Water Pollution In Athens: How Substantial Is The Problem?

The Oconee River is one of Georgia’s most significant, running for 221 miles and providing multiple counties with recreational activity and drinking water, but substantial problems loom beneath the surface. Unlike statewide waterways such as the Chattahoochee and Ogeechee, it is visibly clear to a casual observer that the water quality in the Oconee especially around Athens is subpar due to a number of polluting factors. So what can our community do to stop it? 

While many pollutants affecting the water quality of the Oconee could easily go unnoticed in the everyday life of Athenians, trash is certainly not one. Stephanie Green, Ecological Resource Coordinator at the Athens Clarke County Department of Sustainability spoke about their department’s involvement in river cleanup saying, 

“So the trash traps that we call trash bandits, there’s actually three deployed across Athens Clarke County right now. One of those is completely owned and operated by UGA on Tanyard Creek and the other two are at Trail Creek so we work with UGA’s sustainability office, they actually maintain that trash trap and students help clean it.”

“Trash Traps” placed in Tanyard Creek in Athens, Georgia. Jan 22, 2025. (Photo/Gray Barbee)

These efforts have proven to be effective, but trash pollution remains a significant problem for the Oconee and its tributaries. Athens Clarke County Sustainability Director Mike Wharton spoke about the issue saying, 

“What’s interesting is they are probably within 1000 yards of each other or less, and so it’s in the things that people don’t think about. You see it sometimes on the top of your stormwater inlets, if your recycling blows over or you overfill it, and if stuff falls onto the roadway, or the company drops it into the back of the truck and three or four things fall out, and you compound that over a street or multiple streets, now you have a lot of the garbage is going straight into your water. I want to say in about two or three years we’ve taken out over 2500 pounds of trash in that stream between the two.” 

Rivers Alive is a statewide initiative managed locally by non-profit organization Keep Athens Clarke County Beautiful which, “empowers citizens and businesses with the resources to take action as environmental stewards of litter prevention, waste reduction, and beautification. Through partnership with the Athens Clarke County Government Rivers Alive accounted for 4,159 pounds of trash collected from rivers and streams in 2024. Jackie Sherry who serves on Rivers Alive as well as working as Water Conservation Coordinator for the Athens Clarke County Public Utilities department said, 

“Here in Athens what we typically do is have a committee full of Athens Clarke County departments, we have some folks from UGA, we have some nonprofits involved from the Upper Oconee Watershed Network and all of us collectively plan this one day event where we have selected sites around the county, along our rivers, along our creeks and streams, even roadways, and we identify these different sites and have volunteers go out and either do litter cleanup or do water quality testing, storm drain decaling, just various projects all with the focus of protecting that water quality.” 

Another significant factor in the Oconee is sediment pollution. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency sediment primarily harms wildlife by clogging fish gills and reducing water clarity which can significantly impact their ability to feed and reproduce. Sherry agrees that this is a primary concern saying, 

“We did some stream walks last week as part of the watershed protection plan, and we were talking with some of the folks helping us and they said some of our creeks and rivers used to be full of a lot of gravel and rocks but now it is a lot of sand and sediment, and that’s just from runoff.”

Runoff can be a pollutant in multiple ways, typically through picking up fertilizers, pesticides or oil, but the biggest runoff issue in Athens may actually be dog feces according to Katie Kenerly who also serves on Rivers Alive on top of working as the Program Education Specialist with Stormwater Management. Kenerly said, 

“We just have so many dogs in Athens, and a lot of people aren’t picking up after them. And so even if its in a park and it’s off the trail when it rains, its still going to wash into the waterways. There’s like 23 million bacteria in a single gram of dog poop which compared to livestock and even human waste, its astronomically higher.”

Despite efforts to give out dog bags, Kenerly concluded that the most effective way to prevent fecal pollution from dogs is simply to raise awareness. Kenerly added, 

“We have a plan to hit some of these apartments downtown with just a letter and a little pet waste bag gift, but we found that a lot of the time education is the most effective. People just don’t know, because they see poop is poop like oh its fertilizer, but it’s really high in phosphorous and nitrogen and things that actually kill plants and wildlife.” 

If you’d like to get involved in local river cleanup visit riversalive.georgia.gov

 

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United Campus Workers of Georgia Protest Highlights Growing Tension Around Department of Education Cuts

United Campus Workers of Georgia Protest Highlights Growing Tension Around Department of Education Cuts

 

In downtown Athens it is not uncommon to be walking around and stumble upon the occasional protest, but last week’s United Campus Workers of Georgia protest at the arch on Mar. 19, 2025 hit a little closer to home for some.

 

UCWGA is a wall-to-wall higher education union which offers membership to UGA staff, graduate assistants, researchers and more. They’ve been focusing their efforts around protesting the recent cuts to the Department of Education by the Trump Administration. The Department of Education has recently put in action a reduction in force that will affect almost 50% of the department’s workers. UCWGA part time organizer Bryant Barnes emphasized these issues saying, 

 

“I think before spring break, we had heard that across campus, 48 people, their funding had been essentially terminated because of funding cuts. Fortunately, all but one of those folks were able to be replaced.”

 

Reports show that these cuts have also terminated over $600 million in divisive teacher training grants which used taxpayer funds to train teachers and education departments on topics the department considers inappropriate, such as Critical Race Theory, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

 

Though many democrats are concerned about the effect that these cuts will have on the ability of schools to function and research at the university level, republicans generally think that these cuts will give more agency to education at the local and state levels. Vice chair of the College Republicans at UGA Thomas Chambers agrees with this sentiment saying, 

 

“We’re not advocating for any less money to go to education. What we’re advocating for is that the Department of Education has been a failure in terms of the money we spend on it and where education is today.” 

 

World Population Review’s education rankings by country has the US ranked 31st, behind much of Western Europe, parts of Asia and Canada. 

 

Reflecting on 13 Years of Finch and Fifth With Faulkner Warlick

Faulkner Warlick has been a significant part of the Food and Drink scene in Augusta for nearly three decades. Since December of 2013 his Surrey Center staple bistro Finch and Fifth has been a local favorite spot for its Americana vibe and diverse menu. After 13 years of ownership, Warlick has finally decided to sell the restaurant to focus on his liquor store, The White Horse, and maintaining a better work life balance.

Having had prior experience in restaurant ownership while operating a sandwich shop off of Broad Street in downtown Augusta, Warlick says that part of the reason he decided to open Finch and Fifth was out of convenience with his liquor store also being located in Surrey Center.

“The business that I have currently, it was located not 100 yards from where I am. It was very close to me, risk adverse. So I felt like I could be very close to this business that is my primary business. And do it and I thought I had a pretty good idea about what I was trying to create.”

The restaurant was built in a space which used to be occupied by Aroma Coffee and Café, and the name Finch and Fifth came from a combination of influences on Warlick’s life. Warlick said,

“When it comes to branding, you just kind of want something that makes sense and is smart, and you put them in the blender. We had a whole bunch of names, but those two really resonated. My father is an attorney. I had it because (Atticus) Finch is an attorney. They’re both people I looked up to very highly. And I was like, okay, that makes sense. And it was the fifth business license I had at the time, and I was like boom that works!”

Brett Gorrell worked under Warlick at Finch and Fifth for six years in the General Manager position. He says that his favorite part of working at the restaurant was the Family oriented atmosphere. Gorrell spoke about the opening of Finch and Fifth saying,

“For me, it was like something out of a restaurant film, you know, where you see like someone’s aunt, someone’s grandma, like everyone was involved, and everyone was communicating and doing everything we could to make sure that we were ready for the grand opening.”

Gorrell believes that his experience at Finch and Fifth has been crucial in transitioning to work for US Foods.

“I think the biggest thing I took away, and I say this still today, it’s not how you present things always, but it’s how it’s received. And so I think all of us could be better communicators, and in the way that we are being received, exactly how we want to be received when we present conversation or items or anything to another person.”

Running a restaurant alone is a tremendous task, but operating it as a side business to a liquor store as Warlick has done is even more difficult. Warlick believes that he could never have done it without good, hard working people to help him navigate the challenges that restaurant ownership provides.

“You have to pay people to do a job and then stay out of their way. You have to trust them to do a good job. You have to monitor them, but at the same time, you have to trust them to do it and then stay out of their way.”

Carter Warlick, Faulkner’s son helped contribute to the family atmosphere as he helped the restaurant prepare charcuterie while working there growing up. Regarding the pros and cons of growing up in a family that owned a restaurant, he says that it was challenging for his dad to handle the workload.

“I mean the benefit, obviously, I mean for me is I get free food, I always loved that. But it was challenging because I feel like that business was a lot more stressful than White Horse for my dad.”

Despite all of his success, Warlick emphasized the toll that restaurant ownership took on him over the years. Government regulations during and after COVID especially complicated Finch and Fifth’s ability to operate normally limiting the number of people who could dine in the restaurant and complicating staffing. Warlick says that he can’t recommend restaurant ownership to many people.

“I don’t recommend it to many people at this point. I really don’t. I mean, these days, owning a restaurant is so difficult, the atmosphere of a restaurant has gotten so dramatically different with the customer base and in the entitlement of the people that come in. It is a challenging atmosphere. I really don’t think I could recommend it to many people.”

Warlick says that having been in the restaurant business for so long and working since he was 16 years old, the top priority in his life now that the restaurant has been sold is maintaining a better work life balance.

“If I could do anything better for myself right now, I’d be taking care of myself, slowing down, just having more peace, more balance, If I could do anything, spending more time with my family. That’s all I want is a little more balance of time.”

How Beneficial is an Alcohol License to Georgia’s Restaurants?

How Beneficial is Obtaining an Alcohol License for Restaurants in Georgia and What Are The Risks?

 

It’s no secret that Athens is a great town for food and drinks. Boasting 80 bars in a single square mile, there is a plethora of options for any visitor looking to enjoy the classic city’s downtown experience. But what does the risk/reward look like for a local restaurant owner debating whether an alcohol license is worth it? 

Cheba Hut is a toasted sub spot located off of Washington St. downtown. Founded in 1988, the chain has expanded across the United States and now has over 50 locations nationwide and opened up their Athens location in Oct, 2023. Other than the stoner theme, what sets it apart from similar restaurants around Athens is a full bar setup. 

James Achellam, the store’s assistant General Manager who is soon transitioning to General Manager, started last April and now handles most human resource matters for the sub shop. He believes that having a bar in the shop has been largely beneficial saying, 

“Our business is kind of split into halves. Essentially anything before eight o’ clock, it’s all subs, then right after eight pushing into nine or ten, our bar starts filling up. And it honestly becomes a really nice spot to hang out at, especially gamedays.”

In Georgia there are legal processes that can make it difficult for restaurants to obtain an alcohol license but according to Parks Huff, an Atlanta based attourney who commonly deals with Georgia State alcohol license rules and regulations, it’s actually easier for most restaurants than bars to obtain licensing to serve alcohol. 

This is due to a number of factors, including “blue laws” which restrict alcohol sales on Sunday. Dating back to post-prohibition times, these laws now allow restaurants to sell alcohol on Sunday, but require 50 percent of overall sales to come from food. Huff went into further detail on these regulations saying,

“If you’ve got a restaurant that happens to be close to a church or a school then that is often not allowed. One of the most angry alcohol license cases I had was for a pizza restaurant that was close to two churches and a school, and the community was kind of divided as to whether they wanted a pizza restaurant that could serve beer in their neighborhood.” 

Cheba Hut dealt with a similar issue during its 2023 Athens introduction. According to Achellam, being located directly across the street from Athens First United Methodist Church impacted the timetable for the restaurant’s construction.

“The construction was only gonna take about four weeks, but it definitely got pushed into like three or four months with zoning rights, communicating with the board. I’m not entirely sure about our communication with the church itself. I think they actually had to give us our permission but that’s speculation.”

Another common issue with alcohol licensing is passing inspections. Huff says that both state and local jurisdictions can be sneaky with their compliance check efforts and often urges his clients to train their employees appropriately. 

“So in Athens you’ll have Athens-Clarke County issuing a license, but you also have a state license, and both jurisdictions can at times send underage folks to do a compliance check. And if your employee fails that compliance check, it can be very damaging for your business, because the employee will get a citation where they have to go to court, subject to a fine, and it can hurt their ability to get an alcohol license elsewhere.”

This raises another expense of running a restaurant with an alcohol license as insurance becomes crucial. Insurance is an extra cost for restaurant owners, but serves to protect the owner if a person in their establishment were to be over-served and involved in a wreck, covering liability.

Despite these risks, Achellam has helped Cheba Hut to avoid any pitfalls and believes that their alcohol license is largely responsible for their success over the last two years.

“Especially for game days we’ll plan six or seven weeks out, especially around when the football season starts our business shoots up at least, I mean a couple thousand dollars an hour. It goes from 800 to 1200 like that and immediately doubles our prices. So we have to completely overhaul how many people are gonna be working. It’s incredible.”

Beat Q&A with The Wuxtry’s Nate Mitchell

Nate Mitchell holding an early REM EP. “Radio Free Europe.” REM’s two founding members met at The Wuxtry.

(Photo/Gray Barbee)

Nathaniel Mitchell is the store manager at Wuxtry Records, serving the Athens community for over 13 years.  

Q: “How long have you lived in Athens?”

A: “Over 15 years, since early 2006.”

Q: “So what’s your job at the Wuxtry?”

A: “Store Manager.”

Q: “How familiar were you with the Wuxtry’s impact on the Athens music scene before you started working here?

A: “I guess I knew about REM starting in Athens. It wasn’t until I first visited the town in 1999 and stopped in here and bought some music, I think it was probably around that time I was explained the history of the store. It was kind of responsible for the beginning of REM.”

Q: “What would you say to entice people who consider themselves big music fans but don’t collect records or don’t see the value in it into giving it a try?

A: “Well, you might remember just a few months ago a lot of people were protesting Spotify carrying the Joe Rogan podcast. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, these are pretty major artists and they just pulled their whole catalog off Spotify. I mean, that’s like the main streaming service most people subscribe to. I tell people, owning a physical copy of the album It’s your copy, they won’t be able to change those songs once they’re released. I mean, it might get another pressing, there’s definitely albums that had songs taken off of them or changed artwork. So yeah, I feel like invest in stuff that you like.”

Q: “What do people need to know about upcoming events at the Wuxtry and around Athens?

A: “I guess the big one, I almost feel like this has spiraled a bit out of control as far as how popular it ended up being but I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the 60s TV show and TV band, the Monkees. Just in the past week or so it was an unexpected announcement that Micky Dolenz, the last surviving member of the original four piece, had recorded a four song EP that was him covering REM songs. They were asking if it was alright if they used a photo of the storefront with the album cover; I said fine, no problem. I kind of jokingly asked, ‘any chance that Mickey might be able to do an in-store appearance for his record signing?’ And they’re like, ‘Well, I don’t know, I have to check with his manager.’ And I got a call from the manager and it was possible. And then after that, I got a call from Micky Dolenz. They are thrilled to come here. At this point, we’ve had over 300 people call in and preorder the album coming in from all over the place.”

 

Why I Wrote the Story:

I’ve been an avid record collector for five years now, the Wuxtry is the business that I frequent the most often downtown. I learned that you have to be on your toes at all times during an interview whether its because you have to be ready to ask follow up questions or troubleshoot with your recording or any number of other problems.