Old Stories

Published in 2007 in The Augusta Chronicle, “Parking Less Pricey in Downtown Athens” details a now-resolved dispute among Athens residents as to whether or not parking meter prices and fines should be raised, as they were some of the lowest among the Georgia cities surveyed. At the time, parking meters charged five cents per twelve minutes, and a ticket for an expired meter was $3, while parking beyond the time limit was a $5 ticket. While some residents and city officials wanted the ticket fines to remain that low, they have since been raised to $10 for an expired meter and $15 for parking beyond the time limit.

“Third Try to Build On Downtown Lot,” published in 2009 in the Athens Banner-Herald, describes the debate among Athens business owners and city officials to decide if building a four story parking deck on East Broad Street would detract so much from the look and feel of historic downtown that it wouldn’t be worth it. However, members of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundations voiced their support for it.

Another parking deck, this one six stories, encountered greater resistance in late 2009, as reported by the Athens Banner-Herald in “Too Late for Say On New Deck.” Citizens felt that city commissioners fast-tracked the building of the parking deck without making sure local business and citizens approved of it. Many were afraid it would obscure and dwarf the Georgia Theatre and simply be a drab eyesore. The city commission was unwilling to change or slow down the process.

Old Stories — Downtown Life & Business

Link: Art districts help secure small business dreams in Arizona

Date Published: September 12, 2008

Summary: This is a story about how urban redevelopment in downtown Phoenix’s art district helped local artists explore business ventures that, eventually, sort of re-built that area. I think it’s particularly relevant in today’s Athens because it deals with gentrification and how development in low-income areas can affect a community. With all the redevelopment happening in Athens, I think it’s fitting.

Link: Cinema project displacing locals; City to pay $7.9 million for six parcels on Middlefield Road and Jefferson Avenue

Date Published: February 22, 2003

Summary: This is a story about how Redwood City government is forcing local small business owners to sell property or relocate so as to have a bigger, incoming cinema bring big business to the area. This is especially relevant to Athens’ downtown because businesses like Urban Outfitters, Zaxby’s and (soon) American Eagle are moving in and displacing small businesses.

Link: YUPPIES IN THE ‘HOOD: Proposed gentrification of poorer areas of city sparks clash of values and cultures

Date Published: June 24, 1995

Summary: This article is about gentrification and the clash of cultures (middle class and low-income) that come along with it. It is written about Vancouver. I think it’s particularly interesting and relevant, again, because gentrification is such a huge issue in Athens. I think this article does a good job of showing both sides of the equation — those who see gentrification as a problem, as well as the possible benefits of gentrification.

Old Stories – reposted from beat vertical

I’m adding this post to Mod 3 … just in case this is where it was supposed to be! It was originally made to beat vertical last evening.

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One idea I am considering for an article is to explore the daily, weekly, and seasonal routines of the homeless man I recently interviewed. It would serve as a means to portray the man and his wherewithal to persevere as well as provide information about useful community resources. This could be developed as a profile or perhaps as a “behind the scene” story. It could also be tailored to the Athens community (giving information about resources and the spirit of compassion here) or to a broader audience in terms of standing for the many and varied stories of homeless individuals anywhere and the types of help they need.

Some stories of interest, retrieved from NewsBank (my new best friend!) are below:

One pre-2013 article of interest is: “Beggars without golden voices”. Columbus Monthly (OH) – April 12, 2011. We probably all remember Ted Williams, a homeless panhandler who was discovered by a Columbus, Ohio videographer to have an unexpected quality – a deep and resounding radio-type voice. He quickly became known as the man with a golden voice. In addition to changing this man’s life, the story also challenged public assumptions of homeless individuals and panhandlers as an unredeemable lot.

This article used the Ted Williams story as a jumping off point to provoke compassion for a broader array of homeless people and panhandlers. It profiled several individuals in the Columbus area and provided some insights into their lifestyles and struggles. I would classify it as a story intended to raise awareness. This is probably just as relevant today and perhaps even more so since the sheer number of articles on panhandling has increased tremendously in recent years – likely indicative of its increasing incidence or problematic nature to the public. At the same time, I think the article lacked an action component. Readers may be moved to sympathy but left feeling helpless as to what they should do, what can be done, etc.

A second pre-2013 article of interest is “Long Way Home – Whatever happened to ending homelessness?” Written by Jonathan Walters, this appeared in Governing Magazine in 2012. The overall message of this detailed article was that there had been more promises regarding ending or reducing homelessness than there had been actual progress.

The article cited gains made, mostly in the form of understanding the complexity of causative factors. But it also highlighted forces – mostly governmental or structural in nature – that were impeding progress. This is a very instructive article. Regarding its relevance to us today, I would say two things – one is that as long as there are homeless individuals among us, the information is relevant; the other is that this article could provide ideas to follow up on. For instance, several promising approaches/programs were cited, and it could be helpful to see how they’ve fared out.

The third story I’ll present is from the opinion section of Athen’s Banner Herald. The title is “It’s hard to ignore homelessness when it has a human face,” written by an Athenian named Conoly Hester; published in April 2005. The author writes of uneasiness encountering homeless people on the streets of Athens and follows with a story of getting to know and coming to admire one particular individual. It speaks from the heart and is emotionally provocative. It is a story that is ever-relevant, regardless of time period. It is also particularly relevant to Athens for two reasons – one that it talks about support systems and compassion with the Athens community; a second being that it cites a figure of 436 homeless people in Athens in 2005. That figure is significantly lower today!

And just in case the last story does not qualify for this assignment (since it’s an opinion piece!), I’ll add one from 2011 that supports the idea that the number of homeless individuals is, in fact, declining in Athens. This March 2011 article in the Banner Herald was titled, “Count of homeless finds 407“. The article cites a figure closer to 500 in years previous to 2011. Taken together with information in the Hester piece above, it looks like there was a peak somewhere between 2005 and 2011. From previous research, I learned that this year’s figure stood at 225. In a previous post (Where I’m at) I wrote about errors inherent in the counting system; however … the downward direction seems indisputable!

Old Stories– K. Cline

Athfest ’99

This article explores how Athfest brings the city together and cements the Athens music culture to our identity as a city. The article is interesting and relevant because Athfest is still a major festival each year, though the bands change. Music is a huge part of Athens lifestyle and entirely important to this beat.

Style: a woman’s touch

This article is from the AJC and centers around a specific fashion boutique in Atlanta that dares to usurp the standard fashion motifs of the early 2000s. Though the article is about a specific store in a different city than Athens, it remains relevant as fashion and lifestyle is all about coming up with the new and daring and opposing the norm.

Designer T-shirts

This somewhat comically written article from the AJC in 2005 is hitting on a then unknown trend of marking up common articles of clothing. A $100 tee shirt was unheard of when the article was put out, but is now common-place, if not still laughable, in today’s culture. With every celebrity starting their own fashion line and putting out exorbitantly priced basics, this article is a touchstone to the beginning of a major trend.

Old News on Startups

Jump-Start Job Creation through Startup Businesses

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania) October 3, 2010 Sunday

While most believe that small businesses drive the economy, a recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that the biggest contributor to net job growth isn’t small businesses but new businesses, more specifically, startup firms. Business startups accounted for all of the net new jobs created in the U.S. between 1980 and 2005. Older and larger firms create jobs, but they also eliminate jobs through layoffs, plant closing, and bankruptcies. Pittsburgh has gone from one of the most entrepreneurial places to one of the least. It has one of the lowest rates of startup businesses compared to other regions.

Silicon Valley economy more diversified

Contra Costa Times

Silicon Valley’s startup culture is much more diversified than it was before, spread out across a broader range of high tech. This makes it less vulnerable to a bubble burst, according to the BLS. Only 1 in 6 high tech firms from 2000 still exist. But those that did survive, doubled in size. The companies now are a lot more stable and profitable.

Helping Small Businesses Survive, Succeed

The Maryland Gazette

Hollis Minor is a business counselor for the Maryland Small Business Development Center. After owning four businesses of her own, she offers advice on loan packaging, business and marketing-plan development, strategic planning, and earning certifications. Of the businesses she consults, 40 percent are startups and 20 percent have been hard hit by the economy and struggling. The other 40 percent are looking to get to the “next level.” She attributes the number of startups to layoffs that forced workers to become entrepreneurial.

I feel like these local stories on startups mirror the kinds of stories that might work in Athens. Downtown Athens is filled with local businesses and is also home to the tech incubator, FourAthens.

Old Stories

Story 1: Race for a Cause: Charity Fitness Events

Link: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/charity-races
Date Published: June 20, 2012
Summary: This “article” was actually a little disappointing: it’s merely a list of charity races (some themed) and how much they cost for participants. (I thought it would tell a story.) Races include the Color Run, the Denver Gorilla Run, and the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon Series, among others.
Interesting/Relevant Today: Marginally. I don’t know that all of these races are still taking place. I know some of them, like the Color Run, are.

Story 2: Bannatyne’s Helps Member Train for Charity Iron Man Triathlon

Link: http://www.recognitionpr.co.uk/clients/id/8573
Date Published: February 8, 2012
Summary: This article was better because it actually was a story. This is a story out of Britain describing how a fitness facility, Bannatyne’s Health Club, helped a 55-year-old man, Ian Donaldson, train to race in the Ironman (they misspelled it in their article: it’s one word, not two) to raise funds for Clic Sargent, a charity that helps children with cancer. Donaldson had participated in charitable races before, but never the Ironman triathlon, which is very rigorous and lasts between 12 and 14 hours. The article also included a link at the end whereby readers could donate to Donaldson’s cause.
Interesting/Relevant Today: Not necessarily. It’s a nice human-interest story, but nothing more.

Story 3: Charity Races Mix Fitness and Fundraising

Link: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1181
Date Published: September 10, 2008
Summary: This article was the best of all. Instead of being just a list of charity races (Article 1) or one racer’s specific story (Article 2), this article talked about charity races in general (many themed) and told readers how to get involved in one. It’s a little sad that the oldest article I chose is actually the most relevant.
Interesting/Relevant Today: Definitely. It holds timeless tips that are still applicable today.

Older Stories

Some stories of interest, retrieved from NewsBank (my new best friend!) are below:

Old Stories

The first article I found is “For those struggling with eating disorders, Johanna Kandel gives hope and shares her story”. It is written by Staci Sturrock and published on Palm Beach Post on June 27, 2011. This article is about a girl’s fight with eating disorders. When Kandel was 12 years old, she desperately wanted to earn a part in a production of The Nutcracker. Unfortunately, she was not cast in the show. Although the adults explained it was because she simply looked too young, she believed it was because she was too fat. Her diet became more rigid and her exercise regimen became stricter. Eventually, her eating disorder robbed her of the dancing career she dreamed of. She struggled for 10 years and finally recovered. She grows the Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness. In order to provide assistance to those struggling with eating disorders and to promote positive body images, the group has produced several fashion shows featuring models of all shapes and sizes. I also want to write a story about how people struggle with eating disorders, so this article really helped me a lot.

The second article I found is “Low fat or high protein: which diet really works?”, which is written by Vicki Edgson and published in The Times on April 14, 2012. The article is based on a research conducted by scientists at Harvard Medical School. The scientist believed that the magic formula for weight loss is “lower fat, more exercise” and recommend people to eat good carbohydrates. The article also explained why the lower-fat approach work and suggest people keep eating fat and don’t buy things such as ready meals that have hidden fats in them.

The third article I found is “Slim or curvy – what shape do you prefer?” It is written by Ann Fotheringhamt and published on Evening Times on April 10, 2007. The article used several surveys to reveal a trend that curves are back and those skinny role models are being replaced by their more voluptuous counterparts. Also, the article interviewed several women to say what do they think. This article can help me to know the previous trend so I can make a comparison between before and now in my article.

Old Stories

For my first story on this beat, I am interested in pursuing the idea of religiously-inspired fashion choices. The controversy over the burkini ban in France makes this topic timely, but old stories I researched demonstrate that tension in the world of Islamic fashion has existed for years.

Islamic fashion industry copes with growing pains; Supporters try to provide design choices; detractors call it exploitative. By Shaheen Pasha, Reuters. Published March 5, 2011. Located via LexisNexis.

This article opens with a scene from a Dubai fashion show featuring Islamic fashion. This lede serves as a segue to discussing the world of Islamic high fashion, which was estimated in 2011 to be worth $96 billion globally. Pasha writes that that this world is highly divided between those who would prefer that Islamic fashion feature only traditional clothing such as abayas, while others expand the category to include modest shirts, skirts, etc. decorated with traditional symbols. As different sects of Islam promote various requirements for clothing and modesty, this is not a controversy that is likely to disappear, and is as such highly relevant to my beat.

Forced to be secular (letter to the editor). By Naftalie Lavie to The Globe and Mail (Canada). Published December 20, 2003. Located via LexisNexis.

This letter to the editor demonstrates the outrage of many Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide concerning France’s ban on religious symbols (passed 2004). Lavie illustrated the feelings of many by writing “if the state tries to suppress individual fashion statements, it is not ‘protecting secular principles,’ but engaging in oppression.” As this ban is the root of the “burkini ban” controversy today, this article is useful in demonstrating how long public debate has raged over this topic.

Here’s News for Cowboys: Bandanna Can Be Religious. By Elaine Sciolino for the New York Times. January 21, 2004. Located via LexisNexis.

This article, written at the passing of France’s anti-religious symbols law, illustrates the vaugeness and (arguably) inequity inherent in the ban. “Islamic head scarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses” will be banned, as will any other “ostensibly religious” outward symbol (including, potentially, a bandanna or beard). The turban of the Sikhs, on the other hand, would be permitted if it were to remain “discreet.” This article is useful for understanding the particular’s of France’s law, a law which is still in the news today.

Old Stories

While reading through the articles found on Newsbank, there seemed to be a common theme. Athens is mentioned as “the perfect place” for many different types of retailers. In the first article I read, journalist Don Nelson explains the concept of the what was then new store Community. In the article, written in 2010, Community’s concept and signature fashion line are explained and introduced. The passion and interest in vintage and artistic clothing items still fills the streets of downtown Athens, and students and townies alike have only fallen more in love with Community since its opening. Since the article was published, Community has moved locations and grown it’s presence in Athens.

The second article that I read was about the opening of another Downtown Athens retailer, Fab’rik, in 2012. The article mentioned that Fab’rik is not just about making sales, but also about serving and giving back to the Athens’ community. The retailer participates in many philanthropic programs, and although the price range is slightly higher then Community’s, the two retailers have some of the same overall goals. Fab’rik has multiple locations throughout the South, but the article recognized that the Athens’ location focused on making the community around them better any way they can. These values still remain true today, as Fab’rik continues to partner with philanthropic causes on campus and throughout the city.

The third article that I read was written in 2011 and focused on consignment. Consignment and thrift stores still seem to have a large presence throughout Athens, and this article provides a list of locations as well as an explanation of how the consignment process works. Athens has always been a town full of vintage vibes, and many consignment and thrift stores have opened and closed even in the short amount of time that I have lived here. This article, although many of the stores listed are no longer open, still reigns true for the average Athens consumer. Students still flood thrift and consignment stores to find unique pieces and residents shop there to find interesting items with a little spunk.

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