Gavin Bradley is taking advantage of numerous local leadership opportunities while still in high school. The Community Christian School junior excels in the classroom and participates in the school’s sports program, in addition to being active at his church. A year ago, he added another activity to his resume with his selection to the Stockbridge Youth Council. An initiative spearheaded by Stockbridge officials at City Hall, the Youth Council is described on the city’s website this way: “The Youth Council is a dynamic team that amplifies the voices and experiences of young people and leverages their expertise, energy, and ideas...
Ready. Set. Tennis.
When one thinks about sports their family and friends could participate in, a litany of ideas come to mind. However, individuals overlook many sports due to the lack of exposure to them, either in the media or in real life. One of these underrated sports is tennis. Above the Net is a program that aims to expand youth participation in the sport and further popularize it among local communities. Brenda Gant, one of the founders of Above the Net, explains that although many other sports are promoted to children, there has been a lack of attention towards tennis. Gant states...
50 Years Strong
The story of what is now known as the Bennett Family of Companies is the prototypical American success story. It is about how a half-century of hard work combined with an exceptional emphasis on faith and family led to the existence of one of the most successful private companies in Henry County. The full Bennett story could not fit in this space or even this entire publication. Here is a snapshot. Marcia Taylor moved to Georgia as a 19-year-old mother of three with the promise of a job in the transportation industry. The man who hired her soon became her...
A Mystery of Love
From its conception, the Veterans Museum at Heritage Park in McDonough has been the home and showplace for veterans and their loved ones – given the opportunity to share memorabilia and personal belongings in an effort to establish a larger than life personal and meaningful connection with the museum. Veterans Museum curator Jim Joyce shared an interesting story of sealed cards and flowers being left each Memorial Day over the past 8+ years in remembrance of Sgt. Soltow. The envelopes have the handwritten words “My Precious Daddy” and remain sealed to this day. “Not knowing the words written on the...
Staying Active
Tony Carder is well-known in Henry County. He got his start with Active Pest Control when his father launched the business in 1985, has served as the CEO of Clean Earth Sanitation, and opened several businesses on the McDonough square, including Crust & Craft. In 2019, Carder sold Active Pest Control and focused more on his businesses in McDonough. In June, he got back into the pest control business, serving as the CEO of TruNorth and working with his children, Cody, 24, and Kayleigh, 22. “They grew up in the business, like I did, and wanted to get involved,” said...
How to be Happy
As the pastor of my church for almost 30 years and having talked with hundreds of people, the number one comment I hear people say is, “I just want to be happy.” I have seen people try to achieve happiness in so many destructive ways. I have watched many achieve the goals they thought would bring happiness, but in the end, they felt empty. I myself have fallen prey to this kind of thinking in earlier seasons of my life. What I have found is happiness is not a destination; it is a constant choice. So, the question is, how...