Category Archives: Backgrounder

Backgrounder, Culture

Wine for Charity

Being an avid wine drinker in a town where local beer is as popular as locally grown food can be very difficult, especially when you’re new to wine drinking. So, what is a wine enthusiast to do? Well look no further than the annual Athens Wine Weekend at The Classic Center.

Visit Athens GA on Twitter: “Calling all wine lovers! Join us at @ClassicCenter Feb. 3-5 for Athens Wine Weekend https://t.co/cIz5nWi6va #visitathensga pic.twitter.com/S36RfQlYSF / Twitter”

Calling all wine lovers! Join us at @ClassicCenter Feb. 3-5 for Athens Wine Weekend https://t.co/cIz5nWi6va #visitathensga pic.twitter.com/S36RfQlYSF

Visit Athens GA took to Twitter saying, “Calling all wine lovers!”reminding their followers of the benefit that will take place on Feb. 3.

This $30 fundraising event gives individuals the opportunity to taste a variety of high quality wines from around the world. According to Athens Georgia Convention & Visitors Bureau post on Athens Life Unleashed, this three-day event is for wine connoisseurs and those who wish to learn more about wine.

On the first day of the gathering those in attendance will participate in a presentation of few amuse-bouches. In addition, to tasting wine, attendees can also sample what the Athens Banner-Herald described as, “ specially crafted bites to be paired with specific wine,” which will be prepared by Northeast Georgia chefs.

The following Saturday will begin with the Grand Tasting event, which had 1,000 attendees last year. This event will debut a variety of wines not presented the previous day.  Meanwhile, seminars taught by wine experts will commence at the same time.

Those uninterested in the wine tasting may attend the silent auction, which will occur on both Friday and Saturday.

As it gets later into the night a gourmet dinner with multiple dishes will be served with different selections of wines. The event will conclude with a Sunday brunch — of course paired with a sparkling wine.

If you are still not convinced that wine tasting is for you then let the purpose of this event be your drive. All proceeds will be used as scholarship money to help local Athens high school and college students who hope to pursue careers in the performing or culinary arts.

 

 

Backgrounder, Sports

160 Years of Change: A brief history of Athens YMCA buildings

The YMCA in Athens was established in 1857, making it the third oldest in the nation.

In 160 years the organization has gone through a number of buildings.

Athens Banner-Herald on Twitter: “.@AthensYMCA awarded scholarship for swimming and water safety https://t.co/srXucNYgUk pic.twitter.com/OdVSpAOLEI / Twitter”

@AthensYMCA awarded scholarship for swimming and water safety https://t.co/srXucNYgUk pic.twitter.com/OdVSpAOLEI

According to its website, for over 30 years after its establishment, the Athens’ YMCA didn’t have its own building. Because membership hadn’t quite picked up yet and the “War Between the States” had interrupted attendance till the 80s, the Athens’ YMCA was held in First Presbyterian Church on East Hancock Avenue.

The first building, which according to the Athens Banner-Herald was eventually converted into the Georgia Theatre, was built in 1889 and located on the corner of Clayton and Lumpkin streets. The campaign to move into this building didn’t start until a year after hiring the first paid employee, CEO Walter T. Forbes.

This facility had a 168 square-foot pool called the “Iron Tank,” which was Northeast Georgia’s first indoor pool. To increase income, the YMCA rented out the first floor of this building to merchants.

In 1919 the YMCA raised over $100,000 in order to build their second facility on the corner of Broad and Lumpkin streets, facing the university campus. The first basketball teams of Clarke Central High School and the University of Georgia practiced in this gym, with Forbes coaching the university teams for years.

This building was sold and demolished in the early 70s, the rear is now a parking lot for Holiday Inn WHICH HOLIDAY INN? THERE ARE TWO ON BROAD STREET – BE SPECIFIC , to make way for a newer more family and community focused building.

At the cost of over $800,000, the third and current YMCA facility of 90,000 square-feet was opened in 1967 on Hawthorne Avenue.

Although the YMCA works to a have a suitable location for its participants to meet at, directors maintain that the YMCA isn’t a building, but an association of people CITE THE SOURCE – ACCORDING TO A WHAT DATE ARTICLE IN the Washington Post.

“Bricks and mortar help define where the YMCA is, but they do not define what the YMCA is,” WROTE WHO WHEN the El Paso Times. “Beyond the four walls of the facilities there is a community that is growing.”

Backgrounder, Business

All-American Brand Macy’s to Close Athens Store

Macy’s has long been a household name in the United States. Every Thanksgiving, the streets of New York City are filled with life and celebration during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is one of many stores well-known to Americans nationwide and seen as an example of the American way of life. Yet this may change here in Athens, Georgia.

The Macy’s at Georgia Square Mall will be one of 68 Macy’s department stores slated to close early this year. It is also the only store in Georgia that will be closing.

This move is part of a larger plan by Macy’s to close 100 stores nationwide over the next few years. This represents about 15 percent of its total store base according to Business Insider.

Nearly 4,000 employees will be affected as a result, and while some will find employment at nearby stores, most face losing their jobs completely as reported by the Athens Banner-Herald’s AthensOnline.  IT IS ACTUALLY ONLINE ATHENS – TWO WORDS – It also reports that further restructuring in the company will see the loss of an additional 6,200 jobs nationwide.

Why? Macy’s has faced hardship in the recent economic downturns. The company’s net income, meaning the total remaining after subtracting the various costs of running the business from the total profits of the company and thus its total balance with which to begin the new year, last year was $1.07 million. In 2015 and 2014 it was approximately $1.53 million and $1.49 million, respectively. This would mean a loss in net income around $450,000 between the years 2016 and 2015, a stark contrast to the still relatively small gain of $460,000 between the years 2015 and 2014. Recent economic downturns have impacted multiple large companies and department stores around the country.

This year’s breaking announcement from Macy’s also sets a very different tone than previous announcements. Six years ago, Macy’s announced the roll-out of its Backstage Pass program that relied on QR technology to bring costumers exciting fashion and industry tips from high-brow names and designers as well as a chance to win a daily $500 shopping spree according to a press release through Business Wire in 2011. Six years before that, Business Wire covered Macy’s launch of its Star Rewards program in 2005. This was also aimed to increase the customer’s shopping experience and promote customer loyalty, but as the funds have dried up, so has Macy’s customer outreach programs.

Mr. Auguste ✨🌹 on Twitter: “Dear @Macys you’re not allowed to aggressively hang banners about “nothing held back” then discount merch at ur closing store at 10-20% nope pic.twitter.com/FQpHrIW2uU / Twitter”

Dear @Macys you’re not allowed to aggressively hang banners about “nothing held back” then discount merch at ur closing store at 10-20% nope pic.twitter.com/FQpHrIW2uU

One shopper, among many others, took to Twitter to voice his opinion on a Macy’s store’s closing.

“All I can say is, that’s bad news,” Online Athens quoted Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Jerry NeSmith when asked about the mall’s store closing. Online Athens also quoted the marketing director for the mall, Monica Hawkins, as saying, “The mall is actively in discussions to buy that space from Macy’s with the intent of backfilling it.” No further news about Macy’s successor has appeared.

This will mark the first time since 1981 that the 121 thousand square feet space will not be the home of a Macy’s department store.

Backgrounder, Culture

Doing Well while Doing Good with Local Fashion

As funding for art, music, and theater programs is stripped away from public schools, Athens-based social entrepreneurship, umano, fights for art education.

Each T-shirt that umano sells results in the donation of a backpack full of art supplies to children in schools where they may otherwise not have significant art education.

Social entrepreneurship is defined as “inspired pragmatism,” according to a 2006 article in The Observer. Rather than hoping the world might get better or giving money to nonprofits working for change, social entrepreneurship companies tie each product sold to action allowing the do-good aspects of the company to grow as sales increase.

umano’s CEO Alex Torrey told Refinery29 IN WHAT YEAR? that with umano, “you don’t have to choose between doing well and doing good.”

Doing well in the world of fashion looks like wearing clothing that is both cool and comfortable. umano’s custom fabric, called omobono, is described on the company’s website as “freakishly-soft.” omobono is made from a thick polyurethan NOT POLYURETHANE? JUST CHECKING  material from Turkey.

umano’s modern-style shirts featuring simple drawings from children are most commonly printed on black, white, and gray T-shirts, and prices start at $36.

For umano, “choosing good,” kids’ artwork, is crucial to their mission.

Alex Torrey on Twitter: “”art education is not about learning to draw, it’s about learning to see.” read why we support art ed on the blog. https://t.co/r1xjgkKpCS pic.twitter.com/pAcbfzmNMx / Twitter”

“art education is not about learning to draw, it’s about learning to see.” read why we support art ed on the blog. https://t.co/r1xjgkKpCS pic.twitter.com/pAcbfzmNMx

The clothing company is not alone in this idea that choosing art is important. Research out of the National Endowment for the Arts found that among low socioeconomic status students, “high levels of art engagement from kindergarten through elementary school showed high test scores in science and writing.”

Despite this 2012 research from the NEA, when schools face budget deficits, art programs are often cut.

USA Today’s Tamara Henry looked at how art in its various forms specifically benefits students and found that visual arts “improve content and organization of writing” as well as benefiting “reasoning about scientific images and reading readiness.” Henry’s research from 2002 supports umano’s ideas about art education though scientific support.

Beyond the classroom, involving kids in the process of following a prompt and drawing what comes to mind, allows umano to “empower them and to show they can create things of tremendous value,” as co-owner Jonathan Torrey told The Red and Black in 2015.

Backgrounder, Culture

Rabbit Box: Bringing the art of storytelling to Athens

Ana Aldridge on Twitter: “Tonight’s rabbit box stories about immigration were amazing! @RabbitBoxATH pic.twitter.com/QZ1hmAVEew / Twitter”

Tonight’s rabbit box stories about immigration were amazing! @RabbitBoxATH pic.twitter.com/QZ1hmAVEew

“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories,” wrote Ursula Le Guin on the tradition of storytelling.

This heritage continues in the heart of Athens thanks to organizations like Rabbit Box, a local storytelling event held on the second Wednesday of every month.

According to its website, Rabbit Box’s mission is to provide a forum where Athenians and students can share true stories and “bring us closer to a common understanding, a deeper sense of history, and a shared community.”

Inspired by the rise of The Moth and other storytelling collectives throughout the nation, Marci White created Rabbit Box in the spring of 2012, naming it after a song by Athens musician, Vic Chesnutt.

Their website says the storytelling venture is mostly run by volunteers under the direction of a board comprised of Marci White, Elise Stangle, Sayge Medlin and Pat Priest.

It held its first event at a local bookstore, Avid Bookshop. However, after quickly drawing larger crowds, organizers relocated the event to The Globe, and eventually, to its current location at The Foundry in the fall of 2012. Twice a year, they hold the event at an outdoor amphitheater in Sandy Creek Park.

Every event is organized around a specific theme. January’s theme was “Rites of Passage,” where speakers shared their personal coming-of-age stories.

The event usually hosts eight speakers, one of them a willing audience member chosen at random.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Be advised, seats fill up quickly.

Those interested in attending or sharing their own story can find more information at the website. Rabbit Box also offers assistance to those who want help shaping their story, and you can listen to past storytellers here to get an idea of what to expect.

Backgrounder, Lifestyle

A Taste Of Terrapin

On Friday and Saturday nights, the streets of Athens are crowded with locals and tourists out to get a beer. But on most afternoons you can find many of the same beer lovers drinking unique brews at Terrapin Beer Company located on Newton Bridge Road.

Terrapin Beer Company was founded in 2002 by John Cochran and Spike Buckowski. The duo introduced their now classic Rye Pale Ale at the Classic City Brewfest. The beer was only available on draft around Athens until 2007 when the brewery opened.

Presently, beer lovers can visit the brewery Wednesday through Sunday at 265 Newton Bridge Rd. with hours varying throughout the week. Wednesday and Thursday tours and tastings are given from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday it is open from 1:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Sunday it is open 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Terrapin offers two packages to guests at the brewery. The first package— the “stay & play tour”— consists of a tour of the production facility and 36 ounces of various beers for tasting on site. The price starts at $12.

The second option for visitors is the “souvenir tour” which provides patrons with 72 ounces of beer to take home and a promotional tour which starts at $10. Both packages can be combined and prices vary depending on which beers are chosen.

Terrapin offers a variety of beers onsite for tastings. Some of the unique beers include the original Rye, Hi-5, Liquid Bliss and Rise N Shine, among others. Hi-5 is a California inspired beer with a citrusy flavor. Another brew, Liquid Bliss, is peanut butter and chocolate flavored.

Terrapin Beer Co. on Twitter: “Where will you #TakeTerrapin this weekend? 📷: @crftbeerproject pic.twitter.com/81U0jjox48 / Twitter”

Where will you #TakeTerrapin this weekend? 📷: @crftbeerproject pic.twitter.com/81U0jjox48

Although Terrapin is a local Athens favorite, in 2016 the majority share of the company was sold to Tenth and Blake Beer Company, a division of MillerCoors. Tenth and Blake Beer Company bought a minority share in 2012.

The beer company has won multiple awards for its brews throughout the years. Terrapin’s original beer won the gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2002. In recent years, Terrapin has been awarded Best Georgia Brewer, Best Georgia Beer, and ranked in the top 100 brewers in the world by RateBeer.com, an independent website run by the beer loving community.

 

Backgrounder, Lifestyle

Rubber Soul: Yoga for Athenians

Do you need to relax? Rubber Soul Yoga Revolution can help. For over a decade, the yoga studio on Pulaski Street has functioned as a donation-based studio, offering a variety of classes—from gentle yoga to tai chi.

As daily life becomes more demanding and stress ridden, 19 million adults in the U.S. are turning to yoga, according to a survey conducted by Wakefield Research for Yoga Alliance in 2015.  CAN YOU LINK TO THIS SOURCE?

With classes offered from 4:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. every day but Thanksgiving and Christmas, this studio provides ample opportunities for Athenians of all socioeconomic classes to stretch and relax. According to its website, the mission of Rubber Soul is to “provide community-based yoga at a price affordable to all.”

The owner of Rubber Soul, Cal Clement, faced skepticism from locals when the studio first opened as the donation-based model did not seem fit to last the constantly changing Athens business market. However, the studio has had continued success because patrons pay based on how they value their experience rather than a fixed rate, according to Clement in a 2015 interview with the Red & Black.

In the same interview, Clement said, “It’s important to consider the congruity between the concept of donation, compassion and generally giving things away with the project.” Clement added, “fortunately, it aligns with the core values of yoga.”

Acroyoga @ Rubber Soul Yoga on Instagram: “2 birds with one stone 🐥🐣 #acroyoga this was maras first time with bird on hands and feet 🎊🎉”

86 likes, 5 comments – rubbersoul_yoga on June 15, 2015: “2 birds with one stone 🐥🐣 #acroyoga this was maras first time with bird on hands and feet 🎊🎉”

The studio’s longevity stems from its adaptation of nontraditional classes like a “laughing meditation” class which used to take place on Fridays, according to Online Athens article from 2006. The class focused on combining yoga and laughter to relieve stress.

Although this class no longer takes place, Rubber Soul continues to have a consciousness toward its customer’s needs. For example, the studio offers a “rainbow flow yoga” class which was “designed with LGBTQ community and its supporters in mind,” according to the Rubber Soul website.

This idea to adapt yoga practices to fit the needs of community members is part of an Americanized trend to adjust the 5,000-year-old activity to relaxation techniques that are specific to people’s current lives.

“Yoga is evolving to meet cultural needs,” Yoga Alliance president Hansa Knox Johnson told the Associated Press in 2004.

Backgrounder, Business

Creature Comforts ADD SOMETHING TO MAKE THIS A HEADLINE NOT JUST A LABEL

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal wagered two six-packs of Creature Comforts’ Tropicalia beer to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker as part of a bet over the NFC championship game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

Tropicalia is the one of the most highly sought after beers from Creature Comforts Brewing Company, located in historic downtown Athens.

David Stein, a University of Georgia graduate, returned in April 2014 to open his dream brewery in the renovated Snow Tire Company. The facade still resembles a garage while similar rustic elements inside are incorporated into a modern design. “We did a lot of cool adaptive reuse,” Stein told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution IN WHAT YEAR. “We wanted to keep the building as much the same as we could.”

The main attraction at Creature Comforts is the brewery tour experience. Tours run on Tuesdays and Thursdays 5-8 p.m., Fridays 5-10 p.m. and Saturdays 1-6 p.m. Once a week, on Curious Tuesdays, the company releases a new beer that is available on that day only.

The tour experience costs $14, but is free on your birthday or discounted with a local ID. The package includes a tour of the facility, up to 72-ounces of packaged souvenir beer or a Creature Comforts glass and a bracelet with six tasting tabs, each redeemable for a 6-ounce.

Of the four staple beers offered, Tropicalia and Athena are the most popular. Bob Townsend of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution describes Tropicalia as a, “hoppy beer for people who think they don’t like hops,” a gentle IPA infused with undertones of citrus and passion fruit.

Athena is a variation of a classic German wheat beer called Berliner Weisse. Although it has a lower alcohol content than Tropicalia, Townsend says this refreshing, fruity beer is, “better than lemonade on a hot day.”

Creature Comforts has also generated a cult following around some of its seasonal beers, including Koko Buni and Cosmik Debris.

Instagram

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Creature Comforts has company T-shirts for sale, but it also sells a line of merchandise called Get Comfortable, which is the brewery’s charity initiative that, “helps people in need get more comfortable.” All of the proceeds from the sales of Get Comfortable IPA #3, Get Comfortable products and family-friendly tours on Wednesdays are donated to specified local nonprofit organizations such as Sparrow’s Nest, Athens Area Homeless Shelter and The Ark. If you bring a donation item, they will take $2 off your tour price.

The brewery has received $475,000 from an Athens-Clarke County government economic development fund to help finance a second location in the historic Southern Mill complex, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. With the addition of this new venue, Creature Comforts will greatly increase the production of all of its beers; the output of Tropicalia, which is frequently in shortage, will nearly double. The new brewery location is expected to open in October 2017.

Backgrounder, Sports

AthHalf CAN YOU ADD SOMETHING TO MAKE THIS A HEADLINE, NOT JUST A LABEL

Competing in Sanford Stadium is a dream few thought they could achieve. That changed for many runners as they ran their final lap beside the hedges to the finish line.

The AthHalf gives runners of all ages the opportunity to run through Athens. The route guides runners though several of the city’s distinct locations. The race encompasses Milledge Avenue, Five Points, Bear Hollow Zoo and ends with a victory lap through Sanford Stadium.

Mary Lollis Jones, a junior at the University of Georgia studying agribusiness, participated in the AthHalf for the first time in 2013. Although Jones did not train extensively, she fondly recalls the race as one of her best moments in Athens.

“The feeling is indescribable,” Jones said in an interview. “I think everyone should do one if you have never done one.”

(Status used with permission of Mary Lollis Jones.)

Since 2009 the AthHalf has been a prominent fundraiser and half marathon for the city of Athens. According the AthHalf website, the race occurs every October bringing in thousands of runners.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the main purpose of the organization is to promote excitement and involvement for music and the arts.

The AthHalf is a fundraiser under the larger nonprofit AthFest Educates. AthFest Educates aims to give to programs involved with increasing the artistic and cultural opportunities within Athens-Clarke County.

According to a report by the Athens-Banner Herald, AthFest Educates has given more than $190,000 in monetary assistance so far.

The AthHalf affects the economy of Athens in different ways. According to Flagpole magazine, the Athens Downtown Development Authority refused to give funding for the race in 2013. In an interview, Jared Bailey, Athens-Clarke County commissioner and former Executive Director of AthFest Educates stated he was disappointed by the decision.

“I’d like to see us put a little more into events because, as you know, events create tourism, and tourism is economic development,” commented Bailey.

The last AthHalf occurred Oct. 9, 2016, and this year will mark the eighth year of the AthHalf.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Jones said. “It’s truly a milestone that everyone needs to complete.”

 

Backgrounder, News

The Classic Center: A local staple for over a century

Since 1912, a city building at 300 N. Thomas Street has been an important part of life in Athens-Clarke County. That said, over the past century, the building’s purpose and structure have evolved.

At the time of its construction, what is now called the Classic Center was known as Fire Hall Number 1. It also served as the city’s main station and central meeting place.

Jumping forward a few decades, plans were made in 1987 to start discussing renovation and expansion of the building, although construction didn’t begin until 1994. The plans included some large additions, including a 28,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 2,000- seat theater, and an 18,000 square foot ballroom.

The expansion was pricey. “The $ 3.2 million project to build two large ballrooms in the Foundry Street Warehouse, spruce up the theater and replace the building’s sprinkler system has to be done in time for a big convention in two months.” WHAT IS THE SOURCE FOR THIS? The full expansion did not come to a close until 2013.

Today the facility serves as a conference center, theater, sporting event venue and so much more. According to its online calendar, it serves as a locale for Athens Wine Weekend, 3rd Annual Pickled Peach Pickleball Tournament, Athens Home & Garden Show, and All-State Chorus, Ophelia Santos, Wine Styles Guru, and Chateau Elan and the Wine Revolution by Simone Bergese just to name a few of the events scheduled for this upcoming month.

The venue operators are accustomed to regularly selling out concerts, conferences and shows. According to LexisNexis NAME THE ORIGINAL SOURCE the Classic Center’s net sales were $692,082 for 2016.

Athens- Clarke County greatly benefits from this place located right in the heart of downtown.  According to visitathensga.com, the Classic Center “brings together state-of-the-art technology and unparalleled customer service in a convention venue that features new and modern spaces perfectly paired with restored historic structures.”

 

http://twitter.com/search?f=images&vertical=default&q=the%20classic%20center%20athens&src=typd

 

Backgrounder, News

History, Heritage and Entertainment in the Classic City

An unprecedented black establishment plunges its roots deep in a segregated Southern city to provide the first successful blossoming of black culture and entrepreneurship still evident in the Classic City of Athens, Georgia, over a century later.

A hub for black culture in Athens, the Morton Theatre was located in the heart of the historic black business district on Hull and Washington Street, commonly known as the Hot Corner.

Built in 1910, the Morton Theatre stands as one of the first black run business and cultural institutions in Athens. This theater provided a meeting ground for the black community and facilitated a surge of black entrepreneurship and culture that Athens might have otherwise lacked.

“From one end to the other, it was a black operation. We can’t find another one that can make that claim,” Bill Herringdine, president of the Morton Theatre Corp told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1993.

According to the Morton Theatre website, the Morton is one of the longest standing vaudeville theaters built in the United States and offered itself as the first the professional black business district in the segregated Southern city.  From professional black business occupants such as doctors, dentists and pharmacists, to performing arts of both local and well-known artists, to black activist organizations, the Morton Theatre is a host to a plethora of influential Athens culture.

Unfortunately, according to a 1994 Atlanta Journal-Constitution report, a fire broke out in the projection booth in 1954 resulting in the fire marshal’s orders to shut down the lower theater level due to inefficient fire exit availability. Despite this, various street level business sections continued operation.

The theater was reopened in the fall of 1993 following a management agreement between Athens-Clarke County government and the Morton Theatre Corporation.

”The Morton Theatre provides an opportunity for cultural rejuvenation; to visit a past all but forgotten,” John Jeffreys, a Clarke County Commissioner, told the New York Times in 1988. ”It was the home of blacks when the performing arts and economic development were thriving.”

 

The reopening of the Morton allowed for the theater to function again as a performing arts space and stand as a continuing reminder of the cultural influences Morton left on the city of Athens.

Morton Theatre Corp. on Twitter: “Great Hot Corner 2013 weekend! pic.twitter.com/iiaElUieHs / Twitter”

Great Hot Corner 2013 weekend! pic.twitter.com/iiaElUieHs

Backgrounder, Business

Did you know these things about Zaxby’s?

Headquartered in Athens, Georgia, Zaxby’s is one of the region’s most popular fast food chains with nearly 700 stores all over the Southeast.

Zaxby’s was founded in 1990 by Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley in Statesboro, Georgia. Since opening, the business has been following its motto, and doing “Indescribably Good.” A key of success for the company has been maintaining its uniqueness with original flavors and sauces that cannot be duplicated.

Zaxby’s has a variety of products on its menu from chicken tenders and wings to fried pickles and salads. But, we know they have it all when it comes to the chicken department. You can have your chicken tenders or wings tossed in your favorite flavor, and even enjoy a salad in the dressing of your choice with the chicken tossed in a savory sauce too. The average meal from Zaxby’s can range from $5.99 all the way to $12.99 including your choice of sides and a drink. Among the many choices of sweet and spicy sauces there are some that are very hot.

The Daily Mail reported an incident in July 2016 involving deputy sheriffs in North Carolina. The officers told reporters they were served “inedible food” after receiving very hot wings which resulted in the officers not being able to finish their meal. “Years ago, this profession was respected,” Captain Joel Shores told WBTV. The officer said he believed it came from racial controversy of law enforcement killing unarmed black men. A rep for Zaxby’s stated, “The chain is in 100 percent support of law enforcement officers” and immediately conducted an investigation.

Later in the year, Zaxby’s continued to show its support of law enforcement by having a day dedicated to first responders in metro Atlanta and serving free chicken sandwiches to those who came in uniform. “This provides us an opportunity to give back to those who serve all of us so selflessly every day,” said Zaxby’s Atlanta area president, Fred Weir, in an interview with 11Alive.

Zaxby’s continues to be effective with clientele and with technological advances. An app has been created for customers, creating a quick and easy process of ordering food. “Five years ago, we had two people in our tech department… today we have 20,” said financial projects director for Zaxby’s, Jeff Hood, in an interview with Paymentsource.

The Zaxby’s franchise has been growing since 1990, and there is no stopping them when it comes to grand openings, making them the second fastest growing privately owned company in America. Not only do they make delicious food, but Zaxby’s serves the community and creates waves in all aspects.

Zaxby’s on Twitter: “Good to the last bite. pic.twitter.com/E5bheTMKou / Twitter”

Good to the last bite. pic.twitter.com/E5bheTMKou

 

Backgrounder, Business

Athens-based Onward Reserve succeeds without compromising character

Onward Reserve, a downtown Athens shopping destination, demonstrates how starting small does not mean you cannot turn out big.

From its first location on 146 E. Clayton St. that opened in 2012, the franchise has now spread to locations around the southeastern United States.

Before it became better known, though, it was a simple thought created by then banker T.J. Callaway, along with William Watts, who is no longer with the company.

Callaway, a Thomasville, Georgia, local NATIVE? and a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, knew all about commercialism and Southern style as the store website describes.

The brand owner discussed in a January 2016 interview with the Athens Banner-Herald how there needed to be a “good place to find a curation” of all the “great brands out there.”

Callaway originally started Onward Reserve as an online store named FiveMile in 2011, but as the Banner-Herald noted, the growth was so exponential that Callaway took the opportunity to open a physical storefront.

The Thomasville (Georgia) Times reported in April 2015 that Onward Reserve was “recently recognized as the second fastest-growing business owned by a University of Georgia graduate from over 450 regional nominees at the 2015 Bulldog 100 celebration.”

The founder runs his business how he wants it run, though, by not letting it turn into a chain of doppelgängers of the original location, reports the Banner-Herald.

TJ Callaway on Instagram: “We are headed to my hometown of Thomasville, Georgia in a couple of weeks to shoot our Fall 2017 Catalog. I am excited to share a little more about this special place with our customers. In the mean time check out this article in the Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/fragile-hunting-grounds-in-the-southeasts-quail-belt-1486048576?mg=id-wsj”

237 likes, 11 comments – tjcallaway4February 3, 2017 on : “We are headed to my hometown of Thomasville, Georgia in a couple of weeks to shoot our Fall 2017 Catalog. I am excited to share a little…”

“I’m looking for things that have a cool story and for things that just look like they have some character,” said Callaway in a 2014 interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Atlanta Magazine provided a summary of the Atlanta branch’s eclectically Southern products after the magazine titled Onward Reserve “Atlanta’s Best Men’s Prep Shop” in 2014. The collection ranged from “waxed Barbour jackets… and needlepoint Labrador retriever collars” to “Filson bags and Vilebrequin swim trunks.”

The Clayton Street location uniquely carries items like “Atlanta Braves baseball bat fragments… turned into bottle openers” and other merchandise not found in similar stores, according to the Banner-Herald.

While the expansion has been remarkable, Callaway also told the Banner-Herald “the Athens location will always be his favorite.”

Backgrounder, Business

The Georgia Theatre: A business that rose from the ashes

The Georgia Theatre is a historic landmark and prominent venue in downtown Athens, Georgia, with a business that rose from the ashes to reach success.

The original building was founded in 1889, but has been home to many businesses throughout the years, including the Athens YMCA, a music store, movie house, hotel, and furniture company before finally becoming the Elite Theatre in 1935, later renamed the Georgia Theatre.

On June 19, 2009 a fire devastated the theater. “It’s like having a death in the family,” said Bill Anderson, the man behind the old movie theater’s transformation into one of Georgia’s most popular destinations, in a 2009 interview with the Augusta Chronicle.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, expected costs of rebuilding the historic site were high, causing a controversial decision by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to accept donations for rehabilitation. It was the first time the organization had assisted a for-profit business.

Trust President Mark McDonald said, “It’s benefiting the Georgia Theatre, the public…and the musical culture of Athens…It was a critical need,” in a 2009 interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

According to the Athens Banner-Herald, $300,000 was raised to assist the venue’s comeback, and the Georgia Theatre Company thanked the Athens community for helping to rebuild the concert hall “as a labor of love.”

The majority of this funding came from a benefit concert hosted by the award winning Zac Brown Band, a product of the Athens music scene, CNN reported. 

“Even though it’s a different place, it’s still the same, it’s still the grand old theater,” theater production manager Ric Wallace told CNN in 2011.

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The restored building opened its doors in 2011 and by 2015, it reached a record level of success, with the ticket company Pollstar rating the theater number 15 in the world, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

With the rebuilding of the theater came a rejuvenation of the business as a whole, which used this loss as a force for change and growth.

Performances at the venue have become more popular and successful, and the company expanded to include a rooftop restaurant and bar, merchandise, and private events held through renting out the theater space.

Backgrounder, Sports

A Race to the Finish Line: The Twilight Criterium

The Classic City becomes fast and furious when cyclists come from all over to compete in the Twilight Criterium, one of the country’s most challenging bike races.

Athens Orthopedic Clinic hosts the weekend long event, which takes place in downtown Athens, Georgia.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the race was founded in 1980 by Gene Dixon and was the first nighttime race in the United States in over 60 years.

The Twilight Criterium benefits the Athens Area Habitat for Humanity.

According to the Athens tourism website, the competition has evolved from 40 competitors to 150.

The starting line is on Clayton Street at College Avenue and the race goes clockwise and continues on Lumpkin, Washington and Thomas streets.

The large crowds and strong competitive spirits drive the race to be one of the most fast paced, dangerous courses. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, cyclists average speeds of 33 miles per hour during the 60-kilometer race. “If you’ve ever ridden your bike at night, you know that it feels a lot faster to ride in the dark,” Dixon told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. “The racers feel that, too.”

Cyclists can become very aggressive trying to compete for first place, which sometimes can lead to injuries. Some cyclists have resulted with concussions and other minor injuries due to the sharp turns and close corners of the race.

Cyclists can range from Olympic gold medalists to local storeowners.

The crowd’s anticipation of the event and the late night atmosphere stirs up competition among cyclists.

Crowd participants get so excited, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, police had to reinforce safety measures to keep people from getting through barricades and causing hazard to cyclists.

Besides the anticipated women and men’s races, the Twilight Criterium has weekend long events, which lead up to the big race at night. Events included are festivals, amateur and children’s bike races as well as a historic bike tour.

Visit the event’s main website here

Birdoprey on Twitter: “#twilight criterium (@ Downtown Athens in Athens, GA) https://t.co/lQO3M92LLT pic.twitter.com/5glAea45OC / Twitter”

twilight criterium (@ Downtown Athens in Athens, GA) https://t.co/lQO3M92LLT pic.twitter.com/5glAea45OC

Backgrounder, Culture

Artists, Activists from Near and Far Unite to Promote Equal Rights in Athens Festival

For four decades, artists, musicians, poets, speakers and activists have united in a vibrant festival that draws both locals and travelers to Athens for a weekend celebrating social justice and equality. The Athens Human Rights Festival is an annual event that showcases a variety of talents as well as activities for a wide range of interests, all in the mission of advocating for peace and acceptance. 

The festival began in 1979 when the UGA Free Speech Task Force organized the Memorial Students’ Rights Festival to commemorate the 9-year anniversary of the Kent State murders. Since its inception, the festival has grown from a rally to a large celebratory gathering that draws thousands.

This year, the festival celebrates 39 years since its creation and will take place on May 6 and 7.

The nonprofit, grassroots organization that supports the festival of the same name runs entirely on donations and volunteer work to fulfill its mission, according to its website.

“Well-known festival speakers have included poet Coleman Barks, Freedom Rider Hank Thomas, international activist Nisha Anand, physicist Michio Kaku and ‘60s hell-raiser John Sinclair,” said festival volunteer Ed Tant via his personal website.

Aside from big names, the festival has featured many local performers and speakers who want to deliver the festival’s message, such as the Fuzzy Sprouts, Five-Eight, Dr. Louis Carrick and Macha.

“There’s a lot of great events going on, but this is the only one I can think of that devotes as much attention to not only talking about human rights but letting people exercise them,” Dave Domizi, bassist and vocalist for the Fuzzy Sprouts, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1999.

Both performers and festival attendees—who are able to set up tables to share information—advocate for certain topics, such as LGBTQ issues, the AIDS epidemic, anti-war messages, climate change and animal rights.

Other aspects of the festival include an international parade, face-painting, drumming, a drag show and art auctions.

“My reason for coming changes every year,” said Joe Morrone, 31, in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1994. “It helps me keep in touch. When you see more people with the same goals, it’s uplifting.”

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Backgrounder, Lifestyle

Condor Chocolates brings a healthy twist to a sweet treat

The founders of Condor Chocolates describe their company as a “bean to bar” chocolate shop, which for them means the journey begins with cacao forests in Ecuador and ends in the hands of Athens customers, thanks to family ties and a commitment to fair trade.

The idea of using Ecuadorian cacao beans originated from founders Nick and Peter Dale’s mother’s Ecuadorian roots, according to the shop’s website.

“‘Bean-to-bar’ is a term we use which means we do everything from having a cacao bean all the way to a finished product,” said Peter Dale in a 2016 Guide 2 Athens article.

A Livestrong article describes cacao beans as being “produced by the cacao tree, a small evergreen native to tropical Mexico and Central America.”

The Dale brothers’ familial link to Ecuador has been shown in their collaboration with Ecuadorian farmers and co-ops.

“These farmers are working hard and making something delicious for us, so it is something we feel good about producing with them,” Peter Dale told Guide 2 Athens blogger, Katy Underwood.

A Grady Newsource article reported that Condor roasts and grinds all of its cacao beans inside of the shop. A full description of each stage of the chocolate-making process can be found on Condor’s website.

 

Condor Chocolates on Instagram: “// this fall brings us many different types of bar flavors // Featured today is the warm El Deseo + Cayenne — coming soon. #chocolatetellsastory”

126 likes, 2 comments – condorchocolatesOctober 13, 2016 on : “// this fall brings us many different types of bar flavors // Featured today is the warm El Deseo + Cayenne — coming soon. #chocolatetel…”.

According to its online menu, Condor’s Camino Verde dark chocolate bar is made with over 75 percent Ecuadorian chocolate from Guayas, a province on Ecuador’s Pacific coast.

Classic chocolate bar flavors are given unique twists by mixing sea salt and cayenne into the chocolate.

Although Condor’s emphasis has been on incorporating Ecuadorian culture into the chocolate industry, the Dale brothers have still included a Georgia flare with their milk chocolate bar made with Georgia pecans, according to an article in Flagpole Magazine.

Truffles, salted caramel brownies, macarons and hot cocoa are just a few of the other sweets you can indulge in at the dessert café.

Each chocolate bar costs $8, truffles are $2 each, brownies are $5, macarons are $2.50 and the hot cocoa is $4 per mug.

By using raw cacao beans from Ecuador in all of their chocolate products, the Dale brothers have managed to create treats that are not only good for your taste buds, but also beneficial for your health.

“I consider raw chocolate a superfood,” said consultant cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra, in a 2016 London Evening Standard article. “It’s full of antioxidants and gives you magnesium, too.”

“If you want to eat chocolate as a health food, you should get it as close in form to this raw cacao bean as possible,” said Kate Whitehead in a 2015 Post Magazine article. “Ecuador is the world’s leading exporter of top-quality chocolate – that which is at least 70 percent cocoa.”

Condor Chocolates is open six days a week. It is closed on Mondays for production.

Backgrounder, Sports

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Wild: Bear Hollow Zoo and its residents

DJ was rescued after his mother was likely killed, according to Debbie Cylke, who took care of DJ as he recuperated. “If [the woman] hadn’t found him, [he] wouldn’t be alive,” Cylke told the Florida Times-Union in 2007.

DJ is a black bear.

DJ arrived at Bear Hollow Zoo in the fall of 2006, according to Bear Hollow Zoo’s website. Bear Hollow Zoo is a way to see these black bears, like DJ, in a controlled environment.

Bear Hollow Zoo, located in Memorial Park in Athens, Georgia, features native Georgia wildlife. According to Bear Hollow Zoo’s website, all of the animals at Bear Hollow Zoo have suffered some circumstance that prevents them from being released back into the wild. They live indefinitely at Bear Hollow Zoo, and serve as “ambassadors for their species.” The zoo features birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

According to the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the black bear has suffered a “serious population decline” in the past due to human activity. However, they have now reached a “healthy population” of 5,100.

Hollow trees are a “common den site” for bears in Georgia.

The Red & Black on Twitter: “The Bear Hollow Zoo will throw a birthday bash for Athens’ local bears, DJ, Yonah & Athena. https://t.co/UfJZM8UsOz pic.twitter.com/S5c8cD7lV3 / Twitter”

The Bear Hollow Zoo will throw a birthday bash for Athens’ local bears, DJ, Yonah & Athena. https://t.co/UfJZM8UsOz pic.twitter.com/S5c8cD7lV3

Bears aren’t the only wildlife you can encounter at Bear Hollow Zoo, though.

The eastern indigo snake, a reptile featured at Bear Hollow Zoo, is known to reside in the burrows of the Gopher tortoise. The Gopher tortoise can also be found at Bear Hollow – though in its own separate enclosure.

The eastern indigo snake is “federally threatened” in Georgia and Florida, due to habitat loss, according to Andrew M. Grosse of the University of Georgia in a species profile he created for the snake.

“They won’t bite humans, but they’ll pulverize a rattlesnake’s head,” Randy Tate, director of science and stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, told the Florida Times-Union in 2009. “They’ll chew on it until the snake is dead.”

Gopher tortoises share their burrows with over 350 other species, making them a “keystone species,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Bear Hollow Zoo also has a collection of birds.

According to Bear Hollow Zoo’s website, its barred owl took up residence at the zoo in early 2012. His name is Hooch, and one of his eyes was surgically removed after being injured likely by a car.

A facility of the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department, Bear Hollow Zoo is free to the public and it is open until 5 p.m. (with the exhibition hall closing at 4 p.m.).

Backgrounder, News

The Tree That Owns Itself: A living monument

The University of Georgia, home of the Georgia Bulldogs, received criticism from the greater Athens community when it cut down trees during a 1999 expansion of Sanford Stadium, Clint Williams wrote in an article for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Although the community was standing up for the rights of those half dozen trees that were destroyed, it has a true appreciation for one tree in particular: the “Tree That Owns Itself.”

The landmark tree is planted on the corner of Dearing and Finley streets in the city of Athens, Georgia.

However, as Rebecca McCarthy explained in her 1996 article “A Tree with Rights,” the tree that stands there today is actually the offspring of the original “Tree That Owns Itself,” which fell during a storm in 1942.

The father “Tree That Owns Itself” was estimated to be around 100 feet tall and 400 years old, according to McCarthy.

McCarthy wrote that “in about 1820, Col. William Henry Jackson deeded to the original oak the land it stood on and eight feet of surrounding property” because the colonel wanted to protect the tree out of love.

Although there is no evidence of the deed, the community protected the agreement and protested against the construction of a street that would have cut through the oak’s home.

Because of the complaints, the street had to be detoured around the tree and the surrounding 8 feet, according to a 1946 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In 1946, four years after the original tree died, members of the Junior Ladies’ Garden Club announced that they would plant the seedling of the “Tree That Owns Itself” from a stripling of the oak donated by Capt. and Mrs. Jack Watson.

At the 50-year anniversary celebration of the new tree in 1996, Dan Magill, son of Dan Magill Sr. who first proposed to plant the offspring after the original tree fell, said, “Paris has its Eiffel Tower; New York its Empire State Building and San Francisco its Golden Gate Bridge – but Athens has a beautiful living monument that changes with the seasons,” according to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Visit Athens GA on Twitter: “Happy Anniversary to the #AthensGA Tree That Owns Itself! – Farmers’ Almanac – https://t.co/azTLSNEPpe / Twitter”

Happy Anniversary to the #AthensGA Tree That Owns Itself! – Farmers’ Almanac – https://t.co/azTLSNEPpe

Backgrounder, News

Memorial Park: A brief history

Memorial Park, a historic landmark in Athens, Georgia, has served as a backdrop for medical patients, annual traditions and occasional tragedies for over 50 years.

Settled in the Five Points neighborhood, Memorial Park is one of the most popular places in Athens for families because of its amenities. The park contains a swimming pool, a lake, the Birchmark Trail and Bear Hollow Zoo.

In the 2013 article “A Five Points Treasure for Fifty Years,” Charles Rowland explained how the park was first established as a sanitarium in 1924 but was later transformed into a park for children and families in 1945. One of its first buildings, a hospital called Fairhaven, was renovated into a theater and now hosts programs and performances.

“The building’s renovation was carefully done to allow for modern improvements that will ensure the place continues to be used while it still retaining some of its historical integrity,” Rowland wrote.

According to a 2015 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Memorial Park holds an annual Memorial Day festival where “re-enactors dress in authentic uniforms and equipment to portray soldiers from ancient Romans to Texas Rangers.”

Georgia Heights on Twitter: “Commemorate Memorial Day at Athens Memorial Park on Monday, May 30 from 1pm – 3pm. Don’t miss out! #GeorgiaHeights pic.twitter.com/iVO4wddJtv / Twitter”

Commemorate Memorial Day at Athens Memorial Park on Monday, May 30 from 1pm – 3pm. Don’t miss out! #GeorgiaHeights pic.twitter.com/iVO4wddJtv

Not all events associated with the park have been positive. In 2008, a woman named Cayle Bywater went missing at Memorial Park and, two weeks later, her body was recovered from the lake at the park, according to the Augusta Chronicle. Bywater seemed “to [not] have been the victim of violence.” The case was ruled an accidental drowning and a memorial service was held in her honor at the park on Jan. 20, 2007.

As the first park in Athens, “[Memorial Park] remains a special treasure for Five Points,” Rowland wrote.