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DECEMBER 23, 2020 · VOL. 34 · NO. 51 · FREE & DECEMBER 30, 2020

Tips for Celebrating Winter Holidays Safely The safest way to celebrate winter holidays is to celebrate at home with the people who live with you. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others.

Travel and gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase your chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.

6 ft DNAH AS N REZITI

Wear a Mask

Keep Your Distance

• Always wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live with you.

• Wear the mask over your nose and mouth • Secure it under your chin snugly against the sides of your face.

• Masks should not be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing.

• Stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you.

• Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread COVID-19 or flu.

• Indoors and outdoors, you are more likely to get or spread COVID-19 when you are in close contact with others for 15 minutes or more over 24 hours.

Keep Hands & Items Clean

Attending/Hosting a Gathering

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Keep hand sanitizer with you and use it when you are unable to wash your hands.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items between use.

• Avoid touching your mask, eyes, nose, and mouth.

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FLAGPOLE.COM | DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020

• Limit the number of guests and have conversations ahead of time to set expectations.

• Celebrate outdoors if possible or open windows.

• Use single-use options and disposable items such as food containers, plates, and utensils.

• Keep background music low so guests don’t need to shout.

• It’s okay to postpone or cancel your gathering.

this week’s issue

contents

WHITLEY CARPENTER

Deborah Gonzalez was sworn in Dec. 17 as Athens and Oconee County’s new district attorney, although she doesn’t officially take office until Jan. 1. (l-r) Gonzalez; her husband, Bob Scott; and Susan Tate, Judge of Probate Court.

City Dope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 NEWS: City Dope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

This Modern World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

A Police Review Board and a Tad of TADs

Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

NEWS: Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

We Get ’Em; You Read ’Em

Art Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

NEWS: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2020 in Review

Adopt Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Year in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

SPECIAL SECTION: Slackpole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Sudoku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Flagpole Readers Write This Issue

Slackpole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

COVER ARTWORK of Flagpole’s 2020 covers

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VOLUME 34 ISSUE NUMBER 51

RESPECT OTHERS WEAR A MASK

Association of Alternative Newsmedia

KEEP YOUR COOL

Curb Your Appetite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 BLAKE AUED

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Alicia Nickles EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pete McCommons PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Larry Tenner ADVERTISING SALES Anita Aubrey, Jessica Pritchard Mangum CITY EDITOR Blake Aued ARTS & MUSIC EDITOR Jessica Smith OFFICE MANAGER AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Zaria Gholston CLASSIFIEDS Zaria Gholston AD DESIGNERS Chris McNeal, Cody Robinson CARTOONISTS Lee Gatlin, Missy Kulik, Jeremy Long, David Mack PHOTOGRAPHER Whitley Carpenter CONTRIBUTORS Liz Conroy, Arrow Ruskin Callahan, Darren Diaz, Bowen Craig, M. Frye, Sean Hribal, Alex Johnson, Abby Kacen, Kathryn Kyker, Marisa Mustard, J.H. Penham, Dalia Perez, Dan Perkins, Jill Hartmann-Roberts, George Sibley, Grady Thrasher, Amber Vickery CIRCULATION Charles Greenleaf, Mike Merva EDITORIAL INTERN Tyler Wilkins

comments section “Being an advocate for social Justice and civil rights comes with the title of Pastor of MLK Jr’s church. It doesn’t make him ‘radical’ like Kelly is pushing, it makes him honorable, following in those footsteps. And I’ll bet white Southern people branded Martin as a ‘radical’ too… and worse. Time to move forward; there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

— Chippy Herr From “Warnock Makes Pitch to Young Voters in Athens” on flagpole.com

Residential • Office • Construction • Move In • Move Out

Make the New Year bright with a clean house!

Adilene Valencia 706-424-9810

aecleanathens@gmail.com

DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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news

city dope

avoid any conflicts of interest stemming from the manager having hiring and firing power over both the auditor and the police chief. But amending the ACC charter would require approval from the state legislature and may not be possible. If not, the board would have the ability to lobby elected officials to resolve any conflicts, Perez said.

According to the task force’s draft report, the board should consist of 11 members and recommend policy changes. two alternates appointed by the mayor and “When you combine the auditor/moncommission for two-year terms collectively. itor and the board, you’re basically having They should closely mirror the community’s the voices of your community by pointing makeup on age, race, gender identity, sexmembers from the community to the ual orientation, religion, income and other board, but by hiring an actually professional factors. They should also have experience auditor or monitor to do the day-to-day in relevant areas like civil rights, litigation, that is so critical. Oftentimes, the boards advocacy, academics or being incarcerated that meet once or twice a month are barely themselves. Law enforcement officers and scratching the surface of what’s really going ACC employees would be prohibited from on with respect serving. to community “We did our best Justice was on the ballot. complaints or recto ensure it would Now justice is on the agenda. be a diverse board,” ommendations for systemic changes said co-chairman or recommendations for changes in policy Shane Sims. “However, we did not want to or recommendations for changing how handicap ourselves by saying it has to have police interact with the community,” said a definite composition. If we don’t get volLiana Perez, chief operating officer for the unteers from those demographics that have National Association for Civilian Oversight to come on there, we may end up with a of Law Enforcement, which advised the lame-duck board that may not have enough task force. “All those things are important people to do the work effectively.” as a whole. It’s not just about how you’re According to the report, the proposal going to address complaints. It’s a broader could not only bolster public confidence in picture.” police, but police officers’ trust in internal The task force recommended that the investigations. The board should be “open auditor be a charter-level position, on par to many viewpoints,” said Joan Prittie, with the existing internal auditor and the director of the domestic-violence nonprofit county manager and answering directly Project Safe. to the mayor and commission. This would The board’s reach could stretch beyond

Watching the Watchmen

A NEW POLICE REVIEW BOARD IS PROPOSED AND MORE LOCAL NEWS

By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com Athens-Clarke County should create a civilian review board and hire a professional staffer to investigate complaints against police and make recommendations on police policies and budgets, according to a task force appointed by Mayor Kelly Girtz in February.

A draft report released last week was based in part on analysis of 200 survey responses from community members, said Sarah Shannon, a UGA sociology professor who specializes in criminal justice. The task force also researched what other, similar cities like Dayton, OH, Berkeley, CA and Madison, WI, have done. “We really thought it was vital to look at various models around the country, to see what others have already done,” member Phil Smith said at a virtual town hall meeting last week.

The task force settled on a hybrid model between a civilian review board and a professional auditor or monitor (who would function like an ombudsman or public advocate) that would be less expensive than creating a new bureaucracy but more responsive than a volunteer board alone.

The review board of volunteers would hold public hearings and be staffed by a professional auditor to look for patterns in complaints, monitor internal investigations and

“

Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful

BRING ONE for the CHIPPER Christmas Tree-cycling Event

January 9th, 2021 9 AM to 1 PM Bring your undecorated Christmas tree to one of the following locations and receive a FREE tree seedling! **Also accepting wreaths and lights for recycling**

K E E P A M E R I C A B E AU T I F U L A F F I L I AT E

Drop-off Locations: Cofer’s Home and Garden Showplace, Clarke Middle School Sandy Creek Nature Center Chase Street Elementary School Recycling Centers at: Georgia Square Mall Theater Parking Lot Lexington Road Tag Office

CHaRM. Wreath Metal and light recycling only. NOT OPEN January 9.

See www.accgov.com/CHaRM for an appointment

For more information, visit www.keepathensbeautiful.org

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FLAGPOLE.COM | DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020

law enforcement, Perez said, and into shifting funding from policing to other areas, particularly homelessness, drug addiction and mental health. “Many of your complaints and issues stem from these unfortunate societal discrepancies and voids that are out there,” she said.

The task force is co-chaired by Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement co-founder Mokah Jasmine Johnson and Sims, a chaplain at the ACC Police Department who is involved in several nonprofits and formerly served 20 years in prison. The AADM had been calling for such a task force since October 2018, when an ACCPD officer hit a fleeing Timmy Patmon with his patrol car, and those calls were renewed after six officer-involved shootings in Athens last year.

The task force is accepting public input on its recommendations through Jan. 3 at accgov.com/9542/Policy-Advisory-TaskForce. The task force will then incorporate that feedback into its recommendations, which will go to the commission’s Government Operations Committee later next month, Mayor Kelly Girtz told Flagpole. He said he hopes it will pass out of the GOC in time for consideration in the county’s fiscal 2022 budget.

Gonzalez Sworn In as DA Promising “transformative change” while also reaching out to skeptics and opponents of her approach to criminal justice reform, Deborah Gonzalez was sworn in on the courthouse steps Dec. 17 as the new district attorney for Clarke and Oconee counties.

Gonzalez, a former state representative, narrowly defeated prosecutor James Chafin

in a Dec. 1 runoff. She said her supporters and Chafin’s have common ground: “We all want a safe and thriving community.

We know the system as it is has not been working.”

Gonzalez also sought to reassure her future employees that “I hear all of you— your hopes, your fears, your concerns,” and promised to have an open door.

Her campaign promises of addressing racial bias in the court system and restorative, rather than punitive, justice for nonviolent offenders are not “an experiment,” but taken from best practices in other cities, Gonzalez said. “We are following a proven path where justice, equity and safety are working hand in hand to create more thriving communities,” she said.

She also noted the historic nature of her election. She is the first minority and first woman to serve as DA in the Western Circuit, the first Latina DA in Georgia and the first female Puerto Rican DA in the U.S. Gonzalez will not officially take office until Jan. 1. In the meantime, she and her team will be working to “outline significant reforms and policy changes that will take effect on Day One and throughout my tenure,” she said.

“I can’t wait to start doing the work I promised to do for you,” she said. “Justice was on the ballot. Now justice is on the agenda.”

Dipping a Toe in TADS The Clarke County Board of Education recently approved an economic development tool that could revitalize the Georgia Square Mall area, but held off on participating in five other tax allocation districts.

The Athens-Clarke County Commission approved six TADs in September—for the mall, eastern downtown stretching into East Athens, a portion of Atlanta Highway west of Hawthorne Avenue, Lexington Road near Gaines School Road, Newton Bridge Road and North Avenue. In those areas, additional taxes from new development, rather than going into ACC’s general fund, will be poured into infrastructure within the district. The prospect of infrastructure like sidewalks or sewer lines can be used

to entice developers to build in places they otherwise might not.

The school board’s unanimous vote to gather more information about five of the TADs before approving them means they’ll still go forward, but without CCSD’s portion of the property taxes. School taxes make up about 60% of property owners’ tax bills. “It will still create value, just not as much as if the school district were at the table,” Mayor Kelly Girtz said. But he said he understood why the district would be hesitant, given that TADs are a new idea locally, and financial uncertainty is widespread during the pandemic.

School board member Antwon Stephens said at the board’s Dec. 10 meeting that he supports TADs in places that are already developed but are in need of redevelopment, such as the mall. “But when you talk about Nelly B and highly Black areas, and we’re having all these conversations about Linnentown, that doesn’t sit well with me,” he said, referring to a primarily Black neighborhood on Baxter Street that UGA tore down to make way for dorms in the 1960s.

TAD dollars could go toward infrastructure in historically underserved neighborhoods, said board President LaKeisha Gantt, and Nelly B residents asked to be included for that reason, board member Tawana Mattox added. “TADs are for economic development,” CCSD attorney Michael Pruett responded. “If you’re building sidewalks in residential areas, all you’re doing is diverting education dollars to county infrastructure.”

Board member Kara Dyckman raised questions about why some of the TADs were created. Downtown and Newton Bridge are experiencing substantial growth without one, she said. Property values in four of the six TADs are growing faster than the county tax base as a whole, according to Chief Financial Officer Byron Schueneman, and Pruett questioned whether they meet the legal definition of “blighted” that’s required to create a TAD. The school board voted 5-4 to approve the mall TAD, with Greg Davis, John Knox, Patricia Yager, Mattox and Stephens in favor, and Linda Davis, Charles Worthy, Dyckman and Gantt opposed. f

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Republicans Undermine Our Elections Much of the misinformation being put out in social media and newsletters on the part of our Republican elected officials is becoming alarming, as it is eroding the public confidence in one of our most precious democratic institutions: the elections offices. This should be a time for thanking voters for becoming engaged and election workers for their incredible commitment during unprecedented challenges, not accusing them of malfeasance when an election does not go their way.

The data and commentary recently released by U.S. Rep. Jody Hice’s office needs to be fact-checked as to his data source. He erroneously stated that the rejection rate of absentee ballots in 2020 was alarmingly low compared to two years ago, and that this somehow “defies logic” and is reason to suspect voter fraud or, at least, verifier incompetence. According to the information shown on the Georgia secretary of state’s website (sos.ga.gov), while the number of absentee ballots increased some 350% from the 2018 to the 2020 general election, the same 0.15% rejection rate (missing or non-matching signature on the envelope) was evident for both years.

These low rejections are likely due in part to the herculean effort on the part of both political parties to help voters fix their issues with their ballots before the due date, as per Georgia law. The increase in the sheer number of absentee ballots in 2020 is a result of voters having to cast their vote in the midst of a deadly pandemic. No one wants to stand in long lines or crowded rooms where there is a potential risk of contracting COVID-19. If you wish citizens to be actively participating in their democracy, you need to make it easier for them to cast their vote, not harder.

Georgia county poll workers receive training on handwriting analysis from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Signatures are matched with those on file in the state database, and the procedure is conducted in consultation with other officials. Some voters simply neglected to sign the outside of the ballot envelope. To insinuate that there is wrongdoing on the part of these workers is just appalling. These workers are dedicated and hardworking and, in 2020, came to work in the midst of the pandemic so we could safely participate in our democracy.

During the November election, out of the approximately 90,000 absentee votes

cast in Congressional District 10, 44% were cast for Hice. Will he be contesting all of these votes? Or is he just accusing Democratic counties of cheating?

The uncovering of missing ballots on a jump drive during an audit is a serious concern, and procedures for making sure this does not happen again should be implemented. But I fail to understand what our federal and state representatives are referring to as “illegal” ballots and “fraud.”

This is merely parroting the words of a loser. Rhetoric is not proof, no matter how many times it is repeated or how loud it is shouted.

Officials are perpetuating misinformation and encouraging others to distrust the election results. This is dangerous to our democracy. Their words and actions have consequences. Please ask them to stop, move on to uniting our people and move on to addressing the important issues of our health, safety and economic security.

An apology to our secretary of state and to our dedicated election workers is in order as well.

Robert Pandina Greensboro

Vote for Warnock and Ossoff As we consider the four candidates in the all-important runoff election for the U.S. Senate, the choice has never been more important for all Georgians, regardless of political affiliation.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed more than 300 bills in response to the biggest challenges our republic faces, including desperately needed COVID-19 relief, protecting access to affordable health care in a time of a deadly pandemic, providing unemployment relief for millions of Georgians and protecting the right to vote.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader, has gleefully declared that he will be the “Grim Reaper” who prevents these bills from being voted upon. Sadly and dangerously, Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have refused to end this willful embargo of legislation. Our national government is paralyzed and unable to enact legislation vital to the health and well-being of all Georgians.

Loeffler and Perdue are not running on their records of putting the wellbeing of Georgians first because they have no such records. Perdue has focused on his stock portfolio, with more than 2,500 transactions, many involving companies which

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he is responsible for regulating. Loeffler, the richest member of the Senate, has also been focused on increasing her wealth.

Even Loeffler’s professional basketball team wears jerseys protesting her refusal to take a stand against racial violence.

Neither Perdue nor Loeffler has prioritized helping Georgians. Indeed, both have supported actions to deprive millions of Georgians from access to affordable health care.

The Rev. Raphael Warnock has devoted his life to fostering action to improve the lives of our citizens. Jon Ossoff has dedicated his efforts to exposing abuses and crimes so that they can be addressed.

Our beloved country cannot tolerate four more years of selfish power plays preventing the Senate from addressing our country’s needs. We must end Senate gridlock. We must have two senators who are committed to putting Georgia first.

We must elect Warnock and Ossoff as our senators.

Bruce Menke Athens

Puerto Ricans Can Swing the Election Earlier this month, Deborah Gonzalez became the first Latina in Georgia to be elected district attorney and the first Puerto Rican woman in the U.S. elected to that position. Her election is also significant because she is the public face of a community that could be critical in Georgia’s highly contested Senate runoff elections—the Puerto Rican voter.

As most people know, Georgia’s runoff election will determine which party has control of the U.S. Senate. President-elect Biden won Georgia by only 11,779 votes, and the Senate races could be equally tight.

Since literally every vote will count, the road to victory requires courting every community that might support the ticket.

Democrats could benefit by being attentive to Puerto Rican voters. Even though there are just 97,000 Puerto Ricans living in Georgia, their votes could make the difference.

Puerto Ricans fly under the radar in Georgia. They represent only 10% of the total Latino population in the state, mostly living in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. They are better educated and have a higher median income than other Puerto Ricans on the mainland and the island.

Many wrongly assume that their interests are identical to the interests of the larger Latino community, predominantly Mexican-Americans. But Puerto Ricans, as U.S. citizens, have somewhat different concerns and political interests.

Puerto Ricans, unlike members of other Latino communities, need not fear deportation, and therefore issues like immigra-

tion policy and DACA mean little to them.

Instead, they care deeply about the political status and economic viability of their home island, where all of them still have family and friends.

Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff has already stated that he supports statehood for Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, but this comment can backfire in two ways.

First, not all Puerto Ricans favor statehood, as former congressman Luis Gutierrez recently pointed out to Ossoff in a series of tweets. Second, adding two potentially Democratic seats is precisely the argument Republicans make for keeping control of the Senate.

A smarter appeal to the Puerto Rican voter would focus not only on the things that matter deeply to all Georgians—health care and the economy, for starters—but also on the issues that affect the island most. Biden recently outlined these issues and his proposed solutions in a plan for Puerto Rico. This far-reaching proposal supports reconstruction of the island’s infrastructure, parity in key federal programs and economic development initiatives.

While many aspects of the plan can be implemented unilaterally by the incoming administration, many require Congressional cooperation to become permanent. This is unlikely to happen in a Republican Senate led by Mitch McConnell, who, in a reprise of the Obama years, will do his best to cripple the Biden administration prior to the 2022 midterm elections.

Puerto Ricans in the U.S. generally trend Democratic, as shown in the battleground states of Florida and Pennsylvania, where about 69% of them voted for Biden. The Democratic candidates in Georgia would do well to echo their commitment to Biden’s Plan for Puerto Rico and to explain why a Republican-led Congress would be fatal for the island. A concerted push to feature support for the island could increase voter interest and potentially swing the upcoming election to the Democratic side.

Gretchen Sierra-Zorita Washington, D.C. The author is a founding member of the National Puerto Rican Agenda and heads consulting firm Polivox787. The views in this letter are her own.

Who Participates in Participatory Budgeting?

If “participatory budgeting” allows average citizens to decide how a portion of their tax dollars are spent, do you have to pay taxes in order to have a voice? Does someone who pays more taxes get a bigger voice?

It is complicated.

Andrew Neighbors Athens

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feature

WHITLEY CARPENTER

news

2020 in Review THE YEAR WE HUNKERED DOWN

By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com

R

emember when President Trump was impeached?

It seems like it was back in 1868, but, no, that was Andrew Johnson. A mere year and five days ago, House Democrats initiated the process of removing the president, which the Senate would vote down along mostly partisan lines six weeks later—a portent of things to come.

It was a simpler time, when our biggest worries were the Mueller Report and Trump threatening Ukraine to try to get Hunter Biden investigated.

Three hundred thousand deaths, a summer of protests and untold damage to democracy later, those seem like quaint concerns.

2020 has been perhaps the most postmodern of years.

Truth, for half the country, ceased to exist. Either you believed the experts about COVID-19, stayed home and wore a mask when you had to go out in public, or you believed Trump and his Fox News enablers who told you it was all a hoax as the death toll soared into six figures.

Maybe you rallied against police violence and racism, or maybe you stormed a state capitol demanding that the governor liberate nail salons. If you are one of the 47% of Americans who opted not to repudiate Trump for empow-

More Top Stories of the Decade 2011: The manhunt for drug kingpin and cop-killer Jamie Hood made national headlines until his surrender on live television. Representing himself at trial, Hood was later sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison.

2012: Michael Adams stepped down after 15 years as president of UGA. He’d be replaced by his former provost, Jere Morehead, the following January.

2013: Selig Enterprises’ much-loathed downtown

Walmart project went belly-up, only to be replaced by massive luxury student apartment complex The Mark.

2014: Athens was obsessed with “Party Down South,”

a reality show about eight alcoholic rednecks that filmed a season here. (It wasn’t our proudest moment.)

2015: A recipe card from the Confederate-themed bar

General Beauregard’s featured a drink named after a racial slur, shining a light on discrimination at downtown student bars.

2016: An alleged sexual assault at Cedar Shoals High

School rocked Athens. Charges were eventually dropped against three students, but not before backlash did in National Superintendent of the Year Phil Lanoue.

2017: Demond Means took the reins of the Clarke County School District with high hopes for addressing racial inequality, but his tenure would prove divisive, and by the end of 2019 he’d be gone.

2018: A progressive wave at the polls swept Mayor

Kelly Girtz and five new commissioners into office.

On the state level, Stacey Abrams energized Democrats while nearly upsetting Kemp in the governor’s race.

2019: ACC police shot six people in six separate inci-

dents, killing five, prompting Chief Cleveland Spruill to implement new policies for responding to calls about weapons or mental-health issues.

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ering white supremacists and minimizing a pandemic, there is a very good chance you still believe the election was stolen from him, despite recount after recount and court ruling after court ruling showing Joe Biden was the clear winner.

While Trump’s support never budged through countless scandals, life changed for everyone late last winter when the novel coronavirus arrived on our shores. In Athens, the date was Mar. 13. That’s when the University of Georgia decided it would shut down for the rest of the semester. Public schools and businesses quickly followed suit.

Festivals were canceled. No one has seen live music in this town since. Most of us haven’t eaten inside a restaurant.

Thanks in part to federal relief funding—much of which is about to expire as Congress bickers—and to Athenians’ penchant for helping each other in need, most beloved local institutions have been able to limp along during the ensuing recession. But not all of them have survived. The Caledonia Lounge and vintage shop Atomic were among those that fell victim to the pandemic, and they may not be the last.

Truth, for Athens residents have risen to the ceased to occasion, though. Mutual aid organizations cropped up. People donated their stimulus checks to charity, bought takeout and tipped their bartenders virtually. Venues live-streamed concerts.

Local government devoted millions of dollars to feeding the poor, housing the homeless and aiding businesses.

Not that the state was much help. Gov. Brian Kemp was widely criticized, even by Trump, for opening back up too soon, and he stymied local efforts to stay on lockdown to flatten the curve. For a time, Kemp even blocked cities from requiring such common-sense measures as wearing masks inside public places. Meanwhile, the Board of Regents was hell-bent on bringing students back to campuses, which resulted in a terrifying period in late August when, thanks to unmasked students partying in frat houses and packing into the bars Kemp ordered reopened, Athens-Clarke County had one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country.

But it eventually subsided—somewhat. The Bulldogs managed to play three-quarters of a football season. K-12 schools reopened in November, only to shut down again thanks to a post-Thanksgiving spike and the anticipation of another after Christmas. As the first vials of vaccine are arriving, the numbers are trending up again.

As the virus was raging, so was anger over the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and other African Americans. On May 31, a large crowd gathered downtown to express themselves peacefully. Nevertheless, late that night, county officials declared a curfew, and police moved in to disperse 100 or so remnants with tear gas and beanbag rounds. Chief Cleveland Spruill cited intelligence that white supremacists had been spotted in the crowd and bricks found in tents—accounts disputed by protesters and later disproven by an internal investigation. Another protest the following weekend drew thousands and went off without a hitch, despite the presence of what appeared to

FLAGPOLE.COM | DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020

“

be the entire Georgia National Guard and members of every law enforcement agency in the state.

In the aftermath, the commission moved the Confederate monument downtown away from its prominent location on Broad Street, and Mayor Kelly Girtz appointed committees to create a police review board and tackle the legacy of urban renewal projects like Linnentown, a primarily Black neighborhood that was razed to make way for UGA’s Baxter Street dorms in the 1960s. But Commissioner Mariah Parker’s plan to defund the police fell short.

Oh, and there were elections, too—SO MANY ELECTIONS. Georgia Democrats started to pick a presidential nominee in March, then stopped due to the pandemic.

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were the most popular picks in Athens, but when voting started again in June, Biden already had the nomination sewn up. The chance to choose a new district attorney for the first time in 20 years was also put off, this time until November, after Ken Mauldin abruptly resigned rather finish out his term. (It was half the country, than nearly put off for two years until exist. candidate Deborah Gonzalez filed a successful lawsuit.)

In June, voters returned four incumbents—Parker, Allison Wright, Jerry NeSmith and Mike Hamby—to the commission, although NeSmith died in an accidental fall and was replaced by his opponent, Jesse Houle. Andy Herod opted not to run again, and Carol Myers won his Eastside seat. Running on a progressive platform, police Sgt. John Q. Williams narrowly ousted Sheriff Ira Edwards in the Democratic primary.

That was a shocker, but the biggest surprise yet would come in November, when after days of counting an unprecedented number of absentee ballots, Biden would become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia since 1992. That’s right: After a decade of entirely Republican rule, Georgia was blue again. The margin wound up being less than 12,000 votes, but it held up after an audit, a hand recount, a machine recount, numerous debunked conspiracy theories and several lawsuits that were laughed out of court. Trump and his supporters, refusing to admit Biden won, turned on Kemp, and Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger became a hero for standing up for the rule of law under tremendous pressure to somehow reverse the outcome.

In December, Gonzalez emerged as the winner of a runoff for DA on the strength of her pledges for criminal justice reform, making history as the first female DA in the Western Circuit, the first Latina DA in Georgia and the first Puerto Rican woman in the nation to serve as DA. And there is still one more runoff to go: on Jan. 5, when Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff face Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.

What’s at stake? Oh, nothing—just control of the U.S. Senate and whether Mitch McConnell can hamstring the Biden administration as he did to President Obama’s. Many things changed in 2020, but some things stay the same. f

bulletin board Deadline for getting listed in Bulletin Board is WEDNESDAY at 5 p.m. for the Slackpole double-issue that comes out Wednesday, Dec. 23. Online listings are updated daily. Email calendar@flagpole.com.

Holiday Craft Fairs and Studio Sales BENDZUNAS GLASS (Bendzunas Glass Studio and Gallery, Comer) The family-run studio will open to the public for the holiday season with a collection of vases, cups, bird feeders, ornaments and more. 12–5 p.m. or by appointment. bendzunas glass.net GOOD DIRT SHOPPING APPOINTMENTS (Good Dirt Clay Studio) Though the studio and gallery are currently closed to the public, shoppers can make appointments to check out the works of owners Rob and Jessica Sutherland.

Through Dec. 23, 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

706-355-3161, info@gooddirt.net

Art 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. Users can search for artists offering commissions for holiday gifts. athenscreatives@gmail.com, athenscreatives.directory CALL FOR ART (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) Artists of all skill levels can showcase their imagination in any medium they choose. Along with submitted artwork, artists are asked to provide a two-minute video explaining their work, an artist statement or short biography. Selected

artists will have their work presented online and in the hall gallery. Submit up to three works (only one work will be accepted). Fill out online form

by Jan. 1. Artwork will be displayed Jan. 18–Nov. 21. $20–25. info@ ocaf.com, www.ocaf.com CALL FOR GUEST ARTIST/CURATORS (Lyndon House Arts Center) The Lyndon House Arts Foundation is seeking guest artist/curator projects from individuals who identify as BIPOC and reside within Athens or a surrounding county to develop an art exhibition to be on display in the galleries. Selected applicants receive a $1000 stipend and additional funds to assist in other costs. lharts foundation@gmail.com CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (Lyndon House Arts Center) “The 46th Juried Exhibition” will be juried by Hallie Ringle of the Birmingham Museum of Art. Works in all media may be submitted online through Jan. 22.

Exhibition opens Mar. 11. $30/three entries. accgov.com/9661/46thJuried-Exhibition 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 OPEN STUDIOS (Lyndon House Arts Center) Studio members have access to spaces for painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber and woodworking. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $65/ month. nicholas.daglis@accgov.com

art around town ATHENS INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART (ATHICA) (675 Pulaski St., Suite 1200) “Hindsight 20/20: A Community Catharsis” is a collaborative exhibition in which members of the community can share artifacts, meditations, artwork or other personal expressions. Bring items during gallery hours and retrieve your items on Jan. 9, 7–9 p.m. Currently on view through Jan. 9.

CINÉ (234 W. Hancock Ave.) Rusty Wallace presents “Energy Plan for the New Horizons: Inside of the Outside.”

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.) Printmaker Amanda Jane Burk presents “The Milkening,” a series of many, many milk cartons.

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. • “Modernism Foretold: The Nadler Collection of Late Antique Art from Egypt.” Through Sept. 26. • “Power and Piety in 17th-Century Spanish Art.” Through Nov. 28.

Classes 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 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, marinabilbao 75@gmail.com, marina-spain-2020. squarespace.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 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 ATHICA EVENTS (Athens Institute for Contemporary Art) Celebrate the release of the new zine “Local Honey.” Online Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.

A musical event called “Forces of One,” organized by Joe Rowe, features solo sets by 8-Track Gorilla, Kevin Dunn and Fourth Mansions.

Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. Free timed tickets required. athica.org DECEMBER EVENTS (Southern Brewing Company) Monday Night Trivia every Monday at 6 p.m. Live music by Funky Bluester every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Live music by Zach Haines Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.

Records and Brews with DJ Osmose Jan. 8. Sunday Trivia with Solo Entertainment is held every Sunday at 5 p.m. www.sobrewco.com 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 from 6–9 p.m. through December. Activities include holiday character appearances, official Santa’s mailbox for children to drop off wish lists, music and s”elfie” spots. www.accgov.com/ lightupathens LIVE JAZZ (Porterhouse Grill) Enjoy dinner and some smooth jazz.

Wednesdays, 6–9 p.m. www.porter houseathens.com PERFORMING ARTS CENTER EVENTS (UGA Performing Arts Center) Theatre Works presents The

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. • The “Full House Online Exhibition” is an invitational extended to all the artist members in the groups and guilds who call the LHAC home. Through Jan. 9. • Online Collections From Our Community presents Arthur Johnson’s collection of sharks.

MADISON-MORGAN CULTURAL CENTER (434 S. Main St.) “Suttles Art” features 88 original pieces ranging from paintings, oils and pastels by Bill Suttles, photography by Todd Suttles and sculpture by Pat Suttles.

STEFFEN THOMAS MUSEUM OF ART (4200 Bethany Rd., Buckhead) “Unveiled” presents rarely seen works on paper, canvas and found objects

by Steffen Thomas. Through Jan. 7.

SURGERY CENTER OF ATHENS (2142 W. Broad St., Building 100) Paintings by Susie Criswell. Through Jan. 8.

TINY ATH GALLERY (174 Cleveland Ave.) Matt 6 Barhr’s exhibition, “Iconography,” features paintings that use abstract textures and compositions combined with modern commercial iconography. Open by appointment through December. tinyathgallery@gmail.com, www.tinyathgallery.com UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) “Election 1980: The Elephant in the Room” explores the historic change election.

Through Feb. 26. • “Pylon: Tourists in Rock ’n Roll” celebrates the local band through photos, outfits, memorabilia and more. Through May 31.

WILLSON CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES AND ARTS (Online) As part of UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts, the Willson Center presents “Shelter Projects,” a virtual exhibition of over 30 projects created by graduate students or community practitioners who reflect pandemic experiences through the arts. willson.uga.edu.

Artwork by Alex McClay is included in the group exhibition “Boundless” at the Lyndon House Arts Center.

Mountaintop virtually through Jan. 30. pac.uga.edu

Kidstuff ART CLASSES (Online) Treehouse Kid and Craft hosts a variety of art classes for children through Zoom.

Visit the website for a calendar of class series. www.treehousekidand craft.com FAMILY MOVIE SERIES (The Classic Center Theatre) Films include The Greatest Showman on Jan. 29 and Big on Feb. 26. classiccenter.com

Word on the Street 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 ATHENS SMALL BUSINESS HOLIDAY LIGHTS SCAVENGER HUNT (Multiple Locations) Each participating business has created a special holiday lights display to be enjoyed through Dec. 27 from 5:30– 10:30 p.m. Scavenger hunt cards can be picked up at House Electric, Tamez BBQ, Indie South, Treehouse Kid and Craft, ReBlossom, Normal Hardware, Cali-n-Titos and Georgia Cycle Sport. geoff@houseelectric athens.com ATHENS SYMPHONY VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT (Online) The symphony’s annual concert is available to stream on Facebook, YouTube or athenssymphony.org BRING ONE FOR THE CHIPPER CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING (Multiple Locations) Keep AthensClarke County Beautiful is organizing a recycling program to reuse Christmas trees as compost, mulch or fish habitat. Bring your undecorated tree to one of six drop-off locations and receive a free tree seedling in return. Jan. 9, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. www.keepathensbeautiful.org CORNHOLEATL WINTER LEAGUE REGISTRATION (Southern Brewing Co.) The seven-week season for four different divisions begins in January. Register by Dec. 28. info@cornholeatl.com

ICE SKATING (440 Foundry Pavilion) The Classic Center offers outdoor ice skating. Skate sessions are 75 minutes. Masks required. $15/session, $120 season pass. Through January. classiccenter.com/athensonice 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. Event held Jan. 18. athensgamlkday@gmail.com, www.accgov.com/mlkday NOMINATE A STORMWATER STEWARD (Athens, GA) Nominate an organization, business, individual or community group that has gone above and beyond to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff through a specific project, practice or event.

The award is presented by the Athens-Clarke County Stormwater Management Program. Nominations due Mar. 1. stormwater@accgov. com STORMWATER CALENDAR (Department of Transportation and Public Works) Request a free stormwater calendar online in advance, then pickup in person. stormwater@ accgov.com SUNDAY MUSIC SERIES (Athens Regional Library System) The library is seeking musicians of all genres to perform through its Facebook Live series. Email your name, band’s name, contact information and a link to your music to jmitchell@ athenslibrary.org THERE IS A SEASON (Athens Clarke County Extension) There is a Season: An Intentional Approach to Sustenance by master gardeners Rita Mathew and Suzanne Keifer is a new cookbook to foster health, environmental stewardship and community connections. A portion of proceeds benefit the ACC Extension Office.

706-613-3670 VIRTUAL LEISURE SERVICES (Online) A variety of activities are offered in arts, athletics, nature and recreation. www.accgov.com/leisure WINTERVILLE HOLIDAY LIGHTS (Winterville, GA) The Winterville Arts Council presents a map of festively decorated homes. Vote for your favorite house. Find @ WintervilleArtsCouncil on Instagram and Facebook f

DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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NOTICES MESSAGES

Worked with Copytalk Do you Immediate need old newsbefore? openpapers for your garden? ings available, paying Paper mache? more Your than new $2.50–$5.00/hr. puppy?

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12 STEP (Multiple Locations) R e c oMESSAGES very for people affected by someone else’s Never miss the local news drinking. website you love!Visit Getthe Flagpole for a calendar of electronic delivered straight to your mailbox. $45 meetings New held rates: throughout for months or $80 for 1 the 6week. www.ga-al-anon. year. org Call 706-549-0301 to get it started.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (Athens, GA) If you ORGANIZATIONS think you have a problem All withpagans, alcohol,witches, call theheaAA thens, etc. of all website paths: hotline or visit the Join for meetings, gathfor aus schedule of meetings erings, festivals, yoga and in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson more.

We are a 501(c)(3) and Oconee Counties. organization. athensarea 706-389-4164, www.athpagans.org ensaa.org

NOTICES

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 (Athens, GA; Email for Location) Athens Downtown SAA offers a message of hope to anyone who suffers from compulsive sexual behavior. www.athensdowntownsaa.com

ADOPT ME! ACC Animal Animal Control Services 125 Buddy Christian Way, Athens 706-613-3540 Call for appointments.

Available animals can be seen online at Athenspets.net Athens Area Humane Society 1781 Mars Hill Rd., Watkinsville 706-769-9155 Due to reduced business hours, call if you are interested in adopting.

Available animals can be seen online at AthensHumaneSociety.com

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SUDOKU

Edited by Margie E. Burke

Difficulty: Easy

SUDOKU

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8 1 6 3

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4 8 5 9 2 5 8 7 1 9 7 6 3 8 7 1 7 9 1 4 2 Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate

The Weekly Crossword 3

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2 6 32 8 9 38 4 42 7 3 49 1 54 5

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by Margie E. Burke 9

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Solution to Sudoku:

3 9 5 2 1 6 8 50 4 7

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7 28 4 1 8 3 5 46 2 6 9

4 829 7 6 5 3 9 2 55 1

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123 6 5 249 8 5 2 3 7 1 9 3 2 4 336 4 739 1 5 3 843 9 6 442 7 2 147 9 8 4 651 4 7 521 535 7 5 8 3 9 3 8 4 6 2

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ACROSS 1 Walking stick 6 "Holy cow!"

10 Helps out 14 Worse than bad 15 Canyon call 16 Had no doubt 17 Blue-eyed feline 19 Not being used 20 Fishing spot 21 City dweller 23 Rooming house guest 25 Narrow opening 26 Hostess product 30 Gaming cubes 32 Painless state 35 Cruller's kin 38 Get one's goat 39 Diner basketful 41 First rate 42 Trip planner's aid 44 Trite remark 46 Raised 48 Klugman role 49 Jungle swinger 51 Do museum work 54 Wall scrawl 56 Feudal servant

1 4

Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate

HOW TO SOLVE:

2

2

7 5 3 4 8 2 5 8 4 4 3 7 2 9 3 1 6 9 1 7 9 4 2 5 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 12/21/20 - 12/27/20

1

Edited by Margie E. Burke

Difficulty: Medium

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8 1 5 9 4 6 7 50 3 2

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6 28 4 9 7 3 2 45 8 1 5

923 3 4 1 242 5 6 8 7

2 6 1 838 7 9 4 5 3

5 3 1 4 7 5 8 299 832 6 7 2 3 4 2 6 6 8 439 5 446 7 3 471 2 1 515 3 9 2 6 7 54 55 1 9 4 8

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Become a foster parent today.

1-877-210-KIDS fostergeorgia.com

34 39

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Puzzle answers are available at www.flagpole.com/puzzles

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22 Bone-dry 24 "Belling the Cat" author 26 "Fame" singer 27 Troop group 28 Coffin carrier 29 Cloudless 31 Ring-tailed animal 33 Ind. neighbor 34 Texas siege site 36 Edit menu choice 37 Many a "Stranger Things" actor 40 More than fast 43 Medieval slave 45 In a perfect world 47 Salt, sometimes 49 Radiant 50 Sneak preview 52 Gawk (at) 53 Slight trace 55 ____ for oneself 57 Wild plum 58 Crash site?

59 Picnic pests 60 Shopper's aid 63 Auction signal

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ACROSS 1 Hold steady 6 Palindromic pop group 10 Punctuation mark 14 Hepburn classic, "_____ Holiday" 15 Bang the drum for 16 Quite fond of 17 Cancel a mission 18 Au ___ 19 Recipe direction 20 Loathsome 22 Ship's storage 23 Kind of surgery 24 Even though 26 Rain blocker 30 Stately bird 31 Pay, as a bill 32 Italian coin of old 34 Motionless 37 Bobby of hockey 38 Coach product 40 Before-long link 41 Solid-stemmed grass 43 Eaten up 44 Craft-selling site 45 Replacement of 32-Across

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Children in your community deserve kindness and love.

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Solution to Sudoku:

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Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate

DOWN 1 Impudent talk 2 Blockhead 3 From a distance 4 Get really upset 5 Sleazy hotel 6 Ten C-notes 7 Come to mind 8 Broken piece 9 Where the action is 10 Comparable 11 Native 12 Atlanta-based airline 13 Win every game 18 Pipe puffer

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45

61 Tales and such 62 Manicotti's cousin 64 Black cat, to some 65 Therefore 66 Barn areas 67 Microsoft product 68 Basket material 69 Baker's need

4

16

35

56

3

15

31

40

2

14

25

34

The Weekly Crossword 1

16

22

30

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 12/28/20 - 1/3/21

Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate

47 Fidgety 49 Not fooling 52 Cape of ____ Hope 53 Room at Rikers 54 Something to recycle 59 Like the Kalahari 60 Drawn tight 61 Witchy woman 62 Fishing need 63 Choice word 64 Unaccompanied 65 Social equal 66 Marsh growth 67 President before Polk DOWN 1 Slender fastener 2 Boxer's wear 3 "Famous" cookie guy 4 Parking place 5 Total 6 Shockingly bad 7 Run off at the mouth 8 Construct 9 Goes along

10 Like some hands 11 Marie who was beheaded 12 Circus prop 13 Mob 21 Lily variety 25 Hearty gulp 26 Sci-fi sightings 27 "Encore!"

28 Madonna's first top ten hit 29 Enthusiasm 33 Gave up 35 "Friends" role 36 Santa's sackful 38 Deli sandwich 39 Fable writer 42 Former Dutch coin 44 On in years 46 Forcible removal 48 Tabby's mate 49 Massage locale 50 Goosebumpraising 51 Bathroom item 55 Sneaky scheme 56 Workshop item 57 Diarist Frank 58 Malicious look

Puzzle answers are available at www.flagpole.com/puzzles

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slackpole Written and Illustrated by Our Readers been on a trip together in eight years. The last time we camped together, she was in middle school. Our September camping trip was a blast.

When the holidays were mentioned, she said she hadn’t decided if she could or should return. Without hesitation, I encouraged her not to come. I know she worried how we would handle Christmas without our youngest child with us. But it didn’t make sense to visit then, given what was DARREN DIAZ

S

lackpole brings out some of the wit, passion and weirdness characteristic of our Athens.

Once again, our staff thanks our Flagpole readers for writing and illustrating a big chunk of this annual issue—thus allowing us to take some time off during the holidays. And once again, we’re reminded what a creative and literate bunch of readers we have. We’ll be back with the first Flagpole of the new year on Jan. 6, and here’s hoping 2021 will be a better year in every way.

6. Big Chungus: A rotund and happy cat with long fur of grey and white. We met shortly after I moved and have become steadfast mortal enemies. He enjoys lounging in my backyard and digging up my plants. One day he absconded with my dill. Yes, dear reader, the entire plant. I haven’t seen it since. Occasionally, Chungus and I lock eyes in the parking lot, but neither of us dares act upon our baser instincts.

A Brief Survey of Every Outdoor Cat I Met in Athens, GA in the Year 2020

By M. Frye This year marked the end of an era, as I bid farewell to the Athens nightlife (because of the pandemic) and wandered the wilderness (to practice social distancing). This is the definitive record of the creatures I met in my travels.

These are their stories. Please note: The following names have been changed to protect the privacy of the cats mentioned—except for Big Chungus. He knows what he did, and one day he will answer for his crimes.

1. Barbara “Babs” Hoyt: A tuxedo cat. A cat whom we knew well, for she frequented the woods behind our apartment, and our household constantly mistook her for our nigh-identical tuxedo housecat. As such, I nearly had a stroke every time I confronted this majestic entity.

2. Ramona of Riverbend: A small, long-haired black cat.

We met her whilst taking out the trash. Ramona got our attention and led us into the forest out behind the dumpster, but the trees were too thick, and dusk was fast approaching, so we could not follow her. At the midnight hour, we heard Ramona pacing the street in front of our residence, calling out into the night. When I approached her, she again tried to lead me into the woods. While I was unable to follow her beyond the treeline, she did introduce me to her companion, Dolores Cloudstrike.

3. Dolores Cloudstrike: A grey tabby cat and dear friend to Ramona of Riverbend. Dolores is a skittish but mighty huntress, prowling the grounds of the apartment complex and the forest beyond, scourge of birds and Meowmix alike. We often crossed paths when I went out to leave cat food by the dumpster. We once witnessed Dolores Cloudstrike run up a tree to catch a bird. When she failed in her quest, she simply sat there and stared at us.

4. Steve: An elusive calico cat, full of as many mysteries as the summer night. A friend of Ramona of Riverbend and Dolores Cloudstrike, Steve enjoys moonlighting by the pool and long prowls along the parking lot perimeter.

5. The Ramona-Cloudstrike-Steve Family: The kittens of a feral cat colony that lives in the woods behind our apartment. We encountered them frolicking in a field one evening, in the afterglow of a summer storm. Never before has mankind seen a sight so sublime, nor will it again.

12

Big Chungus

7. Baggle Boy: A long-haired, fluffy cat spotted behind Ideal Bagel. We briefly acknowledged the other’s existence, and we went our separate ways.

8. Ms. Howard Pizzaman: An excellent tortoiseshell cat with a stubby tail, whom we made contact with by the Baxter Street Domino’s. A friendly and amiable cat. I love her.

9. Viceroy Helga Whenceworth, Esquire: A stately orange tabby cat. We briefly crossed paths whilst I was walking my cat, when we accidentally strayed into her territory. The Viceroy let us pass without incident, and for that we are forever indebted to her. Thank you, Viceroy Helga Whenceworth, Esquire. Thank you.

Christmas In The Mail

By Kathryn Kyker My daughter came from Seattle to visit us in September.

We hadn’t seen her in nine months, the longest time we’d gone without a visit. Our son lives in Athens, and the four of us went camping during her visit, the first time we’d

FLAGPOLE.COM | DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020

anticipated with COVID, and the difficulty of keeping my 86-year-old mom safe—the afterglow of our September visit would just have to linger longer.

It was easy to be logical three months ago, but now Christmas looms, and I am not prepared, logistically or emotionally. All of a sudden, I’m scrambling to find her gifts so I can send them on time and realize, almost too late, that she needs her stocking! And, because she’ll have to stuff it herself, those items need to be wrapped.

As I prepare the box, I think of her receiving it, finishing the activity I began: considering each item with curiosity as she wedges it into her hand-knit stocking and, on Christmas, unwrapping them one-by-one. I imagine some items evoke a smile and others evoke a gentle, puzzled shake of the head—as our adult children are apt to do, their parents’ eccentricity finally inspiring more caregiving sentiment than annoyance.

I worry that she’ll be alone when she does this, so into my imaginary journey I insert a companion—a close friend or that boyfriend we haven’t met yet. I see them sharing this moment with her and her being OK—missing us but OK. And I stop because I’m crying now, desperate for her to be OK. I can handle missing her, not the thought of her missing us. I write a corny poem and tuck it deep into her

stocking, hoping the bad rhymes and sing-song sentiment colliding with stark reality will make her laugh.

Spending your first Christmas away from your folks is part of growing up. Once my kids were adults, I never assumed they would be with us each Christmas, wanting them to be free to make their own traditions. I don’t want to cling to tradition for tradition’s sake, but instead be open to changes that work for all of us—for us to shape our time together instead of contorting around something rigid that no longer works. I didn’t envision being kept apart by COVID, but I knew that when my daughter moved across the country, she would not always be able to be here for all the holidays or family moments. This, too, is part of becoming an adult, a consequence of the decisions you build your life around. And that’s as true for me as her. It never stops—this growing up.

Christmas will come and go, and it will be weird, but this year “surviving Christmas” is no small thing. With care, we will endure to see another Christmas, and, with luck, we’ll be together for that one and many more.

surrounding herself with those who have the same hobby.

Cannon learned to create using a needle and yarn; her journey to now all began with a simple knit stitch. This is a woman whose journey to her career has unfolded in an indirect way, from working as a kindergarten teacher to owning her own cake business. It is a journey that has not been easy, and it certainly has not been direct. It has not been easy to turn the loose yarn into neat little stitches.

The ride has been bumpy. Originally a Georgia native, Cara has reached full circle, coming back to her home from Texas, where she resided for a short amount of time.

Cannon’s bigger-than-life ambitions are one thing Woodson has noticed in her friend for the past seven years:

Tidings that Discomfort and Annoy

By Grady Thrasher (Can be sung to the tune of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”) Unrest and fear, Republicans, No virtue you display, In knowing Trump your savior Lost big, election day.

He said he was the only one To chart a winning way, Now tantrums bring no comfort or joy, They only annoy…

His tantrums bring no comfort or joy.

Three Hundred Six electoral votes Were cast Joe Biden’s way, And Trump, the frenzied loser, His anger on display,

Dream Come True

By Dalia Perez Cara Cannon loves to knit. Inside a small shop at 297 Prince Ave. in Athens, you can find Cannon behind the counter, rearranging shelves filled with yarn of all colors. Cannon currently spends her days managing Revival Yarns, the local Athens yarn shop that she co-founded in 2014 with Lindsay Woodson. This year, they are still growing and continuing to make their dream into a reality.

This local yarn shop is an embodiment of Cannon’s passion, a tribute to her childhood and the woman she is today.

Inside the small yarn shop you can find shelves upon shelves filled with all types of yarn, from lace Cara Cannon and Lindsay Woodson to worsted. Cannon’s devotion towards knitting can be traced back to her childhood Thanksgiving holidays spent with her family. Ten-year-old Cara was “She is unwavering in her faith to the yarn shop, in her taught to knit by her aunt, and that was just the beginning. dedication to our customers and her love for her family and Every year at Thanksgiving, Cara would reunite with her friends. You can always count on her.” aunt, and they would complete a new knitting project. Now, Woodson and Cannon met in a knitting group seven years later, the tradition has grown into something bigger, years ago in February 2013. Their earliest memories involve something that allows her passion of knitting to be shared chatting amongst their neighbors while knitting in a cozy with everyone in her community. The birth of Revival Yarns living room. It was in those monthly neighborhood knit opened a realm of possibilities for the love of knitting to nights that the idea of Revival Yarns was born, according grow. Cannon is an individual who has turned her biggest to Woodson. “We barely knew each other when we decided passion into her reality. She has managed to turn her love to go into business together, and somehow it worked. We for knitting into Revival Yarns by keeping it alive and by made a great team and even great friends.”

Red-faced, he shrieks and tweets to all A hundred times a day, His tantrums bring no comfort or joy, They only annoy…

His tantrums bring no comfort or joy.

Republicans, a fearful lot, Seem to have lost their way— Can’t stand up to their leader, though the voters had their say, The people were the ones who won The democratic way, And that brings tidings of comfort and joy!

Comfort and joy!

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy!

Death Metal

By J.H. Penham I was traveling through the Valley When first I saw the Band.

The Stranger from the alley Put the ticket in my hand. k continued on p. 15

DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

13

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continued from p. 13 ABBY KACEN

slackpole It appeared a smoky black, Its only mark a flame That jumped up off the paper: The Band That Had No Name.

I wondered why he’d give away An admission pass for free– ‘They must be something awful.

How terrible they must be!’

I thought to leave the show behind And journey onward when A morbid curiosity Compelled me to join in.

“I could use some time to rest.

I’ve covered ground today.

I’ll eat, be merry, stay the night, Then I’ll be on my way.”

As I approached the entrance I stumbled back in awe.

The gates were forty feet across And standing just as tall.

The fiery metal burned bright red, And I could feel the heat Emanating from the bars And pulsing to the beat.

The sound was faint until I stepped Across a crimson line, Then suddenly grew deafening Upon the other side.

I walked along a darkened path Where I could only see A doorway in the distance And my feet in front of me.

The first soul I encountered Since I’d crossed into this place Sent a chill along my spine With the smile on his face.

The crooked teeth were pointed And stained a wicked hue.

The hand that reached out for the pass Was a pale and ghastly blue.

Above the bass that shook my chest, A startling decree: ‘Come inside! We’re waiting for you!’

The Keeper said to me.

I laid the ticket in his palm And he began to laugh, With spittle oozing from his lips, And tore it clean in half.

He pointed me toward a curtain, Spilling dark wine from his cup, But feeling no partition I slowly lifted up.

My tortured cries were amplified In black cacophony.

Death: the chorus of the Damned Devoid of sympathy.

As soon as I crossed over, My lungs filled up with dust, And it took more than a moment For my senses to adjust.

And when the final chord was struck There came a fiery flash That tore apart the blood-red sky.

Our bodies turned to ash.

I remember hearing first The same music as before, But this time every measure Wrapped itself around my core.

And now the show is over.

Their audience is gone.

The time will come to find Another town to play upon.

It began to shred my insides, The metal hard as steel, Til blood and lust and decadence Was all that I could feel.

Beware, my friend, the Stranger And the pass he gives away!

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t come Without a price to pay.

And then I saw the spectacle With unfamiliar sight, The vision passing through me as A thousand points of light.

Beware, my friend, the danger Of looking on the flame!

For when it gets a hold of you Then nothing will remain.

Countless souls were gathered here.

All eyes were on the stage.

The masses moved in unison To every note they played.

Beware, my friend, the danger Of looking on the flame That burns away all others but The Band That Has No Name

No member’s face was visible.

Their bodies masked in shroud.

The drums beat out a secret oath No words were sung aloud.

A fine red film had filled the air, And blanketed in mist The frenzied population As they fought and fucked and kissed.

I scanned the stage to find the source And spied an odd guitar Projecting like a tentacle, Which flung it near and far.

The mist’s effect was instant, And as the minions bowed, The band played War and Pestilence Upon the eager crowd.

ARROW RUSKIN CALLAHAN

And though I felt its power Gripping tighter in my chest, A voice cut through its wicked haze And started to protest.

“You never should have come here To look upon the flame.

And when it takes a hold of you, Then nothing will remain.”

Now I felt it certain, How grave was my mistake!

I scurried to the curtain To fashion an escape.

But when I breached the barrier, Attempting to return, My last hope turned to terror As my flesh began to burn.

The Coronavirus Rorschach Test

By Bowen Craig The Coronavirus is America’s largest Rorschach test. If you were a compliant person who liked to be told what to do before the virus landed, now you’re a REALLY compliant person. If you were a defiant person who hated to be told what to do before the virus hit, now you’re a REALLY defiant person. If you distrusted doctors before corona, now you downright hate them. If you put doctors on pedestals before we COVID-19’d, now their pedestal practically touches the sky. I’ve never seen anything like this. And neither have you.

There are many ways to view this moment in time as a test for us mortals. We’re being tested physically, mentally, emotionally, communally, nationally, globally, medically, technologically and in our ability not to go crazy during one of those ungodly-stupid Zoom meetings. I’ve come to a few conclusions: 1. Most people are decent and sane. Most of us realize the commonsense of social distancing and obsessively washing our hands during this thing. Even if the science is 100% wrong about this virus—and, honestly, who knows at this point?—taking some light precautions for the sake of others is the decent thing to do. Most of us realize this.

Those who don’t are a small but vocal group of already angry folks. If that small but vocal group of already angry folks weren’t so damn well-armed, it would just be funny.

2. We aren’t nearly as “ruggedly independent” as we think we are. We still think we’re pioneers. But pioneers don’t care what the governor says. They just do their thing. k continued on next page

DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

15

continued from p. 15

We’re not cowboys anymore. Cowboys don’t use Twitter.

We’re a lot more sheepish than we used to think we were.

Our little cowboy is not long for this world, but maybe we should try and rescue him before it’s too late.

I’m not saying that obeying the law is inherently a bad thing. The law against urinating on clergy in public is a decent prohibition. But truly ruggedly independent people don’t give a damn about the law. They just whip it out and piss on whichever clergyman they see first.

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3. Crises bring the inside out. Like I said, Rorschach test.

The inkblot is whatever you want it to be. I’ve discovered that a lot of my friends want to be scared, that far too many of them enjoy lecturing others about how right they are and how wrong others are, that the fine art of social shaming is running rampant across the amber waves of grain.

If death is possibly right around the corner, you’re going to let your verbal guard down a little.

Why do you think we’re fascinated by famous people’s last words?

The good news here is that, from what I’ve seen, the vast majority of Americans are decent on the inside. That has been coming out, especially given the greed and manipulation coming from Washington, D.C. Elsewhere goodness abounds.

fun he’d have with his new friends, he just stared at me.

Deep down, I felt so scared, not knowing how my senior dog would handle two new dogs in his territory after so many years as the only pet. My vet, Dr. Kaleka, had told me exactly what to do to successfully transition these two new animals into our household, but there were no guarantees. I was as ready as I was going to be, but was Toby ready?

My heart pounded like a loud drum in my chest. Was it just my nerves, or was it possible it was taking an hour for Lizzie and Reggie to arrive?

And then, finally, the first crate came down the chute. I saw Reggie’s dark, frightened face. Just like the first time I saw their photograph, I squealed with happiness as my boyfriend, Audie, rushed to grab Reggie’s crate off the belt. As soon as Reggie saw his daddy, he began barking and pawing at the wire door enclosing him inside. Within moments, the second crate appeared, and I saw Lizzie pacing side to side, JILL HARTMANN-ROBERTS

slackpole

4. We could reform society right now. This may be in the backs of a lot of our minds right now. In the midst of this horrible situation, we’ve been given a rare opportunity. We’re probably going to blow it, but hope springs eternal.

Even if this pandemic is all a giant Angel Soft toilet paper conspiracy, or a Purell Dystopia, we’re managing it pretty well. I’m, for the most part, proud of you, America. This has always been a great nation. It never stopped being great.

We’re just on a momentary greatness pause. We were great. We are great—and we will continue to be great.

Lizzie and Reggie Made Three

By Jill Hartmann-Roberts The date was Dec. 22, 2009. I watched the conToby veyor belt spew out large freight cargo through rubber vertical blinds in the oversized baggage claim area. I hugged myself tightly, anticipating the moment the dog crates would finally appear. Up until now, all I’d seen were photos of Lizzie, the feisty one-eyed pug, and Reggie, the rambunctious, wide-eyed French bulldog/ pug mix.

I was at work when I opened the email and first laid eyes on Lizzie and Reggie’s picture. Forgetting where I was, I squealed with delight. That outburst attracted quite a bit of attention, but I couldn’t help myself. They were two of the most adorable and photogenic dogs I had ever seen.

Any moment now, 11 months later, I’d be meeting Lizzie and Reggie in person for the first time. Little did I know these two dogs would not only change my life for the next 10 years, they would also save my life—more than once.

When we lose someone we love, sometimes the one thing that keeps us from giving up is our love for someone else— someone who depends on us to be there for them. Lizzie and Reggie became my rock when I needed them most.

They never let me down. In my darkest days, my love for them became the one reason I got out of bed every day. I owe them my life.

My 16-year-old rescue mutt, Toby, had me all to himself for eight years before Lizzie and Reggie came on the scene that Christmas. Now, there would be three. Before I left the condo to pick up Reggie and Lizzie from the airport, I’d tried to explain to Toby that his new brother and sister were coming to live with him. As I told Toby how much

FLAGPOLE.COM | DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020

trying to move around inside the crate, panting with that signature upturn of her tongue that I came to love. Lizzie didn’t bark, but she scratched at the wires separating her from her daddy, as emphatically as Reggie did.

I’d already fallen in love with their picture, and by the time we loaded their crates onto the oversized cart to wheel them out to the car, I fell in love all over again. I couldn’t wait to get home and release them from their cages so I could hold them for the first time.

Overnight, my family of two became a family of five. It was the Christmas gift of a lifetime.

Finding Friendly Fence Lizards

By Liz Conroy Wild animals around Athens must wonder why so many of us are wandering in the woods this year. It’s a safe activity for humans during a pandemic and healing for stressed minds. Last summer, some wild animals even stuck around to observe me! After all, I was taking more time to move slowly, then staying still, and looking at them quietly.

Sometimes, I even got a chance to take a closeup photo.

An adorable reptile to find around here is the Eastern fence lizard. To me, it’s our cutest native lizard. No wonder some folks like to keep these arboreal reptiles as pets.

Fortunately, many people understand that wild animals should be allowed to live outdoors in their natural homes.

Fence lizards are pleasing to gardeners, too. They eat many pesky insects, such as beetles, moths, stink bugs and grasshoppers.

While hiking, it’s often a surprise to see this lively lizard suddenly scramble up a tree. They are quite shy, so looking at them requires tiptoeing rather than tromping. But being skittish is how they survive. Fence lizards make good meals for many predators. They provide entertainment for pets, as well. Cats like to toy with them, since they don’t offer much of a fight with their small teeth and claws and lack of venom. Who eats these chunky little reptiles? Besides free-roaming cats, snakes and birds do, too.

Last summer, I watched swallow-tailed kites fly gracefully through the branches of large pecan trees. Later, I learned that it’s not just large insects these raptors seek, but even snakes, tree frogs and fence lizards can be snatched from the trees by these beautiful birds.

We found whales & turtles & we hiked volcanoes.

The Milky Way shined for us.

COVID hits LAX the day before we head home.

New Orleans is a hotspot.

Cancel trip to the presidential debate.

Hospitals fill up and schools close.

World shuts down.

Law firm victimized in cyberattack.

COVID decimates KREWE sales.

Nola Johnsons quarantine with our little Wildman.

We take turns riding the wagon.

We take turns working from home.

Forks and knives and laptop computers.

One of us starts early, the other goes late.

We grind during naptime.

Deliverables.

We make a baby.

Neighbor’s mother dies of COVID.

LIZ CONROY

Nola Johnsons depart for Georgia.

April at the farm and some of May too.

Easter baptisms at Johnson Spring.

Easter reveals a Christmas baby.

COVID takes John Prine and Ellis Marsalis.

Orion’s arrowhead shines in April 23rd rain.

I dig dirt stairs & plant laurel in the woods.

Wildman drives tractors and chases Roostie.

Mama stands in a ring of roses for Mother’s Day. First the dogwoods bloom and then the magnolias, They remind us we’re in a place.

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New Orleans reopened, so we returned.

Memorial Day at Gulf Shores National Park.

Michael Jordan’s documentary, we thank you.

Butterfly Boy plants a backyard garden.

Mama’s baby grows & kick-kick-kicks.

I finish reading the New Testament.

Police murder George Floyd.

National protests for Black Lives Matter.

KREWE’s second existential crisis arises.

Farm Fam meets poolside for the Fourth of July.

Earlier in the summer, I learned about the voracious appetite of the Argentine tegu—a large, invasive lizard now spreading in Georgia. Wondering about the threat they pose to our native reptiles, I contacted wildlife biologist Laci Pattavina with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Conservation Division. She said, “I do know that birders, hunters, hikers, farmers and anyone that spends time outdoors can help us with reporting sightings, especially in the Toombs and Tattnall County areas, by emailing gainvasives@dnr.ga.gov with photos and location information. This short YouTube video also has some good information: youtube.com/watch?v=UkRNMUhG4Hw.” Then I emailed herpetologist J. Whitfield “Whit” Gibbons, professor emeritus of ecology at UGA. He calmed my fears with his reply, “Liz—I’m sure tegus would eat fence lizards if they can catch them.” Then he added that being able to run up trees is a good behavior for fence lizards when it comes to avoiding hungry tegus. Go, fence lizards!

A Crooked Piece of Time

By Alex Johnson I’d been enjoying my new job downtown and My son is a walking, talking joy.

I began reading the New Testament.

Congress impeaches the President.

Nola Johnsons get fit at the Grit Gym before We escape Mardi Gras to Hawaii for our first vacation in years.

I work at the office again, Mama works at home.

John Lewis passes on to peace.

Wildman’s school has COVID scare.

COVID makes a second surge.

The moon lines up with Jupiter and Saturn for a time.

Lt. Mud dies in service.

Wildman turns 2 in the backyard with Shrimp and burgers, sandbox and slide.

He loves Daddy’s stories and Mommy’s songs.

He loves caterpitters and Thomas Train.

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Mama grows great with child.

Daddy grows soft with beer.

Justice RBG dies in service.

POTUS debate is a cultural disaster.

Casino Man keeps deriding masks.

Casino Man gets COVID. We are first to vote at the NBA arena.

Lebron James, we thank you.

Hurricane Zeta cuts off power across the City but Cool weather behind the storm is nice & welcome.

Zeta is the seventh storm to make landfall in Louisiana.

Its citrus eye passed over us at sunset, Reminds us we’re in a place.

Wildman kisses his hands before reaching for the moon.

Halloween Blue Moon.

COVID makes a third surge.

Election Day is here.

The spirit of John Lewis returns for us, Uncle Joe wins and Mamala inspires.

Casino Man’s confused and stokes flames Casts his legacy in fool’s gold & anti-democracy.

Steak for Thanksgiving without all the family.

We pray for all who’ve left us who made us, Also the ones who’ve joined us. k continued on next page

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slackpole

continued from p. 23

We’re living in a Time, aren’t we?

“A Crooked Piece of Time” May we all keep leaping and lapping up Water brooks in the woods with Our dear baby Hart.

Semantics in the Pause

By Kathryn Kyker KATHRYN KYKER

The Pause happened in spring. We didn’t anticipate all the changes that pausing would bring.

Most of us were unfamiliar with a disruption of this magnitude. Hugs stopped first; then schools stopped. We quit going out. For some of us, work stopped. Sports, music, traveling—all those pursuits we wrap ourselves in—if they no longer existed—did we?

As the students were told to stay away, the town of Athens gave a great involuntary shudder, ripples racing down the streets, uprooting businesses or swallowing them whole.

It was not just life events that paused, but life itself, the thrum of humanity’s heartbeat. That’s why time is different now. Because now is different now. I would say obtuse, but I recently learned (learning is still possible in the Pause) that it’s abstruse, and my inability to grasp it makes me an obtuse Quiescent—capitalized because they have made it a proper noun. It is their name for us.

I thought they meant sentient, so I corrected them, but they insisted they’d found it on thesaurus.com. They read the definition—well, not “read” in the usual sense, but I could hear the definition in the whirring scream that wrapped my body. (Quiescent: at rest; quiet; inactive.) I didn’t bother telling them that it was an adjective. Adjectives no longer matter, and I’m not fit to be the grammar police on my best day. Besides, the less conversation the better, because of that whirring screaming.

From their perspective, humans are now static, frozen, or at least sloth-like in their ambulation. Humanity itself was paused. “They” are what I call the Subito. (Subito: sudden, abrupt, as in musical direction.)

I can use thesaurus.com, too.

Our space program was not paused, and that is what caught their… they don’t have eyes, so I’ll say attention.

Blasting those astronauts up to the space station was just enough of a blip to cause the Subito, just passing by, to circle back and fall to the Earth, the way a murmuration of starlings whirls and twirls and plummets to your yard, filling it with their cacophonous chatter—so loud, so voracious that reality shifts as your world goes helter-skelter.

That’s how it was for me. I thought maybe I had the virus and that was why my world was all Twilight Zone. This could be a fevered dream of the dying.

Last thing I recalled was making a cup of tea when I heard something and stepped outside.

Something unseen was there. The whirring softened, or maybe I just grew more accustomed to it. But I was different, less solid. My tea was sludge-like. “Are you the virus?”

I asked.

I blame the weather—the collision of cold and warm fronts created some sort of flue to my backyard. If we weren’t living in the time of the Pause, the weather would resume as the most bizarre thing about our current existence (excluding politicians).

I admit that I’m pro-space despite the risk of this very thing. So I guess it serves me right?

They aren’t just in my yard. They have no container. This information might cause widespread paranoia, but I don’t think my words will ever reach the Quiescent world.

I do not ambulate as I once did. I never drank that tea.

If they saw us outside of the Pause, would all our usual scurrying impress them? Probably not—I suspect all life forms come with species-istic attitudes.

They will leave with their nettlesome whirring. I will be lost in the numbers of the departed, as you remain in Pause mode. I believe you and the town will awaken soon. “Soon” being relative to your space-time perception.

We perceive time in the Pause like being out of sync, because we are doing creatures instead of being creatures, or that is my current theory. I get to experience time differently with the Subito but I would rather be paused with all of you.

I don’t know what my life—existence will be like, but I am bringing earplugs on the chance that I still have ears.

How I Made It Through 2020

By Jill Hartmann-Roberts

The whirring shaped itself into a reprimand—surely I recalled that the virus came well before their invasion— their visit. They emphasized their correction and added that only I heard them and responded to their arrival, whereas other Quiescents continued in their hibernation unaware.

Warm knitted socks At the end of the day.

Steaming almond lattes At sunrise.

Soft, furry blankets enfolding me.

Sunlight on my face, Beaming through window panes, Seeping into my skin.

Photographs, Videos, Old memories from long ago.

Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra Streaming through a smartphone.

Soaking in the tub, Sweet birch scent, Drifting off to sleep.

Books long sitting on the shelf, Untouched and unread,

flagpole’s office will be closed from Dec. 21st – 25th, Dec 31 31st and Jan 1st

photo credit: Zoomworks

SALON, INC.

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2440 West Broad St., Suite 2 706-548-2188 www.alaferasalon.com

FLAGPOLE.COM | DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020

Enjoy this week’s Slackpole 2 week issue covering events from Dec. 23rd – Jan 5th

AMBER VICKERY

Now opened and cherished To the final page.

Faces on a screen, Some familiar, Others new.

Voices of my students, Smiles on their faces, Fears in their letters, Solace in their strength.

Gratitude for everyone For every small and subtle thing.

In any other time, Once taken for granted, In 2020— Life-giving, Like breathing itself.

When the world reprises, And these lyrics no longer play, May I never forget, How grateful I am— For every single small and precious thing, For every person.

For being alive.

Miracle on South Lumpkin Street

By Jill Hartmann-Roberts At 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 8, 2014, I pondered whether or not to drive to Memorial Park. I loved walking the path around the lake and watching ducks and geese swimming and waddling on the shore. I could drive a quarter-mile down the road and use the treadmill instead. I was about to turn left at the stop sign and head to the gym when I suddenly changed my mind, turned right and headed in the direction of

How I made it through 2020.

Memorial Park.

That split second change of heart changed a life.

When I reached the intersection of South Lumpkin Street and Gran Ellen Drive, I spotted a wolf-like dog running loose back and forth across the busy road. I instinc-

tively parked my car, turned on my flashers, and went after the dog. She disappeared into some bushes and re-emerged with a tree branch. When she saw me moving toward her, she dropped the branch, sprinted toward me, jumped up on me with her front paws—at which point I noticed she had no collar—and then she dashed away again before I could grab her. She raced down the road and into another bush.

I kept calling, “Come here, baby. It’s OK.” Within seconds, I saw the telltale rustling of leaves. She bolted toward me again, and this time, when I reached out to pet her, she stayed put. I quickly opened the rear passenger door of my car, patted the cushion, and invited the dog to jump into the car. She hesitated, and I reassured her, “It’s OK. Don’t worry. Come on.” Something in my eyes must have told her it was safe, because she jumped into the back seat. As soon as I closed the door behind her, she climbed up so she could see through the rear window and started barking her head off in a screeching, high-pitched tone.

Driving away, I wasn’t sure what to do with this stray dog now that I had her safely in my car. She had a healthy-looking blue-gray fur coat, highlighted with streaks of brown and white, especially on her underbelly. She had one brown eye and one blue eye, which was as brilliant as a glowing planet.

I called my husband from the car as the dog began freaking out, jumping to the front, climbing up onto the dashboard, and barking ferociously at every car that passed us.

We put her in the backyard, while setting up an indoor enclosure in the kitchen to keep her separated from our small dogs, Lizzie and Reggie.

For the next two weeks, we experienced a wild ride of fostering this dog, whom I named Betty. We discovered that she was a deaf blue heeler puppy with a microchip, but when the owner was called to retrieve his dog, he didn’t want her back. It turned out that Betty’s owner had purposely abandoned her on South Lumpkin, claiming she was too much work for him.

In the end, we found a forever home for Betty with a family in Columbus, GA, who had a male red heeler named k continued on next page

DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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MARISA MUSTARD

slackpole

continued from p. 19

Dante. Who knows what would have happened to Betty if I hadn’t stopped that day? She likely would have been hit by another car, had I left her on that road in Five Points. It was fate and a miracle that we found each other.

Parking at Moe’s

By Sean Hribal One day a few summers ago, I was finishing up my lunch on the patio of Moe’s Southwest Grill on Baxter Street. Their outdoor dining area is up a set of stairs and provides a good view of the parking lot. So I was up there munching on tortilla chips and people-watching.

Then a nice contractor’s truck drove up the lot looking for a place to park. There was an empty spot below the stairs to Moe’s with two brick pillars on the right side. The truck began to turn into the spot. As it approached, I bit into a chip and said, “You didn’t swing wide enough. Not gonna make it, buddy.” I expected him to stop, reverse and try again.

Crazy things always seem to happen in slow motion.

The truck didn’t stop. I thought, “Dude, you are going to hit that pillar.” I heard the crunch of the truck’s cab against the brick. I could see the silhouette of the man driving. He faced forward, unfazed. The truck bucked and screeched as the entire bed dragged along the pillar. A flurry of questions ran through my head: Why is this guy ruining his truck?

Will he get fired? Is he going to freak out?

When the truck stopped, the driver got out and glanced toward the mangled side of the truck for only a brief moment. He jogged up the steps, gave me a nod, and went into Moe’s like nothing happened.

I took a sip of Coke and said, “Dang. That guy really needed a burrito.”

How I made it through 2020.

Eulogy for 2020

By Alex Johnson COVID took my neighbor’s mother back in the spring and another 300,000 other Americans since.

The holidays are different this year. Families are grieving and, for those of us not bowling alone and who still believe in community, their losses are all of ours.

THE ASHTON HOPE KEEGAN FOUNDATION in partnership with Athens Technical College present:

Hope Gala The 4th Annual

As dim as it’s been, we have to rejoice in whatever light we can find and share it with others to see and pass it on down the line.

A few days before Thanksgiving, it killed a friend of mine’s brother, too. Young and healthy, he hardly knew he had it until he couldn’t breathe. My friend is as tough as the nails he hammers at work, but I saw tears well up in his eyes when he told me his brother’s two little girls needed Uncle to step up.

Dog Spa

LOCAL NEWS ®

"Mask" querade Ball

January 23, 2021 6–9 PM Hotel Indigo’s Rialto Room Dinner • Drinks • Live Music • Silent Auction • Raffle Platinum Sponsors:

Ed and Kim Keegan • Grant Grissom • Rich and Linda Crooks

Happy New Year!

WUGA IS A BROADCAST SERVICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.

Safety-Certified Voted Athens’ Favorite Groomer Salon

@WUGAFM | WUGA.ORG

We Groom Dogs & Cats!

1850 Epps Bridge Pkwy · 706-353-1065 barkdogspa.com

flagpole needs your support!

Gold Sponsors: Athens Animal Hospital • Rotary Club of Athens • Resource Partners CPAs Double Oaks Golf Club • Oconee Vision Group • CTDI • Pat & Cheri Cherry James & Jessica Whitley • Publix • Borders Glass & Lawn Service, LLC

https://ashtonhopekeeganfoundation.networkforgood.com/

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FLAGPOLE.COM | DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020

flagpole is fighting to continue bringing you the most up-to-date news, but the financial ripple effect of this pandemic is unprecedented and we can’t continue without your support.

DONATE IT’S AS EASY AS YOUR NETFLIX SUBSCRIPTION! Just set up a recurring donation through PayPal (https://flagpole.com/home/donations) or mail in a check.

flagpole , P O BOX 1027, ATHENS, GA 30603

Meantime, we made Grandmama’s sweet potatoes and shared a steak for Thanksgiving. Frying a whole turkey felt extravagant for just us three. Nothing like a normal Thanksgiving reunion in North Georgia. No falling leaves in the white oak woods. But my little family played football and watched Tommy Boy and Royal Tenenbaums.

We started painting the soon-to-be baby brother’s room, too. But after the rain came we found a leak in the window, so we stopped painting to argue some.

Seven hurricanes came this season, and the wooden floor took a licking. John Prine tunes were playing, and we wound up laughing with paint everywhere it shouldn’t be.

We forgot to worry about water damage and paint spatter and were better off for it, thanks to the Singing Mailman.

COVID took Prine from us this spring, but first he wrote and sang “Crooked Piece of Time” 42 years ago, and it’s as true today as a fir tree’s leaves are green. Good thing to fish and whistles still true, and wishing for a cigarette nine miles long. And forgiveness, too.

Vaccines are coming, though. Thank you, Dolly Parton.

Soon, for the front lines. A bit of other good news is, Dec. 21 marks the winter solstice when days get longer—the oldest celebration in human history, because at the moment we’re furthest from the sun, it draws us closer once again. Light. That’s worth celebrating.

Also, in winter’s night, Orion hunts in the sky and reminds me of the iridescence I noticed in the sand earlier this spring during quarantine: an arrowhead, wet and glistening, that deceased PFC Ryen King dropped there in the creek for me to see.

Finally, we string lights on trees and give gifts to our loved ones. Santa fills in for us where we’ve failed. We do give for a reason, a tradition greater than any ad on television or any sing-along Bing Crosby inspiration. “Merry Christmas” is a synonym for saying “Happy birthday, Jesus.” The Prince of Peace, the perfect person of immaculate conception, who served all without self-interest, only kindness. An ideal for us to emulate. Happy birthday, Jesus, and thank you. I’m sorry we don’t live up to your example of selfless service.

Yet the reason for the season is still delivering us from evil. He may be coming soon, but he hasn’t given up on us just yet. The Casino Man lost the White House, praise God, but it’s not likely that old cur learns repentance before the last dog dies, so let’s fill his great void with fellowship and forgiveness. Let’s wrap up in a quilt of kindness by the fire and just gaze at the flame everlasting. The angel of John Lewis feels close by. The smoke of the old wood smells good, and the fire is warm. Watching it flicker is like sitting by a river. A constant replenishing. We look on, enlightened.

Alpenglow comes first in the morning and, with the blue dawn, a new year. If Sartre and the existentialists can remake a life in a day, imagine what we can do with a whole year.

We’ve a lot to grieve from 2020 and much to repair, but the glimmers of goodness remain in their places. Let’s chase after the light like the forest’s leaping Hart. We hold the light of all those we lost inside us, and we have to shine it for good. Let’s respect our differences and help each other.

Let’s light the paths forward as we stumble along in our collective endeavor.

It’s About Time

By George Sibley I came alive through no design of mine, Enlisting in a Caucasian, non-wealthy Family who enjoyed safe and healthy Lives and never needed to define Its racial status, nor to toe the line Of heritage. There was no need for stealthy Conduct, as we wore accepted belts—reDundant badges of the “ins.” No shrine Advantaged us with noble birth or place, But we were never hassled due to skin Hue. And yet, I saw dark-hued denizens Corralled invisibly, though citizens, And I did nothing, as I was an “in.”

My comfort zone no longer shows its face.

DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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CURB YOUR APPETITE Here are restaurants that are open and waiting for your order!

COME ON IN!

Mon – Fri 7:30 am– 3:00 pm Holiday Catering!

Curb-side pick-up! • Online ordering

Celebrating 10 years!

975 Hawthorne Ave • 706-206-9322 emskitchenathawthorne.com

PATIO OPEN!

Order Inside - Limit 10 Customers Eat on the Patio or take it To Go Mon – Fri 8am – 3pm Sat – Sun (Sun Brunch Only) 8am – 2pm Delivery: DoorDash, BullDawg, or Cosmic

Call ahead for pick-up OYSTER TUESDAY $9.95 DOZENS

393 N. Finley St. · 706-353-0029 bigcitybreadcafe.com

PATIO OPEN (weather permitting)

NEW LOCATION

NOW OPEN 420 MACON HWY

GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE IN ANY AMOUNT take-out

MAKE YOUR NYE RESERVATIONS NOW!

delivery through bulldawg delivery and uber eats

4pm-9pm M–F • 2pm–9pm Sat 11am-3pm Sunday Brunch 3pm-9pm Sunday

3 locations • open 7 days till 10pm blindpigtavern.com

G IF T CAR DS

706-548-3359

L IN E AVA IL A BLE O N OUTDOOR SEATING curbside pickup • delivery* (*via bulldAWg delivery - 706-850-7999)

10:30 A.M. – 10:00 P.M. 7 DAYS A WEEK

(cedar shoals location closed mondays)

706-227-9979 lumpkin st.

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706-355-7087 cedar shoals dr.

Dine-in, curbside, or delivery 401 e. broad st • 706-354-6966 1965 barnett shoals • 706-369-0085 2080 timothy rd • 706-552-1237

delivery through bulldawg foods & cosmic delivery

– depalmasitaliancafe.com –

FLAGPOLE.COM | DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020

- CARRYOUT - DELIVERY (BULLDAWG FOODS) - CURBSIDE PICKUP (BY REQUEST) 706-543-6592 • 11 A.M.– 8 P.M. EVERY DAY WHOLE CAKES AND BULK ITEMS WITH 48 HOURS NOTICE

- BEER AND WINE TO GO -

Specializing in Food Near and Far

Restaurant Reopening January 13th NOW WILL BE OPEN WEDNESDAYS–FRIDAYS 11AM-6PM

VISIT HALFSHEPHERD.COM

Farm to Neighborhood Market Reopening January 14th THURSDAYS • Order at rashecuisine.square.site

For online ordering and info about our holiday hours.

Gift boxes, cheese and charcuterie, specialty grocery items, and more.

706-850-2955 • 1238 Prince Ave

5 8 5 Vi n e S t , S u i t e 3 • 7 0 6 - 8 5 0 - 4 1 6 4

Lunch, Dinner & Weekend Brunch

Offering Outdoor Dining and Contact free Pick-up for Lunch Tues-Fri 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Dinner Wed-Sat 5 p.m.–9 p.m.

Brunch Sat & Sun 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

706.354.7901 Corner of Chase and Boulevard

heirloomathens.com

hendershot’s ‘Cause in this life Things are much harder than in the afterworld In this life, you’re on your own And if de-elevator tries to bring you down Go crazy, punch a higher floor –Prince

HAPPY NEW YEAR ATHENS GA.

SO LONG 2020.

hendershotsathens.com

237 prince ave. • 706.353.3050

WAYS TO GET YOUR JUICE: Come in the store to grab a juice Call in and we’ll deliver it curbside Call or email to set up a delivery Tues and Fri Delivery Daily via Uber Eats & Cosmic Delivery M-F 7am-7pm I Sat 9am-5pm I Sun 12pm-5pm

1428 Prince Ave AMY@JOURNEYJUICE.COM

706.850.0707 JOURNEYJUICE.COM

PIZZA SANDWICHES

CALL US FOR TAKE-OUT!

DELIVERY THROUGH BULLDAWG FOOD

SUN-THURS 11AM-8PM FRI & SAT 11AM-9PM BEER • WINE • DESSERTS

254 W. Washington St. 706.543.1523

tedsmostbest.com

PULASKI HEIGHTS OPEN WED-THUR 4:30- 8PM FRI 12- 9PM, SAT 12-8PM

Take out & delivery through bulldawg food only. follow us on facebook & instagram for

daily updates

706.583.9600 The Leathers bldg. • 675 pulaski st, ste . 100

TO- GO AND DELIVERY ONLY

Try the new Provoleta Empanada and Tasty Cupcakes!

Call us or Order online at VIVAARGENTINE.COM

Delivery through Bulldawg Food

247 PRINCE AVENUE

706-850-8284

DECEMBER 23 & 30, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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