Downtown Ghost Town

As much as I want to support local businesses, especially downtown businesses (as I am a downtown business owner myself), sometimes I wonder if local businesses want to support me. Around 3:30, every downtown business I visited to buy a last-minute Christmas card was closed. Only a couple hours ago there were shoppers here carrying shopping bags, so there are people here ready to make those last minute purchases. Ironically, most of these closed businesses are displaying anti-Walmart signs, but guess what? Walmart is open right now this Christmas Eve, ready to meet my needs, whether it is something frivolous like a Christmas card or something important like a prescription drug. Here downtown, some local businesses took three days off for Thanksgiving, which last I checked was a one-day holiday. So I am finding myself leaving downtown for dining or shopping at chain businesses more than I ever expected. I guess I will join the highway traffic to visit a business I can rely upon this afternoon.

This post is more of an observation than a complaint. I am glad that we have business owners who aren't slaves to schedules and have the freedom to close whenever they want to. However, these extended vacations undermine my effort to make a habit of supporting local businesses. It is easier to support businesses with reliable schedules and make downtown a second, unscheduled stop.

Holiday 2011 Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa

The Holiday 2011 Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa is happening Saturday December 3rd this year from 10am til 6pm at Ben's Bikes, 670 West Broad at the corner of N. Pope Street. We are so excited about our new location that we decided to add even more features to make this the best event ever. In addition to our usual tunes from DJ Mahoghany, we will include a few live performances from acoustic acts Coconut Moon and Matthew Garrison. There will be art cars and live art demos from local toy maker Chris Purcell. Gretchen Elsner will head up the clothing Swap O Rama Rama, a workshop that gives people an opportunity to re-construct their old clothing into something brand new! There will be no need to leave to go get lunch, because Farm cart will join us to provide locally grown, sustainable eats and Ursa Minor from Atlanta will be on hand with hot drinks and tasty pastries. Of course you'll also find the largest selection of handmade arts and crafts, from jewelry and fashion to paintings and photographs, cute stuff for your pets, and lots more. See you there!

Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa Holiday Market
December 3rd, 2011 from 10am till 6pm.
670 West Broad Street, Athens, Georgia

http://athensindiecraftstravaganzaa.com/

'Surprised' if Richt doesn't stay, says UGA's Adams | Online Athens

'Surprised' if Richt doesn't stay, says UGA's Adams | Online Athens

Athens parade tonight

the athens parade is tonight!
http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/index.aspx?NID=2589

Neal Boortz: It may be time for Herman Cain to think about leaving race

Neal Boortz: It may be time for Herman Cain to think about leaving race

Eva Galambos reading at UGA Main Library

Mayor Eva Galambos, fearless and unwavering champion of the City of Sandy Springs, Georgia, has written a fascinating book chronicling her very good life.  Escaping the Nazi terror in Germany to her arrival at the University of Georgia in Athens is a most remarkable story.

Please join us for a book reading and signing by Eva Galambos, Mayor of Sandy Springs, GA
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 4:00p.m. - 1st Floor Reading Room, Main Library.

We hope you can join us.

Concert at 40 Watt to benefit Whatever It Takes

The Futurebirds, Patterson Hood, Woodfangs, Claire Campbell, and My Cousin, The Emperor are lined up for a show at the 40 Watt Club on December 6 at 8 p.m. to benefit Whatever It Takes, an Athens non-profit working to break the cycle of poverty through education. This concert is organized by Poverty Is Real and will be presented by Flagpole.

Poverty Is Real has the mission of organizing concerts in different cities to promote efforts to combat issues such as poverty, abuse, and homelessness at the local level. The group partners with established local organizations and reaches out to musicians to create a benefit concert series. Proceeds raised at the show in Athens will benefit Whatever It Takes. This is the second concert of the series, with the first show in Decatur in June benefitting Decatur Cooperative Ministry.

The generous support for this show comes from Flagpole, the 40 Watt Club, Barnes Law Group, and Red Eye Gravy Records. Admission in advance is $10 plus a $2 service charge.

UGA's Russell Library on the move & special collections library update

 for those who might be interested...
-----------------------------------
Russell Library is Going West!
Russell Library, University of Georgia Libraries
Move and Access Update: Bulletin #3

From November 10, 2011 through December 22, 2011, patrons may access Russell Library collections by advanced appointment only in the new Special Collections Libraries Building located at 300 South Hull Street.

To make an advance research appointment, request materials, and receive an orientation to using Russell collections in the new location, please submit an email to russlib@uga.edu, or call 706-542-5766.

*PLEASE NOTE:
UNTIL JANUARY 2012, researchers cannot access the new building TO DO RESEARCH without FIRST making an appointment!

• Regular research access resumes on January 2, 2012.

• Special Collections Libraries Building dedication is February 17, 2012.

• Russell Exhibition Galleries open in mid February 2012.


For more information about arranging research access during fall 2011, please contact Russell archivists at russlib@uga.edu or 706-542-5766.

For general updates and news about the Russell Library and its westward journey, please visit any of the following information points:

• Web Site: www.libs.uga.edu/russell
• Russell Blog: http://rbrl.blogspot.com
• Twitter: @RussellLibrary
• Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/fbrusslib

Russell Library will share space in the new building with Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection. For information regarding their respective moving schedules and access to their collections, please visit:

• Special Collections Building Web Page: www.libs.uga.edu/sclb/index.html
• UGA Libraries’ News Blog: www.libs.uga.edu/blog/?p=4948
• Hargrett Library Web Site: www.libs.uga.edu/hargrett/index.shtml
• Brown Media Archives Web Site: www.libs.uga.edu/media/index.html

AT&T Wireless will launch 4G network in Athens

AT&T Wireless has announced that it will be launching its fourth-generation wireless network known as LTE (Long Term Evolution) in Athens next week. Their new smartphones will be available here starting on Sunday, November 6, the same day that the new network will launch. Athens will be the second city in Georgia and one of only nine cities across the nation to have a full LTE buildout at this time. While I do not have the technical details in front of me, this is supposed to mean that higher upload and download speeds for data transfer will be available. AT&T cites Athens' concentration of colleges as making it a priority to expand this service here. You can write comments here to let me know how it works out.

Drinking Liberally Athens on Occupy Wall Street at 7:00 tonight

From the Athens chapter of Drinking Liberally:

We the administrators of your friendly neighborhood Drinking Liberally - Athens were thinking the other day: "What do we think of the Occupy Movement?" (Full disclosure: We didn't all think this out loud at the same time or manifest psychic powers). We talked about it for a bit and we came to the same conclusion...

We like it.

There are protests like it in over 900 cities worldwide. Nine hundred cities worldwide.

Whether you call yourself liberal, conservative or the Rent Too Damn High guy we all agree with one thing: It certainly feels like the process and the power have been pulled out of our hands.

That is in the interest of everyone.

That is in short what the Occupy Movement is about.

If you cannot stand out with the group at the Arches, on Wall Street or where ever, what can you do?

Well there is still a lot. We feel like a lot of good can come from it.

Please join us at Little Kings this Thursday at 7. We're going to talk about where we might go from here. We need others who are interested in moving forward to join us. Not in some kind of crazy way. With civility & justice. We will succeed. It's just better if you are there.

All are welcome. Forward this invite. Spread the word. See you later

Huckleberry Finn

The Rose of Athens Theatre has just two more performances of Huckleberry Finn -- Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Bike Master Plan meeting

The University of Georgia Office of University Architects for Facilities Planning and the Athens-Clarke County Department of Transportation and Public Works are holding  campus and community meetings to solicit comments and suggestions from interested students, faculty, staff and ACC residents about current county and university planning efforts to update the ACC Bike Master Plan and the UGA Bike Master Plan.

Meetings will be held on October 13th at 7:00pm at the Athens Clarke County Planning Department, located at 120 Dougherty Street and on October 19th at 4:00pm on the University of Georgia Campus in Room 250 of the Zell B. Miller Learning Center, located at 48 Baxter Street.

Please click below and take a few moments to fill out this survey, your participation is very important to us!

www.koonsdesign.com/UGABikeStudy.htm

Thank-you for your participation in advance!

Haunted gatherings

Please feel free to share info about haunted gatherings (haunted houses, ghost tours, parades, etc.) as you hear of them. Audience levels are as stated on the website.

Haunted Houses & Ghostly walks 

• Haunted Hike  20 October- 31 October Location The Sandbar, Bowman, GA
  Haunted Hike! $8 Admission (cash only), and snacks available! Please bring cash only!
  The Hike will be going on Oct. 20-22 and 27-31 and consist of a roughly 30 minute walk through forest trails beside the river. Please dress for cool weather and a hike in the woods!
  
  Audience level: This event may not be for the faint of heart. Once on the trail, there may be no way to turn back and one must continue until the end.

• 
  Wild Rumpus Parade (Costume parade): Oct. 29 8:00ish Location:Downtown Athens Free! See http://www.wildrumpus.org/ for complete guidelines about marching in the parade & the afterparty at the Ga Theatre.

• Watkinsville Ghost Tours: Oct. 7 - ? walking tour starts at Eagle Tavern, Watkinsville, GA
  Tour host Melissa Piche tells ghoulish tales from the past or the present. Tours offered every Friday and Saturday 8pm; Price: $12 per adult/$20 per couple/ Children 12 and under $7/ 3 or more children $5: Audience level: All ages  > more
  

Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes & Hayrides

•  Washington Farm Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze, Watkinsville, GA (check homepage for hours or call 706-769-0627 : Pumpkin Patch, T-Fri 3:00pm until 7pm Saturday: 9:00am until dark, Sunday: 1:00pm until 6:00pm ; Corn Maze late hours: T: 6pm- 0 pm; Fri: 3-11pm; Sat: 9AM-11pm; Sunday 1-6pm Audience: All ages

• Milledge Ave Pumpkin Patch, Milledge Ave Baptist Church, Athens, GA; hours:   M-Fri 12-8pm;  Saturday-9am to 8pm;  Sunday-12-6pm;  Prices range from $.50 to $20.00; Audience: All ages
•  

Festivals & more 

Children Halloween Carnival : Athens, Ga. Oct. 26, 5-6:30pm East Athens Community Center, (706) 613-3593 Fee: $3 ACC resident; $5 Non-resident Audience k-6

Games, activities, face painting, “scary” story readings and haunted
house.

• Halloween "Spooktacular" Carnival Athens, GA,  October 27 6–8 pm; $3 ACC resident; $5 Non- resident; Location: Lay Park, 706-613–3596; Audience: ages 5-12: Carnival style program includes Halloween-themed games, a costume contest, candy and more. Ages: 5 – 12

• Memorial Park Halloween Carnival, Athens, GA, Oct 27,5–8pm,$4 per child (No charge for parents/ guardians) ake a haunted trick-or-treat tour of Bear Hollow Zoo & Halloween carnival. Stories, games, activities and more. Costume contest every hour! Purchase tickets the night of the event. Audience: ages 2-12, must be accompanied by a parent, for more info: Memorial Park, 706- 613-3580
  

Lawrence retiring after 26 years on State Court bench | Online Athens

Lawrence retiring after 26 years on State Court bench | Online Athens

Demonstration at the Arch

Since yesterday there have been demonstrators at the Arch showing solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement going on in New York City and spreading to other cities in the U.S. Today I overheard a gentleman discussing our local demonstrators with a friend, and he remarked: "They're protesting poverty. What do you want me to do about it? Go get a job, a**hole."

Here is what you can do about it. You can be open-minded to the message that our country is experiencing a severe economic problem right now. Jobs are not like coconuts lying on the ground waiting to be picked up. From my professional prospective, I can tell you that in the Athens area there are talented, hardworking people who have been employed in successful positions and run multimillion-dollar businesses but are now shut out of the economy, either desperately underemployed or desperately searching for any job whatsoever.

You might tell them to "Get a job, a**hole," but I guarantee you they have already thought of that. I have no simple solutions to propose, and the Occupy Wall Street movement has a hopeless and absurdly long litany of grievances, but one message to be heard is that we need rational, open-minded debate in our society, not epithets and platitudes.