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a jwmr llffl'l' Hitf jm CONTACT US AT P.O. BOX 10X7, ATHENS, CM 30603 OR MAIL®FLACPOLE.COM
MbE Iff E|k«9 ILETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR STYLE. CLARITY AND SPACE CONSIDERATIONS
I am writing in response to your two articles
on Petland [ "How Much is That Doggie in the
Window?" ana "Tuppy Mill' Charges Dog Petland
Chain," August 30]. I am very pleased with your
honest and direct treatment of the facts and
issues surroifnding pet overpopulation and
breeding. So few people who are not directly
involved in the animal welfare world have any
idea how big the problem is or the myriad obsta
cles we face each day. People who read your
article may ask themselves, “How could this
happen?* Public opinion is one of tire most pow
erful forces in the political arena. If members of
the public express their anger and outrage en
mass to public officials, something will eventu
ally i»ave to give.
I am also grateful for the information you
provided regarding the various humane groups
ir the area. As people learn more about what we
do and what we are up against, the "evil dog
catcher" myth will fade. I commend the area
humane groups who foster animals until they
are placed in well-screened homes. The analogy
of standing in a downpour with a cup and trying
to catch the droplets is a good one. People
should remember, however, that Athens-Clarke
County Animal Control is a storm drain that
ends up with all of the thousands of droplets
that the "no kill" groups cannot help.
I also wanted to let you know that a list of
dogs available for adoption from ACC Animal
Control is posted daily at www.athensdarke-
county.com.
Patrick Rives
Animal Control Superintendent
Athens-Clarke County
I’ve always championed Flagpole's flagpole,
but the current crop of editorials concerning the
proposed changes to Athens-Clarke County
zoning verge on the brink cf irresponsible jour
nalism.
On one hand, how can you support commu
nity activism against companies like Eckerd ana
Wal-Mart, yet at the same time denounce
Barbara Dooley. Doc Eldridge, and others, for
speahing what's on their minds?
The Athens that we aLL know and love was
developed by DEVELOPERS. INVESTORS and REAL
TORS (btw... "Realtors" is always capitalized).
Seems to me that these "greedy bastards" did a
pretty good job of building this town over the
past couple hundred years.
Athens-Clarke County is the smallest land
area county in the state of Georgia. "Sprawl' by
definition cannot occur within the boundaries of
our county. Take a look at some aerial pho
tographs of Athens and it becomes dear that we
already have been growing according to f hose
prindples.
Normaltown, Five Points, the east side, see
for yourself at http://www.tenraserver.com.
These neighborhoods are healthy and vital for all
the right reasons, proximity to schools, shopping
and employment. Let's not gamer a reputation
for bang "anti-business," instead let's work
towards building an Athens our children and
grandchildren will be proud to call home.
It's high time we all open our eyes and our
ears to better understand each other. After all,
each and every one of us has chosen to live
together hwe in Athens!
And for those of you sticking "Stay Green"
signs on your 1/4 acre plots, give me a call, I'd
like to help you purchase some of that land
you're so interested in.
Ride Stanziale
Athens
DON’T KNOCK THUMP
Dear "Name Withheld " Thanks for th* criti
cisms of my apparent hypocrisy. We should con
stantly strive to "Walk the Walk", and such com
ments alert us to our failings. I WOULD like to
have a cleaner running engine, (or no engine at
all!), and if someone would merely pay all my
bills. I'd never drive again! Till then. I'll investi
gate (and effect, as soon as affordable) whatever
repairs the Thumpmobile requires (though the
engine has less than 5,000 miles on it).
For years I owned no vehicle. At 20,1 gave up
ALL possessions, hitchhiked from monastery to
monastery seeking Truth, and found It (along
with sexual harassment and hazing). I had ONLY
a toothbrush and the clothes on ray back. Not
even a blanket. Thusly I arrived in Athens in
1986, and my first 1/2 night was spent at the
Salvation Army shelter (before being expelled by
the stench of 30 derelicts in the unventilated
room). I picked up trash downtown, then slept
in a recycling bin (still there) behind the old
Cotton Exchange at tne end of Broad St. I
dragged a refrigerator box to the railroad tracks
from what is now "Tasty World," put it on pal
lets, and covered it with Dlastic. The ladies at
"Sally Ann" gave me a sheer curtain to cover the
open end, for mosquitoes, and I lived there for
two years, during which some of my most posi
tively received articles were printed in the once
glorious Observer (when Pete and Co. were in
charge). By living like an Indian "Sadhu," I
intended for my, as you described them, "pontif-
ications" to be presented from a plane of
renounced inscrutability. Unfortunately, in the
U.S. of A., people without possessions are usu
ally viewed as burr s. Or worse. Many feel threat
ened by a dean, sober, religious person not pur
suing material gain (and such insecure people
can be dangerous!). Only a few souls, such as
the late Rev. Frank Ferguson at Emmanuel
Church, treated me decently.
I almost died after falling into the polluted
creek ir. the Pulaski St. ravine. I disrupted sev
eral rapes (it is amazing how many women you
can hear screaming for help at 4 a.m.!), there
were people running around by the tracks in
prison uniforms, gunshots and someone stole my
blanket when it was 40 degrees out. I therefore
renounced this renunciation, and sought
another way to interface with materialistic
American sodety. Hence, the "Thumpmobile."
People treat me much more nicely now that I
own a little stuff and amuse them. I have never
commuted, and still strive for a survival which is
least detrimental to the environment. I usually
go several days between driving, and always pur
chase supplies coming back. \ dream of a world
where everyone collects rainwater, uses non-pol
luting energy sources, and grows edible yards.
With the Internet, etc., people can now more
readily work from home and get (nearly) all the
communication they need to avoid "cabin fever"!
This ideal, where the home is ONCE AGAIN the
source of our sustenance, addresses MANY envi
ronmental issues, and increases the feasibility of
electric cars charged by non-polluting means
(due to their infrequent use). I am working
towards this, and if I had the means would do it
RIGHT NOW! (Care to donate?) MANY OTHERS
ALREADY HAVE THE MEANS. But lack the vision.
Am I hypocritical for trying to help them see?
Thump
Bogart
TBit MIIIH ▼•■LB
SPARKY. .SNY A vote FOR a
THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE. SUCH AS
YOURSELF OR RALPH NADER A
WASTED Vote? ISN'T ANYONE
WHO VOTES FOR you EFFECTIVE
LY HELPING TO ELECT 6£0R6E
BUST! ISN'T GORE AT LEAST
THE LESSER OF TWO EYAS?
COME ON--MAYBE HE WBnV BE
SO BAD.* MAYBE HE'S SECRETLY
VERY PROGRESSIVE! MAYBE HE
JUST HAS TO POSE AS A BUSI
NESS-FRIENDLY CENTRIST IN OR
DER TO WIN THE ELECTION!
by TOM TOMORROW
BETWEEN THEM, GORE & LIEBERMAN
SUPPORT OR HAVE SUPPORTED STAR
WARS, THE GULF WAR, THE DRUG
WAR, NAFTA, 6ATT, SOCIAL SECURITY
PRIVATIZATION, WELFARE REFORM
AND THE DEATH PENALTY.. AND
you're telling me this IS THE
BEST CHOICE WE'VE GOT?
Bonsai Trees
Culinary Plants
Organic Seeds
ATLANTIS
HYDROPONICS
9
& m .
r*- v j apeoatorq « organic fertilizers
2S* ! 4 "Mural pest control.
| Guess which tomato ptom was yewn lykopcwcafr]
Grand Opening
Lunch Menu
Available
D FLAGPOLE SEPTEMBER 6, 2000
P*WQ 1000 ...tomorrowRwNI.com ... www.thltmodBmwof1d.com