Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current, September 14, 2011, Image 6
the ATHICA MYSTERY TRIENNIAL CLOSING I EVENTS: Thursday 9/15: 7:00-9:00 pm 7:30 pm: Poi, Poles n’ Pins on the Porch A Circus Arts Performance by: Safety Third Juggling, Pyrokinetics, Athens Vertical Pole Dance Academy Voting Until 9:00 pm: • Enter the “Who Dunnit?” Contest and win fabulous prizes • People’s Choice Contest Nominations Sunday 9/18:4.00 -6X0 pm 4:00 pm: The BIG Reveal of the Mystery Artists' Identities 5:00 pm: AMT Benefit Concert II: “Music to Tabulate By” with performers Jerry Hendelberg & Carl Lindberg 5:30-6:30 pm: “Last Dibs” Hour: all remaining artworks half-off. 5:30 pm: Announcements: The “Who Dunnit” Quiz Winners, The People’s Choice Artist & The Board Choice Artists for The ATHICA Mystery Selections exhibit. 6:00 pm: Take home framed & unframed artworks. WHO DUNNIT ? www.athica.org Silver Sponsor: The Loft Art Supplies Bronze Sponsors: Big City Bread, Hamilton & Associates, Heirloom Cafe and Little Prodigies Media Sponsors: WUGA, Flagpole Magazine, Athens’ Food & Culture Extended viewing hours are: Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9:30 am to 3:30 pm Thursday through Sunday from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm : * All funds raised by the ATHICA Mystery Triennial will benefit ATHICA, a non profit venue dedicated to providing contemporary art audiences with innovative and challenging exhibitions and events. Thank you, Athens Community FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION OVER THE LAST YEAR WITH THE \ Voices of the South Grant Voices of t fie S uth ent O) P> 'ey, o <L> ACCA P P P P ^on / o yet more information and a copy of one advocacy packet in the future. please visit ivww.accaging.org/nasi.php GOVERNOR FIRES THE MESSENGER David Stooksbury, the state climatologist for the past 12 years, is eminently qualified to do the work that he does. I don't know of anyone who is more qualified. He is an associ ate professor of engineering and atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia. He has gathered impressive amounts of research data and analysis of the droughts that have plagued this state for the past decade. Pam Knox, Stooksbury's assistant, was the state climatologist of Wisconsin from 1989-1998 and has served on the American Meteorological Society's Committee on Applied Climatology. "I think we've done a pretty good job for the past 12 years of building up an office whose work is well-respected around the coun try," Stooksbury says. Gov. Nathan Deal signed an execu tive order ordering the appoint ment of two employees from the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to replace Stooksbury and Knox. Deal's office did not make any announcement of the change. When asked by reporters why Deal removed two experts in climatology, the governor's spokesman kept repeating the same prepared talking point: "EPD is a natural home for this function. It's a rational consolidation." Deal never contacted the climatologists to tell them they had been replaced. "I have still not heard directly from the governor's office," Stooksbury said during an interview more than three days after Deal signed the order to replace him. Why should anybody care about who the state climatologist is? Because this is a period when droughts and other extreme climate con ditions threaten Georgia's economic health. Among the activities conducted by Stooksbury's office is a website that provides information on how farmers—agriculture is the state's biggest industry—can get bet ter crop yields during the current climate extremes. He advises coastal communities on how to cope with the rising sea levels caused by the ongoing warming of the earth's climate. As we have seen with Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Irene, it is also advisable to have an expert climatologist on board who can warn you about when and where a tropical storm may hit your state. Deal has replaced Stooksbury with Bill Murphey, the chief meteorologist for EPD. Murphey has degrees in physics and atmo spheric sciences from Georgia Tech and has worked at an atmospheric research center in New York. His work with EPD has primarily involved the operation of air quality monitor ing stations. Murphey is also a state employee ulti mately answerable to the governor. Stooksbury and Knox work at UGA with much of their budget coming from independent research grants. "You've kind of lost that inde pendent voice for informing the public and informing decision makers," Stooksbury says. "I'm not sure that is good for the state in the long term." There is also this: the science of climatology has become increas ingly politicized in recent years, with many pundits and politicians denying scientific data that indicates our climate is changing as the Earth gets warmer. Perhaps the governor does not want a climatologist who believes in making decisions that are based on facts and data. As for Stooksbury, he has tenure at UGA and will continue with his teaching and research at the state's flagship university. "Next week I'll be teaching vector analysis and coastal meteorology and grading papers, just like I've always done," he says. "The gov ernor has made his decision. We'll continue to move forward and serve the people of Georgia that way." THIS MMIRN W6ILB GREETINGS.' IS THIS THE NATION STATE KNOWN COLLOQUIALLY AS ' YOU-ESS-AY,” ON THE PLANET LOCALLY DESIGNATED AS "URTH"? Tom Crawford tcraw1ord@gareport.com by TOM TOMORROW EXCELLENT.' AFTER YEARS of STUDY ING YOUR SOCIETY FROM AFAR, MY PEOPLE HAVE SENT ME TO 06SERVE firsthand the process by which you select a new LEADER: AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE IDEO LOGICAL-SLASH-TRIBAL GROUPING KNOWN AS THE "REPUBLICANS'' ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN A SERIES of VERBAL JOUSTING MATCHES-- 6 FLAGP0LE.C0M • SEPTEMBER 14. 2011 'foM f«M»RR«W0aOH ...www.thismodernworld.com...twitter.com/tomtomorrow