Good morning!
Somebody forgot to tell Lake Oconee that Labor Day already happened. We're two weeks past the unofficial end of summer and still sitting in the 90s, which around here just means one more month of lake days, porch fans, and iced everything.
This issue is a little bit of everything that makes this place what it is. I want to start by sharing something personal, my mom was admitted to St. Mary's after surgery for a fractured hip, and the care she's received there taught me something about our own hospital that I didn't fully understand until we needed it. I'll tell you about it below.
From there, we're celebrating: BankSouth is welcoming a new face to the Lake Oconee team, Lake Country Books & Gifts is marking two years in business, and there's live music, a bagel stand worth the Saturday morning drive, and a Broadway musical worth clearing your November calendar for.
Hot as it still is outside, this community never cools off.
❤️ Holly
Presented by St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital
A Program You Hope You Never Need… Until You Do
Last week, my mother was admitted to St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital after hip and femur surgery in Athens. She wasn't ready to go home, but she also didn't need to stay in acute care. That's where the swing bed program came in, and it's been a genuine gift for our family. The staff hasn't just cared for her, they have walked alongside all of us, helping with decisions and next steps at a moment when we needed someone who knew what came next.
I vaguely knew about this program going in, but in talking with people locally this week, I realized a lot of you don't. A "swing bed" lets a hospital bed shift, or swing, from acute care to skilled nursing and rehabilitation care once a patient is past the emergency but not yet ready for home. It means patients recovering from surgery, illness, or injury can get skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and coordinated discharge planning right here at Good Samaritan, close to family, instead of transferring somewhere unfamiliar.
I knew the program existed, but I wasn't sure how to get my mother into it or whether her situation would even qualify. It did, and the hospital walked us through every step. I'm sharing this so that if you ever find yourself in that same spot, wondering whether a loved one qualifies, you'll know to ask.
BankSouth
A Warm Welcome to Mitchell Smith
BankSouth has a new face on the Lake Oconee team, and we wanted you to meet him.
Mitchell Smith has joined BankSouth as a Relationship Manager, bringing three years of experience from the bank's Credit & Underwriting Department with him. In that role, he evaluated financial information, assessed creditworthiness, and worked through commercial and consumer lending decisions from the inside out, giving him a solid foundation before ever sitting across the table from a customer.
Now Mitchell is putting that experience to work directly with the people and businesses of Lake Oconee, taking time to understand what someone is actually trying to accomplish, whether that is buying a home, growing a business, or planning for what comes next, and helping them find the right path there.
"Mitchell has developed a strong foundation in credit analysis and underwriting during his time at BankSouth, and we're excited to see him bring that knowledge to the Lake Oconee team," said Jim Strickland, Market President at BankSouth.
A UGA Terry College of Business grad and a current student at Georgia Banking School, Mitchell is still building his own foundation, too. Outside the office, he's spending time with his wife and son and probably has a book nearby.
Stop in and say hello. That is what community banking is supposed to feel like.
Featured Events
The Burch x Boathouse
Specials Worth Blowing Your Diet For
The Burch x Boathouse rolled out this weekend's specials, and they are not messing around.
First up, a Chicken Bacon Wrap: crispy chicken and bacon loaded with hot honey ranch, tomatoes, crunchy onions, and Cooper cheese on a bed of lettuce. It is wrapped up tight and ready to derail whatever "eating light" plans you walked in with.
Then there is the wing flavor of the weekend, Chamoy Mango. Sweet, tangy, a little spicy, and a whole lot messy in the best way.
Both are only around for the weekend, so if either one is calling your name, do not wait until Monday to find out they are gone.
📍 3991 Walker Church Road, Greensboro
What's New at Lake Oconee
We just gave our "What's New at Lake Oconee" post a refresh, and there's a lot to catch up on.
Indoor golf just landed in Eatonton, courtesy of Tee Time 44's Full Swing simulators and full bar and dining setup on HWY 44. Downtown Greensboro has a new live music home too, Barrel & Rail has moved into the old cotton warehouse aka Oconee Brewing Company and already sold out its debut night, with a Billy Joel/Elton John tribute show coming up September 18. And if you haven't made it to the farmers market yet this season, you're missing Oconee Bagel Co.'s hand-rolled bagels, boiled and baked the real way, every Saturday morning at Harmony Crossing.
Local & Trusted Resources
Choice One Dental
Great oral health starts with a dentist you trust (and we do!), and Dr. Russell Marson and his team have built exactly that here at Lake Oconee. From clear aligners to same-day crowns, they pair advanced technology with genuinely local, family-first care.
📍 1000 Cowles Clinic Way, Suite W-200, Greensboro | (706) 454-0044
Gil’s Automotive Services
Whether it's routine maintenance or something trickier, Gil's Automotive Services has been the name locals trust for their cars, trucks, and classics since 2007. ASE-certified technicians, decades of combined experience, and a waiting area that makes the wait painless.
📍 254 Parks Mill Road, Buckhead | (706) 485-2576
Scratchers Creek Market
Owned by multi-generation farmers Josh Newsome and Jeff Kent, Scratchers Creek Market has earned its name as Lake Oconee's go-to for premium meats and seafood. Prime Angus, Wagyu brisket burgers, sushi-grade fish, and fresh local bread keep locals coming back for more.
📍 1210 Commerce Drive, Suite 111, Greensboro | (706) 453-4445
Come From Away Presented by Lake Country Players
Grab a seat, because this one is worth the trip. Lake Country Players is bringing Come From Away to Festival Hall this fall, the Broadway hit based on the true story of 7,000 stranded travelers and the small Newfoundland town that took them in without hesitation.
In Newfoundland, outsiders are affectionately known as "Come From Aways." Over the course of this story, strangers become neighbors and an unexpected detour turns into one of the best reminders of what people are capable of when they show up for each other. Heart, humor, and music that will stay with you long after the curtain call, this is local theater at its best.
Performances run November 5–8 and November 12–14 at Festival Hall in Greensboro. Tickets are $32.50. If you've bought from Lake Country Players before, your account login carries over; new here, you'll just need to set one up first.
Summer may be overstaying its welcome on the thermometer, but there's nothing to complain about when the extra time comes with an anniversary party, a new neighbor at the bank, and enough live music to fill three nights in a row.
Wherever you land this week, whether that's a hospital waiting room, a bookstore celebration, or a lawn chair at the Plaza, we hope you feel how much this community shows up for itself.
Thank you for reading, and for being part of it.
See you out there,
Your Lake Oconee Life Family