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The Beer Jobs Bill Is Going Flat Plus, the TrashBot 3000, ‘Failing’ Schools and More By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com
One hundred forty-seven schools are eligible for takeover. One of them is Gaines Elementary, which had CCRPI scores of 50.4, 52.7 and 50.1 in 2012–2014. Clarke County School District spokeswoman Anisa Sullivan Jimenez noted that the CCRPI formula keeps changing, that Gaines has never been flagged by the state and that CCSD is already engaged in reform by launching a charter district where individual schools will be handed more autonomy. (There’s a forum on the charter district at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Athens Community Career Academy on the H.T. Edwards campus at Broad Street and Hancock Avenue, if you want to know more.) “Superintendent [Philip] Lanoue feels strongly that local districts are in the best position to retain control and implement initiatives in their schools,” Jiminez said. “We know our needs more than anyone and have already begun exploring ideas such as early reading initiatives at Gaines.” She also pointed me to a column State School Superintendent Richard Woods wrote praising teachers and administrators after a recent visit to Gaines and to Cedar Shoals High School. “I can promise you that any individual who had spent some time in these schools would have walked away labeling these schools as model schools with CCRPI scores in the 80s or 90s and would be shocked to learn that they are in the 50s,” Woods wrote.
The Trashinator: I, for one, welcomed our new robot trashLast month, state senators introduced a bill backed by collection overlords—until a few weeks ago, when one Georgia’s growing craft brewing industry that would allow of the ACC Solid Waste Department’s newfangled trucks breweries to sell beer directly to the public. A committee became aware and decided that my receptacle was the hearing on the bill is expected this week, but one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville), says the enemy. As Flagpole reported last year, Solid Waste purchased keg of hope may have been over-pumped. eight new trucks, at a cost of $1.9 million, equipped with “They’re looking at that, and hopefully we’ll be able to move it forward,” said Ginn, vice chairman of the Regulated robotic arms that pick up receptacles and dump the contents into the back. They require only a driver, rather than Industries and Utilities Committee, which is handling SB a two- or three-man crew, saving the city $500,000 annu63. “I will say the bill has an uphill climb, because it’s not ally. (As you might imagine, turnover among garbagemen fully in synch with the three-tier system we have in state is high, and ACC slashed those jobs law.” attrition with no layoffs.) Under that post-Prohibition This bill, not only does through Well, a few weeks ago, the TrashBot system—set up back then in part to it help in economic 3000 terminated one of my cans. Solid make newly legalized alcohol easily promptly replaced it, and human taxable—breweries can only sell beer to development, but it also has Waste collaborator Suki Janssen gently chided wholesalers, who in turn sell it to bars, a big impact on tourism. ICYMI: We reported on this last April, when plans were filed, me that, as is so often the case, I was restaurants and retail stores, who sell but people have been asking me what’s going on at the doing it wrong. it to individuals. Among the obstacles Armstrong & Dobbs property, since the old graffiti-covered And so I pass this on to you, that you may not walk in facing SB 63 are Department of Revenue questions about ruins have been demolished. my footsteps: Place your rollcarts on the curb, two feet how taxes would be collected on breweries’ direct sales, After Selig Enterprises withdrew its much-maligned apart from each other, unblocked by parked vehicles, with Ginn said. (Although he said he hasn’t spoken to any interplans due to financing woes, Athens-based student housing the handles and wheels facing away from the curb. Good est groups about the bill, the alcohol distributors’ lobby is a developer Landmark Properties luck, and godspeed. powerful one.) stepped in to partner with Selig. The three-tier system has set up a charade by which Superintendent Philip Lanoue The resulting development, dubbed School Takeover: Through his breweries offer tours and 32 ounces of free samples, in The Mark—890 apartment bedfloor leaders, Gov. Nathan Deal has exchange for which consumers purchase a souvenir glass. feels strongly that local rooms, 60,000 square feet of proposed legislation allowing the Advocates for allowing breweries to sell directly to customdistricts are in the best position commercial space and 1,200 parkstate to take over what he’s termed ers say the added revenue from selling beer to tour-goers, ing spaces—is slightly smaller “failing” schools—including one in as well as cases of beer to take home—in spite of being a to retain control and implement than but very similar to the Selig Athens. drop in the pint glass in the grand scheme of beer sales— initiatives in their schools. proposal. Deal’s plan for a statewide would spur more craft breweries in a state that ranks near One important difference (and “Opportunity School District,” govthe bottom of the rapidly growing industry. SB 63, known a major flaw) is that an access road into the development erned by a superintendent reporting directly to him, could as the “Beer Jobs Bill,” would let breweries sell up to 72 sweep in up to 100 schools over a five-year period that have from Oconee Street will not run all the way through to East ounces for on-premises consumption, and 144 ounces (a Broad, so it will provide little connectivity between downscored less than 60 out of 100 on the College and Career 12-pack) to take home. town/East Athens and campus. Ready Performance Index, a state yardstick based on test “This bill, not only does it help in economic developUnlike Selig, Landmark is building the development by scores, graduation rates and achievement gap. ment, but it also has a big impact on tourism,” Ginn said. right in accordance with the ACC zoning code, with no com“If you are three years an ‘F’ school, and you have not That especially holds true in Athens, home to two craft mission vote required on any aspect. Not that it matters— shown any progress in that regard, then I think something breweries already, with a third on the way. But in North although the development will loom over a major gateway is wrong. I don’t think anybody would say that you would Carolina, where blue laws are much more progressive, the into the city and will continue the widely unpopular sacrifice the future of children at the stake of having local comparably sized city of Asheville has 21 craft brewerstudent-ication of downtown, it won’t include a Walmart, control,” Deal told conservative WSB radio host Erick ies. Guess which place a beer snob would rather spend a so who cares? f Erickson. weekend?
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FEBRUARY 18, 2015 · FLAGPOLE.COM
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