Georgia Magazine - November 2019 - 4

COURTESY PAK-IT-LITE LLC / TONY KRAMER

15 INVENTIVE GIFTS
Georgia products for special giving
BY JANE F. GARVEY

GEORGIA Magazine

January 2018

n a state with a stunning variety of creative artisans and products,
it's fun to shop for friends and family who have special interests
and tastes. Here are some appealing, inventive gifts, some of
which came from new enterprises, while others are produced by
longtime businesses. While the creators represent diverse backgrounds and offer a variety of items, they share a sense of pride in
their Georgia products.

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RIDING HIGH

CAMPFIRE SOCIAL

Ryan Hersh, an information
technology specialist at Emory
University in Atlanta, had only
4 miles to go to get to work,
but the drive was taking him
an hour. Fed up, he designed
the battery-powered Edison
Electric Bicycle. Getting to
work now takes 12 minutes.
While the frame is made from
aircraft-grade aluminum produced in China, final assembly
takes place in Atlanta. Want
a workout? Just shut off the
battery and pedal away. Prices:
About $2,000; $3,600 for two.

Edison Electric Bike Co., 1619 Hosea L. Williams
Dr., Atlanta; also at Ponce City Market, Atlanta, and
Roswell; (470) 588-1619; edisonbicycles.com

URBAN TIMBER

▲ SWEET DREAMS

ROS
S
YON

The Jack Ellis Co., 2838 Washington St., Avondale
Estates; (404) 626-3323; thejackelliscompany.com

Hobo Cheese Co., 3142 Hwy. 78 N.W., #118, Covington;
(470) 349-4585; hobocheese.co

Whitney Wolf knows what to do with fallen trees. In 2014,
he and his business partner at the time opened The Jack Ellis Co.,
named for their sons, "with $50 and some of my grandfather's
tools." The tumbled giants he works with come to him via
arborists and others who clear them from streets and yards.
The logs are air-dried, seasoned and milled, then made into
curtain rods, tables, beds and other furniture. Prices: About
$50 for a cutting board; $1,000 for a bed frame or large
coffee table; $2,800 for a dining table.

Tyler and Megan Davis swapped farming for cheesemaking and founded Hobo Cheese Co. in Covington.
The couple sources milk from local suppliers to make
small-batch cheeses inspired by the cheese tradition of
northern Italy. Find them at the Green Market at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Marietta Square Farmers Market
in Marietta, Decatur Farmers Market in Decatur and the
Morningside location of Alon's Bakery and Market in
Atlanta. Price: $10 for 8 ounces.

Pak-It-Lite, Woodstock;
(770) 403-8346; camphammocks.com

NR
TR Y O

More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

GEORGIA MAGAZINE

24-28_GA_Products-final_1118.indd 24

10/18/18 4:22 PM

Editor's note: Turn to page 16 to see this year's Georgia products article,
featuring 12 great Georgia businesses.
By Jackie Kennedy

Honoring heroes

John
Longino

Catching up on your July 2019 issue, I was particularly
impressed with Jackie Kennedy's profile on
J
John Longino. [See "John Longino: Waleska attorney
leads a life of volunteerism," page 46; bit.ly/jlong719.]
It is great to see stories profiling those who adhere, as
John does, to the Rotary motto: "Service above self." As
a fellow Rotarian, I applaud his commitment to make
a difference.
Please continue to share stories like this. If it
helps spur even one person to do more than he or she
did the day before to make a difference in the lives of
others, that is print space well spent.
-Rafe Semmes, past president, Savannah Sunrise Rotary Club, Savannah
Waleska attorney leads
a life of volunteerism

DONNA LONGINO

John Longino prepares to serve customers at the counter of the
MUST Ministries food pantry in Canton.

46 Georgia Magazine

July 2019

46_Hometown_Hero_SW_0719.indd 46

ohn Longino has been a lot of places
and seen a lot of things.
The trial lawyer's volunteerism has
taken him to Miami, where he established
a food pantry, and New Orleans, where he
supplied food and fresh water to people
displaced after Hurricane Katrina.
Since 2009, Longino has lived in
Waleska with his wife, Donna, who nominated him as a Hometown Hero.
"I don't know of anyone more deserving of recognition for a lifetime commitment
to helping others," she wrote in her nomination.
Longino co-founded Centro Latino in
Dalton, a Hispanic agency offering relocation assistance, and served on the board of
directors for Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Georgia. He was named Rotarian of the
Year in 1998 for his volunteer work with central Georgia flood and tornado victims and
was presented the Justice Robert Benham
Award for Community Service in 2014 by the
State Bar of Georgia.
Through the years, he has hosted 10
foreign students who attended colleges in
the U.S., and last year, he volunteered with
Catholic Charities to assist asylum-seekers
at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Longino currently serves as a translator
for Spanish- and French-speaking clients at
the MUST Ministries food pantry in Canton.
"The purpose is not to hand out food,"
he says, "but to make people feel important
when I hand food to them. A lot of it is engaging with these beaten-down people."
The Hometown Hero says becoming a
Christian in 1984 spurred his volunteerism.
"If I say I follow Jesus, I'm committed to
follow Jesus," says Longino. "He didn't say,
'Blessed are those who sit and watch TV.' He
wants me to go help people, and fortunately
I've been able to do that."
Jackie Kennedy is a freelance writer
living in LaGrange.

6/11/19 4:07 PM

As I read my September magazine, I was especially interested in the sweet story
about Johnny Jennings. [See "Johnny Jennings: Ringgold man recycles for his favorite
charity," page 58; bit.ly/jenn919.] My eye was first drawn to the words "Children's
Home in Hapeville."
My great-grandfather died tragically in the late 1930s when my grandmother and
her siblings were all age 7 and younger (except her one older brother). My great-grandmother had no other means nor family to help her raise the children by herself. She
kept her oldest son home to help her and took my grandmother and her younger siblings to the [Georgia Baptist] Children's Home in Hapeville. [My grandmother] told me
many stories about her time in the children's home, and when I read about Mr. Jennings, it really touched my heart.
My eye then was drawn to the aluminum cans he loyally recycles. While teaching
at my former school, I learned a lot about the love and true care provided by the Ronald McDonald House for families with children in the hospital. I learned that you can
save the aluminum can tabs and donate them to the Ronald McDonald House. I
couldn't help but think that with the number of cans this amazing gentleman recycles
to help children, the pop tops could be used to help families at the Ronald McDonald
House.
I would consider it a blessing and a privilege to meet Mr. Jennings. He truly is a
wonderful person with a humble spirit and caring heart. We all should aspire to be
more like this hometown hero. Thank you for sharing this amazing story.
-Lorie Ogle Grimes, Rayle EMC member, via email
Share your thoughts. Email us at magazine@georgiaemc.com. Please include your name,
address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.

Georgia Magazine

November 2019

Former British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill may have said it best:
"We make a living by what we get; we
make a life by what we give." Studies have
shown that volunteering your time, money or expertise to help others doesn't just
make the world a better place; it makes
you better as well.
In this giving-themed issue, we honor
individuals and organizations whose acts
of benevolence strengthen our communities and our environment.
Veterans Day is Nov. 11, which makes
it timely that we focus on The Home
Depot Foundation's commitment to
veterans' causes. Last year this charitable
arm of the home-improvement retailer
donated $50 million to train 20,000 workers for jobs in construction over the next
10 years.
Turn to page 28 to find out how the
foundation is helping soldiers who are
leaving the military make the transition to
the civilian workforce and careers in the
skilled trades.
Conservation is the central focus of
many modern zoos, and Zoo Atlanta is
no exception. Zoo conservation staff
participate in programs that protect and
restore habitat, promote captive breeding
and conduct genetic research.
But perhaps their most important
conservation effort involves helping visitors connect with animals and understand
that their actions can have an impact on
wildlife. See "One animal at a time" on
page 24 to learn how Zoo Atlanta's conservation efforts are protecting animals
worldwide and how you can take part.
"Voluntourism" is an informal term
for performing volunteer work while
visiting the area where the work takes
place. Voluntourism can take many forms,
but its popularity in recent years shows
that people are increasingly looking for
meaningful travel experiences. Read
"Travel with a twist," starting on page 32,
to discover how you can become a
"voluntourist" right here in Georgia.
CHEESE, PLEASE

Tony Kramer of Woodstock is an
avid backpacker, hiker and sea kayaker, but sleeping on the ground aggravated his arthritis and back pain.
After years of research, he developed
Pak-It-Lite, comfortable, handmade
hammocks based on a structure that
Kramer has patented. The side pockets
keep gear and clothing handy.
"My hammocks are the Lamborghini of hammocks," he says, pointing
to fine details, such as the wind- and
water-resistant taslan nylon that looks
and feels like cotton. Prices: $53 to
$530.

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I would like to thank everyone at Georgia Magazine
for the article on MaMa E's Home Bakery that was in the
November 2018 issue. [See "15 inventive gifts," page 24;
bit.ly/gaprd18.]
I was receiving orders before I even knew the
article had been published. It made a world of difference
in my business. I shipped cheese straws and candy all
over Georgia. Thanks for such a great season last year,
and I hope everyone will remember me this year.
-Marie Motes, owner, MaMa E's Home Bakery, Metter

TERESA A. FLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY

Made a world of difference

Hometown HERO

From THE EDITOR

Comments from our readers * Compiled by Jennifer J. Hewett

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MailBOX

Enjoy!

Laurel George
Editor

http://www.bit.ly/gaprd18 http://www.bit.ly/jlong719 http://www.bit.ly/jenn919

Georgia Magazine - November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - November 2019