heard
around town
what’s happening in augusta and aiken
[ the sparrow’s nest opens in summerville ]
The Sparrow’s Nest, an eclectic boutique at 2120 Central Ave., held its grand opening during December’s First Thursday celebration and drew many customers into the shop with wine and pastries made by local bakery Sugar Brown’s. The cupcakes are one of the reasons new customers have kept coming in every day since the opening, according to owner Angela McNair. She is also working to live up to her boutique’s motto, “where everything old is new again,” giving new life to old furniture by adding her own unique touch. “I don’t prefer to use the word ‘antique,’ because when I find an old piece and starting painting on it the piece changes,” said McNair. “It becomes something different, and a lot of people like the new designs and coloring.” McNair does not buy in bulk, but hand-selects everything that is in her shop. She is also willing to take commissions and accepts older household furniture that the owner would like to see redone with paint or fabric. At her previous business on Walton Way, she offered interior decorating services and says she would like to do the same with The Sparrow’s Nest. “There are a lot of great gift ideas in here for the eclectic person who wants something unique,” said McNair. “Summerville is taking to me very well, and there have also been a lot of younger people in here who like the vintage pieces I have to offer.” The Sparrow’s Nest is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays until Christmas. Details: 706.738.1466. loans. Woodard noted that Augusta received a fair share of that money, which will go to help buildings become more ecofriendly. The J.B. White’s building renovation is complete and 41 luxury condos will be on the market after the beginning of the year. The developers have also provided a secured parking garage on Ellis Street, which will include a resident bridge to the condos.
[ peace officers graduate with credit ]
MARAGARET WOODARD AT THE CHRISTMAS LIGHT UP SPECTACULAR
[ DDA looks to a strong 2012 ]
The Downtown Development Authority hopes to begin 2012 with the same $154,000 budget they had at the start of 2011, according to Executive Director Margaret Woodard during the last DDA board meeting of the year. “In January, we will have a new budget, which will probably look a lot like this year’s,” she said. “We will also be keeping the CADI program active, which had done so many good things for the downtown community.” The Clean Augusta Downtown Initiative will move into its fifth year on March 3 and program director Jessica Fuselier says that it has been going so well she foresees no major changes. The seven employees have collected 50 bags a day of leaf debris for a total of about two tons a week, according to Fuselier. Woodard also said that The Augusta Chronicle Christmas LightUp Spectacular this yea “rocked, and might have been the city’s best Christmas celebration so far.” Most food vendors sold out, and so many vendors turned up that some late arrivals had to be turned away. The festival also partnered with the Olde Town Candlelight Tour of Homes, which sold more than 200 tickets. “Each year the post office comes out and sets up letter writing stations so that children can write letters to Santa,” said Woodard. “This year, one of the post office employees, with her own money, bought gift bags for the children and put in treats such as trucks and Barbie dolls. The generosity this year was amazing.” Woodard also said that, though some funding for downtown projects has been lost, projects are moving forward. The Broad Street lighting project should be complete by Dec. 15 with the exception of some sidewalk work. Phase I of the James Brown Boulevard beautification project will go out for bid in January. The Georgia Cities Green Fund is now officially out of funds to lend after several recent energy audits turned into approved
Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver spoke to the sixth graduating class of the Peace Officers Training Academy on Nov. 29 at Augusta Technical College, which was one of six technical colleges in Georgia to participate in this pilot project that gives potential law enforcement officers the opportunity to receive basic law enforcement training and obtain college credit at the same time. This class had 25 students and was the largest class to finish the program since its inception. Upon completion of this program, POTA graduates received their Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training certification as law enforcement officers and a technical certificate of credit from ATC that can be used toward an associate degree in criminal justice. “We are excited to have Mayor Copenhaver as the keynote speaker for the swearing-in of our sixth and largest class in the academy’s history,” said Ken Jones, the academy’s director. “We applaud his dedication to our community and his commitment to celebrate the accomplishments of our students alongside Augusta Tech faculty and staff as well as family, friends and supporters.” “During my remarks, I shared with the class how proud I am to serve a community which truly values the service of our men and women in law enforcement with a poignant example coming in the way our local citizens came together to show their support during the wake of the tragic death of Deputy J.D. Paugh,” said Copenhaver. “I also thanked each of them for offering themselves for public service as it truly takes a special person to put themselves in harm’s way to keep our community safe. I would like to personally congratulate all of the graduates and thank everyone at Augusta Technical College for inviting me to speak and for all that you do to help make our city great.” The next class begins Jan. 4 and has already received all of its applications for admission.
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randy duteau of wheel movement
[ wheel movement gets traction ]
Wheel Movement, a local cycling advocacy organization, hosted Ride of Celebration on Dec. 3. The ride was held in remembrance of Dr. Matthew Burke, Dr. Dan Dickinson and Johnathan Tisdale, three popular local cyclists who passed away this year. Burke and Dickinson were killed in bicycling accidents. “Losing three great friends this year has taken its toll on the local cycling community,” said Randy DuTeau, the president of Wheel Movement. “Matt, JT and Dr. Dan were well known and well loved among local cyclists. Their loss will be felt forever. This ride will be our way of saying goodbye and that we will always remember them.” Wheel Movement was created earlier this year with the support of a $1,500 grant from statewide cycling advocacy group Georgia Bikes! and a $1,000 donation by Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse. Since mid-s pring a steering committee of 18 local cyclists and shop owners have worked to devise a plan that will facilitate better relations between cyclists and motorists. This plan includes developing educational initiatives for cyclists and motorists, working with area agencies to develop cycling infrastructure, and serving as a clearinghouse for the greater cycling community. “Recent incidents have exposed a certain level of animosity between some drivers and area cyclists,” said DuTeau. “Wheel Movement seeks to raise the level of discourse and hopefully facilitate better relations between all sides in the often emotional debate. Accepting the loss of three wonderful human beings has been a bitter pill. We’ve got to try and do something in their honor. Wheel Movement will be a positive testament to three lives well lived.”
vergelive.com | community driven news | December 14, 2011 5