Ceremony marks new era for local children’s home

The Georgia Industrial Children’s Home broke ground Nov. 7 on a new facility that will house a gymnasium, special classrooms and offices on the rolling hills of its scenic campus on Mumford Road.

The project has been in the planning stages for a few years, according to Mike Angstadt, executive director of GICH’s parent company, Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services. Angstadt was assigned the task of finding the funds for the ambitious expansion of services for the home.

After GICH board chairman Louis Abott welcomed community leaders, and after fellow board member the Rev. James Moore delivered the invocation, Abbott introduced Kathryn Dennis, president of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, whose organization helped underwrite the new building.

Dennis praised the efforts of GICH staff and the 117-year history of the home in nurturing and in preparing young people to lead productive lives. Karen Lambert, president and CEO of the Peyton Anderson Foundation, another source for funding for the new building, spoke of the positive contribution well-educated children can make to the Middle Georgia community when raised in the positive environment GICH provides.

Lisa Wicker, senior marketing coordinator for Twin Cedars, recognized other entities in the Macon area that have been a part of the volunteer development team for GICH for years. Wicker, Angstadt and Joy Dyer, GICH board member, joined State Bank representatives and Sidney Haynes, the architect for the new building, in celebrating the ceremonial first shovel of dirt to kick off the construction, which started the same week as the recognition ceremony.

Program director for GICH Linda Finley spoke of the relationship between the staff and the young residents, a bond that provides the family environment the children might otherwise lack, and of the camaraderie among the students, who consider their fellow residents an extended family. All of the residents are excited about the new athletic facility and about the additional support programs offered as part of an in-house curriculum.

When you drive by the Mumford Road home, or if you take advantage of the trails for walking and biking, keep your eyes on the progress of the newest building on campus, resting atop the hill opposite the main antebellum house.

RENOWNED CLASSICAL GUITARIST PERFORMS AT GEORGIA MILITARY COLLEGE

All of the proceeds from the benefit concert Nov. 17 in the Goldstein Center for the Performing Arts at Georgia Military College will fund scholarships for students at the preparatory school in Milledgeville, thanks to the generosity of residents David and CC Sinclair. President of GMC, Lt. General (Ret.) William B. Caldwell IV and his wife, Stephanie Caldwell, were on hand for the concert.

The featured artist, Matt Palmer, is a classical guitarist who has received a lot of media attention for his self-taught technique, described in 80 pages of detail in his book, “The Virtuoso Guitarist.” On that Thursday, the audience was transported by his embrace of the guitar in “Fantasy on Crimson Moon,” by Sergey Rudnev, a contemporary Russian composer who was first influenced by Spanish artists, but has devoted most of his life and work to Russian folk themes.

The ominous message of “The Heaven’s Hundred” is an homage to the hundred slain protesters in the Kiev uprising three years ago, and was written by Olga Amelkina-Vera, a native of Belarus and a classical guitarist who wrote it specifically for Palmer. The execution of the works, with bilateral coordination of hands on the classical guitar, is fascinating to watch. Palmer has been described as a virtuosic and soulful concert artist, a winning combination.

Palmer initially played traditional guitar, and was influenced by Guns ‘N’ Roses, Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads. He convinced himself he occasionally played Bach only to refine his talent on the electric guitar for future heavy metal compositions.

Ironically, his third selection at the concert was the Chaconne from BMV 1004 in D minor, by Johann Sebastian Bach, which, had it not been identified in the program, could have been mistaken for the work of a contemporary composer. It was, in fact, written early in the 18th century for solo violin. After hearing the interpretation by Palmer’s handcrafted classical guitar, it is difficult to imagine it played on the violin.

Although the sonata performances after intermission were enthusiastically received by the audience, the highlight of the evening was the performance by David Sinclair, accompanied by Palmer on his versatile guitar, singing the song that first attracted him to Palmer, Tom Waits’ “I’m Still Here,” a version of which Sinclair heard Palmer play on YouTube.

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Ceremony marks new era for local children’s home."