Georgia Magazine - June 2021 - 4

MailBOX

Georgia
Georgia
Berry
sweet!
Georgia
Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle

GEMC

Comments from our readers * Compiled by Jennifer J. Hewett

April issue packs a punch

Remembering
Atlanta's Negro
Leagues baseball team
page 22

While I always enjoy reading your magazine, the April
issue provided a nonstop reading pleasure. [See bit.ly/
gmg0421.]
Until I read " First-class art " [page 16; bit.ly/poa421],
MAGAZINE
I had never heard about the paintings and sculptures in
post offices. Then, " Music for all " about musical playscapes
Recipes to celebrate
strawberry season
[page 26; bit.ly/mus421] and " Never a dull moment " about
page 34
MAGAZINE
ax throwing [page 29; bit.ly/gaax421] offered glimpses into
Post office
murals are
first-class art
two unusual skill sets that provide fun experiences for
Georgia's
many people.
ax-throwing venues
And even though I am generally indifferent to sports, I
was intrigued by the local stories, " Atlanta's field of dreams " [page 22; bit.ly/afod421]
and " Henry Aaron by the numbers " [page 9; bit.ly/hbtn421].
Thank you for producing such an interesting issue!
-Rebecca Sullivan, Carrollton
MAGAZINE

Fragrant gardenias
bring back memories
page 32

APRIL 2021

Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle

GEMC

Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle

GEMC

page 16

page 29

www.georgiamagazine.org

01_Cover_0421.indd 1

3/10/21 7:00 PM

Reaching veterans

COURTESY KEN

BEARDEN

I want to send a big " thank you " to Georgia
Magazine. The November 2020 article about
the Veterans Fishing
Organization is still
Healingionwserveats thosere whos served
paying off for veterOrganizat
Veterans Fishing
ans. [See " Healing
waters, " page 22;
N
bit.ly/vfoga.]
Thanks to the
article, we still have
veterans signing up,
and donations are still
coming in. This veteran
[see picture at right]
recently came from
Warner Robins for a great day on the water.
-Ken Bearden, executive director, Veterans Fishing Organization, LaGrange
AMANDA GOEHLERT
ISTOCK.COM /
AMTITUS
ISTOCK.COM /

to talk about
Derek Bailey loves
ewnan resident
his first of
y football. But after
Auburn Universit
" when people
in Iraq, he realized,
to
two deployments
say 'War Eagle'
Auburn gear and
me. " He
would notice my
were talking to
got upset that they
the casual
me, I cringed and
the night to avoid
in the middle of
started shopping
day.
his
once made
ent of
conversations that
the U.S. Departm
many veterans-
g on the
Bailey is one of
dependin
percent,
20
estimates up to
stress
Veterans Affairs
post-traumatic
from combat with
conflict-who return
to Agent Orange,
disorder (PTSD).
linked to exposure
War,
PTSD and diseases
during the Vietnam
to defoliate jungles
return to
a chemical used
face when they
challenges veterans
he has found
are just two of the
LaGrange thinks
water.
Ken Bearden of
and lots of open
civilian life. But
lots
cope:
help veterans
a simple way to
to bite that day.
Fishsome fish willing
-based Veterans
And, hopefully,
LaGrange
founded
ion that
In 2016, Bearden
nonprofit organizat
(VFO), a 501(c)(3)
to miliing Organization
trips free of charge
and
freshwater fishing
West Point Lake
provides guided
on West Georgia's
Operating
veterans
to
e
tary veterans.
is easily accessibl
in Alabama, he
welcome to
Lake Wedowee
in the country is
veteran
any
but
in both states,
join him.

KEN BEARDEN

Lawson

caught a fish within
his son, Sky Shirai,
Derek Bailey and
out with Ken Bearden.
minutes of setting

Bearden was
into his first rodeo,
says. Five minutes
winning money.
went profesand eventually
He kept winning
until he
g around the country
sional, competin
old age of 29.
retired at the ripe
I had been
man's game, and
" This is a young
says.
he
over, "
done
fishing. His
Bearden began
Bearden grew
McClellan, a U.S.
In his free time,
leading
driving from Fort
in again, this time
his home.
near
kicked
range
truckloads of soldiers
spirit
ive
firing
competit
and winning bass, to practice at a
nal anglers' circuit
post near Anniston
rs, that " the windows
to the professio
in the fishing
close, he remembe
so
celebrity
a
was
As
nts.
range
The
fishing tourname
at
fired heavy artillery.
asked to help fundraise
to enlist. Instead,
rattled " when they
ity, he was often
ss to help,
down that road
found him commun
nts. Seeing his willingne
But he never followed
his
and breaking horses
through tourname
suggested he start
talent for riding
the age of 15 his
of a local nonprofit
rodeo.
director
didn't
I
a
local
a
in
I
because
bull
" I blew it off
on the back of a
was like a car wreck.
own organization.
first bull, and it
it, and the
or reason, " he says.
" I got running the
my next one, I rode
really have a rhyme
happened. But
that, " he
had no idea what
one I placed on
on it, and the next
next one I placed

From bulls toupbass
As a child, he watched
in Anniston, Ala.
Army

Georgia Magazine

November 2020

KEN BEARDEN

By Helen Newling

g friendshipa friend who gave his
A life-changin
met
also how Bearden

Bearden
Fishing was
a Vietnam vet, but
Joe Gilham was
life new purpose.
of it at
at first.
Joe never spoke
didn't know that
four or five years,
" For about the first

tell Bearden things
all, " he says.
by, Gilham would
shared
As the years went
a time. Then Gilham
service, a little at
phic latabout his military
disease (amyotro
He had Lou Gehrig's
to Agent
something else:
condition linked
degenerative muscle
eral sclerosis), a
Orange.

PM
10/12/20 9:45

20.indd 22

22-24_Veteran_Fishing_11

Caption

Georgia podcasts our readers enjoy
At the end of our January 2021 story " We're listening, "
about Georgia-based podcasts, we asked readers what podcasts they enjoy. [See page 20; bit.ly/pcga0121.]
Below are a few letters we received:

We're
listening
More Georgians are producing,
listening to podcasts
By Amber Lanier Nagle

I want to mention a podcast that allows women to
discuss how they got their second wind. Many have been
housewives, professionals, never married and single
parents. But what happens next?
" Second Wind, The Podcast with Wendy Charles
Maguire, " secondwindthepodcast.com, shares the stories
of ordinary women doing extraordinary things-and those who asked and found the
answer to the question, " What's next? "
This podcast makes you think and feel, and it inspires and empowers you to find
your second wind.
-Linda Kirkpatrick, director, Family Patterns Matter, Newnan

20 Georgia Magazine

KENSLIE MCGUIRE

n 2013, just after taking over operations of
to choose the right time and place to listen
With topics that
The Bookshelf, a small independent bookby hiting the " play " buttons on their devices.
include music,
store in downtown Thomasville, Annie B.
They can pause their session and come back
Jones toyed with the idea of launching a
to the podcasts later. Some people listen in the
writing, sports,
book-related podcast.
car, while others opt to listen while exercising,
" Running a business was new to me, but I
working in the yard or cleaning the house.
politics, history and
knew one thing: I would have to do something
With topics that include music, writing,
religion, there's a
different to attract more customers to the store
sports, politics, history and religion, there's a
to buy books, " Jones says.
podcast for everyone and every interest. But
podcast for everyone
She had studied journalism in college
podcasts often dig deeper. Interested in UFO
and knew how to organize and present insightings? There are podcasts that explore
and every interest.
formation. Plus, she listened to podcasts and
them. For intellectual foodies, " The Sporkful "
enjoyed the medium.
offers hours of content about Texas tacos, how
" I Googled 'How can I start a podcast?' And I went from
to eat jelly doughnuts, the science of carbonation and more.
there, " she says.
Learn all about cats from podcasts like " Cattitude " or " Nine
A few weeks later, Jones released the first episode of " From
Lives with Dr. Kat. "
the Front Porch, " a weekly conversational podcast about books,
" Each podcast typically has a theme, or category, that is of
small business and Southern life. Today, 5,000 to 6,000 listeners
interest to a particular group of listeners, " says Robert Chaundownload Jones' podcasts each week to hear her talk with staff
cey, a middle school teacher in Griffin who co-wrote and promembers and friends about everything book-related, including
duced a podcast titled " Tunnels " with his friend Charlie Dukes.
the legacy of works such as " Anna Karenina " and " Little Wom " Our first podcast, 'Tunnels,' fits into a genre called serial drama
en " and behind-the-scenes secrets of the bookselling business.
or audio fiction-like old radio shows, featuring a story told
" For our listeners, it's a form of entertainment, " Jones says.
through different characters and sounds in the background. "
" For us, it has morphed into an effective marketing tool. It has
Chauncey describes himself as a horror fan who loves lishelped our bookstore get noticed nationally and increase our
tening to podcasts. He operated a nonprofit haunted house for
sales, even during the pandemic. "
years before making the leap to a different type of production.
He learned the ropes of developing podcasts by watching
YouTube videos and networking with other podcasters. He deSo what is a podcast?
scribes his first episodes as a bit " crude " -recorded with an iPad
Podcasts are audio programs-or files-that people stream
using an $8 headset and edited with Audacity, a free software
or download and listen to on their phones, tablets and personal
application. He later purchased higher-quality equipment. The
computers. Unlike radio broadcasts, podcasts enable listeners
January 2021

20-22_GA_Podcasts_new_0121.indd 20

12/15/20 11:00 AM

From THE EDITOR
The last 12 months have been
stressful for a variety of reasons-most
notably the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hospital staff members and patients have
borne the brunt of stress associated with
the pandemic, which makes it even more
important that we show appreciation and
concern for their efforts and well-being.
The mission of the Foundation for
Hospital Art in Woodstock is to inspire
patients and volunteers to create colorful
artwork, which then is donated to
hospitals. Believing that exposure to
visual art promotes healing and reduces
pain and anxiety, the foundation has
embarked on a quest to deliver art to
every hospital on Earth.
Read " Brushes with kindness, "
starting on page 20, to learn how the
foundation is bringing comfort and hope
to people in health care facilities around
the world and how you can help.
Nature is the inspiration for the art
showcased in the Porcelain and
Decorative Arts Museum. Along with the
Discovery and Inspiration Garden and a
revamped entrance, it's part of a suite of
additions and new amenities at the State
Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens.
The museum houses holdings from
the collections of Georgia businesswoman and philanthropist Deen Day
Sanders and includes permanent
galleries and visiting exhibitions as well
as classroom space. Turn to " Beyond the
greenhouse, " starting on page 34, to
discover how decorative art is being
integrated into a natural setting.
Finally, we visit what some have
called the " Disney of convenience
stores " : Buc-ee's. The chain's dedication
to clean restrooms, friendly service and
epic snack options have earned it a legion
of dedicated fans, and its new location
near Warner Robins is no exception.
See " Road-trippin' to Buc-ee's, "
starting on page 23, to find out why
people say " it's not just a convenience
store; it's a destination. "

Caption

Enjoy!

Laurel George
Editor

Continued on page 6

Georgia Magazine

June 2021

04-06_Mailbox_Ed_Notes_staff_0621.indd 4

5/13/21 1:26 PM

http://bit.ly/gmg0421 http://bit.ly/gmg0421 http://www.bit.ly/poa421 http://www.bit.ly/mus421 http://www.bit.ly/gaax421 http://www.bit.ly/afod421 http://www.bit.ly/hbtn421 http://www.bit.ly/vfoga http://www.ISTOCK.COM http://www.bit.ly/pcga0121 http://www.secondwindthepodcast.com

Georgia Magazine - June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - June 2021