It’s 9:30 a.m. on a Monday, and Henry County Schools’ dual enrollment culinary arts students are preparing for classroom instruction at the Academy for Advanced Studies (AAS). However, it is not a typical day. Chef Tricia Vera introduces two guests interested in learning about the program and instructs students to change into cooking gear and relocate to the adjoining kitchen. Then, she announces the menu item for the day. Eggs. The students appear surprised at Vera’s choice. However, bewilderment quickly gives way to a sense of urgency as they gather cookware and ingredients. Vera explains they are learning different ways...
Ranchitos and Recipes
When Sheena Castellanos decided to go on a mission trip with other Strong Rock Christian School families to Nicaragua, the original plan was to help build ranchitos – small sheds – while also teaching families about the love of God. However, a new mission arose when Castellanos arrived at the village and observed the food menu. Castellanos, who received a culinary arts degree from the Art Institute of Atlanta, has been cooking for a very long time. In 2005, she opened The Grand Gourmet, a catering company based in McDonough. Her love for cooking inspired her to further assist the...
Grown with Love
In 2003 a Master Gardener steering committee took Daniel Webster’s quote – “Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of humanity.” – to heart with an interest to design and build the county’s first community garden. With the assistance of the director of the Heritage Senior Center along with the county commissioners, the Heritage Village Community Garden planted its first garden in the spring of 2004 and obtained 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit status. In the following 20 years, other community gardens have been developed – Windy Hill, Cubihatcha, Farm Bureau, and Wesley...
Distractions
I am a proud husband, parent, & pastor. If you share any of these labels, you (like me), have probably asked yourself the question, “where has the time gone?”. I’m not too old to have forgotten begging for time to speed up when I was a child and now it truly seems as though we’re stuck in fast forward. Have we managed to speed up time? In a word no, but it certainly feels like we have, doesn’t it? There is another explanation as to why the world and time itself seems to be evaporating before our eyes, not because...
A Miraculous Place for a Miracle Young Man
Before he was born, 17-year-old Mekhi Floyd faced life-threatening challenges. His mom, Altovise Floyd, became concerned about a month before...
Beautiful Legacy – Remembering Greg Horton
Greg Horton was not the type of person to seek the spotlight. Somehow, though, it found him. Not in a...
It’s Never too Late to Try Something New
For decades, Amy Iketani toyed with the idea of being a writer. In her early fifties, she decided to go...
Personal Investments
In the process of building financial portfolios, where and how we invest our resources is of great importance. If one...
A Time-Honored Craftsman
Remember the vintage Timex commercial adage “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking”? The same can be said of...
Robo-Writer
(Local 3rd Grade student has“itch” for inventing robots and writing books) By JD Hardin As far back as many of...
My visit to Berry College with the Atlanta School of Photography
During the week, I’m an eye doctor, dedicating my days to helping patients with ocular health. It’s a rewarding profession...
