NCM Nov/Dec 2025

at holiday time

Rotary and Kiwanis celebrate centennials

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Holiday Events

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From life’s biggest moments, to everyday needs, The Southern Credit Union is here with you every step of the way.

From life’s biggest moments, to everyday needs, The Southern Credit Union is here with you every step of the way.

We offer a full array of financial services and accounts, from savings and checking, to money market and IRAs. With competitive rates, flexible terms and local, personalized service, our loans cannot be beat. We offer everything from personal loans, to auto loans, mortgages and Visa® Credit Cards. If it matters to you, it matters to us.

We offer a full array of financial services and accounts, from savings and checking, to money market and IRAs. With competitive rates, flexible terms and local, personalized service, our loans cannot be beat. We offer everything from personal loans, to auto loans, mortgages and

® Credit Cards. If it matters to you, it matters to us.

The Southern Credit Union is proud to be your hometown credit union since 1963. Membership is open to anyone living or working in Coweta County and once you’re a member, your family is also eligible to join.

The Southern Credit Union is proud to be your hometown credit union since 1963. Membership is open to anyone living or working in Coweta County and once you’re a member, your family is also eligible to join.

Join today by stopping in one of our convenient Coweta County locations: NEWNAN BRANCH SHARPSBURG BRANCH

Join today by stopping in one of our convenient Coweta County locations: NEWNAN BRANCH SHARPSBURG BRANCH

Publishers C. Clayton Neely

Elizabeth C. Neely

Editor Jackie Kennedy

Creative Director Sonya Studt

Graphic Designers

Contributing Writers

Contributing Photographers

Advertising Manager

Digital Marketing Specialist

Emily Hernandez

Erin Scott

Joan Doggrell

Frances Kidd

Jennifer London

Caroline Nicholson

Sarah Reeves

Robin Stewart

Misha Benson

Jackie Kennedy

Beth Neely

Misha Benson

Sarah Reeves

ALL ABOUT HELP Spay Neuter Clinic

About HELP Spay

Neuter Clinic

At HELP Spay Neuter Clinic, our mission is simple: to end pet overpopulation and keep pets healthy, happy, and in loving homes

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides high-quality, low-cost spay, neuter, and vaccine services to families across Georgia and Alabama Since opening our doors in 2010, our team has performed more than 86,000 surgeries, preventing millions of unplanned litters and reducing the number of pets entering already overcrowded shelters But HELP is more than just a clinic we are a lifeline for families who love their pets but struggle to afford traditional veterinary care Every surgery and every vaccine given is another step toward a healthier community where no pet has to suffer simply because care was out of reach.

With the support of donors, volunteers, and community partners, HELP continues to expand services like our Snip Ship transport program, which brings care directly to communities in need Together, we ’ re working to create a future where every pet is wanted, cared for, and cherished

The Snip Ship

Can’t get to us? We’ll come to you! Our Snip Ship transport service makes it easy for pet parents across the region to access affordable spay/neuter care. Find upcoming Snip Ship routes and sign up on our website

Scan Here to Schedule an Appointment

Vaccine Clinics

Protecting your pets is just as important as preventing unwanted litters! We host low-cost vaccine clinics throughout the year.

�� The 2025 Vaccine Clinic Dates are now posted on our website be sure to check them out and mark your calendar!

Volunteer with HELP

Our lifesaving work is powered by passionate volunteers! From clinic support to community events, there are so many ways to lend a hand Sign up to be a HELP volunteer today through our website

Visit us anytime at �� www helpspayneuter org

�� Questions? Contact us at frontdesk@helpspayneuter org or call us at 770-304-7911

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025

21 | Generosity Abounds

Various organizations kick it in high gear this time of year to ensure that Cowetans of all ages and stages experience a joyful Christmas. By Caroline Nicholson

24 | Rotary Club of Newnan

The Rotary Club of Newnan observed its 100th birthday in 2024 and looks forward to another century of service. By Robin Stewart

30 | Kiwanis Club of Newnan

The Kiwanis Club of Newnan honored its roots this year, its Centennial year, with a gala and plans for the future. By Frances Kidd

36 | Christmas Cookies Galore

The eighth annual NCM Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest is in the books with some of the prettiest and tastiest cookies we've yet encountered. By Jackie Kennedy

46 | Bringing in the Season

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without the live Nativity at CORRAL, a holiday play staged by Newnan Theatre Company or other local yuletide events. By Jennifer London

58 | A Thankful Holiday Hayride

To honor the memory of their beloved parents, Newnan's Coggin family gathers each year for a morning hayride on the day after Thanksgiving. By Cheryl Coggin Glisson

At Georgia Bone & Joint, our sports medicine doctors take a team approach in helping you return to your favorite sports and activities. Our sports medicine doctors are trained in the treatment and care of sports-related injuries and conditions, such as torn ligaments (ACL & MCL), torn cartilage (meniscus), joint instability, muscle weakness, sprains, and fractures. With this advanced training, our physicians have the experience and expertise to assess, diagnose, and treat your sports medicine injur y individually to your needs.

Celebrate a Coweta Christmas

It’s that time of year again. How it rolls around so fast, I’ll never know.

In Coweta County, signs of the holiday season's approaching are as evident as fall’s first nip in the air. About the time you reach in your closet for a sweater, Market Day vendors are setting out items perfect for holiday gift giving. Shops in Coweta’s downtowns are decorating for Christmas and sharing delectable treats with their customers. Holiday light displays twinkle in town and country, announcing a season, a savior and a call to service.

Cowetans answer that call in myriad ways.

Throughout the county, nonprofit and grassroots organizations gather their members to diligently work in November and December to provide items or services deemed essential to providing joy for local families. The sheriff’s office assembles bicycles to give to kids across the county; RiverLife’s Silver Bells Coweta program shops for senior citizens and delivers holiday happiness to them; Bridging the Gap provides toys and gifts for children less fortunate; and the Salvation Army rings bells calling holiday shoppers to share a little to lighten the load for families not only at Christmas but throughout the year. See story on page 21.

Also caring for Cowetans throughout the year are its multiple civic clubs, which provide various services. Two of these clubs recently wrapped up a century of service and are moving forward into their second century. Read about the Rotary Club of Newnan and Kiwanis Club of Newnan, starting on page 24.

Along with organizations that supply tangible items and services during the holidays, many more provide experiences Cowetans have come to consider as family traditions. For many, the holidays are not complete without watching Newnan Theatre Company’s annual Christmas play or visiting the live Nativity at CORRAL’s barn in Roscoe. For these and other annual holiday events, see page 46.

Not only formal agencies and organizations stage holiday events that become beloved traditions. Each family has its own traditions without which the holidays would be, simply, days. The Coggin family of Newnan has held a unique family event for more than a decade, kicking off the Christmas holidays on Black Friday with a morning hayride, see page 58.

At Newnan-Coweta Magazine, we have our own holiday tradition, jumpstarting the Christmas season in September with our annual Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest, see page 36.

“Why September?” is a question we’re often asked. The answer is, “Deadlines.”

To meet the deadline for our November-December issue, we request that readers bake cookies in September, and we ask contest winners to don holiday attire when it’s still broiling hot outside.

We’re delighted each year with our winners’ willingness to risk heat stroke for a few minutes in order to present our readers with a holiday feature beloved by those who enjoy Newnan-Coweta Magazine.

Equally, we deeply appreciate the local merchants who generously donate prizes for our cookie contest winners. The prizes get better and better each year, and the Christmas joy we experience in the office each September puts us in the holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas to all.

Jackie Kennedy, Editor magazine@newnan.com

Never Miss a Magazine!

Your subscription to The Newnan Times-Herald (NTH) includes a copy of Newnan-Coweta Magazine mailed to your home or office! The NTH is your reliable source for news on community events, crime, local government, arts and culture, social services, zoning and development.

Robin Stewart loves to grab her hubby and take off on their next adventure. Having found their shared passion as globetrotters, they’ve learned life is just down-time between trips. When she’s not being an insufferable travel snob, Robin enjoys reading, gentle yoga, family and friends, and the freedoms of pre-retirement.

Frances Kidd is a Newnan native who spent most of her adult years working as a nonprofit and marketing consultant. Although she’s an avid traveler, she never lost her Southern accent. If she’s not in Georgia, you can find her out in the country in Italy.

Sarah Reeves is a freelance writer and member of the marketing/advertising team at The Newnan Times-Herald. She shares a home in Newnan with her husband Chris and several of their "almost adult" kids.

We

Caroline Nicholson loves disappearing behind a good book and falling into fictional worlds. She has a Master of Arts in English from the University of West Georgia. In time, she hopes to publish her own young-adult novel.

Joan Doggrell is retired from two professions: college English instructor and technical writer. She lives in Newnan with her husband and two hairy dogs.

Jennifer London lives in Newnan with her daughter. The two use their travels as inspiration for stories they create with Jennifer writing and her daughter illustrating. Jennifer believes that everyone has a story to tell, and she loves being a freelance writer and meeting new people.

Whether your family is in need of immediate service or interested in planning ahead to lock in today’s prices for tomorrow’s needs, we can help. Call us today and find out how to celebrate a life like no other, beautifully and affordably.

Our Readers Write:

Thanks for “The Death (and Life) Issue”

I finished reading the September-October 2025 NewnanCoweta Magazine, and it was so informative. You and your writers did an excellent job.

I believe the focus of death is such a necessary topic of conversation, and you showed all sides of it: the funeral homes, the types of burials, funeral foods and even the white doves! Way to go!

I especially enjoyed the article about Richard Hawk. I remember speaking to him about my son Matt’s autopsy and how helpful he was. I could tell he was a good man. I’ve also wondered about his family’s killer and what his punishment was, and now I know.

Thank you for the great reading.

- Christine Kendall, Newnan

When I saw the September-October 2025 edition of the magazine, I put it down without even thumbing through it. But, I sat down yesterday and read it cover to cover. You did our community a service with this issue. I met people I would not ordinarily meet and learned something in every article. I especially appreciated your article on our Coweta County coroner and thought Toby Nix’s piece on the last page was the perfect conclusion for this issue.

Thanks for all that you do,

- Cheryl Coggin Glisson, Newnan

Intrigued with Coweta County

Several years ago, my niece got married in Mt. Airy, N.C. It was a wonderful wedding at a vineyard in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains. We knew Mt. Airy was Andy Griffith’s hometown, so we stayed a few days in the area to explore that neck of the woods.

Mt. Airy is very proud of its famous son, so the town had lots of Mayberry to see. We had lunch at Aunt Bea’s Cafe and saw Floyd’s Barber Shop. We got to see the Mayberry patrol car and have our picture taken beside it. There's a Wally’s Service Station and a replica of the Mayberry Jail. I have a picture of my husband sitting at Andy’s desk behind the sheriff sign. Since it was his birthday, he put me in the jail cell. My grandkids didn’t like that picture, but I told them at least it was Barney Fife’s jail, so I could easily get out.

They also have an Andy Griffith Museum. We signed in, listing Moreland as our home. My husband looks at everything in a museum; I did a quick trip, though, and then waited for him by the exit. Behind the cashier was a showcase of DVDs featuring Andy Griffith. I saw “Murder in Coweta County” and, when I had a chance, told the cashier that we live in Coweta County. She told me that she had more questions from visitors about “Murder in Coweta County” than on anything else about Andy Griffith. She asked me if there were still Stricklands in the area; I told her there were. She said she would have loved to talk longer because she had lots of questions.

If you ever find yourself in that neck of the woods, be sure to check out Mt. Airy and especially the Andy Griffith Museum. Don’t forget to mention where you live and the movie that made our county famous. You might get to answer some questions.

- Julia “Judy” Freeman, Moreland

Let’s build champions together. LET'S GO WEST.

The University of West Georgia is a driving force in the region, educating talent, fueling innovation, and contributing directly to Georgia’s economy.

From the classroom to the national stage, our students achieve at the highest levels. Our graduates lead in education, healthcare, business, and public service – many right here in west Georgia.

Learn more at westga.edu

Senoia’s Own Santa

Written and

Photographed

by JACKIE KENNEDY

There’s nothing like walking through town with Santa at your side. That’s what we did in October when we took pictures of Santa Joe McGee in Senoia for the cover.

Hanging out with Santa Claus is like being a groupie with a rock band. People driving by holler and wave. Folks on the sidewalk lean in and ask you to take their photo with the Big Guy. No one merely walks by; everyone speaks to Santa, including one fellow who asked Santa Joe why he didn’t get what he asked for back in 1986.

“Your name wasn’t on the Nice List,” Santa reminded him.

“Yeah, you’re right,” the fellow replied, hanging his head.

“Ho, ho, ho,” Santa bellowed.

After a walking tour of downtown Senoia to find the best morning lighting for photography, we noticed the front door open at Table Talk, a fantastic gift shop on Main Street. Sparkling inside were decorated Christmas trees in mid-October.

“We’ve already sold all our Halloween things,” storeowner Tony Hinshaw shared.

Lucky for us!

Tony graciously welcomed us to shoot photos all over the store, where tree after differently decorated tree proved the perfect backdrop.

With several dozen potential cover shots in tow, Mr. and Mrs. Claus and I walked back to our cars parked in front of the Welcome Center. “Hey, Santa,” we heard a few more times.

“Ho, ho, ho,” Mr. Claus answered again in a voice that made me grin ‘til it hurt. Every. Single. Time. NCM

Accepting nominations now for Great Heart Awards

Do you know someone who goes above and beyond to care for their nextdoor neighbor? A cousin who takes your grandmother to the grocery store each week? A coworker who spends her lunch hour each Thursday reading books to elementary school students?

We're looking for stories to tell about individual Cowetans whose hearts overflow with goodness and kind deeds.

If you know someone who fits the bill, nominate them in the form below. Tell us what this kind-hearted person does that makes him or her worthy of a Great Heart Award. If your nomination is chosen, we'll feature your story about this local Great Heart in an upcoming issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine.

Nominate only individuals – not groups, nonprofits or other organizations.

Also, this isn't a contest. Rather, it's an opportunity to give a shout out and express gratitude to the individuals in our community who demonstrate that love is an action word.

Fill out this form and drop by or mail to Great Heart Awards, NewnanCoweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson Street, Newnan, GA 30263 . Visit our website, newnancowetamagazine.com and fill out the form online, or send this information to magazine@newnan.com. Either way, please submit your nomination no later than Nov. 17, 2025 .

Your Name:

Your Phone Number:

Your Email Address:

Nominee's Name:

Why you're nominating this person:

Nominee's Phone Number:

Nominee's Email:

Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s “The Language of Flowers” isn’t just a novel; it's an experience. It’s a fragrant journey into the intricate world of Victorian floriography, a symbolic system where flowers and their arrangements are used to communicate messages or emotions. It involves assigning specific meanings to different flowers and colors, allowing individuals to convey feelings, thoughts and even secret messages without uttering a word.

This tale is woven with the poignant story of Victoria Jones, a young woman whose life has been shaped by the thorny landscape of the foster care system. From the very first page, I was utterly captivated, and by the last, my heart felt both tenderly bruised and beautifully hopeful, solidifying this book as a resounding five-star read.

Diffenbaugh’s premise is ingenious. The Victorian language of flowers, a subtle yet powerful form of communication, becomes more than just a charming historical detail. For Victoria, it’s her primary language, a shield against the vulnerability of human connection. Having grown up in isolation, she speaks fluently in the unspoken vocabulary of blossoms, conveying messages of mistrust and solitude with the same precision others use spoken words. This unique perspective instantly draws you into

MASTERPIECE:

‘The Language of Flowers’ A BLOOMING

Reviewed by DALE BOWERS

Victoria’s world, making her guarded nature both understandable and deeply compelling.

Beyond Victoria’s personal struggles, the novel beautifully explores the power of communication, both verbal and nonverbal. The meticulous descriptions of the flowers and their meanings are seamlessly integrated into the narrative, enriching the story with layers of symbolism and emotion.

Each carefully chosen bouquet becomes a silent dialogue, revealing unspoken truths and hidden desires. This element alone elevates the book beyond a simple character study, transforming it into a meditation on the ways we connect – and fail to connect –with one another.

Furthermore, Diffenbaugh skillfully weaves in a painful secret from Victoria’s past, adding another layer of complexity and emotional depth to the narrative. The unraveling of this secret and Victoria’s subsequent confrontation with it is handled with sensitivity and grace, leading to a powerful and ultimately cathartic resolution.

“The Language of Flowers” is more than just a story about overcoming adversity; it’s a testament to the enduring human need for connection and the transformative power of love and forgiveness. This is a book

that stays with you. It makes you consider the unspoken language that surrounds us and the subtle ways we communicate our deepest feelings. It reminds us that even the most guarded hearts are capable of blossoming.

"The Language of Flowers" is the debut novel of Vanessa Diffenbaugh; published in 2011 by Ballantine Books; 334 pages. ★★★★★

For more than 37 years, Dale Bowers has made Coweta County her home, balancing a career as an emergency nurse practitioner at Grady with a deep commitment to her community. With a passion for literacy, she volunteers with the Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation Board. Her work is a testament to her belief that professional and community involvement can truly make a place better.

Operation Big Guy

Santa is real and I saw him. I saw him and this is why I believe in magic. I must have been between four or five years old, and though memories can fade, I do know we lived in Wisconsin and I was old enough to sleep in my own bed. These are facts.

What is also a fact is that I saw the very real and very speedy Santa Claus. Sadly, I have no evidence, but this may be why my parents named me Faith.

It was Christmas Eve. The yard was covered in snow thick enough to absorb all background noises, muffling the city to sleep.

Now that I live in the South, I sometimes forget about snow’s supernatural powers –blanketing the earth in a silence so still and deep that far away footsteps crunching on ice can pierce the ears like a cannon. Sound is both soaked up and, yet, oddly amplified.

Also amplified? My excitement!

I’m sure that children around the world joined in my joy that evening, licking candy cane stained hands while sticky fingers clapped for a sugar plum encore: Santa was coming and there was no way I was gonna miss seeing him.

If you were a kid on Christmas Eve, you were hoping and looking, too. Belief was my bedfellow tucked under the covers while pine-scented air wafted from the trees. The evening was electrified, and I was needling with excitement. I was ready to stay up all night.

I heard my parents outside the door, checking in on my sleep progress which was a fat zero, but I pretended, throwing in a fake snore for authenticity. They exchanged words of relief (unaware of my award-winning slumber performance) and finally left, leaving me to my very vigorous wishing procedure I now called Operation Big Guy.

I wished sooooo hard, hoping to outwish all the other millions of kids on the planet, urging Santa to hear my plea. To be frank, I wished so hard I gave myself a slight headache from clenched eyes and hands clasped together in a red-suited prayer. I begged my soul to believe beyond what I thought possible, pinning wings on wishes to soar through the sky.

And then I heard it: jingle, jingle, jangle, and a faint call of “Ho, Ho, Ho” waving in the wind.

I broke myself free from my heavy-eyed glaze and flew to the window.

I swear on all things Christmas I saw him – a shining sleigh of speed and stars shooting through the sky. My heart was pounding yet my breath was standing still. Every fiber of me buzzed with the unbelievable.

I beg you to believe. I saw Santa. I did.

This fact has carried me far. When life gets hard, I marshal up that little girl, somewhere still inside. I rally her forth, remembering I once was ripe with hope and banking on the currency that magic is real and belief is the business Santa trades in.

I know firsthand that all of this is true. I know this because I saw Santa.

I cross my Christmas heart, I did. NCM

and

Arts. Her artwork can be viewed at faithfarrellart.com.

50 Years of Compassion!

The Newnan-Coweta Humane Society is celebrating 50 years of saving lives & serving our community. We thank all of our volunteers and donators for their dedication and support! Be part of our future - adopt, foster, volunteer, or donate today!

Pave the Way to Compassion

Leave a Legacy, Buy a Brick Honor your pet with a commemorative brick!

• Honor a beloved pet

• Celebrate a current companion

• Remember a lost friend

• Show your support for NCHS

Your brick will become a permanent part of a path into our newly refurbished facility, symbolizing love and care that built our past - showing the way into our future.

How to Participate

Buy your brick today!

Go to www.thatsmybrick.com/nchs

Questions? Email president@nchsrescue.org

Special thanks to Atlanta Humane Society! Through their support, our shelter is safer, more comfortable, more welcoming for the animals in our care as well as for families and volunteers who love and support them.

We thank the Mayor of the City of Newnan and Coweta County Board of Commissioners recognizing September 6, 2025 as NewnanCoweta Humane Society Day.

Location 608 Hwy. 29 N. Newnan, GA 30263

Phone 770-683-3156

Email nchs@nchsrescue.org

Website www.nchsrescue.org

Filling hearts with joy Christmas Giving in Coweta

Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON

Photos Courtesy of THE NEWNAN TIMES-HERALD

Often referred to as the season of giving, Christmastime fills hearts with joy and reminds everyone of the important things in life.

After reflecting on the past year and its abundances for which to be grateful, the desire is kindled to spread good cheer to others in the form of gifts, money and time spent volunteering.

In Coweta County, there are many ways to celebrate the holiday season and give to those in need.

Coweta County Sheriff’s Office Bike Build-Off

For years, Coweta County resident C.J. D’Onofrio, owner of Newnan’s Southside Safe and Vault, bought and built bicycles that he donated to Toys for Tots at Christmastime. The bikes were given to local children who might not have had the opportunity to own a bike without these donations.

When the number of bikes surpassed 50 in one year, he knew he needed to recruit more help.

In 2020, D’Onofrio partnered with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, and the number of bikes built and distributed has multiplied each year since.

Along with the Sheriff’s Office, local police and fire departments have gotten involved as well.

Coweta Sheriff Lenn Wood speaks fondly of the tradition and admits that it has become quite the competition between the different public safety groups.

“It’s a great program, and we all really enjoy doing it," says Wood. "It only takes a couple hours because we have so much help.”

In 2024, the program built and distributed over 250 bikes with the help of Toys for Tots and the Marine Corps. They are looking forward to another great season this year and encourage the community to donate to the program to provide more children with the happiness a bike can bring.

Silver Bells Coweta (RiverLife)

The year 2025 marks seven years for the Silver Bells Coweta program through the local nonprofit RiverLife.

During the Christmas season, focus often goes to children in need, and the elderly might be forgotten. Silver Bells Coweta ensures that senior members of our community aren’t overlooked and that they feel loved.

Silver Bells is a multifaceted program that begins with sponsors who adopt local seniors and shop for Christmas presents and household necessities they might need. Next, a group of volunteers gathers and wraps the gifts, organizing them in preparation for delivery. Finally, volunteers select their seniors, collect the care packages, and hand-deliver the items.

Marisa Leon, director of Silver Bells Coweta, says these volunteers deliver much more than just gifts to these seniors.

“Many of them rarely receive visitors, making it a truly special occasion for them to connect with compassionate members of our community who simply wish to spread joy," says Leon. "The experience is equally rewarding for the participants who deliver the gifts.”

Last December, the program delivered smiles and Christmas spirit to 203 local seniors, and they hope to surpass that number this year. Silver Bells Coweta takes place December 11-13. Check out their website and consider volunteering or sponsoring a senior to help them reach their goal. (livetheriverlife.com/ silver-bells-coweta)

Salvation Army’s Angel Tree and Other Giving Programs

The Salvation Army has been serving the Coweta County community and providing Christmas joy to local children for nearly three decades. Their Angel Tree program allows customers at Walmart in Newnan to shop for gifts and clothes for local children in need.

Angel trees are located at both entrances of Walmart. These trees are filled with names and wishlists of children who would otherwise go without gifts on Christmas morning. Customers simply pick a name from the tree and shop around the store for the child.

Once the gifts are dropped off, the Salvation Army takes over and delivers the presents to the families in need before Christmas morning. In 2024, with the help of the community, 324 children received presents under their tree on Christmas.

The Angel Tree is not the Salvation Army’s only Christmastime program. Their most recognizable Christmas tradition, the Red Kettle Campaign, funds not only holiday efforts but myriad other services. Some people don't recognize the holiday's arrival until they see Salvation Army volunteers ringing bells outside various stores in the community.

The donations raised from this campaign support food and utility assistance for local families in need and assistance for Coweta's growing population of people without homes. In 2024, the Red Kettle Campaign raised over $78,000, enabling the Salvation Army to change countless lives, according to Heather Durham, director of the Salvation Army's Newnan Service Center.

"These programs positively impact our community by providing gifts, food and financial aid to those in need," says Durham. "The holiday season is a crucial period for the Salvation Army, during which donations collected help fund services throughout the entire year.”

To get involved, adopt an angel from the Angel Tree when the program starts in November. Donate to the Red Kettle Campaign or volunteer to ring the bell yourself. Or call the Salvation Army to learn what specific items they need for their food pantry and toiletry (southernusa.salvationarmy.org/newnan)

Christmas in Coweta (Bridging the Gap)

Since 2011, Bridging the Gap has provided Christmas presents to local children and teenagers who would otherwise go without. The program accepts kids 18 and younger who are enrolled in a Coweta County school.

Hundreds of groups and individuals in the community contribute to this program by purchasing toys, gifts, clothes and shoes for children whose families can't afford to buy them. Bridging the Gap distributes the presents to the families to brighten Christmas morning. The 2024 program brought happiness to 2,285 children in Coweta County.

To sponsor a child or family, donate new unwrapped toys or volunteer with Bridging the Gap (btgcommunity.org). NCM

LEFT

left, Aubrie and

Building Goodwill

ROTARY CLUB OF NEWNAN ENTERS A NEW CENTURY OF SERVICE

Written by ROBIN STEWART

Photos Courtesy of ROTARY CLUB OF NEWNAN

Rotarian at Work! It’s what they do, and what they’ve done, for more than a century! Wearing the shirt, George Siggins proves it’s more than a slogan.

It’s been said that all politics is local. The same could be said for philanthropy.

The Rotary Club of Newnan has been actively serving the Newnan/Coweta area for more than a century; last year, the nonprofit service organization celebrated its 100-year anniversary.

Living the “Service Above Self” motto, Rotarians can be described as humanitarians on a mission to better their immediate community. Much good comes from those weekly Wednesday lunch meetings at the Newnan Country Club where guest speakers are often featured.

The Newnan organization’s list of past presidents reads like a “Who’s Who” of the city’s history, with many of the surnames now familiar as names found on streets and buildings around town: Arnall, Mann, Farmer, Cole and Jones are just a few. Some present-day members are second, third and even fourth generation relations to the club’s charter members. That’s quite a legacy!

Nevertheless, this is not your grandfather’s club. Today’s Newnan Rotary includes men and women from all walks of life. State Representative Lynn Smith (District 70) enjoys the distinction of having been the

Young

first female member when she joined back in 1991.

Being open and welcoming to all is important to the organization, demystifying the misperception of exclusivity. Those interested in joining the Rotary Club of Newnan can reach out to a current member or contact the club via their website or social media to attend a meeting as a guest and learn more.

Service traditions

Attorney Kimberly Bourroughs Debrow is the current president of Rotary Club of Newnan. Debrow

cites the club’s longstanding service traditions of awarding scholarships to high school seniors and awarding community grants to local nonprofits among the biggest achievements over the last 100 years.

Chosen by school staff, graduating high school seniors are eligible for the scholarships.

“This past year, we extended the opportunity to all five high schools in the county,” Debrow notes. That’s Coweta County’s three public high schools – Newnan, East Coweta and Northgate – and two private schools, Heritage and Trinity.

Debrow observes that, beyond the obvious financial assistance, the honor and recognition is most prized by student recipients, as those who win exemplify the tenets of Rotary.

“In addition to doing service, we also help enable service through other organizations,” Debrow says. “Our grans program is a compounded way of how we really are here to serve our community.”

Awarded annually, these grants help other nonprofits carry out their missions. Local organizations seeking to apply for grants can find information and deadlines on the Newnan Rotary Club website at newnanrotary.org.

Debrow says the scholarships and grants continue “a legacy of service” for Newnan Rotary.

“More Music is proud to partner with the Rotary Club of Newnan,” says Director Chad Staples. “Because of their support, More Music was able to provide student scholarships that helped increase our Student Scholarship Program to 16 students.”

He credits Newnan Rotary as one reason More Music will “continue shaping students’ lives through the power of music.”

Hands-on helping

Beyond grants, Newnan Rotary Club assists local nonprofits in a hands-on way through various service projects. From providing shaded picnic table seating for the humane society’s staff and volunteers to partnering with Backpack Buddies to bag and deliver food to local children in need, Newnan Rotary Club is about service, fellowship and community.

It’s stated in their messaging: “Rotary is where neighbors become friends and friends become changemakers.”

Kevin Barbee led the group in its centennial year during which the club marked their anniversary with a formal gala celebration at the Newnan Centre and a visual retrospective of the club’s history. It was lovely, but Newnan Rotary Club is synonymous with something even a bit more… Explosive!

Easily, the Newnan Rotary Club’s most popular event is the annual Fourth of July Fireworks Show at Newnan High School’s Drake Stadium.

“When people think about the Newnan Rotary Club, most probably think about fireworks because we’re the ones who have been sponsoring that for almost 40

OPPOSITE PAGE:

1. A centennial display on Newnan Rotary featured Women in Rotary with spotlight on Lynn Smith, center, the club’s first woman member. With her are, from left, Kevin Barbee and Laurie Pope.

2. Among the centennial celebrants at the 100th Rotary gala were, from left, Barry and Kim Debrow, Favour Onwanuo with guest, and George Siggins.

3. Rotarians meet weekly, volunteer throughout the year, and get together to relax some, too, like they did here after placing dozens of flags for the Salute the Fallen observance.

4. In gratitude for those who gave their lives for their country, Rotarians wind up another Salute the Fallen workday.

5. Rotarians gather to celebrate a century of service at the Rotary Club of Newnan’s Century Gala in 2024. Rotarians are, from left, John Thrasher, Mike Sumner, Garnet Reynolds, Carol Moore, Jay Boren, Luke Headley, Clay Hudson, Cathy Wright, Otis Jones, Rhodes Shell, Sandy Wisenbaker, Joel Richardson, Gerald Kemp, Bill Headley and Don Phillips.

6. Rotarians Kevin Barbee, Kirby Arnall Jr., Peyton Shellnut and Justin Halford help load food into the van for Backpack Buddies.

7. During a service project for Backpack Buddies, Rotarians pack bags for local students. From left are Lori Burnett, Don Phillips, Steve Swope and Ed Downing.

years,” says Immediate Past President Clay Neely. “That is our primary service project.”

Debrow agrees, calling it an iconic event that the club is honored and proud to do.

Neely says it’s one of two signature events for the club. Their other major fundraiser is the annual Tour of Coweta bicycle ride traversing Western Coweta County. Rides range from 27 to 100 miles. Money raised from the ride funds Newnan Rotary Club scholarships.

In a time where people seem more divided than united, it’s noteworthy that the Rotary Club is both nonpartisan and nonsectarian yet governed by a set of ethics known as the Rotary Four-Way Test of things members think-say-do:

1. Is it the truth?

2. Is it fair to all concerned?

3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

“Rotary is open, and it’s welcoming, and it’s deeply invested in our community’s future, Newnan’s future,” says Debrow. “We are a service club that’s been around for more than a hundred years, but more than that, we’re a family of friends and people who care about one another, who share a common interest in making sure our community is safe and strong.”

The Rotary Club of Newnan looks forward to its next 100 years of service and impact, according to Debrow.

Cheers to another century of service, Newnan Rotarians!

NCM

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Our specialists are trained in the field of women's medicine which includes obstetrical and gynecological services such as pregnancy care, family planning needs and counseling, annual examinations, and minor office surgical procedures.

In addition, specialized care is available in areas such as high risk pregnancy and gynecological/ urogynecological surgery.

Deep and Wide

NEWNAN KIWANIS CLUB’ S ROOTS STRETCH A CENTURY BACK

Written by FRANCES KIDD

Courtesy of KIWANIS CLUB OF NEWNAN

The Kiwanis Club of Newnan celebrated its centennial this year, marking 100 years of service to the community.

Hear the name “Newnan Kiwanis” and you’ll likely imagine scenes of the Coweta County Fair. And while the fair is a large and extremely popular part of what they do, the local Kiwanis Club is much more than that.

Dr. Thomas Bailey started the Club with 35 charter members in 1925; lunch cost 50 cents. Sponsored by the Atlanta Kiwanis Club, the local club’s leadership was made up of business leaders, many of whose names could be recognized today by long-term Coweta residents. Some current club members are direct descendants of the club’s founding members.

Today, Newnan is the largest of the seven clubs in Georgia District 3 and is often recognized as one of the outstanding clubs in the division.

A grand celebration in May 2025 marked the club’s centennial. Beth Neely served as president until the end of September and shares her thoughts on the club’s vibrant history: “I think it’s phenomenal this club has lasted 100

ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM

• The sun sets at the 2025 Coweta County Fair.

years. It really speaks to the quality of the community we’re in because it takes generations of commitment to continue a club for that long. And at a time when people say civic clubs aren’t really thriving, having an in-person civic club where people do still get together in person and create lasting relationships that aren’t based on a digital platform is something incredible. There’s magic there that doesn’t exist online.”

Fair with a purpose

Newnan Kiwanis has sponsored the Coweta County Fair since 1947. The club purchased 37 acres of land on Pine Road for the county when the new fairground was built and recently donated more land for additional parking.

Kiwanians seem to love the fair as much as visitors do. One day they particularly enjoy is the morning each year when they partner with the local Aktion Club to host Special Needs Children’s Day. On this special day, more than 500 special needs children from the Coweta County School System, along with parents and caregivers, take over the midway. After getting their fill of rides and entertainment, the crowd has lunch together.

Every penny of the annual fair’s net income – $200,000 to $250,000 – goes back into the community through grants to more than 50 local nonprofits and scholarships for deserving high school seniors.

More service projects

While the fair is probably the community activity most often associated with Newnan Kiwanis, the group leads or is involved in many other local events.

With the assistance of counselors in the Coweta County School System, Kiwanis members pair up with local elementary school kids for the annual Christmas Shopping Spree. The children and Kiwanians have breakfast together, then each Kiwanis or Key Club member is matched with a child and together they go on a $150 shopping spree. The kids get to do the shopping; parents are not allowed. Children are encouraged to shop for things they want or need but, most importantly, to spend the money on themselves. Last December, 124 kids went Kiwanis shopping, and the number increases each year.

Shopping funds come from the Newnan Kiwanis annual golf tournament, a grant from the Georgia District Kiwanis Foundation, proceeds from “Brag Bucks” and a raffle conducted at each Kiwanis meeting.

• The Newnan Kiwanis float in the Fourth of July Parade is “the only float that actually floats!” according to Kiwanian Danny Spivey, who leads the club’s Special Events committee. From left are Fair Chairman Scott Cortner, K-Kids Club representative Anna Neely, Spivey as Spot on Fred the Clown and former Kiwanis President Charles Wyrick.

• Spot on Fred, aka Danny Spivey, prepares to make an appearance in the 2025 Newnan Christmas Parade

• Newnan Kiwanians host local elementary school children for the annual Christmas Shopping Spree at Wal-Mart in December. Pictured are Kiwanians Rick Haupt, Bruce Barnes and Danny Spivey.

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Newnan sit for a commemorative photo at its Centennial Gala in May of 2025 at the Newnan Centre. From left are, front: Ed Lee, Marcie Bayne, Beth Neely, Bud Freeburg, Bobby Rooks, Don Chapman, Gary Welden, Mike Barber, Keith Ross, Mark Musaus, Mike Exner, Julie Lee, Daniel Howard and Cherie Bell. Back: John Anthony, Nancy Walden, Derrick Teagle, Hasco Craver, Brad Sears, Brent Snodgrass, Luke Ayers, JC Meghrian, Jody Stanford, Herb McKoy, Frank Barron, Danny Spivey, Ned Chambless, Shawn Jacks, Tony Giglio, Bob Heaberlin, Don Bowen, CR Phillips, Scott Cortner, Bruce Barnes, Chip Barron, Lauriston Hardin, Jeff Phillips, Daryl Overton, Jamar Joiner, Benjamin Mays, Vontressa Mays, Charles Wyrick, Bob Reid, Rebecca Smith, Larry Peterson, James Avery, Red Morse, Buddy Powell and Jonathan Schiavone.

In addition to the golf tournament, Kiwanis sponsors the Connecting the Community League basketball league, co-ed and open to students in third through eighth grades. The league is a collaboration between Newnan Kiwanis, Empowered 4 Life, Royal Baptist Church and Newnan Community Resources.

Supporting others who serve

Though their financial generosity is great and runs through most everything they do, Newnan Kiwanis also acknowledges people who are making their own contributions to the community. The club sponsors

the annual Citizen of the Year Award to honor an individual who has exhibited outstanding leadership and citizenship within the community, someone who has demonstrated exemplary vision, civic pride and strong commitment to a better Coweta.

In local schools, Newnan Kiwanis sponsors two Key Clubs, at Newnan High and Heritage, as well as the Blake Bass Middle School Builders Club Program.

The club also participates in Newnan’s Christmas and Fourth of July parades, with Kiwanian Danny Spivey, also known as “Spot on Fred” the clown, becoming somewhat of a local celebrity.

More than anything, it’s the individual Kiwanis members who make the club a success. Many become emotional when they talk about their involvement – whether it’s the response they get from the communities they serve, the friendships or just the fun of it all.

Terry Head, strategic analyst for Georgia Power Company, became president of the Newnan club in October. When asked what being president means to him, he responds: “The things I’ve taken for granted as a youth, like safe schools, close family, friends and neighbors, are the things that mean the most in this phase of life. Being chosen to contribute as a leader of such an established group with a rich history of giving back into the community is amazing, and it is a good way to inspire others to support community initiatives.”

Time for fun

While it may look like these folks work all the time, they also adhere to the part of Kiwanis International’s mission to “have fun along the way.”

In a video prepared for the club’s centennial, Spivey talks about how his character, Spots on Fred, and Fred’s dog Spot came to be. The pair have become legendary at the Coweta County Fair.

“It all started with hat night,” says Spivey, who added a full outfit to his hat and, soon after, clown makeup. Eventually, he was given an invisible dog on a leash. After naming the dog Spot, Spivey got his own spotted suit, and now Spots on Fred and his dog Spot meander along the midway every year making people smile.

Kiwanians continue to bring fun to the whole community. Native Coweta resident Kay Cawthan

said 2025 is her fiftieth year celebrating her birthday at the Coweta County Fair. Since her birthday falls during fair week, that’s where she typically is when it rolls around each year.

“My first fair would have been 1964,” says Cawthan. “My friends would buy me fair tickets for the rides. On my fiftieth birthday, I rode a camel. I’ve even won blue ribbons for my fig preserves.”

Any person in good standing in the community is invited to become a member of Newnan Kiwanis.

Kiwanis throughout Coweta

The Georgia District of Kiwanis International was established in 1919 with three clubs. Today, the state’s 18 Kiwanis divisions include more than 140 active clubs throughout Georgia.

Coweta and neighboring Fayette County make up Division 3 of the Georgia District and include seven Kiwanis Clubs: Coweta, Grantville, Newnan and White Oak Golden K in Coweta and Fayetteville/Greater Atlanta, Fayette County and Peachtree City in Fayette County.

Newnan resident Karen Goodell-Webb served as the lieutenant governor of Division 3 until she passed the torch to White Oak Golden Kiwanis club member David Ingram in September. In that role, she was responsible for supporting and guiding the seven Division 3 clubs. Goodell-Webb has also served as president of the Kiwanis Club of Coweta County; a group of retired teachers started that club, and today it’s the only all-female Kiwanis club in the world, no mean feat since Kiwanis International was a male-only organization until 1987.

“We’re one of the few divisions that does a lot together,” says Goodell-Webb, adding that the Kiwanis Coweta County Fair provides a great opportunity for clubs in the district to all work together.

Local clubs are known for their own thing, like White Oak Golden K, which sells pecans every fall to fund their missions, and the Grantville Club, which raises money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Also, Kiwanis is not just for adults. Circle K International is for college level and Key Club for high schoolers. Middle school service leadership programs are called the Builders Club, and K-Kids are at elementary grades. Aktion Club is for adults with disabilities, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to support those in need and give back to their community. NCM

LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM

• Newnan High School Key Club members volunteer at Harvestland during the 2025 Kiwanis Coweta County Fair. From left are James Simpkins, Jake Cantrell, Addison Dailey, Madison Vaughn, Brooks Kilby, Allison Anson, Alexia Leo’n and Julia Wnukiewicz.

• Fair Chairman Scott Cortner is caged in the office during his last day as chairman during the 2025 Coweta County Fair.

• Current Newnan Kiwanis President Terry Head poses with Christmas Shopping Spree guests.

Christmas Cookies Bake Your Best

Written

and Photographed by

JACKIE KENNEDY

Thank You to our prize sponsors!

• Apollo’s Steaks

• Baker Bag Company

• Bold Soul Originals

• Bottoms Up

• Corner Arts Gallery

• David Boyd Jr. Fine Art

• Georgia Chocolate Factory

• Gillyweeds

• JB Joyce Boutique

• Lee-King Pharmacy

• Life of the South

• Morgan Jewelers

• Newnan History Center

• Newnan Kiwanis Club

• Newnan Mercantile

• Redneck Gourmet

• The Central

• Wishbone Fried Chicken

Newnan-Coweta Magazine's

Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest brought holiday cheer to six Coweta residents whose cookies were winners in our eighth annual competition.

Taking Grand Prize for her amazing Caramel Apple Pie Cookies was Senoia resident Birdie Black. Meticulously decorated, the cookies featured holiday images like Santa, a snowman, reindeer and Christmas stockings. Judges agreed the cookies tasted as good as they looked, no small feat according to every baker worth her blender. The Grand Prize winner won first place in the Decorated Cookies category. First place in the Traditional Cookies

category went to Mindy Keenan whose White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies wowed the judges.

Serving as judges this year were Ashley Wilkes, principal of Northgate High School, and Dean Jackson, public information officer for Coweta County Schools. The educators put their knowledge to good use, taste-testing and deliberating over each confection to determine the Top 3 in each category.

Each winner received a gift basket packed with donations from generous local businesses (see list above). While each prize basket contained gifts totalling more than $100, the Grand Prize basket featured items valued at a total of $750, thanks to our generous sponsors.

Caramel Apple

Pie Cookies

1 cup Kerrygold butter, unsalted

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 duck egg plus one yolk, chilled (If unable to source duck eggs, use 2 chicken eggs and 1 yolk)

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (preferably Madagascar)

1 tablespoon white miso paste

½ teaspoon ginger, freshly grated

1 tablespoon espresso

2¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup Irish oats

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground

¼ teaspoon cardamon, ground

¼ teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup honeycrisp apples, dehydrated and chopped

½ cup pecans, chopped

In mixing bowl, cream butter and both sugars. Add egg, yolk, vanilla bean paste, miso paste, ginger and espresso; mix until well combined. Set aside.

In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, salt, spices and baking powder; stir to combine.

Gradually add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture until well combined. Fold in apple pieces and pecans.

Roll dough out on lightly-floured counter to 5/16-inch thickness.

Prize WinnerGrand

1st Place

Decorated Cookies

CARAMEL APPLE PIE COOKIES

Submitted by Birdie Black, Senoia

Judges' Comments:

Ashley Wilkes: "This is a good cookie with a variety of flavors, and it's beautiful. It looks and tastes like Christmas. Even if it wasn't decorated, it would be a great cookie."

Dean Jackson: "This cookie's at a whole different level with its attention to detail. It's a gingerbread consistency, but the taste is surprising – a lot of complex flavors."

Cut out desired cookie shapes and place them on a Silpatlined baking sheet (do not use AirBake).

Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit five minutes before placing on a baking rack to cool completely before decorating with Royal Icing. When cookies are completely cool, commence decorating with Royal Icing and desired edible decorations of your design.

6 tablespoons meringue powder

1 cup apple cider, hot

⅓ cup vanilla corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted Royal Icing

– Abigail Alvarez

Desired food coloring gels (I mix food color with extract or Everclear to handpaint details and use red beet powder for shades of red.)

In mixing bowl, whisk together meringue powder and hot apple cider until mixture is frothy, resembling the appearance of soap suds. Add corn syrup and vanilla bean paste to the mixture. Beat on high until egg whites are at stiff-peak form.

Gradually add all the powdered sugar. (The icing will be thick. It’s better to start thick and thin down consistency with small amounts of warm water to get to a specific consistency you need for outlining, piping or flooding.)

When cookies are completely cool, decorate to your heart’s content. If giving as a gift, be sure to allow the icing to dry completely before packaging.

"My mom’s favorite dessert of all time is a caramel apple with pecans. Every fall, Mom looked forward to buying one when we would visit the apple orchards in Indiana or our family’s farm in Kentucky. My family has always harvested the apples and dried the slices to preserve for making fried apple hand pies in the fall and winter. I created this recipe to capture our favorite winter flavors. European butter has a higher fat content as do duck eggs, which give these cookies a creamier, richer flavor. Kerrygold is a cultured butter from fermented cream. Adding white miso adds an umami depth, balances the sweetness, and boosts richness in the cookies by intensifying buttery notes."

- Birdie Black

Jackson Keenan's White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

1⅔ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature

¼ cup packed light brown sugar, fresh and soft

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, cold, straight from the fridge

¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup freeze dried raspberries

⅔ cup white chocolate chips or chunks

¼ cup raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and both sugars until creamy and combined. Add egg and extracts and beat until combined. Add flour mixture, beating until combined. Add freeze dried raspberries and white chocolate; stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until combined. The dough will be thick.

Scoop 2-tablespoon portion of dough and flatten into a thick disc. Place about one teaspoon of raspberry jam in the center and fold the dough up and around it, forming a dough ball that is higher than wider. Repeat with all dough. Place dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place dough balls a couple inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake 9 to 12 minutes, until edges are beginning to set but the center is still slightly underdone. Cookies will have spread, but should still be holding a nice shape. They will still be light in color and they will be so soft that you cannot pick them up until they cool. If desired, press a few additional white chocolate chips/chunks into the top of each warm cookie.

JACKSON KEENAN'S WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY COOKIES 1st Place Traditional

Submitted by Mindy Keenan, Newnan

"I made these cookies with my 6-year-old, Jackson, to instill a love of baking at a young age. Raspberry and white chocolate are a lovely combination, and the raspberry jam in the recipe really adds another level of flavor."

- Mindy Keenan

Judges' Comments:

Ashley Wilkes: "It's delicious, creative, very traditional looking, and I felt the spirit of Christmas when eating it."

Dean Jackson: "This is simply the best overall cookie in the Traditional Category."

2nd Place Decorated

LEMON SPRITZERS

Submitted by Janet Marie Gunnels, Newnan

"This was a recipe my grandmother had written down that we use every year. I have the recipe framed in my kitchen. [See photo at right.] I thought it was her original recipe, but a couple of years ago, I bought a vintage cookie press and the packaging it came in had this same recipe. That didn't take away any of the magic, though. This is definitely a vintage recipe."

- Janet Marie Gunnels

Lemon Spritzers

1 cup shortening

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon lemon extract

2¼ cups sifted flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream shortening until soft. Add granulated sugar gradually, continuing to cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon extract; beat. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to mixture, one-third at a time. Chill dough for 10 minutes, and then pack into a cookie gun. Drop dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes.

For icing, mix together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and cream until smooth. Color icing and decorate cookies as desired.

Judges' Comments:

Ashley Wilkes: "It looks like a traditional Christmas cookie. I feel like I had these growing up."

Dean Jackson: "This is a really good cookie with a well-executed design and taste."

Peanut Butter Bar Cookies

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup margarine or real butter

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup self-rising flour

½ cup or more dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan. Melt peanut butter and margarine in a glass bowl over hot water (not boiling) in a pot. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl while still over hot water. When well mixed, pour batter into a baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Test for doneness with toothpick. Cool and cut into bars.

PEANUT BUTTER BAR COOKIES 2nd Place Traditional

Submitted by Janice Bearden, Sharpsburg

"I won second place with this recipe in the Bar Cookie Category at the Coweta County Fair this year, too! I got the recipe from my sister, and I added the dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts to give it some crunch."

- Janice Bearden

Judges' Comments:

Ashley Wilkes: "I like the flavor. I love peanut butter, and it has a great texture, too."

Dean Jackson: "I could eat 42 of these at one sitting. I could eat them at Christmas and every other day of the year, too."

3rd Place Decorated

STOCKING SUGAR COOKIES

Submitted by Quinn Bellamy, Newnan

"I like this cookie. It's not like a normal sugar cookie because it has nutmeg in it that gives it some spice."

- Quinn Bellamy

Stocking Sugar Cookies

For the Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.

Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disc; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to roll. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut with a floured stocking cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely before frosting and decorating.

For the Frosting:

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

6 tablespoons 2% milk

2¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

Judges' Comments:

Ashley Wilkes: "These cookies are well-decorated, and the icing details are very nice."

Dean Jackson: "It's really a lovely Christmas cookie. I like everything about it."

6¾ cups powdered sugar

Red sprinkles

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in milk, vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Pipe onto cookies and decorate with red sprinkles or as desired.

Cheesecake Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies

For Cheesecake Filling:

4 ounces full-fat brick of cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour and vanilla until completely smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Drop teaspoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Freeze for at least 1½ hours and up to 2 to 3 days.

Remove cream cheese spoonfuls from the freezer. Roll each into a ball as best you can. Place back into freezer until ready to use.

For the Cookie Exterior:

1⅔ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup softened butter

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon red food coloring

3rd Place Traditional

CHEESECAKE STUFFED RED VELVET COOKIES

Submitted by Susan Gorman, Newnan

"These festive cookies are a family favorite that will make a welcome addition to any Christmas dessert table. They combine the tangy creaminess of cheesecake with the decadent flavor of red velvet."

- Susan Gorman

Judges' Comments:

Ashley Wilkes: "This is a Christmas cookie! It's so shiny, it looks like a disco ball."

Dean Jackson: "It's beautifully done. It's like eating a piece of red velvet cake."

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

On low speed, slowly mix the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture until combined. Finally, beat in the food coloring. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons more for a brighter red, if desired.

The cookie dough will be sticky. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill as long as possible (at least 1½ hours and up to 2 or 3 days).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

To Assemble the Cookies: ½ cup red sanding sugar

Remove cookie dough from refrigerator. Roll cookie dough, 1 tablespoon each, into balls. Place dough balls back in the freezer for around 30 minutes. Remove and, using your hands, flatten cookie dough balls. Remove cream cheese balls from the refrigerator. Place one inside of one flattened dough ball. Cover the cream cheese ball with another cookie dough ball and mold the two dough balls around the cream cheese, making sure it is completely covered. Repeat with remaining cookie dough and cream cheese.

Roll each stuffed cookie dough ball in red sanding sugar; arrange dough balls 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until edges appear set. Centers will look soft. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. NCM

STRIKE THE HOLIDAY MOOD WITH

Coweta's Mainstay Christmas Events

Written by JENNIFER LONDON

Santa Joe: A Right Jolly Elf

For children, it's all about Santa Claus, and for adults, "'tis the season" means watching "The Christmas Story" with their families, baking cookies, searching for the perfect holiday decor and buying heartfelt gifts for loved ones.

For older adults, a home-cooked meal can make the season brighter. The one thing that resonates with all of the stories told here is that these groups are creating the traditions that families in Coweta can enjoy for generations, reminding all of the reason for the season.

Santa Joe McGee, of Senoia, has been spreading Christmas joy for almost 13 years, taking on the legacy of his brother David Fordham who had portrayed Santa before his death in 2010.

During his own battle with cancer, and successful treatment in 2012, Santa Joe was moved by children in cancer treatment. Afterwards, he grew out his beard and hit the books at the Charles W. Howard Santa School, the world’s oldest Santa school, based in Midland, Mich. Santa Joe was ready to sleigh by Christmas 2013.

“This is Santa wide,” says Santa Joe. “In other words it’s from everybody who loves doing Santa: The secret, the thing that breaks their heart or endears them to doing Santa, is the children’s eyes.”

In 2016, Santa Joe created the Santa David Children’s Fund in memory of his brother. All

donations are split between the University of Florida’s Health Proton Therapy Institute and the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta. To date, The Santa David Children’s Fund has raised almost $600,000.

When making his appearance, Santa Joe finds that children are delighted to hear the traditional Santa greeting.

“The first thing they hear is my Ho, Ho, Ho! I’ve got orchestra bells that sound like sleigh bells,” he says. “Of course, everybody gets excited, and all the mamas put their hands to their chest, and their kids’ eyes get big.”

Cowetans have the opportunity to book photos and share cookies with Santa Joe in November, when he leaves the North Pole to visit Coweta County.

Get on the nice list and check his upcoming schedule at Therealdealsanta.com and www.facebook.com/ santajoemcgee. Santa Joe will make an appearance on Dec. 19 at Alive After Five in Senoia.

Coweta Christmas: A Coweta Tradition

Tammy Granger, event coordinator, and her sorority, Alpha Delta Kappa, will host their 27th annual Coweta Christmas at Coweta County Fairgrounds in early November.

Away in a Manger: The CORRAL Nativity

Every Christmas, visitors experience a live reenactment of the Nativity at the charming CORRAL barn in Newnan. Owners Brown and Marie Powell, assisted by friends and volunteers, help bring the nativity to life.

CORRAL Nativity has a full cast, including live animals, with recorded music and scripture; the presentation lasts about 30 minutes.

“It just makes it feel like Christmas when you’re actually out there in the barn, and you’ve got the scripture read, and you’ve got the live animals,” says Brown.

The Nativity is shown the weekend before Christmas, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. CORRAL barn is located at 52 Oliver Potts Road in Newnan. The event is free as a thank you to the community who have supported their therapeutic riding program all these years, according to Brown.

“That’s CORRAL giving back,” he says.

“Alpha Delta Kappa is a teacher sorority for teachers in Coweta County,” says Granger, noting that the group provides three $1,000 scholarships to local high school students pursuing degrees in education.

Shoppers at Coweta Christmas find vendors selling holiday gifts and handcrafted creations, enjoy JR’s BBQ and Kettleworks popcorn, and

have photos taken with Santa. There’s a children’s craft area, and local choruses sing throughout the day. Schools performing this year include Arbor Springs, Cannongate, Eastside, Poplar Road and White Oak elementary schools and Joyful Praise Homeschool Choir.

Coweta Christmas runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 8, and admission is free.

Food: An Expression of Love

Mindy Keenan is one of the Family and Consumer Science (FACS) teachers at East Coweta High School where she teaches three different cooking classes. Last year, she started an initiative with her classes to help Meals on Wheels add holiday desserts to their menu.

Keenan wanted to encourage her students to participate in giving back to the community.

“Myself, my students, and then some of the other FACS teachers we work with all made cookies and individually wrapped them,” says Keenan. “We teach a whole lesson on that.”

Students made more than 300 desserts, including gingerbread and snickerdoodle

cookies and chocolate cupcakes.

“It was just nice all of us working together to do something meaningful,” Keenan says.

It’s Keenan’s third year being awarded the Bake for Good grant from King Arthur Baking Company. Coweta Community Foundation also awarded her a grant for a popcorn machine, so Keenan makes popcorn to sell after school to help fund the program.

Donations are welcome for the East Coweta High School FACS Department. To donate to Coweta County Meals on Wheels, contact Lizbeth Andrews at toandrew@numail. org or 678.378.4632.

Son of a Nutcracker, Yippy Ki Yay! It’s a Major Award, God Bless Us, Every One!

A Very Pandering Christmas with NTC

In 2016, Mary Caroline Moore, executive director at Newnan Theatre Company, looked for a holiday show that would reach many ages. She landed on a rotation of four shows: “A Christmas Carol,” “It's a Wonderful Life,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “A Christmas Story.”

This year, it’s time for “A Christmas Carol.”

Colleague and professional actress Mandy Mitchell wrote the play since no other versions were feeling like a fit, says Mitchell.

“There are 9,000 versions of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ and I wrote the 9,001st,” she adds.

Mitchell says she took ideas from the original “Christmas Carol” and inserted favorite characters from Christmas movies and specials. She’s calling the new version, “A Very Pandering Christmas Carol.”

That’s because, says the script writer: “We pander to everyone: men, women, children of all ages.”

“I hope that with this play people have a new memory they can share with their friends and family of the world’s most overdone Christmas play,” says Mitchell. “Christmas can be hard for some people, and there’s a lot of stress that goes into Christmas. So to be able to come out to the theatre, have a night where you can just laugh and enjoy something that’s holiday-themed with people you love, that’s the best. That’s the best gift of all.”

The show runs Dec. 4-21 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. For tickets, visit newnantheatre.org or call 770.683.6282. NCM

by

A Christmassy Scene: Life Among the Logs

Written by JOAN DOGGRELL Photos Courtesy of BILLY PERKINS

How many Cowetans have spent Christmas in a Christmas card?

One year, Billy Perkins and his wife Susan did just that.

White Christmases are rare in west Georgia, but in December 2017, snow-laden shrubs and pine trees surrounded the Perkins’ log house. Stark white snow contrasted with the rustic beauty of the hand-cut logs. Inside, the Perkins family and friends were warm and cozy beside a

“This is the quintessential setting for Christmas.” - Billy Perkins

roaring fire in a stone-covered fireplace, the mantle elegantly decorated with pine branches and poinsettias. In a book-lined corner, stood a ceilinghigh Christmas tree topped with a bright star.

ABOVE

For 45 years, the log home built by Billy Perkins near the Welcome community has evoked Christmas card sentiments.

The company enjoyed oyster stew, turkey with all the trimmings, and pumpkin and pecan pies, a traditional dinner made extra special by the magical surroundings.

“This is the quintessential setting for Christmas,” says Billy of his family’s log home. “Susan loves decorating, and every year at Christmas, we enjoy entertaining friends and family.”

Since 1980, Billy has lived in the log house he built mostly with his own hands, though he credits family and friends with a lot of help. The rustic home is located near the small community of Welcome on the west side of Newnan; it’s stood firm and solid for 45 years.

After Billy moved into the cabin, he still had a lot of work to do, such as rocking the foundation and the chimney. Well insulated with cement and mortar chinking between the logs, the home is more energy efficient than its builder expected.

The home has electricity, HVAC, indoor plumbing and all the comforts of a suburban house – plus an idyllic setting.

Billy and Susan married in 1990 and raised their boys, Craig and Blake, in the log home. There was plenty of room on their 20-acre lot for the boys and their friends to run around in the woods, build treehouses, and do the things city kids only dream of. With 10 acres of pasture, the family has raised goats and chickens and even a donkey, all which delighted the boys and their urban buddies.

When the boys were teenagers, the couple added two bedrooms and a den to the basement so their sons could have their own space.

Like most homes, the cabin requires continuous maintenance. The logs need extra care. Recently, they were sanded down and a fresh coat of stain was applied.

It was always Billy’s plan to live in the house for life, so he made it good and roomy. In addition to the finished basement, there’s a loft above the main living space. Now comfortably furnished with a television and stereo, it serves as a media room as well as a man cave, especially during football season.

Billy continues to build and improve.

“Out of necessity mostly, but also because I enjoy it,” he says.

One project involved turning his pasture into a sort of golf course.

“My brother came up with the idea of playing golf with a tennis ball,” says Billy. “He called it flip-flop golf. We have fun out there in our leisure time.”

Many Georgians living in a rural area are deer hunters, but Perkins did not start hunting the deer on his property until he was in his 50s. So as not to disturb neighbors with gunshots, he learned to shoot with a bow and arrow. He brings down enough deer to keep Susan supplied with a freezer full of venison.

With the boys gone, the home feels like a mansion, but the Perkins have no intention of downsizing. Traveling is a different story. The pair recently toured the western United States, camping in a 24-foot travel trailer.

“After thousands of miles in this cramped space, the log home felt mighty welcome,” says Billy.

Now that he has retired from his insurance business, the log cabin builder has plenty of time to relax in his beloved home.

But knowing his history, few will be surprised to see another project looming on his horizon. NCM

At Georgia Baptist Children’s Home, we believe ever y child deserves safety, healing, and the chance to thrive. For over 153 yea rs, GBCH&FM has been a place where hope is restored and lives are transfor med through Christ-centered care, safe homes, counseling, and educational suppo rt.

But the mission doesn’t stop there. Alongside our d edicated donors and volunteers we’re also building a team of compassion ate, devoted staff who make a difference every single day.

Whe ther you choose to give, pray, volunteer, or join o ur staff, you can help us restore hope and transform lives for generations to come.

GeorgiaChildren.org GeorgiaChildren.org

Family Hayride Thanksgiving

TURNING BLACK FRIDAY INTO A FAVORITE HOLIDAY

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY

In 2011, Cowetans Champ and Sara Coggin died within six months of one another. Their children and grandchildren were heartbroken. It was hard to imagine gathering that year at Thanksgiving without the family patriarch and matriarch.

“Memaw and Pop were everything to us,” recalls their daughter, Cheryl Coggin Glisson. “We needed something – anything – to make it through our first holiday without them.”

She had an idea: Get together at Thanksgiving, like before, but follow that up the next morning with a family hayride.

Initially, there was grumbling and complaining, according to Glisson. But on that first Black Friday, instead of heading out to snag bargains at the box stores, the family heeded her wishes. They bundled up, piled into wagons pulled by tractors, and rode around the Coggin’s north Coweta farm.

“By the end of the ride, something had shifted,” Glisson recalls. “The fresh air and fall foliage made us realize how blessed we were.”

Continues on page 61

Cousins, friends, neighbors, in-laws and outlaws join the Coggin family each November for their Thanksgiving hayride.

ABOVE

OPPOSITE PAGE

The fellows stop for a moment to check in on their favorite teams on Game Day. From left are

Cheryl Coggin Glisson hangs her handmade turkey wreath, which has presided over the hayride since 2015. The ride has become a family project that utilizes talents of young and old who work together preparing the trails, preparing food and drinks and making decorations. After the hayride, the family plays flag football and corn hole.

Drew Coggin leads the hayride on a Ford tractor. The annual event wouldn't be possible without his work, says Cheryl Coggin Glisson: “He checks and clears the route, assembles the tractors, hay and wagons, and keeps us on course.”

“The fresh air and fall foliage made us realize how blessed we were.”

– Cheryl Coggin Glisson

Aged 6 and under at the first hayride in 2011, these three were all grown up at last year’s hayride where they worked as the set-up crew. From left are Lyla Grace Coggin, Clark Coggin and Austin Bagley.

Continued from page 58

The family decided to do it again the next year –and have hosted the homespun event each year since. This year marks the 15th annual jaunt through woods and pastureland that have been in the Coggin family for 75 years.

“The empty places in our hearts and family have since been filled with the love of the cousins, friends, neighbors, in-laws and outlaws who join us on the hayride each year,” says Glisson. “Mama and Daddy would be so proud!”

The Thanksgiving hayride honoring Champ and Sara Coggin has become a highly anticipated event, according to their daughter who recalls only one tractor

pulling a wagon on the first ride. Last year’s edition called for three tractors pulling wagons, plus a few sideby-sides, she adds, noting that the family still enjoys turkey and all the trimmings on Thanksgiving Day, but the hayride has become their favorite holiday tradition.

“What was begun in sorrow when we lost both parents has grown into a joyful celebration of life, fall, family and friends,” says Glisson. “By sharing this tradition born out of grief, we hope to inspire others with empty chairs at Thanksgiving to create their own special traditions. Change things up with something unexpected. It surely worked for us.” NCM

Mission Mbale

During a season of life when most people are contemplating retirement, Warren and Mary Faye Moore discovered God had some unexpected and wonderful plans for them. Traveling to the other side of the world, revitalizing an impoverished part of Africa, and changing the lives of hundreds of children, may not have been on their bucket list, but that’s exactly what this Coweta couple is doing through their nonprofit, Mission Mbale.

“We did not plan to do this,” Mary Faye is quick to point out. “Our daughter was working with a mission in Uganda in 2013, and we thought she was going to live there the rest of her life, so we went over there to visit her.” But what started out as a short visit to see their daughter quickly blossomed into a deep calling to help the city of Mbale, Uganda.

Roughly the size of the state of Georgia, Uganda has a population of more than 60 million. The city of Mbale is home to the Namatala Slum, where 33,000 people live including approximately 8,000 orphans who have no way to support themselves, get an education or improve their future. There is limited access to clean water, medical care, education or proper sanitation. Despite these dire conditions, Mary Faye and Warren discovered a beautiful resilience, joy, and welcoming spirit among these people.

Although it wasn’t in their plans, the Moores quickly found themselves collecting donations for local construction projects such as digging a new well in the area. Back in the states they were stunned at the outpouring of generosity

they saw for these projects. Mary Faye recalls telling her husband, “God is up to something here.”

The couple eventually formed their own 501-c and Mission Mbale began to grow.

“Uganda is a nation of children raising children,” Warren explains, and children are the focus of this international project.

Since 2013 Mission Mbale has built a beautiful school where 315 students live, learn about Jesus and receive a quality education. “Child sponsorships are what make this possible,” Warren says.

Mission Mbale’s motto is, “One child at a time,” and through sponsorship, the lives of one child at a time is changed. Mission Mbale not only changes that child’s life today, but creates a future that is healthy, productive, and impactful for generations to come.

Many individuals and families in Coweta County have already joined the child sponsorship program through Mission Mbale bringing these children hope today and a brighter future tomorrow. You can read about four Coweta residents who are discovering the joy of child sponsorship in this issue’s feature, “One Child at a Time.”

To learn more about Mission Mbale and child sponsorship scan the QR code or visit missionmbaleorg.reachapp.co.

COWETANS SEEK TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUNG UGANDANS,

One Child at a Time

Written by SARAH REEVES

Photos and Images Courtesy of WARREN AND MARY FAYE MOORE

Uganda, Africa is over 7,000 miles from Newnan, but for four Coweta residents, the Ugandan city of Mbale is nestled near their hearts. Kelly Preston, Joel Engle, Frank Barron and his wife Doris have found a special connection to this part of the world through the work of Mission Mbale, a nonprofit founded by local couple Warren and Mary Faye Moore (see “Mission Mbale” on page 63.)

Children, specifically orphans, hold a special place for Kelly Preston, a Newnan nurse, adoptive mother and founder of RACE for the Orphans, an annual 5K fundraiser to help local families with a heart to adopt. When the opportunity arose to travel to Africa with the Moores, she felt an immediate magnet attraction, says Preston: “I couldn’t wait to go with them.”

Since 2016, various members of the Preston family have made six trips with Mission Mbale.

“We have developed real relationships,” says Preston. “These people are thousands of miles away, and it’s truly a picture to me of how God loves the world.”

Mission Mbale sponsorship “is a simple way to help with education, health care and discipleship for these children who often have no family around,” says Preston.

She and her family have sponsored Joshua for 10 years. Because of their help, he is now going to university, is at the top of his class, and has ambitions of becoming a

doctor. This path may not have been possible for a child in this area without Mission Mbale sponsorship, according to Preston.

For Joel Engle, pastor of First Baptist Church Newnan, serving others is nothing new, but when he traveled to Uganda with the Moores this year, it opened up a new world to him.

After the Moores shared their vision, Engle thought, “I can’t lead my church in global missions if I’m not willing to go myself.”

He had never been to Africa, so he knew he had to go. While there, he learned that Mission Mbale is a unique organization.

“They aren’t even missionaries,” says Engle. “This is what’s so remarkable. They are ordinary, regular people who just went in by themselves, gave up so much of their own lives, and now there is this school that is thriving, students are thriving and a church has been planted. This never happens this way.”

Engle shares that upon arriving in Uganda, he didn’t want to get too attached to the children since it was a short trip. That changed one afternoon when traveling on foot through the villages and a young boy named Kiyra grabbed his hand to lead him through the dusty streets. Kiyra stayed right by the pastor’s side, holding his hand all day, even when a terrible storm blew into the village and

the group had to seek shelter in a small home.

“Sponsor a child. You will never regret it, as it will literally change the trajectory of their life.”

– Joel Engle

Upon walking back to the school, Engle went straight to the principal to start the process of sponsoring Kiyra.

Kiyra’s sponsorship means he will now get three meals a day, clean clothes, an education, and the guidance and mentorship to start a thriving life for his future family.

“Sponsor a child,” Engle encourages. “You will never regret it, as it will literally change the trajectory of their life.”

Some participants have found a special connection with a sponsored child when they learn about shared passions and interests. This is what Frank Barron, owner of Lindsey’s Realtors in downtown Newnan, learned when he began sponsoring Khamali Emmanuel.

Frank became interested in the mission when he learned that the Moores would be working with people in Africa: “My mother, Genet Barron, was active in the Women’s Missionary Union, and she went to both Africa and China, so that piqued my interest.”

Emmanuel, 18, shares Frank’s passion for land and real estate.

“He’s an entrepreneur already,” says Frank.

Emmanuel has been purchasing and selling livestock to buy his first piece of land, according to his sponsor. In letters to Frank, Emmanuel shares his dreams of using his piece of land to start a farm and a family.

Doris Griffin Barron sponsors a young girl named Nakimuli Patience. When she first saw a picture of the child, she noticed her shoes were well-worn. An avid shoe lover herself, Doris wanted to help.

“Now she has better shoes. I’m so proud of that,” says Doris. “To us a pair of shoes seems like a small thing, but for Patience, new shoes are a big deal.”

Doris says the experience has blessed her “beyond belief – and I just feel like if I can help this person in even the smallest way, that makes me feel so good.”

Sponsorship helps the child, but it also does something important for the individual sponsoring that child, Mission Mbale sponsors agree.

“When you go through life you want to end up making a difference,” says Frank. “It’s like the story of the man finding starfish on the beach and throwing them back in the water. It makes a difference to that one, and this sponsorship makes a difference to the one child.”

Mission Mbale is changing lives in Uganda, one child at a time, through sponsorships, but it has also changed the lives of Preston, Engle and the Barrons in Coweta.

Not everyone will be able to travel to Africa, but there are many ways to help the Moores continue this important work in Uganda. Learn more at missionmbaleorg.reachapp.co. NCM

ABest of Coweta Winners

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY

BETH NEELY and MISHA BENSON

pplauding the success of local businesses and individuals voted by our readers as tops in their field, Newnan-Coweta Magazine celebrated First Place winners in our 2025 Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards contest with a Winners Reception.

The July event was held at Wesley Woods, where the staff celebrated their own win for Best Assisted Living Facility. The catering team at Wesley Woods went all out preparing hors d’oeuvres for the gathering, with approximately 60 guests representing almost 30 First Place wins for Best of Coweta.

Look for the ballot for our 2026 Best of Coweta contest in the March-April 2026 issue.

And when you see these folks out and about, congratulate them on their Best of Coweta accomplishments!

Jennifer London and daughter Mysha Dziedzic, Best Newnan-Coweta Magazine Feature

Agribusiness/Plant NurseryGreenhouse

Congratulations to our Gift Card Winners

Each year, Newnan-Coweta Magazine awards 10 readers whose names are randomly selected from those who voted in that year’s Best of Coweta contest. Much thanks goes to Coweta-Fayette EMC for their sponsorship of the 2025 Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards. This year’s winning voters are:

Brittany Blackburn

Lesley Davis

Carole Ann Fields

Matthew Griffies

Bridget Kee

Bea McKenzie

Dan Peter

Aaron Pham

Leigh Samson

Jennifer Walker

Magazine wins big at Georgia Press Association Convention

Celebrating Newnan-Coweta Magazine and The Newnan Times-Herald’s multiple honors, including First Place for General Excellence, at this year’s Georgia Press Association awards banquet in Jekyll Island are, from left, front: Stacie Williams, Sarah Reeves, Laura Camper, Emily Hernandez, Clay and Beth Neely, Billy Thomasson and Bob Shapiro. Back: Toby Nix, Will Thomas, Anna Neely, Faith Farrell, Sonya Studt, Jackie Kennedy, Misha Benson, Caroline Nicholson and Jeffrey Cullen Dean.

With seven awards, including five first place wins, Newnan-Coweta Magazine (NCM) helped boost its parent newspaper, The Newnan-Times Herald, to a Georgia Press Association (GPA) first place win for General Excellence last summer.

The awards were presented at GPA’s annual convention and Better Newspaper Contest banquet at Jekyll Island Resort in June. All awards were for work done in 2024.

Four of NCM’s first place wins were tied to its September-October Arts Issue, which was named 2024’s Best Magazine Themed Issue, the top award in GPA magazine categories.

“The Arts Issue cover, with its creative composition and nod to Norman Rockwell, immediately caught my eye,” said the reporting judge. “The feature stories were thoughtfully designed to highlight the stunning photography, with great use of white space and striking headline typography. The articles were engaging and well-written, making them enjoyable even for someone outside the area. I loved how even the cooking feature seamlessly tied into the artistic theme. Overall, a beautifully executed issue – just like the publication’s other submissions in this category.”

The same issue’s cover featuring photographer Bob Shapiro and artist David Boyd Jr. was tops for Best Magazine Cover Design. Sharing that win with Shapiro and

Boyd was NCM Creative Director Sonya Studt. The judges said, “Hands down, our favorite cover!”

Caroline Nicholson took first place in Best Magazine Story/Original Writing for her feature on Boyd and his art, “David Boyd Jr.: A Passion for Painting.” The judges said: “Good story and an interesting guy. His links to the town and its history are fully explored and presented. Nice work. Photos are a plus.”

Columnist Toby Nix won Best Magazine Commentary/ Opinion Writing for his column on Southern art, “The Guggenheim, Y’all.” The judges said: “Personal touch pulled me in and held my attention. Strong, witty writing.”

The magazine’s fifth No. 1 win was for Best Advertising Campaign for the July-August Best of Coweta issue.

Rounding out NCM’s wins was Faith Farrell with second place for Best Magazine Commentary/Opinion Writing for her March-April column, “To Bloom Spectacularly,” and Sandy Hiser who took third for Best Magazine Cover Design for the March-April 2024 cover featuring Oliver the Therapy Dog.

“We are thrilled with the GPA accolades,” says NCM Editor Jackie Kennedy. “We have such a great crew of freelance writers and photographers and in-house designers and advertising reps, and it’s a joy for them to be recognized for work they’re happy to do whether or not they receive recognition. What a great team!” NCM

A Tree Full of Memory

Written by BONNIE ANNIS

Every December, before the lights were untangled or the cocoa was poured, there was one quiet moment my siblings and I waited for: when Mama would bring out "the boxes."

They weren’t wrapped in ribbon or tucked beneath the tree like the other gifts. They were simple, unadorned, but precious, labeled carefully in her handwriting with our names: Bonnie, Valerie and Jimmy. They had been stacked in the back of the closet all year, waiting for Christmastime to come again.

Inside each box was a growing collection of Hallmark ornaments – one for every Christmas since we were born.

It was Mama’s idea. She had a heart full of tradition – not the grand, flashy kind with parades and noise, but the tender kind you only come to understand as you grow older. She once told us, when we were little, “One day, when you grow up and start families of your own, you’ll take your ornaments with you. Your first Christmas tree will already have a story.”

And she meant it.

Every year, without fail, Mama would find the perfect ornament for each of us. Not just something cute or seasonal: something true. Each one marked a moment in time: a new skill learned, a challenge met, a joy discovered.

My sister Valerie got a ballerina the year she couldn’t stop twirling after seeing "The Nutcracker." Later, she received a tiny stack of books the year she fell in love with reading and carried a novel with her wherever she went.

Jimmy’s ornaments told stories, too. There was a baseball glove from his first Little League season and a shiny red firetruck the year he announced he’d be a firefighter when he grew up.

Mine included a globe the year I became fascinated with maps and places beyond our little neighborhood and a small Barbie figurine the year she became the queen of the playground.

Always Hallmark. Always dated. Always chosen with love. At the time, we didn’t think much about it. We just loved unwrapping them – unwrapping ourselves, in a way – and finding our favorite spot on the tree. But what we didn’t realize then, what only came clear with time, was that Mama wasn’t just decorating a tree. She was quietly building a map of our lives.

A timeline in ornaments. A breadcrumb trail back to the wonder of childhood.

The first Christmas I spent away from home, in a tiny apartment with a tiny tree, everything felt a little too quiet. A little too grown-up. Until I opened my box.

Each ornament I hung that night brought a memory rushing back: Christmas mornings in flannel pajamas, Valerie’s sweet giggles, Jimmy tearing through wrapping paper like a whirlwind, Mama’s eyes sparkling with joy as she handed us each our little package, wrapped and waiting. That tree, though small, suddenly felt full. Full of home. Full of love. Full of her.

As the years passed, the tradition didn’t fade; it deepened. My siblings and I carried our boxes with us into adulthood. And when we had children of our own, we knew exactly what to do. Now, many of those beloved ornaments, those treasures from our childhoods, hang gently from the branches of our children’s and grandchildren’s trees. Some are a little worn, their edges softened by time and many hands. But their stories remain clear. They’ve become heirlooms, quiet chapters in a never-ending book of family love.

And we’ve added new pages, too.

Just as Mama did, we choose a Hallmark keepsake ornament for each person in the family every year. Something personal. Something true. A reminder of who they were

in that moment, what they accomplished, what they loved, what made them them.

Our trees have grown crowded with memory, and we wouldn’t have it any other way, because what started as one mother’s quiet idea has become a legacy: a living, sparkling, hanging testament to the power of love and tradition.

In our family, Christmas trees are more than decorations.

They are storybooks. They are anchors. They are proof that love lives on, year by year, ornament by ornament.

And every December, as I hang on the tree my favorite, a slightly faded Barbie from a long-ago Christmas past, I smile. And I whisper into the stillness of the season: "Thank you, Mama. You were right. Our trees were never empty. And they never will be. Because your love lives on in every branch, in every story, in every glimmer of light. Always."

NCM

School at 9:30am prior

on Sundays at 10:30am

Parmer Monument opens in Newnan

Grief is intimate and complex, yet it finds solace in shared presence and quiet acts of care. Parmer Monument and Stone, a familyowned monument curation company based in LaGrange at 2134 West Point Road, recently expanded with the addition of their new location in Newnan at 1201 Lower Fayetteville Road, which opened in June. Parmer Monument has served the families of West Georgia and East Alabama, including Coweta County, with care, expertise and professionalism since 1966. The new location in Newnan provides more convenience for the families in Coweta and surrounding areas and features the same family attentiveness and support while providing ease for those in search of monument services.

Parmer offers their communities a large selection of handcrafted, unique memorials as well as on-site cemetery engraving, memorial cleaning and repair, wall installation, grave restoration, and more. From the simplest to most elaborate of monuments, each order is customized to create an individualized, everlasting memory for their customers.

“One thing we all have in common in life is that we experience loss,” says Tammy Forbus, office manager of Parmer Monument and Stone. “A monument represents a person who lived and died. It’s not simply a granite, marble or bronze monument that is expertly placed in cemeteries. To a family, this represents their loved one and provides an understanding of who this person was. This is a lasting memorial for generations to come.”

Mass-produced gravestones are often unable to match the level of customization that Parmer offers because they personally meet with their clients to hear the stories and memories of those who have passed to create a finished product that represents their legacy.

“Our goal is to make the process as easy and comfortable as possible,” says Forbus. “A lot of times, we may bring up aspects that may not have been considered, and that’s our job – to educate and then allow the family to make their choices for what they desire for their loved one.”

Families have turned and returned to Parmer for decades for their ability to create beautiful, expertly handcrafted pieces at a fair price with an understanding perspective. Visit with them at their new Newnan location. Their mission to create an everlasting memory rings true through each monument that honors those who have come before us. They are ready to serve your family with honor, respect and expertise.

• Custom monuments in granite, marble and bronze

• Upright and slant headstones

• Flat, bevel and slab markers

• Family estate monuments

• Memorial benches

• Mausoleums

• Columbaria

• On-site cemetery inscriptions, such as dates of death and epitaphs

• Cleaning and restoration

• Memorial Coins that turn monuments into living stories with photos and videos

Serving individuals and families in Newnan and surrounding areas, we provide outpatient mental health therapy that supports individuals facing a wide range of challenges. True healing begins when the whole person is supported. That’s why our approach to care is holistic—we don’t just treat symptoms.

Whether you’re facing anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, or simply seeking a more balanced life, we’re here to walk alongside you with understanding and evidence-based care.

intensive outpatient program provides weekly therapy, including individual counseling, group sessions, family therapy and medication management. Our goal is to make mental health care accessible and available to everyone.

Cardinalswereweathering a storm in Moreland last March whenVincentAmorosocaught thiswintryshot.

Email us your photos of life in and around Coweta County and we may choose yours for a future edition of Blacktop! submit your photos

In upstate New York, Laurie Mattingly says she was “at the right place” at the right time to photograph this photo reminiscent of a holiday card scene.

As Christmas approaches, Tucker checks out who’s been naughty and who’s been nice, according to his pet parent, Paula Roberts.

Photos must be original, highresolution (300 DPI) digital photos in .jpg format, at least 3x5 inches in size. Please include your name so that we can give you credit for your photo in the magazine!

Email your photos with the subject “Blacktop” to the address below. magazine@newnan.com

Lauren Kee and her daughter Baylee were playing around with the camera and having fun last Christmas when Lauren snagged this shot. The family calls it, “When Holidays get Stressful!”

Account

Falling Into Place

Growing up in Union City, my life revolved around summer. It meant freedom: no school, lots of playing outside and, most years, a trip to the beach.

We didn’t have a huge backyard, but it was big enough to play many games of football or rundown, as well as the occasional nighttime hide-and-seek.

We’d ride bikes in circles around the house and smoke the occasional cigarette I’d swipe from my dear ol' dad. I would be much older before I learned you were supposed to inhale the smoke. There may be a future in politics for me after all.

Summer was wild and alive, and as a kid, that was all I needed.

Back then, fall just meant school. Long sleeves, homework and the end of wearing shorts. If allowed, I could wear shorts 365 days a year. I never gave fall a fair shot. I saw it as the thing that took summer away. But now that I’m on the back side of 40, I find myself watching the first yellow leaf fall with something like quiet joy.

Somewhere along the way, summer became a little too much. The heat sticks longer now, dragging deep into September, and the air feels heavier than I remember. It’s not just the temperature either. Summer feels busy, trying to “make the most” of the long days. There’s pressure in it. And noise. Lots of noise.

Fall, though? Fall eases in like an old friend.

The air starts to shift – still warm in the afternoons but crisp in the mornings, carrying that hint of peace and quiet. I sit outside with my coffee and breathe deeper. The trees, once full and loud with green, begin their quiet transition. Golds and reds and burnt orange creep in, and the whole world seems to exhale.

What I never understood as a child is that fall isn’t about endings. It’s about preparation. The trees are letting go of what they no longer need so they can rest and start again. There’s a lesson in that, one I didn’t have the patience to learn as a kid.

I find myself craving slower mornings. I enjoy sitting out by the shed and watching the world come alive. I drive with the windows down and actually listen to the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. And there's college football to watch on Saturdays. This is the year, Georgia Tech! Fall doesn’t demand anything from me. It lets me be still.

So while the child in me still smiles at the memory of 1980s Union City on a hot July day, the old man I’ve become would rather watch logs burn in a firepit in October.

Fall has taught me that there’s beauty in slowing down, in letting go, in being okay with change – that there’s something sacred in the quiet seasons.

Maybe that’s what getting older is: trading heat for depth, noise for peace, and realizing the best parts of the year are the ones that ask nothing of you except that you sit, breathe and simply take it all in. NCM

Southern-born and Southern-bred, Toby Nix is a local writer who works in law enforcement.

There’s something magical about the holidays—the glow of the tree, the sparkle of lights, the laughter of family, and the wag of a happy tail. At Coweta-Fayette EMC, we’re honored to bring light into your home and power the moments that make this season special.

From our family to yours, may your holidays be lled with warmth, joy, and bright memories that last all year long.