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PLUNGING INTO SUMMER
Damage Control
I understand that the publisher of the Athens Banner-Herald
held a meeting with the paper's citizens' advisory board last
week and explained that everything in the local alternative
paper about the firing of Editor Allison Floyd was innacurate.
Leaving that aside, it was still the most poorly handled man
agement move in recent local newspaper history.
Heat Control
I'm impervious to summer, pretty much. If Fm out walking,
I get hot and sweat and the same goes for working in the gar
den, but in summer I pretty much confine those activities to
the earlier, cooler hours. During the heat of the day, most days,
I'm surrounded by air-conditioning, so summer just passes by
outside the window, waving brightly. Just one more way my life
is homogenized and chilled. Is my mind warped by this separa
tion from the natural world in one of its most spectacular sea
sons? Is my body weakened? Am I well on my way to becoming
a fair-weather zombie, affected neither by heat nor cold?
These thoughts are possible to me only because I got my
start in life at a time and place not insulated by air-condi
tioning. Thus, the Georgia summer was an immediate part of
our lives. We were out in it; no use holing up inside, because
it was pretty hot in there, too. Just as well we were out of
school, for the same reason.
We could walk downtown (we called it "uptown") or hop
along the fiery sidewalk on our bare feet to the movie theater
for the Saturday double-feature plus serial (we called them
"continued pictures," and come to think of it they prepared us
for "Mad Men" and aU the other TV programs continued from
week to week). Until the churches finally got in on the act,
the Greenland Theatre was the only air-conditioned place in
town. I can still remember the heat blast of re-entry back out
onto the sidewalk and the afternoon sun when the movies were
over. It seemed impossible that anybody could survive in such
heat, but soon we were
used to it again and
stopped noticing it
And, of course, the
heat of summer inten
sified the pleasure of
those activities designed
for escape from the
heat—swimming most
of atL In Greensboro, GA we had no public swimming pool, and
nobody had one at home, either, until much, much later, when
cousin Miles Walker Lewis built his pool—the one the cow
wandered into, but that's a whole 'nother story.
Best of all was when we could convince our mothers to take
a bunch of us down to Alexander H. Stephens Jr. State Park at
Crawfordville, where there was a small lake with a long slide
that you climbed way up the steps to reach.
The alternative, in the other direction, was Legion Pool
right here in Athens, now under the threat of death—some
thing else funky and fun to be tom down by the university and
replaced by something boring and sterile.
We made the long ride in the hot car, the back seat
crammed full of sweaty bodies eagerly envisioning that first
plunge into the cod water.
Those trips began before I knew how to swim, but that
didn't keep me off the incredibly high high dive at Legion
Pool. You climbed fearfully, thriltingly up the long ladder until
you could almost see all the way back to Greensboro. Then you
stepped off into space and plummeted down to the cold water.
And then you did it again. Except that I had to go off the side
of the board, to stay closer to the edge of the pool, since I
couldn't swim. So, I had to aim for a spot among all the teem
ing heads of swimmers but for enough out that I wouldn't
crash down onto the concrete edge. Then I had to struggle
back and climb out and repeat In that struggling, I was learn
ing to swim. And pretty soon, I could, and then I could go off
the end of the board, confident that I could make it back.
The cost of gasoline for Mama to drive us over to Legion
was no doubt less than swimming lessons, and the process was
a lot more fun. I guess you could call it distance learning.
Thus, the Georgia
summer was an
immediate part
of our lives.
Pete MeCommons editor@flagpole.com
EDITOR a PUBUSHEK Pete MeCommons
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Alien NicUes
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR tarry Tenner
MANASING EDITOR Christine Cotter . • ?•
ADVERTISING SALES Anita Aebrey. Melinda Edwards. Jessica Pritchard
WtStC EDITOR Michelle Davis
CITY EDITOR Dave Merr . ' ;
CLASSIFIEDS. DISTRIBUTION A OFFICE MANASES *sica Smith
ASSISTANT OFFICE NAIUBER Sydney Slotkm
A0 DESIGNERS KeHy Hart Cindy Jerrell
CARTOONISTS Cameron Bogus, Lee Gatlin, Missy Kultk, David Mack . .
AM?? ME Special Agent Cindy Jerrell
CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Craig. Tom Crawford. Chris Hassiotis, Nick Helderman, Derek Hilt Brian
Hitsetberger. Melissa hovanes, John Huie, Jyf I new, Gordon Lamb, Tony Morey. John G. Netties,
Brian Veysey, Derek Weils, Drew Wheeler, Donald E. Wilkes, Jr.. Sevan Williams, Alec Wooden
CIRCULATION Charles Greenfeaf, Ruby Kendrick, Jesse Mangum, John Richardson,
Wili Donaklson 7
WEB DESIGNER Kelly Hart *
CALENDAR Jessica Smith
ADVERTISING INTERNS Fiona Nolan, Amy Chmietewski
MUSIC INTERNS Carolyn Amanda Dickey. Erinn Waldo
STREET AOORESS: 112 Foundry St., Athens. GA 30601
MAILING AOORESS: P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603
EDITORIAL: (706) 549-9523 • ADVERTISING: (706) 549-0301 FAX: (706) 548-8981
The Reader. 8
Must-Read TV
ForthebuHurf the*80s and ‘90s, there was no more powerful regular event in
America than the Thursday night prime-time lineup.
MUSIC
Threats & Promises 12
Music News & Gossip
364 House Party comes to Farm 255! Guitar donations needed at Bumey-Harris-
Lyons Middle School! New music from All City Carmonballers! Pigpen Studio in
Danger! And more...
Yo Momma’s Big Fat Booty Band.. 15
On a Mission to Let Loose, Have Fun and Bring the Funk
A lesson in being excellent to each other on the road and onstage.
Answers and Questions. 26
The Unsolved Murcter of JFK's Mistress
Two books shed light, though not conclusively, on the brutal murder of JFK's
confidante. 'V:: '
Everyday People 27
Michael Pipkin, Unemployed Laborer
He cant get a job without a car but cant afford a car without a job.
ARTS & EVENTS
Art Notes 9
Sunday Afternoon Sublime
Hannah Sternberg's botanically inspired prints find a fitting home at the State
Botanical Garden.
ATHENS
M ers
< ET
local and sustainable
SATURDAY, JUNE 2 11
Kids' Farm
to School Event
Scavenger Hunt with Prizes
Cooking Oemo with Lisa Slater
EVERY SATURDAY 8am-Noon
at Bishoo Pat* '05 Sur.se' OnVC*
EVERY WEDNESDAY 4pm-7pm
at City Hall 301
CITY DOPE
CITY PAGES
ATHENS RISING
CAPITOL IMPACT
READER
ART NOTES
MOVIE DOPE
MOVIE PICK
THREATS & PROMISES...
GUMBALL RECORDS
CAVE SINGERS
YO MOMMA’S BIG FAT BOOTY. 15
THE CALENDAR! 16
BULLETIN BOARD...... 20
ART AROUND TOWN 21
COMICS ‘ 22
REALITY CHECK 23
CLASSIFIEDS 24
CROSSWORD 25
ANSWERS & QUESTIONS.....26
EVERYDAY PEOPLE 27
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THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:
NEWS & FEATURES
MAY 30,2012 FlAGPOiE.COM 3