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MAGA Z I N E

NW GEORGIA’S PREMIER FEATURE READER DECEMBER 2009

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WALKER COUNTY CAMPUS265 Bicentennial TrailRock Spring, Georgia 30739706.764.3510

092567 GNTC 8.5 x 11:Layout 1 8/18/09 9:49 AM Page 1

+++COLUMNS

38 DOWN HOMERick and Deborah Gilbert open their stunning Stonebridge home in an effort to help children across NWGA

44 TAKE ON HEALTHHarbin Clinic plastic surgeon, Dr. Christoper Robinson, fields some FAQs with regard to your future nip/tuck

21 HEARTWARMER With “Coats for Kids”, RAK Outfitters’ Roland family helps keep our less fortunate neighbors nice and toasty

DECEMBER2009D E P A R T M E N T S

V3mag

22 BUSINESS BUZZ Cave Spring’s newest all-in-one stop, The Peddler, plays a significant role in the town’s retail renaissance

+++FEATURES16 SMALL TALK 2009 Floyd County Schools Teacher of the Year, Janda Canalis, reveals how to motivate kids in today’s classroom

26 NWGA SCRAPBOOK Alas, we give the unsung heroes behind Rome’s booming 19th-century Cotton Market their just due: full steam ahead

32 GOOD SAMARITANS How one local radio conglomerate is sending a Christmas shout-out to the less fortunate this holiday season

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GUEST EDITORIAL

Rome Rising: Thin Shoulders and Bold Visions Lift Us All ByDiannaEdwards

I fell in love with writing all over again at Coosa High School. It wasn’t just writing I fell for, of course. It was the men and women that teach it, the students who love writing, a principal with merry eyes, and a blonde, beautiful woman school superintendent who gave me the sense that, in this school, there was not just the hunger for inspiration but the generosity of the spirit to give it.

My husband and I came to Coosa that rainy morning at the invitation of teacher Chris Jacobs. Having read Eric’s book, Inside Delta Force, and having been a fan of his show, “The Unit,” Chris wanted Eric to speak at the school’s Veteran’s Day event. There are few things Eric loves more than reaching out to young people, and there are few pulpits bullier than a hit television show from which to do that.

For the CHS class of 2009, even 9/11 is more of a Toby Keith song than a real memory. More

distant still were Vietnam, Korea, and World War II—conflicts the returning Coosa veterans had survived.

For Eric and I, like the other veterans and grown-ups that day, the memories were real. Physical scars in some cases; emotional in others. I was so seared by the two young men singing “There She Stands” (an homage to the American Flag against a backdrop of 9/11 and combat imagery) that my tears came so fiercely I wanted to run from the auditorium.

Not fair, I thought. They don’t understand what they’re singing about. But that’s exactly why soldiers like my husband and the stone-faced veterans seated

to my rear had gone to war: so that their children would NOT have to understand what it means to stand hip-deep in rubble and blood to plant an American flag.

After lunch came the great gift of the day. Mrs. Barbara Westbrook’s British Literature class, joined for my visit by Eric Johansen’s American Literature class and Mrs. Amy Henry, alone, without her Am Lit students, whom I would later meet.

Had I been lucky enough to have teachers like these, you might see my name on the New York Times bestseller lists instead of on Amazon. Mrs. Westbrook fairly dances among these young people who clearly adore her. Her mind is as bright as her red hair—and that says volumes.

Mrs. Henry with her frisky turquoise choker is decades younger than I, but she is charged with shaping destinies and that astounds me.

Mr. Johansen, whom I have yet to meet, is said to have already changed lives and I hope he knows that.

But we are all learners today; having fun, playing with words and images and talking about the passion of writing sentences, not diagramming them.

My morning tears dry instantly in the wonder of exploring just how many words there are to describe the shades of beige we see in this room. At least 20, I suggest, to the surprise of all. I recommend my favorite book on writing, Constance Hale’s Sin and Syntax, and the title gets the most laughs. But these students understand, because

Mymorningtearsdryinstantlyinthewonderofexploringjusthowmanywordstherearetodescribetheshadesofbeigeweseeinthisroom...Butthesestudentsunderstand,becausetheylovewordseveniftheyhaven’tadmittedittothemselves.

� vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF + PRODUCTION MANAGER +

ART&DESIGN neal howard

STAFF WRITERSanna armas, will seifert, reagen

lowrey, matt rood, brian gilton, tricia steele, brian foster

PHOTOGRAPHYsabrina wilson, neal howard,

tracy page

ADDITIONAL A&Djeremy hulsey, collin vaughn,

anthony barba

CHIEF OF ADVERTISING + OFFICE SALES DIRECTOR

ian griffin

CHIEF SALES REPRESENTATIVEjeff miller

ORIGINAL AD DESIGNanthony barba, ian griffin

LEAD MANAGEMENT + BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

anthony barba

PUBLISHERv3 publications, llc

CONTACTone west fourth avenue, rome, ga 30161/ phone: 706.235.0748 email: [email protected]

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MAGA Z I N E

NW GEORGIA’S PREMIER FEATURE READER DECEMBER 2009

MAGA Z I N E

MAGA Z I N E

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they love words even if they haven’t admitted it to themselves. And these teachers are the reasons why they do.

We do one simple writing exercise and a small miracle happens. Close your eyes and think, I tell them. The whole world is shades of gray today. Emotionally, it’s also gray—thoughtful, somber. Is there a bright, vivid splash of color you remember in the mist and drizzle…?

Now open your eyes and write. Ten minutes. GO! Pens scratch as I walk and look over shoulders. I am fully a

teacher again, as I was at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta. I smile at Mrs. Henry and Mrs. Westbrook. They seem barely able to sit still. They’re as alive with the pride of discovery in these young folks as I am.

I call time early (tricksey) and read a few papers silently. One young man adds a single closing word to his neighbor’s work that gives her piece a gravitas it had not had before, and with the magic of that alchemy—poof, they discover a form of collaborative poetry that does not have to be endured, but can be enjoyed.

Then Brad Freeman gives me his work and my heart slows. He is 15 years old and already in possession of a talent he cannot yet fully understand. His hunger to grow as a writer leads me to invite him and the rest of the room to attend the

Rome Area Writer’s Group meeting that week. And when young Brad read at that group Thursday night, we all knew what we’d heard: The voice of a whole new generation of Rome writers and poets needing the guidance, the support, even just the simple praise of the people in this community.

After all, if schools can have booster clubs for football teams, why not similar clubs for creative teams?

There are visionaries at work in Rome already. They plow the ground and plant the seeds we may not see bear fruit for years to come. But harvest that fruit indeed we all will, and it will be delicious.

The teachers at Coosa High who nurture the talents they find are among them. So is Lisa Smith at Rome’s Convention Bureau. And Leigh Barba at the History Museum.

And so is Neal Howard of this very magazine. V3 has created something precious for all of us: a place to read—and tell—stories that matter.

On the reed-thin shoulders of young Brad Freeman, in the effort it takes to publish this magazine, in the vision it takes to refurbish historic downtown, Rome is rising.

Being a part of that great story is simple. Join, subscribe, support, read, share, encourage. But above all else, Believe.

Dianna Edwards is a writer and author living with her husband, fellow author Eric Haney, in Cave Spring. Look for her new column in V3 beginning January 2010. Her books can be purchased on Amazon.com.

TherearevisionariesatworkinRomealready.Theyplowthegroundandplanttheseedswemaynotseebearfruitforyearstocome.Butharvestthatfruitindeedweallwill,anditwillbedelicious.

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CanalisKnowsThispastOctober,Floyd

CollegeandCareerAcademyhealthcaresciencesteacher,

Janda Canalis,washonoredasthe2010 Floyd County

Schools Teacher of the Year. Inherthirdseasonasan

instructoratCCA,theveterannurseturnedblackboardguru

hasgarneredrecognitionforfacilitatingahighlycreativeenvironmentinwhichher

studentsaremoreapttolearn.Recently,shesatdown

withV3toelaborateonheracclaimedcareeranddiscuss

hervisionforcontinuedsuccessintheclassroom.

[V3:] If you could, briefly describe your working background, and tell us how your experience in these disciplines has evolved over the course of your career.[JC:] My professional life started in nursing. I worked as an intensive care nurse for 10 years before I decided to return to college to earn a teaching degree.

Now, in my 19th year of teaching, I am integrating my nursing [into] teaching in a most satisfying way. While I miss being directly involved in patient care, I feel a tremendous reward from being instrumental in inspiring and preparing students who wish to pursue healthcare as a career.

I still consider myself a caregiver, [and while] I no longer work in a medical setting, I continue to give great care to my students [by] positively influencing the development of empathetic, dedicated and knowledgeable future healthcare workers. Through my students who actualize a healthcare career, I hope that my influence will impact quality patient care exponentially. What has been a major motivator for you as an educator? My students motivate me. They deserve my very best every day, every lesson. I work hard to reciprocate the joy I receive from my students through always being prepared, keeping current on best practice, engaging in self-reflection, and exploring innovative ways to engage their minds. (continued on pg. 18)



As a healthcare science instructor, there are certainly many technical aspects regarding the curriculum that you teach, as well as strict protocol for students to adhere to in preparation for future careers. In your experience, what have been the benefits of introducing more creative thinking and creative exercises into the classroom to supplement this? Integrating activities that promote creative thinking is a critical component of preparing students for post-secondary education and the world of work. Students who are encouraged to think outside the box become great problem-solvers, leaders in the workplace, and valuable innovators who approach change in an ever-evolving profession with confidence.

I am motivated by the challenge of finding creative ways to teach the science-based content associated with healthcare. One day, when I have the gift of time, I hope to publish a resource for fellow teachers entitled The Art of Teaching Healthcare Science, that contains a collection of creative exercises I use to engage students with diverse learning styles and nurture creative

intelligence that high-schoolers often replace with an urgency to get the “right” answer on the test.

[I like to incorporate activities such as] creating a giant, walk-through inflatable heart; writing children’s books on health topics and sharing these with an elementary school class; designing skin suits; building a model hospital; dancing the steps of meiosis and mitosis; sculpting human organs; planning “blooper” skits to identify safety and ethical concepts; analyzing song lyrics to gain insights into issues of self-image and applying the rhythms of music—“Staying Alive”, for instance—to the steps of CPR. These are a few examples of strategies I use to get my students’ attention, hold their interest, promote creative thinking and inspire learning.

How has the Floyd County College and Career Academy (CCA) contributed to your proficiency as an instructor?

The work environment at CCA is like no other place that I have known. I have grown significantly during these past years as a teacher here at CCA, because I am given the privilege of focusing 100 percent of my energy on the students in my care.

Being a charter school, we are able to design our programs to meet the specific

needs of our students and employ a degree of flexibility in regards to how we teach the Georgia Performance Standards. Our board of directors, administrators, and faculty unite in one purpose: to empower students with the skills and attitudes that will result in their success in post-secondary school and the workplace.

Our partnership with businesses and post-secondary educational institutions in the community ensures that what we teach is relevant and aligned with the expectations that our students will be held to beyond their CCA experience.

Being a part of such a collaborative and holistic approach to education is a professional dream come true. It is a great motivator, as an instructor, to be able to implement best practice with the best interests of my students at heart. Some readers may know you, outside of teaching, as a successful local artist. Has your art influenced your work in the classroom in any way, and are you still busy creating?My love of art spills over into my classroom directly through many planned learning activities that integrate art mediums and processes as a means to teach content objectives.

The human body in and of itself is an art form. As we begin our study of anatomy and physiology, we look at the anatomical drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci and examine his study of human symmetry and proportion. Even technical skills such as bandaging and suturing are approached in my classroom with an artful eye.

Indirectly…when I retreat to my studio to create pottery, it influences my teaching practice in significant ways. Throwing pottery is a process of centering the clay, body and mind. While I form, shape and move clay, I enter a space without time, without voice. It is an internal moment of “now,” of presence, that fills me with a profound sense of peace.

This state of centeredness [is] within me long after I create a finished pot. I carry this inner peace into my classroom each day. From this source, I pull energy to give, to believe, and to celebrate the awesome privilege of teaching teenagers. VVV

“Being a part of such a collaborative and holistic approach to education is a professional dream come true.

It is a great motivator, as an instructor, to be able to implement

best practice with the best

interests of my students

at heart.”

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Cloaked in

text by anna armasphotos by tracy page

With “Coats for Kids”, one family-owned retailer makes winter a little warmer for

families across Northwest Georgia

n September 2008, when the Roland family first opened RAK Outfitters’

original location in downtown Calhoun, our nation had just officially slipped into a deep recession. Nonetheless, their love for the great outdoors propelled the Rolands forward in the face of a bleak economic forecast, and luckily, against all odds, the business has performed so well that they have now opened a second location at the much busier, much more noticeable Calhoun Outlets.

socks, toboggans, ski gloves, kayaks, tents, et. al. Yet, beneath the surface—and above the bottom line—larger hearts and motives are at play.

Perhaps the Roland family’s business is blessed because of its purposed goodwill. While Gib’s brother, Zac, gave up ownership of the store to travel overseas for mission work, their sister, Jenny Knight, along with Gib and the rest of the family, have agreed to remain stateside and run the business with a Samaritan mission all their own.

“ Coats for Kids started because we were trying to find a way that we could give back,” Roland explains of RAK’s newest labor of love. “There are a lot of families in need of jackets.

“We keep up with every coat we sell, and for each one we put aside a second coat [to donate to kids in need]. We find the children through schools,

churches and word of mouth.” And at the end of each month, they deliver their gifts to the community.

If a person already has his or her winter jacket bought and paid for, he or she can still help Coats for Kids by donating $10 at the store, a small sum that will help to reserve a jacket for a little boy or girl.

RAK partners with Columbia Sportswear for the program, and with the internationally revered company’s much appreciated help, they’re able to order in bulk so that they can

have the right size for each child on hand. “One [teacher saw what we were doing

and] told us she knew of a little girl who had been going to the playground without a coat,” says Gib. “We’ve been able to give several donations [in that way].

“You have to look for ways that you can give back. I think that God puts us in situations to do it for us, and this is a way we have found that we can help.

“If we decided that we weren’t going to give back, and take every dollar that we made and put it in our pockets or put it

toward our business, I don’t think God would bless it nearly as much. If we’re not going to give back, then He’s not going to give to us.”

Gib and the rest of the Roland brood believe that one of life’s greatest gifts is the ability to reciprocate good fortune in the form of selfless action, and that it is because of this belief, as well the graciousness of their customer base, that a number of low-income kids will be able to spend a little more time exploring the “great outdoors” in a new coat this winter.

If that doesn’t warm your heart, Lord knows what will. VVV

According to RAK co-owner Gib Roland, the locally-owned outfitter’s success is nothing short of a blessing from on high. “We feel like God is blessing our business and has helped us stay through the tough economy. A lot of people criticized us for opening up a store in the worst economic times, but we’ve managed to do okay.”

First and foremost, these family-friendly retailers peddle popular jacket lines such as The North Face, Patagonia and Columbia, as well as outerwear accessories like wool

(back row, from left) RAK Outfitters co-owner Gib Roland, family members Brandon Knight, Jenny and Jasper Knight (front row) Sully Knight

I

“You have to look for ways that you can give back. I think that God puts us in situations to do it for us, and this is a way we have found that we can help.”

�� vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

renaissancePeddling theHow Rip Montgomery’s all-in-one shop,

The Peddler, became an unwitting player in the Cave Spring retail revival

text by anna armasphotos by tracy page

t’s true, there is a perfect place for shopping in downtown Cave Spring

this Christmas. Remember where the old Martha Jane’s Fudge location used to be? Why, of course you do. And it’s new occupier, The Peddler, is a charming little shop chock-full of holiday gift selections that are just as sweet.

“We opened two years ago, in November 2007,” says owner Rip Montgomery. “I’d thought about doing it for years. When

she had. I always liked her store, what she had to offer, and that she drew so many people to Cave Spring.

“The Peddler has a selection of collectibles, but unlike Martha Jane’s, I have more home décor and more antiques.”

Like a lot of the store’s items, The Peddler’s catchy name has a story behind it as well Montgomery enthusiastically explains how he had chosen the title long in advance. “There’s a steak house in Gatlinburg [Tenn.] called The Peddler,” he smiles. “They ‘peddle’ steak. They’ll actually roll the cart around to your table, pull back the cloth, and present you with your dinner.

“I always thought it was a very unique atmosphere with good, consistent quality. And I thought that it would be a neat name to have if I ever opened up a shop, because it represents quality to me…”

Today, Cave Spring’s incarnation of The Peddler is a place where you’ll likely find that elusive gift for the

person in your life who seems to have everything, or perhaps those who deserve something entirely original. Among other

collectibles, Montgomery and friends carry collegiate goods for the most loyal of

football fans, while just an aisle away sits a wide selection of lamps you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the area.

“We also carry one of the largest selections of Arthur Court in the area,” says Montgomery of the elegant serviceware and accessory line, known for its alternative metal makeup. “It looks just like silver, but its not. It doesn’t have to be polished and

I

“...I thought it would be a neat name to have if I ever opened a shop, because it represents quality to me...”Martha Jane, after 28 years [at that location, decided to move] her shop…I felt like there was a need for another shop similar to what

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can be hand-washed and dried. It has the high-quality silver look, and offers a lot of patterns and designs... It is a really neat product.

“The shop sells a lot of really nice oil paintings…” he adds. “Everybody talks about

how great our [pricing is to be as high quality as] they are. We have silk floral for the home, and hand-made accent pillows crafted with Waverly fabric. They’re great quality and we have a large selection of those.”

As you can see, The Peddler ‘peddles’

its customer base quite a wide variety: furniture, hand-tuned wind chimes, Pumpernickel Press greeting cards made of recycled materials, even the popular Camille Beckman skin care line for men and women.

“For someone who has everything, a book always works,” Montgomery suggests when asked about the upcoming holiday season. “We have the Harvest House books and other inspirational [works]… We have trees that are loaded with ornaments for sale. We have wreaths and a lot of greenery for the holiday garlands—the store likes to offer the natural and real-looking greenery for Christmas decorations. We have lots of Santas, including the Possible Dreams Santas, the Snow Babies, and musical snow globes.”

Open seven days a week, The Peddler also promises its customers a stress-free environment, one in which they can escape the hustle and bustle while still getting down to business. “We are there to help you and show you around, but we’re not going to follow you around and breathe down your neck. A lot of our customers say they like to come in and spend 30 to an hour just browsing.

“There is always something new each time they come. There is a lot to see in the store, so just come in, take your time, and enjoy yourself.”

Downtown Cave Spring has seen a bit of a renaissance as of late, with renovations aimed at reviving the town. Montgomery is proud to be part of this, as well. He says, “[The Peddler has been able to add a bit more diversity], as far as places to go and things to see… It’s a nice day trip. Come, take a look, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what we have to offer.” VVV

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Bn the summer of 1845, a small steamboat, appropriately named

“The Coosa”, cut upstream through the river bearing the same name and into downtown Rome. It was the first of dozens of steamboats that would begin working the waters of the upper Coosa and Oostanaula Rivers over the next 70 years.

First contracted as a U.S. Mail boat, The Coosa carried packages some 200 miles between Rome and Greensport, Ala., in St. Clair County, making a number of stops along the way. But, as Coosa River historian Marvin B. Small noted in his paper, Steamboats on the Coosa, the small vessel was soon put to work shipping more than just letters. “Planters up and down the river were quick to use steamboat transportation to haul their products to market,” Small wrote, “and the traffic tendered the little Coosa was enormous. She could only handle a small fraction of it.”

Roads were unreliable, ferry crossings were many, and wagons offered little cargo space. Hence, shipment by steam-powered riverboats became a necessity for farmers and businessmen seeking to turn a profit.

Cotton was king among the goods shipped aboard the growing number of steamboats on the upper Coosa River, and within two years, 12,000 bales were making their way to market in Rome. “By

1873,” writes historian Roger Aycock in All Roads To Rome, “six steamboats operated out of Rome, bringing, in addition to produce supplies and passengers, over thirty thousand bales (450-500 pounds each) of cotton annually to local markets for resale and reshipment.”

What had made Rome such an attractive marketplace? Most importantly was the Rome Railroad, the hitch that connected the city with the Western & Atlantic

Railroad at Kingston. From the Western & Atlantic, goods could be shipped to Atlanta or Chattanooga, and from there on to a number of Gulf and Atlantic port cities.

Another contributing factor was that the Coosa River was not navigable all the way down to Mobile and the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, due to its treacherous shoals from Greensport south to Montgomery, the upper Coosa, by way of departure from Rome, was only navigable for some 200 miles, rendering direct river trade from Rome to Mobile very difficult.

Lastly, Rome, at the head of the Coosa, was the easternmost city on the river and

closest to the sprawling eastern rail network, which offered the ease of downstream shipment for farmers along some 100 miles of the Oostanaula. And in the post-Civil War cotton boom, “to produce [the riverboats’] principal cargo,” writes Aycock, “rich river bottoms and red upland hills in their season had been painstakingly planted, ‘chopped’, plowed and picked of their white stapled yield, on larger plantations by former slaves, and on smaller farms by the

household themselves. No other product of the day had such a real or immediate value.”

With its fertile river bottoms, Rome emerged as a terminus for modern transportation by both rail and water, and in a cotton-rich region was seen as the most viable option to facilitate the farm-to-factory process in a growing worldwide trade. Fueling the high demand for cotton was the Industrial Revolution, both through its increase in mechanized production and the increase in middle class consumers this helped create. Cotton, bought and sold in Rome, would not only supply local mills in Lindale and Trion, but would make its way to textile mills as far removed as Manchester and Liverpool, England.

During the latter half of the 19th century, Rome’s celebrated “Cotton Block”—i.e., the 100 Block district of Broad Street in downtown Rome—was the equivalent of Wall Street in the region’s booming cotton trade. As Aycock cites from Tribune of Rome notes in 1888, the Rome Cotton Exchange, organized in 1878, “receives daily cotton quotations from all over the world… The Rome territory averages annually 80,000 bales, bringing in a total of $9 million. Probably no town in the South offers better facilities for shipping the fleecy staple.”

One of the largest cotton operations in Rome, and all of the South, was the Howel Cotton Company, a buying and selling firm that at one time encompassed nearly the entire east side of the Cotton Block. Theodore Howel, as the Tribune’s October 1888 industrial edition stated, “…came here in 1868 as a country boy, and is now one of the city’s wealthiest men.”

“…Fortunes were made in the buying and selling of cotton,” Aycock says of the decades following the Civil War, and on into the early years of the 20th century. “Rome

I

...Money was not only to be made in the buying and selling of cotton, but also via the commerce that allowed for such a trade to flourish... The central figure in Rome’s success as a cotton market, however, was the steamboat.

BBeyond thealeHow the mighty steamboat transformed

the face of river travel in Rome, and made the city’s “Cotton Block” economy

a force to be reckoned with

Text by Brian FosterPhotos courtesy of The Rome

Area History Museum

�� vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

attracted such astute businessmen as Alfred Shorter, Augustus R. Wright, J.L. Bass, John J. Seay, the Rounsaville brothers, the Coopers, Mitchells, Kings and Hoyts.”

Yet, money was not only to be made in the buying and selling of cotton, but also via the commerce that allowed for such a trade to flourish—shipping, storage, provisions, machinery, et cetera. Institutions such as Shorter College and The Darlington School were founded with the help of cotton-fed wealth donated by businessmen such as Alfred Shorter, J.L. Bass and John Paul Cooper. Countless other Roman landmarks can trace their origins to Rome’s bustling, late-19th century cotton trade as well.

The central figure in Rome’s success as a cotton market, however, was the steamboat.

With many crops already rooted close to the river, steamboats, or paddle steamers, provided cotton planters the means to consolidate shipments with fewer trips,

and often allowed a safer, faster and more efficient route to larger towns and railways. Cutting time and costs offered a greater profit margin for planters and farmers already producing a crop in high demand.

The evolution of the steamboat had been a slow process. The earliest forms of steam propulsion were developed by a handful of British, French and American inventors/engineers beginning in the early 18th century. Though steamboats had operated in the U.S. prior to 1807, the first such vessel to realize commercial success in the States was the “North River Steamboat”, constructed by Robert Fulton in that same year. Within a few more years, the paddle steamer would come to dominate trade along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, offering many of the frontier settlers and would-be farmers in the Midwest a commercial outlet to the rest of the country, and, in time, the world.

The rivergoing craft dubbed The Coosa was somewhat of a late-comer to the steamboat era, and, therefore, the upper

Coosa River did not see a steamboat navigating its waters until almost a half century after Fulton’s North River had made its way from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. But after learning of the Coosa’s first journey to Rome, this is understandable. As Marvin B. Small writes, “The Coosa had been built in Cincinnati, had been steamed down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, through inland passages of the Gulf of Mexico to Mobile, and up the Mobile, Alabama and Coosa Rivers to Wetumpka. At Wetumpka, she had been taken apart and hauled piecemeal on heavy wagons drawn by oxen over wretched roads to Greensport, where she was reassembled and made ready for her first journey.”

It was a first, as well, for many of the spectators that lined the banks of the Coosa River to view the waterway’s first steam-powered traveler, though this sight would soon be as common to them as that of a horse and wagon rambling down Broad. In fact, within the span of a few years, some 40

Fashionably Late

Many of the post-war steamboats were very accommodating, sometimes grand... Several reports cited “The Magnolia” (seen right) as the grandest of them all.

different steamboats would plow through the Coosa’s waters between Greensport, Ala. and Calhoun, Ga.

From the late 1840s until the outbreak of the Civil War, at least 10 steamboats carried goods and passengers along the upper

Coosa and the Oostanaula. “The DeSoto”, for one, was a mainstay on the Coosa for much of that decade. But after an 1859 incident in which the boat nearly burned its passengers and captain, Frances Marion Coulter, alive as he tried to usher them to safety, it’s engine and wheelman later found a home on “The Calhoun” of the Coosa River Steamboat Company.

It was two of these type ships, “The Alfarata” and “The Laura Moore”, that were at the center of perhaps Rome’s closest waltz with naval warfare during the Civil War. According to Aycock, both The Alfarata and The Moore had been used to ferry Rebel troops and supplies from Alabama in support of Generals Braxton Bragg and Joseph E. Johnston. These ships had been an important asset to Confederate troops, and it was hoped they would remain as such.

Amidst fear that the steamboats would be captured by the Yankees, on May 17, 1864, just one day before Union troops would gain control of downtown Rome, a plan to jettison The Alfarata and The Moore to safety downstream, into the heart of Alabama, was hatched by Rebel commanders. In the dark of night, both ships attempted to slip past Union artillery posts perched atop Shorter Hill, overlooking the Coosa River and downtown.

They did not escape unharmed. With bales of cotton surrounding both

the engines and pilothouses, the two vessels hoped to deflect any mortal wounds to

their control centers, and, in this sense, their co-conspirators were successful. However, both suffered multiple cannon hits that peppered their exposed decks. “Confederate batteries on Myrtle Hill covered their flight with counter fire when [The Laura Moore], piloted by Capt. Cummins Lay and followed closely by [The Alfarata], made her bid for escape just after

dark.” Both ships

narrowly survived this deadly gauntlet without succumbing to fire or water, and made their way south to Greensport, “anchoring short of the perilous, rock-toothed rapids that barred them from their next port of Wetumpka and the navigable

water to the south that led to Mobile and to safety. Greensport itself was open to federal attack; their only hope of security

lay beyond the rapids.” And with a little luck, the only natural

event that would allow them to pass the shoals and continue south befell them: heavy rainfall. The river swelled and the waters raged downstream, taking both vessels with it. Surviving the rapids, Captain Lay navigated The Moore south to Mobile, as The Alfarata sought refuge in Wilsonville.

After the war and some badly needed repairs, both steamboats were deemed fit to continue their work along the Coosa River, and returned north to Rome.

The years of Reconstruction immediately following the war were slow for cotton traders on the Coosa, but by the early 1870s a number of steamboats were back in full operation, and business was again booming.

Marvin B. Small reports that in 1873, “the steamer [known as ‘The Undine’] arriving at that time listed as its cargo 357 bales of cotton, 40,000 shingles, 625 pelts, 50 cowhides, 50 baskets of poultry, 200 bushels of corn, 250 bags of wheat and 27 passengers.”(continued on pg. 30)

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Many of the post-war steamboats were very accommodating, sometimes grand (as exemplified by the vast array of cargo aboard The Undine). Boats such as “The John J. Seay” (bearing the namesake of it’s owner and, later, mayor of Rome ), “The Clifford B. Seay”, “The Joel Marable”, “The Sydney P. Smith” and “The Alabama” were each considered among the finer ships to chug up and down the upper Coosa River in the late 1800s. Several reports cited “The Magnolia” the grandest of them all, with its 332 tons clocking more than twice the weight of any other steamboat on the river.

The Magnolia and The Sidney P. Smith were, in fact, fierce competitors in the upper-Coosa cotton trade, and their brewing rivalry reached a fever pitch between Gadsden, Ala. and Rome one day in the mid 1870s. As Small writes, “Major W.P. Hollingsworth was scheduled to ship 150 bales of cotton from Gadsden to Rome, via [The Magnolia]. Landing in Gadsden late in the afternoon, [Captain J.M Elliott, Jr. of The Magnolia] told Captain M.E. Pentecost, Sr., veteran steamboat accountant at Gadsden, that he would drop down to Greensport and unload a large cargo destined to that landing, but

would return next morning and pick up the Hollingsworth cotton. Upon the ship’s return [Elliott found that The Sidney P. Smith] had taken it.”

Incensed, the crew of the much faster Magnolia literally pushed “full steam ahead” in an attempt to overtake the stolen cotton. At a location somewhere just east of Cedar Bluff, on what is present-day Weiss Lake, The Magnolia caught up to The Sidney P., which had run out of fuel. Under the guard of double-barreled 12-gauge shotguns, Magnolia crewmen tied the two boats

together and began transferring the stolen cotton back to its rightful owner.

A federal marshal in Gadsden later arrested Captain Elliot on charges of piracy, though the charges were later dropped.

(Rumor has it that Captain Elliott and the unnamed captain of The Sidney P. shared affections for the same “young Gadsden belle,” and that this may have been a contributing factor to their steamboat drama.)

Chartered pleasure cruises were also a major function of the finer Coosa riverboats, and it supplemented their incomes rather handsomely. Larger vessels like The Magnolia, The Alabama, The John J. Seay and, later, “The Cherokee III”, were kept busy by way of ferrying tourists and locals on “long, leisurely trips down the Coosa.”

These cruises were particularly popular among the younger crowd in Rome, and on one particular journey aboard The

Magnolia in 1877, en route to Noccalula Falls near Gadsden, a reporter for the Rome Weekly Courier decided to ride along. In addition to the crew

of six, the trip consisted of a group of 12 young, unmarried couples, two married couples acting as chaperons, and a string band. The couples flirted cautiously while dancing under the watchful eye of the older passengers on their daylong journey to Gadsden.

“A trip at any time down the bright and beautiful stream is a thing of gladness,” the Courier reporter later wrote, “but on a voyage made when the air is soft with the

Love On The Banks

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sweet perfume of the grape, the sloe and the honeysuckle, it is almost like a little voyage into paradise... Especially if the charm of the scenery be enlivened by the sweet charm and grace of Rome’s fair daughters.”

After their stay at one of Gadsden’s finer hotels, the group would set out the next morning on a horseback trip to explore the waterfalls and caves in the uphill country outside of town. It was reported that the return journey was just as lovely.

With more and more railways being constructed and their logistics improving with each passing year, by the late 1910s cargo trains soon surpassed the steamboat

as the preferred mode of shipping in the region. To boot, the boll weevil had decimated much of the area’s cotton by this time, and a greater diversification of industry would help lead to a slow decline in the once highly lucrative cotton market.

Mayo’s Lock and Dam, 7.5 miles below Rome on the Coosa, was constructed by the government between 1912 and 1915, and provided much needed aid for riverboats wishing to pass the laborious Mayo’s Bar and Horseleg Shoals. Though, as Roger Aycock notes, it had all come too late, as only two to three commercial steam paddlers and the government-owned dredger “Leota” would pass through.

By 1940, Mayo’s Lock and Dam ceased operation altogether, about the same time

cable towers were removed from the 20-year-old Fifth Avenue drawbridge (which, oddly enough, was never used as such).

The era of the steamboat has long passed, but the crucial role it played in the development of Rome cannot be denied. The expansion of wealth and industry these vessels facilitated is still felt today, though our journeys along the “Three Rivers” today are only vaguely reminiscent of the pleasure cruises of the late 1800s—and lacking entirely in the grandeur and Victorian-era swooning of our ancestors. The john boat, canoe and kayak are the common river riders of the new millennium, and any excursion to Gadsden with “Rome’s fair daughters” is undertaken by pick-up truck rather than by paddle steamer. VVV

Love On The Banks

A Dam Shame

one missionfive stationsWhen it comes to Rome Radio Parnters’

“Cheerful Givers” program, good PR takes a backseat to TLC throughout the holiday season

eginning in 1929 with the charitable holiday program, Cheerful Givers,

Rome Radio Partners, LLC (RRP) has played a vital role in ensuring that Rome-Floyd County’s less fortunate experience their share of holiday cheer. But what started as a small-scale partnership between the Salvation Army and WRGA employee, “Happy” Quarles, has now become a community-wide effort to fulfill the Christmas wishes of several hundred needy families chosen by the Department of Family and Children Services.

Simply by spotlighting Cheerful Givers on the broadcasts of their five popular stations—WRGA AM 1470, South107, Q102, 935Life FM and WGJK—RRP will find individual and business sponsors for over 300 local children. And just as it has for the past 80 years, RRP will ensure that every family has a sponsor and that each Christmas wish is met.

As exemplified throughout this 2009 holiday season, RRP’s charitable work is stronger than ever, boasting an ever-expanding philanthropic portfolio. In addition to matching gift-givers with local families through Cheerful Givers, RRP stations will help to feed Georgia’s hungry via a massive statewide can-a-thon, and will provide toys for hundreds of children through the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program.

“One of the key elements in a radio station’s license is to serve the community,”

says Randy Quick, Rome Radio Partners general manager. “We take very seriously the needs of our coverage area and how we as a broadcasting company can work to make a better quality of life for our market.”

This year RRP is introducing a new concept in fundraising to benefit its longest running charitable partnership. For a meager $10 fee, listeners can record a holiday greeting that will be played on air throughout the remainder of the holiday season. Each of RRP’s radio stations will rotate broadcasting sessions in a vacant space near Sears in Mount Berry Square Mall until Dec. 23, giving individuals the chance to see their favorite disc jockeys in action while recording their unique, personal greetings.

Patrons will also have the opportunity to check out new vehicles, including a Christmas-themed Smart Car, and test their fastball chops on a pitching machine. Half of all proceeds raised will be donated to the Cheerful Givers program.

Beyond Cheerful Givers, RRP and South107, in particular, have been long-time supporters of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Program. The goal of Toys for Tots is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute them as Christmas gifts to local children in need. Drop boxes for toys have already

begun to pop up around town, and local businesses and hospitals are running their own donation campaigns. Area restaurants, and even some local bands, typically designate days or performances to donate a percentage of their profits to the organization.

text by reagen lowreyphotos by neal howard

B


“One of the key elements in a radio station’s license is to serve the community.”

one missionfive stations

“Just about everyone is able to get involved at some level [with Toys for Tots], whether it is by writing a $25 check or bringing an entire carload of toys,” explains Ember Bishop, director of marketing and promotions for RRP. “It’s an extremely popular program for this reason.”

On Dec. 3, RRP will continue its efforts by sponsoring the 2009 Toys for Tots Auction at The Palladium on the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds. Among other big-ticket items like big screen televisions and vacation packages, this year’s auction features a weekend marriage retreat to WinShape

(back row, from left) Rome Radio Partners director of marketing Ember Bishop, co-owners Howard Toole and Cheryl Scott, general sales manager Tony McIntosh, associate Wes Scott (front row) operations manager Kevin Manuel, on-air personality Karli Morgan


Retreat on Berry College’s campus. In the past two years, the auction

has raised nearly $20,000. Marine Corps Reservists and soldiers who have returned from tours overseas often participate, and local businesses lend their support by donating the venue, food and auction items.

Perhaps the most popular charitable event in town is the annual 11Alive Holiday Can-A-Thon, sponsored by Q102 and WRGA. RRP stations have helped to make this event so successful that 11Alive will again broadcast live coverage from State Mutual Field, the designated drop location for Rome-Floyd County. The primary goal of the can-a-thon is to feed Georgia’s hungry for an entire year, and last year alone, the Rome-Floyd County area brought in over 204,000 cans—more cans than the drop locations at Turner Field and Discover Mills combined.

Bishop attributes the event’s success not only to Rome’s incredibly responsive citizenry, but also to students from local schools. Over the years, she says, a “rivalry” between schools has helped Rome-Floyd County to collect massive amounts of cans annually. Children from primary classrooms all the way through 12th grade take action, creating in-school competitions in addition to the overall competition between schools to see who can raise the most. Model Middle School brought in the most last year.

During last year’s can drop-off, Bishop recalls seeing their students holding banners

and screaming cheers as they entered the State Mutual Stadium parking lot in their respective school buses. “When I first started working here, I was blown away [by this event],” she says. “Where I’m from, everyone was always involved, but in Rome, it just seems that the entire community is behind it—even the kids, which makes the event so much fun. I am still amazed at how much [the schools] do and how much Rome does.”

Collections for this year’s 27th Annual Holiday Can-A-Thon will begin at 5 a.m. on Dec. 4 at State Mutual Stadium, and will continue until 1 p.m.

“The holiday season is truly a time that should be special to everyone,” says Bishop, “and that is why our radio family continues the tradition of giving that started with WRGA over 80 years ago. It is our hope that everyone takes a moment to remember the reason for the season and finds a way to become involved with our local charities and non-profits during this wonderful time of year.” VVV

For more information on the charitable holiday programs sponsored by Rome Radio Partners, please visit the Web sites for RRP at www.wrgarome.com,www.south107.com,www.q102rome.com,orwww.935lifefm.com.

Dates to Remember

*2009 Toys for Tots Auction /

Thursday, Dec. 3 / The Palladium, Coosa Valley Fairgrounds /

6-10 p.m.*Holiday Can-A-

Thon / State Mutual Stadium / Collection Time: 5 a.m.-1 p.m./

Friday, Dec. 4 *“Radio Wonderland” / Mount Berry Square Mall / Nov. 9-Dec. 23



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hen it comes to the business of

feature journalism, Rick and Deborah Gilbert are about as atypical a pair of interviewees as you’ll ever meet. At every turn, it seems, they make it a point to steer the conversation away from themselves.

“Here,” says Deborah, handing over a Rome News-Tribune article once ringed with a red Sharpie, then torn with great urgency from whatever page it had once appeared, “this is the one we were telling you about.”

One out of every six children in Georgia, it reads—approximately 450,000—goes hungry each day.

“Now, how can we succeed as a society when we allow this sort of thing to [go unchecked]?” Rick wonders rhetorically. “…We believe it starts with the children. Not only by making sure they’re adequately fed,

photos by tracy page

but also by letting them know that they are loved and creating a sense of community [in which they can thrive].”

And so, unlike the vast majority of us, who feel the sharp sting of disappointment but fail to act, the Gilberts are choosing to help better nurture the less fortunate living in our midst via the second installment of their holiday fundraiser, “Christmas for the Children”, the proceeds of which will benefit the Open Door Home.

With Traditions of Rome’s Rudy Childs providing the spirited holiday décor, this Dec. 6, Rick and Deborah will again open their incredible 18,000-square foot estate and the 20-acre parcel of land on which it sits to the area’s most charitable donors. “Last year we had about 350 guests,” says Deborah, “and we hope to see as many as 100 more attend this year.”

We do too, ma’am, we do too. VVV(more pics, pg. 40-43)

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 3�

COne for thehildrenW

By utlizing their gorgeous, 18,000-square foot estate to host Open Door Home donors, Rick and Deborah Gilbert are helping to inject the notion of selflessness back into the holidays


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Soft tissue fillers represent a rapidly expanding group. These injectables are more useful for firmly established wrinkles or larger lines of facial aging. Fine surface lines can be smoothed out, deeper lines like nasolabial folds can be filled out, and soft tissues such as the lips can be augmented. Many filler options exist, with the differences being attributed to how long the filler lasts, where it can be most useful, and how the product feels once it is placed.

It is important to remember that injectable products do have their limitations, and sometimes a true surgical procedure may be more appropriate to achieve optimal results.

Are all board certifications the same?No. No regulations govern what type of medical practitioner can perform plastic surgery procedures, and any group of medical professionals can create its own “certification” board. Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), a group designated by the American Board of Medical Specialties to

oversee credentialing in plastic surgery of the face and all areas of the body.

Are you board certified?I am board certified in plastic surgery by the ABPS and in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery. I am also an active member of the ASPS.

How should I choose my plastic surgeon?Make sure that your plastic surgeon is board certified in plastic surgery, has hospital privileges for the proposed procedures, and operates only in accredited facilities. These are all requirements for membership in the ASPS. It’s important to feel comfortable with your plastic surgeon and be sure that goals and outcomes have been well explained—and reached—cooperatively.

What services do you offer?At The Plastic Surgery Center at Harbin Clinic, we offer the full complement of aesthetic and reconstructive procedures. Cosmetic procedures of the face, breast and body are performed in our fully-accredited operating rooms onsite. Other aesthetic services are also available to patients including laser services, IPL hair removal and photofacials, Obagi® prescription regenerative skin care, Glo® mineral-based makeup and injectables such as Botox® and Hydrelle®. VVV

Dr. Robinson received his medical doctorate degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. He completed a residency in plastic surgery at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. He completed a residency in general surgery at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. He is board certified by the American Board of General Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. For more, please visit www.harbinclinic.com/plasticsurgery.

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