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LETTERS TORO. BOX 1027, ATHENS, GA 30603
OR EMAIL US AT LETTERS@FLAGPOLE.GOM
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Avid Expands and Other News
OR, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING (NOT)
Athens Uncharted Is Delightful
After reading Jessica Smith’s article
in the Aug. 10 issue of Flagpole, “Athens
Uncharted Launches Athventures,” my son
and I decided to investigate this intriguing
project. Much to our delight, we discov
ered an interactive way to get out, enjoy
the sights of Athens, learn about habits of
animals we never knew existed and stretch
our intellectual and electronic acumen. We
had already begun to explore the attractions
in Athens, but this added a dimension that
exceeded the traditional “next we’ll go here,
then we’ll go there” aspect of a regular tour.
Now that we have completed the cross
word puzzle, the
only remaining
thing is to col
lect our prize. We
are undecided
about whether or
not to continue
in the spirit of
Athventures and
accept the prize
of being able to
personally interact with a snake and an
owl at Bear Hollow (my son’s choice) or
interact with a cake from The Grit (mine).
Whichever we decide, and even if there
were no material rewards, this has been
an educational and cultural experience we
hope to continue in the next installment of
Athventures. Kudos to Bowen Craig, Mark
Katzman and Will Eskridge for creating this
lovely, lovely experience.
Brenda Romine
Athens
Educate Yourself and Vote
If you are a sensible person who is fed up
with all the hatred, violence and unproduc
tive divisive nonsense running rampant
these days, then please, go out and vote.
Don’t vote for just the president. Educate
yourself. Know who’s who amongst your
representatives at each level: federal, state
and local. We can only address these issues
through consistent, informed decisions.
If you are complaining about the state
of the union and yet refuse to participate,
you might as well be screaming your woes
at a brick wall. I understand that education
levels are pathetic, that there are hurdles
to overcome if you want to sift through the
murky crap that all major sources of news
are ejaculating onto their front pages, yet
I see educated people turning blind eyes to
problems they’d rather be blind to.
I understand there are those who are
unjustly denied, through whatever means,
the right to pitch in on our collective deci
sions on who best represents us, but there
are many who have every chance to join
in on this one act that defines a republic,
and yet decide that a few messages on
social media are enough to assuage their
grievances.
I understand that there are significant
portions of our population that are patently
denied a chance to achieve the American
Dream, yet feel innately that there is some
way they can break into it despite their
circumstances.
All may be created equal, but you have
to be born on the right side of the scales.
America used to be called a melting pot, yet
I fear it has become a crucible, something to
burn away any perceived impurities. This is
not the country I thought I was growing up
in as a child. This is not a country in which
I feel our future pursuit of happiness is a
guarantee. This is not a place where there is
widespread tolerance and respect on either
side of the aisle, the respect that is so des
perately needed to run the sort of political
enterprise we find ourselves under.
And this is not an “If you don’t like it,
get out” statement aimed at those who are
trying to educate via media like Facebook
and Twitter. Inform
yourself; involve
yourself; inform
and involve others.
Some won’t listen.
Some will deceive
themselves with
the notion that
they don’t matter,
while others will run
amok in the false
confidence of superiority that ignorance
so often foments. To those who despair of
hope, we can always cling to one truth: One
grain of sand isn’t enough to make a differ
ence, but two hundred million grains could
smash a trumpeting bigot’s head.
Tom Travis
Athens
Hang Up and Drive
Dear Athens Drivers,
Hey guys! Have you noticed how many
people are on motorcycles, scooters and
bicycles? Maybe you haven’t noticed all of
these two-wheeled modes of transporta
tion sharing the roadways with you because
you’ve been on your cell phone. For the love
of all gods—hang up your phone! No call
or text or (dare I say?) Pokemon is worth
hurting or killing someone else with your
vehicle. So please, dear Athens, check your
messages and return text messages after
you’ve parked your cars.
M. Leticia Guest
Athens
UGA Should Answer Payroll Questions
Thank you, Blake, for writing about [the
UGA payroll change]. This doesn’t only
affect UGA employees in Athens, either.
There are UGA employees in several other
cities and countries that are also going to be
gravely affected in the coming months.
During an FLSA Open Forum (there
is another one Sept. 26), administrators
skirted the hard-hitting questions and
logged off leaving dozens of questions
unanswered. And many questions were
answered in political-speak and deferred to
departments, but not a single departmental
representative was on the panel.
Telling frustrated employees to speak to
their department because you, the admin
istrator, do not have a thoroughly vetted
response is irresponsible and dismissive.
Mumbi Okundaye
Athens
By Pete McCommons editor@flagpole.com
EXPANSION: As Blake Aued (Culture Briefs,
flagpole.com) and others have reported,
Janet Geddis, owner of beloved Prince
Avenue business Avid Bookshop, has
announced that Avid will open a second
location right in the middle of Five Points,
among the shops and restaurants on the
street level of the Henrietta Apartments
Building. Such expansion is clear evidence
that the plucky little bookshop is succeed
ing, though such a move is always fraught
with increased managerial and financial
pressures.
Booklovers know that Avid is an inviting
space staffed by people who also love books
and are always quick to help or to leave you
alone if you just want to browse, providing
the quintessential local-business personal
touch.
The success of Avid is no fluke, and the
story of how the shop came to be would
make a fine case study in business startups,
helping to show just what it takes to get
one going and how you’ve got to be able to
adapt to changing conditions. Geddis came
to Athens in 2004, typically, because of the
university. During the next two years, she
earned her master’s in gifted education. She
liked Athens and during the next year, she
began exploring the possibility of opening
a bookstore. By the time she had decided
to go for it, 2008 arrived, and the economy
crashed.
The bad financial times turned out to
be good for Avid. For the next three years
Avid Bookshop existed only in Janet’s head.
She was forced to tread water, unable to get
loans and unsure that her dream could be
fulfilled in such uncertain economic condi
tions. She plugged into local groups such as
We Are Athens, exploring ways to promote
local business and learning more and more
about Athens. She worked part-time jobs
and saved her money. She started a website,
and she studied other bookstores.
“I drove around the Southeast,” she
says, “and asked bookstore owners if I
could observe their operations. I went to
American Bookseller conventions.”
All that preparation paid off when
Geddis started Avid. It will pay off again,
along with all the experience of the last
five years, as Avid takes this next big step,
which, Geddis assures us, means Avid is
expanding, not moving.
You can hear all about it as Geddis kicks
off the Friends of the Library’s new series,
Innovators @ The Library, with a talk enti
tled “The Highs and Lows of Opening an
Independent Bookstore” this Sunday, Sept.
25 at 2:15 p.m. at the ACC Library.
Y JACKPOT: My dear old friend Carey
Williams Jr. is editor and owner of the
Greensboro Herald Journal, over in Greene
County, as were his father and grandfather
before him. Carey and I grew up together,
went to school and church together and
played football together. We have been in
the same line of work for decades. In short,
we are the best of friends, and that’s why I
have rejoiced at the news that Carey recently
won $650,000 in the Georgia Lottery. I want
to say right here and now that it could not
happen to a nicer guy. It is times like these
that make you value old friendships, and of
course friendship is a two-way street. Carey
has always been an innovator in journalism,
and it looks like he has found the solution to
the economic woes faced in recent years by
struggling local newspapers.
CLOSING: Parishioner Florence King reports
that St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Pastor
David McGuinness announced Sunday
morning that the last mass has been held
in the sanctuary on Prince Avenue, at the
old location now approved for apartments
and retail space. The sanctuary’s ceiling has
caved in, and condensation from HVAC
units is the suspected cause. It’s as if the old
church held on until its next incarnation as
a restaurant was assured and then gave up
the ghost. ©
I Was an Honor Student.
I Don’t Know What Happened.
Send your sticker sightings to letters@flagpole.com.
4 FLAGP0LE.C0M • SEPTEMBER 21, 2016