Commercial Truck Insurance in Blairsville, GA

Just off the highway in Blairsville, Georgia, partially enclosed by a crooked picket fence, a cluster of tiny homes and even tinier residents populate a strange but inviting landscape. Turn up the steep incline to the parking lot, and you’ll step into “fantastical worlds,” as promised by the storybook left open at the entrance to Sleepy Hollow Enterprises.

This promise brought me two hours north of Atlanta, a trip planned with the sole purpose of discovering this unusual place—and maybe capturing a little magic of my own.

For young and old

Sleepy Hollow is no ordinary gift shop. Near the entrance, a garden path winds through the woods and into a fairy village. Here, flowers overflow from Lilliputian window sills, and elves and pixies come out from hiding. “Watch where you step,” warns one sign posted to a tree. A fairy painted on it, wearing a hard hat and a cheeky grin, waves her wand at me.

The houses themselves are whimsical: candy-colored paint, awnings askew, walls and roofs with a tendency to curve. Each one is unique and handcrafted by Art Millican, Jr., a Disney Imagineer turned entrepreneur who transplanted his love for fantasy from Orlando to the Blue Ridge foothills 16 years ago. He doesn’t think my quest for magic is at all ridiculous.

“Magic is all around us,” Millican says. “Sleepy Hollow brings this magic to the young and old. That’s why I opened the place.”

Inside, Millican sells his creations, from fairy doors to gnome chalets, along with the diminutive characters that accompany them: mermaids, dragons, and the like. Outside, the garden, originally built to showcase the playhouses, birdhouses, and yard art, has grown into something more: a destination that draws people from as far away as Finland and Australia, a setting for proposals, and a roadside attraction that keeps visitors coming back, year after year.

“People are surprised at what they see,” Millican explains. “When you’re walking through the fairy village, you’re reminded of your youth … when you saw the world through the eyes of a child, where all things were magical.”

Making magic

Millican says he’s always loved fantasy, but he learned how to craft it from Disney. He started working at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom Park right out of high school in 1974, selling popcorn on Main Street.

“They wouldn’t hire a kid that thought he was an artist, so I took whatever job they offered,” he says. “That got my foot in the door. From there, I was able to find where all the artists were and talked and bugged them until they gave me a chance.”

They taught him the fundamentals of the art he practices today: sculpting, sewing, welding, woodworking, robotics, and electronics. It was everything he needed to take his two-dimensional drawings to a 3D reality.

With his newfound skills and a flair for the fantastic, Millican eventually left Disney to work with Michael Jackson on building his Peter Pan-themed Neverland Ranch. At the time, Millican’s home base was in Florida and he traveled frequently for work, escaping for weekend trips to Blairsville whenever possible. In 2004, he decided to make it permanent. He moved to the mountains, married his wife Wendi, and got to work building his dream.

“I found this magical spot and created Sleepy Hollow Enterprises, a place where parents and children can come and play and use their imaginations,” he says. “It’s a place they don’t have to grow up.”

Twisted garden

It took Millican about six months to finish the fairy village. It features more than a dozen homes, from playhouses large enough for a curious child or two (or a young-at-heart adult) down to pixie-sized dwellings. You can peer into tiny doors and windows. Sometimes there’s furniture inside.

While the Disney influence is unmistakable, it’s Millican’s quirky imagination that makes the place memorable. “It’s nice to be able to build what you want and not have somebody dictate to you,” he says. “I like being able to put my own twist on things.”

Those twists include a troll wishing well, chimneys that turn into mini houses, and several half-circle hobbit homes dug into a leafy cliff. A cat with a Looney Tunes air about him dangles precariously from a towering building, his head caught in a birdcage. When I ask what happened to the cat, Millican says, somewhat cryptically: “The cat in the cage was put there by the mean gremlins to show what happens to naughty creatures that try and hurt the fairies and their friends.”

I find that’s part of the charm of Sleepy Hollow. It’s not all gingerbread trim and whirligigs, though there’s plenty of both. Disembodied gloves point toward mysterious places like a goblin camp and troll hideout. Above a waterfall looms a ramshackle hut, which strikes a pleasantly sinister note. Millican tells me the design for that house is intentionally rustic.

“This isn’t Toontown,” he adds. “If you were an elf or a leprechaun, you would want something that would blend with the scenery.”

His favorite piece? A miniature turreted castle crowning a toadstool-studded hill. It was a wedding gift to his wife. “She has always been my inspiration,” Millican says. “She is the Wendi to my Peter Pan.”

The future of fairyland

Maintaining the village takes a lot of work; Millican refurbishes houses and restores figurines to their original location after they’ve wandered off—either supernaturally or with the help of little hands, it’s hard to say. It requires constant upkeep, Millican says, not all that different from a theme park.

But despite his best efforts, the fairy trail may prove as ephemeral as the sprites who inhabit it. The nearly 3-acre property, which includes the Millicans’ home, is currently under threat of imminent domain, though they’re contesting the state’s valuation of the land. Millican says if he has to abandon the fairy garden, he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to recreate it.

“It needs the ambiance of being in the woods,” he says. “You can’t just put this in a neighborhood or a strip mall and expect it to work.”

Meanwhile, Millican is staying busy—whimsy is in high demand right now, and the shop has a backlog of orders. He still does some work for theme parks, including Disney, Universal, and Dollywood, creating props and models for product development. He also crafts complex steampunk contraptions for conventions across the country. Most days, though, he’s doing what he loves most: building fairy homes and helping others glimpse a world beyond their own.

“Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing,” Millican says. “There is so much magic in the world that if you truly believe, your eyes and heart will open a magical world before you. Stay young and believe and you, too, shall see the wonders of Sleepy Hollow.”

Sleepy Hollow is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with some COVID-19 precautions in place. Admission to the fairy village is free, but donations are welcome.

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. – First Baptist Church of Blairsville has called Rev. Ricky Powell to succeed Dr. Fred Lodge as pastor. It has been said, “The church is not a campus but a community. Pastors are not CEOs; they are shepherds.” All indications provide evidence that Pastor Powell is God’s shepherd to nurture the existing spirit of unity and community among the people of Blairsville’s First Baptist Church.

Powell commented, “I am a pastor at heart. I love and care for people in our church. I also love preaching God’s Word in a contextual and relevant way. I am committed to leading with integrity. I am a collaborative leader, and it is my desire to build a culture of love and respect for those inside and outside the church. I want to glorify the Lord in all I do.”

Prior to coming to Blairsville in August, Powell loved and served the people of Fort Caroline Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., for 28 years. In fact, in reflecting on his ministry in Jacksonville, he stated, “The church was growing again after the pandemic. We had unity in our church for reaching the lost. We were seeing people saved. The church was debt free and ready to move forward with a building campaign to refresh and expand the campus.”

Amid that positive and productive time in the life of the church, Powell admitted, “For some reason, I was beginning to feel that God was bringing my ministry at Fort Caroline to a close. The more I prayed the more I felt like God was preparing me for something new, and that He was preparing someone new to lead Fort Caroline.

“John Maxwell once said, ‘Never leave something. Go to something.’ It was during that season that the pastor search committee of First Baptist Church of Blairsville came calling.”

Dr. Al Haywood, the founder and CEO of Pathway Christian Counseling in Blairsville and member of the pastor search committee, explained, “Our committee had prayed and earnestly sought the Lord about finding God’s man to be our pastor and we felt from the beginning that Ricky Powell was the one He was leading us to call. He is one of the kindest, most loving individuals you will ever meet. He is a servant leader, and we believe he will be a phenomenal pastor.

God was obviously at work in joining the north Georgia church and Powell together, because not only did the committee feel that they had found God’s man for their church from the beginning of their search, but Powell avowed, “From the first conversation with the Pastor Search Committee, I felt like God has prepared me to join this historic fellowship. I believed that my skills as a pastor, and leader could be a great fit.

“God confirmed throughout the process that He was calling me to a new chapter of ministry. The ultimate confirmation came with the unanimous vote of the congregation. I am grateful for my time with Fort Caroline Baptist Church, but I am excited to be with FBC! Our attendance is higher than before the pandemic. People are getting saved and baptized. There is excitement about what God is doing through the church in these days.”

Dr. Haywood added his ‘Amen’ to his new pastor’s evaluation of the church’s recent growth, saying, “Our worship attendance has already surpassed what we were experiencing prior to the pandemic, but I think some of that is due to the way our staff handled the situation from the beginning. However, I believe our new pastor will lead us to new heights in Christ.”

The chairman of the search committee, Ken Hatley, was effusive in his comments about Pastor Powell and declared, “The whole experience of meeting, interviewing, and voting to call Ricky Powell was the most rewarding spiritual experience of my Christian life. It was obvious that God was knitting our hearts together and what could have been a burdensome responsibility became an incredible joy. God’s hand was in the process from the beginning. What we envisioned from the start is already proving to be an untold blessing to the church and the promise of a bright future for First Baptist Church.”

Although Powell was born in Mobile, Ala., he grew up in Valdosta, Ga. The new Blairsville pastor stated, “I trusted Christ as my Savior during Vacation Bible School when I was twelve years old and surrendered to ministry when I was seventeen.”

“My childhood pastor, Stanley Luke, who was serving Corinth Baptist Church in Lake Park, involved me in meaningful ministry when I was a teenager. He encouraged me to share my salvation testimony at youth events. He allowed me to serve in a weekly nursing home ministry. He invited me to make hospital visits with him. God used his mentorship to clarify my call into ministry as a teenager. I am amazed that God in grace would save me and then allow me to serve Him.

“Pastor Luke’s cousin, Donna, and I met as teenagers. She occasionally came from her home in Jacksonville to attend the Corinth Church. I liked Donna immediately, but it was not until I was around nineteen years old that she agreed to go on a date with me. We married in 1991 after she graduated from the University of North Florida. We were married at Gateway Baptist Church in Valdosta where I served as pastor at that time.”

Powell prepared himself well for God’s calling by earning a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Luther Rice University and a Master's of Divinity with Specialization in Christian Apologetics from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

The Powells have three grown children, Joshua, Casey, and Caleb; and Ricky expressed great delight in the contribution Donna has made to his ministry. He exclaimed, “Donna has been an amazing wife, a wonderful mother, and she has faithfully used her gifts of service and hospitality to bless and encourage our congregations. I would not be the man I am without her love and support.

Every pastor must have time for some kind of diversion, or he will likely “become weary in well doing.” Pastor Powell enjoys reading, freshwater fishing, yard work and cars. We can understand one’s interest in cars. E. B. White profoundly stated, “Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car.” Pastor Powell’s interest is more specific. He stated, “My first car was a 1969 Mustang, and I have wanted a Mustang GT ever since. It’s on my bucket list.”

The Blairsville pastor recognizes that the First Baptist Church has a long history of long-tenured pastors, an effective marker that speaks of the health of a church. He emphasized, “The church is also passionate about local, national, and global missions.”

He cited an experience he had while on a mission trip to west-central Brazil, explaining, “Pastor Eduardo Baldaci invited me to speak to some state government officials; and I shared a brief Gospel devotional. Afterwards, I received an invitation from the governor of the state of Mato Grosso to come to his office and speak to him and his staff. It was a joy to share the Gospel and pray with them.”

According to Powell’s testimony, he has an uncompromising allegiance to the “holy, inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God” and longs to see our churches experience revival and rediscover a reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ricky Powell and his love for people and commitment to Christian harmony should fit the DNA of the Blairsville church well, because on the dust cover of the book, How Firm a Foundation: A History of the First Baptist Church, Blairsville, Georgia, the following words appear: “This is not your average church history book. This is a book about people – Christian men and women who, through dedication and commitment to God and each other, built the First Baptist Church of Blairsville. It is a story, not of a building, but of individual lives bound together within a community of God.”

Relax and refresh at a cabin in the mountains inside Vogel State Park. (©Georgia Department of Natural Resources)

Located approximately four hours northwest of Augusta, Blairsville beckons with small-town charm and serene natural surroundings. It’s home to Vogel State Park, the second oldest state park in Georgia, and Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s highest peak.

This gem in the North Georgia mountains affords gorgeous views at every turn. To maximize its peacefulness, make a cabin at Vogel your home base, where you can wake up to a babbling brook and wildlife right outside your front door. It’s stocked with everything you need—kitchen implements, comfy seating to sink back into and a bin full of games should you wish to forgo the complementary Roku.

You may find it hard to leave your cabin, but there are many more wonders to explore. The downtown area is just eight miles away, and a leisurely day of shopping is at hand. It’s easy to make a loop of the boutiques as they’re centered around a town square, with the Union County Historical Society’s 1899 Courthouse as the centerpiece. We suggest parking in one spot, such as the convenient (and delicious) Cabin Coffee Company, to start your journey, and later refuel to press on!

Downtown boutiques to put on your radar are Keen Creations, Rustic Mountain Decor, Sunflowers on the Square and Blue Ridge Cotton Company. And don’t miss Granddaddy Mimm’s Distilling Company, which recently moved into a larger location and produces the best moonshine we’ve ever tasted, from an original family recipe. It’s also released a new line of vodkas, Owltown, which come in original, raspberry guava and citrus (perfect for a lemon drop martini).

A few miles from downtown lies an antiquing paradise, Victoria’s Antique Mall. Be prepared to spend half the day here! With its multiple rooms and two floors, you’ll be hard pressed not to leave without an armful—or boxful—of goodies. The mall’s even got its own greeter, a friendly feline named Red Butler, who enjoys belly scratches.

All that shopping got you hungry? There are plenty of great food finds in Blairsville as well. The Aviator Cafe is on route to Victoria’s and has inexpensive soup and sandwich combos, burgers, wraps and smoothies. The Sawmill Place is THE place for biscuits, farm-fresh breakfasts and a divine brisket hash. For dinner, the creative Mexican dishes at Lucky’s Taqueria are among the best we’ve had in Georgia.

Of course, no visit to Blairsville would be complete without a stop at Brasstown Bald. Take the shuttle to the visitor center from which you can get a 360-degree view of four states: Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. On a clear day, you can see the skyline of Atlanta, 100 miles away. On your way out of town, don’t miss the gentle creatures at Lasso the Moon Alpaca Farm. You’ll learn about fiber art and get to pet the alpacas and other barnyard animals.

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. - The Blairsville City Council has voted to halt all deliveries of potentially toxic landfill wastewater known as leachate to its wastewater treatment plant.

The vote followed an I-Team investigation that raised questions about a powerful state senator striking the deal with very little publicity to deliver the leachate to the city.

It took only minutes to end a year's worth of environmental controversy. The Blairsville City Council in North Georgia voted last week to stop all deliveries of landfill wastewater to their local treatment plant.

(Is that success for your group?) "I think it is a major success," says Lake Nottely Improvement Association President Doy Lively.

Lively couldn't believe his ears as he listened to the council meeting on Zoom.

"I was absolutely elated. My wife and I were sitting there together we were high fiving, hoping our mute button was working," said Lively.

This is how it happened. Around May of 2019 powerful State Senator Steve Gooch - who represents this district - proposed trucking leachate from a landfill 35 miles away in Forsyth County to the Blairsville Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Leachate is when rain mixes with landfill waste and creates a sort of toxic soup from all the decomposing chemicals and waste products. By law, it has to be removed and treated.

"You may get pesticides from people's homes, you may get carpet scraps, these kinds of things that contain chemicals," said Bert Langley a former EPD official.

Blairsville Mayor Jim Conley said he did it for the 5 cents a gallon Senator Gooch's company would pay the city.

(Was politics at play at all in this decision?) "Absolutely not," said Conley.

Sen. Gooch would not do an interview but issued a statement explaining his long time wastewater treatment company, TWA, has been "traveling the state" offering leachate removal services to landfills across Georgia. He says his payments to Blairsville were based "solely on market rates."

Last week, the Blairsville city council met for the first time since our report aired. The council voted unanimously to officially halt all leachate deliveries after Senator Gooch's company stopped making leachate deliveries. Mayor Jim Conley offered no explanation.

Senator Steve Gooch wrote us saying he halted shipments due to lake owner’s concern in spite of meeting all "federal and state water quality standards" and EPA laboratory testing finding "no evidence of contamination" Gooch added he has "no intention of revisiting this issue in the future."

"I think we have had our voices heard," said Ross Malme of the Lake Nottely Improvement Association.

Lake Nottely homeowners, who have met with Senator Gooch, written letters to the local newspaper editor, put up a Facebook page and even ran ads are cautiously optimistic.

"We want to take a long term view on this. This body of water behind me here is very pristine, and we want to see it stay that way for years to come," says Malme.

Lake Nottely homeowners say the won the battle but not the war. They plan to fight the city's application to the EPA to increase the amount the plant can release from 400,000 gallons to a million gallons a day. That application includes the processing of leachate.

BLAIRSVILLE, GA — Amanda King is the newest Postmaster for the Blairsville community.

King follows a long tradition of postal service in the community, where the first postmaster –Charles R. Gibbs – was documented as being appointed in 1835. Ms. King is the 42nd postmaster of Blairsville.

King began her postal career in 2001 as a Rural Carrier Associate in Blue Ridge, GA. She transferred to the Blairsville Post Office when her children were small. “My route was up the Gainesville Highway for a portion, then all the way through Owltown, and some of Mulkey Gap,” said King. “I loved my customers!”

She began seeking upward mobility in 2008, and held details including OIC assignments in Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Buford, Clermont, Dahlonega, Ringgold, and Young Harris. She achieved her first Postmaster position in Epworth, GA in 2018.

“I have held the Blairsville Postmaster title officially for 2 weeks now, and people that know me in our community know that they can call on me and I’ll help the best I possibly can,” said King. “Our community hasn’t had a ‘local’ Postmaster in over 16 years. I am completely honored to be able to hold this position.”

King immediately joined the Chamber of Commerce in Blairsville and intends to be a part of the events in the community. She has already begun beautification projects at the post office which some of the regular customers have noticed.

As the Postmaster of Blairsville, King supervises 40 employees, 20 rural routes with 12,200 deliveries and approximately 2000 Post Office Box customers. “Our Blairsville team is a phenomenal group of hard-working individuals,” said King. “We call each other our Postal Family!”

Her mom is a retired rural mail carrier from Blairsville and she is the reason that she considered a career with the Postal Service. She is grateful for her guidance.

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