Whose Rescue Plan? Athens 2022 Budget Review

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Letter from the editor

Highli Hi ghlight ght Mag Ma gazine

Greetings Athenians and Readers, Months ago, President Joe Biden issued an executive order attempting to advance racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government. Section five of that order discusses conducting an equity assessment in federal agencies and whether new policies, regulations, or guidance documents may be necessary to advance equity in agency actions and programs. I'm skeptical if the American Rescue Plan funds will follow guidelines set by executive order 13985. Given the thirteen main categories listed in the American Rescue Plan. The president is ambitious to save Americans but has yet to pass the George Floyd Act or eliminate student debt.

While on this editorial journey, I've learned a lot about the budget process in Athens and how impossible it is to summarize a two hundred million plus dollar budget in one conversation. It was enlightening listening to those involved and others that have observed Athens budget operations for over twenty years. I want readers to take away how our budget is operating and to provide feedback.

Armed with this new budget, Athens will address infrastructure needs, provide free bus fare, raise staff minimum wage to fifteen dollars, and invest in competitive pay for public safety. Yet the questions I hear raised when discussing the approved budget are: Is everyone being included in its allocation process? Is it really addressing the current needs of all Athenians, particularly the needs of historically marginalized communities?

I understand that the budgeting process is incredibly complex and only a small circle of people seem to understand how complex it is. But since this is, in addition to all else, a pandemic, financial accountability, review, and responsibility in local government departments is crucial. After last year's fifty thousand plus dollars monument relocation in the name of opposing discrimination, it concerns me that much of what our leaders prioritize in spending is about how it looks and sounds moreso than what it actually does. It seems officials have the necessary resources to help those in need, yet no real way of getting them to those that need it most.

Again the question is, are these our best ways to support those in need now? Even if seventy percent of our budget is used on staff, we shouldn’t waste low hanging fruit on symbolism. The authorization of contradicting budget items continues to worry me. If the federal government is willing to adopt new guidelines to better serve minorities, then maybe our local government should assess their services and verify whether they are best fitting for Athenians too.

In closing, I hold the Athens unified government in high regard for the responsibility it holds. Budgeting is difficult and requires experience. Our elected officials are quick to show what they support in regards to activism, but have yet to reflect said support within the budget. If you really want to see their values, look at this budget.

Editor in Chief/ Photographer Ron Lamon Carson Jr.

Copy Editor Troy Copeland Writers Makenna Mincey Naomi Hendershot

CONTENTS Letter from the editor

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Kelly Girtz 2 Harry Sims 4 Stephanie Johnson 8 Maddox ovita thornton 10 Blaine williams 14 Patrick Davenport 18 WHERE THE HEART IS 20 Troy Copeland YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN 25 THE 2022 BUDGET

Thank you for your patience, Ron Lamon Carson Jr. Highlight Magazine (770) 744-6403 www.highlightathensga.com thehighlightmagazine@gmail.com

Around town 26 business directory 28 HIGHLIGHT

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Kelly Girtz the Mayor of Athens

How would you advise someone to properly submit a proposal goal is equity and focus on previously marginalized residents and to the government? Where do you see the biggest hurdles in neighborhoods. this process? What details matter in establishing performance guidelines and where can examples be found?

How have property taxes changed during the pandemic? Will there be any changes to property tax in the near future?

Fortunately, we have until December 31, 2024 to allocate After a quarter-mill reduction in the property tax rate last ARP dollars, allowing us to pursue a deliberative process, much like SPLOST, in which we engage Athens residents to craft ideal solu- year, the rate was stable this year, and I do not anticipate a rate tions that will have long-term benefits in the areas that allowed the increase in the future. However, a parallel activity is the rise in pandemic to impact the community - - and in particular underserved valuations, which is done independently and objectively via state residents and people of color. In August, the Commission and I will mandate, so local elected officials don’t put their “thumbs on the refine our goals for ARP dollars, which could focus on youth support, scale” of valuations in any direction. In any vibrant community, housing, and other core foundations. property values will rise based on issues of supply-and-demand, the ability to command residential and commercial rents, building How are alternative services considered in the youth or eco- supply costs and a host of other factors. We know that this impacts nomic development departments? Are we providing services some residents more dramatically than others, which is why the by certain organizations simply because we always have?

Commission and I have sought to freeze property taxes for those earning less than about $40,000 per year. We also have the highest

Some entities in Athens provide unique services, or are homestead exemption in the region, at $10,000 per property, vs. designated providers of services by the state; Project Safe and $2000 in many of our neighboring counties. Additionally, as housing Advantage Behavioral Health are examples of these. Other services supply increases, which we are working to do through zoning code feature multiple prospective providers, and the norm has been to revisions, value increases will not happen as rapidly because there pursue services via the most responsive and well-equipped appli- will be more real estate product on the market. cants. However, we recognize that there are many organizations that could easily rise to greater heights with a little “scaffolding”, as List the core needs this year's budget meets now that it is finalI would say when I was in the classroom supporting students. That ized? What information did the mayor and commission review is to say that some organizations need just a little capacity build- to justify free fare bus transit? ing, often in the areas of data tracking or financial management.

ACC staff and some outside partners are working toward a model Broadly, this budget takes care of core and ongoing needs, along of capacity building that should expand the ranks of organizations with the emerging needs Athens has experienced relative to mental that are ideally situated for funding. health and related areas. Fare free transit is a way to ensure that access to transportation does not impede any individual or family’s How does the unified government plan to support homeown- employment, educational and child care needs. ers living in Athens? Does Project Reset address the needs of homeowners during the pandemic? If so, how?

How much money did the county pay to relocate the confederate monument last year? Could this funding have been used

We have been working with the Magistrate Court and the to support an auditor as recommended by the Police Advisory state Department of Community Development to ensure a fluid, Task Force? Was there any budget adjustment made to policeasy to manage draw-down of the hundreds of millions of dollars ing at all in Athens? that the state has been allocated for eviction prevention and rent relief. This will likely involve a liaison in Municipal Court who will 50,000 was allocated for the relocation of the monument. be able to direct both tenants and landlords to these dollars and It is a one-time cost, whereas the advisory staff person will be an prevent both eviction and a record of a dispossesary judgement on ongoing expense. Other PD-related budgetary matters involved a an individual’s record, which can impact someone’s future ability to slight reduction in the total number of sworn officers, but with an rent or access credit. increase in per-person public safety salary scales. This new pay structure takes into account prior service in law enforcement and President Biden’s executive order 13985 indicates that “govern- public safety (much like teachers’ salary scale), and will start a new ments should pursue a comprehensive approach to equity to officer at about $47k annually, with a $3k hiring bonus. We want to all, including people of color…” Please give specific details on attract and keep the best officers possible. how the unified government included minority communities/ organizations in the allocation of the American Rescue Plan Share how ACC's distribution of the American Rescue Plan and its general budget? is going to impact local Athenians? Where are the mayor and commission receiving budget recommendations from? How

While this was a directive to Federal Government depart- can citizens gain access to grant and contract opportunities ments, ACC has directly, and in partnership with others (Athens through ARP? Wellbeing Project, the Justice and Memory committee, and others), sought to first have measurable data regarding disparities. Then, We are still discussing the final model for ARP fund expenthrough processes like our housing work, our ability to be a respon- ditures, with key areas of interest including affordable housing, sive and responsible employer, and the coming ARP process, we healthcare needs, youth development, and small and disadvantaged can highlight how to lift those that have been left out of full benefit business support. In terms of process, we will be hosting tabletop in this community. The initial stages of the coming renewal of our discussions with providers in these areas to be as responsive as TSPLOST program is a good example. In that case, there is specific possible with these funds. language in the project review criteria that indicates that a program HIGHLIGHT

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Harry Sims

Retired 20+ year commissioner of District 2 for Athens-Clarke county

Share your experience in learning how the city budget works.

Our budgets are set up to pay employees, of which about 70% of the payroll is employee pay. Infrastructure needs for the community are used with the other 30%. In addition to other funds, such as SPLOST, hotel-motel tax funds from the federal government are also allocated.

redo the other one.

So, it was necessary to get all the money. We had a discussion about making a loan for future development money, but the key was it was a loan. We were just borrowing from it, and we’d pay it back through section 108 projects, and we did. Some of the commissioners didn’t realize what they were voting on till the vote was passed. We had gotten How did the fire station on Danielsville rd. come to? What the million dollars and it turned out they needed money too. was the issue you saw that lead you to recommend it?

The issue was that there were so many marginal We had a project over at East Meadow witch. The homes, but those homes were not designed for fire safety. I sewage system went out and we needed to connect them mean, within 15 minutes they could go up in flames and be to the city. That cost about $250,000. We agreed to make totally destroyed because they did not have a fire station in a swap, ‘You give me the two million dollars and the loan to the area. The closest fire station was downtown. And it takes do the plaza; you take the $250,000 to do the sewage and at least five to eight minutes to get there. So, by the time they everybody will be happy.’ It turned out to be a win-win situget there, they’ve lost those marginal homes and that area ation. The commission had to make the effort to make sure had a lot of marginal homes in it. So, that was the main fight. we repaid the money, which we did. One of the things about My stance was simply why don’t we put one where we don’t the community block grant money is that you are technically have one verses where we already have one? Those other required to spend it the year that you get it. homes in five points were already protected but residents of Danielsville rd were at high risk.

What’s your opinion on T SPLOST?

T SPLOST has been a big boom for the whole com It also helps with economics;people don’t realize that munity. One of the things about the T SPLOST, it was letting the closer you are to a fire station, the cheaper your home- the state legislature see that if they were willing to invest in owner insurance is. Fire hydrants and fire stations lower your our community, the citizens of Athens Clarke County would fire insurance rates and, of course, most of the people that pass it. And if the state legislature had done a T SPLOST live in those areas are poor people The lower income homes it would’ve been statewide. But we did our own TSPLOST are in that area. To me, it was only natural that we worked for Athens Clarke County and we got streets paved, speed on fixing what needed to be fixed in that area as opposed to bumps put in the community where needed. Those kinds of claiming, ‘We already have a solution to your problem’ and things and a lot of infrastructure changes are being done then coming back and building the fire station that they were over the next two years or so. You’ll see just about every building in Five Points. but the fight was over whether they street in Clarke County have a bit of the T SPLOST touch it. were going to build the fire station, and they did. We were So, to me, it was very important. Because of growing traffic, finally getting the fire station built-and trying to be able to move people safely. In a sense, the government is trying to semi-make Athens a pedestrian place.

It cost four million dollars and I think it’s the best one We know that it’s a car city due to the fact of the University built out of all the ones in Athens. It’s been the base model of Georgia and growing tourism. Easier pedestrian access for the one we replaced on Atlanta Highway, Cleveland Road actually lowers the need for transportation. and Jefferson Highway. Those stations were truly needed and they met the needs of the people that live in those areas.

Is there anything else you want to talk about any items?

One of the things I think that people sometimes really The other thing I wanted to talk about was the triangle don't give the government or those elected officials enough plaza: What was that like as you and fellow commission- credit for--they really have their own personal agenda. Most ers were deciding on renovating it? of them come with that, but, at the same time, the main thing

That one was more or less a having to work with is that they have the best interests for Clarke County. Even what we have as a way to get it without tricking the people. when it seems like, ‘Well, here they go with their little pet It came down to manipulating the commission to renovate project.’--in the long run, it’s really about what’s best for Clarke the block. Now, the problem with that was they needed two County. For the 27 years I’ve served in government, I wanted million dollars. The community block grant money came in the best for Athens Clarke County and the only way you do at over a million dollars, but it’s spread out throughout the that is to roll up yourselves and participate. A lot of the time, community. And 250,000 dollars of that block grant money that’s the bigger problem we have--people criticize from the was going towards that project. But, if you did the project, it sideline, but they never get in and get their hands dirty. They would take you 10 years for two million dollars, and of course can always tell you what you’re doing wrong. you couldn’t keep up with one building and leave the others standing. By the time you finish everything, you’d have to HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHT

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Stephanie Maddox-johnson

Athens Clarke County auditor

If given the chance to request public operations of the Some departments do not spend their entire budget county, which departments should citizens regularly appropriated for the fiscal year for various reasons like review? Why? vacancies, the discovery of new cost-effective operating methods, or changing vendors, etc.

Currently, the Audit Committee determines the audit For the departments in the General Fund that have for the fiscal year. However, there are benefits of learning unspent funds at the end of the fiscal year, the balance what areas or services are important to the residents we remaining is returned to the General Fund. serve. Below is a general audit schedule to use as a guide; it does not include all ACC departments. Even though depart- What are your thoughts about the ACC annual budget ments are listed below by name, audits are usually an area, process and its input from department directors? program, or service within a department.

Listed are the recommended Departments that I am not suggesting the annual budget process should undergo regular audits and the frequency of audits change. The current process consists of the Manager’s done over the recent years. Travel and Purchasing Card Office review of all budget requests and submits a proposed Program 1, SPLOST 7, Grant Management and Compliance balanced budget to the Mayor. Next, the Mayor submits the 5 Central Services 4 Housing and Community Development budget with any edits made to Commissioners for review 3, One of the Public Safety Departments 2, Leisure Services and final discussion.

There are short and long-term benefits of depart5, Public Utilities 7, Animal Services 6, Solid Waste 7, Man- ager's Office 3, Mayor's Office 4, Public Information Office ments presenting their annual budget in public. Public 7, Human Resources 2. budget hearings allow the commissioners to learn more about departments through the presentations. Areas of conGive us your experience working for the county. cern, additional funding requests, or new initiatives can be explained directly from the Department Directors.

I joined Athens-Clarke County in 2010. First, I Back and forth dialogues aren’t necessary for worked in the Finance Department as a Budget Analyst for public hearings (unless commissioners have questions). four years. Then, I was a Management Analyst in the Office The departments with unspent monies returned to the genOperational Analysis (formerly Auditor’s Office) for one year. eral fund every year allow decision-makers to collectively After that, I’ve been the Internal Auditor for six years. As discuss the issue early in the budget process and decide a naturally curious person, I often wondered what initiated if it is necessary to adjust some department’s budgets to specific changes in the community where I grew up. In this reflect annual spending trends. respect, the unexpected benefits I receive are being a part Public budget hearings allow for departments to of and sitting in on discussions about community-related brag on themselves and communicate their accomplishdecisions. ments. Public budget hearings are a method to educate everyone watching, from the Chamber to the Community.

When departments do not spend their entire budget at Over time, the annual presentations allow people to underthe end of the fiscal year, what happens to the leftover stand department operations and their needs better. money?

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Ovita Thornton Are there any instances in which we could have saved taxpayers money in the 2021 county budget? Do you see any repeat of these funding mishaps in the 2022 county budget?

There was an unofficial conversation about creating a homestead exemption for homeowners ages 19-20 and 20-21 This would have been presented at the state level by our state representative. But, as a courtesy, there is an unwritten rule that the full commission would be in agreement. If such a proposal would have passed, this would have been bipartisan legislation, given the make-up of the state and local elected officials. If legislation did pass, local officials would have had to find ways to replace money in the local budget. It has been the tradition that the local elected officials meet with our state delegation each year. While we have missed the '21-'22 opportunity, I foresee the opportunity in '22-'23 if we start working together sooner.

After working with the Economic Justice Coalition for over 15 years, I am glad to have voted raises for ACCG employees. But the Commission Define Option (CDO) which I and commissioners Hamby and Wright proposed, would have given a 12.2% increase instead of the 2%. The 2% does not include all ACCG employees at this time. The 12.2 % increase CDO was voted down because approximately 20 ACC employees over $100,000 would receive a raise also (not contractual / charter employees), but the alternate CDO would have brought up all employees to $15.00-$20.00 hour for a livable wage. But it would eliminate the need for a compression study for other employees, and it would have enhanced morale and retention now, which is much needed.

After several work sessions, I voted for the '21-'22 budget. There are several programs and new items I do not support. One line item is a $200,000 public toilet downtown which will cost $3,000 to maintain annually. I am happy about $50,000 for an environmental study in the Dunlap and Pittard which addresses what have always been questions about toxins in these two communities causing illness and even death. The Athens BLM resolution signed July 2020 recognized Juneteenth locally, but ushered in President Biden’s signing Juneteenth as a national holiday. Only $10,000 was set aside locally for Juneteenth, but I expect that will increase as Juneteenth events spring up all over Athens. Both of these items funded in the '21'22 budget is a drop in the bucket for communities that have been systemically excluded, but I believe if we are true to equity and inclusion this is the beginning of change. I am grateful to the mayor and staff starting the budget process.

How is the mayor and commission tracking the results of the allocations made in this year's budget? How will results be compared to the performance of alternative allocation decisions?

I think tracking budget allocations is just “good governance.” We never received an official report of the CARES funding, which we gave to non-profits to assist the community during COVID-small businesses, rent and utility assistance, covid testing etc. The gratuitous clause is ambiguous and the reporting of interagency is still unclear. I do appreciate the mayor's report on his discretionary funds. But I expect tracking funds will be better with Clear Point.

District 9 commissioner for Athens-Clarke county

I am excited about the Clear Point program we have recently installed to track budget allocations. But I expect it will help us to track accountability and evaluate programs objectively. I have expressed concerns about all of the alternative federal pots of money, such as last year’s CARES-COVID, HOME Funds, CDBG funding etc. You almost have to be an expert to ask the right questions or to follow the money.

SPLOST and TSPOST also need to be followed with some expertise. I have always supported the penny tax for infrastructure improvements and capital development, which is based on the master plan and other plans. But, clearly, a large segment of black, Hispanic, small businesses (black, white, Hispanic) and disenfranchised communities are not part of any plans in a meaningful way that addresses poverty in Athens. I noticed that one community group has had a large footprint in the majority of the plans and is reflected in the general budget, SPLOST and TSPLOST. This is not a criticism but an observation. We must all have a footprint in these plans and budgets for what we want Athens to look like in 20 years. Why aren’t we asking the youth for their input in these plans and budget? Twenty years from now, these youth will be young adults living and thriving in a community that they help create..

What does the inclusion of American Rescue Plan funds in the ACC general budget mean?

The eligible expenditures are broad. It is the prioritizing which is important. The commission did approve several projects in the general budget which will be replaced with the American Rescue Plan. I have mixed feelings, because several of these projects needed funding before ARP and should be part of the general budget. I believe having a strategic plan is necessary. The Black Chamber of Commerce, and the National League of Cities (which ACCG just joined) are great resources to help guide the ARP monies and other funds. These funds can be used for infrastructure, transportation etc., since they have been working directly with Washington ARP liaisons and senators Ossoff and Warnock. I hope to take advantage of these and other resources, and not try to interpret ARP by trial and error.

Blaine Williams, county manager, gave a Power Point presentation on the American Rescue Plan at the June commission meeting. It was good to see community input at the presentation, but definitely there was no intentional connection of his presentation to President Biden’s 13985 Executive Order (EO). Even after I presented the EO, there was conversation about how to change the wording while expanding the EO. But I am hopeful that we will get clarification so we can lift up communities of color that were already struggling and struggling more since COVID. There are over 100 Athenians of color waiting to address the commission about the Executive Order.

We don’t want to repeat Urban Renewal.

The manager also sent an email to the commissioners about using some of the funds for essential workers--an eligible expense I fully support, especially after meeting with Sheriff Williams. I do not believe we would have gotten through the protests and COVID without public safety, maintaining clean streets, and the administration keeping the government going.

But I would like to see the full plan and not a piecemealing process.

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What is TSPLOST? A Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) is a sales tax used to fund capital projects proposed by local governments. A Transportation SPLOST (TSPLOST) is a sales tax intended for transportation purposes only. Both must be approved by voters before collections begin.

What is TSPLOST 2023?

Athens-Clarke County currently has a TSPLOST program that was approved by voters in November, 2017 that funds 19 projects. Sales tax collections for the existing TSPLOST projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2022. TSPLOST 2023, if approved by voters in a referendum, would continue to collect sales tax for new transportation projects as determined by the project submission and selection processes.

Would TSPLOST 2023 be a new tax?

No. If approved, TSPLOST 2023 would be a continuation of the current 1% TSPLOST

How long is the TSPLOST? TSPLOST 2023 would be in place for five (5) years and is estimated to generate $139.5 million. A significant percentage of sales taxes are paid by people visiting from outside Athens-Clarke County.

All funds generated in Athens-Clarke County remain in Athens-Clarke County.

Can Athens-Clarke County residents submit a project?

Yes. In addition to projects submitted by ACCGov departments, projects may be submitted by individuals and other groups in Athens-Clarke County. Visit accgov.com/tsplost for more information on how to submit a project. Project submission deadline: August 15, 2021

Referendum Vote: May 24, 2022 Questions? www.accgov.com/tsplost 706-613-3025

Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax

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Blaine Williams

Athens-Clarke county Manager

What is your understanding of the intent of the FY 22 budget and how are you tracking its follow through?

The intent of any given budget can be so varied, particularly when that budget is in excess of $200M. ACCGov is made up of over 40 departments or offices serving all types of needs in the community. The Mayor and Commission (M&C), as the final decision makers, often layer in priorities in the budget to allocate resources towards areas towards which they would like attention turned. Many of the services and priorities funded in the FY21 budget were supplemented by millions of dollars of both local and federal CARES Act funds to bring some relief to the community as directed by the M&C in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

cycle. Each year, there is around $5M of fund to maintain facilities and replace equipment. Departments and independently elected officials also propose new initiatives each year, not all of which can be funded with limited resources. The budget changes with the M&C providing any new services to the community or raises/ benefits for the employees.

What will continue to happen to those demands due to the county’s increased spending?

The local government has no control over the growth or decline of either property values or the collection of sales taxes, although the M&C and the School District Board do set their respective millage rates. If these revenue sources begin to trend downward, there are several distinct options: cut expenditures and services, raise taxes/ fees to generate more revenue, or use fund balance (rainy day funds). Oftentimes, the final solution includes pieces of each option.

Which open records can citizens review in order to understand this year's budget operations?

The Finance Department publishes a “Budget in Brief” document that most residents should find very helpful. For those that want to go further, the entire budget document is available for public view as well. You can easily access both of these documents on the ACCGov website. If a resident has further questions beyond the budget document in its entirety, they can reach out to the Manager’s Office or Finance Department for more information.

Which reports are you interpreting when reviewing government operations?

We routinely track both revenues and expenditures each month, there are also performance measures that each department tracks that give us a sense of both how they are doing comparatively as well as over time. The Manager’s Office also Have you found any trends in the county’s spending over produces a monthly report called the Manager’s Snapshot that recent years? is available to the public where departments share much of their

Trends that continue in any given year include seeking progress along the way. Each department generates its own types to create performance raises for employees to remain competitive of reports that give us some indication of how things are going. in the marketplace as well as rising healthcare and benefit costs.

The Mayor and commission has been pursuing fare free Transit Give examples of how these reports have informed you Athfor ACC residents the last few years, and COVID-19 accelerated ens’s needs would be in the future? that timeline for full fare free transit provision.

The reports that give us insight into ongoing governmental operations may not be the best to determine the needs for the What are the ways Athens achieves its revenue demands? future. For instance, the fact that the Public Utilities Department

Revenue has grown since the downturn a decade ago sends a report with their daily production of 12 million gallons of in several ways. First, the largest single source of revenues in clean water per day may not indicate what the community’s future the General Fund budget has risen through the growth in property need will be. This requires staff to undertake additional projections values and new development or redevelopment. Sales Taxes have or studies to attempt to “see” into the future. Given this example, risen as well, although at a slower pace. We have to work within staff have modeled the percent chance that ACC may undergo our means, so unless it is through the raising of fees, ACCGov has another drought and, as a result, our water supply runs low. Based to work within the revenue generated through these two primary on these types of studies, this gives us the compelling reason to sources. pursue further action to safeguard the community.

What do you find most difficult in managing the county?

One of the most challenging aspects of being a Manager is also one of the most interesting –the variety of issues in local government will absolutely blow your mind. Building trust in the community can be difficult given the enormous breadth of the foundational services we provide and connecting that with the Why? people. We will always continue to work towards building that

The value of properties has grown for a number of rea- trust, and for anyone that cares to invest time in learning more – I sons, including national market trends, land use decisions that believe they will find a really good story here. were made over 20 years ago that are driving the redevelopment of the urban core, and the fact that we are an urban regional center. What are some of the solutions you’ve found to issues over Sales taxes have slowed as those counties around us continue time? to develop their own retail and commercial nodes, but then we Bottom line: solutions are found in working with and all have received a boost as taxes for online sales continue to be listening to people. When you include others in the discussion, it funneled back to the county of origin. takes time to both inform them of what is happening as well as to listen. Government takes more time to get things done because How much of the budget has changed from last year? you have to bring people along to achieve general consensus,

There is an ongoing obligation to continue to fund the build awareness, and create transparency. current services each year. There is also the need to “repair what’s there,” or replace capital equipment that has a defined life Has the amount of money to run Athens gone up or down over the years?

Since the downturn, the tax digest has grown a good bit, while the sales taxes have grown more slowly.

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Patrick Davenport How would you advise citizens in submitting funding proposals to the government? How have you seen performance guidelines been established? Which programs have you pushed funding for? Are any of them still being supported by ACC? Why?

There are many ways to submit funding proposals, but I always encourage folks to start by contacting our Housing and Community Development department to learn about CDBG funding which has federal guidelines. Also, there are other potential grants and loans through HCD that may be available.

However, one can always reach out to your commissioner as well. Personally, I am a big supporter of Leisure Services.

They provide the community with award winning parks and great community programs. However, I would like to see more programs for our disabled.

How has the mayor and commission adjusted the budget to help small businesses and boost economic development?

I am very proud of our recently hired Dr. McConnell at Economic Development. She and staff are working really hard across many departments and community organizations to improve not only minority businesses but also improving the economic quality of life of residents in Athens-Clarke county.

Also, we have added new positions to assist with community outreach, addressed a disparity study to help minority businesses and many more.

Is there any allocation of The American Rescue Plan to renovate infrastructure in minority communities like the Vine St. Triangle Plaza? If so, when? If not, how does the mayor and commission plan to reinvest in infrastructure in Athens?

Because federal guidelines are still being written and guidance is slowly trickling down from the White House, there hasn’t been any allocation of funding for any particular area from the commission as of yet. But it is my intent to invest in our infrastructure which includes roads, sidewalks and etc.

However, as for the Triangle Plaza, it is private property, and the property owners would need to be willing to sell. However, one side of the triangle has a new property owner and I feel great things will come from the new property owner. The best way to revitalize the triangle is from the ground up.

Does adding more student housing in East Athens increase housing prices/gentrification? Is there any budget allocation to increase home ownership in Athens? If so, how do citizens gain access? If not, Why?

We continue to invest in affordable housing in Athens and there are many options to choose from like Athens Land Trust, Habitat and other state and federal services that help with home ownership. However, the cost of building a home and buying a home with poverty wages (plus other limitations) is keeping people out of homeownership.

As for gentrification, I think it is a more complex situation where people are selling their homes instead of being pushed out. We can save our communities by taking the time to make sure that our families have a will in place and turning unused properties into investment properties.

District 1 commissioner for Athens-Clarke county

What information is the mayor and commission reviewing to justify free fare transit? What other needs is this FY22 budget addressing now that it is finalized.

Fare Free bus service has been a passion of Commissioner Denson and others for years. Modeled after other cities, fare free allows for free transportation which helps those who are less fortunate have free transportation. From a poverty perspective, fare free is a good thing because those who can’t afford car insurance or the costs of transportation, now have free access to transportation. My concern for fare free extends beyond having free transit services. I would rather have focused on a more robust transit system than fare free. If it takes hours and multiple bus exchanges to travel three miles, our transit system becomes inefficient. We need to reevaluate our routes and increase services so that more residents and visitors can benefit. Also, we have schools that are not on the bus line.

Kids and parents should have public transit access to attend games, parent-teacher conferences and other events using public transit. Nevertheless, we all should used public transit which saves gas, insurance, and our road congestion.

Our FY22 budget main focus was ensuring that all ACC employees received a minimum wage of $15. We also focused on Athens Behavior Health crisis response team to help those who are in a mental crisis get the mental help they need instead of 911/police services. We also set aside funds to help Dunlap/ Pittard Road for environmental justice. We also, third year in a row, provided incentives for our police officers. This year we approved a pay step plan to make police pay more equitable.

And despite belief, we set aside funds for youth development.

Our budget this year was more socially focused.

Is there anything you want readers to know about the budget process that may not be commonly known? Why?

The budget is the biggest part of our responsibilities. It defines the administration. We start budgeting as soon as the we pass a budget. The budget process starts in august and last until June.

When it comes to project reset what is the number difference between university students facing evictions and actual long term residents?

There is no difference when it comes to students and residents concerning project reset. Project reset is aimed to protect all those in dispossession.

Did any items you support get approved by the mayor and commission? Why?

I supported $15 minimum wage increase for all ACC employees. I have been fighting for that since coming into office.

We finally had the votes to get it passed. One step that helps eliminates poverty in Athens. Still, A long ways to go.

Recently ACC spent 50,000 to relocate the downtown monument. Give us your opinion on how these funds could have been better used?

We could have given that money to help our youth, minority businesses, we could have created initiatives that would have been more beneficial. The monument was a hazard, so moving it was essential and it is in a much historical and better place.

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Where The Heart Is. By: Troy Copeland

A Ghanaian acquaintance and I were sitting at a coffee house one breezy, spring noon.

“I don’t understand why American Blacks bother arguing and fighting with these people. Things won’t get any better. It’s their land—their nation. It’s time for you all to come home. Come back home…to Africa.”

“I can’t speak for anyone else,” I replied, “But I am home. I argue and fight when I feel I should because no one disrespects me in my own house.”

He had a point, of course. For example, even famed liberator Abraham Lincoln was not only determined to compensate Southern landowners for the loss of their human property; he also wanted to remove and resettle people of African descent to a distant shore. He never imagined a multi-ethnic, integrated, equal opportunity America. After all, there had been few historical models for it. Even in their ancestral West African lands, the overwhelming majority of those who would become Black Americans were largely overthrown and sold into European captivity by rival ethnicities and nations.

However, even in the worst of times, African Americans have generally inhabited hope. At their best, they have embodied it, even. With the forced adoption of Christianity, they found what their oppressors did not foresee--a discursive heritage committed to justice, characterized by faith in the ultimately redemptive and liberatory unfolding of history. They looked forward to the “Jubilee”--something akin to “John the Revelator’s” apocalypse in which the “glory of the Lord” would reveal itself and transform a broken world. Thus, when Lincoln’s emancipation was finally, officially proclaimed May 15, 1865, in Athens, Georgia, the news of Union soldiers’ arrival rippled throughout Georgia’s university town and environs. Freedom’s official announcement compelled acknowledgement and accep-

“John the Revelator’s” Apocalypse

tance of “Jubilee” by all. Meanwhile, in anticipation of the proclamation, formerly enslaved Athenians and Georgians had already begun walking off plantations--abandoning their consignments. With the threat of a relentless federal government’s artillery to support them, there had already been dancing and singing in roads and streets.

There were already tears of joy…tears of dreams realized.

America the Beautiful at long last!

According to historian Michael L. Thurmond, throughout the following summer, emancipated Americans across northeast Georgia made Athens their destination.

By dozens and scores they came. Men, women, and children…families and friends…old and young. With nothing except the ragged clothing they wore, they came. By the thousands, they came. And the Athens streets teemed with the ecstasy of liberty.

Contrary to the fearmongering of some, these refugees didn’t seek or seize opportunities to riot and kill, loot and pillage. Remarkably, neither vengeance nor justice for many generations of unspeakable wrongs compelled them. Rather, rioting and murdering, looting and pillaging would characterize much of the nation’s resistance to the idea of African American citizenship throughout the depraved century to come. In places like Atlanta, Georgia; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Rosewood, Florida; Elaine, Arkansas; and Wilmington, North Carolina, Americans of African descent would be barbarously massacred by the hundreds in their own upwardly mobile, urban and often urbane communities. Their homes and the generational wealth that homes represented would be targeted as threats to the pathologically fragile notion of white supremacy. By contrast, the most radically revolutionary act performed by emancipated Americans in Athens, Georgia was their commitment to one another. Congregating on the outskirts of town, the largest refugee community rose along the eastern banks of the Oconee River. There they built a vast shanty town of sorts--tying, piecing, and patching together makeshift abodes from whatever useful refuse they could forage. Not so well built as even slave cabins, the shanties sheltered the homeless—the vagabond and destitute. Not yet the kinds of homes to provoke their oppressors’ deadly envy and ire, they were homes, nevertheless—the homes of brave and penniless pioneers surrounded by a merciless and often savage frontier.

In this shantytown, sarcastically and derisively dubbed “Blackfriars” by those who scorned its residents, they would live and die as best they could with all the dignity and honor each could accord one another and themselves. There they waited. Just a few more months, they must have told each other in the summer nights amidst lightning bugs, cooking fires, and a phasing moon. All the

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while, winter approached. Christmas was coming. And owned. A big house with lots of rooms. But that didn’t go with the presumed miracle of Christmas, stars might yet over well with the white folks. Nah. They come one night, surrounded that house before it was finished and burned signal greater wonders in their courses.

One hot July afternoon in 1989, an afternoon that it to the ground. They say no colored man was going to burned all the hotter in the smoke of charcoal grills, I stood build a house like that when lots of white folks couldn’t. a teenager amidst a gathering of older and elderly men. And I guess Papa say he didn’t need a big house to show Some of them drew and blew smoke of their own from what he’d done. He knowed who he was. And he was cigarettes and cigars, their fiery cinders flaking and flying satisfied with that little home he had till he died.”

That idea of knowing who one is—knowing one’s in the shade of the broad oaks. I grew up in middle Geor- gia, over near the Alabama state line where the ancient worth—according to what he could produce for himself Appalachians rise as steep and stately hills before they and others is at least as old as capitalism and the reinbulk and buckle to greater heights farther north. This was vented “classical” democracy it inspired and sustained. a family gathering on what remained of the rural ances- In the agricultural world in which capitalism seeded and tral acreage procured by my maternal great grandfather, harvested the expansion of Western nation states, an indiSamuel Benning. Named for a prophet, born just after vidual’s presumed fair and equal access to land and home emancipation, “Papa” as he was called by his children— ownership was pivotal. Through property, a person could my Grand Grand and her siblings—was a man rumored to invent and re-invent themselves. With or without land, be of unmixed African descent. A successful farmer and however, they needed fair access to gainful, equitable shrewd businessman, just one generation after slavery employment. With that, they could create and seize on he amassed hundreds of fertile acres where he grew and opportunities to purchase property. But what the embatsold cotton. He was friends with white men, though—white tled republic’s hardest working, most demonstrably loyal men who co-signed on the loans necessary for buying and hopeful people wanted most after having disproporthe land and opening the accounts in Atlanta where he tionately borne its youthful economy was to own their own stored his money. So, when he died suddenly labor. And, for that, they needed homes. in the noon of his life, only one hunFreedom required it. And, according dred acres were left to his wife and ten to Thurmond, that’s what the majorchildren. The money none of them nor ity of the “Blackfriars” waited to their descendants ever saw. And they receive on the banks of the Oconee struggled on in a kind of “genteel povonce they’d heard that, on Christmas erty” typical of much of the deep South Day, each family would be granted forty General Sherman’s in the wake of The Civil War. Even so, acres to farm and a mule to plow them.

1865 reservation the land on which we, his descendants, They believed in the Republic. Before their very eyes, slavery had collapsed in flame and gathered that afternoon was testament thunder. When the wind was in the west, they to what was and might have been. The land set him apart. Among could smell the trace of great Atlanta’s ashes. “colored” folks he had been Indeed, Jubilee had come. Their eyes had “seen Sam Benning, and his chilthe glory.” The promise and hope for a viable future was in the scent of those cinders. dren, Sam Benning’s children. The small wooden cabin a few yards beyond the oaks General Sherman’s idea--dividing four hunwhere we stood was the old community schoolhouse dred thousand acres along the Carolina, that he built. And, in the heart of the circle of men in which Georgia, and Florida coasts into forty-acre I tried so hard to seem as inconspicuous as a teenaged segments set aside exclusively for African boy with a high top fade and basketball shoes could be, Americans--originated among African sat one of Sam Benning’s sons—my Great Uncle J.B. Americans. Legend has it that Sherman He seemed old beyond years. And as talk turned to the spared Savannah Atlanta’s fate because Bennings and the living legacy of the land and its heirs, the city’s leaders came out and begged Great Uncle J.B.—my Grand Grand’s brother and Sam for mercy on the plains. Too beautiful Benning’s son--listened. Perhaps he was overcome with for the violence of war—or so the story memories of his father. At any rate, after some time, he goes—Sherman’s commitment to making decided to speak. It seemed he stared directly at me all Southerners “howl” shifted away from destruction towards the while. After all, of those in the circle at the moment, I more traditional politics. Trailing his armed legions were was, besides him, Sam Benning’s only direct descendant. thousands of freedmen. How, he wondered, would he

“Papa made a lot of money that we never saw,” feed, clothe, and shelter the multitude? Further, what Uncle J.B. said. “Not just for a colored man, either. Lots of promises or opportunities could a liberating army provide? white farmers didn’t make as much money as he did. But Harvard University’s Henry Louis Gates, Jr reviews histohe lived simply. You wouldn’t have known by the house rian Eric Foner’s account that twenty Black men—Baptist we grew up in how successful he was. But there was one and Methodist ministers--gathered in Savannah to meet time, though, when he started building a big house like with General Sherman and Secretary of War, Edwin M. the kind you see that successful white folks at that time Stanton. Accordingly, ten of the twenty were born-free HIGHLIGHT

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Southerners who had, in fact, remained ostensibly Confederates throughout the war. One was born in Maryland, a Union slave state. The others were freed slaves who, apparently, idealized remaining Southerners in a coastal, African American homeland. Similar to conventions of the colonial founders, these would be fathers convened to establish what can arguably be called a Black American state. Indeed, to the extent that they had no faith in any chance that White Americans would agree to grant them fair and equal citizenship, they were the earliest Black Nationalists.

As proposed, the new state was to be settled and governed entirely by people of African descent. Both Sherman and the Secretary of War liked the idea. Though lacking detailed plans, radical Republican abolitionists like Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner had argued for confiscating “rebel” lands and redistributing them to emancipated people for some time, after all. Thus, Sherman issued Special Field Order 15 on January 16, 1865 to actualize the dream of the Black state. But the ascension of Vice President Johnson’s administration in the wake of Lincoln’s assassination carried out the murdered president’s earlier commitment to restoring much of what white Southerners had lost in the war, dismissing the Special Field Order’s confiscation of planter lands and its commitment to federally cultivating black wealth and political agency. Johnson did little for the freedmen, in fact. And upon this apathy grew an unshakably white supremacist hierarchy sustained by the same relatively exclusive access to land, resources, and agency which had characterized the rhetoric of secession in the first place. Thus, even as “The Blackfriars” of Athens endured the summer by looking forward to Christmas, sympathies among the nation’s liberals in Washington moved to reconcile with the defeated secessionists. And the very same federal government that had been declared the enemy of states’ rights to protect the interests of white landowners now, as if in apology, pledged itself to secure and protect those interests. In the end, that which would become Black America would, in fact, first be a veritable colony within White America’s midst—a colony pillaged and looted for its incalculable resource: cheap and disenfranchised labor. Largely as destitute as those refugees who followed in Sherman’s army’s wake, many of the emancipated were relegated to bottom a segregated, highly inequitable, feudal-like caste system throughout the South. In feature and function, it largely imitated the chattel slavery which had, only in word, been abolished.

A red road of clay and stone intersects the twolane highway that passes through Shiloh, Georgia. At one time a lively farming community, never more than several hundred people populated it. By the time I was a child old enough to recall it, little remained. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, my father’s father, Grandpa Walter, lived out the last few years of his contract with the postmaster whose thousand acres near Shiloh he helped farm and maintain.

I remember how a rather steep bank rose to one’s right upon turning off the two-lane onto the rugged road.

That road cut through thickets that had encroached where

cotton fields and gardens once rippled. Upon that bank stood a spacious, tin roofed, wooden farmhouse on stone pillars. That was Grandpa Walter’s and Grandma Susie’s house. To the other side of the road, down among trees were the penned livestock. Swine and cows. Mules and chickens. This was, as I understood it, my Grandpa Walter’s farm--the gardens that he still harrowed with mules, the old barns farther afield, and the hundreds of acres of true forests beyond. I remember the bales of hay, the barrels of feed kernels, and the old graying hunting dogs.

I remember the rusting plows. The smokehouse. But this land belonged to the postmaster. No longer a cotton producer, he was, as far as new-world, industrial-era, feudal lords go, a good man. In fact, my dad speaks fondly of him—of how he was fair in the terms of sharecropping to which my grandfather agreed, of how Grandpa Walter and his family lived on the thousand acres “like kings”--farming and hunting and fishing as though the land were their own. With no night riding terrorists and flaming torches to mind, Grandpa Walter successfully reared his own eight children and his father-in-law’s five to be productive, disciplined, middle-class adults. Not this land but his family was his legacy. He and Grandma Susie built a home of homelessness. They made a place of displacement.

Grandpa Walter was a son of William who was son of Richard who was son of Alexander who was son of Dick/ Richard—an emancipated man. All were farmers. Some were sharecroppers. Grandpa Walter’s gardens fed both his sprawling extended family and others. When times were tightest, neighboring families often collected what he purposefully left on the vines and in the ground.

Mind you, it wasn’t Eden. There was no justice in the savage inequities he faced and endured. And no excuses.

Night riding terrorists weren’t required to enforce what a morally and ethically depraved, faux democracy—unenlightened, evolutionally stunted, and driven by the devils of greed that effectively rendered both his sharecropping and Papa Sam’s landed interests comparably void—could legislate.

Nevertheless, I recall looking up into Grandpa Walter’s face as a little boy. He was old and gray then--his health failing. But there was a fierce, unwavering pride in those eyes, and a fire—a strength and determination bequeathed by his father and his father’s fathers. They were Black men who had always been called boys--Southerners named for European monarchs they knew nothing, and couldn’t care less, about. He knew who he was and so, still, does his son—my father--Melvin. And my father has passed that knowledge to his children.

“We’re Southerners,” Dad always told me when I was a child. “We come from sharecroppers who didn’t leave. We didn’t run up north to get away. I don’t blame those who did. The South was difficult. Dangerous. But they didn’t do much better if as well wherever they ran. Home is home.

Never be ashamed of that. When you know who you are and, upon that, do your best to take care of yourself and others, it doesn’t matter how others see you. You don’t need anybody to hold your hand.”

As I grew older, I better understood what he meant.

Northern and western cities had summoned black immi-

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grants for a century. The Great Migration, as it was called, had blossomed into breathtaking seasons of financial, artistic, and political advancement before recessions ravaged them--before corporations and industries betrayed and abandoned them to zones of mind-numbing deprivation in urban “ghettos.”

Even so, there’s so much more to say and so little space. Despite enduring egregious disparities in wealth across African American and White American communities—disparities demonstrably tied to differences in who was granted consistent and relatively exclusive access to land, differences in who was granted consistent access to fairly and equally compensated labor, and differences in how land and property value has been appreciated over the century following emancipation—Black American communities, families and individuals, survive. Not only that, wherever possible and to whatever degree they can, they thrive. The journey has been both exceptionally difficult and dangerous in “the home of the brave.”

That’s the thing about any place that can be called a true “home.” They say it’s where the heart is. Typically, that has been interpreted to mean that it’s where one longs to be. But I think, maybe, it’s a matter of both where one is and who one is in his or her deepest, most fundamental knowledge and experience of self. The home of the heart is the safe place for treasures compromised by neither moth nor rust, neither brigands nor barbarians…by neither the extremes of loss nor the suffering loss entails. Ultimately, African Americans have learned that home is not derived from land and wealth.

Rather, land and wealth are--where circumstances permit—effects and elements of home. Home is where one is unconditionally and unalienably free--where we can never be slaves and we never have been. It is where we can never be oppressed or deprived. It’s a table— an archetypal symbol for wholeness and completeness—

always set for feasting, even in the presence of our enemies. And I think my dad is right. Maybe that’s the South.

Not only the South, but America. It’s a state or condition that needs neither a Special Field Order nor the federal support for rights derived from “the laws of nature and of nature’s God” that many of us still lack in too many ways.

In fact, maybe to degrees that my Ghanaian friend couldn’t quite fathom, this “home of the soul” is the bright and Edenic Africa of our poetry and dreams or whatever our indigenous forbears called the myriad realms that Europeans hailed by that name. After all, famous explorer Leo Africanus (1494-1554) credits the ancient Greeks for “Africa’s” name. Accordingly, it derives from the term “aphrike.” And that means “free of cold and horrors.” Indeed. An ideal world of imagination. An existential stronghold. The “Zion” of the Coptic mystics. A fount of miracle and wonder. A tree of life. The Kingdom of Heaven. For as the imperial Amazulu, ranging deep within the continent’s southern plains, called themselves “The People of Heaven,” they must have realized that they carried within themselves a universe as boundless as the black and fiery sky above. Indeed, wandering herdsmen that they and many of the Bantu were--often strangers among other races both throughout the African continent and the global diaspora--to the extent that each, like the Zulu, could acknowledge and accept that they were progeny of the “heaven” within, they were always--and ever will be--home.

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PHOTO: RON CARSON JR.

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Youth Development in the 2022 budget With the Fiscal Year 2022 approaching, the time to adopt a new budget has come to Athens once again. The Mayor’s proposed budget totals $148.1 million dollars and is 5.4% higher than the FY 2021 budget. Several different areas have been prioritized in the Mayor’s proposed budget, one of them being youth activities. Within this area, a variety of new and returning programs for youth, as well as investments in the youth, are listed. This article will highlight some of those programs.

Programs like the Young Urban Builders will be returning with a proposed budget of $100k. The Young Urban Builders program provides employment, job training, and real work experience to those as young as 16. These students are tasked with aiding in the repair and improvement of the West Broad Community. Many of the youth in the program are considered “at-risk”, making this a program that is not only beneficial to youth, but to the Athens community as well.

The proposed budget also details continued renovations for both Lay Park and East Athens Park with a figure of $190k. The renovations will consist of art rooms and programming equipment software that will include technologies like robotics, graphic design, etc. Both Lay Park and East Athens Park are known throughout Athens for providing local youth with an array of activities and services during the summer and school year. Lay Park, Athens’ only downtown park, already touts several amenities, including a gymnasium, playground, and fitness room just to name a few. Similarly, East Athens Park is outfitted with its own features like multi-purpose rooms, a game room, and a library. These renovations will bring modernity and simply help these parks to improve what they have been doing for years: catering to the needs of youth throughout Athens.

The Counselor in Training program will be allotted $60k in the proposed budget. The program gives youth the opportunity to gain work experience, while also earning their own money. Youth 15 - 18 work under the guidance of counselors to develop leadership skills and higher self-esteem, among other beneficial traits. This program also directly benefits children in these camps, as it gives them role models for their teen years.

Texas and announcing that all slaves had been freed.

This was significant due to the fact that many slave owners from other southern states had fled to Texas to escape the Union Army and many saw Texas as the “last frontier”. In short, Juneteenth is a holiday that celebrates the true liberation of African-American people. Twenty thousand dollars has been designated for the first community-wide Juneteenth celebration that will involve youth in visual and performing arts aspects and community wide education. Many throughout Athens already hold their own Juneteenth Celebrations, from local churches to the downtown streets, and have made it a priority. However, it is also imperative that the celebrations and knowledge reach the entirety of Athens. As per 2018 demographic reports, African-Americans make up just under 30% of the Athens population, making them the largest minority in Athens. When the population is isolated to just Clarke County Youth, the number jumps to nearly 50%. Roughly half of Athens’ youth are tied to this history, making it almost vital for the budget to provide ways for youth to celebrate and learn about Juneteenth.

A newer program introduced in the proposed budget was the Police Youth Cadet Corp. It will be re-instituted with a budget of $184k. The program will provide a pipeline from local highschools to the APD. It’s intent is to engage with Athens youth in order to build a police department that better reflects the community.

Programs like these are often seen in larger cities, like New York and Atlanta. Youth living in this current era have been witness, time and time again, to the harm that police can do. This has led to widespread distrust in the police. A program like this is ideal for rebuilding that trust. By building trust, a safer community can be achieved for all members of society.

The programs discussed in this article all together make up less than 1% of the Mayor’ s proposed budget. However, they are just as, if not more, important as anything else listed. As of late, the youth have found themselves surrounded by violence and danger, despite efforts to protect them. These activities are so important because they have the potential to change this reality. The way that youth engage in their community affects the choices they make now, as well as the ones they will make later in life. These activities keep youth engaged in their community positively. Prioritizing youth in this budget will build an overall stronger, better Athens.

Additionally, the proposed budget mentioned Juneteenth Celebrations. Short for “June Nineteenth”, the day celebrates federal troops arriving in Galveston, - Makenna Mincey HIGHLIGHT 25

AROUND TOWN

Joy Village Black History Adventures

In June, Joy Village, an educational program that focuses on the experience of black youth held a Saturday pop up school called “Black Adventures” at the Reese Street historic district. During the event children in kindergarten through eighth grade participated in educational activities such as learning about Black history through interactive elements. The founder of Joy Village, Lora Smothers, has a long term vision to soon start a private school, kindergarten through eighth grade, dedicated to the needs of children in the Athens area. Our education issue will showcase their work in Athens.

T h e o n ly at hen s "n o r u l e s" pa r t y

On September 1st, The Warehouse and Squalle hosted "The Only Athens No Rules Party." Artist Young Nudy, Gabriel Lavrett, Squalle, and Kxng Blanco performed in front of a sold out show. Over the years downtown venues have grown comfortable with the hip-hop community. Recently giving hip hop artist the opportunity to headline Athfest. As local venues begin to open up again, artist are looking for every way to put themselves in better positions to share their music. Our upcoming issue will discuss music in the black community.

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CHESS and communit y Pawn accelerator

Chess and communities pawn accelerator program, is a robotics program that combines chess with the engineering of robotics in order to ready middle schoolers for emerging technologies and innovative thinking in the ever growing STEM field. This program combines soft skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, communication, and leadership in preparation for the workforce needs coming to Athens. In the future they’ll be partnering with the University of Georgia’s Innovative Youth Program in the summer of 2022, to teach design thinking and exercising real world solutions into the process.

Stop the violence march

Due to increased violence in Athens, on August 9th members of the Nellie B community came together to march against violence. The event was held to show support of a community against violence. It was coordinated by Rashee Malcom, Bryant Gantt, Sheila Hill, and Sharon Hill. The day entailed a peaceful march from Nellie B to the Triangle Plaza. Led by the Athens Clarke County Sherrif's Office, organizers met to discuss the current issues in Athens. There were performances by Mokah & Foreign, Nony1, Techdadon, Pastor Eric Burgess, and The Arsonist. Noticeable guest were Board of Education President Lakeisha Gantt, Commissioners Ovita Thornton, Tim Denson, and Mariah Parker.

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Minority Business Directory Highlight Magazine intends to help support Black and other minority businesses. Athens is full of entrepreneurs. Call them, tell them Highlight sent you, and support those that make our community a better place. Go to www.highlightathensga.com to find more or register a business.

Business Name

Aaron Locksmith LLC A-Z Junk Removal LLC Chalises Heavenly Inspired Creations By Rise Crowning Tier Group Crystal Clear Windows & Gutters Deans Barber Shop Eat - A - Bite Eye Candy Lash & Brow Bar Farm to Neighborhood Food Truck Builders Gansiry Mireya Braids Grizzly Delivery Heaven's Rainbow Learning Center Her Fashion House Jaikal Photography Jimmy's Automotive Repair Key Fit Nutrition / Fitness by Ford Lil Ice Cream Dude Mcrae Family Dental MEU Radio Nichols Moving & Hauling Partyz R Us of Athens Payne Construction Commercial Peachy Green Clean Co-op Peerless Financial Group Pops Socks LLC Prominence Hair Company Rashe's Cuisine Ron L Carson Jr. & Associates Salon 4:13 The Superior Shine Top Dawg Beard Essentials Trend'Setta Kutz Troy Copeland Upscale Services Val's Daughter Vendi Cru Wynn Pressure Washing

Specialty

Location

Contact

Locksmith

Athens, Ga

(706) 765 - 8445

Waste Management Company

Athens, Ga.

(706) 380 - 6380

Luxury Bath & Body Products

Athens, Ga.

(706) 424 - 8963

Custom Cochet Design

Athens, Ga.

creationsbyrise.com

Accounting Services

Athens, Ga.

(706) 461 - 7746

Window Service

Athens, Ga.

(706) 614 - 6798

Barber / Beauty Shop

Athens, Ga.

(706) 372 - 9843

Southern Barbeque Catering

Athens, Ga.

(706) 389 - 0846

Health/Beauty

Athens, Ga.

(706) 619 - 3737

Affordable Fresh Produce

Athens, Ga.

(706) 850 - 4169

Custom Vehicle Engineers

Athens, Ga

(706) 201 - 3982

Hair & Beauty

Athens, Ga.

(706) 540 - 4432

Transportation Services

Athens, Ga.

(706) 352 - 3638

Day Care

Athens, Ga.

(706) 424 - 3178

Custom Handmade Fashion

Athens, Ga.

herfashionhouse.com

Photographer

Athens, Ga.

(678) 249-9523

Auto Repair

Athens, Ga.

(706) 850 - 9298

Fitness & Nutrition Center

3701 Atl HWY St. 37

Athens, GA. 30606

Ice Cream Shop

Athens, Ga.

(706) 308 - 8885

Dentist

Athens, Ga.

(706) 546-8480

Internet Radio

Athens, Ga

meuradioathens.com

Home Mover

Athens, Ga.

(470) 258-8379

Party Supplies / Rentals

Athens, Ga.

(706)461 6159

Engineering

Athens, Ga.

(706) 552 - 3911

Cleaning Services

Athens, Ga.

(706) 248 - 4601

Financial Advisor

Athens, Ga

(404) 901 - 7503

Clothing Brand

Athens, Ga

www.popssocks.com

Hair Vendor

Athens, Ga.

prominencehairco.com

Catering Services

Athens, Ga.

rashecuisine.com

Photography / Videography / Marketing

Athens, Ga.

(770) 744-6403

Hair Salon

Athens, Ga.

(404) 341-8085

Car Detailing

Athens, Ga.

(706) 248 - 5596

Natural Oils

Athens, Ga.

topdawgbeards.com

Mobile Barber

Athens, Ga.

(706) 207 - 1519

Copy Editing / Script Writing

Athens, Ga.

troyofathens36@gmail.com

Construction Company

Athens, Ga.

(706) 621-1900

Southern Meal Prep/Catering

Athens, Ga

(404) 661 - 6108

Fashion & Beauty Boutique

Athens, Ga

vendicru.com

Home Improvement

Athens, Ga.

(706) 990 - 1919

HIGHLIGHT

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