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Register online at www.active.com or www.athenshabitat.com
WINE'S CRAFT BEER ON TAP
PBR BUCKETS
6 TALLBOYS FOR TO
7 YUENOLINO PITCHERS
Sponsored by: Sponsorships are still available!
■mWu. ^ Street Con s ctAAHFH H u ^?„ u ^ each
^ ^»?rity Director at 706-208-1001
LiASSK^OENTEK for more information.
20th Annual
Silver & Archibald f
Run/Walk f
for Home 5k
Saturday, April 23rd
Race begins at 8am at the Classic Center
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Registration and packet pick-up begins at 6:30am
$ 15/person before April 15th;
$25/person thereafter until race day
ATHENS AREA
HOMELESS SHELTER
Proceeds benefit Athens Area Habitat for Humanity and the Athens Area Homeless Shelter
We are honored you voted us your favorite
store to buy a gift for her
store to buy a gift for him
store to buy a gift for mom
and local boutique.
Thank you. Thank you, Thank you!
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What Have We Learned?: The Athens Clarke
County Commission voted 8-2 last week to
move forward with a plan for the Classic
Center expansion that includes the closing of
the entire block of Hancock Avenue between
Thomas and Foundry streets. Even Kelly Girtz
and Mike Hamby, who had worked closely with
citizens to generate an option that preserved
Hancock and had pushed for more
time to look for solutions, in the
end voted with the majority in order
to secure seats at the table that
allowed them to help shape a com
mission-defined option. That option,
for one, removed an astonishing
provision—calling for an automatic
fallback to the Classic Center's
original concept plan in the event
of failure to complete the land swap
necessary to facilitate "Option la,"
the concept that was ostensibly
the result of a highly touted public
input process—that should have
been rejected out of hand by every
commissioner at first sight.
The approved option also calls
for formal public input during the
expansion's design phase—which,
again, shouldn't have required
any prodding from Hamby and
Girtz—and specified that "the final schematic
design to be presented to the M&C will provide
for a mid-block pedestrian access through
the Classic Center campus connecting Thomas
Street and Foundry Street." A fine and noble
idea, but—considering that the only way to
provide (or, in the most likely case, preserve)
that access in a way that was remotely feasi
ble and safe would have to involve some form
of encroachment upon Paul Cramer's coveted
atrium that will extend from what is, for now,
the back wall of the Fire Hall—we'll believe it
when we see it.
So, what's the upshot of the commission's
failure to contend with the unstoppable force-
in-motion of the entrenched Classic Center
leadership, which, through its symbiotic ties
to the local business establishment and for
midable P.R. savvy, was able to effectively
control a process nominally
under the auspices of the elected govern
ment? Well, Hamby used the occasion of last
week's vote to advocate for the formation
of an "urban design commission," which
would purport to give citizens a stronger voice
in future processes like this one. "First, we
need a downtown master plan," Kathy Hoard
added, and of course she's right. Perhaps
Ben Emanuel—you know him as the Oconee River Project coordi
nator for Altamaha Riverkeeper—took Mayor Nancy Denson out
for a canoe trip on the Middle Oconee River last Friday. You can
gel out there during the Oconee River Classic Saturday, Apr. 16.
the pile of money we've just paid an Atlanta
design firm for a maddeningly oblique civics
lesson would better have been spent on that.
Now, the Good News: Saturday, Apr. 16 is the
Oconee River Classic, an all-day celebra
tion and paddling event co-sponsored by the
Oconee River Project of Attamaha Riverkeeper
and the kayaking outfitter Big Dogs on the
River. Shuttles will run paddleis from Big
Dogs, at 2S25 Atlanta Hwy., to the put-in
point above Ben Burton Park from 10 a.m.-4
p.m, and the celebration ai the take-out at
Big Dogs will go from 1-8 p.m. A portion of
ticket sales—$20 including a river trip or $8
for just the party—will go to the Oconee River
Project. Go to www.altamahariverkeeper.org or
www.bigdogsontheriver.com for more info.
Dave Marr newsQflagpole.com
ATHENS NEWS AND VIEWS
In the Eostside Kreger Shoffty Center
(Old Mexkali Lowtien) * DeBvwy from RddawgFood
Krazy Korner
* Last time out, I introduced Operation Enkcurage the Krazy, my
new plan to cheer on Congressman Broun in his most radically
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right-wing endeavors. The plan sounds counter-intuitive, but my
goal is to destroy the Republican Party by fomenting internecine
conflict. Emboldened by the Tea Party movement, Broun and the
radical hardliners of the GOP are attempting to grab the ideological
reins of the party and steer it toward unprecedented conservatism. Tea
Party paragon Michelle Bachmann—to whom Broun once said “I love
you” on the House floor, true fact—is almost certainly running for president.
The radicals want the party's platform to ail but mirror Broun’s and Sachmann’s. But.
if successful, the radicalization will only spell electoral disaster for the party on the
national level. Thai's where we come in.
Send Broun a letter. Send an email or call his office. Follow Broun's biggest sup
porter, “brounfan," on Twitter. Let Broun know that you are a big fan of his ideas. It's
what I call "Broun-nosing." Here’s a sample message with a few options:
“Thank you, Congressman Broun, for keeping the (gays, taxes, illegals! away from
my [liberty, freedom, lawn]. Keep fighting [that Kenyan, that Muslim, that Communist]
for my freedom to town assault rifles, step on gerbils, own assault gerbilsj."
As long as you mention your “liberties" and “freedoms" enough, the message will
almost surely appear to be a Tea Partyer’s encouragement. Pretty soon, Broun will be
boasting of even more support and feeling invincible. It's only a matter of time before
the Bachmann/Broun 2012 juggernaut is forcing an existential crisis within the GOP.
[Matthew PulverJ
4 FLAGPOLE.COM APRIL 13,2011
DAVIS KNOX
