Blog Topic: In the Community

In the Loop: MLK Day Volunteers Restore Historic Black Cemetery

By Martha Michael | January 17, 2017 10:06am

Photo Credit: Austin Steele

Local artist Harold Rittenberry speaks at the dedication for a gate he designed at Brooklyn Cemetery.

After spending hours Monday morning morning working to restore Brooklyn Cemetery—a historic African American cemetery located behind Clarke Middle School and Holy Cross Lutheran Church—volunteers dedicated a new cemetery gate designed by noted local artist Harold Rittenberry.

To honor the over 660 volunteers who have worked to restore the cemetery since the restoration project began in 2006, the Friends of Brooklyn Cemetery—along with volunteers, county commissioners, representatives from the University of Georgia and the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation—gathered to receive an official proclamation from UGA President Jere Morehead. The proclamation recognizes the efforts of volunteers and stated a “deep and abiding appreciation” for those who have worked to preserve rich cultural significance of the cemetery.

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In the Loop: Athens Activists Organize to Stop Trump

By Blake Aued | November 20, 2016 12:26pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

A post-Election Day protest against President-elect Donald Trump at the Arch.

Like many people, you may find yourself wondering, "What now?" after Donald Trump's stunning win Nov. 8. Athens for Everyone's answer is: "Organize!"

The local progressive group is holding a public mass meeting at 3 p.m. today at The Cotton Press (a catering facility in the Chase Park warehouses) to discuss how Trump's policies could affect Athens and how to resist the president-elect's agenda. The organization says:

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Culture Briefs: Today's Sales at Avid Benefit the Pinewoods Library

By Blake Aued | October 21, 2016 10:31am

Photo Credit: Henry Taylor/file

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, Avid Bookshop is donating a portion of today's sales—including online and phone orders—to the Pinewoods library, which serves a largely low-income Latino immigrant community off Highway 29 near Madison County.

The library expanding, and customers can also purchase books for the library from a wish list.

Avid owner Janet Geddis writes:

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Culture Briefs: Poe-tober Artists Receive Literary Inspiration and Awards at ACC Library

By Barbette Houser | October 18, 2016 11:02am

Photo Credit: Barbette Houser

The exhibit includes Michael Marshall's "Spirit Woman #9."

A conspiracy of ravens fluttered throughout the Quiet Gallery at the Athens Clarke County Library on a recent Saturday afternoon. There were also plenty of black cats to be found on the walls and a bevy of beating hearts.

Many of the ravens were made by local fifth graders. All of the works were created by local artists of all ages in response to reading works by Edgar Allen Poe. The Poe-tober exhibit is a celebration of the macabre vision of Poe and is part of the community-wide celebration of his work funded by a NEA "Big Read" grant.

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In the Loop: Photo Gallery: Ashley Block Memorial Bike Ride

By Blake Aued and Matt Hardy | September 20, 2016 4:27pm

Photo Credit: Matt Hardy

Hundreds of Ashley Block's friends and other members of the local cycling community gathered Monday for a group ride one week after Block, a 25-year-old UGA graduate research assistant and triathlete from Minneapolis, was killed by an allegedly impaired and distracted driver on Athena Drive.

"It was an amazing turnout and symbol of love and support for Ashley and her family," says photographer Matt Hardy, who documented the group ride from Five Points through campus to the spot where Block was hit. See more of Hardy's photos below.

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Culture Briefs: Artist Yvonne Studevan’s Home Reflects Extraordinary Family History

By Barbette Houser | August 22, 2016 4:19pm

Photo Credit: Barbette Houser

A self portrait hangs in Studevan's studio.

The home of painter Yvonne Studevan and her husband Russell is elegant and traditional, complete with earth toned walls, a stone fireplace and leather chesterfield chairs you can sink into. Hardly bohemian, it is remarkably different from many of the Athens area artists’ homes featured in WUGA’s Artist In Residence Series in the past. Yet, like all of them, the house, which was on tour last Saturday to benefit the station, reveals the artist’s unique vision and testifies to her craft, passions and beliefs.

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In the Loop: Is This Anti-Discrimination Law Strong Enough?

By Blake Aued | July 22, 2016 2:25pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

Hundreds marched through downtown in January in support of an ordinance banning discrimination by local businesses.

After a six-month wait for the county attorney to draft it, Athens-Clarke County commissioners are fast-tracking a local anti-discrimination ordinance—but local activists say the proposed law doesn’t go far enough.

Last fall, the UGA Student Government Association—prompted at least partly by a racist shot served at the Confederate-themed bar General Beauregard’s—collected dozens of complaintsfrom minority students about discriminatory practices at student bars downtown. Black students said they’ve been denied entry to certain bars based on dress codes that aren’t applied to white patrons, and that they’ve been turned away because doormen told them the establishment was closed for a private party but allowed in others. Such practices are a “pretext to deny somebody admission based on race or other characteristics,” ACC Attorney Bill Berryman told the commission’s Government Operations Committee July 21.

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In the Loop: Tell ACC What You Think About Parks and Rec Programs

By Blake Aued | July 21, 2016 11:33am

Photo Credit: Randy Schafer/file

Scott and Julie Withers play with their son, Wade, at Bishop Park.

Do you have an opinion about Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services? You probably do. If so, the ACC Office of Operational Analysis would like to hear from you.

The OOA, formerly known as the auditor’s office, is conducting a comprehensive audit of the Leisure Services Department and has scheduled seven public input sessions over the next two weeks. They will be held:

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Culture Briefs: Everyone In Athens is Playing Pokémon Go, Which is Revolutionary and Possibly Dangerous

By Maria Lewczyk | July 13, 2016 4:42pm

Photo Credit: Maria Lewczyk

Over the past week, swarms of people have taken to the streets with smartphones in hand, walking (or running) around and loitering in certain (often unusual) locations. Although walking while looking down at one’s phones is already a common activity, this is something different entirely. This is Pokémon Go, a new, location-based augmented reality mobile app developed by Niantic—the minds behind another location-based game called Ingress—and the Pokémon Company.

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In the Loop: Athens Is Overrun With High, Naked UGA Bros

By Blake Aued | July 12, 2016 2:22pm

"We're going streaking to the poke stop!"

As we say in the journalism business, “two is a trend,” and so it’s officially a trend that UGA bros are getting hella faded and running around in public without any clothes on.

Actually, “turnt” might be the better word to describe the 22-year-old UGA senior who jumped into the back of a garbage truck downtown while naked on May 29. (IDK, somebody look it up on Urban Dictionary for me; I’m old and don’t know how to use the Google.)

It took four police officers to drag Benjamin Abele out of the truck because he “violently fought them off, and… it was difficult to get a hold of him because he was extremely slick from being coated with a foul-smelling liquid,” according to the Athens Banner-Herald. He was shot with a Taser twice with no effect.

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