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(10/24/12 9:00pm)
It’s the time of year where the chilly breezes raise bumps on your arms and make you shiver. But there just may be more behind those hairs standing on end. Macon is a very old city and has had many residents throughout the years. Some of these residents may have never left. Here are just a couple of Macon’s famous ghost stories.
The Columns: This house is located at 315 College Street. It earned the name the Columns because of the columns on the front of the house, but the house was originally built in 1860 and owned by Nathan Beall. Because of the Civil War, various people moved in and out of the house and it finally fell into the hands of Captain Sam Dunlap in 1901. In the 1940s, it gained the pet name “The Columns” from the hostess. During the 1970s and 1980s, the house was remodeled and used as a restaurant, and it was at this point the ghost stories began. Some claimed that the stories were manufactured to create allure, but others tell of the traditional ghost clues, such as blinking lights, cold spots, strange noises and mysterious markings.
There are many stories about the haunting of the house as a restaurant, including ice jumping out of glasses, apparitions of girls in white dresses and lights on the same light switch going on and off at different times with no one near the switch. The creepiest story, however, is the story of the stain that cannot be removed close to the house, where a young woman jumped from the second story to her death.
Uncle Pliny: “Uncle Pliny” and his wife Mamie haunt the Bennett house at 990 Georgia Avenue. They were the second owners of the house. Homeowners frequently hear unexplained footsteps, especially late at night. Eccentric Uncle Pliny and his wife Mamie arrived to Macon early in the 20th century. Mamie loved moving around and living in different places, but Pliny was tired of trying to restart his practice in every city, so the couple settled here in Macon in the house on Georgia Avenue. It is quite possible they never left.
Allman Brothers Big House: At 2321 Vineville Avenue, The Big House stands as a museum dedicated to the Allman Brothers Band. Long before it was owned by the famous rock group, it was owned by Nathaniel Harris, governor of Georgia and one of the founders of Georgia Tech. Supposedly, the alleged ghost haunting the house comes from his era. Women living in the house have frequently had accidents on the stairs of the home, usually in the same place. This place in the stairs has been replaced since the house was built and the spindles of the railing have been replaced. There have been strange door sounds, dogs acting oddly, electrical disturbances and even strange smells inside of the building. The strongest ghost sign would be an apparition of a woman around a resident’s bed.
“At the top of the stairs people have felt an energy force,” stated Executive Board Member for the Big House Museum John Lynskey, “It definitely is a belligerent force.” Lynskey described people claiming they were knocked down the stairs by a negative energy force and that the force has been around for years and years.
It isn’t all negative though. Lysnkey also described a positive force experienced when listening to Allman Brothers Band music on the third floor of the house. He says he experienced the positives waves himself and believes they are lingering energy from Duane Allman and Berry Oakley.
So next time you go out, remember to put on your jacket and maybe keep an eye out for a lonely spirit walking around Macon.
(10/10/12 4:00pm)
A home is not about how it is built as much as it is what you make of it. Juniors Patrick Hobbs, Libby McCormick and Lisa Bianco and senior David Ellis make a very good home in a house they rent from Scott Schultz, one of Mercer’s engineering professors. They enjoy the freedom of living off campus and not being confined by dorm rules as well as the ample amount of storage provided by a larger, older house. The house was built around the turn of the century and has been renovated several times. Many people would not like the house’s design because of these renovations, but the four renters find it lovable.
“It is such a unique house,” said Hobbs. He gushed about the nooks and crannies created by the multiple renovations. It is hard to deny that the house has a unique personality. Because the house was built in the early 1900s, the front entrance of the house has an older charm. The door still bears the nameplate of the family that the renters feel were the original owners.
“Something I find really charming is all of the doors. Literally all of the rooms are connected by doors.” Hobbs added. All the doors make for a fun addition to the home, as the residents have been known to open doors to connect and communicate through the upstairs bedrooms.
Beyond the charm of the house itself, the four renters made several interesting additions to the house to claim the home as their own. Hobbs has a goal of one day owning a completely self-sustaining house. For now, he sticks with smaller projects like his backyard garden, compost pile and solar panels.
The solar panels began as a fun summer project with instructions from Instructables.com, a website devoted to DIY projects. He uses the solar panels during the day to charge a trolling battery from a boat. When he gets home later in the day, he has enough energy saved to power a TV, a laptop and an internet-streaming device. Because of the recent drop in silicon prices, Hobbs hopes he will someday be able to power his house entirely through solar panel cells.
In addition to the solar panels, the four renters keep a compost pile in their backyard. On campus, they would never be able to keep a compost pile because they would not have a yard to call their own. Here, they have a lot more room in which they can set up projects and leave them up. They set up the compost pile as a means of getting new dirt for their backyard garden, which has had limited success. Because the house faces west, the plants only get sunlight from 1:00 p.m. until sunset, which is not enough for a lot of the plants they want to grow. Currently they have some spinach and onion plants growing which is great for McCormick who is a vegetarian.
A space everyone can enjoy is the living room, which has beautiful plaid sofas and a projector screen for watching TV and movies. After downsizing her house, Hobbs’ mother gave them extra pieces to furnish their living room with. The projector was Hobbs’ own purchase. In the past, when he had it up in his dorm room, it was often awkward in a space used for multiple purposes. Now, Hobbs and the other renters can have one room that can be devoted to watching movies and TV together.
Ellis is most excited about being able to keep his two cats with him while he is at school. Though animals are not allowed in on-campus housing, many off-campus students enjoy the company of a pet or two in their homes. With all of these additions, Ellis, Bianco, McCormick and Hobbs have made a wonderful off-campus home away from home.
(10/10/12 4:00pm)
With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, QuadWorks put on an event that allowed students to give back and show their support for survivors of breast cancer. Go Pink was an event that allowed students to give money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and receive a memento of their donation to show their support for the cause.
For $5, girls could get a bright pink extension put into their hair by a stylist from Signature Salon. A portion of the cost of the extension went to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Those who did not want an extension could receive a handmade button for a minimum donation of $1 to the Foundation.
Founded in 1993 by the late Evelyn H. Lauder, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is a non-profit organization that funds research to find a cure and effective means for prevention of breast cancer. They have received over $380 million for the cause and 91 percent of all donations go directly to research and awareness programs.
“It was our goal to raise awareness and involvement on campus,” said QuadWorks member Briana Mitchell. “QuadWorks puts on a lot of events for the students and this event was a way for students to give back. We all know someone who has been affected by some form of cancer. This is why we had choices for how the students could donate.”
Mitchell added that she herself made the buttons and that students could donate through a credit card or bear card in addition to traditional cash donation. This event was also unique because it brought in someone from off-campus to put in pink extensions and let girls show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“I want to say thank you to the student body for their support. It was exciting and a lot of fun,” said Mitchell. The event raised $82 for The Breast Cancer Research Fund. They well surpassed the goal of $25 that was set before summer break, which was when the idea for the event began. The event was met with great response from the students.
“It was something I’ve always wanted to do and it was right there in the Connell center. Plus it goes to a good cause. I know a lot of people who wanted to do it but said they didn’t have time,” said junior Taylor Feeney. She now sports a streak of bright pink hair in support of breast cancer research.
“A lot of people said they wanted to have it again,” said Mitchell’s co-chair Ashana Thaker. “We had good feedback.”
(09/26/12 9:32pm)
Stacey Harwell’s face is not exactly an unfamiliar one on campus. As an Associate Pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church, Harwell spends a good bit of time working with students, like those with the Wesley Foundation and those who attend Centenary. Centenary is the closest church to Mercer’s campus and might be closer to MEP than the cafeteria is. Harwell was born in Lakenheath, England and lived in various states because her father was in the Air Force. She was a student at Mercer from 2003-2007 and majored in Christianity and Journalism. She loves Mercer and still shows her Mercer pride.
Cluster: What kind of things where you involved in at Mercer?
Harwell: Well, I was in the newspaper and with BCM, which used to be called BSU, and the Wesley Foundation and Christianity Honors Society TAK. Out of school, I was involved with Centenary UMC a lot. I tutored at an after school program at Memorial Gym. I was very busy and I kinda liked it that way.
Cluster: Did you have a favorite class or professor at Mercer?
Harwell: Wow. I liked a lot of my professors. I liked David Nelson, he was my Honors professor and my introduction to college. And I liked Jay Black. He was pretty much the only Journalism professor so I had a lot of classes with him. In the Christianity department, I really identified with Paul Lewis. To this day, I still really like Janell Johnson. There are a lot of professors I never had for class but I still really liked, but I won’t get into that.
Cluster: Do you have any special memories of Mercer you would like to share?
Harwell: I can narrow it down to two or three.
Back in my day, Mercer was aligned with the Georgia Baptist Convention, and they weren’t happy with us in those days and we were trying to figure out what we were going to do about that. Mercer had a pretty strong idea of what it wanted to be and they were trying to figure out how they fit into what the GBC wanted. We students watched and learned from the University on how to respond when what you believe does not fit with the organization in charge of you. It was a coming of age story for Mercer, and a lot of us were at that moment in life so we learned a lot from Mercer. We were being challenged by what we were learning in class when it did not necessarily match up with what we believed. For some of us that resulted in us switching political parties or churches and for some of us it ended up with us leaving church entirely. I really had a blast being involved with religious life experience. Especially with the Wesley Foundation. That was where I felt my calling to go into ministry. I feel like if I wasn’t at Mercer I would have been discouraged as a woman from going into ministry. Everyone at Mercer was really supportive, even in the Journalism department. They felt if that was what I wanted to do then I should do it.
Cluster: What things have changed since you left Mercer?
Harwell: The College Hill Corridor started when I was at Mercer, but it did not come to fruition until after I left. It was cool because it was started by a friend of mine and they didn’t know how big it was going to be. It is good to see how Mercer has become involved with the community. I remember when Mercer Village used to be a parking lot. I remember when the only place to eat on campus was the Caf because the UC was still being built. There used to be a building called Porter Gym where you could play basketball at 3:00 in the morning. It was a beautiful building. I think Mercer has overall been going in a good direction and I am proud of the way it is going. Two big changes: Mercer’s push for the Promise Neighborhood and the Center for Collaborative Journalism. Had I been there for the CCJ, I may not have gone into ministry because I may have been so excited about journalism and the type of work journalism students are now doing.
Cluster: What things have stayed the same?
Harwell: A lot of my favorite professors are still there. And a lot of the ethos of the departments are the same. The desire to have a good quality education is still there. And there are still a lot of students who really want to learn.
Cluster: Why did you decide to come back to Macon?
Harwell: There was a job available at Centenary. I knew Macon and liked Macon and I knew that I would have stuff to do. It was hard because I had fallen in love with Atlanta and the diversity in Atlanta, but at the end of the day there was not a big field for me in my profession. I started to discover Macon best in my last couple of months of Mercer. My friends and I took a tour on the trolley and discovered downtown. We have a lot of restaurants and museums. Because I didn’t have a car in college, I didn’t get to go downtown a lot. Now, I can explore Macon with my car and with money. I love Macon because it is right on the edge from being all it can be. We have the potential to be a really great city. I would definitely recommend people to live here now because it is a good city, and I really feel we are on the edge of something awesome.
(09/26/12 9:23pm)
The Ocmulgee River is a body of water in Macon where people often go to swim. Small things such as some poorly-disposed grease, or even a tree root, can serve as a great threat to this natural pleasure.
On Sept. 3, a sewage pipe ruptured on South Pine Knoll Drive into a dry creek bed near the Ocmulgee River.
A resident was cutting his lawn and smelled sewage that led him to the creek bed. The dry creek bed had been filled with sewage and was running like a stream.
Because of a communication error, the spill went untreated from 1:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. allowing a
reported 4,860 gallons of sewage to flood the area. It was reported that the spill was cleaned up the next day, but other reports have shown this claim to be untrue.
The Altamaha Riverkeepers, a group based in Darien, Georgia, heard about the spill and began
researching into the matter.
Executive Director Deborah Sheppard wrote a letter to the Macon Water Authority addressing the
matter and the concerns that the group has about the way that spills are documented and handled in Macon.
All of the water systems are connected, and a spill into the Ocmulgee could easily affect the condition of the Altamaha River, which is downstream.
The letter addressed the fact that the spill was not reported in a timely fashion because of the Water Authority. It also took issue with the method for measuring the amount of sewage spilled.
Currently, the Macon Water Authority measures the amount of spillage beginning at the time the spill
is reported to the time the spill stops. This measurement is inaccurate if the spill goes unreported for several hours.
The recent spill had been very obviously going on for a while before its discovery, as the dry creek bed was running with sewage when it was found.
After Sheppard wrote the letter to the Macon Water Authority in response to the recent sewage spill, the Water Authority acknowledged her concerns. They agreed to improve the notification system so that detected spills were treated faster. In addition, they will remain in contact with the Altamaha
Riverkeepers to discuss other methods for measuring the amount of sewage released during spills.
They also agreed to improve education about grease and other substances that cannot go down the drain because they will damage the pipes.
This spill was certainly not the first spill in Macon and it is important that Macon residents are educated in how to detect and report spills.
“There is a long history of sewage problems created by failing infrastructure” Sheppard stated. “It’s an old system and it is something that happens in all old cities.”
Roots from trees pose a threat to these pipes as they grow into the pipes and create blockages along with damage to the aging pipes.
Another major problem are the substances that residences put into their sewage system. Many people pour things like grease down their drain, which causes major blockages in the water system.
Macon Water Authority has launched an aggressive effort to clear the lines, but the grease in the system still causes issues.
Macon Water Authority encourages Mercer students and Macon residents to become educated on what can and cannot go down the drain in order to protect Macon’s water. Also, students should be on the lookout for spills and learn the proper way to report such incidents.
(09/26/12 9:22pm)
On Sept. 12, Macon’s Medical Center of Central Georgia selected Dr. Ninfa Saunders to serve as the new president and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center and the Central Georgia Hospital System.
She will replace Don Faulk in this position on Oct. 1.
When Faulk was director, the hospital became Georgia’s second largest hospital. In addition, the hospital has been nationally recognized for nursing and other adult specialties. Because of Faulk, the hospital has grown to be what is known as a top-notch facility.
“I am honored to accept the position of President and CEO of this remarkable organization,” said
Saunders. “I am also humbled by the opportunity to follow the exceptional leadership of Don Faulk.
He has positioned this organization to be one of Georgia’s best. I look forward to working alongside a passionate, committed group of board members, physicians, employees, and healthcare executives to serve the needs of this community.”
Faulk announced his retirement last winter and he is going to retire in the fall of 2012. He served as president and CEO for the Medical Center of Central Georgia for 39 years and has left a large role for
Saunders to fill, but she has a strong record behind her.
Saunders is currently a distinguished faculty member at Emory University in Atlanta and an associate professor at Rutger’s University in New Jersey.
Saunders earned a doctorate in healthcare administration at the Medical University of South Carolina, a Master’s of Business Administration from Atlanta’s Emory University, a Master’s of Science in Nursing from the Rutgers University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Concordia college in the Philippines.
In addition, she was awarded the 2012 Outstanding Citizenship and Good Neighbor Award by the American Red Cross. She was named as South Jersey Magazine’s “Woman to Watch in New Jersey” in 2012.
Saunders comes from New Jersey where she was the president and COO of Virtua Health, which is the largest health system of south New Jersey.
Virtua Health runs four hospitals along with senior services/home care, ambulatory services, outpatient services and rehabilitation centers.
Saunders has close to 40 years of experience in the field and she was chosen for this position because she has a clinical background as well as experience and degrees in administration.
The Search Committee utilized a national search firm in order to find Saunders and she was chosen by a committee that included board members, administrators and physicians.
The Medical Center of Central Georgia and Central Georgia Hospital System boards of directors ratified the committee’s selection on Wed. Sept. 12, 2012.
Current President Faulk feels confident in the breadth and extent of the search for his replacement and he is sure that Saunders will be a great addition to the Medical Center of Central Georgia.
The Medical Center of Central Georgia thanks Faulk and his team of directors for their dedication and service to the hospital. They are excited for the new opportunities that Saunders will bring to the position.