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The Hi Low Bridge ClubTRICKS OF THE GAME & LIFE
The Total PackageA SEAMLESS EDUCATION
Freedom to RoamBOVINE BEAUTIES OF
DURRENCE FARMS
Beyond the Rally PUSHING YOUTH TO SUCCEED
The Journey of Raekwon McMillanFormer Liberty Panther Set Sights on 2nd National Title
AUG/SEPT 2015 $2.95
HIINNEESVVIILLE & THE HISTTOORRIICC CCOOAAST
best
• 2015 •LIBERTY
of
206 E. Court St. • P.O. Box 800Hinesville, GA 31310912-876-0111
10221 Ford Ave • Suite 4 Richmond Hill, GA 31324
912-756-4565
608 E. Oglethorpe Hwy. Hinesville, GA 31313912-876-0888
WWW.JOJLAW.COMn.
*Member GA & CA Bar
Concentrating in personal injury cases including:
18 Wheeler Wrecks
Car Accidents
Premises Liability
Product Liability
Wrongful Death
Largest Established Real Estate Practice Serving Liberty County and Surrounding Areas
J. Noel OsteenBilly N. Jones
Charles M. Jones
(1930 – 2007)
Linnie L. Darden, III*L. Kelly Davis
Jeffery N. Osteen, PCRichard E. Braun, Jr.
Carl R. VarnedoeAimee T. Harris-Davis
Jones Osteen JonesJOJ
Proudly serving the residents of Liberty County and surrounding areas since 1959.
4 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
AUGUST / SSSSEPEPEPEPE TEMBMBMBERER 201155 •• NUN MBERER 22
23The Hi Low Bridge Club Bridging the years through friendship and cards
The Journey of
Raekwon McMillanLeadership on and off the field
41
48
59
Beyond the RallyA youth groups’ purpose for potential
Education Connection A litany of learning choices in Liberty
31
FEATURES
best
• 2015 •LIBERTY
of
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 5
DEPA
RTM
EN
TS
10Our FavesThings to enjoy towards the end of summer
12EventsHot Happenings in Liberty during the late summer
14Faces & PlacesCandid shots from Liberty’s recent events
56Life’s a PeachAlmost beaten by beets A mishap on the journey to Paleo
58Proust QuestionnaireMelissa Poole, Atlantic Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney
18Coastal CravingsBovine Beauties of Durrence Farms
AUAUAUAUAA GUGUGUGUSTSTSTSTST //// SSSSEPEPEPEPTETETET MMBM ERERERR 22010155 • NUUUUUMBM ERR 222
6 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
PUBLISHERS. Marshall Griffin
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJason Wermers
MANAGING EDITORTiffany King
CREATIVE DIRECTOREkaterina Wilkerson
ADVERTISINGRETAIL ADVERTISING MANAGER
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Elke [email protected]
Jennifer Buehler [email protected]
Danielle [email protected]
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Amalachi Zacharia, Britney Prince, Elke Walker
CONTRIBUTING WRITERSDebra Ayers Brown, Alvieann Chandler,
Krystal Hart, Caitlyn Kenney, Tiffany King, Patty Leon, Brent Zell
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSGeoff L. Johnson, Caitlin Kenney,
Tiffany King, Patty Leon, Kayla Rand
OFFICE STAFFBUSINESS MANAGER
Kathryn Fox
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Johnny Brown
Liberty Life magazine:125 S. Main St., Hinesville, GA 31313
Published by Morris Newspaper Corporation of Hinesville, Inc.Liberty Life magazine is a publication of
Morris Newspaper Corporation of Hinesville, Inc.
For SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES, BACK ISSUE ORDERS and ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
call 912-876-0156 For EDITORIAL INQUIRIES, email
[email protected] welcome your news.
Please send press releases and media kits to [email protected].
Copyright 2015 by Morris Newspaper Corporation of Hinesville, Inc.
All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publisher.
8 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
Editor’s LETTER
Coming off the lazy days of sum-
mer, we need some motivation
for the next school year. The
annual Back to School Rally
in Riceboro, hosted by Project
Reach G.A.N.G, has the answer. Free school
supplies, various vendor tables, a concert, fun
activities for kids and motivational speakers
helped get the community geared up and
ready to go. Students left set up to conquer
the year ahead. We took a closer look at the
organization behind the rally that makes this
anticipated event a success. Discover what
makes this organization strive to help youth
reach their potential.
There’s a lot to be excited about when it
comes to education in Liberty. We are unique
in that a community of our size offers educa-
tion from infancy all the way through higher
education. And within this spectrum are a
variety of educational choices and oppor-
tunities. This is just another aspect to what
makes Liberty County a unique destination
in Coastal Georgia. Learn how your family
can take the journey from early childhood to
a professional career.
Like we’ve said a million times before,
Liberty County is full of talent. We produce
some top-notch students and athletes who
have gone off to conquer the world. Former
Liberty County High School football play-
er Raekwon McMillan is making waves at
Ohio State University. McMillan stands out
not only because of his athleticism, but his
heart and leadership potential on and off the
field. With all his success and accolades, Mc-
Millan has stayed grounded and humble —
something he’s definitely learned from his
family and home community.
We all know that football is huge in the
South. However, there are other games that
are not as loud and that don’t require an
arena. This game also requires the same
amount of skill, knowing the language of
your teammate and years of practice. We’re
talking about playing bridge. Right here in
Liberty, there is a bridge club of women who
have been playing together for more than
50 years. Though the levels of the game are
intricate and often complicated, these ladies
play with ease. It’s because of the friendships
they’ve formed over the years — and card
games that last into the night.
Liberty Life Magazine celebrates Liberty
and highlights what makes this county so
special. But it’s time again for you, the read-
ers and residents, to tell us about the best
that Liberty has to offer. It’s our annual Best
of Liberty contest, where the readers vote
on who and what is the best in town. The
competition was intense, but we are proud to
announce our 2015 Best of Liberty winners.
Congratulations to all the winners and con-
gratulations to everyone in Liberty who con-
tinue to make this community great!
On the
COVER
Hinesville native Raekwon McMillan stands on the field during an Ohio State football game. His natural leadership abilities and maturity has positioned him for a long and successful career—whether on or off the field.
Photo provided by Ohio State Department of Athletics
Love and Liberty for all,
Tiffany King
Managing Editor
10 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
August is National Peach Month,
and since we live in the Peach
State, it’s only fitting that we cel-
ebrate. Georgia doesn’t produce
the most peaches in the United States. That
honor goes to California. But Georgia growers
are known for producing the highest quality
of the fruit. Peaches are a good source of vita-
mins A, B and C. So let’s celebrate by includ-
ing more peaches in our diet this month. See
how many ways you can enjoy its juicy flavor.
THINGS TO ENJOY TOWARDS THE END OF SUMMER
NATIONAL PEACH MONTH
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 11
It’s that time again, for packed lunches, stuffed book
bags and scattered crayons. The summer break is
over and it’s time to go back to school. But it’s also
a new beginning. Think of it as starting off with an
“A” and working to maintain that during the year. Some
children will bemoan the start of the new school year.
However, it’s actually another opportunity to discover
new talents, explore creativity, pursue interests and push
students towards their destiny. School is in session and
we’re ready to conquer.
BACK TO SCHOOL
O ne last splash in the pool. One last summer
vacation getaway. The summer memories
of travelling to familiar or new destinations,
camping with family, slipping into the pool,
and consuming too much ice cream are yours now to
cherish. After recharging and relaxing, we’re ready to
get back into the swing of things. Summer is fading and
fall is just around the corner.
FAREWELL TO SUMMER
LABOR DAY
The first Monday in September is dedicated
to the workers who have contributed to the
prosperity of our country. Labor Day was a
creation of the labor movement to recog-
nize the social and economic achievements of Ameri-
can workers. This holiday is more than furniture and
clothes sales, or finding the best bargain. It’s an oppor-
tunity to remember our hardworking parents and fami-
ly members who instilled good work ethic, honesty and
perseverance. As we work towards our dreams, make
the time to honor their sacrifice in working to provide
a better future.
If you’re looking for a family outing on Labor Day,
head over to Fort Morris Historic Site in Midway. The
Labor Day commemoration will include cannon firing
and hourly soldier talks. For more information, check
out Hot Happenings.
LIVING IN-BETWEEN
September is one of those in-between months.
The days are still long with some heat, but get-
ting shorter as it cools down. At farmers mar-
kets one can still find summer produce like
berries and tomatoes. Then fall favorites like apples
and squash debut at the same time. This transition be-
tween seasons is often pleasant. So take the time to go
out and enjoy!
From the first course to the cake, let us handle all of your wedding day catering needs. We prepare fresh, delicious food with an eye on presentation for results
that will enchant you and your guests.
Elegant presentations that satisfy the palette.
Our southern hospitality and attention to detail will assure that your event will flow smoothly and
to your specifications.
Lynn S. Cannon • Midway, GA 912-884-5584 • 912-271-2107
occasions-event-planning.com
OccasionsCATERING & EVENT
SERVICES
“I do! ”And then she said
12 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
7Labor Day Commemoration The muskets and cannons will be working at
Fort Morris Historic Site in Midway for its Labor Day commemoration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day’s events include hourly soldier talks and musket and cannon firings. Admission is $3 and $4.50. The fort is located at 2559 Fort Morris Road, 7 miles east of Interstate 95 exit 76 via Island Highway and Fort Morris Road. For more information, call 884-5999.
19Blues and BBQ Festival The 12th annual Blues and BBQ Festival
will feature acclaimed blues artist Janiva Magness and lots and lots of great barbecue in downtown Hinesville. See www.hinesvillearts.com for more details.
The Hinesville
Farmers Market continues, delivering locally grown produce and homemade goodies in addition to vendors and entertainment 4-7 p.m. every Thursday at Bradwell Park in downtown Hinesville. For more information, call the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority at 877-4332 or go to www.hinesvilledowntown.com.
8Canine Combat Challenge Competitors — both human and canine — can tackle
the obstacle course during the Canine Combat Challenge, set for 8 a.m. at Bryant Commons, 438 W. Oglethorpe Highway in Hinesville. Entry fee is $30 per person, with the proceeds going to Cisco’s Dog Park. For more information, call 912-877-4332.
HOT HAPPENINGS IN LIBERTY DURING THE LATE SUMMER
8 15; Sept. 12, 19 Youth Classes at HAAC
The Hinesville Area Arts Council has youth classes every second and third Saturday of the month at the HAAC gallery, 102 Commerce St. in Hinesville. The “Mommy and Me” class for kids ages 3-6 is from 10-11:30 a.m., the variety studio for kids ages 7-11 is from noon to 1:30 p.m., and the variety studio for kids ages 12 and older is from 2-3:30 p.m. All classes are $10 or three for $25. For more information, call Emily Scott-Graham at 870-718-9414 or email [email protected].
August
September
WANT MORE? GO TO THE COMMUNITY CALENDAR AT WWW.COASTALCOURIER.COM
28Bradwell vs. Liberty Football Game Hinesville’s annual clash of its high-school football titans, Bradwell Institute vs. Liberty County High
School, takes place this year on LCHS’ home turf of Donell Woods Stadium and will feature premier talent. Liberty County has won this game three years in a row heading into the 2015 edition. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 13
14 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
8
CANDID SHOTS FROM LIBERTY’S PAST EVENTS
Hinesville Farmers MarketJune 8, 2015 | Downtown Hinesville
1. Jung and Cooper Neiman
2. Chrisraine, Sharon and Christophe Gilpin
3. Back: Timika Sumpter and Mechelle Morris,
Front: Jamaika Sumpter and Izabella Morris
4. Matthew and Emily Leppard
5. Charles Rogers and Reverend Douglas Harn
6. Back: Lamarcus Davis and Shanna Golden,
Front: Tessa Rhodes, Tina Bland
and Kellie Golden
Salute the NationJuly 3, 2015 | Cottrell Field, Ft. Stewart
7. Deputy Donald Roberts and Rosalind West
8. Ayden, Aly, Ryan and Teygan Orton
9. Aida, Maya, Afonso and Marvin Mendia
10. Back: Justyce Miller, T’Challa O’Bryant
and JuShara Coples
Front: Jamarion Coples and Taylor O’Bryant
Your Liberty County Home Builders
Everyone should come home
Schedule your Appointment by calling 912-369-7634www.dryden-homes.com101 West Court Street, Hinesville
to a Dryden Home
BestBusiness
2015
best
• 2015 •LIBERTY
of
Dallas
.
EdmontonDallas
Encore
Jensen
104 Sandy Run DriveHinesville, GA912-368-9229
Turn your houseinto a
(Behind Enmark Highway 84)
Monday - Friday 9AM to 7PM • Saturday 9AM to 6PM • Sunday 12PM to 5PM • www.badcock.com
College that
For graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, etc.,
18 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
Ahead
of the Curve
story by PATTY LEONphotography by CAITLIN KENNEY
Coastal CRAVINGS
GLENNVILLE FARM FAMILY HAS RAISED GRASS-FED BEEF FOR DECADES
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 19
WITH THE
G R O W -
ING CON-
CERN OF
THE POS-
SIBLE ILL
H E A L T H
E F F E C T S
THAT GROWTH HORMONES, ANTIBIOTICS,
GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD AND GRAIN
FEED PLAY IN THE MEAT WE EAT, IT’S NO
WONDER MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE
ASKING QUESTIONS AND SEARCHING FOR
HEALTHIER CHOICES.
Many health-conscious meat consum-
ers are starting to read the labels, searching
for beef that came from herds kept the way
Mother Nature intended — outside, free and
living off the land.
Glennville farmer Danny Durrence is a
fourth-generation farmer and says his cows
have been living clean for decades.
“People want to know where their food
is coming from,” Durrence says while sit-
ting outside the produce stand located on his
U-Pick farm off Highway 301.
Durrence was in the cow industry for a
long time and admits that when he first start-
ed out, his herd was grain-fed. Back then,
however, genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) were just starting to be developed,
and using grain to feed livestock was typical
farm practice across the nation.
But Durrence says there was a shift,
more than a decade ago, in what consumers
demanded from their meat. He says a lot of
people started to have issues about the use
of GMO products. He was surprised by how
often people asked about what he feeds his
herd and how he treats his animals.
“Everybody was asking for grass-fed
beef,” he says. “They wanted to know if they
were corn fed or what … so we started to shift
toward grass-fed beef, and now we are 100
percent grass-fed beef.”
He says consumers are turning their
backs against larger animal factories where
the livestock are kept locked inside, never
seeing daylight, mistreated, abused and later
brutally slaughtered. He says people are wary
of eating what could be tainted meat because
of the amount of GMO grain and growth hor-
mones used in the feed or injected into the
animal to make the meat cuts larger.
Durrence, 64, glances out and sees the
cows walking across his pasture. On his farm,
they roam freely through rich fields of grass.
His herd is never injected with hormones or
steroids. The cattle are well-cared-for, and
the few times they are confined is due to bad
weather or when it’s time to keep the calves
together with mom during weaning.
Most of his meat sales are in Florida,
where his cousin sells them — in high de-
mand by consumers — at two different farm-
ers’ markets in in Fernandina Beach and
Jacksonville.
His son Jamie Durrence is the managing
Previous page: Angus cattle
gather together around a water
hole at Durrence Farms.
Above: From Left: Owner
Danny Durrence, his grandson
Ridge Bradley and wife Sandy
Durrence, stand by their produce
stand on their farm. Customers
enjoy coming to the stand to
purchase the freshly-picked
vegetables.
20 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
partner at Daniel Reed Hospitality and over-
sees popular Savannah fine-dining locations
such as Soho South Cafè, The Public Kitchen
and Bar and Local 11ten.
They also use his all-natural, grass-fed an-
gus beef products.
“They use my ground beef,” Durrence
says, adding that there is a menu item called
the Danny Burger named after him at The
Public Kitchen and Bar.
Looking across the pasture, Durrence
seems content with the herd he has grown.
“I have 80 momma cows and three bulls,
and we are pretty much maxed out,” he says.
“Restaurants are calling and wanting our
steaks, but I don’t think I could handle the
volume.
Durrence says some places claim they
raise their own herd on their farms.
“But there is just no way,” he says.
“They’ve got to be buying cows. I know for
a fact, their volume being a lot higher than
mine, that there is no way they are furnish-
ing their own cattle without having to go out
and buy cattle. Yet they are advertising them
as their own. … I would rather be honest and
up front.”
He says he prefers to stay small and live
within his means.
“I can add more pastures. I mean, I have
the land to do that, but I am 64 years old. I get
tired easier,” he says laughing.
Durrence says he nurtured his herd,
and his bulls have good genetics in terms of
marbling.
“One of the ways you get tenderness (in
the meat) is through marbling. That is one
of the main things I look for,” he says. “And
I’ve gotten that aspect into my beef cows; the
marbling is high, which gives you flavor and
tenderness.”
He says he also ages his meats, rendering
more flavor.
“We age our meat 10 to 14 days,” he says,
adding that there are different methods farm-
ers and butchers tend to use. “We hang it up
and let it process a little bit,” he says, noting
that he found that his farm’s meat tastes bet-
ter when aged 10-14 days.
Durrence says he loves what he does,
but he admits that farm life — especially for
small mom-and-pop operations like his — is
difficult and sometimes not cost-effective.
Currently, Durrence sends his meat to two
different processing plants.
“For Georgia sales, I only have to have it
Georgia-inspected,” he explains. “I do that in
Vidalia at Stewart’s Quality Meats. For Flori-
da sales, I also have to have it USDA-inspect-
ed, so I have to go all the way to Tifton. Here
is what aggravates me. The same inspector
does the same inspection one place to put
a USDA stamp on it and at the other place
to put a Georgia stamp on it. I have to travel
sometimes up to five hours to have the same
guy do the same job. I understand you want
to sell things safely, but it places the burden
and the disadvantage to us small guys. These
large packing houses, they have their own
processing plant, so they don’t have to jump
through those hoops.”
Durrence says he grows fruits and vegeta-
Left: The farm also has pigs that
it raises for the family’s consump-
tion.
Right: The Durrences raise a
variety of fruit and vegetables,
including peppers, strawberries
and tomatoes.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 21
bles to bring in additional income and recalls
when his big money crop was once tobacco.
“We farm around 300 acres. … I used to
have 50 acres of tobacco, and there was a lot
of controversy about that. I am glad that it is
done and gone, but back then, that was our
money crop — tobacco and hogs,” he says.
“We used to run 100 sows here. … Those days
are gone. I can say that our living quality and
our income has decreased. We used to make
pretty good … put the kids through private
schools, but we can’t do that these days.”
The land Durrence farms has been in his
family since the early 1800s, and he says he
isn’t sure how much longer it will operate.
“I am the fourth generation,” he says with
a sigh. “I have a grandson that is in the 10th
grade, and he has taken a little interest in
helping around the farm, but I’m not encour-
aging it. Farm life is not what it used to be.
Small family farms are really struggling, and
we are a small family farm.”
But for now, he still takes pleasure in pro-
viding his customers with the best-quality
beef and bountiful produce.
“We get a lot of school kids coming out;
we especially get a lot of kids from Liberty
County,” Sandra Durrence, his wife of 45
years says, as she joins her husband at the
produce stand. “We get a lot of soldiers and
their wives that come out to pick their pro-
duce. And you won’t find another U-Pick
that has an honor system.”
Not able to man the store all day, the fami-
ly produce stand has a sign that asks custom-
ers to weigh their produce bag and place the
money in the honor box in the back of the
stand.
“My mother, Carolyn, used to live right
across the road there, and she would sit
on the porch and she would say, ‘They are
stealing you blind,’” Durrence recalls. “And
I would tell her, ‘I’m not worried about it. I
can’t be there all the time, and if somebody
has to steal something to eat, Lord bless
him.’”
“Now, I’ve caught some people stealing
and yes, if I catch them red-handed, I get real
aggravated with them. I am an honest per-
son, and if you come here to be dishonest, you
are not welcome.”
Durrence says he loves when the school
kids come during field trips.
“We let them pick strawberries, and then I
give them a hayride,” he says. “I take them to
the cow field, and I get them close to the cows,
and I got feed laid out and the cows stick their
tongues out, and they feed the cows. It’s an ed-
ucational experience. Most of these kids have
never been on a farm. Most think their grocer-
ies come from Piggly Wiggly.”
Durrence starts laughing out loud and
says that he was once asked where the pea-
nut tree was.
“I got a kick out of that,” he says.
The same care he places in nurturing his
beef herd is now being placed in one of his
newer projects.
“Two years ago, we started a pecan nurs-
ery and started grafting pecan trees and this
winter, when we harvest those trees, we did
pretty well. We are always looking for a little
niche,” he says, adding that much like grass-
fed beef, his pecan project was based on his
customers’ requests.
Driving through the field, Durrence calls
out to one of his cows. The cows’ ears perk up,
familiar with the sound of his voice. He scans
the field, sees that everything is well with the
herd and heads back to the stand. Another
day has come to end, but tomorrow, he has
more orders to fill.
For more information or to place a meat
order, visit jdbeef.com.
ServingLiberty County For Over 37 Years.
Home
S L b CC F O YS L bb CC F O YO Y
FIND THE RIGHT PLACE TO CALL
Managing Apartments • Condos • Homes
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 23
Bridging the Years Through
Friendship and Cardsstory by CAITLIN KENNEYy y
photography by MIRANDA OSBORN
24 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
BRIDGE IS ONE
O F T H O S E
GAMES THAT
M A K E YO U
THINK OF POSH
WOMEN SIT-
TING AROUND
A TABLE IN A
PARLOR SIPPING TEA, AND TALKING
ABOUT THE WEATHER, OR WHAT
OTHER WOMEN ARE DOING IN THEIR
SOCIAL CIRCLES.
Bridge is actually more accessible
than that stereotype, to the point that
you can play it online in your own
home. But the best part of bridge isn’t
the game itself; it’s the people you play
it with.
A group of women in Liberty
County has been playing bridge for
more than 50 years, and it probably
takes about that long to get good at
playing.
“It is complicated. I got this friend
(who) wanted me to teach her in one
afternoon,” Dottie Osteen says as the
others laughed. “It takes years,” Leila
Morris adds.
“Every hand is different. But that’s
why it’s so challenging. But it’s such a
good game,” Morris says.
The members of the Hi Low Bridge Club (back, left to right) Sue Nutting, Barbara Butler, Wanda Phillips, Bessie Bailey, Martha Sue Gunter, (front, left to right) Leila Morris, Dottie Osteen and Doris Rogers stand in front of the home chosen to host their bridge game that evening.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 25
They call themselves the Hi Low Bridge
Club, and their members include Leila Mor-
ris, Sue Nutting, Martha Sue Ginter, Doris
Rogers, Barbara Butler, Ginger Clark, Wan-
da Phillips, and Dottie Osteen. Their average
age is close to 80, but they’ll stay up late into
the night talking and playing bridge. Some of
them even play up to four times a week.
“A friend of mine taught several of us to
play bridge, and we just started,” Morris says.
The women meet every other Tuesday
around 6 p.m. at one of the members’ homes,
where dinner is prepared and card tables are
unfolded in a large room for club members
to sit.
These women are lifelong friends, and the
casual conversations and familiarity set the
relaxing mood for the rest of the night.
When all of the members arrive, they
gather around and say grace and then head
to the kitchen to eat. These women are drip-
ping with Southern hospitality, making sure
everyone is comfortable and well-fed, and has
enough iced tea or lemonade in her glass.
Dinnertime is when you’ll hear them talk
the most because bridge is a strategy game
that needs a lot of concentration, not a lot of
conversing. The ladies discuss all sorts of top-
ics from current news to family updates, even
local politics. You feel more like you’re vis-
iting your girlfriends and not so much your
grandma with this club.
After the food is eaten and compliments
are given to the chef, the game begins. Usu-
ally they’ll do three rounds in a night, ending
at close to 10 p.m. Each table sits four people,
and where you sit depends on which little
notebook — called a tally — you pull, assign-
ing you your table, seat and partners for the
rest of the night.
The basic idea of bridge is that you work
with a partner to strategize against the other
team at the table. The game is played with a
52-card deck, and everyone is dealt 13 cards.
Everyone then puts her cards in order of
suit and ranking in their hands, with aces
being the highest. Each card is a certain val-
ue, and you place bids based on the value of
the cards in your hand. Whoever outbids the
other players has her teammate put down
her own cards according to suit. Whichever
suit the bid was made for is the suit that can
“trump” any card put down by the opposing
team.
In order to first complete the bid, they
have to get a “book” or have beaten everyone’s
cards six times by putting down a higher or
trump card to take the other team’s cards that
they put on the table.
The women gather together to
say grace before eating. These
life-long friends take the time to
relax and catch-up during their
meal, which sets the casual mood
for the rest of the night.
“IF WE DIDN’T PLAY BRIDGE, WE MIGHT NOT SEE EACH OTHER FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. BUT THIS WAY, WE KEEP UP
WITH EACH OTHER.” — LEILA MORRIS
26 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
Once that’s done, they must get to howev-
er many “tricks” they’ve bid by continuing to
beat the other players. It ends when all the
cards have been played. Hopefully, the bidder
has gotten all the tricks she needed, and the
more the better.
Bridge is complicated because there are
so many layers to the game. Every game is
different and brings up different situations
and terminology that one may not encounter
the first time you play. Sometimes, it even
seems like the partners are talking in code
to one another about what bids they want to
play.
One of the club members had a book that
seemed bigger than a dictionary with all the
rules. The game seems daunting for a first-
time player, but all of the women are encour-
aging and helpful. The club members’ wit
and jokes make each round more enjoyable
than the last.
After each progression, the women laugh
and joke about what was just played. Some-
times, it looks like a sure win. Other times,
it’s down to the last cards before you know
whether the player will be successful with
her bid. Jubilant cheers erupt from the table,
and the teams tally up their scores.
“It’s the luck of the draw sometimes,” one
of the members says after an exciting round.
“So fun, so fun, so fun!” another exclaims.
“That’s what makes playing bridge worth-
while.”
What keeps them coming back every oth-
er Tuesday — besides this fun game — is the
friendship, companionship and just catching
up with their friends as the cards for the next
progression are shuffled and dealt.
When all of the rounds have been played,
scores are tallied and the player with the
highest score after three rounds gets the first-
place prize. Everyone is given a gift by the
hostess. Sometimes they are bought, some-
times handmade, but everyone gets to take
home something at the end of the night — es-
pecially another slice of dessert.
“If we didn’t play bridge, we might not
see each other for a couple of months,” Mor-
ris says. “But this way, we keep up with each
other.”
The rhythm of each bridge night is the
same, but that predictability is comforting
and draws one into their lives, one round at
a time.
They can all rely on one another for help,
prayer or whatever they may need outside of
bridge night.
These lovely ladies may come together for
a fun evening of bridge, but friendship is the
real name of the game.
Left: A score card for bridge is
shown. Bridge can takes years to
learn and master.
Right: Club members look at
their cards to see if they are able
to put in a bid.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 27
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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 31
The Education Connection
story by KRYSTAL HARTphotography by GEOFF L. JOHNSON
From the cradle to the grave, Liberty County has education covered for every age. As you search, you will
discover that the educational offerings are abundant and able to meet your needs at all stages of life.
32 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
“CRADLE TO
GRAVE” IS
OFTEN AS-
S O C I A T -
ED WITH
H E A L T H
CARE, ENVI-
RONMENTAL
CAUSES AND GOVERNMENT POLICY.
In Liberty County, leaders apply the
concept to education. They boast that
residents have access to cradle-to-grave
education when they choose Liberty.
Liberty County is one of few com-
munities its size to offer educational
opportunities for every age. The coun-
ty is home to 58 licensed child care/
day care centers, three Early Head
Start centers, one Head Start center,
23 Pre-K Centers, seven elementa-
ry schools, three middle schools, two
high schools, one alternative educa-
tion center, two private schools, one
technical college, one four-year uni-
versity, one Army Education Cen-
ter and a home school network. The
continuum of education offered by
various entities makes Liberty Coun-
ty a provider of seamless educational
opportunities.
Top: Students at the Liberty County Pre-K Center start the morning with a healthy dose of technology, exercise and learning. Providing the students with a balance of traditional learning tools and newer technological devices has been the foundation of the center’s success and ensures they are off to a good start.
Bottom: Liberty College and Career Academy associates gain hands-on experience perfecting their carpentry skills. It is part of the academy’s mission to develop work-ready students.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 33
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34 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
IMMEDIATELY AFTER A CHILD’S
BIRTH, FAMILIES IN LIBERTY
COUNTY HAVE SEVERAL EDUCA-
TIONAL OPTIONS TO EXPLORE.
A development curriculum can be-
gin at 6 weeks old. Home day cares,
child learning centers and the Coastal Geor-
gia Area Community Action Authority, Inc.’s
Early Head Start program offers it.
The Early Head Start program is one of
the most popular services the agency pro-
vides. Thirty-two infants are currently being
served in the Liberty County Early Head
Start program, a state and federal funded
program.
Infants from 6 weeks to 18 months are
provided formula, diapers, wipes and health
services. Each class has eight students and
two teachers. Another difference between
Early Head Start and child care learning
centers is the curriculum. The Creative
Curriculum incorporates some of the same
principles as the state program, Georgia Ear-
ly Learning and Development Standards.
Participants cover social, emotional, physical
health, language and literacy, approach to
learning, and cognitive skills.
After the early learning experience,
pre-kindergarten programs offer more op-
tions. Before entering kindergarten, students
may attend a Head Start program or Pre-K
program within child learning centers, the
First Presbyterian Christian Academy or the
Liberty County School System.
The Head Start program is also federally
funded and administered by CGACAA. It
provides child care services to three, four and
five-year-olds at National Association for the
Education of Young Children accredited and
licensed facilities.
The other option, Pre-K programs, is a
state, lottery-funded program for four-year-
old children. The CGACAA program uses the
Creative Curriculum and field trips to provide
developmentally-appropriate activities for the
children’s exploration and learning.
Additionally, Pre-K is offered at First
Presbyterian Christian Academy and several
child learning centers throughout the coun-
Starting the JOURNEY
Top: Instruction on laptops and iPads are part of the normal routine at the Liberty County Pre-K Center as students learn at a young age how to use technology for learning and communication. Class sets of iPads are placed in grades Pre-K to 3, and individual iPads are distributed to all students in grades 4 to 12 in the Liberty County School System.
Bottom: Spring 2015 Certified Nursing Assistant class of the LCCA were Cianiya Bankhead, Isiah Barnes, Tiffany Dabson, Zhantel Davenport, Jasmine Davis, Jasimine Jefferson, Marixenia Jensen, Simone Lewis, Alondra Lopez Diaz, Damalyenid Martinez Lugo, Melissa Moyett, Vanessa Whyte, Desira Williams, and Journae Young of Bradwell Institute and Liberty County high schools. They are now ready to s ecure jobs as CNAs or continue on their educational pursuits upon high school graduation.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 35
ty. The most well-known Pre-K option is the
countywide Liberty County School System
Pre-K Center in Hinesville. It is voluntary
and free of charge. Students who are 4-years-
old as of September 1 during the school year
for enrollment and live in Liberty County
are eligible. The High/Scope curriculum and
abundance of teaching and learning resourc-
es also make the Center an appealing option.
As technology has evolved, so has the
Center. A smart board is used to deliver
morning activities and lessons for concepts
such as months and days. It is basically a dig-
ital chalkboard — more like a huge, interac-
tive computer screen. Students learn how to
operate the machines and use touch screens
to participate in the activity. These skills are
acquired through use of classroom iPad cen-
ters and the technology lab.
“We embrace it instead of fighting it,” says
Dr. Shelby Bush, principal. “Technology is
not going away. We start with our little ones
here. Special needs students are also reached
through technology and able to be part of the
classroom experience with their peers. They
may not speak or react to us but they interact
through technology.”
This is something Dr. Bush says she is
happy to witness after 21 years with the
Pre-K Center. She will retire after the 2014-
2015 school year.
“The first set of students I taught in Pre-K
are now graduating from college, so this is
bittersweet for me. I have watched the pro-
gram grow from two classes to 22. This is an
awesome facility that is only 10 years old, and
I know will continue to serve the students
well,” she says.
Reasons she believes the students are
thriving are teachers like Adriane Matthews,
technology instructor at Liberty County
Pre-K, and community partners like the
2-7 Infantry Division at Fort Stewart that
support the Liberty County Pre-K Center
through volunteering.
Matthews plays a major role in getting
the students comfortable with technology.
Students visit the technology lab and learn
how to use iPads, laptops and desktops for
academia. They also learn computer features
and functions.
“Teaching the correct terminology and
proper usage of the technology are import-
ant to me at this age,” says Matthews. “I start
them the right way so they don’t go to the next
grade using the wrong phrases or habits.”
Upon completion of an early childhood
education experience, students are ready for
the K-12 experience.
The Liberty County School System is the
public school option. LCSS currently serves
9,863 students of which 3,745 are considered
military impacted, or dependents of military
personnel or civilian employees at Fort Stewart.
One of the premier programs in the Liberty
County School System is the Liberty College
and Career Academy. LCCA opened for the
2012-2013 school year and is one of 29 Georgia
career academies. It currently serves 650 as-
sociates. Using advanced technology, modern
facilities and progressive program specialists,
the associates learn skills to become college
and career ready. The top programs by en-
rollment at LCCA are nursing, culinary arts,
engineering and manufacturing.
The program specialist for the spring 2015
Certified Nursing Assistant class was Dr.
Pamela Scott. She is a registered nurse and
third-year Healthcare Specialist at LCCA.
The program required 98 hours of classroom
instruction and 32 hours of Nursing Intern-
ship experience.
Every student in the 2015 CNA class
passed their written assessment and 93 per-
cent passed their skills assessment by a Na-
tional Association of Credential Evaluation
Services Georgia evaluator. Of the 13 pro-
36 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
grams at LCCA, CNA is the only one that ends
with a licensure. The other programs feed into
the technical and university level or give asso-
ciates skills to begin work right away.
“We are giving associates (students) more
options. It doesn’t have to be college or noth-
ing. There are opportunities to get technical
skills,” says Tom Alexander, Chief Executive
Officer of the LCCA.
Brandt Cardinal, a class of 2017 student
enrolled in carpentry, agrees.
“I like that we get to use tools and be in the
lab,” says Cardinal. “I work better with my
hands and we get more hands-on work than
book work or instructional work like in the
school. It’s a lot easier for me to learn here.
We build sheds. I can build docks. I will start
my own business after graduating using the
stuff I learned here.”
The career academy isn’t the only new
thing. During the 2014-2015 school year,
LCSS began the Liberty Learning Experi-
ence to encourage the use of technology in all
subjects and grades. The initiative deployed
approximately 10,000 iPads to students
and faculty. Staff also began creating digi-
tal courses through iTunes University and
iBooks for K-12 courses.
For the 2015-2016 school year, several
changes will be in place as the district transi-
tions to a Charter School system. The Charter
System Act by Georgia Lieutenant Governor
Casey Cagle was designed to provide school
districts freedom and flexibility to make de-
cisions at the local level. Each school will be
governed by a team comprised of the prin-
cipal, one certified staff, one classified staff,
three parents of currently enrolled students
and one business leader. The Liberty County
Board of Education office will give support
to each school as it develops a process that
works best for its students.
“This will allow us to make decisions to
meet the needs of our students such as flex-
ibility in scheduling, more parent interac-
tion and more creativity and opportunity in
teaching,” says Dr. Valya Lee, LCSS Superin-
tendent.
If parents do not choose the charter school
option, FPCA is the largest private school op-
tion in Liberty County. Founded in 1975 as a
preschool, the school has grown and graduat-
ed its first senior class in 2009. FPCA accom-
plishes progress through innovation, to pre-
pare its 250 students to be global citizens who
have a heart for serving their community.
“We contribute an option to families
of Liberty County — an option for a reli-
gious-based education,” says Shannon Hickey,
interim headmaster at FPCA. “We contribute
well-rounded, professional young men and
women who are ready for college. I want peo-
ple to know that there are options within Lib-
erty County for high-quality education.”
Home school is also an option. For par-
ents choosing to homeschool their children,
LCSS, FPCA and community organizations
offer support. LCSS assists with use of Geor-
Left: A teacher at First Presby-terian Christian Academy reads to students for story time in the school’s library. Instilling a love for reading books is emphasized in the early years to stimulate a passion for lifelong learning.
Right: Liberty County Early Head Start prepares children birth to 18 months to enter into the public school system by providing them with early childhood experiences that will enhance their develop-ment and learning. The program promotes school readiness by providing a variety of opportunities for children and families to develop their independent, social and academic skills.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 37
gia Virtual School for credit, FPCA houses
the Screen Actors Guild for Liberty County
students, the Hinesville Area Arts Council
hosts art classes, the Liberty County Ex-
tension Office/4H provides extracurricular
activities and youth development, and local
governments have events and tours for home
school students. Also, homeschoolers of the
Hinesville/Fort Stewart Area developed a
network of nearly 200 members to share cur-
riculum information, interaction opportuni-
ties and field trip plans to enhance the learn-
ing experience.
Even after high school, traditional and
non-traditional college students have access
to quality higher education to complete certif-
icate, two-year, four-year and graduate stud-
ies without leaving Liberty County.
The Savannah Technical College Liber-
ty Campus opened in Hinesville in 2004 on
Airport Road. Before then, rental space in
available properties was used, but the success
of manufacturing and service industries in
Liberty County created a permanent need for
Savannah Tech training and services.
“Liberty County Development Authority
actually gave the property to Savannah Tech
so we could build and $1 million in SPLOST
was spent on it,” says Terrie Sellers, vice
president of Student Affairs. “Liberty Coun-
ty was just that dedicated to seeing it grow for
the citizens.”
Growth and ability to meet the communi-
ty’s demands continue today with nearly 700
students served locally. The most in-demand
programs are commercial truck driving,
nursing, surgical technician and aviation.
“We have dual-enrollment to assist high
school students in getting college credit,”
says Sellers. “It doesn’t cost them anything
to do so. We also have matriculations with
Armstrong, Georgia Southern and Savannah
State University.”
Therefore, if students want to transition
from Savannah Tech and remain in the coun-
ty for a four-year degree, they have that op-
tion with Armstrong State University. Arm-
strong has been present in this community
for nearly 15 years. It gives locals options for
educational attainment, access to convenient
facilities and opportunity to pursue training
in various disciplines. The Armstrong Lib-
erty Center offers a wide range of academic
programs, but 40 percent of the students at
the Liberty Center are pursuing degrees in
the health professions. Education and the
sciences are also popular programs.
The new campus on Memorial Drive, in
Hinesville, will open January 2016 allowing
an expansion of offerings and a permanent
Armstrong presence in Liberty County. In
anticipation of the growth in attendance and
demand for more programs, the Profession-
al Communication and Leadership Master’s
degree will be offered this fall. The program
is expected to be popular among military
personnel.
This type of planning and service to both
the civilian and military community earned
Armstrong a ranking of 12th in the nation
among four-year schools in the Military
Times’ “Best for Vets Colleges” rankings.
“Taking care of our military-affiliated stu-
dents is very important to us so we are very
proud of that ranking,” says Retired Col. Pete
Hoffman, Armstrong Liberty Center director.
It is a great accomplishment considering
the Army Education Center at Fort Stewart
also offers postsecondary options for educa-
tion. Soldiers, family members and civilians
are able to take advantage of course offerings
from five out-of-state colleges for various pro-
grams. It completes the continuum of educa-
tion available to residents.
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38 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
MANY PEOPLE EXPECT
A STRONG SPIRIT
OF COMPETITION
AMONG THE ENTI-
TIES, BUT THERE IS
ACTUALLY A LEGACY
OF COLLABORATION. All entities are part
of the total package Liberty County offers for
education. Each strives to use technology in
the classroom, incorporate individualization
in planning for students’ needs and serve as
great community partners. Each also brings
something different to the table so most pref-
erences can be met.
They all agree that the community being
informed and involved is vital to what they do.
“Sign up for our newsletters, pick up the
phone and call us. Talk with your board mem-
ber, school administrators and teachers. Ask
at schools how you can volunteer or serve on a
school’s Governance Team. Give us an oppor-
tunity to dialogue,” says Lee.
Thankfully, the commitment to education
doesn’t end with the educational organiza-
tions. The Liberty County community is also
dedicated to supporting educational access
and achievement.
In 2014, the Liberty County Manufactur-
ing Collaboration was founded to prepare
students for careers in manufacturing. The
LCMC is a partnership among Liberty Col-
lege and Career Academy, Savannah Tech-
nical College, Liberty County Development
Authority, SNF Holding Company, Alcoa,
Staying CONNECTED
Top: FPCA students enjoy opportunities to experience smaller class sizes, commu-nity service projects and exploratory field trips to aid in learning and development.
Bottom left: Two students in the Liberty County Early Headstart Program devel-op social skills during play. The program is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children Ac-creditation and has earned three stars for the Quality Rating Improvement System.
Bottom right: LCCA is helping build a viable workforce in Liberty County through career pathways such as carpen-try. Associates at the academy learn the skills to get a job, do a job and keep a job.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 39
Interstate Resources and Elan Technology.
They offer eight paid manufacturing appren-
ticeships to local high school seniors who also
earn academic credit towards an associate of
applied science, specialization in manufac-
turing technology. For more information on
the program, visit http://www.lc-mc.com or
call (912) 876-4904.
In April 2015, community and education
leaders gathered to inventory the education-
al offerings and identified effective ways to
spread the word about education in Liberty
County. The group calls themselves “The Ed-
ucation Connection,” a term coined by Sellers
while serving as Dean of Student Affairs for
Savannah Tech Liberty Campus. When the
group was first created as part of an initiative
from the 2013 Liberty Countywide Planning
Workshop, she suggested the name as a re-
flection of the full range of education oppor-
tunities as well as the commitment to collab-
oration shown in Liberty County. Education
Connection is now chaired by Hoffman.
“The biggest trend I see is the move toward
seamless education, with educational provid-
ers working together, as students finish one
level and move to the next. That is exactly
why representatives from the educational in-
stitutions in Liberty County frequently meet
together to discuss their programs and ex-
plore collaboration,” says Hoffman.
Like any good institution, the Liber-
ty County education network continues to
adapt, grow, overcome and evolve. Innova-
tions for the upcoming school year include
implementing the charter system for the
public school sector; opening the Horizons
Learning Center for alternative education;
completing a new Armstrong Liberty Center
campus in downtown Hinesville; increasing
public relations efforts; increasing corporate
and individual partnerships; completing
additional Science, Technology, Engineer-
ing and Mathematics (STEM) certifications;
adding Science, Technology, Education, Arts
and Mathematics (STEAM) certifications; of-
fering transitional math and reading courses;
using retired educators as tutors and allow-
ing high school capstone projects for course
credit, among other things.
“Liberty County has been progressive in
recognizing the importance of education. We
see the evidence of all educational institu-
tions within Liberty County working to cre-
ate a seamless educational system beginning
with early childhood education,” says Annie
Stidhum, Early Childhood Services Coordi-
nator for the CGACAA.
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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 41
Young Talent, Old Soul
story by BRENT ZELLphotos provided by OHIO STATE DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS
RAEKWON MCMILLAN’S TALENT, MATURITY HAVE HIM SET FOR BIG THINGS THIS SEASON AT OHIO STATE
42 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
IIT’S HARD TO MAKE EVERYONE
HAPPY. EVEN WHEN A NATION-
AL TITLE HAS BEEN WON.
When Ohio State lineback-
er Raekwon McMillan — a little
more than a year removed from
his last days at Liberty County
High School — played a signifi-
cant role for the Buckeyes’ national-cham-
pion football team in January, there were
accolades all around for OSU, which surged
after an early defeat to dominate the Big Ten
Conference and earn a spot in the first-ever
Football Bowl Subdivision playoffs.
When dealing with family and friends in
Southeastern Conference country, howev-
er, that love apparently ends at conference
boundaries.
“They were still mad that I didn’t go to the
SEC,” says McMillan, who had some SEC
schools on his list of choices before going with
OSU. “But they were happy that I brought a
championship back home, and now everyone
finally understood my decision.”
There’s no shortage of evidence to back
up that choice — the aforementioned nation-
al championship, a spot on BTN.com’s 2014
Big Ten All-Freshman Team, places on three
different freshman All-American teams and
adulation from Buckeye Nation among the
proof. Now all he has to do is build on all
that this season, as McMillan moves into an
even-bigger role on a defense expected to
again be one of the nation’s best, and on a
team predicted to repeat as champion.
Then again, if anyone could handle that
pressure, it likely would be a player like Mc-
Millan, who Buckeyes head coach Urban
Meyer told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“should be a team captain one day at Ohio
State.”
“What I’ve seen is a young man who,
since he got here, is A-1A,” Meyer said during
spring drills. “He’s first-class. He takes care
of his business off the field. He jells well (with
teammates), has natural leadership skills.”
McMillan grew up in Hinesville in hot,
humid southeast Georgia, where weather
phenomena like wind chill, ice and snow are
Previous page: Big things were
expected out of Hinesville native
Raekwon McMillan when he
signed with Ohio State in De-
cember 2013 to play linebacker.
The promise he showed during
the Buckeyes’ national-champi-
onship season last year has him
set for a bigger role this season.
Above: Ohio State linebacker
and Hinesville native Raekwon
McMillan wraps up Michigan
running back De’Veon Smith
on Nov. 29, 2014, in Columbus,
Ohio. McMillan had six tackles,
including two for losses of yards,
in the Buckeyes’ 42-28 win.
“WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND WHY YOU’RE DOING IT, NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN STOP YOU.” — RAEKWON MCMILLAN
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 43
the stuff of bedtime tales to scare people into
sticking to warm climates in which to live.
However, he says he’s getting used to the
weather extremes in Ohio.
“At first, it was hard to know exactly how
much clothes to wear, but now it is no prob-
lem,” McMillan says.
The size of Columbus is something that
also could’ve blown away a young man from
a more-sparsely populated area. According
to census.gov, Columbus’ population was
822,553 in 2013, with Hinesville chiming in
at 34,227.
“Here in Columbus … you see a person
one day, it’s a good chance you may never see
them again,” he says.
But Buckeye fans and college-football fans
in general have seen plenty of McMillan over
the past few years, ever since he began rising
up the national rankings of high-school line-
backers. A video on YouTube of highlights
from his playing days at Liberty County High
School has more than 50,000 views. Another
two highlight videos of him have more than
24,000 views each. And a raw-footage video
of his nationally broadcast announcement
that he was going to Ohio State has more
than 15,000 views. His Twitter account has
more than 22,000 followers.
When McMillan donned the Buckeyes
hat during his announcement, it was met
with happiness in the Heartland. And the
fans couldn’t be blamed, since Ohio State
had just won the race for the Butkus Award
winner as the top high-school linebacker in
the country.
“It’s just something people celebrated
and picked up on,” says Luke Zimmerman,
founder of the Ohio State blog Land Grant
Holy Land on SBNation.com and an OSU
graduate.
While the attention would be crushing for
most, McMillan hasn’t had a problem with it.
In fact, he says he usually doesn’t know about
something that has been said about him until
someone calls or texts him about it. He cred-
its his coaches for keeping him grounded like
his family would.
Basically, even with the vastly different
area and tons of attention, McMillan has
made a smooth move to Columbus.
“Adjusting to the new environment at
Ohio State was an easy transition because I
was surrounded with people who I had been
recruited with, and also new teammates and
coaches that I got along with,” he says. “Also,
the fans throughout Columbus know my
face whenever I am out and made it feel like
home in Hinesville.”
McMillan also feels the transition went
well at his other home — the football field.
“It was about what I had expected because
you train with these guys so long that you get a
feel for how fast the practice will be going,” he
says. “It’s not always about who is the fastest,
but more so who reacts the fastest.”
And sometimes, it’s about who has the
maturity.
Luke Fickell, the co-defensive coordina-
tor and linebackers coach at Ohio State, has
been watching McMillan since the Hinesville
Left: Ohio State linebacker
and Hinesville native Raekwon
McMillan stands on the field in
an undated photo. McMillan had
54 tackles last season in his fresh-
man year with the Buckeyes.
Right: Liberty County High
School alumnus and Ohio State
linebacker Raekwon McMillan
keeps pace with a young partici-
pant in the Liberty County High
School football camp in June in
Hinesville. Photo by John Wood
44 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
native was a junior in high school. What Fic-
kell saw was McMillan’s body language, his
leadership and his ability to make others
around him better. That’s something that can
make a talented player survive a new, intense
environment.
“It exhausts you unless you’ve got the ma-
turity to handle the whole picture,” says Fic-
kell, a former Buckeye nose guard himself,
who started 50 consecutive games at OSU.
That didn’t mean that McMillan didn’t
have a few overwhelmed moments in the 2014
season. They didn’t happen often — maybe a
few times — but they did happen.
“There was a couple of moments, some of
bigger games, you could see maybe it got to
him a little bit,” Fickell says.
Fortunately, Ohio State’s depth at lineback-
er allowed the team to pull players back and
still maintain quality play, so someone like
McMillan could be brought out and talked to
when things were going down a wrong track.
Again, this is where McMillan’s maturity
came through, Fickell says, because he had the
wherewithal to handle those situations.
“He’s one of those guys you can grab after-
ward and talk to him about it,” the coach says.
If Fickell could give a game ball to hon-
or McMillan’s maturity and ability to handle
big-time college football, it would go to the
linebacker’s family.
“I want to call Mother more often than not
and say thank you,” he says.
Still, despite the pedigree he brought to
Columbus and the beyond-his-years mindset,
McMillan’s Buckeye career didn’t get off to
an auspicious start. In fact, he says, he bare-
ly saw the field in Ohio State’s season opener
against Navy on Aug. 30 in Baltimore, only
playing special teams.
“This was weird because (in) high school,
I never came off the field,” he says.
Fickell says McMillan’s ascent was slow
by design. Navy employs the triple-option
offense, a scheme unusual at the FBS level.
The attack involves a lot of following the run-
ning quarterback while he either pitches the
ball to another back or keeps it for a run of
his own. When employed correctly, the triple
option can frazzle any defense. Fickell didn’t
want to stunt McMillan’s growth by exposing
him to it in his first game.
McMillan saw more time on defense in
Ohio State’s second game, a home contest
against Virginia Tech. He made only one
tackle, but he made it count, bringing down
the Hokie ball-carrier for a 3-yard loss.
However, the night was more memora-
ble in a bad way for Buckeye Nation. Vir-
ginia Tech downed OSU 35-21 and dealt the
Buckeyes, ranked No. 8 at the time, what was
considered a huge blow to their national-title
hopes. Ohio State fell to No. 22 in the next
top-25 poll.
“We were a very young team at the begin-
ning of the season, and it showed,” McMillan
said. “After walking off the field, everybody
on the team wanted to go practice and fix
what was wrong. We had got complacent,
and it showed early.”
After that loss, however, Ohio State
scored at least 50 points in four straight wins,
with McMillan contributing to that. Against
Maryland on Oct. 4 in College Park, McMil-
lan returned an interception 19 yards for a
touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“One of the best feelings in the world,
seeing that interception fall in my hands
and walk into the end zone,” he says. “Not
only that, but my parents had made it to the
game, and I knew they were proud to be able
to see it. All I wanted to do was go celebrate
with my teammates because without them, I
couldn’t have made the play.”
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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 45
After their 31-24 double-overtime win
over Penn State on Oct. 25 in State College,
the Buckeyes had only one more game that
they didn’t win by double digits. With their
59-0 destruction of Wisconsin in the Big Ten
championship game, the Buckeyes earned a
spot in the first-ever FBS playoffs.
McMillan’s stats mirrored OSU’s down-
the-stretch surge. In the final three games
alone, he compiled 17 tackles.
“I feel like our team matured throughout
the season, and our coaches and players built
a trust for one another that helped our con-
fidence on the field,” McMillan says. “When
you know what you’re doing and why you’re
doing it, not many people can stop you.”
Fickell says McMillan’s growth was ev-
ident in him becoming more comfortable
playing in space, as well as in his understand-
ing of not only his own play, but also that of
those around him. McMillan’s position —
middle linebacker — is considered the quar-
terback of the defense. With that responsibil-
ity comes being able to deal with adjustments
made throughout the game and knowing
why they’re being made.
“That was a big part of seeing him grow,”
Fickell says.
Back in Hinesville, McMillan’s high-
school coach, Kirk Warner, was following his
former player’s progress.
“You definitely feel proud, definitely hap-
py for the kid to be on that big stage at such
a young age and perform at the level he per-
formed at,” Warner says.
The biggest stage was yet to come, how-
ever.
The first day of 2015 brought the first
playoff games, with Ohio State taking on
Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans
and Oregon playing Florida State in the Rose
Bowl in Los Angeles. The game against the
Crimson Tide had extra meaning for McMil-
lan, as Alabama was one of his final choices
for his college. And as in the recruiting battle
for McMillan, Ohio State again topped Ala-
bama, squeezing out a 42-35 win and a berth
in the national-title game.
“That game was as intense of a game that
I have ever played in, and the atmosphere
matched the intensity,” McMillan says.
Eleven days later, the Buckeyes completed
their remarkable bounce-back run by stuff-
ing Oregon 42-20 in Arlington, Texas, for the
program’s fifth national championship. Mc-
Millan had five tackles in the contest.
“I don’t know what it feels like to get
married, but I would have to compare it to
watching your wife walking down the aisle
before you say yes,” McMillan says. “All your
hard work and dedication during the season,
two-a-days during camp, 16 110-yard sprints
during our conditioning, stadium runs, mat
drills and motivational speakers were all
worth it when we won that title. Once you be-
come a champion, you don’t want to be any-
thing else.”
The Buckeyes’ opportunity for a sec-
ond-straight national title begins Sept. 7
when they travel to Blacksburg for another
battle with Virginia Tech. All this season,
there will be a wave of hype following the
Buckeyes, who were projected as No. 1 in
ESPN College Football Preview. As for Mc-
Millan, early in the summer, he was a presea-
son All-Big Ten third-team pick by renowned
college-football writer Phil Steele.
For McMillan to reach his potential, Fic-
kell says, improving his play in space will be
key, as well as becoming a better pass rusher.
That will be a transition from his high-school
days, when he was put in the middle of the
field for more impact, Warner says.
What Fickell sees from McMillan is a po-
tential trajectory similar to that of James Lau-
rinaitis, an All-American linebacker and But-
kus Award winner for college football at OSU
and current starter for the St. Louis Rams in
the NFL. Laurinitis’ play on the field spoke for
itself in Columbus, but he was the face of the
program for how he handled himself — what
Fickell calls “the ability to go much further
than what you see on Saturday.”
“I think (McMillan’s) ability to truly take
over leadership role for a lot of what we do
and handle others around him will be a big
step,” Fickell says.
For McMillan, a finance major who says
he’s beginning to work on life after football,
there’s a family-oriented goal he has in mind
for this fall.
“For next year, I need to work on finding
out a way to watch my little brothers R.J. and
Tank’s sports even though I’m not home,” he
says. “Football is temporary, family is forever.”
“ONCE YOU BECOME A CHAMPION, YOU DON’T WANT TO BE ANYTHING ELSE.”
— RAEKWON MCMILLAN Glennville Office: (912) 654-1051
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48 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
Motivation for a Fulfilling Life
story by TIFFANY KINGy y
photography by CAITLIN KENNEY
THE ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL RALLY AND PROJECT REACH G.A.N.G
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 49
CHILDREN AND THEIR FAM-
ILIES, FROM NEAR AND
FAR, FLOCK TO RICEBORO
DURING THE HOT JULY SUM-
MER FOR ONE MAIN REA-
SON�—�THE ANNUAL BACK
TO SCHOOL RALLY.
Many might know it as the event that gives
out free school supplies, but what makes it
special is the organization behind the event.
Project Reach G.A.N.G (God’s Anointed
Now Generation), led by Founder and Exec-
utive Director Lavonia “Peggy” LeCounte,
is a non-profit community youth organiza-
tion. With the motto “An Unfulfilled Life, is
a Wasted Life,” at the forefront, G.A.N.G is
determined to motivate youth to reach their
full potential.
G.A.N.G was founded in 1990, but was
originally called the Riceboro Community
Youth Choir.
“It originated through a vision to do some-
thing for the youth in our community. My
heart grieved that young people were out on
the streets. We would go to the park and see
the graffiti. Just a great concern for the youth
in our community and the concern for them
being in school,” Lavonia LeCounte says.
She says it was pressed on her heart to do
an event to bring the community together and
get them excited about going back to school.
However, seeing it come to fruition was diffi-
cult. After her inspiration for the group, years
went by without anything happening.
“Each year I would make an attempt, but
it would always fall through,” she says.
Then one night in 1998, Lavonia Lecounte
had a dream after ministering to a group of
youth. She woke up in the middle of the
night and started to write, not fully realizing
what she was writing. The next morning,
fully awake and aware, Lavonia LeCounte
saw that she wrote the names of people she
didn’t know. She started contacting them and
shared her idea for the youth group, and they
said, “Yeah, I want to do this.”
Briar Bay Park in Riceboro became the
headquarters for the then Riceboro Commu-
nity Choir and Back to School Rally.
Previous page: A representative of
Right from the Start Medicaid Program
gives a child supplies for this upcoming
school year. Vendors at the Back to
School Rally were there to support local
education and give children the tools
they need to succeed.
Above: Members of Project Reach
G.A.N.G (back) Annette Lloyd, Destiny
LeCounte, Danielle LeCounte, Ebonie
Frazier, Minister Anthony Johnson,
Jermaine Terry, Alexis Allen, (front)
Malcolm LeCounte, Lavonia “Peggy”
LeCounte, Johnnie Reed, Rovonda
Fleming, Shardejah Newberry, Brittany
Frazier, Aleah Scriven and Evangelist
Gwendolyn Abney pose for a photo
before the Back to School Rally concert.
“IT ORIGINATED THROUGH A VISION TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.” — LAVONIA LECOUNTE
50 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
JULY 1, 1998, THE FIRST RALLY
WAS NO SMALL FEAT. Lavonia
LeCounte shared with then Rice-
boro Mayor John McIver her
plans. “He jumped on board and
helped out as much as he could.
He made sure that we had carpet for the con-
crete and just different little thing,” she says.
She then had the opportunity to go on
WTOC to talk about the rally. The meteorol-
ogist told her to expect thunderstorms at the
rally. She smiled and said, “Ok” believing that
it would still be a success despite the weather.
“The next day you could hear all the thun-
der afar off, sounding like the heavens were
going to burst open. All we got was a mist
and that only lasted for a few moments,” she
says. “That night when we had the program,
it was awesome because all around us the sky
was black, but over the park area, it was like
a halo and bright star was shining over us.”
About 2,000 people attended the rally
that day. A day full of fun activities, games,
food, singing, various vendor tables, prayer
over the next school year and motivational
speakers. Guest speakers that night were
Delisha Milton-Jones, a Riceboro native who
went on to play in the WNBA, and Pastor Er-
rol Roach. Before she added member of the
Board of Education to her list of professions,
Verdell Jones was mistress of ceremonies for
the first rally, and has been almost every year,
except for two times. Once due to a death in
the family and the second because she was
The First RALLY
Top left: The 3rd Infantry Division Col-or Guard present the colors, as Leah Hayes sings the national anthem.
Top right: Rocky the Bulldog, 3rd ID’s mascot, high fives a child at the Back to School Rally. Fort Stewart has been one of the main supporters of the rally each year.
Bottom Left: Project Reach G.A.N.G members sing for the audience at the main rally on Saturday and (bottom right) have a special rally concert the following evening. Shannon LeCounte, son of Lavonia LeCounte, comes back each year to lead the choir and select music that will encourage the commu-nity for the next school year.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 51
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52 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
one of the main speakers at the rally.
“If she is overbooked, she will cancel and
come to host the rally,” Lavonia LeCounte
says, showing Jones’ dedication to the event.
G.A.N.G gave out book bags, pencils, pa-
per and other school supplies. Of the vendors,
Lavonia LeCounte asked that the money they
would have given for booth space go towards
buying school supplies for the children. This
allowed for there to be an abundance of
school supplies for families.
“The goal of the Back to School Rally is
to motivate, encourage, get the parents ready
and the young people’s mindset ready to go
back to school. Those that have dropped out
are motivated through the program, through
the speakers to go back and further their edu-
cation,” she said. “Those who finished school
are encouraged to go further. It might be col-
lege or a technical school, but pursue it.”
Another major component of the rally is
the prayer. Lavonia LeCounte is a parapro-
fessional at Lyman Hall and she said that
she knows that there is no mixing of church
and state. However, she sees the rally as an
opportunity to pray for the upcoming school
year. Called the “Consecrated Prayer for the
Upcoming School Year,” Lavonia LeCounte
says that the prayer is the “meat of it” and
they pray over every aspect of the school and
the school system as a whole.
“After that program was over, the musi-
cian at that time was Phillip Houston and
he looked at me and said, ‘Peggy, you know
you can’t let this stop.’ I said, ‘Well you know
I can’t do this by myself.’ Then different ones
said, ‘Yeah we’re going to do this.’ So we con-
tinued on,” Lavonia LeCounte says. She has
promised that the rally will continue to hap-
pen even if for one child.
Over the years the Back to School Rally
has grown to include a Friday night service
for churches before the rally, the main event
on Saturday and a concert on Sunday at the
Riceboro Youth Center. Guest speakers have
included: the mayor of Riceboro, state repre-
sentatives, Board of Education members, 3rd
ID soldiers, ministers and athletes. There
have been water slides, horseback riding,
bounce houses, hayrides, dancers and all
sorts of entertainment for children.
The name changed from Riceboro
Community Youth Choir to Project Reach
G.A.N.G after that first year. Since 1998, the
Back to School Rally has been held at Briar
Park. LeCounte says that last year was the
first time the rally was held indoors because
of rain. Many of the volunteers liked the in-
door rally and this year’s followed suit.
After the success of the first rally, G.A.N.G
continued to meet at the park from July to
December.
“We would meet every Monday night.
Through mosquitoes, through cow flies eat-
ing us up, but the kids kept coming. It was an
outlet for them to get off the street,” Lavonia
LeCounte says.
In December 1998, G.A.N.G moved their
headquarters indoors to Mt. Carmel Holi-
ness Church in Riceboro. It was getting too
“THE GOAL OF THE BACK TO
SCHOOL RALLY IS TO MOTIVATE,
ENCOURAGE, GET THE PARENTS READY AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S
MINDSET READY TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.”— LAVONIA LECOUNTE
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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 53
cold to meet at the park. They soon outgrew
that building and Riceboro Church of God
opened its doors for the group’s use. Although
G.A.N.G is not part of Riceboro Church of
God, it shows that many viewed the organi-
zation as an essential part of the community.
The potential and reach of G.A.N.G was
also recognized by SNF Chemtall Inc., the
world’s largest water-soluble polymer man-
ufacturer used to treat water. Chemtall was
G.A.N.G’s first sponsor and remains one till
this day. Over the years, others have come
aboard, like the City of Riceboro and Liberty
County 4-H, but Chemtall was there from the
beginning. She says that Chemtall cleaned
up the graffiti at the park, escorted the group
on trips, and rented vans to take kids fishing
and camping. G.A.N.G was once referred to
as a write-off for the company.
“I understand that but that’s the financial
part of it. You’re not going to find too many
people who provide man power. Everything
that we do, Chemtall is involved, there is
man power involved,” Lavonia LeCounte
says. “Like when we do the rally, Chemtall
has their grill out there, cooking and work-
ing. They help us set up, they help us clean
up. That is more than a write off. It just didn’t
start, it was from day one — it just continued.”
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54 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
GA.N.G HAS BECOME SO
MUCH MORE THAN THE
ORGANIZATION THAT
HOSTS THE BACK TO
SCHOOL RALLY AND
SINGS. G.A.N.G has trav-
eled extensively. They have been to con-
ferences singing in New Orleans, Orlando,
Florida and South Carolina. Twice they were
invited to sing at the state capitol. G.A.N.G
has performed at Wild Adventure Theme
Park, state juvenile correction facility, Christ-
mas concerts and various events. In 2010
they had a live recording for their CD “Grate-
ful.” Lavonia Lecounte said that she told the
youth to go home and write poetry, which
they turned into songs. The CD was produced
and arranged by Rodrick Dowling.
There are five components to the group:
academics, health and wellness, mentor-ship,
culture awareness and a parent association.
They meet for tutoring, career and life skills
development, vocal training, leadership train-
ing, 4-H and more. Lavonia LeCounte esti-
mates that over 200 youth have been members
of G.A.N.G. Currently, there are about 10 youth
in the group. When former members come
back to help with the rally, it grows to about 30.
Some of those members have been Le-
Counte’s own children—Shannon LeCounte,
Danielle LeCounte and Destiny LeCounte.
Shannon LeCounte is the worship lead-
er at Full Gospel Tabernacle Cathedral in
Hinesville. He was there at the beginning and
describes seeing the organization grow from
the inside looking out. Shannon LeCounte was
the group’s first drummer and recognized mu-
sic’s ability to draw others. While rehearsing
under the pavilion at Briar Bay Park, he says
people would pass through—it was a form of
outreach.
“The young men and ladies would be out
playing basketball during our time of rehears-
als, and they were blessed during our rehears-
als. That’s how the choir grew so fast. People
were grasped through the music that we were
singing,” he said. “Then it went from that en-
tity of music to outreach, going to the nurs-
ing homes, cleaning up the community and
taking trips. It just took off to a whole other
spectrum.”
Shannon LeCounte is the music coordi-
nator at the rally. In choosing the music for
the rally, he prays and meditates about what
is going on in the nation and community. He
said he waits to see what God wants him to
minister, whether it is original music or songs
already out.
Danielle LeCounte said that she was born
into the organization. Being a part of the orga-
nization has helped build her confidence.
“I was able to communicate with others
better. That was something that I had an issue
with and being around people who loved me,
helped build my confidence. It was very en-
couraging. It brought out my talent,” she says.
She currently lives in Augusta, but comes
back every year for the rally. Danielle Le-
Counte says that people from everywhere al-
ways ask how they can participate or give a
donation.
Destiny LeCounte, 15, says that she has
experienced a lot of opportunities. Under
the mentorship program, she has learned
about maturity. She also discussed often hav-
ing to sacrifice her own plans for things that
G.A.N.G is doing.
Project Reach has enrichment nights,
where the mentors and mentees do team
building activities. The mentors also get a topic
and present that to the group. Tamia Lloyd and
Ebonie Frazier are two of the mentors.
Tamia Lloyd also described G.A.N.G as an
outlet. She would always look forward to Mon-
day nights because she knew she would have
a good time.
“G.A.N.G has always been fun. We were
getting fed spiritually as well. Sister Peggy
has been a spiritual mother to us, especially
The First RALLY
Left: Maj. Artie Maxwell, a chaplain at Fort Bliss, Texas, leads the commu-nity in the “2015-2016 School Year’s Consecrated Prayer.” All the students, teacher and other school staff, gather together to pray in unity for the school system as a whole.
Right: The Change Breakers Step Team perform a step routine about anti-bullying and the importance to speaking up when someone is being bullied.
.
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 55
to those who have not had a church back-
ground,” Tamia Lloyd says. Lavonia LeCounte
is known to embrace people, no matter their
background. “She taught us from a young age
how to carry ourselves as women, as young
Black people, the dos and don’ts of life. She
always had us in the right direction.”
Frazier has also been a part of the group
from the beginning and said that Project
Reach is her passion. She has matured spiri-
tually, mentally and socially in all aspects, and
now passes that on to others.
“The seeds that have been planted in peo-
ple here, even if they go off and move away,
are multiplying. The seeds are still a part of
everyone’s life. We’ll hear about it on Facebook
or when they go back to visit—it’s a heavy im-
pact,” Frazier says.
Omari Walthour says that the rally is more
than just preparing kids for school.
“I think it prepares them to take a stand for
purity, for what they believe in and just to stick
to their guns. It’s like they’re going back to
school, saying ‘I’m ready to conquer,’” he says.
Of Lavonia LeCounte, he says that she
wasn’t afraid to look them in the eyes and talk
about touchy subjects. “That’s one of the things
that stuck out to me, not just with the youth
but that God was honoring her passion. I could
see the fruit that God approved of what she
was doing,” Walthour says.
Sabrina Sims, another original member,
says that she was first drawn to G.A.N.G be-
cause she loves to sing. Once a part, she re-
alized it was a positive team that went on to
shape her life.
“We’ve always been taught not to settle,
not to settle for just being the average student.
Mama Peggy really instilled in us the impor-
tance of education. I was very comfortable in
sending my own daughter here to get the same
teaching and ministering. I know that what
I’m teaching at home would be emphasized
here,” Sims says.
Jadon Belaford says that being a part of
G.A.N.G allowed him to be a part of some-
thing greater. Like Sims, he loves to sing. He
says there are a lot of churches in Riceboro but
there wasn’t a big community choir.
“What it allowed me to do is hone in on my
vocals and I went to college to become a vo-
cal performance major. Then I was able to do
background for a lot of artists, secular as well
as gospel, on national levels and worldwide.
Being a part of G.A.N.G back then opened the
door for all the possibilities and all the advan-
tages that I’ve had,” Belaford says.
Some of the youngest members, Shasanay
Mims, 14, and Shardejah Newberry,13, have
learned the importance of leadership, serving
others and taking responsibility of their own
actions.
Annette Lloyd, Tamia Lloyd’s mother,
is over the health and wellness aspect of
G.A.N.G. She teaches the youth the impor-
tance of exercise and healthy eating. One time
she brought in a guest speaker who convinced
the group to stop eating chicken nuggets. Over
the years, she has seen quiet, shy youth blos-
som into confident young adults. Even her
own self-confidence has improved through
her participation with G.A.N.G.
She always encourages parents to allow
their children to be a part of the group. An-
nette Lloyd says, “It is a wonderful organi-
zation. You don’t have to worry about your
children getting misinformation and they are
loved. We encourage them to be whatever they
want to be. We have good moral teaching, with
knowledge, education and love, because it’s a
godly love.”
Learn more about Project Reach G.A.N.G
and the other programs they offer at www.
projectreachgang.com.
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56 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
Life’s a PEACH
Beet Itstory by DEBRA AYERS BROWN
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE 57
I T DIDN’T TAKE LONG TO EM-
BRACE THE “REAL FOOD” CLEAN
EATING LIFESTYLE OF PALEO AU-
TOIMMUNE PROTOCOL�—�AIP�—�
WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS DYING
FROM AN AUTOIMMUNE DISOR-
DER. Kale, baby spinach, collards,
and all types of lettuce became my
go-to greens. Avocados, mangoes, and star fruit
tumbled into my cart with plump red, blue, and
black berries. I even decided to give dark red
beets a try.
Yuck.
My first attempt at eating beets involved
our Ninja blender and what looked like the
Dirty Dozen when I wanted to impress my
daughter Meredith with a healthy smoothie.
How hard could it be?
I dumped the beets, touted as a “super food”
and a “super antioxidant” that fights cancer
and inflammation, with some greens and fruit
into the blender. I admired the rainbow of col-
ors and then mashed the setting. Green baby
spinach, kale, dark red beets, pineapple and a
handful of strawberries whirled. I stopped the
machine, removed the top and stirred the thick
mixture with my wooden spoon. I breathed in
the earthy goodness�—�albeit, smelling a little
sulfurous.
“It looks so healthy,” I coo to Meredith,
trying to ignore the rotten egg stench, as she
joined me in the kitchen.
Without thinking, I pushed the button.
The gelatinous, vomit-like concoction shot
out of the top of the Ninja like a torpedo and
splattered the countertops, cabinets, and floor.
What a mess!
After a day or so, I noticed a disgusting
odor, so I took out the trash and washed the
kitchen garbage can. I ground lemon in the
disposal.
That night after work, Allen asks, “What
stinks?”
“Yeah Mom.” Meredith wrinkled her nose.
I started a quest to remove the worst smell
of my life. I envisioned the foul odor slipping
through the cracks and alerting the neighbors
of a nightmare next door. Police would soon
arrive to look for the dead body. Nope. Nada.
Nuh-uh. We hadn’t had a crime at our house,
except the time we murdered a strawberry
cake we made with no eggs. Bleh. Or, on a
more positive note, the time we killed off a doz-
en carrot cake cupcakes from an eggless recipe
that finally worked.
There was nothing sweet today. Something
smelled rank in the house, and I had to find
it. After days of cleaning and emptying out all
of the cabinets in search of a dead mouse, I fi-
nally found chunks of rotten beets and fruit in
the pottery jars housing my larger utensils on
the counter.
Since fatigue is a part of the autoimmune
illness and beets are supposed to be high in
good carbs, low calorie and give you the right
kind of energy, I decided to try one more time.
How could I fail with spaghetti? Well, spaghet-
ti squash with a tomato-free “No-Mato” sauce.
And since everyone loved spaghetti, I thought
it just might work.
I didn’t have time for the longer version us-
ing beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions and
seasonings, simmering for hours. Instead, I
opted for the quick version with carrots and
beets only.
Allen looked so disappointed when he re-
alized the spaghetti had no turkey meat in the
sauce, or any tomatoes. He frowned after his
first bite.
“Are you trying to kill me?” he whines.
The Great Beet Incident of 2014 roared to
my mind.
I understood when I tasted mine. I gagged.
Meredith spit hers out. It splattered and hit
Mom’s shoes.
After the spaghetti disaster, I gave up on
beets until a visit to Whole Foods.
“Have a sample of these beet chips,” a nice
lady with a smile urged me. “They’re crunchy,
healthy, cooked in olive oil and have a dusting
of sea salt.”
The next thing I knew, beet chips were a
staple in our house like bread, milk and cof-
fee had been in the past. Dark red chips looked
good in my Instagram photos as a side to my
lettuce wrap burgers. They added a crunch to
a green salad. Of course, the beet chips solved
a salty snack need when vegging out in front
of the TV.
Life was good. Healthy. Paleo. Even
AIP-compliant.
In fact, everything seemed hunky dory un-
til one morning when Meredith cried, “Mom, I
need to go to the urologist. I may have kidney
stones again. I’m peeing blood.”
Then Allen confides, “I guess I better get
my prostate checked.”
“Is your pee red, too?” Meredith asks in a
panic.
“Yep,” I say, grinning. “But I’ve got the an-
swer. We need to lobby all the beet farmers to
put a warning on their product: No need to
beet it to the emergency room. Product causes
dark red urine.”
I laughed so hard, I turned beet red. What
can I say? It’s a happy lifestyle.
MY JOURNEY TO PALEO
I’d considered a vegetarian diet at times because of my love of animals. But frankly, I felt better when I ate some meat. I just couldn’t see a life of kale, tofu and beets. On the other extreme, of course, I’d heard of the Paleo lifestyle. I wasn’t a caveman. Could I remove grain, dairy and legumes from my diet? I thought not.
After a year of doctor appointments and no real diagnosis for swollen parotid glands, extreme fatigue, and flu-like symptoms, blood work finally showed some auto-immune positives. Inflammation in my body was causing my body to attack itself�—�in my case, the soft tissues in my body.
After high doses of steroids and a body like Jabba the Hutt, I still had no relief. So I decided to research something my daughter Meredith had mentioned to me�—�the relationship between food and inflammation. I stumbled upon Sarah Ballantyne’s site, The Paleo Mom, and started learning that for some, the basic Paleo diet wasn’t enough. So, I began the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, or AIP. It’s an elimination diet that restricts the Paleo no-no’s, along with nightshade veggies (white potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant), eggs, nuts, seeds and alcohol. As my body healed, I’d add the eliminated foods back one at a time into my diet and determine which ones might be causing problems. Ultimately, I hoped to eat regular Paleo without the AIP restrictions.
Learning that some foods heal while others harm the body changed my life. My new real food mindset of eating whole, unprocessed foods caused me to focus on a wellness plan. Now, with my RA/AI doctor’s approval, clean eating is one way I manage my chronic illness. It’s an important part of my goal to enjoy a happy, positive and healthy life, including one delicious meal at a time. I focus on eating foods with few ingredients, all pronounceable, on a label with no antibiotics, hormones, toxins, nitrates�—�real food, not processed. It’s a lifestyle, not a diet.
Tip to be healthy on a budget: Buy organic for the Dirty Dozen foods and wash all your fruits and veggies with a food cleanser. Spend your money on meats with no antibiotics, hormones or nitrates and buy grass-fed when possible. Keep your daily fruit intake to 20 grams of fructose. Focus on a rainbow of colors on your plate. I believe any money you spend now on healthy food will save you in medical bills later. Enjoy!
Follow me for Paleo on Instagram at @coastaldeb.
58 LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
Meet the Atlantic Judicial Circuit
Assistant District Attorney
MELISSA POOLE CAN TALK ABOUT HER FAVORITE BOOKS FOREVER
What, to you, is perfect
happiness?
I used to have a very different
answer to this one, like money,
travel, ect. Now it’s being with
my family, with everyone
healthy and happy — with at
least only minor bickering
among the children — is my
happy place.
What one material
possession would you save in
the event of a fire (assuming
your family was safe)?
I have a couple of jump drives
with all the snap shots I have
taken over the years and
have never gotten around to
printing — that I would hate to
lose. This of course assumes that
I will ever actually print those
pictures off the jump drives,
even though I am willing to
risk my personal safety in a five
alarm fire just to rescue said
jump drives!!!
What’s the best advice you’ve
ever been given?
It may not get you the result
you want, but you can never go
wrong with telling the truth.
If you could change one
thing about yourself, what
would it be?
I think my coworkers would like
it if I had a better singing voice.
What is your greatest fear?
That someone in my family will
be become ill. Oh, and heights,
and roaches, and roaches at
great heights where there is only
a little bit of ledge and a really
big roach. That would be a bad
day for me.
What real or fictional person
do you most identify with?
I don’t have one person I identify
with. I always feel like I am the
sidekick put in for comic relief
in somebody else’s story.
What is your greatest
extravagance?
Unfettered Target shopping?
Unlimited chocolate eating?
They have both happened and
neither were a pretty sight.
If money weren’t an object,
how would you spend your
time?
With my kids and husband
traveling the world.
What is your favorite thing
about yourself?
I like to think that I am funny,
but reviewing my answers
makes me question that belief.
What trait do you most
admire in another person?
Faith.
What trait do you most
deplore in another person?
Arrogant intelligence. Ugh.
Who are your favorite
musicians?
I have crossed that middle-aged
divide into an NPR listener, If
it’s not public radio or Kidz Bop,
I don’t know it. If we want to go
old school, I used to really jam to
some Hootie and the Blowfish,
but I don’t think that is upping
my coolness quotient.
What are your favorite
books?
Now here I could go on forever.
I LOVE TO READ!!! Anything
and everything! I talk a lot, but
get me started on books and you
are going to be looking for ways
to politely extract yourself from
the conversation. But to name
a few: To Kill A Mockingbird,
Heart of Darkness, The Harry
Potter series, Ender’s Game,
Lord of the Flies, Gone Girl,
The Other Boleyn Girl, The Red
Tent… See you already want to
stop reading. At least you can
put this article down with no
fear of offense. : ).
Proust QUESTIONNAIRE
CHOSEN BY THE COASTAL COURIER AND LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE READERS
best
• 2015 •LIBERTY
of
Dr. J. Lex Kenerly Dr.rr J. Matthew ValVV osen Dr. Amber Aragon
BJISG.com
5
JOEL OSTEEN BEST ATTORNEY
Thank you, Liberty!
PERSONAL INJURY • DUI • WILLS • CAR, TRUCK AND MOTORCYCLE WRECKS
912.87 7. 2 211 • 101 FR A SER S TR EE T, H I N E S V I LLE • W W W.OS TEEN L AW.COMV I SIT US O N LI N E TO R EQ U E S T A FR EE CO N SU LTATIO N
BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
ATTORNEYJoel Osteen, Osteen Law GroupA businessperson, attorney and former assistant district at-torney, Joel Osteen opened the Osteen Law Group in 1997, and it remains a thriving law practice in Liberty County to this day. Osteen obtained his law degree from Walter F. Georgia School of Law at Mercer University in 1995. Osteen continues his commitment to getting the best possible results for every client and is regarded as one of the best attorneys in the state.Runner-up: Jeff Osteen, Jones, Osteen & Jones
CHILD CARE DAY CARE CENTERLittle Treasures Learning CenterLittle Treasures Learning Center is a day care and learning center that has been providing fun, educational activities for children for more than 20 years. The center cares for children ages 6 weeks up to 12-years-old, providing after school programs for older children. The caregivers at Little Treasures Leaning Center are well equipped to look after your little gems and prepare your toddlers for preschool.Runner-up: Westwood Daycare
CUSTOMER SERVICEIzola’s Country CafeIf you’re looking for Southern hospitality, then look no fur-ther. Stop into Izola’s where you can purchase delicious soul food and encounter friendly customer service that will make you feel like you’re dining with family. Izola’s quality staff and fast service will have you wanting more. Runner-up: Kallie Breningstall, Thomas Hill Jewelers
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION/LOAN COMPANYThe Heritage Bank The Heritage Bank has been providing financial assistance to Liberty County and Southeast Georgia for more than a century. This financial institution is prepared to assist their clients with everything from obtaining a loan or credit card to opening a new bank account or financial planning. The Heritage Bank is the premier place in Liberty County where your financial questions and concerns can be answered.Runner-up: GeoVista Credit Union
FINANCIAL PLANNING CONSULTANTMatt Cardella, Edward Jones Matt Cardella has been meeting with clients to help them with their financial planning for more than 13 years. His in-depth knowledge of the financial industry and years of experience keep his clients coming back for more insight and advice on money management. Always ready to assist his clients, it is no wonder Matt Cardella was voted best financial planning consultant in Liberty County.Runner-up: Derek Sills, Heritage Group
FLORISTStacy’s Florist Runner-up: Colonial Floral & Gift Gallery
HOTEL/MOTELLa Quinta Inns & Suites La Quinta Inn & Suites is the perfect place to rest after ex-ploring Liberty County. Located near the Fort Stewart Army base, this hotel is a great place for family vacations. With 42” flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers and mini refrigerators in the rooms, as well as an indoor swimming pool and a busi-ness and fitness center, waking up on the bright side comes easy at La Quinta Inn & Suites. Runner-up: Country Inn & Suites By Carlson
INSURANCE AGENCYState Farm State Farm has been providing quality insurance to clients for almost a century. State Farm has superior insurance coverage for your vehicle, home, health and more. With its
SERVICES
MUSE COLLISION14 Bright’s Lake Rd, Hinesville (912) 408.7246
BEST BODY SHOP
Thank you Liberty
County for voting us
best Best Body Shop
two years in a row!best
• 2015 •LIBERTY
of
God Bless Our Men & Women in Uniform
LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / BEST OF LIBERTY 2015
catchy slogan and philosophy, State Farm has become one of the leading auto insurance agencies in the country. Their trusted agents serve clients with professionalism and friendli-ness. “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” Runner-up: Allstate Bennett Agency
INSURANCE AGENTMelissa Carter Ray, State Farm Insurance is second nature for Hinesville native Melissa Carter Ray. A second-generation State Farm agent, Ray has been providing quality insurance since 1997. She is not only a top insurance agent, but also an active community member in numerous organizations. She is currently serving as chair of the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority and as a board member of the Liberty County Development Authority. A member of the Bryant Commons Foundation Joint Management Board, the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce and the Hinesville Rotary Club, Ray’s profound knowledge of the insurance business has given her the title of best insurance agent in Liberty County. Runner-up: Buddy DeLoach, Martin Insurance
LAW FIRMJones, Osteen & Jones Serving the Liberty County community for more than 50 years, the law firm of Jones, Osteen & Jones has a long
history of providing top representation for its clients. Covering personal injury cases from car accidents, premise liability, product liability, wrongful death and 18-wheeler wrecks, this intelligent group of dedicated attorneys is ready to deliver the highest quality legal services tailored to meet individual needs.Runner-up: Osteen Law Firm
PET GROOMING BOARDINGLa Maison du Caniche Runner-up: The Pet Shop
PHOTOGRAPHERClassic One Hour Photo & FramingRunner-up: Joanna Ng
VETERINARIANFlemington Veterinary Hospital Flemington Veterinary Hospital is here to provide quality care for all of your pets’ needs. This committed group of professionals strives to provide the best possible medical, surgical and dental care for their highly-valued patients. It is no wonder Liberty County voted Flemington Veterinary Hospital as the best vet in town.Runner-up: Beatie Animal Clinic
BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING COMPANYCoastal CoolingRunner-up: Ace Heating & Air
CLEANING SERVICEMaid Marion Cleaning ServiceSince 2005, Maid Marion has been keeping homes fresh and clean in the Liberty County. This full-service cleaning business is available to tidy up any room in the house, whether it is the garage, living room, bedroom or bathroom. Maid Marion and her staff are prepared to handle all of your cleaning needs.Runner-up: SERVPRO
ELECTRICIANDee’s Electrical IncRunner-up: Jeff Stewart
FURNITURE STOREBadcock Home Furniture & MoreBadcock Home Furniture & More has been turning houses into homes for more than a century. The store offers a huge selection of furniture collections, beds, counter tops, sofas,
dining tables, side tables and much more. With reasonable prices and more than 300 stores scattered across eight states, Badcock continues to make it easy to turn a house into a home.Runner-up: Gibson Home Store
HOMEBUILDER/CONSTRUCTION COMPANYRTS Homes, LLCRTS Homes LLC has been building homes in Hinesville and Fort Stewart for more than a decade. RTS has built innova-tive, well-designed structures and provided numerous area families with unparalleled customer service and homes of excellent value and solid craftsmanship. With record years in 2010, 2011 and 2012, RTS Homes is one of the fastest growing and most well-regarded homebuilders in Southeast Georgia.Runner-up: Dryden Enterprises
HOME IMPROVEMENT STORELowe’s Runner-up: Harris Ace Hardware
HOME
“Discover the Gonstead difference!”
Serving the community since 1983!
Dr. Duncan C. Regan200 East General Stewart Way, Hinesville•912-876-3964
We would like to thank the community for voting us Best Chiropractor!
best
• 2015 •LIBERTYof
Thank you for voting the Liberty County/Armed Services YMCA
“Best Fitness/Training Center”
WE’RE MORETHAN A GYMWe’re a place for community
LIBERTY COUNTY/ASYMCA912-368-9622201 Mary Lou Dr. Hinesville, GA 31313YMCAofcoastalga.org
LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / BEST OF LIBERTY 2015
LAWN SERVICEC.A. Sittle, Inc. C.A. Sittle Inc. was started as a means to pay for college tuition; 13 years later it is a booming lawn service business. Serving surrounding areas within a 60-mile radius, the busi-ness strives for 100 percent customer satisfaction by offering landscape design, hardscapes, pavers, erosion control, sod installation, mulching, light land clearing and much more. Whether you want your lawn redesigned or you’re merely in need of damage control, the creative team of experts at C.A. Sittle can transform your yard into a gorgeous outdoor living space.Runner-up: J.D.’s Landscaping & Irrigation
NURSERY/GARDEN STORELowe’s Runner-up: Stacy’s Florist
OVERALL UTILITY SERVICEGeorgia Power A part of the Southern Company, Georgia Power is the larg-est operating company providing electricity to Georgia for more than a century. Founded in Atlanta in the early 1880s, the company serves more than 2 million customers statewide with a capacity of roughly 14 million kilowatts. Runner-up: Canoochee EMC
PEST CONTROL COMPANYYates Astro Since 1928, Yates Astro has been protecting Liberty County homes and businesses from all types of pests. This pest control business has developed an outstanding reputation for its commitment to excellence, winning the best termite warranty in 2014. Yates offers residential and commercial pest control, termite treatment, fumigation, home inspections and bird control.Runner-up: Great Southern Exterminating
PLUMBING COMPANYSanitary Plumbing Sanitary Plumbing has been providing Liberty County with high-quality service “for all your plumbing needs” since 1971. Locally owned and operated by the Patrick family, Sanitary Plumbing is prepared to handle any and all plumb-ing jobs, including new construction, repairs, remodeling, residential, industrial and commercial. Sanitary Plumbing is licensed and insured, and even offers free estimates on construction jobs.Runner-up: ABC Plumbing
Thank you!for voting GA Power
Best Overall Utility
best
2014
LIBERTYof
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best
2015
LIBERTYof
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www.baldinos.us456 Gen. Screven Way, Hinesville (Outside Main Gate to Fort Stewart)
368-8093
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BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
REAL ESTATE AGENCYColdwell Banker Holtzman, Realtors Coldwell Banker Holtzman, Realtors, has been serving the Liberty County community and Coastal Georgia for 39 years, providing specialized services for home buying, home listing, property management, home rentals, moving and storage. The agency strives to maintain the highest standards with their attention to detail and dedication to customer satisfaction.Runner-up: Century 21 Action Realty
REAL ESTATE AGENTJimmy Shanken, Coldwell Banker Holtzman, RealtorsAfter serving eight years in the United States Army, Jimmy Shanken settled in Hinesville with his wife and three chil-dren. Shanken has represented clients in the purchase and sale of single-family residences and income property in Hinesville, Allenhurst, Midway, Ludowici, Walthourville, Glennville, Jesup, Richmond Hill, Fort Stewart, Savannah and along the coast. With his extensive knowledge of local schools and area trends, it is no wonder Shanken has been voted Liberty’s best real estate agent.Runner-up: Elaine Boggs, Elaine Boggs Realty
Thank You For Voting Us Best Child Care in Liberty County!
1695 E.G. Miles Parkway912-876-5750
122 West Court Street912-876-5998
best
• 2015 •LIBERTY
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Seth Borquaye, MD Voted Best OB/GYN
Comprehensive OB/GYN Health Center455 S. Main St., Suite 202
Hinesville 877-2228
Firas Bannout, MD Voted Best Family Physician
SouthCoast Medical Group455 S. Main St., Suite 201
Hinesville 877-6822
Jan St. John, RN Voted One of the Best Nurses
Director Of Perinatal Services Childbirth Instructor
Liberty Regional Medical Center
Daniel Most, MDVoted One of the Best
Plastic SurgeonsMost Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
512 S. Main St., Suite BHinesville 912-303-6678
Phillip Ajayi, MDVoted One of the Best
PediatriciansPhillip’s Pediatrics
455 S. Main St., Suite 103Hinesville 912-876-6868Locum Tenens at LRMC
Congratulations!We are very proud of our dedicated team members who received top selections in the Best of Liberty
The best in healthcare is right here at home. Visit our website for information on all of our Medical Staff physicians, our hospital and our comprehensive line of healthcare services.
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BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
AUTO REPAIRAllenhurst Tire and Brake Runner-up: JK &T Tires and Auto
AUTO SALESPERSONMike Reed, Mike Reed Chevrolet Since 2000, Mike Reed has been providing the families of Liberty County with a safe ride home. With three decades of experience in the auto industry, he has a keen knowledge of how to work with customers and help them choose the best automobile to fit their needs. Whether it is a family of four or a single soldier looking for a new ride, Mike Reed enjoys assisting everyone and watching satisfied customers drive away in a new car.Runner-up: Jesse Shelton, Hinesville Ford
BODY SHOPMuse CollisionMuse Collision was founded on four simple principles for auto repairs: honesty, integrity, quality repairs and customer service. Now Muse Collision is the place to go in Liberty County for everything from small scratches and dings to large-scale, major collision repairs. Muse Collision is the
only collision center in Hinesville that is I-CAR Gold certified. Muse is dedicated to continuous training in collision repair in order to provide their customers with the best possible service.Runner-up: NaCon
CAR WASHCar Wash Express Runner-up: Auto Shine Car Wash
NEW CAR DEALERSHIPMike Reed Chevrolet The professional staff at Mike Reed Chevrolet have been putting keys in hands and smiles on faces since the dealer-ship opened in 2000. They offer the latest Chevrolet models such as the Camaro, City Express Cargo Van, Silverado, Corvette, Cruze, Equinox and much more. Their highly trained technicians offer oil changes, transmission repairs, tire rotations and more in order to keep your new vehicle running smoothly.Runner-up: Hinesville Ford
for being voted theBEST REPORTER!
CONGRATULATIONS
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2014
PAGE 1BGame dayTodayBASKETBALL:• World Cup, United States vs. Turkey, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)MLB:• Marlins at Braves, 5 p.m. (FSN)TENNIS:• U.S. Open, 11 a.m. (CBS)
MondayMLB:• Phillies at Braves, 1 p.m. (ESPN, SPSO)TENNIS:• U.S. Open, 11 a.m. (CBS), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
TuesdayMLB:• Phillies at Braves, 7 p.m. (SPSO)TENNIS:• U.S. Open 11 a.m., 7 p.m. (ESPN)
WednesdayBASKETBALL:• World Cup, United States vs. Dominican Republic, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)MLB:• Phillies at Braves, noon (SPSO)SOCCER:• United States vs. Czech Republic, 2 p.m. (NBCSP)TENNIS:• U.S. Open, noon (ESPN), 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
LOCAL SPORTSTuesdayHIGH-SCHOOL SOFTBALL:• Long County hosts McIntosh County Academy, 5 p.m.HIGH-SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL:• Bradwell at Savan-nah High, 5:30 p.m.• FPCA hosts Veritas, 4:30 p.m.
ThursdayHIGH-SCHOOL SOFTBALL:• Bradwell hosts Statesboro, 5 p.m.
The Long County High School football team fell Friday, 23-14, to cross-county rival Tattnall County. The Blue Tide came out strong with its defense shutting down the Battle Creek Warriors on Long County’s first possession. The Tide’s offense stalled, so they had to punt. On Tattnall County’s second
BY MIKE [email protected]
Mistakes plagued 23-14 loss Friday
Panthers squeak past BI Tigers, 10-9
Area running enthusiasts prep for Sunbury 5K
Heated match rife with penalties and flagsLiberty County High School gets to keep the Commissioner’s Cup one more year after beating Bradwell, 10-9, at Olvey Field on Friday night.
Tensions ran high as the Tigers and Panthers took to the field. The game was wrought with calls for unsportsmanlike conduct on both sides and was riddled with yellow flags, miscues
BY PATTY [email protected]
Mike Riddle
The Blue Tide took an early 6-0 lead over Tattnall County after Xavier Sta-pleton picked off a pass and raced all the way to the Battle Creek Warrior’ 3-yard line.
MATCH continues on 2B
Long falls to Tattnall
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Photos by Patty LeonAbove: The Bradwell Tigers signal that they have recovered the Panthers’ fumble during Friday night’s
crosstown rivalry game at Olvey Field. Below: Tiger Stephen Felton is taken down in BI’s 10-9 loss to Lib-
erty County High School. Felton had a good night rushing and passing the ball for positive gains.
LONG continues on 2B
BY PATTY [email protected]
WWW.COASTALCOURIER.COM
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014
PAGE 9
Game dayTodayMLB:• Braves at Marlins,
7 p.m. (FSN)
TENNIS:• U.S. Open,
12:30 p.m. (CBS)
SaturdayCOLLEGE FOOTBALL:• No. 8 Michi-
gan State at No. 3
Oregon, 6:30 p.m.
(FOX) 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
• East Carolina at
South Carolina,
7 p.m. (ESPN2)
• Virginia Tech at No.
8 Ohio State, 8 p.m.
(ESPN)MLB:• Braves at Marlins,
7 p.m. (FSN)
TENNIS:• U.S. Open, noon
(CBS)
SundayMLB:• Braves at Marlins,
1 p.m. (FSN)
NFL:• Saints at Falcons,
1 p.m. (FOX)• Jaguars at Eagles,
1 p.m. (CBS)• 49ers at Cowboys,
4:25 p.m. (FOX)
• Colts at Broncos,
8:30 p.m. (NBC)
TENNIS:• U.S. Open, wom-
en’s championship,
4:30 p.m. (CBS)
WNBA:• Finals, game one,
3:30 p.m. (ABC)
LOCAL SPORTS
TodayHIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL:• Bradwell at Calvary
Day, 7:30 p.m.
• Liberty County vs.
McIntosh County
Academy, 7:30 p.m.
in DarienHIGH-SCHOOL SOFTBALL:• Long County vs.
Treutlen County,
4:30 p.m., vs. Wheel-
er County, 6:15 p.m.,
in Hazlehurst
Saturday
Bradwell Institute will be
in Savannah at 7:30 tonight
to take on Calvary Day in a
non-region game. The senior-heavy Cava-
liers (1-0) were 11-3 last sea-
son and went all the way to
the state finals before losing
to Aquinas. It appears that the Tigers
and the Cavaliers have never
met on the grid-iron.According to maxpreps.
com, Cavaliers coach Mark
Stroud has guided the team
since 2008 and currently
holds a 46-22 mark.“I see a very disciplined
football team … they are
well-coached and they play
fast,” Bradwell head coach
Greg Hill noted. “We are go-
ing to have to execute and
make sure we are hitting our
assignments … and we need
to cut out all of the mistakes.”
Cavaliers sophomore
quarterback Salvador Calde-
ron was 9-for-13 passing for
101 yards and three touch-
downs last week.Hill knows the Tigers will
need to step up their passing
game after a dismal perfor-
mance last week. The Tigers
went 0-for-3 passing and
were picked off once.“The passing game was
limited … you would like to
get a balance … so we are
looking on improving the
passing game,” Hill said.
The Liberty County
Panthers will play McIn-
tosh County Academy to-
night in Darien in a non-
region game.The Panthers and the
Buccaneers faced off nine
times from 2002 until
2011, with the Panthers
winning only twice. The Buccaneers are
off to a 0-2 start falling to
Brunswick and Savannah
Christian, but shouldn’t be d Lib t
Bradwell looking to bounce back
HIGH-SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Patty Leon
Bradwell Institute’s Terrius Crimel gets ready to take the ball upfield during last week’s game against Liberty County at
Olvey Field. The Tigers are in Savannah tonight to face Calvary Day.
BY PATTY LEON
BRADWELL continues on 10
Liberty County on road tonight
to battle Buccaneers in Darien
BY PATTY LEON
rior 3-yard line.
Longg to bounce back
gets ready to ta
nnah tonight to
onighDarie
WWW.COASTALCOURIER.COM
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2014
Game dayTodayLITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL: World Series,
championship game, 3 p.m. (ABC)MLB: Braves at Reds,
1 p.m. (FSN)MLB: Chargers at 49ers,
4 p.m. (FOX)
MondayTENNIS: U.S. Open,
1 p.m. (ESPN), 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
TuesdayMLB: Braves at Mets,
7 p.m. (SPSO)TENNIS: U.S. Open, 1 and
7 p.m. (ESPN)
WednesdayMLB: Braves at Mets,
7 p.m. (SPSO)TENNIS: U.S. Open,
1 p.m. (ESPN), 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
LOCAL SPORTSMondayHIGH-SCHOOL SOFTBALL: Liberty County
hosts Long County, 6 p.m.
TuesdayHIGH-SCHOOL SOFTBALL: Bradwell hosts
Richmond Hill, 6 p.m. Long County hosts
Vidalia, 5 p.m.HIGH-SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: Bradwell vs. Jen-
kins, 5 p.m. at New Hampstead High School
Thursd
Four interceptions and some untimely penalties by Liberty County helped the Effingham County Rebels to a 35-7 win Friday at Do-nell Woods Stadium in the high-school football regu-lar-season opener.It was apparent that something was amiss on the Panthers’ sideline minutes prior to the start. All-around athlete Richard LeCounte, junior linebacker Jeremiah Gilbert and starting quar-terback Walker Franklin were not dressed to play.Two of the absences were injury related. Gilbert had to sit out due to a con-cussion, while LeCounte tweaked his shoulder dur-ing a massive tackle in last week’s scrimmage and had not yet received medical clearance.
In Franklin’s case, Pan-ther coach Kirk Warner received late news that led to the senior transfer from Wayne County sitting out Friday.“We got some news from the state regarding his eligi-bility and, hopefully, we can work out those kinks next week,” Warner said. “We decided to err on the side of caution and not play him tonight. It’s a paperwork is-sue and, hopefully, we will have it done by next week.”However, the last-minute notification meant the Pan-thers had to start sopho-more backup Jaalon Frazier at quarterback. Warner ad-mitted Frazier had not been given enough reps during
practice lately.“I’m not going to hang Jaalon out … he played well, especially on such short notice,” Warner said. “We found out the news about Walker at 11 a.m. (Friday). We’ve been working (Fra-zier) a little bit at quarter-back, but I can promise you both will be ready in time for next week, just in case.”On Liberty’s first drive, Frazier moved the offense with some solid fakes, which gave JaMarcus Lat-son, Jacquez Williams and Jarquel Richardson the op-portunity to bust open for positive gains. He also com-pleted a pass to Gyri Durant to move the chains.
But on fourth-and-inch-es, the Panthers were penal-
ized for delay of game. They decided to go for it, but the Rebels stuffed them at the line of scrimmage and took over on downs.On Effingham’s first drive, Panther Michael Guy nearly intercepted Rebel quarterback Phillip Brown, but the visiting team avoid-ed the turnover and settled for a punt.
Later, Frazier threw an interception that the Reb-els seemed to return for a touchdown, but Effingham was called for an illegal block on the return. The Rebels still capital-ized on the turnover with a 15-yard rush and dive into the end zone on the next play.
On the ensuing kickoff,
Pantha 35-y
Libfield, and W
Fraand bmiddlegot hitfumble
Latescreen, open reball in down anlead.
The hseemed of the niran to ttackle anyards for
Mistakes doom Panthers in o
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Key absences also hurt Liberty, Rebels capitalizeBY PATTY [email protected]
Liberty County’s Chris Helvie breaks a few tackles and gains yards Friday at Donell Woods Stadiu
FPCA drops first game to Bulloch AcademyFirst Presbyterian Christian Academy officially launched its third season of football Friday night with a 48-6 loss to Bulloch Academy in States-boro.The Highlanders are on the road again next Friday when they play Briarwood Academy in Warrenton.
— Patty Leon
HIGH-SCHOOL SOFTBALLPANTH
Patty Leon
Serving Liberty County and Coastal Georgia since 1871
best
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BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
BARBER SHOP/BEAUTY SALONCut Loose Runner-up: Le’ Jolie
CHIROPRACTORDr. Duncan Regan, Regan Chiropractic ClinicFor more than 30 years, Dr. Duncan Regan has been provid-ing friendly chiropractic care for the Liberty County com-munity. A member of the Gonstead Clinical Studies Society, Dr. Regan has but one goal: to correct the subluxations in your spine for creating a healthier, happier you. Dr. Regan’s knowledge of the Gonstead method and use of the whole body health focus has changed lives for the better.Runner-up: Dr. Daniel T. Cooke, Advanced Chiropractic
DENTISTDr. Tad Jackson, Midway Family DentalA member of the Georgia Dental Association, Dr. Tad Jackson is originally from Atlanta, but decided to relocate to southern Georgia in 2009. He enjoys the friendly and down-to-earth people in Southeast Georgia, as well as the country atmosphere. Dr. Jackson received a bachelor’s de-gree in chemistry from Kennesaw State and his doctorate in dentistry from the Medical College of Georgia. His goal is to
help his patients overcome the fear of the dentist chair and provide them with a fun environment for good teeth cleaning and care.Runner-up: Dr. Rolland, Townsend Family Dental
FAMILY PHYSICIANDr. Firas Bannout, SouthCoast HealthA graduate of Damascus University Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Firas Bannout is a board-certified internal medicine physi-cian with the SouthCoast Health and Liberty Regional Me-morial Center. Dr. Bannout’s profound knowledge and skills have led him to receive the Bridges to Excellence Diabetes Care Recognition award from 2011-2013. Dr. Bannout pro-vides patients with comprehensive, up-to-date medical care that is of the highest quality. Make an appointment today and see why Dr. Bannout has been voted Liberty County’s best family physician three years in a row.Runner-up: Dr. Sabin Tomus, SouthCoast Health
FITNESS/TRAINING CENTERYMCA of Coastal Georgia - Liberty County BranchIf you are looking for a place for family fitness, then the YMCA of Coastal Georgia is the place to be. It offers a vari-ety of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy, from swim-ming classes to after school programs. The Liberty County/
HEALTH & BEAUTY
837 Elma G Miles PkwyHinesville, GA 31313
(912) 876-4111
www.LibertyTireAndBrake.com
Lube, Oil & Filter
Alignment
Locally Owned & Operated Since 1983!
Tire Inspection
Diesel & synthetic extra.Not valid with any other offer.
$2495Only Plus Tax(up to 5 qts. oil) No disposal fee.
With coupon. Expires 10/31/15
Any AlignmentMost cars and light trucks.
$20OFF
With coupon. Expires 10/31/15
Tire InspectionFREE
With coupon. Expires 10/31/15
LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / BEST OF LIBERTY 2015
Armed Services Family YMCA has been providing programs for soldiers and their families for nearly 25 years. Stop by the YMCA today to become a member and sign up for classes. Runner-up: Anytime Fitness
HAIR STYLISTDannielle Baker, Rock Chicks Color Bar Runner-up: Carol, Cut Loose
MASSAGE THERAPY SPAHinesville Day Spa Runner-up: Studio K Massage & Bodywork
NAIL SALONFoxy Nails Runner-up: Le Nails
NURSECrystal Ailes, Winn Army Hospital Runner-up: Jan St. John, Liberty Regional Medical Center
OB/GYNDr. Seth Borquaye, Comprehensive OB/GYN Health CenterHailing from Ghana, Dr. Borquaye obtained his medical doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh while serving in the U.S. Army. Dr. Borquaye’s service and genuine care for his patients has led him to receive numerous awards and recognitions ranging from the Dr. Whitman Fraser Award to the NAACP Humanitarian Award. He offers his time and ser-vice to his patients and the community by volunteering with several community organizations and coaching at the YMCA. Dr. Borquaye’s professionalism, dedication and community involvement have earned him recognition as the best OB/GYN doctor in Liberty County.Runner-up: Dr. Cliphane McLeod, Hinesville Women’s Clinic
OPTOMETRISTLow Country Eye Care With offices in Richmond Hill, Pooler and Hinesville, the optometrists at Low Country Eye Care are willing to drive the distance to care for their patients. The highly-skilled doctors complete their eye exams by inspecting your eyes, discuss-ing eye care options, answering your questions and sharing a few jokes during the process. They place a high value on building excellent relationships and take the time to fully discuss eye health evaluations and any necessary treatment of eye disease. The doctors at Low Country Eye Care strive to improve their patients’ quality of life and vision wellness. Runner-up: Dr. Jody Pittman, Professional Eye Care
ORTHOPEDICSBone & Joint Institute of South Georgia The doctors at the Bone & Joint Institute are on a mission to provide the finest quality orthopedic service and care to their patients. This group of esteemed doctors treats each patient
BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
with the upmost respect, listening to his or her problems and answering questions knowledgably. The group provides sports medicine services, orthopedic surgery and more. With their dedication to their patients, it’s no wonder that the Bone & Joint Institute was voted best orthopedics in Liberty County.Runner-up: James Wilson, Optim Orthopedics
PEDIATRICIANDr. Eric L. Hall, MDRunner-up: Dr. Phillip O. Ajayi, Phillip’s Pediatrics
PHARMACYHinesville Pharmacy With 30 years of service, the Hinesville Pharmacy is the only independent pharmacy in Hinesville. It is guided by a 30-year tradition of providing accurate, fast and friendly hometown service to its customers. The staff of pharmacists welcomes each customer with a smile and assists in filling prescription and meeting individual needs. Their three long decades of professionalism and excellent service have led to them being voted Liberty’s best pharmacy. Runner-up: Kroger Pharmacy
PHYSICAL THERAPISTWest Rehab and Sports Medicine Runner-up: Spine and Sport
PLASTIC SURGERYCoastal Empire Plastic SurgeryCoastal Empire Plastic Surgery provides both comfort and care for their patients. To best meet patient needs, the caring and compassionate physicians at the practice offer a wide range of services from non-surgical to surgical solutions and thorough patient education. Coastal Empire’s well-established surgery center is Medicare, Georgia Department of Commu-nity Health certified and the only plastic surgery center in the region to obtain The Joint Commission certification.Runner-up: Daniel Most, MD
PODIATRISTDr. Melisa Robitille, Atlantic Foot & Ankle SpecialistsOriginally from Montreal, Canada, Dr. Melissa Robitaille has been practicing podiatry for 12 years. She received her degree from Barry University’s School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami, Florida and later relocated to Savannah, Georgia with her husband. Dr. Robitaille is a proud member of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons and a faculty member of the prestigious Podiatry Institute. She enjoys work-ing in this challenging field and interacting with her patients.Runner-up: Dr. Bodamer, Parkwood Podiatry
TANNING SALONLe’ Jolie Runner-up: Sun-N-Side Tanning Center
Thank You, LIBERTY COUNTY FOR VOTING US THE BEST HOTEL!
1740 E. OGLETHORPE HWY // 912.369.3000
best
• 2015 •LIBERTY
of
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Restoration Church
would like to congratulate Lead Pastor Alan Darsey
on being selected
as Liberty’s Best
Pastor!Please join us Sundays at 10:30 @ the YMCA 201 Mary Lou Dr.,
Hinesville (912) 977-4992
RestorationChurchNow.org
Please join us Sundays at 10 30 @ the Y
322 N. Main St., Hinesville • [email protected] • www.edwardjones.com
Member SIPC
Matt Cardella, CFP®
Financial Advisor
BreakfastMONDAY - FRIDAY: 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM
SATURDAY: 7:00 AM - 11:00 AMSUNDAY - NOT SERVED
Lunch & DinnerMONDAY - FRIDAY: 10:30 AM - 8:00 PM
SATURDAY: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PMSUNDAY: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
*** WE FRY ALL OUR FOODS WITH ZERO
TRANS FAT ***
DAILY DESSERTS BANANA PUDDING
COBBLERCAKES
BROWNIES
DAILY VEGETABLES MAC & CHEESE
MASHED POTATOESGREEN BEANS
CANDIED YAMSCORN BREAD DRESSING
RUTABAGASOKRA & TOMATOES
PEASGRAVYCORNBEANS
CABBAGERICE
COLLARDS
BREAKFASTCOUNTRY PLATE
BREAKFAST IN A BOWLPANCAKE PLATTERBISCUITS & GRAVY
OMELETTESSANDWICHES
FACEBOOK.COM/IZOLASCOUNTRYCAFECHECK US OUT ON
Thanksto all our loyal customers!
809 WILLOWBROOK DRIVE, HINESVILLE GA 31313BEHIND BURGER KING ON HWY 196W(912) 463-4709
Best Breakfast / Best Home-Cooked Meal Best All Around Restaurant / Best Customer Service
akfast Lunch & DinnerL h & DinnerAY
Brea
Cooking Southern Soul Food for over 40 years!
Runner-up for Best Buffet / Best Fast Food
best
• 2013 •2013
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LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / BEST OF LIBERTY 2015
APPAREL/CLOTHING STOREBealls OutletRunner-up: Cato
CONVENIENCE STOREParker’s – Flemington Runner-up: Parker’s on 196
DISCOUNT STOREBig LotsRunner-up: Dollar Tree
DRY CLEANINGLamas Cleaners Inc.Runner-up: Fabri-Care Cleaners
GIFT STOREHinesville Pharmacy The Hinesville Pharmacy not only provides quality service for all your medicinal needs, but it is also the place to purchase the perfect gift for any occasion. The store offers a variety of gift choices suitable for a wedding, anniversary, birthday or even a baby shower. This extensive gallery of delicious candies and scented lotions, personalized gifts and much more is what led the Hinesville Pharmacy to be selected as the best gift store in Liberty County two years in a row.Runner-up: Bee’s Creations
HEALTH/ORGANIC/VEGETARIANFarmer’s Natural Foods Runner-up: Farmers Market
JEWELRY STOREThomas Hill Jewelers Thomas Hill Jewelers has been providing Hinesville and the surrounding community with a unique jewelry-shopping experience for more than 15 years. It is obvious to custom-ers that their knowledgeable staff has a passion for beauti-ful jewelry and friendly service. The store offers exquisite diamond jewelry, elegant watches, custom-made styles, expert jewelry repairs and more. Thomas Hill Jewelers offers designs to celebrate the important occasions and milestones of life, and to help make those moments sparkle.Runner-up: Kay Jewelers
LIQUOR STORELiberty Square Package ShopRunner-up: Roundhouse Package Shop
PAWN SHOPGold & Silver Pawn Gold & Silver Pawn has been the premier pawnbroker in Hinesville for more than 20 years. Providing cash loans, fast cash for goods, sale of pawned goods, and pick-up and delivery of goods, Gold & Silver Pawn has much to offer its customers. The staff is available to assist in exchanging items of any value such as gold, silver jewelry, electronics, computers, furniture and much more. Runner-up: Mega Pawn
SUPERMARKETKroger Runner-up: Fort Stewart Commissary
TACTICAL/OUTDOOR SUPPLY STORETractor Supply CompanyRunner-up: Lowe’s
UNIFORM STOREPro Feet Runner-up: Ranger Joe’s
CLOTHING & SHOPPING
JeremyFermin
BESTTEACHER
BradwellInstitute
BESTHIGH SCHOOL
BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
ALL AROUND RESTAURANTIzola’s Country CafeGood Southern cooking and friendly customer service is available right down the road on Highway 196. From scrumptious fried chicken, cornbread dressing and banana pudding to specially seasoned vegetables, sweet tea and collard greens, everything in Izola’s begs to be sampled. Stop by Izola’s and see why it was voted best all-around restaurant in Liberty County. Runner-up: Ole Times Country Buffet
ASIANKobe’s Runner-up: Won Tons
BARBEQUERusty Pig Runner-up: Shane’s Rib Shack
BEST COFFEE FIXUncommon Grounds Runner-up: Dunkin’ Donuts
BREAKFASTIzola’s Country CaféSome say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So visit Izola’s to get your morning started right with the best breakfast in Liberty County. You can purchase a steaming hot cup of coffee, delicious omelets, biscuits, sausages and more at generous prices. The Southern hospitably offered along with the delectable food will help jump start your morning. Runner-up: Panera Bread
BUFFETOle Times Country Buffet If you’re looking for a good time with good friends and good food, then Ole Times Country Buffet is the place for you. This restaurant offers true Southern cooking at locations
FOOD, DRINK & ENTERTAINMENT
912-876-6580 501 W Gen Screven Way # H, Hinesville, GA
Thank You, Liberty County!
999999999999555555555
BEST PAWN SHOP9 YEARS IN A ROW!
3RD GENERATION FAMILY OWNEDbest
• 2015 •LIBERTY
ofQuality Electronics I Furniture I Jewelry I Guns
“The Original” Gold &
Silver Pawn
LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / BEST OF LIBERTY 2015
in South Georgia and North Florida. Delicious Southern-style food consisting of well-seasoned vegetables, juicy meats, fresh baked breads and more fill this country buffet for lunch and dinner. Ole Times Country Buffet has been voted the best Southern cooking and buffet restaurant in Valdosta and North Florida, and it is now being recognized as the best buffet in Liberty County. Runner-up: Izola’s Country Cafe
BURGERChris’s Curbside Grill Runner-up: The Pour House Bar and Grill
FAST FOODZaxby’sRunner-up: Izola’s
HAPPY HOURApplebee’s Runner-up: Rodeo Mexican Restaurant
HOME COOKED MEALIzola’s Country CaféWhether it is a business meeting or family gathering, Izola’s is ready to provide its customers with the best Southern food on the coast. The family-oriented atmosphere along with
delicious menu items such as okra, scrumptious cobbler, creamy mashed potatoes and more keep customers coming back for more of Izola’s home cooked meals.Runner-up: Occasions Catering & Event Services
KID FRIENDLYCiCi’s PizzaRunner-up: McDonald’s
LATE NIGHTHuddle HouseHuddle House has been serving its customers for more than 50 years with a Southern-inspired menu of home-style dinners and breakfast, as well as mouth-watering burgers, fries and coffee. It is the place for local gatherings after Friday night football games where customers are served, “Any Meal. Any Time.”Runner-up: Gata’s Sports Bar & Grille
MEXICANRodeo Mexican Restaurant Since 2008, Rodeo has been the Mexican restaurant with a Southern twist in Liberty County. Its menu of delicious cuisine ranges from black fried rice, black beans, tacos and burritos to its popular Texas quesadillas. The fun, festive atmosphere
Thank You Liberty County For Voting Us
Best Optometrist
127 General Screven Way912-877-2422
LowCountryEye.com
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BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
mixed with the intoxicating aroma of authentic food will leave you wanting more. Runner-up: El Cazador Mexican Restaurant
PIZZAPizza Hut Runner-up: Papa John’s Pizza
SANDWICH/SUBBaldinos Bill Baer, a native of New Jersey, opened his first Baldinos in 1975 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with a goal to bring the delicious mouth-watering New Jersey style sub to the Southern states. Since opening in Hinesville in 1977, Baldinos has offered families unquestionably the most authentic traditional subs, with recipes that have been handed down through generations.Runner-up: Firehouse Subs
SEAFOODThe Sunbury Crab CompanyRunner-up: Bo Bo II
SUSHIKyoto Sushi House 2 Runner-up: Golden Hibachi Buffet
SWEETS/BAKERYAngie’s Cakes & Sweet Treats Runner-up: Southern Sweets Cafe & Bakery
WAITER/WAITRESSEsteban Mebina, Rodeo Mexican RestaurantEsteban Mebina has been a waiter at Rodeo for more than five years and assistant manager for two years. Customers are always pleased when they see Mebina as their waiter because of his wonderful sense of humor and fun-loving personality. Mebina enjoys interacting with customers, putting smiles on their faces and learning more about the people in the Liberty County community.Runner-up: Ashley Smith, Ole Times Country Buffet
WINGSChris’s Curbside Grill Runner-up: Wingstop
BEST OF LIBERTY FESTIVAL & EVENT BEST OF LIBERTY F
ESTI
VAL
& E
VENT
DOWNTOWNHINESVILLE
THURSDAYS4 TO 7 PM
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DOWNTOWDOWOWOWNTOTOWTOWOWOWNNDOOWWNN OODOOOWWNNTTOOOOWOWWNNNN
www.hinesvilledowntown.com 912-877-4332
MAID MARIONCLEANING SERVICE
912-856-8342
Special thanks to Ashley Cryer for the wonderful work you do.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 2005HINESVILLE, SUNBURY, MIDWAY & LONG COUNTY
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We would like to thank all of our loyal clients and all of our supporters for voting us BEST CLEANING SERVICEin Liberty County for 2 years!
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ting us t uVICEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / BEST OF LIBERTY 2015
Thank you for giving us one more reason to smile!
Best DentistDr. Tad Jackson
Midway Family Dental
www.midwaydentist.com
912-880-2288 1718 North Coastal Hwy Midway, GA
HINESVILLE’S FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Best Church in Liberty County
Thank you!Open hearts Open minds Open doors
Dale Thornton, Senior Pastor
for voting us
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Sunday Worship: 8:30 & 11:00 amWOW Childrens Ministry: Wednesday 6:30 - 7:30 pmYouth Fellowship Group: Sunday 5:00 - 6:00 pmwww.hinesvillemethodist.org
203 N. Main StreetHinesville, Georgia 31313
(912) 368-2200
BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
ALL AROUND INDUSTRYThe Heritage BankThe Heritage Bank has been serving Liberty County and Southeast Georgia since 1911. The bank’s management and employees are dedicated professionals eager to assist their clients with all their financial needs, whether it is opening a bank account or obtaining a loan. The Heritage Bank’s qual-ity service and financial knowledge keep its clients coming back year after year.Runner-up: Chris’s Curbside Grill
BOSSSteve Sikes, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Steve Sikes has been serving Liberty County for the past five years, but his roots run deep in the area. Being a third generation Liberty County sheriff, Sikes understands the duties and purpose of his position. He believes that with community support, Liberty County can be among the safest communities in all of Georgia. His persistence and dedica-tion to the community has earned him recognition as not only the best public servant, but also the best boss in Liberty County.Runner-up: Scott Carrier, Bradwell Institute
CHARITYCarpathia Paws Carpathia Paws is an all-volunteer, animal rescue organiza-tion dedicated to saving stray animals. Volunteers work hard to find forever homes for animals, pairing them with loving individuals and families. Carpathia Paws helps people find their perfect pet match, and conducts home visits to ensure that everything is ready for the new member of the family. The organization was named after the ship that rescued 705 survivors from the Titanic tragedy and Carpathia Paws plans to rescue far more than that. Runner-up: Relay for Life
CHURCHHinesville First United Methodist Church For more than 100 years, Hinesville First United Methodist Church has been providing spiritual guidance to the Hines-ville community. With numerous ministries for children and adults, there is something for everyone, whether it is sing-ing in the choir or teaching a preschool class. First United Methodist welcomes all members with love and kindness, preparing and encouraging them to develop a personal relationship with God. Runner-up: First Baptist Church Hinesville
601 General Stewart Way, Hinesville, GA 31313
912-463-4517AtlanticFeet.com
Best Podiatrist
We are so thankful that we get to make a positive difference in the lives of our patients. Thank you!
LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / BEST OF LIBERTY 2015
104 Sandy Run Drive, Hinesville912-368-9229
www.badcock.com
BEST FURNITURE STORE
Dr. Peter Winn MartinDr. Joe MorrisDr. Janeen KluskaDr. Denise SchneiderDr. Denise SSchneidere
Thank you for voting us“Best Veterinarian”
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(912) 368-3226 www.flemingtonvet.com
BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
EQUESTRIAN TRAINER Caitlin Jarriel, Southern Legacy Stables Runner-up: Charles Durrence, Gravel Hill Farms
FESTIVAL/EVENTFarmers Market, Hinesville Downtown Development AuthorityThe Hinesville Farmers Market has been a downtown hotspot since it first opened in Bradwell Park five years ago, offering fresh, locally-grown produce, artisan breads and pastas, desserts, honey, jellies and more. The market, man-aged by the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority, runs from 4-7 p.m. every Thursday from March through No-vember. Weekly crowds of over 300 people seek specialty gifts, nutritious food and time with friends. The market has an impressive economic impact of about $5,000 per week.Runner-up: Christmas Parade
PASTOR/MINISTER/REVERENDAlan Darsey, Restoration Church A native of Hinesville, Alan Darsey is dedicated to serving others. He and his family – wife Jennifer and daughters McKaylin and Lily – started Restoration Church in their home in 2011, and the congregation has grown exponentially un-der Alan’s leadership. He balances time spent with his wife, daughters and spiritual flock with working for Century Link as a construction project administrator for South Carolina
and Georgia, a position that keeps him on the road two to three days a week. His willingness to serve and help others has earned him the title of best pastor in Liberty County for the second year in a row.Runner-up: Pastor Richard D. Hayes, New Day Community Church
PLACE TO WORKThe Heritage Bank Providing great customer and professional services, the Heritage Bank is one of the best places to work in Liberty County. Always willing to promote community events, it has also won several “Best of Liberty” awards for its financial knowledge and community involvement. The Heritage Bank encourages professional growth and advancement among its staff, creating top-notch professionals who will become leaders in Liberty County.Runner-up: Bradwell Institute
PUBLIC SCHOOLBradwell Institute Bradwell Institute, home of the Tigers, has been educating future leaders in the Liberty County community for more than half a century. Providing superior education for nearly 2,000 students, this school is determined to make sure every child is well prepared for their future endeavors. With their mesmerizing band and stellar academic record, this school is aiming to point the next generation in the right direction. Runner-up: Liberty County High School
PUBLIC SERVANTSteve Sikes, Liberty County SheriffContinuing his family legacy, Sheriff Sikes is no stranger to public service. He is a veteran of the Georgia Army Na-tional Guard and previous member of the board of directors at his church. His dedicated commitment to demonstrate public service and protect the citizens of Liberty County is evidenced by his leadership style, accessibility and his unwavering pursuit of the highest level of public safety.Runner-up: Jennifer Darsey, United Way of Coastal Empire - Liberty
RECREATIONAL FACILITYLiberty County Recreation Department Runner-up: YMCA of Coastal Georgia - Liberty County Branch
RIDING STABLESSouthern Legacy Stables Runner-up: Gravel Hill Farms
TEACHER/INSTRUCTORJeremy Fermin, Bradwell Institute A fun and energetic band director and University of Geor-gia alumni, Jeremy Fermin has won the title of best teacher in Liberty County for the second year in a row. The former
Thank YouThank You
Liberty County!
5
Thank you for voting HINESVILLE PHARMACY
Liberty County’s Best Pharmacy
Liberty County’s Best Gift Shop. HINESVILLE PHARMACY is the only independent pharmacy in Hinesville, Georgia
with over 30 years of service to the community. We provide accurate, fast and friendly hometown service, know our customers by name and welcome all new
patients with a smile.
&
5 Years in a Row!
481 E.G. Miles Pkwy, Hinesville, GA 31313Phone: (912) 876.8125HinesvillePharmacy.com
LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE / / / BEST OF LIBERTY 2015
110 E MLK Jr. Dr. Ste. 1-A, Hinesville, GA 31313 912.876.6036 | www.thomashilljewelers.com
11110 0 E E MLMLK K JrJr. . DrDr. . StSte.e. 1 1-A-A, , HiHinenesvsvilillele, , GAGA 3 313131313
Thank you!Congratulations
Kallie
2nd place for
Best Customer
Service
Jewelry Store 9 Years Running
for voting us as your favorite
Landscaping/Lawn Care company
for the 6th time!
Mention this ad and get 10% off
your next landscape or irrigation project.
Call Ashley Sittle at
912.269.0684.
Visit us at landscapehinesville.com and Like us on Facebook!
BEST OF LIBERTY 2015 / / / LIBERTY LIFE MAGAZINE
Red Coat Marching Band drum major was also president of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Men’s Social Music Fraternity. This year, Fermin and the Bradwell band have had another great run, placing fifth in the Georgia Marching Band Series Championship and obtaining a new equipment trailer, cour-tesy of the school’s booster club. The Hinesville native has plans to obtain a master’s degree in administration and one day become a school principal. Runner-up: Brooke Reyna, Bradwell Institute
WRITER/REPORTERPatty Leon, Coastal Courier Patty Leon is well-respected in the community for her com-mitment to excellent journalism. She writes about health and sports with passion, and court cases with drive. Her new food column highlights Liberty’s local restaurants and brings readers on a trip down memory lane. Her storytelling stirs up cravings and gives locals encouragement to try some-thing new. Patty’s genuine smile, honesty, energy and down-to-earth demeanor is why she is one of Liberty’s overall best persons. Runner-up: Krystal Britton Hart, City of Hinesville
YOUTH ORGANIZATIONLiberty County Recreation Department Runner-up: YMCA of Coastal Georgia - Liberty County Branch
HOLTZMAN REALTORS®
Hinesville
www.FortStewartHomeFinder.com
THE JIMMY SHANKEN TEAM
Thank you!for voting me
BestReal Estate Agent
CALL JIMMY TODAY AND YOU’LL BE
“THANKEN SHANKEN TOMORROW!”
Residential Listings & Sales
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Thank you Liberty County for Voting Us #1!
You say we have the Best Mexican Food.
We say we have the Best Customers!
Congrats to Estebanfor winning Best Waiter!
304 W. Oglethorpe Hwy, Hinesville
912-877-2040 www.rodeomexican.com
FREE LUNCH
FREE
Buy 1 Lunch & 2 Drinks & Receive a 2nd Lunch of equal
or lesser value
Must present coupon. Not valid with any other offer. Fajitas excluded. Dine-in only. Limit 1 coupon per table. Exp. 12-31-15
�ank you� all of the reade�
who �ted!
The Best Of Liberty County!
912-876-2121
Thanks from All Of Us At Mike Reed Chevrolet.
www.MikeReedChevy.com
Best New Car Dealer
Best Used Car Dealer
Best Vehicle Sales Person... Mike Reed
Congratulations to Johnny Cline, A GM World-Class Technician.
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The HUDDLE HOUSE Crew Says,"THANK YOU!"
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499 Cypress Street, Ludowici, GA (912) 545-2788VOTED BEST LATE NIGHT
Family Owned
912.876.3457“For All Your Plumbing Needs”- Water Heater & Fixtures - Slab Leaks - Re-pipe
- Licensed and Insured to Meet All State & Local Requirements
Since 1971
New construction, remodeling and repairs!
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206 E. Court St. • P.O. Box 800Hinesville, GA 31310
912-876-0111
10221 Ford Ave • Suite 4 Richmond Hill, GA 31324
912-756-4565
608 E. Oglethorpe Hwy. Hinesville, GA 31313912-876-0888
WWW.JOJLAW.COM
*Member GA & CA Bar
CONCENTRATING IN PERSONAL INJURY
CASES INCLUDING:
18 Wheeler WrecksCar Accidents
Premises LiabilityProduct LiabilityWrongful Death
Largest Established Real Estate Practice
Serving Liberty County and Surrounding Areas
Jones Osteen JonesJOJ
PROUDLY SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF LIBERTY COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS SINCE 1959
J. Noel OsteenBilly N. Jones
Charles M. Jones(1930 – 2007)
Linnie L. Darden, III*L. Kelly Davis
Jeffery N. Osteen, PCRichard E. Braun, Jr.
Carl R. VarnedoeAimee T. Harris-Davis
Thank You,Liberty County!
*Other restrictions may apply. See dealer for details. Photos for illustration purposes only. www.L ibe r t yChrys le r . com
LIBERTYCHRYSLER
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601 W. Oglethorpe Hwy, Hinesville
912-368-2477
Lighting your Path to Financial Success
www.geovistacu.comThis Credit Union is Federally Insured by the National Credit Union Administration
Financial Services For All Liberty County Residents
GeoVista Credit Union has been proudly serving our military since 1964 with branches on Fort Stewart & Hunter AAF.
Today, we continue to offer financial services to the military as well as residents of Liberty, Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham and Effingham Counties.
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