V3MAG_AUG2010

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NW GEORGIA’S PREMIER FEATURE READER AUGUST 2010

MAGA Z I N E

JUST FORKICKS

Florida State punter and Darlington School alumnus

SHAWN POWELL talks teamwork, taking notes from Bowden, and

teeing off on the Noles’ 2010 schedule mates

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 3

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Roster

14 BUSINESS BUZZ Tag-teaming with the boys from Cope Builders, the descendant of one of Cartersville’s best known business namesakes finds his own way

Departments/Features

28 SMALL TALK: Q+A Florida State starting punter and Darlington School grad, Shawn Powell, discusses life at one of the loneliest—yet most vital—spots on the roster

22 WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING Never say never. V3 visits the Rome Little Theatre’s “Neverland Day” at Ridge Ferry Park to flutter about with the cast and crew of Peter Pan

26 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

TOWEROFPOWELL

For the past two seasons at Florida State University, Darlington School

alumnus SHAWN POWELL has lit the skies over Tallahassee as the

Seminoles starting punter. Kicking off his junior season September 4,

Powell has the potential to become one of the nation’s top punters,

having already put up numbers that rival the best of the best.

This July, just a week before the grueling “two-a-day” practice season began for FSU’s 2010 roster, Shawn

sat down with V3 to discuss his often overlooked position, as well as to

shed a little light on what is like to don the infamous burgundy and gold.


Q+A w/ BRIAN FOSTER


A HARD DAY’S Knight

TEXT BRIAN FOSTER AND NEAL HOWARDPHOTOS SABRINA WILSON

Tag-teaming with the boys from Cope Builders, the descendant of one of Cartersville’s best known business

namesakes finds his own way in the form of Knight’s 1889

(left to right) Corey Cope, Robert Knight, Jackie Cope

38 HEARTWARMER The 2010 Coosa Valley Memory Walk looks to help snuff out the nation’s impending Alzheimer’s epidemic with tenacity and a pair of tennis shoes

Columns20 CENTS+SENSIBILITY Resident business insider, J. Bryant Steele, delves into ever-shifty world of tax hikes, double-talk on illegal immigration, and tasty hibachi dishes

36 INSIDE+OUTPeeling back the French blue shingles of time, Dianna Edwards and company find a centuries-old treasure in neighboring Cave Spring

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 2322 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

NEVERLAND DAY AT RIDGE FERRY 7.23.2010>>>On Friday, July 23, the cast and crew of the Rome Little Theatre’s upcoming show, Peter Pan, played host to “Neverland Day” at Ridge Ferry Park in Rome. Those who thought their happiest thoughts and flew over to this most adored of magical, fictional places were treated to two sneak peaks of the production on the park’s main stage, as well as the singing of one particularly catchy sea shanty courtesy of the cast.

Many from the cast and crew were also on hand to dole out loot in the form of Jolly Roger tattoos (the signature skull and crossbones), sweet treats and balloons. A costume contest was had, faces were painted, and many lost boys and girls put the event’s

While You Were SleepingV3 looks at the who, when, where, why and, of course, WHAT you may have missed in July 2010

playground inflatables to the most rigorous of tests.

All in all, participants say it was a fantastic free day in the park for everyone in attendance—not to mention a hit for the RLT’s promotion of Peter Pan.

The show is being directed by John Barnett and produced by Elaine Gerrin. It will run at the historic DeSoto Theatre Aug. 13 through Aug. 22, with Friday and Saturday shows at 8 p.m. and Sunday shows at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children and seniors.

Full cast listings can be found on the RLT’s official Website, RomeLittleTheatre.com. For additional information, call 706.295.7171.

If one thing is certain, it’s that this show will be a “jolly good time” for each and every land-lover who chooses to walk the plank. VVV

More pics & events, pgs. 24-25

Photos by Ashley Griffin


Chances are you may have not known these facts, but you probably know someone who has been affected by Alzheimer’s. And, you can only expect that number to increase as the baby boomer population continues to age and more are diagnosed.

That is, unless a cure can be found. “Alzheimer’s is currently the seventh

leading cause of death (in the nation), and it is predicted to reach epidemic proportions,” says Freda Stephenson, director of development for the North Georgia Region of the Alzheimer’s Association in Dalton. “It is imperative that we raise funds for a cure.”

Essentially, Alzheimer’s is a disease that attacks the brain. It is a progressive and fatal disease that causes memory loss, forgetfulness, confusion and, ultimately, the inability to speak, swallow or control movement. The disease leaves no survivors, and the decline of those with Alzheimer’s is equally—if not more—painful for loved ones.

“It is a hard disease to recover from as the caregiver,” says Stephenson, whose father

was recently diagnosed. “I absolutely have watched it destroy my mother-in-law and, basically, my husband because his health has never been the same.”

Randy Davis, owner of Rome radio stations WLAQ and 95.7 The Ridge, painfully watched his mother suffer with the disease for two years before she succumbed to its devastating affects in 2002. “We saw my mother and my children’s grandmother slowly [fade] away, and that is really hard to take,” Davis explains. “Particularly, the way our situation was, it was tough to be around. Because when a person has Alzheimer’s and they really go down, not all senior living facilities will take patients. You have to take them where there is a bed.

“My mother’s care was good, but the facility was not. And that is pretty dog-gone tragic… From that standpoint, that is always going to be a painful point to me as her son.

But we did not have any choice in the matter. There is nothing else that could have been done, and that story could probably be repeated many, many falls.”

Last year, when Randy’s son, local morning radio personality Matt Davis, asked him to participate in the Memory Walk to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, Randy did not hesitate. “When you have a parent—or mother, like in my case—who died with the disease, you see just how devastating it can be. To be around other people who are committed to being a part of something like the [Memory Walk because the disease] has touched them either directly or indirectly, is

every 70 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease. Across the country, more than 5 million Americans are

living with Alzheimer’s and more than 10 million are serving as their unpaid caregivers. In Georgia alone, there are more than 200,000 people diagnosed with the disease, 28,000 of whom are residents of North Georgia.

Remembera walk toby reagen lowrey

coosa valley memory walk 2010

where>>>Berry College Rome, Ga.

when>>>Saturday, Sept. 18

Registration begins @ 8 a.m. Walk starts @ 9 a.m.

for more info>>>email [email protected] or

call 706.275.0819 to reach the North Georgia

Regional Office of the Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter

for details or donations>>>visit alz.org/georgia/in_my_

community_memorywalk.asp.

44 TAKE ON HEALTHDr. Kenneth Sands helps us all get “hip” to the latest surgical procedures for two of the human body’s most crucial working parts

Cover+contents photos by Damon Herota


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Before the next edition of V3 Magazine hits the stands in September something very significant will take place. A beacon of light signifying that the end of this oppressive heat wave is just around the corner, and that the opportunity to come together as fans of our respective schools on Saturday afternoons is finally upon us.

That’s right folks, it’s college football season. Recently, I was talking to a fellow Roman who has ties to the state of Oklahoma, and she

mentioned that she had taken in an Oklahoma Sooners game in Norman. As most Southern women would, she said she had gotten all dolled up and was quite shocked when she discovered that she was the only woman to have done so. (Seems that the tradition of wearing your school colors in the form of a matching dress, heels and handbag doesn’t cross the Mississippi.)

This kind of anecdote only makes me appreciate what the game of football means to our region that much more. And for those who know me best, they’d probably say it’s hard to believe I could appreciate it more than I already did/do.

On the weekend of Sept. 4, another season begins, kicking off my favorite time of year—when the flags fly proudly on the cars of avid fans, the leaves slowly begin to change color, and my kids are forced to watch Nickelodeon in their bedrooms because the big screen is all mine. And though it will still be muggy for a good while longer, when our chosen teams take to the gridiron it is a sign that summer is near its end.

As for your August 2010 issue of V3, this month’s cover story/Q&A features one of Rome’s very own, Shawn Powell, doing it big on the national stage as the starting punter for Florida State. The last three years running, it has been a tradition for our August cover story to feature a football-related piece in which Northwest Georgians can—whether or not you care for the school—take personal pride; one that highlights the magnitude of what this incredibly emotional sport means to the Southern people.

This year is certainly no exception, as the good-natured Mr. Powell sits down with our own Brian Foster to discuss the pressures of his position and playing for legendary coach Bobby Bowden, among other captivating subjects.

We also offer you a handful of other notable features, including the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, a glimpse into the increasingly popular Knights 1889 of Cartersville, and a fun snippet on Neverland Day for our While You Were Sleeping department. And, of course, our monthly columnists round out the roster with some thought-provoking—and always entertaining—reads.

As an aside: V3 would like to thank Al Hodge, Janet Byington and David Doss for contacting us just hours after our July 2010/50th issue hit the streets last month. Longtime friends of the magazine, they were gracious but intent in pointing out that our 411 Connector piece (see “24 Seconds”, July 2010) left out several pertinent, contrary viewpoints that the Georgia Department of Transportation would have liked us to include. In turn, we have published an important Letter to the Editor submitted by Mr. Doss (see pg. 12), one that we believe further establishes the appropriate, balanced forum we make it a point to provide for our readers.

In other words, no matter what the nature of your thoughts, we appreciate your loyalty. The letters and comments sent to us by our readership have always been—and will continue to be—a pleasure to receive and, if deemed compelling enough, publish. This one surely fits that bill, and we urge you all to keep ’em coming.

Thanks for checking in with us. Happy “kickoff season” to all.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Ian Griffin, Advertising/Sales Director

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF + PRODUCTION MANAGER +

ART&DESIGN neal howard

STAFF WRITERSanna armas, will seifert,

reagen lowrey, matt rood, brian foster, j. bryant steele,

dianna edwards

PHOTOGRAPHYsabrina wilson, ashley griffin

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOS damon herota, mike olivella

CONTRIBUTING WRITERashley griffin

CHIEF OF ADVERTISING + OFFICE MANAGER/SALES

DIRECTORian griffin

AD DESIGN + CREATIVE ENGINEERING

brittany howes

PUBLISHERv3 publications, llc

CONTACTone west fourth avenue, rome, ga

30161/ phone: 706.235.0748 email: [email protected]

v3visualconcepts.com

$4.00

NW GEORGIA’S PREMIER FEATURE READER AUGUST 2010

MAGA Z I N E

JUST FORKICKS

Florida State punter and Darlington School alumnus

SHAWN POWELL talks teamwork, taking notes from Bowden, and

teeing off on the Noles’ 2010 schedule mates

MAGA Z I N E



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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Unique or unusual ways of celebrating special occasions is a tradition that is as old as time. A few months

from now, the folks of Marlington, WV will hold their 20th annual Road Kill Festival and Cook-off. Not to be out-done, V3 Magazine chose to celebrate the publishing of their 50th edition by trying to make “road kill” out of the region’s most crucial transportation project, the US 411 Connector.

V3 Magazine is a tasteful and enjoyable publication, featuring quality articles about beautiful homes, interesting people, and destinations of regional interest. However, I cannot imagine anyone mistaking V3 Magazine as a source for serious journalism, especially after the completely one-sided story on the US 411 Connector. The article was pure 100% Rollins Family propaganda. The only persons quoted in the story are the engineers and consultants who have been bought and paid for by the Rollins Family. Not one word can be found from the Georgia Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, local officials or the Rome or Cartersville Chambers of Commerce. V3 even goes so far as to give one of the Rollins’ paid consultants credit in the byline of the story. I suppose what is most disturbing is why would V3 Magazine choose their 50th Edition to write a totally one-sided and biased article about the most critical road project in all of northwest Georgia? From all indications, Northwest Georgia and particularly Rome and Floyd County have been very good for V3 Magazine.

For weeks now, the Rollins Family has run full page ads in our region’s daily newspapers, including the Atlanta Journal Constitution, as a small part of a well organized and expensive public relations

campaign intended to mislead the public and obscure their overwhelming selfish interests. You see, the real story here is not about the US 411 Connector; it is about greed

and selfishness masquerading as good will. It is about what the Rollins Family believe should be two sets of rules—one for the wealthy and privileged like themselves; and another set of rules for the rest of us.

Since 1993, GDOT has spent more than $21 million in engineering expenses to address the various issues and concerns that have been raised about the US 411 Connector Project. In 30 years, the US 411 Connector has been stopped and re-started three separate times. Expert traffic modeling and exhaustive environmental studies have been conducted repeatedly on the various alignments. Since 2003, at least 18 public input meetings have been held. And after nearly six years of study and evaluation, the Federal Highway Administration issued the “Record of Decision” in April, 2009 which selected the route that goes across the Rollins Family 1,800 acres of purely recreational property. This process is a tedious, highly structured one, with rigid rules and guidelines that must be met before any “Record of Decision” can be issued. However, the Rollins Family propaganda machine would have you believe that GDOT and FHWA ignored every engineering standard and environmental concern and simply selected the alignment by grabbing one out of thin air. Let me assure V3 readers, GDOT does not spend $21 million and then select an alignment based on a whim.

Other than the “newly discovered” wildlife preserve on Dobbins Mountain, the Rollins Family main argument is that their favored route “G” is shorter and thus less expensive to build. Conveniently, route “G” also happens to completely miss their 1,800 acre family retreat.

For the record, GDOT never said building the shortest and cheapest road was their

main objective. On the contrary, what GDOT has been committed to since day one was building the road that meets the need and purpose of the project and the one that best serves the citizens of northwest Georgia. Now I am not an engineer, but I can read a traffic modeling report. That report says that the overwhelming number of drivers traveling east on US 411 continue south onto I-75 and on into Atlanta. What the Rollins propaganda machine fails to mention is that route “G” takes these drivers 2 miles farther north before they can intersect I-75 and then head south to Atlanta. The traffic modeling numbers do not lie. That data shows that some 24,000 cars per day will travel the FHWA selected route, but only about 7,000 cars per day would use the Rollins route “G”. Such a dramatic drop in use, by some 79%, really makes the difference in construction costs immaterial. Building a cheaper road that so few drivers would use defeats the original purpose of the road and be a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars.

For 30 years, the Georgia Department of Transportation, along with the local governments in Floyd and Bartow counties, have worked to provide this area with direct access to I-75. And for 30 years, it seems that the Rollins Family has fought this effort tooth and nail. Their seemingly endless attempts to stop this project has cost the citizens of Georgia tens of millions of precious tax dollars. Progress and economic development for our communities is simply an unwanted annoyance to them. The 411 Connector is a vital project. Our elected officials want it, our citizens deserve it, and it is time the Rollins Family stopped their endless display of selfish obstruction.

Finally, to the fine folks at V3 Magazine, I offer this humble advice. I notice that roughly 75% of your advertisers are from Rome and Floyd County. The 411 Connector is important to the future of their businesses. If you hope to have a 60th Edition celebration, a more fair and balanced article would seem to be in your best interest and the interest of all of northwest Georgia.

Regards,S. David Doss, Board Member

State Transportation Board of Georgia11th Congressional District


Leaning towards a plan that would cut clean through Dobbins Mountain, the Georgia Department of

Transportation is finally on the cusp of executing a new 411 CONNECTOR project. The only hiccup is that a growing number of concerned citizens across

Floyd and Bartow counties believe this proposed route

would be a blight on the state, both economically and ecologically. Perhaps

the question taxpayers should be asking is whether

or not it’s worth

textbrian fostergraphics courtesy ofwalter kulash

Exhibit 1

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24SECONDS



A HARD DAY’S

Tag-teaming with the boys from Cope Builders, the descendant of one of Cartersville’s best known business

namesakes finds his own way in the form of Knight’s 1889

A HARD DAY’S Knight

TEXT BRIAN FOSTER AND NEAL HOWARDPHOTOS SABRINA WILSON

(left to right) Corey Cope, Robert Knight, Jackie Cope


Sure, it’s a tough battle to win. But the Knights are adapting quite well to the times, all the while remaining family run and community oriented—just as the they have since the 19th century.

The burned out shells of buildings were all that remained along the railway in Cartersville in the years following General Sherman’s campaign through Georgia. Atop these ashes the city we know today was built, and South Carolina native Aaron Knight made the decision to move his already 30-year-old hardware operation into one of the new structures on Main Street. The new Cartersville store, Knight’s Hardware, would eventually become the city’s oldest and most reliable.

The year was 1889. Fast-forward 121 years later. Great-

great-grandson, Robert Knight, sits behind the counter inside the same building his grandfather opened to the public so many years prior. But in this chapter of the Knight family’s long-wrought success, Robert isn’t loading up sheet metal or counting out lugnuts for customers. Instead, he’s pouring Sweetwater beer and cooking some of the

finest steaks in Northwest Georgia. “Working at the hardware store with

my father as a kid, I really learned what customer service was all about,” he reminisces. “Back then, when someone came into the store, we greeted them and said, ‘Welcome to Knight’s, how can I help you?’ You waited on that one person, cashed them out, bagged their item and walked it out to their car with them. That’s how service used to be.

“I think that’s what has helped sustain the business for so long. And that’s the same approach that I’m bringing to [Knight’s 1889].”

After years away from the family trade, first off to college and then for a career stint in law enforcement, Robert returned to the downtown storefront after his father’s death in 2003. Not willing to part with the building that had helped sustain his family for generations, yet also understanding the realities of running a small hardware business in the age of Lowe’s and Home Depot, Robert decided to navigate a new direction for Knight’s. He had been interested in opening a bar and grill for a

number of years, and seeing an opportunity to fill a niche within the Cartersville dining market, for Robert, transforming the dusty floor boards and tack board walls of 24 West Main Street into a restaurant was an easy call.

Getting there? Well, that’s another story.Maintaining the history and detail of

his great-great-grandfather’s building was a top priority for Knight when finding the right team to execute the renovation and restoration processes. “My grandfather on my mother’s side told me to give Jackie Cope, of Cope Builders, a call,” says Robert. “He told me, ‘He’s a fanatic when it comes to detail,’ and the details in the plans for the restaurant were something else.

“Right away, Jackie and [son] Corey saw what it was going to take to build this place. They wanted to take their time with it and get it done right.”

The journey would prove long and hard fought, as the building’s age alone would present a number of hurdles in its renovation. Sagging walls would need to be repaired or altogether replaced; a completely rebuilt storefront was needed to in order to meet building codes; new beams were an essential beneath the recently restored, heart pine flooring. Beyond the major structural issues that had to be addressed before Knight’s 1889—the bar and grill’s name serving as an ode to the year Aaron Knight’s hardware store appeared on Main—could first open its doors, thousands of hours were logged to assure that any changes made to the building were rendered with historically sensitive care.

“The concept was to keep everything as original possible,” says Cope Builders’ Corey Cope. “Robert had the idea that he wanted something he could pass on to his son, to his grand kids, and someday we could say, Hey, this business here, it may not be the same original business, but nine, 10 generations of Knights have come through this door.

“We built it with that in mind, and everything was done by trying to be as

For over 12 decades, the Knight family has been a Main Street

mainstay in downtown Cartersville. And in an era in which local mom and pop shops are increasingly forced into early retirement by ultra-competitive, big-box retailers, that is no small feat.


historically and architecturally accurate as we could, while still being a modern facility. Every decision was based on this relationship between old and new.”

Working with old photographs from both the Knight family and the Bartow History Museum, Cope Builders and Robert Knight paired up to piece together a portrait of Knight’s Hardware from past to present,

19th-century watering hole. Its custom-built tables and bar tell a story all their own, one that precedes even the earliest commercial settlements in the region.

During the primary renovation process, the floor beams were removed, many still bearing charred scars from Sherman’s March. With a cut age dating back at least 150 years, today these virgin heart pine

“...Everything was done by trying to be as historically and architecturally accurate as we could, while still being a modern facility. Every decision was based on this relationship between old and new.”

replicating long lost details in some areas, preserving others as they were found. “We asked ourselves, What would it look like if this restaurant was opened in up in 1889?” Robert recalls.

Aside from the usual modern conveniences—HVAC, a couple of slick-looking TVs and a few bottles of Absolut—Knight’s could pass for a local, late

timbers represent some of the oldest hewn lumber known to the region. They would also provide Cope Builders and Knight with the perfect medium for constructing the restaurant’s gorgeous dining room floor and bar areas.

Even at harvest, the age of this wood must have been staggering to the loggers who felled it. “You can go back and count the

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rings of these reused heart pine beams when they were cut,” says Corey Cope. “[UGA researchers have] dated it back to these trees being just seedlings when Columbus arrived.”

One of the most significant architectural details salvaged during the restoration process is the stained-glass window that sits above Knight’s 1889’s front entrance. Though not part of the original building, this stunning treasure began welcoming visitors to Knight’s Hardware by the 1930s. Now, following some very detailed restoration work, the stained glass is once again in its rightful place, replicated by Cope’s highly skilled crew of artisans.

Functioning in the year 2010, Knight’s 1889 offers weary travelers and local diners a traditional yet eclectic menu, one that offers a range of dishes from old-fashioned Southern fare to staples of the New York steakhouse game. For lunch, you may find diners enjoying Knight’s assortment of sandwiches, burgers, gumbo and sweat tea. Later on in the evening, a glass of Woodford Reserve bourbon complements classic plates such as prime rib, crab legs, Maine lobster and juicy steaks. And with a fine selection of corresponding beer, wine and spirits, the Knight family’s latest business achievement

offers a lively nighttime setting for friends to share old stories or create a few new ones.

All Robert Knight had wanted to do originally was to give Cartersville a place to dine that was a step or two off the beaten path, and, of course, to preserve his great-great-grandfather’s legacy in a manner that Aaron Knight would have approved. Knight’s 1889 is no Chili’s, nor anything resembling an Applebee’s, nor is it comparable to one of the dozen other chain restaurants that line every highway in every town in every state of this great country. It is, instead, a beautifully customized addition to

“When people go out to eat at a restaurant and they have a sit-down dinner, in some ways, you want to feel like you’re home. A lot of people from Cartersville grew up coming [Knight’s Hardware.] I wanted them to be able to continue to come here, enjoy themselves and remember things about the old store.”

continue to come here, enjoy themselves and remember things about the old store.”

As luck and hard work would have it, Knight’s second act is looking up, offering that same home-away-from-home feel that Robert hopes will be shared for generations to come. 121 years in, its track record is present in its people, its floor boards, its walls and beyond. VVV

what past generations have created, and a thoughtful revision that considers our shared past.

“When people go out to eat at a restaurant and they have a sit-down dinner,” says Robert, “in some ways, you want to feel like you’re home. A lot of people from Cartersville grew up coming [into Knight’s Hardware]. I wanted them to be able to


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CENTS&SENSIBILITY


withJ.BRYANTSTEELE

Let’s get straight on something: Tax rates

and tax revenues are two different things. But if he was quoted accurately, a Floyd County commissioner described holding the tax rate at 11.1 mills as a tax decrease, because the tax digest is shrinking.

That’s not quite accurate. Your property taxes remain at the same

rate, which, given shrinking tax revenues in this economy, is still a good thing. But it’s the revenue from taxes, not the tax rate, that’s the actual decrease.

And the tax digest, the value of real and personal property used by municipalities to

project revenues, is shrinking in practically every county and city.

The Rome City Commission, which is looking for more cuts in its current budget due to revenue shortfalls, voted last month to increase its tax rate from 26.15 mills from 24.42 mills, most of the increase going to city schools. (A mill equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, the second part of the equation in determining taxes. Theoretically, if the millage rate goes up but a property’s assessed value is reduced, it could be more or less a wash.)

In a long and fairly crowded meeting, many people spoke in opposition to increasing the millage rate, but many also spoke in favor simply because of the schools. That camp believes not only in children, but in the value that employers place on education systems when looking for places to locate or expand.

Such sentiments—the willingness to dig a little deeper to support education—are fairly common in polls, despite the growth

of the Tea Party movement and the fact that politicians don’t have a snowball’s chance if they don’t address spending cuts rather than tax revenue.

(History question: When did the actual Boston Tea Party occur? Answer below.)

Meanwhile, on another tax front, the state

has appointed the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness to revamp Georgia’s decades-old tax code that doesn’t take into account today’s economic infrastructure, such as the growth of the services industry. One thing sure to be discussed is restoring a sales tax on groceries, but also on the

Hard Choices:Misleading Mills,

Immigration Ills and...Forward-Thinking

Hibachi Grills?

Such sentiments—the willingness to dig a little deeper to support education—are fairly common in polls, despite...the fact that politicians don’t have

a snowball’s chance if they don’t address spending cuts rather

than tax revenue.


table is reducing income taxes to entice employers.

With the exception of outgoing Gov. Sonny Perdue, the 11 members of the panel are business and education leaders. None of them face the ballot box, which makes a consensus among them more likely. But the panel can only recommend, not enact. Its final product will go to the General Assembly in January, where it is anyone’s guess what will happen.

BITSOFBIZIt’s hard to imagine something more controversial than tax debates in the General Assembly, but look for sentiment to pass an Arizona-like immigration enforcement law (even though a federal court already has issued an injunction against the most controversial parts of that law). How interesting it would be to get into the heads of people who may decry illegal immigration at the supper club but turn a deaf ear when hiring in manufacturing, child care, landscaping or construction. Ask these employers and they will tell you they “don’t know” if their hires are legal or not. They will dodge the question or admit, off the record, that they don’t ask about residency status. And they will tell you that the employees are “hard workers” and work cheap, but they will grumble that they “probably” are not paying taxes and sending part of their income out of the country.

Illegal immigrants do pay taxes, of courses—sales taxes at the least, and vehicle ad valorem taxes most likely—but, in most cases, not income taxes, which is what the grumbling is about. From the standpoint of principle, it’s a classic Catch-22 for both sides.

Will the planned 411 Connector linking Floyd and Bartow counties to Interstate 75 be built under Georgia’s next governor? The campaign trail to November is littered with promises, but this part of Georgia has heard the talk before, and there is well-orchestrated opposition to the route approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation. Look for this to drag on, despite the general acknowledgement that the connector will be good for the local economies—and for traffic safety.

The job news remains bad, with the pre-recession, overbuilt housing market still affecting a recovery. The Federal Reserve has pledged to keep interest rates at their record lows in order to stimulate the economy. President Obama approved an extension of jobless benefits. Unemployment numbers could become misleading, as people just stop looking or their benefits run out. The national unemployment rate was 10.8 percent in November 1982, the highest it’s been since the government began keeping track. But recent numbers have approached that mark, and some local counties have rates as high as 12 percent. Job retraining,

such as enrollment at technical colleges, continues to rise but isn’t putting much of a dent in hiring.

The ripple effect is pulling tighter our purse strings, but a Rome restaurant recently saw business pick up, according to its owners, after it introduced vegetarian dishes to its lunch menu. Chaoyuan Lin, who owns Amer Pacific Rim with Tony Chen, said the 16 veggie items are also free of MSG, transfats and cholesterol.

“It’s been very popular,” Lin said. “Our customers like the extra choices. We are very pleased.” The restaurant’s traditional Thai, Chinese and hibachi dishes—from mild to spicy—remain.

And in answer to the history question above, the Boston Tea Party, in protest of England’s Tea Act and a significant event toward the movement for American independence and American-style capitalism, occurred Dec. 16, 1773.

No fair if you Google’d for the answer. Your author stumbled across it the traditional way—reading a magazine article. VVV

J. Bryant Steele is an award-winning writer published locally and internationally.

How interesting it would be to get into the heads of

people who may decry illegal immigration at the supper club but turn a deaf ear when hiring in manufacturing, child care, landscaping or construction.

Once upon a time...



Now Open!



NEVERLAND DAY AT RIDGE FERRY 7.23.2010>>>On Friday, July 23, the cast and crew of the Rome Little Theatre’s upcoming show, Peter Pan, played host to “Neverland Day” at Ridge Ferry Park in Rome. Those who thought their happiest thoughts and flew over to this most adored of magical, fictional places were treated to two sneak peaks of the production on the park’s main stage, as well as the singing of one particularly catchy sea shanty courtesy of the cast.

Many from the cast and crew were also on hand to dole out loot in the form of Jolly Roger tattoos (the signature skull and crossbones), sweet treats and balloons. A costume contest was had, faces were painted, and many lost boys and girls put the event’s

While You Were SleepingV3 looks at the who, when, where, why and, of course, WHAT you may have missed in July 2010

playground inflatables to the most rigorous of tests.

All in all, participants say it was a fantastic free day in the park for everyone in attendance—not to mention a hit for the RLT’s promotion of Peter Pan.

The show is being directed by John Barnett and produced by Elaine Gerrin. It will run at the historic DeSoto Theatre Aug. 13 through Aug. 22, with Friday and Saturday shows at 8 p.m. and Sunday shows at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children and seniors.

Full cast listings can be found on the RLT’s official Website, RomeLittleTheatre.com. For additional information, call 706.295.7171.

If one thing is certain, it’s that this show will be a “jolly good time” for each and every land-lover who chooses to walk the plank. VVV

More pics & events, pgs. 24-25





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Don’t be caught sleeping this August...MOVIES ON THE MEADOW @ OAK HILL/MARTHA BERRY MUSEUM 8.28.2010Gates open 8 p.m., showtime 9 p.m. Tickets: $5 per carFeature Film: Sweet Home Alabama (preceded by the student-made film, The Berry Paragon: The Legend of Ford’s Watch) Additional info: call Patrice Shannon at 706.368.6775 or email [email protected]

RIVER REVELRY @ HERITAGE PARK 8.21.20106:30-10:30 P.M.Tickets: $40 individual/$35 each for two or moreLineup: live music by Red Eye Jedi, boat rides courtesy of CRBI and Yamaha, and silent/live auctionsAdditional info: Coosa.org QUOTA CLUB FASHION SHOW @ COOSA COUNTRY CLUB 8.21.201012 P.M.Tickets: $25*Proceeds from the show will benefit the Georgia School for the Deaf, the Rome Boys & Girls Clubs, Open Door Home and STAR HouseAdditional info: call 706.291.1945

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TOWEROFPOWELL

For the past two seasons at Florida State University, Darlington School

alumnus SHAWN POWELL has lit the skies over Tallahassee as the

Seminoles starting punter. Kicking off his junior season September 4,

Powell has the potential to become one of the nation’s top punters,

having already put up numbers that rival the best of the best.

This July, just a week before the grueling “two-a-day” practice season began for FSU’s 2010 roster, Shawn

sat down with V3 to discuss his often overlooked position, as well as to

shed a little light on what is like to don the infamous burgundy and gold.

Q+A BRIAN FOSTERMIKE OLIVELLA PHOTOS



[V3] During your first two seasons with the Seminoles, you’ve emerged as one of the top punters in the ACC. What has been your approach to improving your game during the offseason?[SP] My first year I kind of got thrown into the fire early with [star punter and kicker Graham Gano] hurting his knee. I really wasn’t expecting to actually play. I was going to learn from him and go from there. But what the two years has taught me is to really be self-motivated.

Initially, I wasn’t really motivating myself because I didn’t believe that I was going to play. But I learned that anything can happen at any given time, and you have to be self-motivated and prepared. Whenever your name is called, you have to perform.

I could go in one game and punt once, or go two or three games and only punt twice. At any given time, I need to be focused to know what I’m doing…

Also, what I’ve done to help myself is to just work…on getting better. You’re never perfect. That’s one thing that I always tell people, especially when I speak with young punters at kicking camps. You’re never going to be perfect, you’re never going to be 100 percent. But you always strive for perfection, knowing that you’re never going to get it. Keep working; no matter how good you think you are, you can always get better. Starting quarterbacks are always guaranteed some snaps, but as a punter you may not get a chance to punt in a game, or you may be forced to go out six or seven times. How does this inconsistency contribute to the pressure of the position?

I go into the game thinking that I’m going to punt every possession. I don’t want to change anything, because that’s when you start to mess up.

You know, when we play a smaller school—one that might not be Division 1 or so—you could easily say to yourself, I’m probably not going to have to punt. This is an easy win. But you can’t have that attitude.

You have to believe that your offense is going to stall every play. It’s hard to not get sidetracked…

I always sit beside the kicking net, focusing on my drop, watching myself work. That keeps my mind on what I am supposed to do, so if my name is called and I have to go out there, I know that I’m ready and can adapt to what’s going on in the game.


The defensive series really starts with you. You set the tone and determine where your opponent will start their drive. Depending on your team’s field position, you are either going to kick it as far as you can or try to place the ball as if you are using a pitching wedge. What is it about this aspect of your position that’s most difficult for you?

While I’m warming up, I always have to pay attention to where the ball is. There isn’t a huge difference in the motion or the drop, but there is a difference.

One thing that I did in high school was that I tried to kill it, hit it hard every time. That turned out to where I would mis-hit the ball every once in a while and not really perform well.

The main thing for me is that I have to kick it like a pitching wedge every time. Just like in golf, if you swing and try to kill it, for the most part, it’s not going to go very far. But if you take a nice, smooth, easy swing its going to take off.

…I love pinning [the opposing team] deep into their own territory. It’s satisfying to know that I put that ball up in the air for about 4.5 seconds and it lands on the four-yard line. That’s what gets the crowd going, that’s what gets me going, and it’s probably the [most fun] part of my job.

If I try to kill it and end up mis-hitting it or putting it into the end zone, I’ve got a lot of people asking me, What are you doing?!

I would say [pinning an opponent close to

their own goal line] is the hardest part of my job, but it’s the most satisfying when I do it right. You’re a pretty big guy for a punter (6’4”, 227 lbs). You can probably hit pretty hard, too. A lot of times, the punter is the smallest guy on the field. Are you looking forward to the chance to provide the Seminoles’ special teams squad a big tackle or two this season?Well, I really haven’t gotten any chances, and I hope that I don’t have to make any tackles. If I don’t ever have to tackle anyone that would mean that I’m doing my job right.

The past two years, I’ve been fortunate enough to not have anybody break away from me. It’s been close, but [there haven’t been any] returns where I’m the last guy

they face. We did tackling drills last year just in

case, so I’m always prepared for it. I hope it doesn’t have to happen, but I’ve got to be prepared to stop a score if it comes down to me. 2009 was a disappointing year for Florida State with regard to your final record (7-6). You’ve got Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback, Christian Ponder, coming back from injury in 2010. What’s your personal outlook for the season?I think we’re going to be good. We had a team meeting with Coach Fisher the other day and he talked about accountability… He said, “To be honest, you don’t have to have ability. There is only accountability and dependability.”

You know, these are traits that have a domino effect throughout the team. That’s the main thing he has been pushing this year, for us to become one…

We have 10 of 11 starters coming back on offense. Our defense has undergone a complete makeover under [first-year

defensive coordinator Mark Stoops], and those guys are catching on really quickly. With special teams, you have [place-kicker] Dustin Hopkins and I coming back. Dustin was on the ACC All-Freshman team last year, and that’s a pretty big honor for him. We have one of the top returners coming back in Greg Reid, who led the NCAA in return average last year.

Special Teams and offense are the same as last year, and everybody wants to know about the defense. They have a whole new staff and new players, but so far they’ve looked great. I think we make it to the ACC Championship game and hopefully on to a BCS Bowl. I know that your main focus is on the success of the team, but do you, perhaps,

“...When we play a smaller school...you could easily say to

yourself, I’m probably not going to have to punt. This is an easy win. But you can’t have that attitude.

You have to believe your offense is going to stall every play.”


see a Ray Guy Award in your future? (The Ray Guy Award annually recognizes the nation’s top punter.)I hope so. I’ve had people tell me—along with a couple of magazines—that I could be All-ACC. I mean, I’d love to have the Ray Guy Award. My roommate was Graham Gano and my roommate now is Christian Ponder, who is [a preseason contender] for the Heisman. Graham already won the Lou Groza Award (given to the nation’s top kicker)… Just to have my name on the watch-list would be an honor.

But I really can’t get into all that. I have to take it game-by-game. Keith Cottrell was the FSU punter a number of years ago and he had the top punting average and the top net average in the nation, but he had too few punts [to be considered for the award]. I mean, that would be fine if that happens to me. I hope that I don’t have to punt a lot. I hope they can’t give it to me because of that reason.

There is a good side and a bad side to it. If I’m punting a lot, that means that we are not doing well. And if I don’t punt, we are doing well. It would be a great honor to win one though. You are also the team’s starting placekick holder. To me, this has always seemed

like the job no one wants to take. It’s high pressure, no glory. What’s it like filling that role in a game-winning situation?It’s rough. My freshman year, when Graham Gano was up for the Lou Groza Award, I had all the pressure on me. Graham probably didn’t feel the pressure. If I don’t get a hold down, he won’t make the kick.

The last couple weeks of the season were when I was under the most pressure in my

life, including the bowl game—and it was at that position. Not only did we need to win, I had to try to make sure people knew how good Graham was. I put pressure on myself because I want to try to strive for perfection. No glory is a good thing sometimes in these situations because, you know, if he misses a kick the blame is usually placed on him, not me.

The job kept me out on the field. I enjoyed it but I had never done it in my life until I came to Tallahassee. I had all the kicking duties at Darlington, so I never got to do it then.

I feel like it could help me in the NFL, if I can make it… They look for people that can multi-task, and I feel that having that job is a bonus.

How was playing for Coach Bobby Bowden during your first two seasons?I couldn’t have asked for anything [better]. I was so excited that I got the opportunity to play for Florida State and to play for him. It’s always something that I can tell my kids when they are growing up; something that my family and friends can be proud of. It’s really a community thing: We had one of our kids play for Bobby Bowden. He’s one of the greatest head coaches around.

It’s definitely been a community effort, because everyone around the community has helped me become who I am. Greg Cater, who is a preacher in Rome and who played for the Buffalo Bills, has been a great inspiration for me. He taught me everything I know about punting. Coach Atha at Darlington helping me get my name out

there. For me personally, it was a dream come

true to play for Bobby Bowden. You always hear players say, ‘I want to play for Bobby Bowden.’ And to know that I was able to start for his last team every game? That’s going to be high on my list for a long time. What has it been like playing under [first-season head coach] Jimbo Fisher thus far?

It’s a lot faster. Practice used to be two-and-a-half to three hours long—a lot of standing around, because it was always first and second team playing, then third and fourth getting in every now and then. Under Coach Fisher, we have first and third team playing on one field, and second and fourth on another field. No one ever stops; not many breaks.

Practice is shorter, but it is fast. He has the mentality of “no one left behind”. He gives everyone...their shot. If you are a fourth-teamer beating up on a second-teamer, then you get to move up the depth chart. That’s how he runs it, and everything is a lot higher tempo.

It took some time to get used to, but I like it. Hopefully, it will help us return to the top. …What would you say has been your most memorable moment at FSU overall?Wow. There are a lot of them. I keep talking about Graham’s achievement, but when he won the Lou Groza Award I was really excited. I felt that I had a role in that by being his holder. He was doing his thing to get better and get to the NFL, and I felt like I had somewhat of a hand in that…

You know, playing in Bobby Bowden’s last game, that was more of an emotional thing. He was the guy who brought me in, talked to me and told me that I can do this. This past year, when a lot of the coaches left, it was memorable but also very emotional. Just being able to play is a highlight, and knowing that it can be taken away at any time, I’m always happy that I can play every day. VVV

“...Playing in Bobby Bowden’s last game, that was more of an

emotional thing. He was the guy who brought me in, talked to me

and told me that I can do this.”


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INSIDE&OUT

All of Rome—indeed, most of

the United States—understands the whirlwind Cave Spring has been living in since July 13, 2010.

That was the day the French blue shingles on the right side of the Appletree’s Nursery were skinned from the dying building and a two-story Log Cabin blinked back at the gasping, cheering crowd for the first time in almost 200 years.

Those of us from the Cave Spring Historical Society’s Preservation Committee, who had bird-dogged this project since January, were as relieved as we were joyful. To read the newspaper the next day, we were the only ones in Cave Spring who weren’t absolutely certain that there was a heart pine cabin under all that blue.

Even Bobby George, Sr., who ran Appletree’s for 25 years, had only heard faint rumors of a cabin at the heart of the building. But now, the cabin stories are

flooding in and we are grateful. Together, they weave a tapestry of life in Cave Spring, as Battey’s History puts it, “ere the print of the

moccasin had faded from the soil.”Here is where I name our team. Please

thank them if you meet them at the Cabin. They will not appreciate this spotlight but they richly deserve it: Karen Wetherington, chairman; Winnie Morrow, no. 1 log spotter; Joy Gibson, ambassador to the deaf community; and Peggy Allgood, president of the Historical Society. And myself. I am prouder of being with these women, on this team, than of any achievement in my life (other than my marriage).

We certainly hoped to find a cabin. I more than most, because I had “alerted the media” with the truism that Howard Carter opened many tombs in Egypt before finding King Tutankhamen.

We simply trusted our historical noses and our love for a building that remained beautiful in the face of neglect, the elements, and the pillage of its interior walls and structural beams.

Because of that very pillage, the building itself sagged with despair and one log peeked out. Winnie Morrow and Jessie

Hambrick were paying attention. Eric Haney pulled down one corner of one shingle near an adjacent window and we were hooked.

More importantly, the rest of the Historical Society was hooked as well, and backed us with the funds to find out what else was there. And by gosh, we found out.

By noon the day of our skinning, the story of our find had gone statewide. The next day, it had gone national, taking Bill and Vicki Schroeder’s photographs of the historic event with it.

Had it not been for our hometown news media, WRGA’s Nelle Regan and David Crawford and the staff the Rome News Tribune threw at us, none of that would

have happened.Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the

press. Thank you. And then came the magic. Deeply

personal and very real. Time didn’t just stand still when those

shingles came down. It poured over us like the waters bubbling from our ancient spring. The mist rose, and the veil that separates then and now was pierced. The whole town began living again its pioneer past.

Mysteries And Miracles:

The Cave Spring Log Cabin

Time didn’t just stand still when those shingles came down. It

poured over us like the waters bubbling from our ancient spring.


We heard again the excited whoops of Indian boys playing inside the Cave, thrilled by their discovery of the perfectly preserved carcass of a wolf which they, being boys, drug outside the Cave and tore to pieces. (A true story, courtesy of Wesley O. Connor and Wright Ellis, published in the Rome News-Tribune, November 1892.)

Barely more than an outpost was Cave Spring when this Cabin smelled of fragrant heart pine. Rome was 13 miles away by foot or mule. You could hardly call Rome a city then, but the men and women who sweated felling forests of longleaf pine to build it knew it would be not just a city, but their city, and so they infused it with the grit and determination and vision that would become Rome.

The settling of Cave Spring was different. Grit, determination, a focus on education, a lot of religion and—if all the old stories bubbling up now are true—more than a little intermarriage. No more beautiful land exists now, so it is hard to imagine how much more beautiful it was in the early 1800s. Abundant game, creeks and springs everywhere a man could turn, forests that ran for miles with the longleaf and American Chestnut, soil so rich it could feed generations.

No wonder the Cherokees loved it. No wonder our founding fathers did, too. No wonder some Cherokees opted to hide in plain sight by marrying into Cave Spring families, thus starting today’s game of computing the percentage of Cherokee blood in certain family lines. And all this when we still are yet to know the depth of the Cabin’s heritage.

That mystery is now in the hands of science, and it won’t be solved until the end of August.

But what explains the Cabin’s affect on total strangers who come to visit it? Is it as simple as the wonder of finding something that has been hidden all these years right under our collective noses? Or has Antiques Roadshow made such an impact that we all think we have a treasure in our attics—or,

better yet, that the attic itself might be the treasure?

Kerry Hix, one of the Cabin’s first friends, has a different idea. Kerry has spent his life rescuing and restoring historic log cabins. To date, he has saved more than 300 across the country. He’s a quiet, no-nonsense man

who lives in a Chatsworth plantation house that took him 15 years to rebuild.

And yes, there’s a Cherokee log cabin at its heart.

Kerry believes that log cabins are America’s determining architecture. Because they are the first shelters we could build, we imprinted the log cabin in our DNA to define “home.”

After giving it a bit of thought, I think he’s right. There is something primal about a log cabin that goes beyond the fact that it is familiar, built out of wood that smells good, and touches that specific nerve of memory. A log cabin signals not just long-ago homes, but adventure. A log cabin reminds us of the men and women we came from, and the men and women we are capable of becoming once more.

There is great power in remembrance, particularly in the days of cell phones and air conditioners; great power in the thought that, whether this Cabin is Cherokee or Pioneer built, the credit to whom its construction may go is not its only message.

The Cabin at the heart of Cave Spring stands as a reminder that whether we are red, white, black or green, we are the descendants of men and women who had the strength and courage to carve life out of the wilderness with their bare hands.

That’s plenty to be proud of, I say. VVV

...What explains the Cabin’s affect on total strangers who come

to visit it? Is it as simple as the wonder of finding something that

has been hidden all these years right under our collective noses? Or has Antiques Roadshow made such an impact that we all think

we have a treasure somewhere in our attics—or, better yet, that the attic itself might be the treasure?

Once upon a time...



Now Open!


Chances are you may not have known these facts, but you probably know someone who has been affected by Alzheimer’s. And, you can only expect that number to increase as the baby boomer population continues to age and more are diagnosed.

That is, unless a cure can be found. “Alzheimer’s is currently the seventh-

leading cause of death (in the nation), and it is predicted to reach epidemic proportions,” says Freda Stephenson, director of development for the North Georgia Region of the Alzheimer’s Association in Dalton. “It is imperative that we raise funds for a cure.”

Essentially, Alzheimer’s is a disease that attacks the brain. It is a progressive and fatal disease that causes memory loss, forgetfulness, confusion and, ultimately, the inability to speak, swallow or control movement. The disease leaves no survivors, and the decline of those with Alzheimer’s is equally—if not more—painful for loved ones.

“It is a hard disease to recover from as the caregiver,” says Stephenson, whose father

was recently diagnosed. “I absolutely have watched it destroy my mother-in-law and, basically, my husband because his health has never been the same.”

Randy Davis, owner of Rome radio stations WLAQ and 95.7 The Ridge, painfully watched his mother suffer with the disease for two years before she succumbed to its affects in 2002. “We saw my mother and my children’s grandmother slowly [fade] away, and that is really hard to take,” Davis explains. “Particularly, the way our situation was, it was tough to be around. Because when a person has Alzheimer’s and they really go down, not all senior living facilities will take patients. You have to take them where there is a bed.

“My mother’s care was good, but the facility was not. And that is pretty dog-gone tragic… From that standpoint, that is always going to be a painful point to me as her son.

“But we did not have any choice in the matter. There is nothing else that could have been done, and that story could probably be repeated many, many falls.”

Last year, when Randy’s son, local morning radio personality Matt Davis, asked him to participate in the Memory Walk to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, Randy did not hesitate. “When you have a parent—or mother, like in my case—who died with the disease, you see just how devastating it can be. To be around other people who are committed to being a part of something like the Memory Walk, because the disease has touched them either directly or indirectly, is

every 70 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease. Across the country, more than 5 million Americans are

living with Alzheimer’s and more than 10 million are serving as their unpaid caregivers. In Georgia alone, there are more than 200,000 people diagnosed with the disease, 28,000 of whom are residents of North Georgia.

Remembera walk toby reagen lowrey

coosa valley memory walk 2010

where>>>Berry College Rome, Ga.

when>>>Saturday, Sept. 18

Registration begins @ 8 a.m. Walk starts @ 9 a.m.

for more info>>>email [email protected] or

call 706.275.0819 to reach the North Georgia

Regional Office of the Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter

for details or donations>>>visit alz.org/georgia/in_my_

community_memorywalk.asp.


really kind of an interesting experience.”Memory Walk is the nation’s largest

event to raise awareness and funds for care, support and research for the Alzheimer’s Association. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $300 million for the cause.

There are Memory Walks all across the country. Georgia itself has 19 this year.

The local Coosa Valley Memory Walk will be held on Sept. 18 at Berry College in Rome. It involves team participation, as well as individuals raising money for the cause and reaching various incentives for prizes—T-shirts, jackets, even flat-screen televisions for those who raise over $10,000.

“The Coosa Valley Memory Walk has always been very successful,” says Stephenson. “We always have a tremendous turnout. Typically, we have around 250 to 300 people show up. Our goal this year is $60,000 and hopefully we can beat that.”

At press time, the Coosa Valley Memory Walk had already raised over $28,000, each

dollar of which will support either future research aimed towards finding a cure or local programs and support groups. These include the Medic Alert Safe Return Bracelet Program to aid wandering patients, caregiver workshops, and telephone or in-

person support groups, all free of charge to those who may need them.

“I cannot stress it enough,” says Stephenson, “the urgent need for people to participate. Because it is going to affect everybody at some point. You are either going to be kin to somebody or you are going to know somebody that has this disease, and it is being diagnosed at a younger age. There are people in their 40s and 50s who are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and we just need a cure.”

Matt Davis, who is co-chairing this year’s Coosa Valley Memory Walk in addition to his early morning duties on 97.5 The Ridge, says that it was an easy choice for him to become involved with the organization and its flagship fundraiser. “Once [Alzheimer’s] affects your family, it makes you want to go out and help other people who have been in a similar situation because you know how difficult it is,” he says. “To me, there is nothing sadder than to watch somebody lose their identity. It is not just sad to the person

that it is happening to, [but also to] the people who are around them.

“I was in my early 20s when my grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and I was very close to her. It is just a really terrible feeling to have someone you care about

so much not even realize who you are, or who her husband is, or her son… It kind of boggles the mind to see people with this disease lose touch with reality.”

Matt adds that he did find some solace as a participant in last year’s Memory Walk, and he encourages others to come out and do the same this Sept. 18. “It is very satisfying to do something in honor of someone you cared about, and to know that you did your part to try to help others. When you have this situation going on, it is really hard to come up with the resources to deal with it and what you have going on in your own life. It is a full-time job taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s.

“I would just like to urge people to get together to either donate money or form a team. This is a cause that deserves attention because there are a lot of people out there who need help. Whatever you can contribute will be appreciated…and it is definitely something that you can give yourself a pat on the back for.” VVV

alzheimer’s protein fibril

“It is just a terrible feeling to have someone you care about so much not even realize who you are... It kind of boggles the mind to see people

with this disease lose touch with reality.”


795,000 Americans will have a

stroke this year.

135,000 Will Die.

Harbin Clinic Community

Health Initiative:

Harbin Clinic’s Vascular Lab offers screens to

identify risks, prevent strokes, and to detect

aneurysms. Consider scheduling your screen

today.

Screen includes: Stroke/carotid artery

ultrasound, abdominal aortic aneurysm test, and

arteriosclerosis (blood circulation)

evaluation. Tests are non-invasive, painless, and

the complete screen takes approximately 15

minutes. Results of the screen are interpreted by

a board certified vascular surgeon and mailed to

the patient. Price: $119.

Common stroke symptoms include:

• Sudden numbness or

weakness of the face, arm or

leg - especially on one side

of the body.

• Sudden confusion, trouble

speaking or understanding.

• Sudden trouble seeing in

one or both eyes.

• Sudden trouble walking,

dizziness, loss of balance or

coordination.

• Sudden severe headache with

no known cause.

If you observe any of these

signs, it’s time to call 9-1-1 or

get to the nearest hospital ER.

For appointments, call 706-233-8510

Screens offered at Harbin Clinic Vascular

Labs in Rome and Cartersville.

A Vascular Screen could

S A V E Y O U R L I F E

V A S C U L A R L A B

550 Redmond Rd. Rome, GA 706.233.8510

HARBIN CLINIC VASCULAR LAB

SPECIALTY CENTER

550 REDMOND ROAD, ROME GA

706.233.8510

PINSON’S INCFLOORING AND INTERIORS DIVISION


MCA


Portraits • Senior Portraits • Weddings • Events

Rome, GA • (706) 766-8468

www.babycakestudios.com

Fleeting Moments

Enduring Memories

Print Ship & More

HARBINCLINIC.COM | 1-888-427-2461

Take On HealthH A R B I N C L I N I C ’ S

O U R P H Y S I C I A N S A N S W E R Y O U R Q U E S T I O N S


How did you decide to come to Rome?My wife and I have always enjoyed the Southern lifestyle and its focus on family. I am originally from New York, but I went to school in North Carolina at Duke University and met my wife in medical school in New

Orleans. Rome seemed like a perfect place to develop my practice and raise a family.

What is the scope of your practice?I am a fellowship-trained total joint specialist. I focus mainly

on primary, revision and complex total hip and knee replacements, as well as hip resurfacings, partial knee replacements and arthroscopy of the hip and knee.

Why did you choose to do a fellowship?I love giving people a chance to regain their function and reduce their pain. My specialized training in total joints allows me to focus on one area of orthopaedics and treat more complex disease. Professionally, there is no greater feeling than to see the expression on my patients’ faces when they can once again enjoy the simple things in life that most people take for granted.

How do you know if you have hip arthritis?A lot of times patients mistake arthritis pain for muscle pain. Patients report feeling like they pulled a groin muscle. Some patients have even had hernia repairs not realizing that their pain was coming from the hip.

This pain can also radiate to the knee, making patients think that they have an injured knee. In the end, an evaluation by an orthopaedic surgeon will let you know the extent of your arthritis.

What is hip resurfacing?Hip resurfacing is an alternative to total hip replacement. The advantages of hip resurfacing are that it is bone sparing, potentially a faster recovery and a decreased risk of dislocation.

Instead of cutting off the head and neck of the thigh bone (femur), we remove the arthritic portion and place a metal cap over the bone. This metal cap then articulates with a metal cup that we place in the pelvis.

Which kind of patient is a good candidate for total hip resurfacing?Hip resurfacing is intended for young, active adults with degenerative joint disease of the hip. In general, men under the age of 60—or very active men under the age of 65—and females younger than 50 are good candidates. Patients with a history of osteoporosis or obesity are better suited for total hip replacement. What alternatives exist for knee replacement surgery?Knee replacements, like hip replacements, are extremely successful. However, there has been a recent trend towards bone-sparing procedures like partial knee replacements and patellofemoral replacements.

Who is the correct patient for a partial knee replacement?The correct patient for partial knee replacement has degenerative joint disease, mainly of the inside compartment of the knee with intact ligaments and appropriate x-rays.

Age is not a factor in selecting the appropriate patient. Rheumatoid arthritis and fixed contractures still hold true as poor candidates for partial knee replacements.

How about isolated replacements of the kneecap? Kneecap disease (patellofemoral disease) usually affects women in their 30s and 40s, or men that do a lot of work on their knees. Patellofemoral replacement is a procedure of last resort, after attempts at physical therapy and traditional arthritis treatments. It is a very successful procedure in patients with significant arthritis of the kneecap, patients for whom other treatment options have failed, and those who do not have significant arthritis in other parts of their knee.

How can someone find out more about the different treatments available for hip and knee pain?A lot of information can be found at RestoreMyJoint.com. You can also see 3D animated videos of numerous procedures for the hip, knee and shoulder on our newly updated Website (harbinclinic.com/ortho, or harbinclinic.com/sports-medicine). VVV

Dr. Kenneth Sands received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his Medical Doctorate degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at State University of New York’s Brooklyn Health Science Center, followed by a fellowship in total joint replacement at Florida Orthopaedic Institute. Dr. Sands is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is the medical director of the nationally accredited Total Joint Center of Excellence at Floyd Medical Center.

Ace of Replacements:Dr. Kenneth Sands answers your

questions regarding the latest in surgery options for the hip and knee

HARBINCLINIC.COM | 1-888-427-2461

Take On HealthH A R B I N C L I N I C ’ S

O U R P H Y S I C I A N S A N S W E R Y O U R Q U E S T I O N S


WE PAY CASH

FOR YOUR OLD

OR UNWANTED JEWELRY!

Now is the time to sell your broken or unwanted jewelry, old class rings, scrap gold and silver coins.

HoursMonday & Tuesday9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Wednesday & Saturday9:00am - 2:00 pmThursday & Friday9:00am - 5:00pm

2507 SHORTER AVE. ROME GA 30165 706.378.8370

EASY MONEY PAWN

WE PAY CASH

FOR YOUR OLD

OR UNWANTED JEWELRY!

Now is the time to sell your broken or unwanted jewelry, old class rings, scrap gold and silver coins.

HoursMonday & Tuesday9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Wednesday & Saturday9:00am - 2:00 pmThursday & Friday9:00am - 5:00pm

2507 SHORTER AVE. ROME GA 30165 706.378.8370

EASY MONEY PAWN


V3MAG_AUG2010

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