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WHO STANDS UP FOR ATHENS?
Those of us who gave up our sunny Saturday enjoyed a
morning of play-time at Uncle Paul's adult daycare. We saw
some neat pictures and got to make some of our own, and the
sitters were cool guys from Atlanta who made us feel really
good, because they were so friendly and understanding, even
v/hen they had to tell us "no." Some of us got to write on
big sheets of paper with crayons, and the rest of us got to
tell them what to write, so it was fun. We got a nice lunch
in a box, with a cookie, and we were all home in time for our
afternoon naps. Uncle Paul is a great guy who goes to a lot of
trouble to remind us what a cool place he has and how impor
tant it is in our town. Good chocolate chip cookies, too.
That's about it for the report on Saturday at the Classic
Center. You recall that the last time we-the-public were there
all we got was a view of the proposed expansion mockup,
without any formal explanation. So, this time we got a profes
sional facilitator and four architects who wanted to hear all
about what we thought they should do when they sit down
to design the Classic Center addition. We told them that our
first concern is that the new addition not block off that end
of town and that we wanted to see what they could come up
with. They assuied us that their
mission is indeed to come up
with two "concepts,"—one that
expands across Hancock and one
that doesn't but is prohibitively
expensive.
So, Saturday was just going
through the motions—a feel
good session to make the usual
suspects think we've been heard.
It was almost as if the architects
have been hired not so much for
their expertise as for their abil
ity to relate, to make us feel that they're listening. They even
gave us 30 minutes out of the five-hour session to come up
with our own architectural designs. They're such non-threat
ening guys that they said, hey, here's a half an hour for you
great and intelligent Athens people to show us a better design,
one that can be built for $24 million without closing off that
street. Surprisingly, not a single person was able to come up
with an alternate design.
So, the next time we get together on Feb. 22 our new
friends’the architects will tell us what they "heard" us say
and get more feedback. Then, when we get back together on
Mar. 10, the architects will discuss what they've found out
and where they're going with it. They'll present their findings
to the mayor and commission on Mar. 29, and the mayor and
commission will approve a final plan on Apr. 5.
So, in spite of assurances to the contrary, Saturday was not
a charrette but a charade, professionally handled by architects
accustomed to fending off citizens. These architects work for
the Classic Center board, and that board is totally committed
to expanding its exhibition space across Hancock, the sooner
the better. They're making these gestures toward public inclu
siveness, but meantime one can assume that their architects
are hard at work firming up the design they've been assigned,
while not wasting too much time on an expensive alternative
that would require the purchase of more land or drastic renova
tions to the present Classic Center or original thinking.
It is perhaps worth remembering here that few have
expressed any opposition to the expansion of the Classic
Center, but many want it to be accomplished without sealing
off that end of downtown. With the citizens helpless to affect
the process and the Classic Center board bent entirely on what
they want, only the mayor and commission can focus on what
is best for the total community. Unfortunately, the process is
designed to present them in April with a final plan to approve
or reject. If they just wait for that plan to be presented
instead of intervening to make sure a viable alternative is pos
sible, a fait accompli will be dropped into their laps. They'll be
right where the citizens were Saturday, minus the cookies.
It came down to this same kind of fight over the original
design of the Classic Center and the firehall. The mayor and
council stood up to the architects and the Classic Center board
that time and got the right design for the people. No less is
needed now.
It is perhaps worth
remembering here
that few have
expressed any
opposition to the
expansion of the
Classic Center...
Pete McCommons editor@flagpole.com
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:
NEWS <§s FEATURES
City Dope 4
Athens News and Views
The McCommunists have co-opted a noted Athens capitalist to help fund their socialist agenda.
Obamacare 101 31
The Individual Mandate for Dummies
Why did a federal judge in Florida declare Ihe Affordable Care Act unconstitutional? Was he right?
<§s EVENTS
Art Notes 9
Taking Part in Our Banal Existence
ATHICA exhibit creates opportunities to push, shape or increase the role of participation.
Theatre Review 10
Tragically Delicious
T&G beautifully executes Dancing at Lughnasa as a play of quiet words and meaningful expressions.
MUSIC
Thee Oh Sees 16
Garage Rock Savagery
"We do not sound like The B-52s,” the band says on its Facebook page. "Please stop saying that.”
Ryan Monahan 16
Athens’ Newest Over-Achiever
Despite numerous obstacles, the honey-voiced local songwriter successfully releases one gorgeous album.
CITY DOPE 4
CITY PAGES :. 5
CAPITOL IMPACT 6
ATHENS RISING T 7
ART NOTES 9
THEATRE REVIEW 10
BEER NOTES 10
THE READr° 11
MOVIE DOPE 12
MOVIE PICK 13
FILM NOTEBOOK :....14
THREATS & PROMISES .
THEE OH SEES
RYAN MONAHAN
B-52s
THE CALENDAR!
BULLETIN BOARD
ART AROUND TOWN ...
COMICS
REALITY CHECK
CLASSIFIEDS
DAHLIA LITHWICK, PT. 2
OBAMA CARE 101
.15
.16
.16
. 17
.18
.24
.25
.26
.27
.28
.30
.31
rao§ rams m FLaaifm§.(g®i
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COVER DESIGN by Kelly Ruberto
featuring The B-52s and a non-rock
lobster (see story on p. 17)
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VOLUME 25
ISSUE NUMBER 6
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