work in V3 someday soon.

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Join Us for the 4th Annual

May 10-11, 2013 Ridge Ferry Park, Rome, GA

2012 2013

Rome-Floyd Parks & Recreation Authority

Scott Thompson l Wing Tasting l Kid’s Q Contest l FREE Kids Zone GA Blues Brothers l BBQ Tasting l Arts & Crafts l Car Show l Country&Blues Get Details at rfpra.com/romanroast Event proceeds benefit Rome-Floyd recreational programming.

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For information Contact: Selena Pickard (706) 271-5739

“SAVING THE WETLANDS, ONE BIRDIE AT A TIME”

MAY 17, 2013

Meadowlakes Golf Course

CONTACT DAVID CULP – (706) 346-0571 OR SELENA PICKARD – (706) 271-5739

FOR SIGN-UP & MORE INFORMATION

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Take on Health OUR PHYSICIANS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

Reducing Stress Promotes Overall Well-Being

Dr. Frank Harbin received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical Psychology from Illinois Institute of Technology and his Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Memphis State University. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dr. Harbin joined Harbin Clinic in 1991. The Harbin Clinic Behavioral Sciences Department is located at701 North Broad Street, Suite 350, Rome, GA 30165. For more information call 706.295.2028.

Q&A with Dr. Harbin

• What is the difference between stress and anxiety?

Stress is your body’s response to anything that disrupts or challenges your normal life and routines. Its symptoms increase nervous system arousal and elevate adrenaline and cortisol, giving you heightened alertness, quicker judgment, and a boost of energy to meet whatever challenge you are facing. Signs of stress include rapid heart rate, skipped heartbeat, rapid breathing, sweating, dizziness, upset stomach, dry mouth and difficulty swallowing. If the stress is prolonged, you tend to have a hard time focusing, you may feel tired much the of time, lose your temper more often, develop insomnia, and even experience sexual difficulties.

Chronic stress can produce anxiety, which is a psychological state characterized by feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness and dread. It is generally related to situations one perceives as uncontrollable or unavoidable, and can incite restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, various anxiety disorders, depression, as well as having the potential to create or worsen a number of medical conditions.

• What are some tips for reducing stress?

Avoid scheduling conflicts. Use a day planner or personal digital assistant (PDA) to keep track of your appointments and activities; allow plenty of time to finish one activity before starting the next.

Be aware of your limits. Allow yourself to say “no” when people ask you to take on tasks you don’t have time or energy to complete.

Concentrate your thoughts and efforts on things you can control. When you find yourself brooding over a problem, ask yourself if you have any real control over the issue at hand. The volume of traffic on the road, the state of the economy—no matter how good a planner you are, oftentimes the only thing you can control is how you choose to feel in response to a problem.

• Studies have concluded that stress can weaken the immune system, leading to other health problems and,

ultimately, decreasing my overall sense of well-being. What are some stress-management strategies that can help me feel less anxious?

While you can reduce your overall stress, it is not possible to altogether eliminate stress from your life. The following are suggestions as to what you can do each and every day to feel more relaxed: Get frequent, moderate exercise. Multiple studies have shown that 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week of moderately intense aerobic exercise is as effective as medication in treating severe depression and anxiety disorders.

Schedule social activities. Plan times to socialize with family and friends. Maintaining close, supportive relationships is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress.

Eat well and get plenty of sleep. Maintaining a healthy diet and getting the proper rest will give you more energy to deal with daily stressors. Try to turn in and wake up at the same time most mornings.

Laugh as much as possible. Laughter is a powerful stress reducer. Watch funny movies, spend time with those who make you laugh.

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>>> from 27, “Time in a Bottle” was not unusual,” says Culpepper.

It has been said that Coca-Cola is one of the most recognized names on the planet after Jesus Christ. Barron’s business ventures and traveling would certainly testify to that. One particularly noteworthy trip took him to the frozen wilds of Siberia, where

“I’ve never in my life seen anyone drink a Coke and frown. They are always smiling.” in their pockets, and bottling Coca-Cola changed all that. “I think they felt like they owed something back. We just did what we thought was right.”

But that generosity wasn’t enjoyed only by local schools and companies. Individual residents were also touched rather directly by the graciousness of the Barrons. “When my grandmother died, the Coca-Colas in the icebox from Mr. Willie arrived before the funeral home. I don’t think that everyone who died in Rome got that treatment, but it

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even after a nine-day journey to reach his remote, final destination, a Coca-Cola sign popped up in a sparsely populated hamlet.

“When you see a Russian drinking CocaCola,” Frank says, “he is getting the same sensation as a kid who grew up in West Rome...drinking one during the seventh inning on a summer day. It’s the same thing worldwide.”

For this Barron, Coca-Cola represents a “sign and mark of happiness” the world over. “I’ve never seen anybody in my life

drink a Coke and frown. They are always smiling.”

Coca-Cola continues to be a timehonored, widely treasured thread in the fabric of Americana, indelibly marked on the story of our country, and especially the South. Immortalized by artists worldwide, this cultural and corporate icon has stood the test of time through flailing economies and even a short-lived detour from its original formula. In a July 1982 issue of the industry periodical The Coca-Cola Bottler, Frank was duly highlighted in a bottler profile. In it, he compares his job to that of another well-known professional familiar with bringing joy to children of all ages, though he’d “rather be the ‘CocaCola man’ than Santa Claus. Santa comes only once a year.”

Long since retired from the world of “pop,” W. Frank Barron, Jr. is still an avid consumer of Coca-Cola products. He can no longer have the beverage in his favorite 6.5 ounce refillable bottle, but these days he’s willing to settle for a Caffeine-Free Diet Coke instead. “That’s not my favorite, but it’s what I can drink,” he laughs.

“I just can’t say that there is anything negative about Coca-Cola—but I may be prejudiced.” VVV

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>>> from 41, “Role of a Lifetime” means that you have to do another.”

In the 28 years since the inaugural egg stand, the event has come to feature local school groups and pretty much anyone else who wants to participate. “The thing I like best about the egg standing is that there is no political agenda, no redeeming factor for anything. It’s just a fun thing to do. It has been covered by international press.

I have a scrapbook this thick,” she says, parting wide her thumb and index finger.

“With all that I have done, this is what they’ll probably put in my obituary. I’ll be going to the Clock Tower as long as I can get up there.”

At that time, marking off line after line on an ever-lengthening list of artistic accomplishments, Susan had already managed to strike performance artist, visual artist, sculptor, poet, and equinox egg stander from the bunch. Now, however, it was time to dive headfirst into an entirely new medium: writing. “I’ve always had these crazy ideas and found some kind of medium to put them into,” she says.

Before her most recent print release, Role Call, which revives an autobiographical odyssey first presented in 1988, Harvey published Tea with Sister Anna: A Paris Journal (2005) and Postmarks: The

Summers of ’98 (2010)— and yes, that is ‘summers’ plural. Both books were inspired by journals, letters and drawings found in a steamer truck that once belonged to Harvey’s great aunt, Anna McNulty Lester.

Sister Anna taught art in women’s colleges in Georgia and Virginia. In 1898, she traveled alone to Paris and spent a year drawing and painting while suffering from tuberculosis.

Susan was so intrigued with her kindred-spirit ancestor that she too traveled to Paris in her great aunt’s footsteps, where she was able to retrace Sister Anna’s life through her journals and letters. Susan stayed in the same boarding house, visited the same studios, and walked the same roads Sister Anna had 100 years earlier. “I have been able to reach a new audience with books.

I loved the writing, the going to Paris as

much as I enjoyed going to the junkyard to find pieces for my sculpture.”

In sharp contrast, Harvey describes Role Call as a “visual fairytale for adults; a humorous blend of art, psychology and cultural satire.” The 25th anniversary DVD edition of Role Call takes a fun walk through Susan’s creative life and revisits/reintroduces her creative personae. It includes insightful videos segments and interviews on Susan’s work as a sculptor, author and performer over the last quarter-century.

“Every decade or so,” Harvey says, “we get these urges to reinvent ourselves. Some people get stuck and never get out of this rut. There is energy that comes from change and reinvention. I hope through my work I have given people permission to do something out of the blue.” VVV

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