COLORBEARER OF ATHENS VOTING SCARED
OCTOBER 28, 2020 · VOL. 34 · NO. 43 · FREE
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Traditional Halloween activities are fun, but some can increase the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 or influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you plan alternate ways to celebrate Halloween. If you do choose to trick or treat this year, help ensure the health and safety of yourself and those around you by following these CDC guidelines:
6 feet apart
Make trick-or-treating safer
Keep your distance
• Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters • Give out treats outdoors, if possible • Set up a station with individually bagged treats for kids to take • Wash hands before handling treats
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you • Indoors and outdoors, you are more likely to get or spread COVID-19 when you are in close contact with others for a long time.
Wear a mask
Wash your hands
• Make your cloth mask part of your costume. • A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask • Do NOT wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. It can make breathing more difficult • Masks should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing
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• Bring hand sanitizer with you and use it after touching objects or other people. • Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. • Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you get home and before you eat any treats
this week’s issue
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City Dope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 NEWS: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
This Modern World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Presidential Preview: Georgia in Play?
Street Scribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Pub Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 State Senate Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
NEWS: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Election Preview: Your Ballot
Spooky Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Dr. Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
ARTS & CULTURE: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Scary Stories Winners
Adopt Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
MUSIC: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Threats & Promises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
NORTHSIDE & WESTSIDE
Record Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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Hey, Bonita! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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PHOTOGRAPHER Whitley Carpenter CONTRIBUTORS Bonita Applebum, John Gaither, Gordon Lamb, Milton Leathers, Alex Lord, Jessica Luton, Dan Perkins, Ed Tant, Philip Weinrich, David Young CIRCULATION Charles Greenleaf, Christopher Linter, Mike Merva EDITORIAL INTERN Tyler Wilkins COVER ILLUSTRATION by Lenny Sandvick in “I Remember Halloween” at Flicker Theatre and Bar STREET ADDRESS: 220 Prince Ave., Athens, GA 30601 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603 EDITORIAL: 706-549-9523 · ADVERTISING: 706-549-0301 · FAX: 706-548-8981 CLASSIFIED ADS: class@flagpole.com ADVERTISING: ads@flagpole.com CALENDAR: calendar@flagpole.com EDITORIAL: editorial@flagpole.com
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VOLUME 34 ISSUE NUMBER 43
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Affordable Housing Solutions PLUS, REGULATING AIRBNBS, COVID’S CREEPING UP AND MORE NEWS By Blake Aued, Chris Dowd and Jessica Luton news@flagpole.com
als, which could include banning them altogether in certain zoning areas. Also at their Oct. 20 meeting, commissioners discussed a new work plan for the ACC Office of Operational Analysis. Commissioner Melissa Link, chair of the Audit Committee, wants to focus the auditor’s efforts on the Police Department as a way of supporting the work of the upcoming Safety and Justice Taskforce. Link also wants to audit the Board of Elections, focusing on communication between staff and the board, but also taking a look at how they interact with state agencies. The vote on the auditor’s work plan will take place on Nov. 3, but commissioners are concerned that the Office of Operational Analysis has been slow in carrying out past audits. Deadlines set for previous audits have been consistently pushed back throughout the past year.
BLAKE AUED
Last fall, Mayor Kelly Girtz asked short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs. They the Athens-Clarke County Planning were preparing to vote on making these Commission to develop a set of policies to kinds of rental properties start paying the promote affordable housing and mixed-in7% local hotel/motel tax when lawyers discome development across Athens. After covered that’s already required by the local months of work, planning commissioners code. finally unveiled their recommendations ACC Assistant Attorney Sherry Hines Oct. 20. informed commissioners that short-term These policies include many tweaks to rental hosts are required to pay the hotel/ Athens’ zoning codes and design guidelines, motel tax, even if they almost never do. A some with potentially big implications. For recent change in Georgia law requires that example, they are recommending allowing new accessory dwellings (aka “in-law suites”) in all single-family residential zones. This would allow for more efficient use of some lots and help add to Athens’ supply of moderately priced rental units. They also suggest completely eliminating the minimum square footage for new construction. The minimum footprint in single-family zones is 1,000 square feet, which prevents smaller, more affordable homes and tiny houses from being built in Athens. Likewise, the planning commission supports allowing new duplex construction again. They’re also giving the thumbs-up to “cottage courts,” which are U-shaped clusters of smaller homes oriented towards a central courtyard instead of towards the street. Homes that don’t face Jonathan Wallace speaks at a rally organized by fellow Democratic candidate Mokah Johnson. a street currently require special approval. short-term rentals pay sales tax as well, Finally, they recommend adopting incluCommissioners will also vote Nov. 3 on although that is handled by the platform, sionary zoning, which some cities use to banning dockless e-scooters like the Birds not by individual hosts. mandate that a percentage of new rental that landed in town last fall. There was “This is a business that people are units be leased at below-market rates. The broad agreement that these rental devices running. They’re making money,” Planning Commission is suggesting a simicreate pedestrian and traffic hazards and lar but voluntary program where developers Commissioner Andy Herod said. “If they’re are difficult to regulate. A report from the being run as businesses, they need to be could opt in by setting some units aside as Athens in Motion Commission found that permanently affordable in exchange for cer- regulated as businesses, and they should be paying taxes just like everybody else.” tain benefits, such as increased density or Airbnb hosts must also apply for an reduced parking requirements. Depending occupation tax certificate, commonly on how the program is structured, it’s posreferred to as a business license. “If you sible the benefits developers receive could don’t have one of those, technically you’re be worth more than the costs of providing violating the law,” Herod said. the extra affordable housing. While other According to ACC staff, the county could cities, such as Atlanta, have a mandatory raise up to $2.3 million a year by collecting inclusionary zoning policy, planning comtaxes like these, which short-term rentals missioners in Athens decided to recomare typically not paying right now. The reamend a voluntary approach out of concern son why they have gone unpaid for so long that a mandatory ordinance would violate is because of state law O.C.G.A. § 36-74-30, state law. which prohibits local governments from The process of implementing the ideas requiring rental properties to register will take years, but at least some commiswith the county. Without knowing which sioners are ready to get started. “I can’t Airbnbs are in operation and where, it’s commend the planning commission and impossible to collect taxes from them. staff enough for the thoroughness of this. While commissioners can’t force shortWe’ve been looking forward to it for a term rentals to register for taxes, they can while,” Commissioner Tim Denson said. create a registry themselves. Certain IT [Chris Dowd] companies create and maintain these sorts of registries as a service. These companies also generally offer a complaint hotline Did you know that Airbnb hosts in service. Renters could report unsafe condiAthens are required to pay local taxes as if tions or false Airbnb advertising. Neighbors they were running a hotel? If that’s news to would have someone to call when the noise you, you’re not alone. or rowdy behavior gets out of hand. In recent months, ACC commissioners Commissioners are also considering have been considering new regulations on additional regulations on short-term rent-
ACC Might Regulate Airbnbs
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FLAGPOLE.COM | OCTOBER 28, 2020
scooters are involved in 13 times more accidents than bicycles. [CD]
Athens Democrats Rally the Troops About 200 people attended a fiery rally Oct. 24 in support of Mokah Johnson and other local Democratic candidates as hundreds of voters waited in line for hours to cast their ballots. Johnson—who is running for the House District 117 seat against state Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens)— organized the rally at the Arch after several hecklers disrupted an online candidate forum Monday to hurl racial slurs and other insults at her. “Racism is not just the n-word,” said her campaign manager, Aditya Krishnaswamy. “It’s all the actions [Gaines has] done since he’s been in office,” such as opposing hatecrimes legislation. Gaines voted against the bill in 2019 before reversing his position in 2020. Johnson credited House District 119 candidate Jonathan Wallace for standing up for her after the forum. Wallace said he became aware of systemic racism while running for the House in 2017 along with Deborah Gonzalez—races they won before losing those seats in 2018. He urged white allies to speak out against racism and amplify the voices of minorities. “The hate is easiest to see when it’s out in the open,” Wallace said. “But the worst is silence.” This year, Gonzalez is running for district attorney, and she had harsh words for her main opponent, acting DA Brian Patterson, who has criticized her for lacking prosecutorial experience. “If he wants to run on 18 years of experience, he needs to run on his record,” Gonzalez said. “And his record is shit.” While Patterson, who is also running as a Democrat, has touted his involvement in criminal justice reform, like drug and mental health courts under former DA Ken Mauldin, Gonzalez said that’s not nearly enough. “In one memo, I can end cash bail, period,” she said. “In one policy, I can end the school-to-prison pipeline, period.” Other speakers included congressional candidate Devin Pandy and Mayor Kelly Girtz, who urged the crowd to vote.
Elsewhere in the city, they were doing just that. Athens-Clarke County opened four additional voting sites that Saturday, and at least three were packed, with hourslong waits reported at the ACC Tennis Center in particular. All five sites—also including the Board of Elections office downtown, the ACC Library, the Miriam Moore Center and the ACC Extension office—will remain open through Friday, Oct. 30. Overall, more than 2,000 voted in Athens last Saturday. About 2.5 million Georgians had voted early as of Friday, Oct. 23—more than twice as many as the same time in 2016. [Blake Aued]
UGA COVID Cases Hold Steady The University of Georgia’s weekly COVID-19 update showed a steady rate of new cases for Oct. 12–18, with 84 total positive cases reported through the university’s DawgCheck system for last week, but there are signs the virus could be about to make a comeback in Clarke County Out of 2,029 surveillance tests given to asymptomatic students, faculty and staff last week, there were 25 positives, a rate of 1.23%, down slightly from 1.44%. The data shows improvement in surveillance-testing participation for the second week in a row. The report included data on a new effort to offer pop-up saliva-based surveillance testing. Of the 126 tests done, 125 were negative and one was positive. The saliva-based tests are PCR or viral tests and not rapid antigen tests. Outside of the surveillance testing program, however, the case-positivity rate was up. Excluding surveillance testing positive cases, there were 59 positive cases reported through DawgCheck, with 20 positive cases reported from the University Health Center and 39 positive cases in the “other” category, which includes tests performed off-campus in Athens and elsewhere. The UHC, where students are often tested because they have symptoms, performed 155 tests, with the positivity rate increasing from 7% to 12.9%. Clarke County remains on the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s list of emerging counties in Georgia, a sign that public health officials believe the infection rate is rising. Researchers at the UGA Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases also detected more viruses in Athens wastewater last week, indicating cases could be on the rise. The Georgia Department of Public Health’s county indicator report added another 108 probable cases in Clarke County last week, bringing the total to 899. Most of those cases can be attributed to rapid antigen testing results, which are not included in the DPH figures for confirmed cases. [Jessica Luton]
Parents Protest CCSD Reopening Plan About a dozen teachers and parents paraded in their cars last week in front of Clarke County School District headquarters, honking their horns and waving signs to let administrators know they don’t approve of plans to reopen elementary and middle schools next month. Parent Jami Howard Mays, who organized the Oct. 19 protest, said she represents 17 teachers, as well as retired administrators and others who’ve contacted her with concerns about reopening while
the pandemic is still raging. “I’m speaking for all the teachers and administrators who are scared to speak up for fear of losing their jobs,” she said. Mays said CCSD is not taking into account teachers who are at risk for COVID19. Nor, in virtual learning, is the district doing a good job of serving special-needs students, students who are helping younger siblings with lessons or those without internet access, she said. As a result, she said, teachers are leaving and parents are withdrawing their children. She also questioned CCSD’s commitment to equity when such policies primarily hurt Black and brown families. CCSD has released some plans for COVID prevention. Measures include requiring masks and social distancing, cracking windows on buses, assigned seating, updating and replacing filters on HVAC systems, increased cleaning and disinfection, eating meals in classrooms, turning off water fountains, and isolation spaces for students experiencing symptoms and awaiting pickup. Mays, however, said the plans are not detailed enough and leave many questions unanswered. For example: How many students will be returning for in-person instruction? What protocols are in place to ensure social distancing? And is the aging Clarke Middle School’s HVAC system up to the task of filtering out viruses? On Oct. 23, the district released more information about COVID-19 protocols (available at clarke.k12.ga.us). About two-thirds of families opted for in-person instruction, with percentages for continuing virtual learning ranging from 23% at Alps Road Elementary to 39% at Clarke and Hilsman middle schools. School board member Antwon Stephens, who attended the protest, said he was pushing for a called meeting to address these issues and needed one more vote. Discussion of reopening is listed on the agenda for an Oct. 29 called meeting at 6 p.m., which can be viewed on CCSD’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/ clarkecoschools). Interim Superintendent Xernona Thomas announced at the Oct. 7 school board meeting that CCSD is targeting Nov. 9 for a return to in-person instruction for those K-8 students whose parents choose that option. Distance-learning is working for some, she said, but others are being left behind. However, at the time of that meeting Clarke County was getting close to the benchmark of 175 cases per 100,000 people within the past 14 days that CCSD had set to reopen schools for K–2 students (the least vulnerable age group). The figure was 203 per 100,000 earlier this month, but Clarke County’s downward trend has stopped, and the numbers have started to tick back up again. As of Oct. 24, Clarke had 264 cases per 100,000 residents over a twoweek period. Thomas’ decision also set aside previous plans for a phased approach. Under the current plan, K–8 students will be brought back all at once, rather than waiting until the number of cases per 100,000 drops to 150 for grades 2–5 and 125 for 6–8. Parents had until Oct. 18 to pick between online and in-person learning, but Mays contended they didn’t have enough information. “The thing I keep hearing from every parent is, ‘How can I make a decision when I don’t know what I’m deciding?’” [BA] f
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Go Vote
Running Scared
OUR HARD-WON RIGHT IS IN DANGER OF SLIPPING AWAY
VOTE! GET THEIR TEETH OUT OF OUR NECKS
By Ed Tant news@flagpole.com
By Pete McCommons pete@flagpole.com
With just days to go before the 2020 election, President Donald J. Trump is trying to score a late win over his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden. This time Trump could drop the ball. “Could you imagine if I lose?” he asked a campaign crowd of red-hatted supporters in Macon on Oct. 16. “My whole life. What am I going to do? I’m going to say that I lost to the worst candidate in the history of politics? I’m not going to feel so good. Maybe I’ll have to leave the country. I don’t know.” Millions of voters are hoping that Trump has his bags packed and his pass-
the streets of the city. The young minister had come down from Boston to aid the voting rights campaign in the segregated South. He died a martyr for the right of all Americans to vote. In a fiery eulogy, Martin Luther King Jr. thundered that “James Reeb was murdered by the indifference of every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stainedglass windows… He was murdered by every politician who has moved down the path of demagoguery, who has fed his constituents the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism.”
“
STILL FROM NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
MICHAEL CANDELORI
As usual, Halloween and the election are in ing of how the system really works, ready conjunction. Demons are on the loose. So is to believe the vampires who blame others candy, even if it is only supplied at home. while they put the bite on our livelihood and Halloween is our most popular holiday, convince us that our health insurance is not which is not surprising, because horror as good as what they’ll give us, because ours is among our most popular cultural precame from a Black man. They promise we occupations. In the hierarchy of ghouls, don’t need protections for our air, our water, vampires are by far the sexiest. Vampires our land. They seduce us into believing that enjoy eternal life, but their lifestyle is suswe’re the greatest, even though nations of tained by the blood of the world, including others—a small price to former allies, have It’s not your fault they our pay for immortality. written us off as a secstick their necks out. ond-rate power bamMany movie vampires have to put up boozled by the Russians with cramped coffins in dusty cellars away and superseded by the Chinese. They siphon from daylight. Those depictions pay homoff the money that should have gone to eduage to earlier conceptions of the archetype. cation, health care, infrastructure and fightModern vampires have risen above such ing the pandemic. They have hoovered our limitations. After all, those earlier writlifeblood, but we love them. We admire their ers were looking backward to medieval cool, their lifestyle. We identify with them. European folklore, rather than embracing They give us power by association, and they all the richness of modern life. A contempo- encourage us to emulate them by holding rary vampire would not be caught dead in a down those who have less power than we dusty cellar, or what’s eternity for? do. We are always on the hunt for people to
Delta is ready when you are.
port ready. Early voting is at record levels across America, and the Trump campaign is struggling not only in key battleground states, but also in states that the president won handily during his 2016 bout against Hillary Clinton. Still, anything could happen in this crazy, careening election year, and President Trump could very well win a second term when the results of the Nov. 3 election are finally tabulated. America is at a political crossroads this year, and it is up to the voters to change this nation’s direction away from the road of repression and back onto the sunlit pathway of freedom that is America’s elusive and still incomplete ideal. The right to vote was and is a hardfought struggle here in America. On Nov. 3, we have a chance to vote out a corrupt and calamitous regime while honoring those who have sacrificed and even died for such elemental American freedoms as the right to vote. American military men and women fought fascism in World War II, and many died in that campaign against an authoritarian regime. Two decades, other Americans were martyred for the right to vote when the civil rights movement challenged segregation laws that kept black citizens away from ballot boxes. Just days after the late John Lewis and other voting rights protesters in Selma, AL were savagely beaten and tear-gassed by Alabama state troopers in 1965, a Unitarian Universalist minister named James Reeb was murdered by club-wielding men on
Viola Liuzzo was a wife and mother from Detroit who came South to aid the voting rights protests in Selma. She was gunned down by Ku Klux Klansmen on a road outside the city, the only white woman to be murdered by racists during the civil rights protests in the segregated South of the 1960s. After Liuzzo’s death, King told her 6-year-old daughter, Sally, “One day you’ll understand that your mom was a hero.” Heroes are needed again in America as voters head to the polls this year. America is heading “down the path of demagoguery” mentioned by King in 1965. Trump is the Pied Piper of Plutocracy leading his followers down that poisonous pathway. The prestigious New England Journal of Medicine recently voiced alarm about a presidential election for the first time in the magazine’s 208-year history. “Our current crop of political leaders have demonstrated that they are dangerously incompetent,” the magazine editorialized. Another influential magazine, Scientific American, had even stronger sentiments. For the first time in its 175-year history, the periodical endorsed a presidential candidate: Joe Biden. “The evidence and the science show that Donald Trump has badly damaged the U.S. and its people—because he rejects evidence and science,” says the magazine’s October issue. Voters have a chance to begin repairing the damage on Nov. 3. King, Lewis, Reeb and Liuzzo would vote if they could. Let’s honor their spirit on Election Day. f
Vote, zombies!
Your vampire of today knows that the put down, to make us feel better and feel life-force is not blood but money. So, what more like those we admire. would you do if you were immortal and The vampires take from us and promise needed to batten on others to maintain us a share of the good life. We zombies fight your standard of living? Would you not do among ourselves, some believing the vameverything in your power to sink your teeth pires and some not. But neither vampires into cash? Would you not sell your “soul” nor zombies are secure in their predations to those in power, those unless the government is who have the ability to theirs. The vampires can They seduce us into buy the senators, the repget you the sweetheart deals, the tax cuts, the believing that we’re resentatives, the judges write-offs, the insider and justices, but until the greatest. tips, the appointments, they can succeed in doing the sinecures, the elective away with the requireoffices? Would you not suck up to them? Of ment, they need the zombies to vote. That’s course you would, especially if all you have their weakest link. Zombies must agree to to do is siphon off some of the lifeblood keep them in power. That is the only hope from the less fortunate. It’s not your fault of those who would throw off the dominathey stick their necks out. tion of bloodsuckers who enslave us in a Who are they, anyway? Well, they are rigged system that allows them to sustain us—zombies lurching from paycheck to themselves on our backs. paycheck, always wanting more but never Happy Halloween, zombie: Vote to get getting enough, dead to any understandyour life back! f
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OCTOBER 28, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM
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Turnout Will Decide the Election Election Guide BOTH SIDES ARE DUG IN, UGA POLITICAL EXPERTS SAY
HERE’S THE 411 ON THE 2020 BALLOT
By Tyler Wilkins news@flagpole.com
By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com
L
ong lines of voters have been waiting to vote early at polling places across Georgia. Given the competitive nature of this year’s election, high voter turnout is expected. But this may be one of the most inelastic elections in U.S. history, with little either President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden could do to swing a voter toward their camp before Election Day, according to Audrey Haynes, a political science professor at the University of Georgia. A panel of UGA faculty and students recently joined Haynes online to discuss this year’s election. Haynes and other panelists—public affairs communications professor Joseph Watson, College Republicans Chairman Alex Huskey and Young Democrats President Ramin Zareian—shared their thoughts on recent polls and the campaign strategies of Biden and Trump. “This is one of the most inelastic races I’ve ever seen, in the sense that that independent body in the middle—those people who haven’t made up their Audrey Haynes minds—is smaller than I can recall in my time as a political scientist,” said Haynes, whose research focuses on candidate communication strategy. If most voters have already decided whom they’d prefer in the Oval Office, it may be important for the presidential candidates to ensure their supporters head to the polls rather than focus on capturing undecided voters, Huskey said during the Oct. 12 web event. According to the stats-heavy political website FiveThirtyEight, a simulation run 40,000 times from polling data gives Biden an 88 percent chance of winning the election. Huskey, though, said he doesn’t trust the accuracy of polls, questioning if they account for newly registered voters. It appears Georgia is slowly turning, with Republicans still coming ahead in recent elections but by tighter margins. FiveThirtyEight labels Georgia as a “toss-up” state, in which both Biden and Trump hold about an equal chance of winning the state. “Georgia is going to be a competitive race, and I think the president’s team has recognized that,” Huskey said. “They’ve been in Georgia full force, not only in Atlanta but in more rural areas. As long as you can get those rural voters out who are going to vote reliably Republican, then that’ll make up for the difference that Atlanta will bring out.” While Trump runs a “catch-up” campaign—hurling anything and everything at Biden in the hopes something sticks— Biden is campaigning as a frontrunner,
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avoiding negative attack ads and focusing on his vision for the nation, Haynes said. “If Trump is trying to increase turnout among his base who already support him, I’m sure fear is a strong motivator,” said Zareian about attack ads against Biden. “For Biden, who’s trying to make a broad appeal… talking about how he’s not trying to just bring us back to normalcy, but make improvements on things like access to health care and education, gives people more of a desire to go out of their way to vote for him, especially people who may have not sided with him in the primaries.” The 2020 campaign strategy for Trump is the same strategy he used in 2016, Watson said. While it worked to his advantage against the former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, it may not have the same effect in this year’s election, he said. “I think those things worked [for Trump] in 2016 because Clinton was both a poor and flawed candidate,” Watson said. “Joe Biden is not that. He probably has more national campaign experience of anybody who has run for president in recent memory. I think that shows in terms of the approach and the messaging discipline. You don’t win elections with erratic messaging; you’ve got to have discipline.” No matter who comes out victorious in the presidential election, political polarization will likely continue its upward trajectory. To cut through it, Haynes said politicians would need to stop actively campaigning while in office, a trend she said she’s noticed in recent years. If Biden were to win, it may extinguish some of the misconceptions reliably Republican voters hold about progressive policies, Zareian said. Haynes asked the heads of the student political groups how they reconcile the constant slew of scandals surrounding Trump, like Russian interference in the 2016 election, his admission to downplaying the COVID-19 pandemic in an interview with journalist Bob Woodward and the revelations about his taxes reported by the New York Times. Nevertheless, Trump continues to deny allegations while his loyal base shows unwavering support. Huskey said it’s difficult to know what’s true in today’s media environment, and Zareian said Trump may continue to receive support from his base no matter what he does. “Based on our experiences dealing with Trump in the past five years or so, it shows that he can say certain things, but it will not really have any significant effect on his electoral chances,” Zareian said. “I’ve lost faith that it will actually have a serious consequence on the outcome of the election.” f
FLAGPOLE.COM | OCTOBER 28, 2020
W
hile the presidential race and, to a lesser extent, Georgia’s two U.S. Senate races dominate the discourse, other offices and issues lurk further down the ballot. Here’s a quick look at what else voters will decide between now and Nov. 3. For more in-depth coverage, peruse the past few weeks’ archives at flagpole. com/news/.
U.S. SENATE: One race is relatively straight-
forward. Democrat Jon Ossof—who built a fundraising juggernaut for a 2017 special election in a north Atlanta congressional district—is taking on incumbent Republican David Perdue, one of President Donald Trump’s earliest supporters. The second is a bit more complicated. It’s a “jungle primary” with 21 candidates seeking to replace Sen. Johnny Isakson, who resigned for medical reasons. Two Republicans—Gov. Brian Kemp’s appointee, Kelly Loeffler, and Rep. Doug Collins—are vying for a spot in a runoff against the leading Democrat, Raphael Warnock, pastor of the famed Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. While Kemp appointed Loeffler to appeal to wavering white suburban women, she’s taken a hard-right tack in an effort to fend off Collins, a staunch Trump defender. UGA professor Richard Dien Winfield is also running for the seat on a Bernie Sandersstyle platform. U.S. HOUSE: Athens is split between the deep-
red 9th and 10th districts. Most local voters will be choosing between Rep. Jody Hice, a member of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, and Tabitha Johnson-Green, the Democrat who lost to Hice two years ago. In a northern sliver of Athens, Democrat Devin Pandy faces Republican gun-store owner Andrew Clyde for the 9th District seat Collins is vacating. STATE SENATE: Again, Athens is divided
between two-deep red districts. For the second time, Democrat Dawn Johnson is challenging Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville) in the 47th District, which includes the eastern part of Clarke County. The rest of Clarke County, along with Oconee County, is in the 46th, represented by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens), who faces UGA law student Zachary Perry. STATE HOUSE: Both local races are tossups
that are crucial to Democrats’ efforts to take control of the chamber. In District 117—southwestern Clarke and northern Oconee—Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement co-founder Mokah Jasmine Johnson is taking on Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens). In District 119—the rest of Oconee and southeastern Clarke—Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville) faces Democrat Jonathan Wallace. It’s the third matchup for Wallace and Wiedower, with the former winning a 2017 special election, and the latter taking the seat in 2018. Likewise, District 117 flipped blue in 2017 before turning red again a year later. In District 118, consisting of the northern
half of Clarke County, Rep. Spencer Frye (D-Athens) is unopposed. DISTRICT ATTORNEY: In another jungle primary, three candidates are running to replace DA Ken Mauldin, who resigned in February. They are acting DA Brian Patterson, prosecutor James Chafin and former state Rep. Deborah Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who specializes in media and entertainment law, is running on a platform of criminal justice reform, while Patterson and Chafin accuse her of lacking prosecutorial experience. Gonzalez and Patterson are Democrats; Chafin is running without a party label. SHERIFF: Police detective John Q. Williams
ousted incumbent Sheriff Ira Edwards in the Democratic primary. Now, Williams faces Republican Robert Hare, a retired sheriff’s deputy. The two disagree on several issues, perhaps most notably immigration. Williams opposes cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport jail inmates, while Hare would use local deputies to enforce federal immigration law. COMMISSION DISTRICT 6: Jesse Houle will take
over the seat in January regardless of the outcome in this special election, but first Houle must face Chad Lowery, a conservative who is running against the progressive activist to serve out the last two months of the late Commissioner Jerry NeSmith’s term. The district is in West Athens along the Atlanta Highway corridor. AMENDMENTS: Amendment 1 would require the state to spend dedicated taxes and fees—for example, the tire-disposal fee—on the purpose for which they were intended, rather than stick them in the general fund to be spent on anything. Amendment 2 would end sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that prevents the state from being sued. Referendum 1 would exempt nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity from property taxes on land they intend to use to build houses. All three passed the legislature unanimously or nearly so. HOW TO VOTE: Early voting runs through
Friday, Oct. 30 at the Board of Elections office downtown, the Athens-Clarke County Library, the ACC Extension office, the Miriam Moore Community Center and the tennis center at Southeast Clarke Park. Secure drop boxes for absentee ballots are located at the Board of Elections, the library, the extension office, the Multimodal Transportation Center, the Barnett Shoals Road fire station and Winterville City Hall. Vote at your assigned precinct on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 3. Visit mvp.sos.ga.gov to find your polling place. And remember to bring a photo ID. Need a ride? Athens Transit is currently fare-free, and most polling places are located on bus lines. The AADM is also offering free rides to the polls on Election Day; call or text 706-389-4129. In addition, Uber and Lyft are offering discounts on trips to vote. f
news
feature
A Senate Shakeup? TWO LONG-SERVING REPUBLICANS DRAW CHALLENGERS By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com
As
a Latino and a progressive from overwhelmingly white, conservative Habersham County, Zachary Perry knows what it’s like to be in the minority. Perry found his political voice in high school when a social media post he wrote in favor of same-sex marriage went viral locally. Later, he moved to Athens and started tending bar. “I started to really notice the disparities between the two Athens,” he said, “You’d see somebody pull up in an $80,000 car in front of a guy asking for money.”
is taking on Cowsert, while Johnson is in a rematch with Ginn. “No races should be uncontested,” Perry told Flagpole. Johnson—who lives in Barrow County with her husband, Joe, a well-known local crime reporter—works at a nonprofit that helps students with developmental disabilities gain employment. “I’ve seen a lot of kids who are struggling, both with not being able to access internet, but being able to access basic services in Georgia,” she said. “That’s a lot of the reason I got into this race.”
Zachary Perry
Bill Cowsert
It was those disparities that inspired Perry to attend UGA law school, where he is focusing on affordable housing. It also inspired him to run for state Senate in a district where he once again finds himself in the minority. In 2018, Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) defeated his Democratic opponent by 20 points in District 46. In neighboring District 47, Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville) beat Dawn Johnson by 32. This year, Perry
The Republican incumbents and Democratic challengers fundamentally disagreed about the role of government during a recent forum sponsored by the Athens and Oconee County chambers of commerce. On recovering from the coronavirus recession, “Moving forward, the best thing we can do is get government out of the way and let the private sector get to work making the economy strong,” said Ginn, an engineer and former city manager who was
first elected in 2010. Johnson said the state government should be fixing roads and bridges, laying broadband internet lines and preparing for green manufacturing jobs making windmills and solar panels to help the economy recover. “Anytime we’ve ever had catastrophic events happen to our economy, the government has provided a lot of the solutions,” she said. Perry agreed, noting that he was laid off from March until July and only survived because of unemployment payments.
think everybody realizes how important it is to have high-speed internet connections, and they’re not available everywhere in this state.” Fast internet is a necessity for distance learning, selling products online and virtual medicine, which Cowsert said is a “gamechanger” for rural areas where hospitals are closing. To help struggling hospitals and uninsured Georgians, Johnson proposed accepting federal funds to expand Medicaid and allowing families who aren’t currently eligible to buy into PeachCare.
Dawn Johnson
Frank Ginn
Cowsert—a lawyer who took over the Senate seat from his brother-in-law Brian Kemp in 2006—said he is in favor of low taxes and few regulations. “Those are just barriers to businesses,” he said. “They add costs, headaches and trouble.” Perry, though, said regulations are necessary to protect workers. Cutting taxes isn’t going to pay for better infrastructure or education, Johnson added, noting that Republican legislators cut $1.5 billion from public education this year. Although they voted for the cuts, both Ginn and Cowsert said education is a top priority, especially technical colleges. One issue all four candidates agreed on was the need for broadband internet access in rural areas—an issue Cowsert said he’s been working on for the past two years. “That’s especially important now that we’re dealing with the pandemic,” he said. “I
Perry listed criminal justice reform as his top issue. Whereas Cowsert co-sponsored a bill that would have repealed some of the reforms under Gov. Nathan Deal and required judges to set cash bail, Perry wants to get rid of cash bail entirely. “It unfairly targets low-income individuals who are waiting on their day in court,” he said. If accused criminals are a threat to society, they should stay in jail until their trial, Perry said, but if not, they should be released so they can go back to work and to their families. Text reminders are an effective way of getting people to show up for court, he said. Cowsert said he would address poverty by creating high-paying jobs. “I don’t think people are inherently lazy,” he said. “You offer people a chance, they want that selfworth, that opportunity to provide for their family.” f
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arts & culture
feature
flagpole Scary Story ConTest WinNers
FIRST PLACE
The Wild Rumpus By Philip Weinrich Standing with hundreds of costumed revelers in front of Creature Comforts, he shifted from one foot to the other, anxious for the parade to start. Work had been especially busy this year, and he looked forward to this rare night off. Leaning on his scythe and peering out from his blackhooded robe, he watched as “Max” climbed the tower, blew his conch shell and shouted, “Let the Wild Rumpus begin!” Horns blew, and people cheered as they moved up Hancock. He was surrounded by people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs—all together having fun. This was the one place he could truly reveal himself and feel totally accepted. “Cool costume!” a voice beside him said. “Let me guess. You’re the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, right?” Looking over, he saw a girl dressed in green with a short skirt and wings, skipping and twirling as she walked. The streetlights reflected off the glitter on her face, and her smile sparkled like fireworks. She exuded a joy he longed to feel but knew he never would. It was enough to just be near the feeling, even if it was only temporary. “Yeah, something like that,” he replied, the hood muffling his gravelly voice. He wasn’t used to people talking to him, and he hoped his awkwardness wouldn’t drive her away. “Now it’s my turn. Are you a sprite?” “No, silly! I’m Tinkerbell!” Giggling, she reached into her pocket and threw fairy dust into the air over them both. “Now we can fly!” Grabbing his hand, she pulled him with her, jumping in circles to the applause of the crowd. They walked the rest of the parade route together, making up backstories for all the costumed characters and waving at people she knew. He couldn’t remember ever having felt this free: free of the demands of his job, free of judgement, free of the loneliness of his existence. He knew it couldn’t last, so he wanted to enjoy it while it did. “So, what do you do?” Her question caught him off guard. The night was going so well he hadn’t thought of how he would explain his work. “I… uh… I work with
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EMTs, mostly. Sometimes at the hospital if they’re really busy.” “Oh, so you’re an ‘essential worker’ then?” “Yeah, I guess you could call it that.” “That must be pretty fulfilling, knowing you’re helping people.” “Well, I don’t get to be there for the good end of things, if you get my drift.” “Oh,” she said, and her face darkened. Then the brightness returned as she said, “Yeah, but you’re there when somebody might need you most. That would be a terrible time to be alone.” He had never looked at his work that way. She’s amazing! he thought. “You know,” she said, “I’ve been having such a good time that I haven’t even asked you your name.” He hesitated. “I was named Thanatos. It’s a Greek family name. If I had any friends, they’d call me Nate.” “I’m sure you have lots of friends,” she said, bumping him sideways. “Well, I work a lot,” Nate sighed. “It’s hard to find time to get to know people.” “Then I guess I get to be your first one, Nate!” She grabbed another handful of fairy dust and tossed it up, spinning like a top as the sparkles fell around her. The clock tower struck midnight, and Nate said, “I wish I could stay, but I need to get an early start tomorrow. Lots of work to catch up on.” “Thanks for a great night, friend! Here,” she said, handing him a piece of paper. Nate opened it without thinking. It said, “Pam Creer 928 Brumby,” just like on his list for tomorrow. His hand quivered. Why? he thought. Why did she have to tell me her name? Anonymity made his job easier. “You know where that is, right?” she asked. “Y-yeah,” he stammered. “That’s actually my first stop.” “Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said as she skipped away. “Yes, you will,” Nate said. What he assumed was a tear dripped down his bony cheek. “Goodbye, Tinkerbell.” It was almost dawn and smoke was still billowing from the top of Brumby. Nate appeared near where the EMTs were working on the victims. One girl lay very still, the red lights from the fire truck reflecting off the glitter on her face. It was indeed a terrible time, but at least he knew she wouldn’t be alone.
FLAGPOLE.COM | OCTOBER 28, 2020
SECOND PLACE
The Great Conjunction By John Gaither One night I was at my friend Andrew’s house. We used to look at the stars together. Jupiter and Saturn were closing in on each other—the Great Conjunction. But Mars was near opposition, and it was the brightest light in the sky. He was kind of intense, but I was used to it. He said he wanted to show me something. It was a time machine. “The Great Conjunction,” he said. “Time and space and consciousness are all coming together. And it’s happening at the solstice—that’s what makes time travel possible. Planets have consciousness, too. The big planets bring strength and wisdom, but Mars gives us division and discord. That means trouble.”
He opened the door to a big room with a desk and a ton of equipment, all sitting on a red square painted on the floor. “It’s just like Google Maps,” he said. “You can look at any place on the screen, and zoom in or out.” There were two trackballs on the desk: one marked Time and the other Space. “You can record everything and then look at it when you get back. Check it out.” He sat down behind the desk. The monitor on the wall flashed and I was looking at a ground sloth bigger than a car, sitting up on its haunches and munching buckeyes off a tree. “I can’t believe it,” I said. “This is Georgia, 13,000 years ago. Colder, open forest, lots of big animals. Things warmed up, humans arrived, and the megafauna disappeared. Plants like buckeyes aren’t so common now, with no big animals to spread them around.” He picked up a couple of buckeyes from
JESSE JORDAN
Editor’s Note: Thanks to all who submitted stories this time. As usual, it was difficult to pick the winners. Indeed, we have a threeway tie for third place. The graphic story “Little Italy, ” by Jesse Jordan, tied with “Under the Oconee,” by David Young and “Cock-a-Doodle Doom,” by Juracula Vün, which, for lack of space here, must be seen online at flagpole.com, along with the rest of the stories submitted.
his desk and shook them in his hand, clickvisit any loved ones buried there. ing against his gold ring. The bridge is gone and so is the trestle “The world ecosystem is threatened. we used to sit on and watch the Bulldogs Mass extinctions have happened before, play, and sometimes Athens High would and no land animal bigger than fifty pounds play night games. There was only the first survived. I want to see how plants and anilevel of the stadium, and the lights were mals adapt to the future. Time travel unrav- on telephone poles behind the stands. The els the DNA and puts it back together to fit lights and shadows reflecting off the trees the local time and space. Look at my cat.” and tombstones of the cemetery seemed The monitor showed a shaggy feline with strange but not spooky, even to a threelong fangs like knives, tearing at a carcass. year-old. The graves always looked content The last time I saw his cat, it was a cuddly and at peace with the extra noise and lights fur-ball. This thing looked like it wanted to from the stadium. But now the lights, noise eat your liver. and trestle are gone. “I took it back with me to the past. It Living so close to the Oconee River, stepped outside the square and that’s what we fished a lot. My Paw Paw, Daddy, happened to it. But it proves that we can Uncle Jimmy and myself went fishing any adapt. We have to change to fit the Earth of chance we got—either the Oconee, Trail the future.” Creek, Sandy Creek or Brickyard Lake. On He fiddled with the controls. “This time Saturday mornings we were somewhere, I’m going forward. You’ll see me gone for a but most times we were behind the dam on minute, but for me it’ll be more like a few the Oconee. hours. If we were fishing for fish to eat, we went “Don’t come inside the square,” he said, above the dam or Trail Creek, but if you and he hit the switch. liked catching lots of fish, you went behind There was a hum and everything on the the dam. The sewer line from Athens ran square blinked out. It was only a few secstraight into the river about 100 yards onds, and then he reappeared. below the dam. You could catch lots of fish, There were two big bulges on his forebig fish, but of course you didn’t eat them. head, like bags of gray jello with veins, Some people would sell these fish and tell pulsing up and down. His skin was gray and those folks that they caught them out of scaly, and his fingernails were thick and Trail Creek. We never did that; at least me black like claws. and Daddy didn’t. “I’m all right,” he said, hoarse and raspy, As the years went on, my Paw Paw got more like a hiss. He might have been a lot old and moved away. But we all still fished of things, but he was a long way from being the rivers and creeks, sometimes a couple all right. Looking at him made me want to times a week at night. As I grew up and puke. Before I could say anything, he waved started to drive, I would go after school lots at the monitor behind me, hit the switch of times down under the cemetery bridge. again and disappeared. I remember one evening I was next to the A jumble of scenes appeared on the bridge as it got dark—well, almost dark. I screen, years compressed into seconds—the looked up at the bridge and thought of the city dark at night with no story my Daddy told me electricity, the grocery of a headless wagon driver This is Georgia, stores looted and empty. that used to be seen on 13,000 years ago. that bridge at night. I was Bodies hung on scaffolds in front of barracks surfishing off a ledge near the rounded by barbed wire fences. Overseers water. The bank behind me was well over with rifles watched from the shade at workeight feet high. I felt and heard something ers plowing fields by hand. People with guns move, and as I looked around, a turtle the were hunting and killing each other and size of a barrel slid down the bank, hit my eating each other’s livers. Finally, solitary foot, then splashed into the water. people scavenged, eating grubs and grass This warning was like Mama calling me seed. Scraggly trees dotted the horizon home, and that was where I was going. I under the fierce sun. grabbed my poles, bait and box; climbed up Future Athens wasn’t looking too good. that bank and started home. I really had There was another hum and the machine stayed longer than I should have. I had left returned, but this time it was empty— he my car behind “Jake’s,” or some called it the was gone. The monitor lit up again. Athens Supermarket or Jackson Grocery. This time the hills were naked under It was at the foot of Oconee Street hill, and the sun, dry and dusty. The river beds were that was where I needed to be. sand and rock with a few desert plants and As I walked up the river, I heard children nothing moving bigger than a dog or a rat. playing and a baby crying. I thought this A giant lizard plodded ahead, a gold ring on was strange because the university was one of its claws, adapted to the future. out, and there was only a small trailer park I went outside and looked up at the where Rivermill is now. As I walked on, the night sky. Mars was very bright. sounds got louder, but I didn’t meet any children. As I got near the dam, the sounds got muffled by the roar of the dam, then THIRD PLACE (Three-Way Tie) stopped as I got past it. When I was putting my gear in the car, I remembered a terrible accident that had happened here years By David Young before. A car leaving Jake’s turned and ran across the road, down the embankment Some of my earliest memories are of into the rain-swollen river. Five people died Oconee Hill Cemetery. My Paw Paw was a that day: a man, lady, twin girls and a baby. gravedigger there. He lived in one of three The two girls were found in a sandbar below houses on cemetery land. The big house the dam. The baby was still in the car. I near the gate was for the caretaker, then often wonder if I heard the spirits of these two worker houses. His was the one closest children. I pray their souls are at rest. The to the railroad track. A bridge crossed the voices I heard sounded happy, but I lost my tracks, and the road ran close to his front love for that part of the river. I don’t fish porch. Back then, this is how you got in to there anymore.
“
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The Enduring Legacy of Love Tractor MIKE RICHMOND REFLECTS ON 40 YEARS
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eep within the recesses of the University of Georgia’s Main Library, behind a makeshift wall of books, sits a legendary musician, though most would never recognize him. The quiet solitude of a library hardly seems a place to find a rock star, yet that is exactly where Mike Richmond, guitarist for the band Love Tractor, has been working for almost 20 years. It’s hard to imagine how a man who once performed in coliseums with the B-52’s, played cheesy cover songs alongside R.E.M. and graced MTV airwaves at 3 a.m. occupies a desk in the quietest place on campus, but Richmond is content in his library gig. He is quasi-retired from his life in show-biz, and although his career as a touring rock musician has come to an end, his legacy lives on in Athens. When Richmond formed Love Tractor with fellow art students Mark Cline and Armistead Wellford in 1980, Athens boasted only a handful of bars downtown, and music venues mostly consisted of house parties. Now the town possesses one of the most famous college music scenes in America, and Richmond’s music was among the first to bring such recognition to the city. As such, Love Tractor is praised by
critics and music historians, and its members are considered founders of the Athens music scene. Though Richmond is known for his contributions to Athens, he was born in New Albany, IN, and spent his early years living in Ann Arbor, MI. It wasn’t until his father became a professor at UGA that he and his family moved to Georgia. Richmond’s parents were both academics, but he was never very studious himself. Instead, he gravitated toward music. He remembers constantly listening to records—from Miles Davis and Johnny Cash to David Bowie and Black Sabbath. By the time he was 12, Richmond owned multiple guitars and taught himself how to play them by ear. “After a few years, it just sort of clicked,” he says. Rather than going to college after graduating from high school, Richmond spent four years in the Navy. When he finished his service, he had no plans for his future— that is, until his future found him at Athens bar Tyrone’s one night in 1980. There he met Mark Cline. The two bonded over their love of music, and soon after, Love Tractor was born. “We weren’t thinking at all in terms of record labels and making records,”
ALEX LORD
By Alex Lord music@flagpole.com
Richmond says. “We were just doing it something music-wise,” Luther says, “but I for fun and because it was so boring [in didn’t know he was so influential.” Athens].” Today, the band is focusing on writing The members of Love Tractor made their new material and re-releasing its back catown fun in their slow Southern town. For alogue. A special 7-inch consisting of two the first year of Love Tractor’s existence, reworked songs, “60 Degrees and Sunny” Richmond and his bandmates hung out at and “FESTI-vals,” was released last week their house on Barber on Oct. 24 for Record Street and simply Store Day. played. It wasn’t until Forty years after later that Love Tractor the band’s formaperformed their tion, the eponymous first gig, opening for debut album from R.E.M. at Tyrone’s. 1982 will be reissued From then on, Love on Nov. 6 via Happy Tractor continued to Happy Birthday to make music, and their Me Records. The albums consistently new Love Tractor was topped college radio remixed and remascharts. In 1983, Jon tered at Chase Park Pareles of the New Transduction by David York Times called Love Barbe and R.E.M.’s Tractor “winsome,” Bill Berry, who briefly and alternative audiplayed with Love ences nationwide Tractor in its early agreed. For their last days and wrote the tour in 1990, Love song “Motorcade” that Tractor opened for The Mike Richmond of Love Tractor appears on the album. B-52’s in venues on In addition to reimagthe scale of Radio City Music Hall in New ined cover artwork by the band members, York. the reissue includes liner notes from Mike Despite the excitement of touring, Mills of R.E.M., Kate Pierson of The B-52’s Richmond decided to go back to UGA in and Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone. 1992, where he earned a degree in art The band hopes to play local shows again history and began working at the library. one day, but Richmond jokes that, “If we’re Twenty years later, coworkers like Haley not gonna be as big as Pink Floyd, then Luther hear him listening to music at his we’re not gonna continue [touring]. We desk but know about his past career only don’t wanna be, like, 50-year-olds still playthrough whispers. “I heard he had done ing clubs.” f
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Gov. Kemp Tried To Cancel the Election for District Attorney...
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Dawn Johnson state senate 47
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feature
Memories of Dr. E. L. Hill HE, ALONG WITH THE ALMIGHTY, ACCEPTED EVERYBODY By Milton Leathers news@flagpole.com
As
a teenager in the 1950s, I, along with my parents, saw Dr. E. L. Hill fairly often. His daughter Sarah was a lifelong friend of my mother’s. And whenever Sarah and her husband, Bill Hoel, visited from their home in New York City, we would all wind up at some point over at Dr. and Mrs. Hill’s house on Springdale, to which the Hills had retired. The family had lived most of their Athens lives on Cobb Street, about where Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital sits now. I have fond memories of those times. Dr. Hill was an impressive old man—not in an imperious way. I picture the dapper gentleman sitting in a lawn chair behind his house: calm but authoritative, soft-spoken and with a very kind face. I thought he looked like a smart man. Everyone was keen to make sure the 80-year-old patriarch had everything he needed. I sat by him often, because every treat at the gathering was brought to him first, so I was second. I think that’s where I learned to like cheese straws with lots of cayenne in them. As I write this, it comes to me that most of my memories of the Rev. Dr. Hill are actually other people’s memories. Dr. Hill was an understanding person. He understood what his flock needed, and he understood what his own family needed. His wife and two daughters were never overlooked. In the 1930s, many young women in Athens, including my mother and her sister (later Mary Cobb Neighbors), went to New York City to work or go to school. Dr. Hill’s daughter Sarah wanted to do that. The middle-aged minister worried about this. He thought Sarah Graham Hill, after college, should just get a job in Athens—as a secretary or a teacher or a nurse or something. “Sallie” had other ideas. After a few months of fairly cordial discussions with her father, Sallie said, “Daddy, if you will give me whatever you might have as my ‘inheritance,’ I will go to New York and try to make it—for one year. If I don’t succeed, I shall return to Athens and take one of those jobs you’ve suggested.” By the 1980s, Sarah and Bill had retired from New York City to an apartment at the corner of Chase Street and Cobb. In the late ‘80s, I said to Sarah Hill Hoel, “You were NOT going to come back, were you?” The lovely lady replied, “Oh! I did! But it was 55 years later.” Dr. Hill had understood his precious girl—and he let her go. Dr. Hill was a very loving person. It was the University of Georgia’s famous Dean of Men William Tate who said, “Although I came from five generations of Methodists, occasionally I would walk across the street and sit with the pretty Presbyterian girls to listen to Dr. E. L. Hill preach, always on the love of God for man.” Dr. Hill was a considerate person. My grandfather, Andrew Cobb Erwin, had never been baptized. His father was a Presbyterian, but his mother belonged to Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Judge Alex. S. Erwin—not as broadminded as Dr. Hill—thought Episcopalians might as well be Catholic. Granddaddy’s sisters were christened at Emmanuel, but he and his brothers just later joined the three different Athens churches of their wives. Granddaddy refused to be baptized on Sunday morning in front of the full congregation, because he knew a man in the choir, and he knew how that man acted the other six days of the week. So Andrew Erwin told Dr. Hill he was not going to be baptized in front of that fellow in the choir. Dr. Hill did the job on a Wednesday afternoon, just the two men. Dr. Hill was very good at his job as a pastor, a shepherd. My Grandmother Erwin spoke of how often, in times of trial or not, this man was on the scene. Nana often won-
dered how Dr. Hill had learned that he was needed somewhere: at her home, at their neighbors’ homes or in another place in town or countryside. He always seemed to show up when he was needed. Dr. Hill was quite broadminded. Phinizy Spalding told me that all of the Athens Phinizys and their relations thought Dr. E. L. Hill was “a combination of God and Moses and Moses Waddell, wrapped up into one.” I heard that when Phinizy’s mother, the young Presbyterian bride Bolling Phinizy, was married at the Billups Phinizy mansion on Milledge Avenue by the groom Hughes Spalding’s Catholic priest from Atlanta, Dr. Hill sat on the side cheerfully, even approvingly (with, as the couple’s son put it, “nary a sour note”). Dr. Hill resisted prejudice. Many stories have come down to us about the Rev. Hill and the Irish Travelers, a nomadic group that came to the United States during the years of the Great Famine in Ireland. Athens people called these people, wrongly, “Gypsies.”The pastor of First Presbyterian conducted many funerals over so many years when the Travelers came to bury their loved ones in Oconee Hill Cemetery. He met with them, he joined them, he performed each one’s last service. He often took one of his two little daughters with him, even to Bernstein’s Funeral Home for the “Gypsy wake” and for bountiful but peculiar food. Dr. Hill believed deeply in justice. The Ku Klux Klan was important politically in Athens and nationwide in the 1920s. The monthly meetings of the local Klan were secret, of course. But my grandfather or his first-cousin Lamar Cobb Rucker would “learn of” the time and place of a meeting. And along with Dr. E. L. Hill, they would attend and sit right on the front row (to quote my grandfather, “as if we had good sense”). It was awkward, especially for the Klan members. They could not get any business done. The Klansman who was leading the meeting could do nothing but mumble a few pleasantries then call for an adjournment—in hopes that the information about the next meeting could be kept a secret. It never was. And the Klan in the city of Athens soon disbanded. By the 1930s, Bogart was as close to town as they got. Dr. E. L. Hill had a keen sense of humor. I knew that my grandfather loved spending time with Dr. Hill. Granddaddy always saw the “funny” in things and expected his friends to do that, too. So I figured Dr. Hill surely enjoyed a laugh. My great-aunt told me once about a relative she could not stand. She said that he had “the morals of a running dog!” When I heard that this man was Dr. Hill’s good fishing buddy, I wanted more information. I asked my aunt, “Did it seem strange to people in Athens that, for a fishing trip, Dr. Hill chose that particular person?” The old lady replied, “Not a bit. I can’t think of anything positive to say about that man’s morals. But he was funny!” I wanted to hear more about our venerable pastor’s “running-dog” fishing buddy. What my aunt had told me did not fit with my notions of a dignified Presbyterian minister. I pushed my great-aunt for more about this local character. I listened intently. But all I heard was more roundabout ways to say that he was, yes, a favorite fishing buddy of Dr. E. L. Hill’s. I asked my aunt if she were serious. “Indeed,” the old lady answered. “Things like that didn’t bother Dr. Hill. He liked everybody.” f This piece is excerpted from a forthcoming history of Athens First Presbyterian Church on the occasion of its 200th anniversary.
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REAL ESTATE ROOMS FOR RENT Office space available at 220 Prince Ave. Flagpole has more space then we need in the 1907 two-story house that we rent across from The Grit and Hendershot’s! Two spaces available on the second floor: $800/ month for large office; Facing Prince Ave., lots of windows, built-in bookcase and decorative fireplace. $350/month for small office; Perfect for space for a single person to get some work done. Both spaces include parking for the renter and a guest, all utilities (except phone) including inter net and use of shared conference room. Must have limited foot traffic. No reception available. Please email ads@flagpole.com for more information or to set up an appointment.
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EQUIPMENT Nuçi’s Space needs your instruments & music gear, especially drum equipment! All donations are tax-deductible. 706-2271515 or come by Nuçi’s Space, 396 Oconee St.
MUSIC SERVICES Instant cash is now being paid for good vinyl records & CDs in fine condition. Wuxtry Records, at corner of Clayton & College Dwntn. 706-3699428.
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PART-TIME Need a safe, reliable and COVID-aware job? CBSG seeks excellent typists (65+ WPM). We offer a safe-space work environment as well as workfrom-home opportunities. Choose your schedule with 16 hours/week minimum. In-person training with future opportunities to work from home. Pay starts at $8.25 with $1/hour or higher raises after training. No previous transcription experience required. Apply at www.ctscribes.com. Previous employees looking for work-from-home opportunities should e-mail ath recruiting@copytalk.com.
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flagpole
SUDOKU
Edited by Margie E. Burke
Difficulty: Medium
7 3 5 7 3
4 2
9
1 8 9 2 6 3 4 8 3 2 1 1 7 5 7 6 4 Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate
HOW TO SOLVE:
Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Week of 10/26/20 - 11/1/20
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by Margie E. Burke 9
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ACROSS 1 Carrying cargo 6 Surgery souvenir 10 Hightail it 14 Get out of bed 15 Lose steam 16 "Tall" story 17 Without restraint 19 Sign of trouble 20 Band's booking 21 Laundry challenge 22 Winter forecast 23 Pump part 25 Fry cook's concern 27 Pastoral poem 29 Change the title of 32 Point a finger at 35 Lofty nest (var.) 37 Farrow of film 38 U.S. Chief Justice since 2005 40 Kind of court 42 Pop-ups, e.g. 43 Call upon 45 Like Olive Oyl 46 Close-ups show it 48 Gunpowder ingredient
By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com DIGITAL TRACK STOMP: The now-legendary Chickasaw Mudd Puppies have been recording new music lately and have one song available for y’all to check out. The new track, “Little Man,” isn’t as bombastic and immediately explosive as the band’s music from decades ago, but it would be unreasonable to expect it to be. It is, though, a nice run through the garden, so to speak, of semi-swampy tunesmithing—and catchy to boot. The band is promising more to come, so stay tuned for now over at chickasawmuddpuppies.bandcamp. com. FIVE FOR FIGHTING: Ixian, distinguished here as one of the new noise vanguards in town, has a new split release out with Portland, ME project Crouching Nude. For our local hero’s part, Ixian contributes “Pearls of White,” a single 10-minute track of doom-y metal that occasionally slips into black metal territory but for the most part stays its course. Our friends to the north participate in the fun by giving us four glitchy and static-y tunes that are an aural respite at first but, eventually, a little same-y. You’ll have to surf to two sites to hear it all, so right-click on ixian.bandcamp.com and crouchingnude.bandcamp.com at will. This release is limited to 40 cassette copies, which should be enough for anyone.
first single came out this week. It’s titled “100 Nowheres” and it’s a real treat. The fully orchestrated tune has bits of tango, cha-cha and even klezmer in its composition, and especially nice are the marimba sections. Depending on one’s point of view, this will recall old-time Hollywood castof-thousands features or pre-feature cartoons. In any case, it’s a sweepingly nice tune that should tune up your ears right quick. Check it out at andrewsteck.bandcamp.com. TORCH SONGS: Current Master of Fine Arts candidate and songwriter Matthew Hoban has made music under the moniker Torchiana for a while now. He has a new album out this month named Machine of Mirror, and its 13 tracks run a gamut of emotions and intentions. Musically speak-
TAKE ONE, PASS ‘EM DOWN: Ex-members of The
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PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP
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Solution to Sudoku:
5 9 33 7 6 2 4 8 3 57 1
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threats & promises
Ornamental Onion’s Secret Snow
2 6
The Weekly Crossword
music
Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate
50 Taxing job? 52 Indian bread 56 Pennsylvania sect 58 Type of eclipse 60 Classic card game 61 Mrs. Jetson 62 Lizard's kin 64 "The ___ have it" 65 D.C. office 66 Sharp end 67 Engine parts 68 "Wish you ____ here" 69 Loyalty, old-style DOWN 1 Comedian's goal 2 Golf's Palmer, familiarly 3 Mournful song 4 WNW's opposite 5 Capone nemesis 6 Type of gown 7 In a polite way 8 Combat zone 9 Clifford's color 10 Hot, as in goods 11 TV news employee
12 13 18 22 24 26 28 30 31 32 33 34 36 39 41 44 47 49 51 53 54 55 56 57 59 62 63
Helm position Circus structure Online crafts site Church topper Vitamin C source Take a tumble Muslim ascetic Half of half-and-half Piece of cake? Thin fastener Rich supply Held back Justification Mah-jongg piece Make Narrow-minded Evaluate Disney World transport Spartacus, for one Part of a TV feed Concerning Up, on a map Cracked open Deli spread Deeply absorbed Scatter seeds Scand. land
Eskimos, Fairburn Royals and VG Minus began an all-instrumental project a while back for a “future unnamed project” but have now completed a whole album, Secret Snow, under the name Ornamental Onion. Recording finished just before the COVID lockdowns, and the record was mixed by Sarah Tudzin (Illuminati Hotties). There’s a soundtrack quality to most of this in that it’s easy to imagine these songs forming the backdrop for some ongoing drama or comedy, depending on our current disposition. Musically, I’m most partial to the keyboard-driven opening song, “Mufen Man.” Likely due to this originating as sketches for the future, there are a handful of styles going on here. There’s the celebratory anthem “MQN,” the Eels-ish “Hello World” and even the Gorillaz-styled “Monoblock.” I’m not sure how well it all works as an album, but there are certainly individual tracks here worth a listen. Check it out at ornamental onion.bandcamp.com. THAT OLD, FAMILIAR TUNE: Composer Andrew Steck, formerly
known best for his work in rock bands such as Liberator, has a new full-length album coming out Nov. 20, but the
ing, it’s generally a softly played collection with light acoustic guitar, some piano and occasional other instruments for punctuation. Although the album opens with the nearly impenetrable “Unreconcilable,” I retained the personal fortitude to plow ahead and listen to the rest. Highlights here are the three-part “In Loving Memory” and “For My Friend.” Overall, though, it’s a bit much, and while it’s undoubtedly a very personal set of tunes for the artist, the listener’s experience is quite removed and a little cumbersome. Your mileage will vary, of course, so start your journey at torchiana.bandcamp.com. f
record review The Humms: Vampire Hours (Gypsy Farm Records) A full decade after their debut garage-rock crusher Lemonland, The Humms return from the dead with Vampire Hours, a 14-track trip through the realms of twang-tinged folk and dark psychedelia. The long-awaited sophomore album was crafted by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Zeke Sayer (Shoal Creek Stranglers, The Ice Creams) at his Gypsy Farm home recording studio, housed within the historic Clem’s Shoal Creek Music Park in Lavonia. It’s only natural for all of the legendary country and bluegrass performers who graced the stage in decades past to have had some influence over Sayer’s upbringing and musicianship, but if ever the veil is thin, it somehow also feels plausible that the spectral energy, lore and memories from within that spectacular space should sonically infiltrate the recordings as well. The result is a collection of songs that are hauntingly beautiful and authentically strange. While “Lady Low” stomps familiar garage rock ground and “Merry Days” reminisces through a melodic psych pop lens, others (“Sun Tunnel,” “Fangs,” “Blue Bite,” “Miss No One”) feel like cinematic impressions of daydreams. Much less frenetic than Lemonland, Vampire Hours coyly growls and saunters through the complexities of mortality and wickedness with an accepting, comforting gentleness. [Jessica Smith]
Puzzle answers are available at www.flagpole.com/puzzles
OCTOBER 28, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM
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bulletin board Deadline for getting listed in Bulletin Board is every THURSDAY at 5 p.m. for the print issue that comes out the following Wednesday. Online listings are updated daily. Email calendar@flagpole.com.
Art ARTIST-IN-ATHICA RESIDENCIES (Athens Institute for Contemporary Art) Residencies provide administrative support, exhibition and performance facilities, and a small stipend. Artists may work in any or multiple disciplines and traditions, including but not limited to visual, curatorial, musical, performing, written, experimental, cinematic, digital and theatrical arts. Residents can collaborate or work independently. Visit the website for deadlines. www. athica.org/call-for-entries ATHENS CREATIVE DIRECTORY (Athens, GA) The ACD is a new platform to connect creatives with patrons. Visual artists, musicians, actors, writers and other creatives are encouraged to create a free listing (using a desktop computer) before the new website launches. Make sure to include contact information, a description of work and an image. athenscreatives@gmail.com, athenscreatives.directory CALL FOR ART (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) The “Small Works Inspired by Poetry Exhibition” seeks works in any media that visually respond to one of five provided poems. See website for submission guidelines. Deadline Dec. 1. $20–25 fee. www.ocaf.com DEFIANCE AWARDS PROJECT (Morton Theatre) The Morton
Theatre Corporation is accepting submissions for its new Defiance Awards Project, which will provide up to 10 cash awards of $500 to Black artists to support the creation and exhibition of short films or studio art that explore the Black Lives Matter movement and everyday experiences of Blacks in America. Deadline Oct. 31. board@morton theatre.com GREENWAY CALL FOR PUBLIC ART (Oconee Rivers Greenway) The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission invites professional artists to submit a proposal and images of a public art concept for the Oconee Rivers Greenway trail construction project. Deadline Jan. 4 at 11:59 p.m. www. athensculturalaffairs.com HOLLY DAZE (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) OCAF hosts its annual pop-up artist market early this year. Find seasonal decor, handcrafted items, ornaments and more. Oct. 30, 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31–Nov. 1 & Nov. 6–8, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. www.ocaf.com INDIE SOUTH HOLIDAY HOORAY (660 N. Chase St.) Indie South will host one of the largest artist markets in the region. Multiple booth options are available for a two-day outdoor craft fair. Market is held Dec. 12–13, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. www.theindiesouth. com OPEN STUDIOS (Lyndon House Arts Center) Studio members have access to spaces for painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber
art around town ATHENS INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART (ATHICA) (675 Pulaski St., Suite 1200) “Masked/Unmasked: Photographs by David Noah” is an online exhibition that features dual portraits and personal statements on mask-wearing from 70 individuals. Visit athica.org through Nov. 15. • Curated by Alex Christopher Williams of Minor League, “The Unseen Forest” features photographs by Southern photographers Nydia Blas, Jaclyn Kolev Brown and Aaron Hardin. Online Musical Event Nov. 19, 7 p.m. Exhibition remains on view through Dec. 6. CINÉ (234 W. Hancock Ave.) “The New Americans” features pop art paintings by Atlanta artist Blair LeBlanc. Through October. CLASSIC CENTER (300 N. Thomas St.) The Classic Galleries presents “Inside/Outside,” an exploration of domestic spaces and gardens through the eyes of artists. Christina Foard, Leah Mckillop and Cameron Bliss examine their surroundings, people, pets and furniture in Gallery I, while Richard Botters, Melanie Epting, Nancy Everett, Richard Huston and Beth Richardson invite viewers into their gardens in Gallery II. FLICKER THEATRE AND BAR (263 W. Washington St.) The annual “I Remember Halloween” group exhibition features spooky and creepy pieces by Lenny Sandvick, Joe Dakin, Steph Rivers, Dan Smith, Rachel Blair, Charley Blair, James Greer, Klon Waldrip, J. Domingo and more. Through October. GALLERY AT HOTEL INDIGO (500 College Ave.) “Athens Facades” presents Mike Landers’ photographs of buildings at dark in downtown and Five Points between 2000–2002. GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (90 Carlton St.) “The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design” presents a survey of exceptional American chair design from the early 19th century to the present day. Through Jan. 3. • “The Seated Child: Early Children’s Chairs from Georgia Collections.” Through Jan. 3. • “Carl Holty: Romantic Modernist” includes paintings and drawings that reflect the artist’s pursuit of modern art theory. Through Jan. 17. • Sarah Cameron Sunde’s “36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea” combines performance, video and public art to address climate change. Through Jan. 17. • “Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection” represents three generations of artists dating from the 1940s. Through Sept. 26, 2021. KEMPT (175 N. Lumpkin St.) The Milan Art Institute presents a display of 20 or so recent works by the institute’s students. Through October.
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and woodworking. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $65/ month. nicholas.daglis@accgov.com SOLO-DUO-TRIO (Ciné) ATHICA is seeking artists for exhibitions at its gallery and upcoming satellite location, Ciné. Proposals are considered on a rolling basis. www.athica.org/ updates/solo-duo-trio-call
Classes BREAD FOR LIFE JOB READY CLASSES (300 N. Thomas St.) Learn what it takes to be ready for the hospitality business by improving your job-ready skills. This eight-week training session provides hands-on training in kitchen prep, banquet service, event set-up and housekeeping. Begins Nov. 2, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. contact@breadforlife athens.org, classiccenter.com/384/ Bread-for-Life DEDICATED MINDFULNESS PRACTITIONERS (Online) Weekly Zoom meditations are offered every Saturday at 8 a.m. Email for details. jaseyjones@gmail.com F3 FREE MEN’S WORKOUT GROUP (UGA Intramural Fields Parking Deck) Bring your gloves and a buddy for a socially distanced workout. Saturdays, 7 a.m. www. f3classiccity.com FALL PROGRAM REGISTRATION (Athens, GA) ACC Leisure Services hosts a diverse selection of activities
highlighting the arts, environmental science, recreation, sports and holiday events for adults and children. In-person and virtual programs are offered. Rolling registration is offered Saturdays through Nov. 28 for classes beginning two weeks later. www.accgov.com/leisure MINDFULNESS PRACTICE EVENINGS (Online) Discuss and practice how to change your relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions. Email for the Zoom link. Second Friday of the month, 6–7 p.m. FREE! mfhealy@bellsouth.net SPANISH CLASSES (Athens, GA) For adults, couples and children. Learn from experts with years of professional experience. Contact for details. 706-372-4349, marina bilbao75@gmail.com, marinaspain-2020.squarespace.com WATER JAR PAINTING WORKSHOP (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) Art in History’s replica is an example of an Acoma Pueblo water jar. Learn about the history of the artifact, time period designs and motifs and decorating instructions. Nov. 21, 11 a.m. $20–25. www. ocaf.com YAMUNA AND MORE (Elevate Athens, Online) Nia Holistic Fitness and Yamuna Body Rolling are held on an ongoing basis. $20/class. Specialty classes range from selfcare to Yamuna foot fitness and more.www.elevateathens.com YOGA CLASSES (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) “Outdoor Yoga with Meg Brownstone,” every Sunday at 10 a.m. $5–10 suggested donation. “Trauma Conscious Yoga with Crystal,” every Thursday at 6 p.m. $10 suggested donation. “Yoga for
LAMAR DODD SCHOOL OF ART (270 River Rd.) “Coupled” is a collaborative exhibition between MFA candidates Chaz Williams and Alex McClay. Through Nov. 6. • “Bend the Column” features works by Mac Balentine, Rosie Brock, Luka Carter, Clyde Conwell, Annie Simpson and Robby Toles. Through Nov. 6. • “Mutter” is a video work by Philadelphia-based artist Lee Webster. Through Nov. 6. LYNDON HOUSE ARTS CENTER (211 Hoyt St.) Andrew Zawacki’s “Waterfall Plot” pairs 20 black-and-white photographs with short poems from his latest poetry volume. • In the Lounge Gallery, view paintings by Kendall Rogers, the recipient of the LHAC Choice Award at the “45th Juried Exhibition.” • “Boundless” features works by Don Chambers, Derek Faust, Alex McClay, Katherine McCullough and Paula Reynaldi. • “The Art of Jeremy Ayers” celebrates the artist, lyricist, activist and beloved member of the community, who passed away in 2016. • Organized by Christina Foard, “Imagination Squared: Pathways to Resiliency” consists of over 1000 five-inch works created by students and community members. Sharing a theme of resiliency, the small works build a collective story of recovery and strength. JITTERY JOE’S EASTSIDE (1860 S. Barnett Shoals Rd.) Paul Ohmer presents “Haunted Images From the Backroads Of America.” Through October. MADISON ARTISTS GUILD (125 W. Jefferson St., Madison) Bev Jones’ works in “Whispers of Tranquility” are inspired by still moments, particularly when alone and immersed in the natural world. Through October. OCONEE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION (34 School St., Watkinsville) “Romancing the Coast” features works by Karl Enter, John Weber, Harold Enter, Anna Desio, Celia Brooks and Alice Pruitt. Artist meet-and-greets are held Saturdays through Nov. 7. The exhibition is on view through Nov. 13. STEFFEN THOMAS MUSEUM OF ART (4200 Bethany Rd., Buckhead) “Elements: Expressions in Wood, Metal and Stone” presents three-dimensional works by Steffen Thomas in a variety of media. Through Nov. 7. Visit steffenthomas.org for virtual panel discussions and artist demos. SURGERY CENTER OF ATHENS (2142 W. Broad St., Building 100) Paintings by Susie Criswell. Through Dec. 11. TINY ATH GALLERY (174 Cleveland Ave.) “The Wild Rumpus Art Show” is a virtual exhibition with creative works interpreting this year’s Rumpus theme, “Magical.” Visit tinyathgallery.com through October. UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) “The Strategies of Suffrage: Mobilizing a Nation for Women’s Rights.” “Pylon: Tourists in Rock ’n Roll” celebrates the local band through photos, outfits, memorabilia and more. Through May 31. • “Election 1980: The Elephant in the Room” explores the historic change election. Through Feb. 26. Visit digilab.libs.uga.edu/scl/exhibits.
FLAGPOLE.COM | OCTOBER 28, 2020
Well-being with Nicole Bechill,” every Saturday on Zoom at 10:30 a.m. Pre-registration required. rubbersoulcollective@gmail.com, www.revolutiontherapyandyoga.com ZOOM YOGA (Online) Rev. Elizabeth Alder offers “Off the Floor Yoga” (chair and standing) on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. and “Easy on the Mat” yoga classes on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Ongoing classes are $5/class or $18/month. 706-612-8077, ommmever@yahoo.com
Events ATHENS FARMERS MARKET (Bishop Park) The market is open with safety precautions in place. Wear a mask, pre-order when possible, keep your family home and use cashless payments. Saturdays, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. www.athensfarmers market.net BREATHE (Online) UGA Theatre presents a multimedia work that focuses on social and political upheaval with an emphasis on action and “good trouble.” Actors will respond in real time using tweets, news articles and first-hand accounts. Live stream held Nov. 5–9 & 11–13, 8 p.m. www.ugatheatre.com/breathe BROWN MEDIA ARCHIVE EVENTS (Online) UGA Libraries celebrates the 25th anniversary of its special collections with events that highlight the Walter J. Brown Media Archive & Peabody Awards Collection’s contributions to media preservation, scholarship and filmmaking. Panel discussion with freelance filmmakers and footage archivists on Nov. 11, 7 p.m. face book.com/BrownMediaArchives PeabodyAwardsCollection THE CRY BABY LOUNGE PRESENTS (Online) Eli Saragoussi hosts bimonthly shows using YouTube Premiere. Find The Cry Baby Lounge on Facebook. thecry babylounge@gmail.com, bit.ly/ TheCryBabyLounge FLICKER DEADSTREAM (Flicker Theatre and Bar) Flicker hosts virtual shows every Thursday through November. Upcoming shows include Sacred Bull and Multiple Miggs (Oct. 29), T. Hardy Morris and Little Gold (Nov. 5), The Pink Stones and Palace Doctor (Nov. 12), Kalen & Aslyn and Seth Martin (Nov. 19) and Cicada Rhythm and Earle Grey (Nov. 26). Find Flicker on YouTube FRUITCAKES (Elbert Theatre, Elberton) Encore Productions presents its final show of the season. Fruitcakes is a Christmas story about a young runaway finding forgiveness in his heart and the town of people nuttier than fruitcakes who help him find his way. Nov. 6–7 & 13–14, 7 p.m. Nov. 8 & 15, 2 p.m. $9–11. 706-283-1049, tking@cityof elberton.net GONZORIFFIC UNDERGROUND MOVIE SHOW (Online) The annual event will be live streamed on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 at midnight. The show will be hosted from Ciné with new short films, interviews with filmmakers and an introduction by indie horror legend Debbie Rochon. youtube.com/gonzoriffic HEARTS OF GLASS (Online) Watch a documentary about Vertical Harvest, a small business that combines high-tech local food production and meaningful employment for people with disabilities. Stream the film through Oct. 30. Panel discussion Oct. 27, 4 p.m. showandtell.film/ watch/uga HIKES (Multiple Locations) “Autumn Splendor: Lakeside Loop Trail” is planned at Sandy Creek Park for Nov. 21 at 10 a.m. “Full Moon Hike” is planned at Sandy Creek Nature
Center on Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. www. accgov.com/leisure KUNSTMARKT: THE VIRTUAL HOLIDAY MARKET (Online) Originally designed to mimic a European holiday market, Kunstmarkt is an online series of events showcasing the work of local artists. Nov. 19–Jan. 2. www.steffen thomas.org LIVE JAZZ (Porterhouse Grill) Enjoy dinner and some smooth jazz. Wednesdays, 6–9 p.m. www.porter houseathens.com LIVE WIRE SUMMER EVENTS (Live Wire Athens) Wedding Industry Happy Hour is held every Wednesday from 5–6 p.m. Games of darts are held every Wednesday from 5–10 p.m. Fresh Garden Jam with live jamming is held every Thursday from 5–10 p.m. Love Music Live Stream offers bands streamed from the main stage every Friday 5-10 p.m. www.livewireathens.com/ calendar MILES FOR MENTORSHIP (Athens, GA) The Clarke County Mentor Program presents a virtual run, walk or bike during the month of October. www.runsignup.com/Race/GA/ Virtual/MilesforMentorship NOWHERE BAR LIVE (Online) Watch bands perform on stage through Facebook Live. www.nowherebarlive. com OCTOBER EVENTS (Southern Brewing Company) Monday Night Trivia every Monday at 6 p.m. Sunday Trivia with Solo Entertainment is held every Sunday at 5 p.m. www.sobrewco.com POTTERY POP UP SALE (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) Every two weeks, four new regional artists will be featured. See Pottery by The Chappelles, Adrina Richard, Kathy Phelps and Cindy Angliss Oct. 27– Nov. 7. Nancy Green, Juana Gnecco, MInsoo Yuh, and Tripti Yoganathan share work Nov. 10–21. www.ocaf. com SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS (Multiple Locations) Presented by the UGA Arts Council, the festival includes virtual exhibitions,performances and events highlighting visual, literary and performing arts. Select units will host in-person performances and exhibitions that maintain social distancing. Nov. 4–20. www.arts.uga.edu STAIRS, CHAIRS & SQUARES (Performing and Visual Arts Complex Quad) This is a playful site-specific dance piece performed outside of the Georgia Museum of Art and inspired by the exhibition “The Art of Seating.” Nov. 8, 2:30 p.m. www.georgiamuseum.org VOTING IN 2020: A DISCUSSION AND DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Online) The UGA School of Social Work presents a series about the past, present and future of voting. Nov. 11 and Jan. 27. danielle. breidung@uga.edu WATER BOOK CLUB (Online) Seth M. Siegel discusses his book, Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World. Nov. 19, 7 p.m. laurel.loftin@accgov.om
Kidstuff FREE FAMILY PROGRAMS (Sandy Creek Nature Center) “A Naturalist’s Walk” will be held Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. “Critter Tales” is held Nov. 14 at 2:30 p.m. www.accgov.com/sandycreek naturecenter SANTA AT THE MADISONMORGAN CULTURE CENTER Schedule a photo with Santa. Dec. 4 & 5, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 706-342-4743, www.mmcc-arts.org VOTING FOR KIDS (Treehouse Kid and Craft) Families can either
nearly 100 works by 46 local artists. www.wildrumpus.org ZOMBIE FARMS (568 Smithonia Rd., Winterville) Zombie Farms is a haunted trail of unique horror sets with professionally trained scary actors, storytelling and more surprises. Check website for dates. $20–25. www.zombiefarms.com
Support Groups
“H3 Jack” by Joe Dakin is currently on view in the group exhibition “I Remember Halloween” at Flicker Theatre and Bar. request a ballot online, pick one up curbside or come into the shop for in-person voting. Kids can vote for president, favorite dessert, favorite household pet and favorite superhero superpower. Through Nov. 3. www.treehousekidandcraft.com
Halloween Festivities ATHENS HALLOWEEN CAR RALLY (Athens, GA) Anyone can participate by decorating their vehicle and meeting in the far back of the Greenway parking lot across from Chicopee Dudley on E. Broad St at 4:30 p.m. for staging. The car parade will begin rolling at 5 p.m. to snake its way through neighborhood and downtown roads. Ideal places to spectate are Boulevard, Heirloom, Big City Bread, Automatic Pizza, Hi-Lo, The Grit, Little Kings, World Famous, Manhattan, Clocked and Flicker. Oct. 31, 5–6 p.m. ATHENS HAUNTED HISTORY WALKING TOURS (Downtown Athens) Join historian Jeff Clarke for a one-hour walking tour of local haunts. Advance reservations required. $15. 706-521-2556 BOO! ATHENS HAUNTED PUB TOUR (Downtown Athens) Spooky stories will be told outdoors along a route that passes by several bars. A 10–15 minute break at each location will give attendees the option to venture in or wait outside. Costumes encouraged. Oct. 30–31, 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. $125, $150/couple (includes a night at Hyatt Place, drink ticket, dinner coupon and parking). www. classiccenter.com BUMPKINFEST 2020 (Southern Brewing Co.) Enjoy seasonal brews, live music by Quig & The Boys and DJ Osmose, socially distanced trunk-or-treating and a costume contest. Oct. 31, 2–10 p.m. www. sobrewco.com EERILY FAMILIAR (The Cotton Press) The Canopy Repertory Company presents an aerial arts performance in the outdoor sculpture garden of the Cotton Press. Oct. 30, 7 p.m. Oct. 31–Nov. 1, 2 p.m. $6–20. www.canopystudio.org FLAGPOLE’S CRUISE DOWN SPOOKY STREET (Athens, GA) Drive around the Boulevard neighborhood at your own leisure
for an unusual tour of spirited homes. Houses will be decorated Oct. 26–30, 6:30–9 p.m. Vote for your favorite creepy, scary, spooky, spoopy and most traditional homes online at flagpole.com. Winners will be announced on Halloween GRATEFUL PUMPKIN PAINT PARTY (International Grill and Bar) Visit for a step-by-step painting activity and fun giveaways. Registration required. Oct. 27, 6–8 p.m. $35. subscribepage.com/ grateful-pumpkin HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES (Various Locations) ACC Leisure Services is hosting various Halloween activities across Athens. Events include “Creepy Crafts” every Friday, “Franken-tastic” on Oct. 28, “Play at Lay: Four Eyes Livestream” on Oct. 28, “Monster Mash Dance Class: Therapeutic Recreation Program” on Oct. 29, “Spooky Science Camp” on Oct. 30, “Spooktacular Day Off School Program” on Oct. 30 and “Mystery Ghost Hunt through Nov. 6. Visit website for descriptions, times and locations. www.accgov. com/halloween TRICK OR TRASHERCISE (Athens, GA) Share a photo of yourself doing a litter cleanup in costume at #TrickorTrasherciseAthens and report your cleanup online with a photo attached. After you perform that cool trick, get a treat. Ages K–12. Through Oct. 31. www. accgov.com/aahcleanupreport VIRTUAL JACK-O-LANTERN JOG AND GOBLIN FUN RUN (Athens, GA) Participants can run independently through Oct. 31. Run in costume and email a photo to scncinc@gmail.com if interested. Proceeds benefit the Sandy Creek Nature Center Inc. Report your time at tiny.cc/JOJ5KTimes. scncinc@ gmail.com WILD RUMPUS (Athens, GA) This year’s activities encourage “rumpusing-in-place” with a socially distanced celebration. In addition to an online auction, the virtual “Wild Rumpus Halloween TV Special” will feature performances by Cindy Wilson, Pylon Reenactment Society, Pinky Doodle Poodle, White Rabbit Collective, Shehehe, Kxng Blanco and many more. on Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. “Magical,” a virtual art show at tinyathgallery.com, features
AL-ANON 12 STEP (Multiple Locations) Recovery for people affected by someone else’s drinking. Visit the website for a calendar of electronic meetings held throughout the week. www.ga-al-anon.org ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (Athens, GA) If you think you have a problem with alcohol, call the AA hotline or visit the website for a schedule of meetings in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee Counties. 706-389-4164, www. athensaa.org RECOVERY DHARMA (Recovery Dharma) This peer-led support group offers a Buddhist-inspired path to recovery from any addiction. Visit the website for info about Zoom meetings. Thursdays, 7–8 p.m. FREE! www.athensrecoverydharma. org SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS (Email for Location) Athens Downtown SAA offers a message of hope to anyone who suffers from a compulsive sexual behavior. www.athensdowntown saa.com
Word on the Street ABSENTEE BALLOTS (Athens, GA) Registered voters can request an absentee ballot before Oct. 30 for the Nov. 3 election through the Georgia Secretary of State’s online portal at ballotrequest.sos.ga.gov ACRONYM (Athens, GA) ACRONYM is a new website compiling COVID19 aid for Athens-based live music venues and artists. Check the website for updated listings on funding and financial opportunities, mental health guides, organizational support, community resources and more. Visit acroynym.rocks LIGHT UP ATHENS (Downtown Athens) In lieu of the annual holiday parade, the community will host an inaugural “Light Up Athens” this season. Downtown Athens storefronts will decorate with lights and decorations, and a variety of events will be held on Fridays and Saturdays through December. Businesses and organizations can apply to “adopt” a location to decorate. Registration deadline Nov. 19. www.accgov.com/lightupathens MLK DAY OF SERVICE (Athens, GA) The Athens MLK Jr. Day of Service steering committee is seeking project sites for the 2021 event. Hundreds of volunteers will work on community enhancement and beautification projects like invasive species removal, litter clean-ups, painting and more. Deadline to submit project proposal is Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. Event held Jan. 18. athens gamlkday@gmail.com, www.accgov. com/mlkday MUSICIANS (AND FRIENDS) HEALTH CLINIC (Nuçi’s Space) In-person and telephone appointments are available on Nov. 2, 9 & 16. Open to anyone on a low income who is uninsured or under-insured. Call to book your appointment. 706227-1515 VIRTUAL LEISURE SERVICES (Online) A variety of activities are offered in arts, athletics, nature and recreation. www.accgov.com/ leisure f
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Is This Future Dad Overbearing? ADVICE FOR ATHENS’ LOOSE AND LOVELORN By Bonita Applebum advice@flagpole.com Hey Bonita! Please don’t ask us why, but my husband and I chose this to be the year that we had our first baby. We knew we wanted to have kids soon after we got married, and this year we both just decided that it was time to get started, pandemic and all. The planning and stuff hasn’t been as awful as we thought it would be to try to work on the house and make space in our lives for a kid during lockdown, and that’s a big relief, and also pretty encouraging. There’s a ton of stuff that we’re both changing about our lives to get ready for this, but, of course, I’m the one changing the most stuff, and that’s kinda to be expected, since I’ll be carrying the baby. Lots of changes to my diet and lifestyle are happening already, because of course we want a healthy, easy pregnancy if at all possible. My husband is on board and is very supportive of these changes,
Hey there, FFM, You should know that I am not a parent, I’ve never been pregnant, and I’m choosing to remain child-free for now. You are striding into a territory that paralyzes the likes of me, someone who still rents and doesn’t even trust themself to take care of a service animal, let alone a live human baby. You’re already doing what you can to prepare for this life change, and you even have a partner to help you and share this experience with you. COVID-19 is in the air, but here you are, remodeling and studying up on your future pregnancy diet. You and your husband sound dope. I can’t judge your husband’s overprotective actions. If my partner was planning to carry our child, I’d probably be pushy and overreach into their business at times, too. He’s not gonna be carrying this kid, so there’s only so much he can do to ensure their safety, and
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“May we Haunt Your wildest Dreams” but almost TOO supportive. I am not even pregnant yet, but he looks at everything I eat and drink and declares whether or not it’ll be healthy for the baby. I can’t even have coffee in front of him without him talking about how it’s gonna be bad for the baby. I don’t think he’s seriously trying to control me or anything, but it doesn’t feel like a joke sometimes. I’ll say “whatever, I’m not pregnant right now,” and he will go on and on about the baby’s health and risk factors. What I thought was funny teasing here and there will suddenly turn into a very serious conversation about our future as parents. I want a healthy pregnancy and newborn just like he does, but I really can’t stand his bellyaching over my coffee and other stuff. Now I’m nervous about what it’s gonna be like to actually be pregnant around him, and I think I need to nip this in the bud before I actually get pregnant. I’m sure I could not take nine months of this! It’s gonna be a hard conversation, though, so I’d really appreciate any pointers you have on broaching this subject. Frustrated Future Mom
the easiest thing to do would be to just boss you around. I really don’t think he means harm or is trying to exert any control over you, either, because when you voice your annoyance, you two end up having a heartto-heart about your family and your future together. He sounds very nervous and concerned for your future kid’s health—and by extension, yours as well—and that’s causing him to act out in uncommon ways. I think you can bring up his nagging and talk about his respecting your bodily autonomy while still honoring his role as your family member and the father of your future baby. I suggest bringing it up in a calm moment instead of waiting for him to transgress again, because otherwise he’ll be in Panicky Future Dad mode and might be less prone to see your perspective on the issue. Be kind, be understanding about his fears, and share his obvious excitement. f Need advice? Email advice@flagpole.com or use our anonymous online form at flagpole.com/ get-advice.
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When the Frost is on the Punkin by James Whitcomb Riley When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock, And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock, And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens, And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence; O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best, With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest, As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock. They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here— Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees, And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees; But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock. The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn, And the raspin’ of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn; The stubble in the furries—kindo’ lonesome-like, but still A-preachin’ sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill; The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed; The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover over-head!— O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!
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Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps; And your cider-makin’ ’s over, and your wimmern-folks is through With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! I don’t know how to tell it—but ef sich a thing could be As the Angels wantin’ boardin’, and they’d call around on me— I’d want to ’commodate ’em—all the whole-indurin’ flock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!
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