NW GEORGIA’S PREMIER FEATURE READER MAY 2010

AUDACITY
ofCOPE
When your
‘secretary of the interior’ ratchets up her campaign for a new M AG A Z I N E
look, the boys from COPE BUILDERS in Cartersville
say they’ll offer a change you can actually believe in

$4.00
 You’re smart. Right?
It’s a brilliant plan and you’re ready to get started. You thought of everything. Everything except
a 3 hour wait in the Emergency Room because the daycare called. Your child has a fever. Is it
serious? Your plan will just have to wait — and so will you. It seems like forever. Welcome to
the ER. Welcome to the same old same old.
Now, there’s a smarter way to get the immediate care you need when the unexpected happens.
Smarter Clinix™ is a better, faster way to get the attention you deserve. We’re kind of like the
ER, but for smart people. = )
From flu shots to fevers, bumps & bruises and everything in between, Smarter Clinix will get
you in and out for less. Less time. Less hassle. We offer smarter payment options and
convenient extended hours. Like we said, you’re smart! You’ll recognize (and appreciate) an
urgent care provider that respects your time.

smarterclinix.com Better. Faster.™

HOURS M-F 10-8 • Sat 10-6 • Sunday 1-6
18 Riverbend Drive, Rome • 706.291.2999

OPENING MARCH — 2010

 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 
For information Contact: Selena Pickard (706) 271-5739

“SAVING THE WETLANDS, ONE BIRDIE AT A TIME”

JUNE 4, 2010
Meadowlakes Golf Course

CONTACT DAVID CULP – (706) 346-0571 OR SELENA PICKARD – (706) 271-5739

FOR SIGN-UP & MORE INFORMATION
 V3magMAY2010
DEPARTMENTS

+++FEATURES
14 FITTER, HAPPIER
How Thrive! Weight Loss founder and
Cartersville native, Travis Martin, is
growing his business by shrinking clients

20 STEEPLECHASE RECAP
When it comes to throwing the biggest
outdoor bash of the year, you best believe
V3 can “make it rain” with the best of ’em

30 COVER FEATURE
Cope Builders may not be in the Bartow
phone book, but when you do the job this
well, word travels rather quickly

39 BUSINESS BUZZ
Why Johnny’s New York Style Pizza is
banking on the hunch that Big Apple
tastes will fare well in small-town Rome

+++COLUMNS
46 CENTS & SENSIBILITY
Newcoming columnist J. Bryant Steele
tells us why talk of a down economy is
cheap in the face of local determination

48 INSIDE & OUT

Lovely Cave Spring emerges green from
the winter doldrums, to the delight of one
columnist and two hearty “show mules”

50 TAKE ON HEALTH
Do we have your attention? Good, now
let a trio of Harbin experts tell you how to
get a handle on your child’s ADD in 2010

 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

 2010 Summer CampS

Through a broad range of activities and exceptional instruction,

we encourage children to apply their talents, identify new interests,
develop caring friendships, and build confidence in their ability to succeed.

Academics Cross Country Special Interests

Boys and Girls grades 8-12
Academic Acclimation Cooking
and Advancement Football Camp Boys and Girls ages 8 and up
Boys ages 6-14 Adults of all ages
Courses
Boys and Girls grades K-12 Golf Knitting
Boys and Girls ages 10-18 Boys and Girls all ages
ESL (beginner to advanced)
Boys and Girls grades 9-12
Lacrosse Traditional
Health
Darlington students grade 9
Boys ages 8-18 Camp Darlington
Robotics and Tennis Camp Boys and Girls ages 7-10

Engineering
Boys and Girls ages 10-15 Camp Delightascope
Boys and Girls grades 5-8 Soccer Boys and Girls ages 2-6

SAT Prep
Boys and Girls ages 8-17 Camp Invention
Boys and Girls grades 8-12 Wrestling Boys and Girls grades 1-6
Pee Wee Camp:
Summer Reading Boys grades 2-5
Challenge Junior Camp:
Darlington students grades 9-12 Boys grades 6-9

Athletics Arts
7-on-7 Passing Camp Art Explosion
Boys grades 9-12 Creative Hands:
Boys and Girls grades K-6
Athletic Training Young Picassos:
Mini-Camp Boys and Girls grades 7-12
Boys and Girls grades 9-12
Artistic Expressions
Baseball Boys and Girls ages 7-12
Boys ages 6-12
Piano
Basketball Boys and Girls all ages
Boys and Girls ages 6-14
Summer Strings
Cheerleading Camp Conservatory
Girls ages 5-12 Boys and Girls grades 8-12
(high-intermediate to advanced)

We hope you’ll join us this summer!

For more information and online registration visit www.darlingtonschool.org/summer
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 
 PUBLISHER’S NOTE

May is a month for moms, and M AG A Z I N E

with that said, I suppose I’ll
let the momma’s boy inside of NW GEORGIA’S PREMIER FEATURE READER MAY 2010

me come gushing out in this AUDACITY

ofCOPE
month’s publisher’s note. When your
‘secretary of the interior’ ratchets up her campaign for a new
look, the boys from COPE BUILDERS in Cartersville
say they’ll offer a change you can actually believe in
M AG A Z I N E

While I think every child is guilty of

taking all the things a mother does to give
them a better life for granted, I don’t think
it’s possible to understand just how much
parents do for their children until you,
yourself, are a parent. I’m still somewhat
new to the game, of course, but my 9-year- $4.00

old stepdaughter and 3-year-old son have

certainly taught me a number of life lessons.
And though my wife and I have yet to cross
the stormy seas of adolescence, we have EDITOR-IN-CHIEF +
PRODUCTION MANAGER +
certainly seen enough to know the sacrifices that come with parenting. ART&DESIGN
Once the threshold of family life is crossed, there is no such thing as “me” neal howard
time, or at least not enough of it to feel like it really exists. Then there are the
sleepless nights, dirty diapers, stomach viruses, ear infections, and countless STAFF WRITERS
other obstacles that always seem to appear at the most inopportune times. anna armas, will seifert,
reagen lowrey, matt rood,
Sure, you never completely lose the person you were before your little ones brian foster, j. bryant steele,
arrived, but there are parts of you that fade into the ether as your children’s dianna edwards
accomplishments rise to the forefront.
Sounds like a diluted existence, doesn’t it? Well, to steal a line from the PHOTOGRAPHY
senile, yet loveable co-host of ESPN College Football Gameday, Lee Corso: sabrina wilson, studio 124,
alisha cline
“Not so fast my friend!”
While everything I listed and so much more is forever changed by the CONTRIBUTING WRITER
arrival of children, it’s a natural progression born of the instant bond between miranda mcgill
parent and child. The moment they come into the world, your priorities
change, and while there are times that you long for the freedom once readily CHIEF OF ADVERTISING +
OFFICE MANAGER/SALES
available to you, all it takes is one smile, one ‘I love you’ or one milestone DIRECTOR
achieved, and all the stress that comes with parenthood seems to wither away. ian griffin
Being a man, I can’t give you the inside dish on what being a mother is all
about. You ladies endure pregnancy and the horrifying concept of child birth, CHIEF SALES
which, while no doubt a beautiful thing, I have witnessed and it only made me REPRESENTATIVE
jeff miller
that much happier to be a man. As a father, however, I know now more than
ever just how much effort and unconditional love it takes to be a good one. ORIGINAL AD DESIGN
My own mother was no exception when it came to the sacrifices of brittany howes
parenting. Even now, she goes out of her way to offer any additional help and
love she can for me and her beautiful grandchildren. I have been lucky enough PUBLISHER
v3 publications, llc
to have that support on both sides of the gender line. Anyhow, thanks for
everything, Mom, and Happy Mother’s Day to each and every mom out there. CONTACT
one west fourth avenue, rome, ga
30161/ phone: 706.235.0748
Ian Griffin, Advertising/Sales Director email: v3mag@bellsouth.net

v3visual
concepts.com

 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

 Visit Bella Luna Gifts For
All Your Bridal Needs
•Bridal Registry •Custom Wedding Invitations Bank with people
you know and trust.
•Wedding Accessories •Bridal Party Gifts

Local bank. Local decisions.®

EAST ROME WEST ROME ARMUCHEE

1700 Turner McCall Blvd. 522 Shorter Ave. 2950 Martha Berry Blvd. NE
706/378-5300 706/378-5305 706/314-0560
Heritage First TeleBank 706/232-BANK (2265)
Call us today for a bridal consultation 706/232-5600
706.295.1515 www.heritagefirstbank.com

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 

 Gifts, Me Beads, Jewelry and Home Decor
Knitting Classes & Supplies
Donna Sharp Quilted Purses

Maggie May’s
Now carrying
“Recycle the Wind”
wind chimes

Visit our new location!

706.234.1619 100 W. 2nd Avenue- Downtown Rome GA (In the lobby of the Hawthorne Suites)

Northside Preschool & Early Learning Center

Something to get excited about!
ages 6 weeks to 5 years
monday - friday
full day programs
before and after school programs
bus service available to and from
Armuchee area schools
“Pinnacle” Christian based curriculum designed
for Toddlers - Kindergarten
Now Offering!
computer, spanish & piano lessons

Call today for

more information.

706.233.9262
10 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine
NEW, STATE OF THE ART VETERINARY FACILITY

Unsurpassed Care & Compassion

for your Family Pet.
• Indoor Heated & Cooled Luxury Suites
• Small Animal Medicine & Surgery
• Wellness Programs & Vaccines
• Grooming & Boarding Services

MOUNT
BERRY
ANIMAL
HOSPITAL
Dr. Daniel Todd
Dr. Jessie Collins

2965 MARTHA BERRY HWY ROME GA 30165 706.232.0364

Conveniently located just North of Mount Berry Square Mall

Blue Fin SUSHI - HIBACHI - STEAKS

$9.95 Hibachi Night

Mondays & Tuesdays

727 Turner McCall Blvd, NE (next to Santa Fe Cattle Co.) Rome GA 30165 706.232.3317

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 11

 7 Central Plz Rome, GA 30161 Phone:706-236-9675

QUA L I T Y + A F FOR DA BIL I T Y + EF FIC IE NC Y + S AT ISFAC T ION

Best in Region
Best in Georgia
R anked Nationally
Top 100 Hospital

R e d mo n dR e gio n a l . c o m

12 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

 Coosa Valley Home Health Care,
an Amedisys company, is in the
business of helping our patients
maintain and improve their quality
of life-at home. Home is the place
where family, friends and familiar
surroundings make patients feel
most comfortable - and recover
faster.

With more than two decades of

experience in the health care
industry, we understand the
importance of delivering high-
quality services to patients in their
homes. Choose Coosa Valley for all
your home care needs.

Skilled Nursing Diabetes at Home

Home Health Aides Heart at Home
Physical Therapy Joint Recovery at Home
Occupational Therapy Better balance at Home
Speech Therapy Partners in Wound Care
Social Workers Surgical Recovery at Home

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 13

 textmiranda mcgill+

HOW TO
neal howardphotosstudio124

“BLOW IT”
IN100 DAYS
Cartersville native and THRIVE! WEIGHT LOSS founder,
Travis Martin, will be the first to tell you that his program is not a
diet, but a way of life. And in this way of life, there is always room for
a “Blow It Day.” Pizza, ice cream, grandma’s double fudge pie, you
name it: On the Thrive! plan, clients are allotted 100 days per year
during which they can eat, well, anything they want. Sound too good
to be true? Believe it, says Martin. (continued on page 16)
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 15
 Travis Martin (middle) poses with staffers from
Thrive!’s Riverbend location in Rome.

T
ravis Martin struggled with weight old ‘before’ photos, taken in their new sports, I like to teach nutrition.”
his entire life, growing from a “big- spiritual leader’s heavier days. They were While the story of Thrive! Weight Loss
boned” baby to a “chunky” child, eager to know how he lost the weight, and, may be one relative to business, in truth, it
then ballooning to a weight that could no more importantly, if he would teach them is really the story of an average Joe willing
longer be masked by cutesy adjectives. Upon how to do the same. Because nutrition and to take a risk and follow his dream. Lacking
reaching 302 pounds—and taking four health were Martin’s burgeoning passion, he a degree in dietetics, or a professional
prescription medications—Martin found his happily agreed. background in health, for
turning point. He knew it was time to make During the week, after work, he began that matter, just who did
a change. teaching his weight-loss principles around this Travis Martin fellow
First, says Martin, he turned to his kitchen tables, and on weekends, he took think he was to dole out
momma; then to The Holy Bible, from which people grocery store shopping to help them dietary advice?
many of the lifestyle principles embedded better understand how to eat. He recalls The answer is simple:
in the Thrive! Weight Loss program were that many Kroger employees believed he He was just a guy who
derived. The “Blow It Days”, their understood how it
contrasting “perfect days”? Both
were conceived from Revelation “My family and friends felt to struggle with
being overweight,
3:16. thought i was crazy at and one willing to
With a newfound interest
in his own health and a desire first, and didn’t think develop an easy-
to-follow plan
to change, Travis began
that i would stick to this in order to do

way of eating... well done

researching how the body
metabolizes food, then created
his own unique weight-loss plan.
In the first six weeks, he lost 44 is better than well said.”
pounds. “My family and friends
thought I was crazy at first, and didn’t think
that I would stick to this way of eating,” says
Martin. “But, later, they just thought, Oh
that’s how Travis eats now… Well done is
better than well said.”
Now, fast forward five years, when a
handful of family photos from the past
would pop up and alter the course of
Martin’s life forever. As fate would have
it, Travis was called to pastor a church in
Buchanan, Ga., and it was there that some
of the congregation caught sight of some
had already started some sort of business,
because he was in the store so often giving
tours (which, by the way, is something
Thrive! classes still do to this day).
Martin, who was in the Rome insurance
game at the time, says, “People would
come to the insurance office and, instead of
wanting to buy insurance, they would want
me to teach them nutrition.” Some of the
salesmen would become annoyed, he recalls,
but not Travis. In fact, he didn’t mind at all.
“It was a hobby. Some people like to play
something about it.
More significantly,
though, Martin
was someone who
wanted to share his
method of success with
others. A self-proclaimed
introvert, at first Travis
had no intention of
evolving his passion into a business model.
After all, he had already taught hundreds
of people his program without charging a
penny. But, in light of demand for the results
he had produced, and with the coaxing of a
few supportive friends, Martin soon began
to envision promoting his principles on a
much larger scale.

16 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

 These days, Thrive! Care Centers seem to
be popping up all over, with three locations
in Rome, and one each in Cartersville,
Calhoun, Carrollton and Ellijay. Classes
can also be taken online from anywhere in
the world. And, hey, you know you have
something special going when major food
“You are never hungry
on thrive. if you are
eating between meals and
snacks, it’s because you
are bored, not hungry.”
manufacturers start contacting you to see
if you’ll sponsor their products. Heck, even
doctors endorse the Thrive! plan.
In fact, Martin recalls vividly his
conversation with the first physician who
contacted him. “I thought, Oh no, I’m in
trouble… But I’m not charging anything!”
Turns out the doc didn’t much care about
Travis’s credentials. Instead, he wanted to
relay the message that whatever Martin
was teaching was working, and was simply
calling to encourage the local weight-loss
guru to help even more.
(By now, you may have already surmised
that this plan was created by someone
who is not a trained medical professional.
However, while most probably don’t care
as long as they see results, it is important
to note that Thrive! now has a registered
dietician on staff.)
Maybe you are reading this as a skeptic,
maybe even a pessimist. You’ve tried every
diet out there; you know you just have to
eat less and move more. Well, while Travis
does agree that calories have something to
do with weight loss, it’s just not that simple
mathematically. It has more to do with
Onceupon a time...
science.
So, for all you diet know-it-alls, here’s a
new concept: An apple is not a good snack
choice, at least not eaten alone. On Thrive!,
you must eat that
apple with more food.
A weight-loss program
that promotes eating
more, not less?! That’s
right, and the best
part is that the science
backs it up. As Martin
explains, eating an
apple by its lonesome
won’t make you gain weight, but it won’t
help you lose weight either. In the simplest
terms, an apple eaten by itself will elevate
your blood sugar, causing your pancreas
to secrete insulin, thus telling your body to
slow down its burning of your fat stores.
Food was fresher.
However, if eaten with an approved fibrous
carb, it will slow down the release of insulin,
forcing your body to work harder.
“You are never hungry on Thrive,”
says one anonymous Thriver at Rome’s
Riverbend location. “If you are eating
between meals and snacks, it’s because you
are bored, not hungry.”
When your body works, it burns calories.
The Thrive! plan attempts to steer the body
in a way that encourages it to
burn fat rather than muscle,
unlike many other popular diets.
Another interesting feature
that sets Thrive! apart is that
the program doesn’t bombard
clients with new eating habits
and exercise regimens all at once.
During the seven-week program,
the primary focus is on learning
how to eat. Then, once you have
become comfortable with these
changes, it is advised that you
establish an exercise routine to
optimize results.
With billboard ads for $2.99
value meals lining our streets
at every turn, America’s war
with obesity has become an
increasingly convenient one
to forfeit. Thrive! and Travis
Martin, on the flipside, are
offering an opportunity to
surrender all excuses and retake arms—and
for a very reasonable fee.
Thrive! Weight Loss has now teamed with a
number of popular Rome-Floyd restaurants,
including Harvest Moon, Great Harvest
313 Broad Street
Bread Co., Bella Roma and Chick-Fil-A’s Rome, Ga.
Dwarf House, to feature special menus at
Spring, 2010
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 17
 Later, he recalls the
story of one of his most
memorable Thrivers,
Rome’s own LeAnn
Mathis. “She is a different
person,” he says, glancing
over her ‘before’ and
‘after’ photos. “You can
see the change without
ever looking past her
eyes.”
Like Travis and LeAnn,
each Thriver is asked to
find the big “why” belying
his or her own weight
issues, then use it as a
personal motivator for
pushing toward a major
life change. “You have
to have that burning
desire to change,” Martin
reiterates.
In his personal journal,
Travis includes photos of

In his personal journal, travis himself at 300 pounds, as well as snapshots

of diabetic needles and other painful
includes photos of himself reminders that were once a part of his “why.”
He still practices what he preaches, and he
at 300 pounds, as well as can tell you right off the top of his head that,

snapshots of diabetic needles

since January 1 of this year, he has used 23
of his allotted “blow it days”. So, hey, if you

and other painful reminders

see him out dipping chunks of deep-fried
onion into a fat-filled, ranch-like sauce, try

that were once a part to go easy on the old boy. Remember, he

gets 77 more of those. VVV

of his “why.”
each establishment that make sticking to the
plan easier than ever. Martin and company
also teach their clients how to properly dine
out at any restaurant of their choosing.
Since practically every person out there
believes he or she could afford to lose a
pound or two, Martin tells us what foods
he would warn readers to steer clear of at all
costs. His answers, well, they may surprise
you: Milk. Peanut butter. According to
Thrive’s founder, peanut butter is one of
the most beloved foods often found in a
Thriver’s pantry. The only problem is that it
needs to be the right kind—all-natural, no
hydrogenated oils. And Travis derides milk
as harboring too much fat and sugar.
If you for a second doubt it, remember
that this is a man who lost over 100 pounds
on his own volition, kept it off, then took his
triumph to the streets to inspire change in
thousands. As a matter of fact, over 15,000
people have now adopted the Thrive! way
of life.
When asked about being the facilitator of
positive change for so many, Martin quickly
deflects the spotlight. “The people of Rome
have changed my life,” he says.

18 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

Call today to schedule your FREE consultation.
706.766.1200

Landscape Architecture Landscape Installation

Retaining Walls Water Features Turf Programs Rome’s Newest Auto Maintenance, Repair & Tire Shop!
Maintainance Putting Greens Patios Driveways
Your • Free Wi-Fi
• Kid’s Playroom
Thomas Humphrey Landscape Architect
Mention
one-stop • Guaranteed Service
• Comfortable Lounge
this ad
and receive
10% off
shop! • Shuttle Service Provided
www.facebook.com/greatoutdoorslandscaping Monday-Friday 7:30-5:30 Saturday 9-1

YOUR HOME FOR THE BRAVES

ALL SEASON LONG.

LISTEN TO 95.7 FM FOR YOUR ROME BRAVES

AND 1410 AM FOR YOUR ATLANTA BRAVES.

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 19

 COME
HELLOR
HIGH
WATER photos by studio124
Ok, so it rained. Hard. And there were muddy little
toes, and $300 dresses spattered with Georgia clay
so deep a red you’d think it were belched from the
belly of the devil himself. But if there’s one thing to
be said about V3’s “SOUTHERN REVIVAL”
AT ATLANTA STEEPLECHASE 2010 , it’s
that the folks who paid their hard-earned dollars
to attend the fourth installment of Northwest
Georgia’s biggest annual outdoor shebang were not
to be denied. For the rest of you goobers—God bless
your hearts—here’s a visual recap of what your silly
preoccupation with staying dry caused you to miss.

20 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 21
 RAINDANCE

22 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

COUPLEOFHAMS
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 23
GROUPTHINK

24 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 25
 HORSEPLAY

26 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

 A F R O N T P O R C H A F FA I R

THANK YOU TO OUR 2010 STEEPLECHASE TENT PARTY SPONSORS

TruckTownSummerville’s Largest Selection Of Trucks!

PERFECT V3VC
HOME v i s u a l c o n c e p t s , i n c

Wheeler
Roofing

M AG A Z I N E
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 27
28 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 29
 TheHouseThat
JackieBuilt textbrian foster
photossabrina wilson

How the pride and joy of Bartow County’s high-

end contracting game,COPE BUILDERS, are
making yet another run at success in 2010—
courtesy of a little help from their “friends.”

30 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 31
L
ong before I-75 ushered a wave of
suburban settlers onto the Metro
Atlanta frontier, Cartersville, Ga. was a
small ‘main street’ town, not unlike many of
the rural county seats scattered throughout
the Southeast. Neighbors knew neighbors,
doors were left unlocked, and business was
done with a handshake and smile. 
It was in this sort of environment
that Jackie Cope learned his trade, and,
eventually, established one of Bartow
County’s most successful and respected
businesses, Cope Builders. Today, even as
Cartersville swells in population and realizes
greater geographical expansion, Cope
continues its old-fashioned approach to
customer service and attention to detail—an
approach that seems to have fallen by the
wayside in many industries in recent years.
Starting with Jackie’s father, decades
ago, the Cope Builders family has made a
name for itself throughout Bartow County,
gradually expanding their business through
reliance on word of mouth. “You can’t even
find us in the phone book,” says Jackie’s son
and Cope Builders managing partner, Corey
Cope.
Specializing in custom homes,
commercial properties, renovations and
restorations (and all the work that these
entail), Cope Builders has supported the
Cartersville area’s growth and expansion
though its own work, while also preserving
Bartow County’s rich cultural and
architectural heritage. 
Matter of fact, it was Cope’s reputation
in the community that brought them into
the fold when Robert Knight was looking
for the right contractor to turn his family’s
downtown hardware store into a bustling
bar and grill. Knight’s Hardware had been
a Cartersville landmark since the shop first
opened its doors on Main Street in 1889.
As a child, helping his father restore the

roof of the courthouse downtown, Jackie

remembers standing on a crate in the center
of Knight’s Hardware, straining to reach
the spout of the water fountain. “We would
come down here and spend time just talking

32 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

 “We would come
down here
and just spend
time talking to
friends. neighbors
worked here,
friends did, too.”

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 33

 The Cope boys (Jackie, far left; Corey, far right) reunite with
favorite former clients, Randy and Jackie Thompson, at the
‘dream barn’ they helped the couple manifest.

to friends,” he says. “Neighbors worked here, popular restaurants

friends did, too.” and bars. And thanks
Jackie would return to Knight’s Hardware, to Jackie and Corey
again and again, to pick up some screws or Cope, this historic
have some glass cut; whatever was needed location has retained
for a day on the job. Over the years, the much of its original
Knight family met and observed many local detail. 
contractors and builders as they browsed “We asked
the aisles and ordered new materials. Having ourselves,” says
lived in another community for most of his Corey, “if we were
adult life, thus being unfamiliar with some going to restore a
of the local builders, Robert Knight asked restaurant to how it
his grandfather for some recommendations looked at the turn
on the best man to transform his aging of the century, how
hardware store. “All he said was, ‘Call Jackie would we do it? We
Cope, he’s a fanatic when it comes to detail,’ were working with a
” Knight recalls today. “And the plans that hardware store, but
I had at the time called for a ridiculous we had the historical aspects to go off of.” or re-purposed certainly was. The store’s
amount of detail. Cope had the vision, and A major overhaul of the space was original heart pine floor joists were used to
could see what it was going to take to build required to transform what was once a late build the tables, exposing hundreds of years
this place.” 19th-century hardware store into a fully of growth rings in the virgin timber. Cope
Knight’s Hardware is now Knight’s functional, modern restaurant/bar for the and Knight had the signature “Knight’s”
1889, one of downtown Cartersville’s most new millennium, and what could be saved stained glass window refurbished and re-

34 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

 “The work, for me,
installed over the doorway, which now acts Growing business in a small is very personal. i
as a light architrave, and once again it is
greeting visitors in 2010 as it did so many
town, as Jackie Cope has done
consistently for decades, is not like to know that
years ago. With the help of old photographs, the easiest thing in the world
when we finish a
job, not only are we
Cope recreated many of the architectural to accomplish, especially in an
ornaments that adorned the street-side industry where contractor and
facade through previous generations. “We
want this restaurant to be around as long as
client work closely together over
a period that can last months on a contractor who
Knight’s Hardware was, 100 years or more,” end. Relationships sour, gossip
did great work,
but that we’ve also
Corey explains. “And with the work that spreads around town, and before
Robert and ourselves have put into it, it can you know it, business has dried
happen.”  up. But with Jackie’s old-school
mentality,
as well as
gained a friend.”
a genuine interest that we’ve also gained a friend.”
in manifesting Robert Knight is now a friend, and so are
what his customer Randy and Jackie Thompson. South of town,
wants, not only has along the banks of Pumpkinvine Creek,
business grown, near its confluence with the Etowah River,
so has his social is the Thompson’s eclectic country horse
circle. “The work farm. The Thompsons initially called on
for me is very Cope Builders to construct a custom horse
personal,” he says. barn between their home and the corral
“I like to know that that overlooks an adjacent creek. “It started
when we finish a out as just a place to put my horses when it
job, not only are we got cold [or] when they got old,” says Jackie
a contractor who Thompson, “but that soon changed.” 
did great work, but To make a long story shorter, what is

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 35

 TruckTown
www.mytrucktownga.com

Summerville’s Largest Selection of Trucks!

11788 Highway 27 Summerville GA 30747

706.857.6134 706.857.5745

New Weekday Rates! SPECIAL OFFER

The Spa at Barnsley Gardens now offers discounted rates
for guests who join us during the week. receive a Free Beautiful Eye Treatment
($45/$55 value) with the purchase of any
Barnsley Signature Facial during the month of march.

BARNSLEY BARNSLEY
WEEKDAY WEEKEND
RATES RATES
(Mon-Thurs) (Fri-Sun)
Barnsley Signature Facials:
Lady BarnsLey Custom $140 .00 $160 .00
dramatiC resuLts $140 .00 $160 .00
PureLy radiant $105 .00 $125 .00
rose PetaL & HerB Hydrating $105 .00 $125 .00

Special offer is based on availability and must be mentioned at the time of booking. Not valid for
existing appointments or group bookings. May not be used in conjunction with other discounts,
special offers or packages. 20% gratuity will be added to each service upon check-out.

Visit us during the week and saVe!

bar nsleyresort.com
770.773.7480

C O U P L E S M A S S AG E P E AC H E S & C R E A M P E D I C U R E B A R N S L E Y R O S E S PA T R E AT M E N T FAC I A L

bg_spa_ad_v3_halfpg.indd 1 2/19/10 3:48:45 PM

36 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine
usually considered a traditional structure
for a working farm was cranked up a
notch. Midway though construction, Randy
decided that the grand space of the hay
loft was too nice and provided too good a
view to waste on a silly thing like hay. So,
in a matter of days, he and Jackie Cope,
with creative minds racing, came up with
a design scheme for a luxurious, yet very
casual entertainment loft. In it was a full
kitchen, dining area, baby grand piano and
HD entertainment system. The floor and
staircase were constructed of heart pine
reclaimed from the historic Cartersville
Goodyear Mill. Cyprus beams and rafters
were left exposed, in an effort to show off
Cope’s detail work and to allow for greater
natural light.  ceiling, or in the building of a strong, lasting
Downstairs, in the stable, the horses
were not forgotten. Like Randy, they too
were to receive all they had ever wanted in
a barn. Cope Builders, with design input
from Jackie Thompson, constructed a state-
of-the-art facility to house the Thompson’s
prized horses when the elements were
deemed too harsh. The stable area was
outfitted with a high-pressure, walk-in
washing basin, a prep area for riders and
equipment, and a heating and air system
that surely rivals some of the nation’s finest
homes. After construction was completed
on the horse barn, Cope began work on
the massive garage meant to house/display
Onceupon a time...
the Thompsons’ impressive fleet of cars
and motorcycles, as well as their collection
of memorabilia from two prized family
businesses, Boomershine Pontiac and
Thompson Honda. 
“We were so happy with all of the work
they had done that we just decided to let
them renovate our house,” laughs Jackie. 
Though not a full-scale renovation,
the outside of the house was completely
updated with the addition of a Jackie
Cope-designed combination board and
batten, shake shingle and rock
siding. The interior of the house
received a new fireplace, an
upgraded reading room and a
splendid new porch area, among
several other assorted projects.  The customer was
Not too far from the catered to.
Thompsons, in the shadow
of the great Etowah Indian
Mounds, is another one of
Jackie and Corey Cope’s new
friends, the Shaw family. Nestled
between the family’s sod farm,
the Etowah River and the
Indian Mounds, Lee Shaw’s
stone palace (seen on page
30) is a wonderful example of
what can be achieved when the
synthesis of land and structure
is executed correctly. The
home itself, quite literally,
diffuses into the modified
landscapes surrounding it
(the earthen mounds and
1,000-year-old stone fishing
weirs of the Etowah River, for
example). Jackie Cope, assisting
in the design of the Shaw home,
appears to get it exactly right
in creating his vision of the
structure in a sensitive, historic
environment. 
Bottom line: It’s all in the
details for Jackie Cope and Cope Builders.
Whether it’s the trim work on an exposed
relationship with clients, Jackie Cope says
he pays attention to the things that make a
company successful. 
Aside from expanding business in
and beyond Bartow, his work continues
to bring back return customers—and
friends. With a project per year from the
Shaws, Randy Thompson’s creative ideas
for the future, and a downtown returning to
its architectural roots, Cartersville’s Cope
313 Broad Street
Builders will be surrounded by friends for Rome, Ga.
years to come. VVV
Spring, 2010
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 37
 • GROUP FITNESS CLASSES
$25
Month to Month
- SPIN
- KICKBOXING
- YOGA
- KETTLEBELLS
- BARBELL
- STEP
- TRX
- P90X
• CHILDCARE
• PERSONAL TRAINING
• GROUP TRAINING
• 30 DAY BOOT CAMP
• LOCKER ROOMS &
“One of America’s 50 best SHOWER FACILITIES
golf courses under $50.” • FREE TOWEL SERVICE
• IMMACULATE FACILITY
- Golf Magazine • FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE
• HELPFUL STAFF

Now Open 24 Hours!

ROME ATHLETIC CLUB
10 JOHN DAVENPORT DR
ROME, GA 30161

585 Stonebridge Drive NW Rome GA 30165 706.236.9090 (706) 295-3678

38 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

Hey yo, so youse guys think youse can find a better pizza joint this side
of the Hudson River? Discover why the good folks behind downtown’s
newest dining attraction,JOHNNY’S NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA
are telling Rome and Floyd County to “Fuh’getta-bout-it!”

Jon
OHNNY’ S
the spot textmiranda mcgill
photosalisha cline+neal howard

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 39

 “The reason
we opened
such a large
and features dark
hardwood flooring,

location
funky modern
lighting, and a
fully-stocked bar
complete with
flatscreen TVs. “The is...that we
fell in love
reason we opened
such a large location

with...233
is, primarily, that
we fell in love
with…233 Broad
Street,” says owner
Robert Blumberg,
“and decided to
broad street.”
bring to Rome its crisp, parmesan dusted crust, an interior
a family-friendly overflowing with ricotta, mozzarella, select
restaurant that could meats and fresh veggies. Or, perhaps, go
accommodate large with an old-fashioned pie and pick your
parties.” pleasure, with a list of toppings that takes up
But Johnny’s isn’t a sizeable chunk of the in-house menu and
simply serving up New includes anything you could possibly think
York style pizza; they’re to request. Alongside the more traditional
serving up a flair for Italian fare, the menu also hosts items
New York style, as ranging from wraps to wings, to warm and

H
ave you ever thought of pizza as one well—minus the exorbitant pricing. In fact, cold subs.
of the most nutritionally “balanced” at Johnny’s you can find a great selection For those who like a little liquid in their
foods available? If not, think about of dishes, from special salads to stromboli, diets, between the hours of 4-7 p.m., all
it in terms of that old food pyramid from for fewer than $10 a pop. Be forewarned, drinks via the bar are $1 off the regular
your elementary school days: crust (grain), however, a “slice” of pizza is not really a price. Stop by for “Margarita Mondays”,
cheesy (dairy), tomato sauce and assorted slice, but more like two. And the calzones which boast $3 ‘ritas; “Two-fer Tuesdays”,
toppings (veggies and protein), even grease and stromboli are massive. when all domestic drafts hereabouts are
(fat). Now, with this in mind, why would you Of course, it’s not all about size. The food two for one; “Get Well Wednesdays” for
ever deprive yourself of one of America’s is mouthwatering, too. Choose a calzone for $3 well drinks; “Thirsty Thursdays” for $8
most beloved, co-opted foods
from a foreign land?
Whatever the basis for your
reasoning, there really is no
legitimate excuse not to visit
Rome’s newest downtown dining
establishment, Johnny’s New
York Style Pizza. From the free
parking offered in the Third
Avenue deck to the option of
buying by the slice, at Johnny’s,
customers can truly have it their
way.
Walking through the main
entrance at 233 Broad Street,
first-time visitors may find
themselves wowed by this warm,
yet wide open space. Spanning
over 4,500 square feet, it is
the largest of the 70 Johnny’s
locations operating nationwide,

40 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

 Newborn-juniors’ clothing
Upscale resale Children’s furniture
from tots to teens Accessories and gifts

405 Broad Street

New Location! Rome, GA 30161
4000 square feet 706-234-8528

ShopRome
WWW.ROMEGA.COM
SM

“As a small business owner and community volunteer,

I understand the importance of investing time, energy
and money into improving our community. I think
the easiest way to accomplish this is by shopping
locally. You not only help support the local economy
but you also build lasting relationships with the local
community. That’s why I choose to ShopRomeSM.”

-Steven McDowell
Old Havana Cigar Company

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 41

42 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine
 location to set up shop, Blumberg
answers, “We spent nine months
looking for a Johnny’s location
that would allow us to inject our
own style and experience. Our son,
Christopher, mentioned Rome, and
after spending a few days here, we
fell in love with the city and Broad
Street.”
Once Johnny’s settles into
a steady operational rhythm,
Blumberg plans to host plenty of
live entertainment to keep his Broad
Street brainchild popular, namely
with trivia during the week and
live music on the weekends. But it’s
always easy to entertain yourself at
Johnny’s; just request a table by the
large street-front window for prime
people watching.

“We spent nine months

So, the next time you ask
yourself whether or not to make it a
DiGiorno night, side with no. With the

looking for a johnny’s establishment of Johnny’s New York

Style Pizza, Downtown Rome has just

location that would allow become an even more enjoyable place

to dine out. VVV

us to inject
our own NOW OPEN
style and
experience.” yummy thai cuisine
(Next to the DeSoto Theatre)
per pitcher of domestic draft beer; and, last 526 Broad Street
but certainly not least, be sure to frequent
“Freaky Fridays” for new specials to be Downtown Rome GA 30161
announced each week. 706.291.9599
Though the franchise may have planted
its initial seed in the Northeast, with the
original Johnny’s opening in New York in
the mid 1960s, it soon sprouted Southern
roots. The first location outside the Big
Apple, in fact, opened its doors in Forrest
Park, Ga. in the spring of 1977. Franchise
owners liked the Atlanta area so much that
they opened five more Atlanta restaurants
by 1994.
While it’s always a risk to start a new
business, the owners behind Rome’s
newest hotspot aren’t likely to experience
disappointment anytime soon. To date,
business courtesy of Rome-Floyd consumers
has continued to increase, day after day.
Asked why they chose Rome as an optimal
Get Full with These Yummy & Quality Foods:
Roast Duck Curry, Pineapple Chicken, Scallop Delight,
Salmon Panang, Traditional Pad Thai, Spicy Drucken
Noodle, Tom Yum Soup, Massaman Curry & Much More!

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 43

 it’s all about versatility.
For a generation that never met
a challenge it couldn’t run, bike
or climb over

The next generation of joint

replacements

OXINIUM™ Technology
For longer lasting performance
in hip replacements
For a generation who refuses to be
stopped by pain, Smith & Nephew
introduces high-performance
OXINIUM Technology for hip and knee
replacements.
OXINIUM is the lightest weight, most
hypoallergenic metal available for joint sisal rugs.
implants. And because this exclusive
technology is more resistant to wear than
traditional implant materials, it has the
potential to be more enduring and long
lasting, just like your adventurous spirit.
Ask your surgeon which implant is right
for you..

To get back to your high performance

life, visit:

Dr. Kenneth C. Sands Proudly Serving the Rome Area for 60 Years.
Harbin Clinic
706-236-6362
330 Turner McCall Blvd. Ste. 2000
Rome, GA
RestoreMyJoint.com www.pinsons.com

There are potential risks with any surgery. Recovery

takes time and depends on factors like activity level,
weight and age.
Visit our showroom and
place your custom order
today!
.

™ Trademark of Smith & Nephew. Certain Marks Reg. US Pat. & TM Off. PINSON’S INC
FLOORING AND INTERIORS DIVISION

539 west 12th st Rome GA 30161 706.291.0081

44 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 45
 CENTS&SENSIBILITY
withJ.BRYANTSTEELE
I t’s the stupid economy, it’s not you. That
rather extended paraphrase of the slogan
hammered into the heads of the campaign
staff during Bill Clinton’s first presidential
run is what I, more or less, tell business
owners as we talk about adjusting to these
times. Heck, even in good times businesses
have to adjust. It’s just harder, more slippery,
right now.
But even in good times, the success of
concepts depends on adapting and moving
on, and that includes both business and art.
The creative blend of HairStory Salon and
All Things Artistic, for example, is moving
on—just down Broad Street, from the 500
block to the 300 block—in June. The new
name is Imagine Hair Art Studio & Gallery
Lounge (www.imaginehairart.com and on
Facebook).
The two intertwined enterprises once
occupied separate floors, but now will be in
the same space, no longer separated by stair
steps.
HairStory was, in the first place, a space
for salon patrons to be treated with care
while surrounded by art that was both
cutting-edge and retro. All Things Artistic
followed, with opportunities for local artists
of all sorts to show their wares. (Who
amongst us would not at least consider
buying a lamp built into an old, E-flat alto
saxophone?)
“We’re merging with a little twist,” says
collective owner Holly Moore. “It will be the
best of HairStory and All Things Artistic.”
The idea will continue with art receptions,
yoga classes, “Stitch-n-B*tch”, musical guests
and open mic nights in the new location.
46 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine
Arrested
Development?
Hardly—if Imagine Hair Art
Studio, R.H. Ledbetter and other
interested parties stay the course
And there will be workshops for stylists and
aspirants on braiding, blow drying, makeup
and all things related to styling.
For Moore—and Shea Dale, who managed
HairStory Salon and All Things Artistic
and will manage Imagine Hair Art Studio
& Gallery Lounge—a distinction does
not exist between the words “touch” and
“community”.
“Styling hair is a profession in which
you touch people, and there aren’t many
businesses that involve that,” says Dale. “But
there is more. We want to be a community
that brings creativity together, and touches
people in many ways.”
You can’t blow that concept away with a
hair dryer.
Spring proms also helped HairStory and
other salons, as well as florists and tuxedo
rentals. (An aside to guys: Rent, don’t buy,
tuxedos until you’re at least 28 years old
and have stopped growing.) The Atlanta
Steeplechase also benefited those types of
businesses in Northwest Georgia. Now, if
the fair ladies from Atlanta would just buy
their hats here instead of in Atlanta…
From the standpoint of paying bills, such
events are more critical to retailers in a slow
economy than a booming economy. In the
latter case, you can invest extra dollars, or
use them on a dream. (Think investment
first, splurge later.) Events are sometimes
original, but usually borrow and shape ideas
from other communities, and sometimes
events are just organic, such as the stream
of festivals in Northwest Georgia tied to
mountain and river culture that date way
back. At the end of the day, it is always a
blend—new, borrowed and traditional.
Makes you think of a cookout and a quilting
group, with a banjo or mandolin somewhere
behind you, the spill of rivers, a sidewalk
sale and—just downtown—something new.
BITSOFBIZ
It’s been a good spring so far, says Thurmon
Morris, Rome’s general manager for Allgood
Pest Solutions. Property owners may feel
differently about the goodness as they write
checks for extermination, but it’s good for
the insect control business. “It’s been a
wonderful spring (for business) so far,” says
Morris. “The termite swarms have come
back with a vengeance. We went for so many
years without much moisture. Over the last
few years, with the drought, there was not
much activity. We’re seeing a turnaround.
“We don’t think it’s over if the predicted
thunderstorms keep up. We’ll see a lot more
termite swarms.”
To termites, you can add roaches, spiders,
ants, et cetera. If that bugs you, remember
that it wasn’t that long that ago that you
were probably praying for rain.
Speaking of weather and of adapting,
building contractors continue repairing or
replacing roofs after spring storms (the great
hail storm last spring, high winds lately).
Building permits for roofing repair and
new roofing continue to outnumber other
permits, based on filing numbers with the
Rome-Floyd County building inspection
office. The dollar sum of those permits,
though, significantly lag other renovations
and new construction, which builders would
rather have.
 The Northwest Georgia Housing
Authority has, at last, a signed contract
for $3 million with Madison Retail, LLC
for the Hight Homes public housing
property, where the developer will build
a retail center, including an anchor that
will probably be a grocery store. Madison
pitched Publix as the anchor in its bid to
the NGHA, but has no deal yet. Madison
also will spend up to $750,000 to build
office space for the Authority on the site.
Currently, the NGHA’s offices are scattered
around town, but are primarily located
across Fifth Avenue from Hight Homes, in
the high-rise public housing units there—in
space that was originally intended as a
community center for the residents.
Who would have guessed a couple of
years ago that the decaying Hight Homes
property would have jumped ahead of other
proposed developments and, perhaps, land
the first Publix in Rome? Not long ago, the
story was about a 60-acre planned retail
center on U.S. 411, abutting the East Rome
Wal-Mart, and the plans of R.H. Ledbetter
Properties for an 80-acre commercial site
across Riverside Parkway from its RiverWalk
shopping center, which would connect Ridge
Ferry Park and Jackson Hill. There is also the
bountiful plan for commercial development,
tentatively being called “The Boulevard”,
around State Mutual Stadium, a perfect spot
where you could eat, shop, take in a baseball
game or a movie, and just spend a good few
hours relaxing.
But it’s the Hight Homes property that is
most intriguing right now, if only because
progress is visible. Commercial developers
still have a hard time lining up financing or
getting retailers on board in this economy.
Meanwhile, the Ledbetters are doing due
diligence regarding environmental and
engineering issues on their Riverside
Parkway project, and there’s never been
a peep beyond public filings about the
proposed Seven Hills retail center on 411.
At Hight Homes, though, demolition is
under way. A new turn lane onto North Fifth
Avenue off of Turner-McCall Boulevard,
where the new retail development will come
into being, should help generate drive-
in shoppers, and Floyd Medical Center
employees will certainly spend dollars right
next door to help splash the tax coffers. The
property is only nine acres, not 60 or 80,
but it’s going to have a significant impact—
especially if Publix comes into play—on
commercial development in Rome. VVV

J. Bryant Steele is an award-

winning business and feature
writer published both locally
and internationally.
714 E. 2nd Ave. Rome GA 30161 706.295.5313
www.marklawportraits.com
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 47
 INSIDE&OUT
withDIANNAEDWARDS

a Mule, a
School &
a Warm,
Fresh Egg
The onset of spring brings with
it daydreams of newfound
love, satiny noses, and a fellow
that goes by “Chicken Man”

on the bank outside with fish. Come see the pastures bright with
my kitchen window horses and fancy mules, lawns snowed with
is already running Star of Bethlehem. Sometimes I can hardly
violet, and the mint breathe driving to and from Rome, it moves
by the door spilled me so.
out of its pot in less I first fell in love with mules driving that
than two weeks. road. Saw a pasture full of animals I knew
If you haven’t weren’t horses, but were so handsome I
come to Cave couldn’t peg them as mules. Turned out
Spring in awhile, they were show mules belonging to Dan Cox
do it. There can’t be and his family. (“Show mules” means pretty
many places in the much what it sounds like: An animal with
South as beautiful good breeding and training, accustomed to
as this little town being worked together in public. You know,

W
inter creeps into your bones
slowly like despair. There’s a
subtlety to it, leaf by falling leaf,
cold by colder day, because we Southerners
couldn’t take it any other way.
in the lush grip of spring. Come see the like actors.)
fields plowed with their alternating stripes Susan Green furthered my mule
of textured crimson and green. Come see education with an introduction to her
the ponds peeping with turtles and breaking quarter-horse mule, Miss Ruby, whose red

“SHOW MULES” MEANS PRETTY

But spring—that’s another story. Like
love, one day it’s not in you, and the next
day, by heaven it is. One minute that young
man or woman is a friend and the next, MUCH WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE: AN
WHAM. Your toes are curling and you are
done for. ANIMAL WITH GOOD BREEDING
Spring goosed Cave Spring almost
overnight. After a winter of relentless cold AND TRAINING, ACCUSTOMED
rain and one pretty little snow, it stopped.
And, the next day, my ancient oak leaf
TO BEING WORKED TOGETHER IN
hydrangeas shot tall with buds. The thrift PUBLIC. YOU KNOW, LIKE ACTORS.
48 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine
coat would be the envy of any desperate
housewife on Wisteria Lane. Miss Ruby is
named for Susan’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Ruby
Green, famous in these parts for fried pies
dripping with apples and a flaky crust.
But it took Big John Shaw to put me in
a vintage wagon behind a matched pair of
mules, a treat every woman needs to have
in her life. John was preparing his team,
the elegant Henry and Jim, for their annual
150-mile Trail Ride from Centre, Ala. to
Montgomery, and asked Eric and I along for
the warm-up.
Henry is a gorgeous, dark brown
youngster with strong shoulders and a blond
belly. Jim, his brother, has streaks of blond
I HAD NEVER HAD THIS EXPERIENCE
WITH CHICKENS. NEVER SEEN AN
EGG OUTSIDE OF A CARTON IN A
STORE. NEVER HELD A RHODE ISLAND
RED ROOSTER IN MY ARMS AND FELT
ITS WARMTH, NOR SEEN ITS MAGENTA
COLORS INCANDESCENT IN THE SUN.
on his flanks. We took a back road around
Cave Spring past farms and pastures.
Donkeys capered and kicked when we
passed, as if to acknowledge their kinship
with Henry and Jim. Cows stared. Horses
ignored us. (Horses are snobs about mules.)
The sound of the mules’ hooves on a
dirt road was one of the most soothing
sounds I’ve ever heard, something like an
old-fashioned mantle clock. There was
something primal and solid about the creak
and pull of the wagon. I liked it.
I liked those mules, too. They were
solid and comforting—especially Henry.
He looked me in the eyes almost like a
human. I spent seven years living on a horse
farm with thoroughbreds and never had a
thoroughbred look me in the eye with such
steadiness.
No less an authority than The New Yorker
agrees on this. In its 85th anniversary
issue, Susan Orlean penned a story titled,
“Riding High: Mules Are Back”. It’s a great
piece about the strength, intelligence and
capability of the mule.
(Trivia: One of the first mule herds in
America belonged to George Washington
and was sired by an Andalusian donkey he’d
received from the King of Spain.)
Still, I don’t know that The New Yorker
could ever really know a mule. I didn’t read
a single line about the softness of their ears
or the satin at the end of their noses. Just
that old Faulkner quote about a mule being
willing to work its whole life for the privilege
of ‘kicking you once.’
Onceupon a time...
Chickens don’t kick. And when raised
in a nice little coop, they actually smell
sweet. This I learned from Mr. Charlie Peck
(a.k.a., “Charlie the Chicken Man”) in Cave
Spring, who gave me my first encounter
with chickens and roosters tame enough
to pet. Mr. Charlie keeps his small egg
operation near the site of the newly found
Julius Rosenwald school building here, a rare
and historically significant site in African-
American education history. (More on that
next month.)
Mr. Peck sells fresh eggs. Very fresh. He
led me into the coop he designed himself,
Your food was
made fresh daily.
and for the first time in my 57 years, I
gathered eggs warm from a hen’s body. You
would have thought I’d found gold from the
thrill it gave me.
I called Eric, who was in Los Angeles at
the time, but he understood. It is nice to
have a husband who understands me. (My
neighbor Paul Whorton understands me,
too. He invited me over to pet his 2,500-
pound bull last year.)
I had never had this experience with
chickens. Never seen an egg outside of a
carton in a store. Never held a Rhode Island
Red Rooster in my arms and felt its warmth,
nor seen its magenta colors incandescent
in the sun. How such small things made
me feel connected to, well, God, I cannot
explain. But they did.
I ate every last one of those eggs before
sundown, almost trembling as I prepared
them. I had my usual egg add-ons ready—
cheese, salsa, et cetera—but didn’t use
them. The taste of those warm, fresh eggs
was so completely different from any egg
I’d ever tasted before. The whole farm-to-
table movement supports my experience, as
far as the taste of these eggs goes. And the
nutrition, too, I’m sure.
But it was the totality of the gentleness of
harvesting them, of laughing with Charlie
Peck as he enjoyed my happiness with his 313 Broad Street
little flock, that lifted me up.
As surely as spring. As surely as love.
Rome, Ga.
VVV Spring, 2010
vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 49
 HARBIN CLINIC’S
Take On Health OUR PHYSICIANS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
Medication isn’t always the
answer for Attention Deficit
Disorder. Harbin Clinic Behavioral
Scientists share information about a
treatment using electroencephalogram
(EEG) biofeedback. It isn’t just for children
and youth. Many adults, executives
and athletes are taking advantage of the
treatment to enhance their focus and
improve their games.
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback,
is a widely recognized and effective non-
medication treatment for ADHD, as well
as other psychological conditions. The
treatment involves wearing sensors, which
read brain waves, then provide immediate
feedback that patients use to train themselves
to alter their EEG patterns.
Patients in our training program play a
video game, and their concentration controls
the speed of the game as well as the ease of
control. They can also watch a movie, and
if their attention wanders, the picture gets
smaller and the volume goes down. This can
significantly improve attention and focus.
Patients are often able to reduce or eliminate
the need for stimulant medication for ADHD.
Is this treatment an option for all ages?
The youngest patients are generally 7 years
old, but we do training with 6-year-olds
depending on their maturity levels. Adults
can benefit also, both to address ADHD
and to improve general attention and focus.
Neurofeedback is becoming more popular
nationally for executives who want better
focus, and for golfers, tennis players and
other athletes who want to improve their
games. So, age range would be 6 years and
up.
Is Neurofeedback effective?
There are over 50 studies evaluating the
effectiveness of EEG biofeedback in the
treatment of ADHD, as well as learning
HARBINCLINIC.COM | 1-888-427-2461
50 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine
Neurofeedback Treatment:
Helping Children with Attention
Defecit Disorder (ADD)
disorders. A recent review of this literature
concluded “EEG biofeedback meets the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry criteria for treatment of ADHD.”
This means that EEG biofeedback meets
the same criteria as do medications for
treating ADHD. One can conclude that EEG
biofeedback “should always be considered
as an intervention for this disorder by the
clinician.”
In a 2002 study, 80 percent of the ADHD
patients were able to reduce or eliminate
their stimulant medications after 40 sessions
of EEG biofeedback training. This is also
what we have seen in our clinic over the past
four years.
There are several major advantages to
neurofeedback as opposed to medication.
There are no side effects and no significant
risks. Once focus is improved, it lasts 24
hours a day.
How long does training take?
A typical training program involves roughly
40 training sessions, which are administered
about twice a week. Each training session
takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
We often see improvements in calmness
and focus within the first 10 sessions,
although significant behavioral changes
are not usually notable until after 15 to 20
sessions. Once the training is complete, the
gains seem to be long lasting and very few
people need any further training.
Do you have to stop medication in order to
do training?
Many children begin training while taking
medication. As training progresses, it is not
unusual for the family to find a decreased
need for medication. This is monitored by the
doctors throughout training. As changes are
required, the team works with the treating
physician to alter medication.
How do I get started?
Treatment is initiated after initial assessment
by one of us. We conduct an initial interview,
and then, typically, administer a battery of
tests.
After reviewing test results and discussing
options with the family, neurofeedback can
be started. If the patient has already been
evaluated, then testing may not be needed.
The treatment is monitored with regular
parent checklists, as well as computerized
attention testing.
How much does the treatment cost?
That depends on insurance coverage. More
insurance companies are starting to cover
this because of the many studies showing that
it works, and because it is very cost effective
compared to medication. VVV
Frank R. Harbin, Ph.D., received his Doctor of Philosophy
degree in Clinical Psychology from Illinois Institute of
Technology, and his Master of Science degree in Clinical
Psychology from Memphis State University. He completed
his undergraduate education at the University of Virginia
in Charlottesville. Randell L. Elkins, Jr., Ph.D., received
his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical Psychology from
Louisiana State University, and his Master of Science degree
in Clinical Psychology from the University of New Orleans.
He received special training at the Education and Treatment
Clinic in Lake Charles, La. Randy Warley, Ph.D., received
his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Clinical
Psychology from The Fielding Graduate Institute, Santa
Barbara, Ca. He also received a Doctor of Philosophy degree
in Educational Studies from Emory University in Atlanta.
He has a Master of Science degree in Library Science from
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla. His Bachelor of Arts
in English is from The Citadel, Charleston, S.C. The Harbin
Clinic Behavioral Sciences Department is located
at One East Fifth Avenue, Rome, Ga. 30165. For
more information, call 706.295.2028.
Phone: (256) 634-4758
 Rome Floyd YMCA

810 @ 2nd Ave. Rome, GA 30161

706.232.2468 www.ymcarome.org

Our Mission:

To put Christian
principles into
practice through
programs that
build healthy
spirit, mind and
body for all.

Newly renovated in 2009

Cardio room w/cardio theater

Weight room • Over 2100 sq ft child care play

center

Pilates/Yoga room • Group Cycling room

Family locker rooms

Exerarcade for 7-12 year olds • Indoor Pool w/

salt filtration system

Memories fade...
MEEKS PICTURE
HOUSE

Where framing is art.

308 East 6th Avenue
Rome Georgia 30161
706.291.1355

Let Meeks Picture House

make themlast a lifetime.

52 vini vidi vici / v3 magazine

• Award-winning landscape design • Irrigation system installation and repair
• Seasonal color plantings • Expert lawn care programs

Pools Landscape Maintenance Hardscape

706-234-5482 Watters & Associates Landscape is a 134 Silver Ave.

www.watterslandscape.com “Growing” Business Rome, GA 30161

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 53

vini vidi vici / v3 magazine 55