Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz expressed sadness about recent tragedies in the community but also hope and encouragement about the progress the local government is making. Fellow Rotarian Kelly cited the pain that the community felt recently with the deaths of Laken Riley, Kyran Zarco Smith and Willie Jewell. “We mourn these losses,” he said. He said that the public safety units will be provided with the tools they need. Last year, ballistics analysis equipment was acquired to rapidly identify munitions used in crimes. It led to 88 leads in last year. More cameras are being installed as well. The unified government and the University of Georgia Athletic Association have partnered to assure access to sports programs for all students in fourth to eighth grades. Millions of dollars were allocated to the school district and to the Boys and Girls Clubs. A major emphasis continues to assure affordable housing, in partnership with Athens Housing Authority, Habitat for Humanity, and other groups. More EMS captain positions were added. The Firefly Trail continues to grow. The Classic Center Arena should be completed this summer. He hopes that a site will soon be secured for an east-side library. |
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The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia will distribute 12 million pounds off food this year to address food insecurity, said President and CEO Erin Barger. Food insecurity, she said, is defined as not knowing where the next meal is coming from. It is estimated that 44 million Americans are hungry. In Georgia, there are 1.1 million people struggling to have enough food, of which 335,720 are children. The Food Bank was founded in 1992, distributing 350,000 pounds of food. It crossed the million-pound threshold in 1998. It has been in an expansion mode ever since, and this July will occupy a new facility across the road from its main branch on Newton Bridge Road. The Food Bank gathers food from various sources, including federal commodities, state-funded programs, donations and purchases. Partner agencies then purchase and distribute the food throughout the community. Mobile pantries, on-premises meals and special programs for children and seniors are typical delivery options. The service area for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia includes Towns, Rabun, White, Habersham, Stephens, Banks, Franklin, Hart, Jackson, Madison, Barrow, Clarke, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties. There are currently 211 member agencies servicing the area. Increasing food costs only exacerbate the problem. Households on low incomes typically spend a third of their budget on food. Limited resources can force tough choices between spending on housing, transportation, childcare and medication. The new facility will enable the Food Bank to handle 65 percent more food, including 85 percent more fresh food. The new facility is expected to be ready in June. Erin gave a special shout out to Rotarian Richard Boone, founder of the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. |
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Wednesday, March 6, 2024 Ranger Nick Fuhrman discovered his passion for life as a school boy, and now he shares it wherever he goes. Fuhrman, with help from Sharon, an Eastern box turtle, and Sanford, a salamander, shared the power of edutainment in helping people retain lessons. Fuhrman was impressed when Ranger Bill visited his classroom. The time he was there changed his life, because he decided he wanted to do something similar with his life. He reminded Rotarians that all of us are teachers at some time or another, whether it is in a classroom or a boardroom. Many times, people worry they do not know enough. He said that what students remember is not what the teacher said, but how the teacher made them feel. Students in his class often have to give a presentation while holding Sharon, the three-legged turtle, in their hand. Those with anxiety may be shaking when they start. But after Sharon pees in the middle of the presentation, they relax. Fuhrman said that animals can be used to help draw the interest and focus of listeners, as he did with Sharon and Sanford. Their names are important too. Merely holding a turtle or a salamander is fine, but once it is named, it has an identity that people care about. |
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Rotary Women supporting women in our community was the goal of Monday night’s work at Lydia’s Place – but it ended up being so much more! Working on-site, female Rotarians created 80 period-packs that Lydia’s Place will share with the young women they serve. Community Outreach Coordinator Taylor Garner provided a tour of the Lydia’s Place Boutique, which provides clothing and supplies, and Board Member – and Rotarian – Jessica Roberts provided an overview of the services Lydia’s Place provides. Participating Rotarians appreciated visiting Lydia’s Place in-person and seeing first-hand the work that is being done by this year’s Plungefest honoree. |
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Speaking just a few days after two deaths on campus, UGA President Jere Morehead told Athens Rotarians that an additional $7.3 million has been earmarked for improvements in campus safety. The money will add extra security cameras, better campus lighting, call boxes, and a 20 percent increase in the campus police budget. Morehead made his remarks after the campus murder of a nursing student, which has attracted nationwide attention. The prime suspect has been identified as a Venezuelan man who entered the country illegally. “We will continue to evaluate and strengthen our campus security,” he said. “You can never be fully protected.” He said the reaction locally and around the state was an indicator of the strong relationships the university has built. Morehead did not want to miss the opportunity to focus on more positive developments for UGA. Principal among them was the announcement of a new medical school. “It is a natural evolution of our partnership with Augusta,” he said. “We will build on that. Existing partnerships will be enhanced.” The timetable is to open in the fall of 2026, contingent on accreditation. The addition of a medical school promises to attract even more research dollars. UGA invested $570 million in R&D last year, the most since Morehead has been president. UGA received more NIH grant funding than any college in the country without a medical school. UGA has been first or second for eight years running in bringing research-based products to the marketplace. The school received 43,000 applications last year, admitting 6,200 first-year students. He praised the success of the athletic program, the increased fundraising and the increases in endowed faculty and in scholarships. The university was one of five public schools with a Rhodes Scholar. High percentages of students return for their second year. |
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Raymond King of Zoo Atlanta said that in an ideal world, there would be no zoos. But zoos serve as conservation institutions, preserving endangered species and enhancing knowledge of wild animals. Zoo Atlanta is 135 years old, but for many years it operated as a public entity with little resources. Since it was privatized in 1985, it has gradually developed into one of the best zoos in the country. Recently, when the Civil War Cyclorama was relocated, the zoo was able to build a special-events venue that has added another source of revenue. It overlooks a 5-acre African Savannah where viewers can see elephants roaming about. Raymond said that the animals sleep on orthopedic beds and receive arthritis medication. The gorillas are trained to allow staff to brush their teeth. The animals do not come from the wild. There is a worldwide “free agent” market where animals are moved from one facility to another. The star attractions at Zoo Atlanta are pandas and gorillas. There is a new state-of-the-art reptile center on site as well. |
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Past President Sarah McKinney chose Habitat for Humanity as the recipient of the Plungefest funds during her year as President. Rotary Club of Athens members volunteered 249 hours over three Saturdays for this home. We were one of many volunteer hours given to make this home a reality. Yesterday, the keys to the home and a new Bible were given to this deserving family! |
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Nate is a Partner with Prior Law Firm. He was sponsored by Nat Belger. |
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Aaron is the Regional Foundation Director of St. Mary's Health Care System. He was sponsored by Karen Baldwin. |
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Renee works with Lanier Financial Group as an Investment Advisor/Financial Planner. She was sponsored by Len Sapera. |
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The addition of a new arena is one of the largest projects the Classic Center has ever embarked upon, said Paul Cramer, but it will have a giant impact on the local community: culturally, socially and economically. The plans are to capitalize on the arena by developing commercial and residential properties nearby, mimicking what the Atlanta Braves did with the Battery near Truist Park. Paul recalled how much skepticism there was years ago when the Classic Center was first proposed. Some called it a giant white elephant. The Classic Center hosted 570 events last year, some with as many as 3,000 attendees. The addition of the arena will boost the frequency to about 700 events a year, with the possibility for even larger crowds. Paul said that the local economic impact would grow from about $50 million a year to about $80 million a year. The Classic Center has played a big role in local workforce development and has partnered with many charities to raise funds. |
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Taylor is a member transfer from the Rotary Club of Macon. He is an attorney with James Bates Brannen Groover LLP. |
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When Creature Comforts elected to invest in community outreach, it did not simply pass out money.
The company’s Get Comfortable initiative involved community leaders from the outset determining where it could strategically and effectively impact the local community.
It turned out, that investing in third-graders was where it chose to pinpoint its efforts. “Third grade is when children go from learning how to read to reading to learn,” said Matt Stevens of Creature Comforts. “Children who are unable to read are four times more likely to drop out of high school.” Because the state was already testing students, it was possible to track the results of proposed interventions. Measured against a control group, the first reports were extremely promising. The scope of the program is being widened to include more schools. Matt said it is the goal to turn over the program to the school district eventually. He noted that the State Department of Education is tracking the program as well. Matt said that philanthropists are not necessarily good at philanthropy. He cited as a prominent example PlayPump International. The premise was to use the energy children exert on a playground merry-go-round to pump water into a tank where it would be available when ready. It was an exciting concept that generated tremendous support. However, it failed in many ways. The children failed to generate sufficient energy, and it proved to be more expensive and less efficient than alternative methods. Matt said the root cause of the problem was that a philanthropist presented a solution without first assessing what was really needed. Creature Comforts sought to reverse that process, because, “Communities already know what they need.” Anyone who is interested in getting involved with Get Comfortable can reach out to [email protected]. |
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Rotarians were challenged to set audacious goals by Kelley Sorrow, director of learning and development for Chick-fil-A. She used rock-climbing as an illustration, citing the first free climb on the southeast face of El Capitan, achieved by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson on January 14, 2015. Free climbing means using one's hands and feet to ascend a rock’s natural features, employing ropes and other gear only to stop a fall. At roughly 3,000 feet tall, the Dawn Wall comprises 32 “pitches”—or 32 rope-lengths—of climbing. The climb took 19 days and created the world’s first multi-pitch climbing route at the grade of 9a. Founder Truett Cathey featured a rock-climbing painting on his wall, with the quotation: No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence. Kelley referenced a remark at Cathey’s funeral that made an impression on his son: this is not the end; it is just the first chapter. |
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Tony was a member of our club before being transferred to Rome, Georgia several years ago. He is now transferring back to Athens and our club. He is the North East Regional Director of Georgia Power Company. |
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ANNUAL BELL RINGING
30 Rotarians and Seth Robison's 7-year-old son (3rd year) braved the cold to Ring The Bell for the Salvation Army at 3 locations this past Friday and Saturday. |
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Joe Tripp learned the hard way the many challenges that confront families who must face cancer head on.Joe had spine cancer—osteosarcoma—as a teen. He did not complete a full year of school until he was a senior in high school. The financial burden was great. Because of his “preexisting condition”, his family could not get insurance coverage, and they declared bankruptcy. The Cancer Foundation exists to ease the financial burdens of cancer patients and their families. Since 2009, the foundation has helped more than 5,000 patients with $4 million. They have started a pantry, and they help patients identify additional resources. Financial aid covers housing, transportation, utilities, nutrition, medication, medical equipment and supplies and unfortunately, funeral expenses. So far this year, 884 clients have received $584,319. Transportation accounts for 49 percent of that, followed b housing at 25 percent and utilities at 18 percent. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer, followed by lung cancer. The service area covers 25 counties. Funds come from direct gifts and an endowment. |
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On December 14th, Rotarian Dwain Chambers celebrated his birthday in Heaven. It was this day, in 2023, he attended his last Rotary Club of Athens meeting and was celebrated for his 93 years. It was also on December 14, 2024, our club dedicated a ginkgo tree (tree of Athens) to Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School off of Chase Street. The tree faces the infamous storefront of Sunshine Cleaners, owned and operated by Mayor Chambers for 67 years. A special memorial will be seen at the base of the beautiful ginkgo, signaling the deep roots of community, hope, and commitment held by Mayor Chambers. Well done, good and faithful servant. |
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We partnered with the Minds Matter Club at Clarke Central High School. The Minds Matter Club provides students with resources to support their mental health needs, so the Rotary Club donated mindfulness journals and stickers to be distributed by members of the club this winter. Pictured are Dean Mannheimer, Sola Ishibashi (President), Tyler Graves (Advisor), Sadie Eubanks (Club Member) and Alison Bracewell McCullick. |
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The impact of the University of Georgia across the whole state is only slightly less obvious than its impact in Athens. Dr. Jennifer Frum, UGA vice president for Outreach and Service, said that the impact has been quantified as about $753 million annually. “We reach into all 159 counties,” she said. Just one example she cited was the Sahm Award. Five local projects were selected to receive a total of nearly $40,000 in awards from an endowment established by Athens native and UGA alumna Bobbi Meeler Sahm. The funds benefited the Downtown Ministries Kitchen on Wheels, Athens Area Parkinson’s Support Group, Habitat for Humanity Ramp Project, Summer Academy Community Camp/Alps Road Elementary School and HEALTHYouth/Farm to Neighborhood. Jennifer said that University of Georgia students love to engage with the local community. “Wherever our students come from, they seek opportunities to learn from and give back to the Athens community,” she said. |
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Teens who age out of the foster care program often find themselves adrift with no family to anchor to. Lydia’s Place tries to come alongside them and provide guidance and resources to help them achieve some of their life goals. Lydia’s Place is the beneficiary of this year’s Plungefest, scheduled in February. The mission of Lydia’s Place is to provide basic living needs for young adults who have experienced foster care or housing insecurities, while promoting their path to independence. Displaced young people face daunting statistics. Less than 3 percent will graduate from college, and about half graduate high school. Three fourths of Lydia’s Place clients are enrolled in secondary education. Thanks to a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Lydia’s Place can house 15 students. The purchase of a 15-passenger van would streamline transportation. Most of the residents do not own cars. They have received a grant to build more housing that will triple their occupancy. They have 12 people on a housing waiting list right now. Whereas the educational expenses for college and the like are typically covered, Lydia’s Place spends about $16,500 a year on providing basic needs for its clients, such as housing, clothing and living supplies. In exchange for the help, clients are required to attend weekly meetings where they receive instruction on how to navigate the world. April Farlow highlighted some success stories of past clients who have landed jobs and are living independently. Three of them have moved to Colorado. |
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Georgia's public schools are funded by state and local taxes, but private donations can also benefit local schools, said Paige Pushkin, executive director of the Georgia Foundation for Public Education. The foundation was formed by the state legislature in 2010. It was initially funded by license tag proceeds as well as donations from corporations, family foundations and individuals. The PEACH Education Tax Credit was added on Jan. 1, 2022. The organization supports public education in K-12 with grants. Priority areas include equitable opportunities for children in every community, preparing students for the workforce and helping students master grade-level literacy and numeracy. When donations are made through the tax credit, individuals and corporations can receive a dollar for dollar tax credit. There is a $5 million cap, and applications are approved on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority is given to schools identified in the bottom 5 percent of performance. A single filer can designate up to $1,000. Couples can give $1,250. Corporations can range from $10,000 up to 75 percent of annual income tax liability. Wesley Mellina joined her at the dais to talk about local targets for grants, such as the Career Academy. He noted that major career pathways available locally include health care and bio-tech, both of which offering promising and profitable career trajectories. read more |
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STATE INVESTS RESOURCES IN PROTECTING CRISIS CHILDREN
Regina Quick, general counsel to the Georgia Department of Human Services, told Rotarians that the state is heavily invested in caring for children who are the most vulnerable. “Our motto is ‘Stronger families for a stronger Georgia’,” she said. The department employs 9,000 employees, including some of whom from the local office that she brought. “Case management is where the work happens,” she said. “Family reunification is always the goal,” Regina said. If that fails, then finding a permanent situation for the child becomes the priority. Ideally, the state can help prevent families from experiencing such crises in the first place. |
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He is the Managing Partner of Massey Law Group. Ross was sponsored by Miller Heath. |
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He is a Wealth Advisor with The Avenue Wealth Management Group. Jake was sponsored by Caitlyn Cooper. |
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COUNCIL ON AGING’S IMPACT STRETCHES BEYOND ATHENS
The Athens Community Council on Aging reaches into 69 counties, said Eve Anthony, executive director. ACCA was founded in 1969. While issues that seniors face have not dramatically changed, what has changed is the ratio of seniors to resources. More seniors, fewer resources. Eve said she is so captivated by her work that it is not even a chore to work. She said she has a wonderful staff, and their clients are a treasure. She shared the secret to aging well, as articulated by a client. “It’s simple,” he said. “Don’t do stupid s___.” |
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Noah transferred from the Rotary Club of Winder. He is a Relationship Manager with Bank South. |
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A lot has changed since the first Georgia band played at a sporting event in 1906, said Brett Bawcum, director of UGA athletic bands. For one thing, that first performance was at a baseball game. Bawcum said that in his tenure, the band has played at only one baseball game, and has not been invited back. The UGA band was small until Roger Dansz was hired as the director. “He made the Redcoats the Redcoats,” Bawcum said. “He brought flare to the band.” Bands don’t travel as much any more. There is more demand for tickets, and travel costs are a factor. The post-season is a factor as well. read more |
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Ilka McConnell provided an update on local economic development. One of the most significant new firms in Athens is Meissner Corporation, a leading manufacturer of microfiltration and single-use systems. It will add 1,700 jobs. |
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Under the leadership of Ralph Johnson, Leigh Smith, Joan Prittie, Rob Hoyt, John Mitchell, Jane Kidd, Charles Smith, Develon Davis, Mike Leggett, Dean Mannheimer and Helen Mills spent last Saturday working on our Habitat for Humanity home. This is the third Saturday members have donated their time and talents on this home for a family of 10. read more |
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The USDA Farm Service Agency exists to support the agriculture industry, the most essential industry. Arthur Tripp, the state director, shared with Rotarians that one in seven jobs in the state is related to agriculture. Two of FSA’s main missions are for disaster assistance and access to capital. The FSA serves as a bank. It is often difficult to get through the growing season without ready access to the capital. The Farm Service Agency provides dozens of loan programs, including farm ownership loans, operating loans, and emergency loans. The FSA works with community banks and guarantees a percentage of these loans so bankers can take on less risk and farmers can get back to work. Disaster assistance in the state of Georgia totaled $292.6 million for the coronavirus food assistance program, $167.7 million for emergency relief and $3 million for crop disaster assistance. The state emergency board gives producers help when disaster strikes. Hurricane Idelia was devastating to the pecan industry in the state. Arthur said that half of the state’s ag producers are nearing retirement age. The story of agriculture needs to be told in schools to attract more people to the fields. Georgia is unique among states because of its diversity of agricultural products. The state is a leader in forestry, poultry and pecans. One of the fastest growing segments is satsuma citrus. |
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David Perno was in a rare position as the head baseball coach at the University of Georgia. He was the head coach of a major university team in his hometown. But a series of events led to Perno being released after the 2013 season. It took a while, but he landed on his feet when he became the head football coach at his high school alma mater, Clarke Central. He credits the influence of Vince Dooley and Billy Henderson with much of his success. Perno visited the Rotary Club last week along with eight of his players. Injuries and a difficult schedule have made for tough sledding this year. Clarke lost to Loganville 51-50 the following night, falling to 3-4 overall and 0-3 in the region. Perno found it difficult to get hired as Georgia’s baseball coach, but once he got the job, the team did well, winning two Southeastern Conference championships, and advancing to the College World Series three times. The Bulldogs were national runner-up in 2008. But in 2009, a first-year student, Chance Veazey, crushed his spine in a scooter accident. Two years later, Jonathan Taylor suffered a paralyzing back injury in a game. Perno was also shaken by the death of his mother in 2012. The events sent Perno reeling. After he was released, he drifted a bit, trying TV commentating, but found it unfulfilling. A reunion at Clarke Central in 2015 led to him being hired for the 2016 season. The Gladiators won three straight region championships, 2019-21. This year’s team has been hit by injuries. It has been competitive, losing its last three games by eight points, three points and one point. Perno said he does not like NIL, which has been approved by the GHSA. |
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Laura Whitaker was a 19-year-old student at the University of Georgia when her career found her. Now the director of Extra Special People in Watkinsville, Whitaker updated Rotarians about what is happening in the world of ESP. She feared that ESP would end when she was 19, so she raised funds, hired counselors and organized a summer camp to keep the ministry afloat. ESP served 100 families when she started. Now the client list includes 1,000 families. In fact, she said about a dozen families a year move into the area to take advantage of the services at ESP. She credits God, grit and dedication for the success of the program. Laura considers herself a dealer in hope, and her middle name is Hope. Citing Zaxby’s, Barberitos and Landmark as examples of local businesses that have expanded beyond Athens, she asked why a non-profit could not do the same. ESP is branching out, first into Atlanta and Rome. She said that 1.5 million non-profit entities are registered with the IRS, and that their employees make up 10 percent of the U.S. workforce. They can use the same principles to succeed as businesses do. |
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Standing in for District Gov. Brandy Lynn Swanson of Gwinnett County, our own Chery Legette, one of the assistant district governors, shared the district plans for the current year. The club did hear from DG Brandy Lynn via video, as well as Rotary International President Gordon McInally. His keynote thought is this: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change—across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.” He wants to help bring peace to the world, soothe those afflicted by conflict, help deal with Rotary’s internal struggles and end the stigma associated with asking for help for mental disease. As a Girl Scout executive, Cheryl was particularly pleased with Rotary’s program to empower girls. Cheryl also urged Rotarians to quickly register for the district conference. It is a cruise to the Bahamas April 26-29. Seven girls from this area will be guests of the district on the cruise. She is raising support. About 55 cabins remain. Cheryl said that the late Randolph Holder sponsored her into the club. There were not many women or people of color in the club at the time, but she said she always felt welcome. |
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President Dean Mannheimer announced last week that Lydia’s Place would be the recipient of funds raised by the club’s Polar Plunge. Lydia’s Place ministers to young adults who have aged out of the foster-care program. They could be left homeless. Lydia’s Place Board Chairperson Jessica Roberts said that their clients attend training to learn basic living skills. She said that they hope to use the funds raised by the plunge to purchase a used 12-passenger van. The plunge is February 3rd. The long-range forecast calls for 74 percent of rain, with highs ranging from 51 to 61. |
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Rotarian Monique Sanders looked at herself standing among a group of colleagues and noticed something right away. She was the only person of color, and she was the only woman. That helped plant a seed that she wanted to help other young people get a head start on success in life. She ultimately founded Get Stemulated. Her organization is a learning program with workshops designed to provide supplementary learning techniques to enhance students’ understanding of science, technology, engineering and math principles for k-12 boys and girls and their families. It incorporates engineering, biology, medicine, chemistry, physics and more through experiments to engage students and make learning more exciting. Science, tech, engineering and math careers offer a lot of promise. |
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Wednesday, August 30, 2023 A diversified client base is a key reason that Synovus remains in sound financial condition, said Chairman and CEO Kevin Blair in remarks to the Rotary Club of Athens. He cited some of the problems encountered by banks that had failed, including First Republic Bank, Silvergate Capital and Silicon Valley Bank. “They closed because they had a homogenous deposit base,” he said. “You can’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Blair said that he does not expect a return to the zero-interest rate environment that prevailed for 15 years. He said relationship banking, as always, remains the key to survival. |
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Wednesday, September 6, 2023 Mark McDonald, president, Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, told Athens Rotarians about the wide range of architectural styles the state boasts, going back to 1733. He edited a book for UGA Press entitled Architecture of the Last Colony, scheduled to be published soon. He showed photos of buildings around the state that are featured in the book. The buildings all have a story. He hinted at some of the stories. |
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Monday, August 14, 2023 The day was a scorcher but it didn't stop our club from working hard on the renovations of a home for a family of 10. 10 Rotary members (including Ron Seib's wife, Ellen) volunteered all day and 5 members volunteered for half a day. It was very organized and much work was accomplished under the direction of Ralph Johnson, Charles Smith and several Habitat employees. Thank you also to Dean Mannheimer, Jen Welborn, Michael Siebert, Joe Wyrick, Ron Seib, Ralph Johnson, Sheldon Greenland, Jane Kidd, Michael Leggett, Monique Sanders, Gary Bertsch, Peggy Galis, Ian Hardin and Melvin Robinson. |
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Monday, August 14, 2023 The recent trip to Italy for the Georgia basketball team was a time of cultural enhancement, team bonding and personal growth. However, Mike White admitted that at least one aspect of growth would require some adjustments. He said his jacket was a little snug after he returned. “The sights were incredible,” he said. “We are ahead of where we would normally be as a team.” Because of that, the team will not dive right into preseason work when the players report for the fall semester. He said his first year last year got off to a good start. The team was 13-4. But the Bulldogs limped to a 16-16 finish. However, that was 10 more wins than the previous season. Only one other team in the country improved by a greater margin. He reiterated that his goal is to compete for championships. They are recruiting the top 100 players. The league will get tougher when Texas and Oklahoma enter, and he fully expects eight or nine conference teams to make the NCAA every year. The transfer portal has added another level of complexity to roster management, but it is something that has to be done. Georgia opens the season Oct. 6 in Las Vegas against Oregon. The Ducks will feature Kario Oquendo, who scored 12.7 points per game last year at Georgia. The coach said he is enjoying the dead period in August, which is a fairly new development for college coaches. |
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Tuesday, August 8, 2023 Rennie Curran thought he had achieved his dream when he was selected in the third round of the NFL draft. But his career was interrupted after his second year. It was a low point in his life, but during that time he wrote a book: Free Agent: The Perspectives of an African American Athlete. Curran said that adversity has always motivated him. As the son of Liberian immigrants, he knew nothing about football until he started playing it as a child. He wore his church shoes to his first practice. He saw his first UGA football game when he was 10, and a dream was born. Despite being “undersized,” he earned a scholarship to Georgia, where he earned All-America recognition. “I am so glad that things did not work out like I wanted them to,” he said during a Q&A format with Tommy Valentine. “If I did not have a chip on my shoulder, I would not have developed.” After he was cut, he did a SWOT self-assessment. He started reading, writing and networking. Now he is a consultant to businesses and organizations. |
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Tuesday, August 1, 2023 President Dean Mannheimer recently introduced President Elect Kalki Yalamanchili to the club. Kalki will serve from 2024 - 2025. He is the owner of Y'Chili Law LLC. Kalki is married to Catlin and has 2 boys. |
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Tuesday, August 1, 2023 The E.B. Mell Scholarships were presented by the Rotary Club of Athens to (left to right) Courtney Perry, Ikeoluwa Ojo, McKenna Ezekiel and Zaya Roberson. Courtney will attend Kennesaw. The rest will attend the University of Georgia. |
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Saturday, July 29, 2023 Even though it was very hot, 13 Rotary members (including Daniel Mosseri's Dad Lu) volunteered all day and 2 members volunteered for half a day. It was very organized and much work was accomplished under the direction of Ralph Johnson, Charles Smith and Spencer Frye. Whit Richardson of Taziki's provided lunch. Thank you also to Sarah McKinney, Rob Hoyt, Jane Kidd, Jessica Roberts, Blake Giles, Lisa Chafin, Johnelle Simpson, Julie Jenkins, Patti Hurst, Daniel Mosseri, Gary Bertsch and Tiffany Moment. |
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Monday, July 17, 2023 By Kris Hanna Trai McRae! |
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Monday, July 17, 2023 Rob Hoyt! |
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Monday, July 17, 2023 Len Sapera with 33 years! |
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Tuesday, July 25, 2023 President Dean Mannheimer began his term as president, introducing himself and sharing memories from his visit to the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Australia. First on his agenda, however, was thanking Whit Richardson for his leadership. During Whit’s term, the club added 33 new members, donated $35,000 to Hope Haven, completed a strategic plan for the future and held its 100th anniversary gala. Dean told the club about himself, including some childhood photos. He grew up loving baseball and the Florida State Seminoles. However, he became a bulldog when he came to Georgia. He married his high school sweetheart, Megin, who went to Auburn, by the way. They now have four children. She grows flowers to sell. Dean went to work for Synovus after college, and he has been there ever since. He was super impressed by Melbourne and by Rotary International at the convention. The downside was the 21 hours of flight time it took to get there. Both he and Megin were impressed with outgoing R.I. President Jennifer Jones. Megin wanted Jennifer to run for president. She’s from Canada. Dean said R.I. President Gordon McInally was inspirational. His theme is “Create Hope in the World.” Dean said he hopes that our club can create hope here as well. |
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Monday, July 17, 2023 Presented to Athens Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters! |
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Wednesday, July 12, 2023 She is the Executive Director of Hope Haven of Northeast Georgia, Inc. Amy was sponsored by Ryan Hunt and Meyur Vashi. |
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Tuesday, June 27, 2023 Club member Will Fleenor shared the details of his role as the solicitor general for Athens-Clarke County.
His office handles most domestic violence cases, most DUI and traffic cases, most theft cases, underage possession and stalking.He relishes helping those who have been harmed, working with those struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health crisis, and collaborating with other agencies and community partners. |
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Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Anna Stenport has a particular affection for Rotary. The new dean of the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences attended Georgia in 1993-94 as a GRSP student. She also earned a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship to attend Cal-Berkeley. Her academic career has taken her to a variety of colleges, including Georgia Tech. She joked that she is “polar-bear certified.” She is a native of Sweden, hence her interest in the 4 million people who live north of the Arctic Circle. “They have gone from the stone age to the nuclear age to the digital age in one generation,” she said. She noted that Franklin College is the oldest and largest college at UGA. The undergraduate enrollment stands at 9,965. There are 1,819 graduate/professional students. The faculty numbers 982, of which 848 are full time. There are more than 102,000 living alumni of the school. In FY 2022, sponsored research expenditures at Franklin College added up to $100 million. |
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Monday, June 19, 2023 Quarterly program chair Rob Hoyt scheduled himself to speak last week, with an ulterior motive. He was able to show off the Terry College of Business, a beautiful campus in its own right. The club met at Amos Hall. Members enjoyed a lunch catered by Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, owned by President Whit Richardson. Rob is the department head for risk management and insurance, the No. 1 ranked school in the country. He was a tuba-playing undergraduate at Nebraska. That helps explain the annual scholarships he funds at Nebraska, and at Georgia, for tuba players in the marching band. Before coming to Georgia, Rob had only changed planes in Atlanta. He met his future wife at Terry, and one of his daughters later was in his class. Rob also told the story of the Terry College campus, which was formerly housed in Brooks Hall. Until the new campus was opened, faculty and students were not housed in the same building. Terry College has also launched Studio 255 on Broad Street, which houses the college’s entrepreneurship program. Terry has expanded beyond Athens as well, offering non-credit courses in Atlanta. It also has significant courses offered overseas. Terry College has about 9,000 undergrads and 1,000 graduates. Its schools are ranked among the best in the country in several disciplines. |
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Tuesday, June 27, 2023 |
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Tuesday, June 27, 2023 Club member Will Fleenor shared the details of his role as the solicitor general for Athens-Clarke County. His office handles most domestic violence cases, most DUI and traffic cases, most theft cases, underage possession and stalking. He relishes helping those who have been harmed, working with those struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health crisis, and collaborating with other agencies and community partners. |
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Tuesday, June 6, 2023 SELIT Plant Manager Doug Brouillard shared his personal career path and the development of the new plant in Banks County. |
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Wednesday, May 31, 2023 The Rotary Club of Athens enjoyed the rare privilege of a visit from a United States Senator when Sen. Jon Ossoff addressed the club. It was a jam-packed meeting. Sen. Ossoff reviewed a number of projects he has worked on. When it was time for Q&A, he responded that it is imperative that the nation not default on its loans. He was speaking of the looming deadline regarding the national debt limit. |
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Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Tommy Valentine of Athens Historical Society presents past President Jim Hopkins with the 2023 Outstanding Publication for the "Rotary of Athens: A Century of Service" book published by Jim. |
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Sunday, May 28, 2023 He is the Business Development Manager for Jackson EMC. Tino was co-sponsored by Dan DeLamater and Will Hodges. |
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Sunday, May 28, 2023 He is with Carson Advisory Group as a Financial Advisor. Daniel was sponsored by Jennifer Zwirn. |
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Thursday, May 25, 2023 State legislators spoke to our club recently concerning what they accomplished this past year during the session. Pictures left to right are State Representative Spencer Frye, State Senator Bill Cowsert, State Representative Houston Gaines and State Representative Marcus Wiedower. |
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Thursday, May 25, 2023 $12,000 was raised at the annual chicken BBQ! Rotarians cooked the chickens in the morning. They transported them to the pick-up site, where the meals were packaged with homemade coleslaw and chips. Then Rotarians were carhops where they placed the meals in customers' cars. The money supports a number of area community projects, which include the Food Bank, Rotaract, RYLA and others. |
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Monday, May 15, 2023 Dwain Chambers, a past president of the Rotary Club of Athens, died May 5. He was 93. Club members remembered Dwain as cheerful and encouraging. He was a devoted father and grandfather and a man of faith. He was persistent and consistent. Consider. He was a Christian for 84 years. He owned and managed Sunshine Cleaners for 67 years. He and his wife Betty were married 64 years when she died. He was a member of the Rotary Club for 62 years. He taught Sunday school at Prince Avenue Baptist Church for more than 40 years. He owned and operated Carpenter’s Shop Christian Bookstore for more than 30 years, next door to the cleaners. He often quipped, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” He served on the Athens City Council for 24 years. He served in the Army Reserves for 16 years. He was a Gideon. His son, Paul, is also a past president of Rotary. He was mayor of Athens for one term and a deacon chairperson at his church. He chaired the Athens YMCA board and was named Man of the Year by the Athens Human Relations Council. His life will be remembered on Saturday, June 3, at 2 p.m. at Prince Avenue Baptist Church in Bogart. |
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Monday, May 15, 2023 Club members Lindsay Henkel and Johnelle Simpson shared their vocational talks. Lindsay is an outpatient pharmacist with the Veterans Administration. She found her career and her husband Paul at the University of Georgia. They moved seven times in 10 years before returning to Athens. Her residency after pharmacy school was with the VA, and she has had a heart for veterans ever since. She and Paul have 5-year-old twins. Her father-in-law, Dan, is an Athens Rotarian. Johnelle is an attorney with Fortson, Bentley and Griffin. A native of the small town of Donaldsonville, he was student-body president at the University of Georgia. Before he attended law school, he worked with the Clarke County School District in workforce development. He and his wife Rachelle are expecting their first child. Lindsay said she met so many incredible people in Rotary, a group of people that she says live out the Four-Way Test. Johnelle said he likes to serve and put people in positions where they can be successful. |
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By Kris Hanna Several Rotarians received Paul Harris recognition when member Patti Hurst donated points to other members. President-elect Dean Mannheimer, Julie Jenkins, Past President Sarah McKinney, President Whit Richardson, Past President Elaine Cook, Executive Secretary Kris Hanna and Karen Baldwin are with Patti. Fred Butler was also recognized in absentia. |
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Thursday, April 27, 2023 President Whit Richardson and fundraising chair Trai McRae, presented Hope Haven of North East Georgia a check for $32,500! These were the proceeds from our annual plungefest fundraiser that was held in February. |
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Tuesday, May 2, 2023 Athens-Clarke Mayor Kelly Girtz provided the club with an update about happenings in the unified government. |
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Tuesday, May 9, 2023 Before he talked about global engagement at the University of Georgia, Martin Kagel praised the Athens club for its support of international students. He also noted that the incoming dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at UGA is a former Rotary international student. Global engagement encompasses study abroad as well as international students on the UGA campus. Counterintuitively, students who study abroad typically graduate earlier than their peers. About 3,000 UGA students are enrolled in programs abroad. About 17 percent are in the United Kingdom and an equal number in Italy. Spain is next. On campus, students come from a hundred or so countries. |
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Thursday, April 27, 2023 Leigh is the CEO of Wealth Academy of Georgia. She was sponsored by Alison McCullick. |
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Thursday, April 27, 2023 Connie is the CEO of Athens Housing Authority. She was sponsored by Rick Parker. |
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Thursday, April 27, 2023 Josh is a teacher and coach at Athens Academy. He was sponsored by Phil Bettendorf. |
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Monday, April 17, 2023 It came as no surprise to Athens Rotarians that the University of Georgia is hale and hearty, as reported by President Jere Morehead. But he provided some details about the current status of UGA. Just recently, UGA admitted its class for next year. It remains to be seen if they will match the exemplary status of last year’s 6,200 admissions, who had a 4.0-plus grade-point average when entering the university. There were 43,700 applicants for those positions, double what it was when Morehead started as UGA president. The four-year graduation rate is 75 percent, which is a 13 percent increase over the decade. The six-year graduation rate is 90 percent. For the seventh year in a row, UGA was ranked in the top 20 in U.S. News & World Report rankings. UGA was one of three public universities with a Rhodes Scholar, along with Arizona State and Texas. It was the only public institution with multiple Marshall Scholarship recipients, joining the likes of Harvard, Penn and Yale. Research investments were over half a billion dollars for the first time. He cited the work of Jenna Jambeck, who received the McArthur Genius Grant for her work on plastic waste in the oceans. During the Q&A session, Morehead said that addressing student mental health remains an ongoing challenge. He recently attended a summit at Georgetown on the matter. UGA is hiring additional counselors, when they can be found, and looking for additional pathways to address the issue. He said that the relationship with local government has been challenging, but he is hopeful that the election of new commissioners, including Rotarian Dexter Fisher, will help. “A positive relationship with the city is an asset,” he said. “Having a great Athens is a recruiting tool for us. I hope they view us as a positive part of the community.” He said that UGA has an excellent relationship with the local school district. |
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Thursday, April 27, 2023 As the front door for industry, the Office of UGA Business Engagement specializes in connecting companies to the exceptional talent and resources of the University of Georgia. Businesses face new challenges every day. UGA strives to partner with firms to create solutions that help them thrive. Kykle Tschepikow, executive director of Business Engagement and Innovation at the University of Georgia, visited the club last week to provide an update on Business Engagement. The impact over the last five years can be quantified as follows: · 13,000-plus companies have hired UGA students. · There are more than 1,350 active licenses and options with industry partners. · Companies have invested nearly $100 million in UGA programs. · More than 300 companies have partnered with UGA researchers. · More than 130 startup projects are incubating at UGA. |
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Thursday, April 6, 2023 By Kris Hanna Athens Rotarian Melvin Robinson, sporting Tulane colors, presented the details of the club’s international project. Used books and used shoes will be collected and sent to the Philippines where they will be distributed to school children. Melvin emphasized that the shoes should not be new because of the classism that exists there. All but the largest sizes are appropriate to send. As for books, just about any subject matter is appropriate. English is one of their primary languages. Bring the items to the club meetings over the next couple of weeks and they will be shipped out together. |
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Wednesday, March 29, 2023 Whether it is scaling new heights or reconnecting with your roots, travel can be an exciting experience. Rotarians Ian Hardin and Ron Seib shared some of their travel experiences with the club. For Ian, it was taking some friends back to his home country of Scotland. Ian’s father was a soldier who married Ian’s Scottish mother during World War II. Ian was 18 months old before he and his mother joined their father in the states. On his return trip with friends, he took them to the Isle of Staffa, noted for its distinctive basalt columns. They walked the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye. The group enjoyed wild haggis nightly and sampled its share of local brews and liquors. Ron Seib’s climbing adventures started with Mt. Ranier in Washington, where on his first attempt with his sons he failed to summit. That inspired him to make a return trip, and he succeeded this time. Since then, he has climbed Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mexican volcanoes. Ron had run marathons before he tried his first Ranier climb, but he found that it required a different kind of preparation. Climbing extreme altitudes has its own challenges, internal and external. High-altitude edemas are a real concern, and climbers have to be aware of crevasses on icy climbs. Sometimes getting down is more difficult than getting up. |
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Thursday, April 6, 2023 Athens Rotarian Jeff Snowden found more than a client when he began work with AGCO. He found a friend in Kevin Bien. Bien was one of the founding executives of AGCO, a manufacturer of agricultural equipment. In the industry, he is remembered as the developer of the Gleaner combine, and he was inducted into the U.S. Custom Harvesters Hall of Fame in 2016 before his death. Jeff recounted memories of experiences they shared and stories he had heard, such as the time he walked a pet ferret around the neighborhood in boxer shorts, because he mistook them for new shorts purchased by his wife. Some of the principles that Kevin stuck to included leading without depending on rank, never tolerating bullies and being willing to do the dirty work. He made himself instantly available to farmers who depended on their combines to harvest. Because the harvest time is so short, the combines had to work when they were needed. Jeff was inspired to write a book about Kevin Bien, entitled, You’re Not Getting Any of This, Are You Richard? He sold copies afterward, donating all funds to the club. |
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Tuesday, March 21, 2023 The history of indigenous people in the area has not been clearly marked and recorded, James Brooks told the Rotary Club of Athens. Brooks is a specialist in colonial and indigenous history. Since arriving at the University of Georgia, he has been interested in uncovering landmarks connected with indigenous inhabitants. A marker near the Georgia Center was something that most Rotarians were not familiar with. He noted an example of bedrock mortar that is at Dudley Park. Everyone is familiar with Rock Eagle, which dates to the woodland period. The Etowah Indian Mounds are from the Mississippian Period. Nearby Scull Shoals has remnants of a European settlement, but it also has mounds associated with indigenous people during the Mississippian Period. |
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Friday, March 17, 2023 He is a Partner and Co-Founder of Bearing Partners. Kevin was sponsored by Carl Blount. |
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Thursday, March 16, 2023 She is the Owner / President of Chafin & Company. Lisa was sponsored by Seth Robison. |
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Tuesday, March 7, 2023 The Russians have made a habit of invading Ukraine. Scott Nelson, author of Oceans of Grain, said that Russia needs a good port on the Black Sea, and it needs the rich wheat fields of Ukraine to continue to be a world power. “Russia has invaded this region 10 times,” said Scott Nelson. His book examines the history of grain production. And he goes back to the beginning of grain production. The rich soil of the region was perfect for the production of grain, and it propped up many world powers through the years. Then American wheat came on the scene. The Civil War led to the construction of important rail connections that later were used to transport grain. In 1873, the futures market was invented, which facilitated delivery of grain without fear of wild price fluctuations. Grain replaced cotton as the largest export from the United States and undermined Russia’s grain market. Scott Nelson was not optimistic that Russia would yield easily in its most recent grab for land and ports. |
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Wednesday, March 15, 2023 Augusta University Professor Allen Burton told Athens Rotarians that the Battle of Kettle Creek in Georgia was the first major victory for Americans in the Revolutionary War. The battle took place near Rayle, Ga., about nine miles southwest of Washington, Ga. The outcome was an early indication that the British southern strategy was not going to be effective. It was very costly for Britain to support its 30,000 Redcoats in America as well as nearly as many German mercenaries. They wanted to end the war with a knockout blow, which they very nearly achieved in New York. But Kettle Creek helped turn the tide. From beginning to end, the Battle of Kettle Creek lasted about four hours and ended with significant casualties for the Loyalist militia, including the death of their commander, John Boyd. The Patriot victory at Kettle Creek convinced the commander of Augusta, Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell, to abandon the city. Col. Boyd was unaware that about 350 Patriots under the overall command of Col. Andrew Pickens were close by, preparing to strike. The Tories had superior numbers and higher ground, but they never recovered from Pickens’ surprise attack. Of about 700 men engaged, the Loyalists suffered roughly 200 casualties. On the Patriot side, Pickens’s force lost about 32 men killed and wounded. But 33 Patriot prisoners held by Boyd were freed when their captors were scattered. |
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Tuesday, February 28, 2023 The Athens Historical Society is stepping into the gap to help local schools teach local history.
Short films—about three minutes each—are being produced on a variety of subjects to highlight local history. Films of such brevity can be incorporated into the regular classroom curriculum.University of Georgia Professor Jane McPherson and film makers Jesse Freeman and Emani Saucier shared some of the basics of film making. They were told that films would cost about $1,000 per minute. “They cost twice as much and take twice as long.” A film about the Knox Institute in Athens was premiered before the club. Knox Institute and Industrial School was a private elementary and secondary school in Athens for African Americans. It was open from 1868 until 1928. The challenge is to make the films in such a way as to hold the attention of young people. |
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Saturday, February 25, 2023 She is the Marketing Manager for Grahl Construction. Jessica was sponsored by Kris Hanna. |
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Tuesday, February 21, 2023 Hollywood has dropped in on Athens only sporadically, but real estate investor Joel Harber hopes to change that with the construction of Athena Studios, a state-of-the-art sound stage on Athena Drive. The film industry already invests about $4 billion a year in the state. But no film has been made in Athens since 2013, when The Spectacular Now was filmed here. The new studios will help put Athens on the map. The lot has 110 acres, of which about 40 are currently under development. It will feature the bigger spaces that major productions need. For example, they could build a two-story house inside the facility with repeated interior shots. Joel said that films bring jobs, which benefit the local economy. He said that he has no projects signed up yet, but the industry tends to make such decisions at the last minute. A grand opening is planned soon, after which he said he would be open to opening the facility for tours by Rotarians. |
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Saturday, February 18, 2023 Loran Smith has been on the sidelines of UGA athletics, literally and figuratively, for decades. He gained an exclusive series of interviews with Kirby Smart that is the foundation of his forthcoming book, How ’Bout Them Dawgs! It is an account of the 2021 national championship season that ended the 41-year drought for the Bulldogs. Georgia Press is releasing the book. Loran told Rotarians that the photos are never-before-seen images by Cassie Wright. “Her photography makes the book,” he said. He said that Kirby Smart was great to work with. “His last name defines him,” said Loran. “He is very insightful and indefatigable.” Loran was able to interview many of the athletes as well. Asked if there might be a followup book for this year’s season, he smiled. |
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Tuesday, February 7, 2023 Rotarians gathered at Lake Chapman Saturday, February 4th for the annual Plungefest to benefit Hope Haven. |
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Friday, January 27, 2023 She is Executive Director of Public Relations & Communications for the Clarke County School District. Cyndee transferred from the Rotary Club of Oconee County. |
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Friday, January 27, 2023 President Whit Richardson, Previous President Paul Chambers and Executive Secretary, Kris Hanna had the opportunity to visit with Dwayne Chambers to personally deliver his Paul Harris Fellow plus 2 pin. Dwayne has always been a leader of "Service Above Self". |
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Tuesday, February 7, 2023 Rotarians gathered at Lake Chapman Saturday, February 4th for the annual Plungefest to benefit Hope Haven. |
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Tuesday, February 7, 2023 The War Between the States interrupted Robert Sneden’s career as an architect, but it proved fertile ground that inspired his drawings and writings. Fred Boyles, retired from the National Park Service, shared with Rotarians Sneden’s remarkable story. The pairings of his artwork and his writings have been a tremendous historical resource for understanding the Civil War. A man named Charles Ashe had inherited four scrapbooks that had been used to pay off an old debt. He ultimately sold them to the Richmond Historical Society. It was later that they were united with 5,000 pages of diary entries that had languished in a Tucson mini warehouse. The public first became aware of Sneden’s work through an exhibition and subsequent best-selling book, Eye of the Storm, in 2000. The Virginia Historical Society called it the “largest collection of Civil War solider art ever produced. Sneden’s time in the Union Army eventually brought him to Andersonville, Ga., as a prisoner of war. He has many images of his stay there. His drawings of a gallows provided the first concrete evidence of its appearance. Six prisoners were executed for murdering other prisoners. It was the largest public execution on American soil. It is estimated that there were 35,000 onlookers. Sneden also was a master map maker, and his superior officers often pressed him into duty to draw battle maps. |
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Friday, January 27, 2023 It took two trials to convict the murderers of Lemuel Penn, an Army Reserve officer who was shot and killed by Klansmen while he was traveling through Madison County in 1964. David Sweat, retired from the Western Judicial District Superior Court, updated Rotarians on the historical case. Racial tensions were high in Athens in the early 60s. The local Ku Klux Klan had close to 400 members at its peak. Tensions escalated in 1964 when Klansmen were outraged that a Catholic priest was promoting recreational opportunities for black children. The facilities at a camp for black children were burned down the day before it was scheduled to open. Klansmen, whose headquarters was across Prince Avenue from St. Joseph’s Catholic, were outraged that black and white children were allowed to play together. Penn was traveling from Fort Benning to his home in Washington, D.C. They stopped in Athens to change drivers. Klansmen on patrol noticed and followed them. On a bridge over the Broad River on Ga. 172, Klansmen Cecil Myers and Howard Sims fired shotguns into Penn’s vehicle. He was killed instantly. James Lackey was also in the car that chased Penn. In the criminal trial, Sims and Myers were acquitted. The federal government brought charges that they had violated the civil rights of Penn. It was tried until the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government did have jurisdiction. Sims and Myers were convicted. Four other defendants were acquitted. Because it established federal jurisdiction, it was a landmark case. |
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Thursday, January 19, 2023 UGA Professor and author Claudio Saunt told Athens Rotarians that Georgia was a prime mover in the expulsion of native Americans from the Southeast. Claudio has written several books on this aspect of American history. He said that Georgians were transfixed by a vision of a prominent slave empire stretching to the Mississippi River. In their grandest visions, they pictured the empire reaching the Pacific, swallowing Mexico and capturing Cuba. “Their ambitions had no bounds,” he said. The Creeks, Chickasaws and Choctaws occupied lands that included the fertile crescent of the Southeast. Farmers were enamored with controlling that real estate. Claudio said that the gold rush had nothing to do with expulsion. The federal policy to relocate native Americans predated the gold rush. The natives were coerced into surrendering the land, which led to excessive profits for land speculators, sometimes reaping 1,000 percent returns. Natives had their land taken, and they were relocated. Several Athenians played big roles in the events. Augustin Clayton presided over cases that dispossessed Indians. William Dearing and James Camak were prominent land speculators. Wilson Lumpkin championed Indian expulsion. |
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Thursday, January 5, 2023 When Michael Thurmond read a plaque in England that described James Oglethorpe as a “friend to the oppressed negro,” he did not believe it.
But his doubt spurred his research that led to his latest book, The First Abolitionist. UGA Press is scheduled to publish it in the spring of 2024. Michael is no stranger to the Athens Rotary Club. He grew up in Athens, and he often recites the help that the Rotary Club provided when he was in high school, purchasing a set of black history encyclopedias. Michael also recounted his history with Denny and Peggy Galis. Denny was his attorney when he had to go to court for a civil rights demonstration while Michael was still in high school. Later, he worked for Denny Galis as an assistant city attorney for Athens. Michael recalled some of the tough challenges that he and his classmates faced as they integrated the public school system in Athens in the early 1970s. |
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Thursday, January 5, 2023 President-Elect Dean Mannheimer, right, announced that Kalki Yalamanchili, center, has been named President-Designee. Current President Whit Richardson completed the Presidential trifecta. |
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Thursday, January 5, 2023 Julie Jenkins received prizes from Blake Giles after she won the LaRocca Derby 2022 for college football. Julie predicted 70 percent of her games correctly! |
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Monday, January 2, 2023 Sheldon Greenland thanked fellow members for their support of the Salvation Army during the holidays. Our Rotary Club of Athens collected $6,088.72 by ringing the bell. Many of our Rotarians and future Rotarians braved the extreme cold and rainy days to ring the bell four days for the Salvation Army of Athens. #ServiceAboveSelf |
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Monday, January 2, 2023 District 6910 Gov. Gerry Taylor said the Rotary Club of Athens is a key reason that the district ranks No. 1 in North America in terms of net membership growth.
Gov. Gerry, a member of the Classic City Club, is no stranger to the Athens club. Club member Cheryl Legette is an assistant district governor.Gov. Gerry extolled the virtues of R.I. President Jennifer Jones, the first woman to hold that title. Her background is in television and public relations. He said when she was president of the Windsor, Ontario, Club, when terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, she led her club in singing the Star Spangled Banner at a meeting in a show of solidarity. Her theme, Imagine Rotary, owes its inspiration to John Lennon’s song, I Can Only Imagine. As for District 6910, Gov. Gerry said that it raised $620,000 last year for the Rotary Foundation. He is hopeful of surpassing that this year. District 6910 is No. 2 in the world for sustaining members of the Paul Harris Fellowship. Polio eradication remains a goal. There were about 20 cases worldwide last year. Rotary International is aiming to increase its endowment, which shrunk as a result of COVID and investment returns. Gov. Gerry encouraged members to register to attend the district conference in Chattanooga on April 27-30. Conference attendees are asked to bring donated clothing for a charity drive.
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Monday, January 2, 2023 He is the Superintendent of the Clarke County School District. Robbie transferred from the Rotary Club of Social Circle. |
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Thursday, December 1, 2022 He is a Financial Advisor with Raymond James. Zander was sponsored by Travis Burroughs. |
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Monday, November 28, 2022 Gregory Davis told Rotarians that abandoning the market during a downturn could be a million-dollar decision. A senior regional consultant for MFS Investment Management, Greg roamed the Athens Country Club ballroom as he shared some historical trends about investing. In particular, he cited a particular MFS client who invested regularly before retirement. But she stayed in the market after retirement. Her systematic withdrawals more than funded her retirement, and she had as much left ($600,000) for her heirs when she died. A hypothetical investor who withdrew from the market during the 1987 plunge would have had $400,000 less and zero to leave heirs, hence the million-dollar decision. He sort of quoted Warren Buffet correctly. What Buffet said was, “We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful." |
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Monday, November 28, 2022 He is the President of EBM Managed Services. Mark was sponsored by Phil Bettendorf. |
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Saturday, December 31, 2022 By Kris Hanna |
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Sunday, December 18, 2022 Many of our Rotarians and future Rotarians braved the extreme cold and rainy days to ring the bell for four days for the Salvation Army of Athens. Truly "Service Above Self"! |
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Tuesday, December 13, 2022 With Georgia ranked No. 1 and the reigning national champions, it is a good time to be a Bulldog. Senior Deputy Athletic Director Darrice Griffin said that so much excellence happens beyond the field of competition. Everyone knows that Georgia’s football team had 15 players drafted into the NFL, including the No. 1 selection, Travon Walker. But Darrice highlighted other achievements. Swimmer Andrew Abruzzo, centerfielder Ben Anderson, runner Samantha Drop and high jumper Shelby Tyler were NCAA post-graduate scholars. Elijah Godwin won a world championship in track, coming back from being impaled with a javelin while training. Tennis player Meg Kowalski has interned at some major organizations. Darrice highlighted how $50 million of a current $300 million campaign will be dedicated to women’s programs, on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the legislation that paved the way for women in college athletics. |
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Thursday, December 1, 2022 He is the Director/Rev of Sparrow's Nest. Jamie was sponsored by Charlie Maddox. |
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Tuesday, November 22, 2022 By Kris Hanna Future Rotarian John McCarthy Richardson was born on 11-18-22 to President Whit Richardson and his wife, Julia. Both parents are blessed beyond their wildest dreams. |
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Saturday, May 14, 2022 And THANK YOU Past President Will Hodges for leading us in another successful fundraiser! Best tasting chickens ever!! |
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Wednesday, May 4, 2022 By Kris Hanna She is the Founder of Juvenile Offender Advocate, Inc. JOA. Julita was sponsored by Sarah McKinney. |
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Wednesday, April 13, 2022 Charlie Upchurch, president of Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty, said that in a healthy real estate market, single-family houses stay on the market for an average of six months. Currently, houses are on the market for less than a month before they are quickly purchased. Fewer single-family homes are being built. There were 362 permits issued in Clarke and Oconee counties last year, down from 593 in 2020 and 684 in 2019. In 2017, there were 224 listings per month. Sales averaged 100 a month. In 2021, only 114 houses were listed per month, and 108 were sold each month. On Dec. 31, there were 68 active single-family listings in Athens. On the same date in 2008, there were 829. The average sales price increased 22.7 percent in 2021, compared to a 50.7 percent increase over the last four years. Charlie said that it is not necessary to advertise individual houses. Sometimes, homes are sold within a matter of days of being listed. Often, buyers pay above the asking price. |
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Tuesday, April 5, 2022 When opportunity knocks, be ready. That applies to college baseball, which is a rare privilege. Often, would-be players work diligently, with no positive reinforcement. It is human nature to ease up. Georgia Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin has seen many times how players who started out working hard have slacked off in the face of no rewards. He told Rotarians that hard work is no guarantee that the opportunity to play will ever manifest itself. “What I can guarantee is that if you do not work hard to prepare, when the opportunity does come, you will not be prepared,” he said. Scott mentioned this in the contest of a Georgia win the night before over Georgia State. Sophomore Bryce Melear, who had played sparingly previously, came off the bench to pitch three shutdown innings. Not only did he earn the win, but he earned a trip to the series with Kentucky the following weekend. Scott said that he and many other college coaches are dealing with injuries to pitchers. “The human body was not made to throw as hard as pitchers throw today,” he said. Georgia is nationally ranked, which is not unusual in the Southeastern Conference. Five of the top six teams in the rankings at the time he spoke were SEC teams. The sixth—Texas—will be an SEC team eventually. |
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Tuesday, March 1, 2022 The Athens-Clarke County Neighborhood Leaders Program exists to bring prosperity to Athens communities, Program Director Terris Thomas told the Rotary Club of Athens. The Athens-Clarke County Commission underwrites the program, which pays neighborhood leaders in each of the prosperity zones. The neighborhood leaders receive extensive training over a three-month period to prepare for their roles. Terris said that poverty is not simply a lack of money. The working definition the organization uses states poverty “is the extent to which an individual does without resources.” One key resource is relationships. |
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Thursday, February 17, 2022 Climate change is a polarizing subject, no pun intended. Kathleen Biggins founded C-Change Conversations as a science-based, non-partisan organization to present information to the public to enable them to make informed decisions. “We talk about climate change in a way to help people understand the urgency of the issue without inflaming partisan passions,” she says. “We do that by educating people about the science and risks of climate change and by framing it not as a political issue, but as a human one.” She said that the first step of C-Change Conversations is to answer five questions: 1. How do we know it’s happening? 2. How do we know it’s being influenced by us? 3. What is the scientific consensus? 4. What are the dangers? 5. Is there hope in addressing it? The organization keeps abreast of climate developments, noting, for example, that the volcanic eruption near the Tongan Islands recently did not release significant ash into the atmosphere that could cool global temperatures. On its website, C-Change Conversations is concerned about the military buildup on the border between Russia and Ukraine, but it is also concerned about thawing permafrost in Siberia. “This makes the ground buckle, threatening critical infrastructure like roads, cities and pipelines across Siberia. To top it off, vast stores of greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane--that used to be frozen in the ground--are being released, joining manmade emissions in the atmosphere.” C-Change reports that 2021 was the sixth warmest year measured. Ocean temps broke all-time heat records for the third year in a row. Marine heat waves threaten ocean species and contribute to sea-level rise. Biggins travels the country sharing her presentation. |
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Tuesday, January 25, 2022 Caitlyn Cooper is in the tech business. Mechelle Henry is in ministry. Both are passionate about their vocations, as they indicated during talks before the Rotary Club of Athens. Caitlyn is director of business development for NetApp. She said she grew up in a political family, and she majored in political science. But over time, she grew jaded about politics. She trained to be a forensic interviewer. That entailed interviewing victims of sexual crimes, which was emotionally wrenching. Now for NetApp, she specializes in government relations, and she said every day is a different dumpster fire. Mechelle is an officer in the Salvation Army. She grew up wanting to be a writer. After finishing at Lubbock Christian College, she was in public relations for the Salvation Army in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She felt the call to seminary, and her husband joined her there. She worked in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arkansas before coming to Athens. She said the Army is different everywhere. Even though she wrote about it, her first-hand role in ministry showed her the impact of the Salvation Army. |
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Monday, January 17, 2022 Alex is a client advisor with Athens BMW. He was sponsored by Elaine Cook. |
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Thursday, December 2, 2021 Rob is the Moore Chair and Professor of Risk Management and Insurance at the UGA Terry College of Business. He was sponsored by Rich Connelly. |
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Tuesday, November 2, 2021 Cameron Jay describes himself as a true crime junkie who advocates passionately for justice. During the height of the pandemic, Cameron launched the Classic City Crime podcast. So far he has focused on the unsolved murder of Tara Baker, the 1977 murder of T.K. Hardy, and the Athens murders of 1987. He has also done a video series on Facebook about the murder in Oconee County of Elijah James Wood. In the cases of Hardy and the 1987 murders, Cameron was able to access the police files, since those cases have been closed. But in the case of Baker, because it is an unsolved murder, he had to do original research. |
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Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Sprinter Jarryd Wallace said his bronze medal in the Paralympics 200 was not representative of a 21-second race, but of a nine-year journey. At 17, Jarryd was a highly recruited middle distance runner. But post-surgical complications for compartment syndrome led to 10 surgeries and a complete loss of identity. For 18 months, he self-medicated to escape the pain. “I hit rock bottom, and I said I can’t do this on my own,” Jarryd said. “I stopped running from God. I needed to trust the Lord.” He was ready for a talk with a Wisconsin doctor. He could view amputation of his leg as an opportunity to be pain free, to run again, to have a family life. Nine years later he is pain free. Obviously, he is running again. And he is married with a 2-year-old son who wants dad to put his leg on to play. Jarryd said he was at peace in the blocks of the Tokyo race. He felt uniquely gifted and called for the race. Early in the race, he was in a pack of three who pulled away, and he knew immediately he would medal. |
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021 Miller is the Assistant Vice President Lending Officer with First American Bank. He was sponsored by Elaine Cook. |
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Tuesday, September 14, 2021 The Georgia Chamber of Commerce may be quartered in Atlanta, and it may invest significant resources in lobbying under the Gold Dome. But it is making rural revitalization a central focus. Morgan Law of the Georgia Chamber told Athens Rotarians about the American Rural Prosperity Summit. Athens will host the event Oct. 4-6. It will bring together hundreds of business leaders and elected officials who will focus on economic issues peculiar to rural areas. Raphael Bostic, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, will be the featured speaker. He recently said, “We recognize the importance of making the economy work for everyone, and this means understanding and enhancing the prospects for rural areas and smaller cities throughout the Southeast. Rural areas face challenges in broadband, workforce development, healthcare and small business recruitment. COVID only accentuated some of those challenges. |
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Tuesday, August 24, 2021 Jack Bauerle has enough Olympic memories to fill a treasure chest, not to mention the blazers, shirts, ties, whistles and assorted swag that comes with being an Olympic coach. But after the Tokyo Games, his memories of the 2020 Games contested in 2021 will go at the top of the treasure chest. Bauerle told the Rotary Club of Athens Wednesday (Aug. 18) that even with the lack of spectators and the COVID limitations, the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo were far from a disappointment. Indeed, for a variety of reasons, it went to the head of the class, ahead of 2000 in Sydney, 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. “This was my favorite because my athletes did so well,” Bauerle said. “This was a committed gang.” The first two medals in all of the Olympics were won by former UGA swimmers Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland, who won the gold and silver, respectively, in the 400-meter individual medley. Later UGA alum Hali Flickinger won the bronze in the women’s 400 IM. “Of the six medals in the 400 IM, we accounted for half of them,” Bauerle said with justifiable pride in the Georgia swim program. Bauerle admitted that he could “wax poetic” about the 400 IM. “It is arguably the toughest event,” he said, “because you are changing muscle groups.” Bauerle said that swimming at such a high level involves a lot of strategy. Kaliscz was coached to put the race away in the breaststroke leg, the third section of the race, because many of the competitors would be trying to chase him down in the freestyle. Bauerle told Litherland to stay close and then hold his breath for the last 10 yards. Bauerle said that he was able to see the winners only briefly after the race before they were whisked away for an armada of press appearances. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but I felt like a mom who had just given birth and had not had a chance to see her baby,” he said, laughing. “Nothing is as hard as giving birth.” Bauerle was overwhelmed briefly. “I have been fortunate to see some amazing things in the NCAAs and the Olympics,” he said. “I was not prepared for that feeling. I had never felt anything like it. The next three hours are still a little of a blur. When you see your athletes that happy, it is an amazing feeling.” In the few moments he was able to see Kaliscz, he noticed he was spent. “The last 15 or 20 meters, I was looking at his stroke, and I knew it better end quick because he was dying,” Bauerle said. “He could not feel his arms and legs, and when he got out, they had to hold him up. He visited a place that most swimmers never visit, which is why he won.” Not all his thrills came from watching Bulldogs win. He praised Emory engineering student Andrew Wilson, who won a relay gold. Another was Florida Gator alum Natalie Hines, who came off a two-year hiatus to win a bronze in a relay. “She has amazing roots,” said Bauerle, who recruited Hines from high school. Though not very well, obviously. “I sent an assistant coach to recruit her,” he said. “She told me that if I had come, she would have come to Georgia, which made me feel awful, because we would have won about three more national titles.” Hines had quit the sport, but was frustrated working behind a desk in Atlanta, feeling she had more to give the sport. She repeatedly called Bauerle, who failed to return her calls. Finally they connected, and he coached her leading up to the games. “I told her, you are 60 percent Georgia and 40 percent Florida,” he said. Bauerle said the Tokyo games were special also because of the reception they received. The absence of spectators in the natatorium was not even noticeable, what with team participants providing ample noise. Outside the pool, the reception was incredible. “The Japanese made it the best experience possible,” he said. “They have such respect for anything done at a high end. They are so gracious and thankful.” Bauerle said the American swimmers bonded well, which contributed to their success. At a team meeting just before competition, they were in the village surrounded by rival teams. “We sang ‘America the Beautiful’ as loudly as you could. We sent out a message immediately,” he said. He admitted that the games—he called them a pilgrimage—exhausted him, but he received a warm welcome in Atlanta, drawing television exposure at the airport. For all his success, his face is not as well known as say, Kirby Smart or Mark Richt. “All these people were gathered and the lights were shining,” he said. “I know some people were asking, ‘who is this guy?’” |
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Friday, August 20, 2021 Jim is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer with Oconee State Bank. Jim was sponsored by Dan DeLamater. |
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Saturday, August 14, 2021 Caitlyn transferred from the Rotary Club of Marietta. She was a Past President and is a Paul Harris Fellow. Caitlyn is in Business Development with NetApp. |
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Thursday, August 5, 2021 Your position on the organisation chart doesn't make you a leader. Your title doesn't make you a leader. Leadership has nothing to do with your social status, your bank account, or where you live. It's all about one life inspiring and motivating another to become the very best version of themselves. As United States President John Quincy Adams puts it, "if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." |
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Tuesday, July 13, 2021 Incoming President Sarah McKinney was named the Rotarian of the Year by outgoing President Carl Blount. President Carl opened the meeting, and President Sarah closed the meeting, which also recognized three more Rotarians. Mike Dekle received the club’s Lee Arrendale Vocational Excellence Award. Mike has demonstrated vocational excellence as an insurance executive, real estate developer and songwriter. The Charlie Ostick Workhorse Award went to Alison McCullick. President Carl cited her consistent work this year for the club. Past President Rhett Butler received the Stubbs Ethics Award. President Carl noted that Rhett’s high standards are evident to all who interact with him. President Sarah commended Carl for his leadership during the pandemic, shepherding the club through some rough waters. “You stepped in with calmness, consistency and tremendous leadership,” she said. “We needed it in our community. We can all model ourselves after you.” President Carl and his bride Elizabeth will enjoy a dinner at The National courtesy of the club, and he was particularly delighted to receive a piece of Athens history from Blaine Williams, a baseball bat made by Hanna Batrite. |
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Wednesday, June 30, 2021 President Carl Blount was dealt a difficult hand this year as president of the Rotary Club of Athens. He began his time in the midst of a global pandemic. Before the year was over, he had come out of the closet, so to speak. In many of his Zoom meetings, his closet was the best place in his house to conduct a meeting. By the end of the year, the club was back to meeting mostly in person, though there are still some members who attend by Zoom. Running a hybrid meeting offered some challenges of its own, but he managed to keep a level head. District Gov. Tina Fischlin made her official visit by Zoom, but after the meetings opened up, she made an extra visit to the club. The club managed to complete a successful Polar Plunge, even virtually, with the money aiding the Boys and Girls Club of Athens. President Carl will be at the dais for the last time as the club’s president before Sarah McKinney takes the gavel. It is hoped that she will not have to deal with the same challenges that President Carl handled so well. |
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Tuesday, June 22, 2021 By her own accounts, Nicole Cavanagh is tough in her role as program coordinator for Felony Drug Court in the Athens-Clarke County. “But I lose all street cred at the graduation ceremonies,” she admitted to the Rotary Club of Athens. She was part of a panel that shared some of the key aspects of the various accountability courts in the Western Judicial Circuit. Judge Eric Norris said that the Rotary Four-Way Test is a core tenet for the courts, which seek to direct criminals into treatment programs to redirect them into productive lifestyles. Retired Judge David Sweat sad, “We hear things like, ‘thank you for giving me my dad back’. We see folks that are ready to die, and they leave excited to get up every day.” Others on the panel included Lee Rushton, director of the DUI/Drug Court; Kristen Daniel, coordinator of the Treatment and Accountability Court; Danny Stevens, coordinator of Family Treatment Court; and Buck Harris, coordinator of Veterans Court. Judge Sweat said that he used to ask convicted criminals, “What were you thinking?” But he said he discovered that a better question to ask was, “What happened to you?” “Trauma is a huge factor,” he said. “Confinement as a punitive model did not make people better.” Buck Harris said that he often sees veterans who have abused substances because of minimum impairment. They are often embarrassed that they have gotten into trouble. Danny Stevens said that parents get treatment so that they can be reunited with their children. Most of his clients are women, and 90 percent of them have experienced sexual trauma. Many have been using drugs or alcohol since they were teens, so they have to learn how to manage life without such substances. Nicole said that she hears from the clients that accountability court is harder than doing time. |
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Saturday, December 31, 2022 Assistant District Governor Cheryl Legette and Member Develon Davis delivered dictionaries to Davd C. Barrow Elementary. They were part of many Rotarians that delivered dictionaries to every student in the 3rd grade at Athens Clarke County schools. #ServiceAboveSelf |
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Thursday, December 8, 2022 Luis Santos of Brazil said his goodbyes to the Rotary Club of Athens. Luis participated in GRSP. Unlike most students, he arrived in the winter semester, which gave him the opportunity to get to know students from two GRSP classes. He had particular thanks for Ron Seib and family, who hosted him. He shared with eh club some of his experiences during his stay at the University of Georgia. |
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Thursday, December 1, 2022 He is the Chief of the Athens Clarke County Police Department. Jerry was sponsored by Toby Chapeau. |
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Monday, November 28, 2022 She is the CEO and Founder of Get Stemulated. Monique was sponsored by Whit Richardson. |
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Tuesday, November 22, 2022 Rotarians who were veterans of military service were recognized in connection with Veterans Day. |
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Monday, October 31, 2022 Club members David Hamilton, Whit Richardson, Dick Hudson, Will Hodges, Develon Davis and Ralph Johnson joined forces at Project Safe on Day of Caring to help with a clean-up project. |
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Sunday, October 30, 2022 Develon is the Regional Business Executive with Peach State Federal Credit Union. He was sponsored by Michele Pearson Tucker. |
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Wednesday, October 26, 2022 Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz updated his fellow Rotarians on the state of capital projects underway in Athens. Kelly said that planning starts with analysis of pertinent data. For road paving, high-tech digital surveys can evaluate the condition of existing paving, even beneath the surface. Crash frequency and crash severity are used to evaluate intersection improvements. For bicycle and pedestrian lanes, destination mapping and latent demand are considered. Among the projects he highlighted were:
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Thursday, October 13, 2022 Sally is the Executive Director of Envision Athens. She was nominated by Jeff Petrea. |
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Wednesday, October 12, 2022 By Kris Hanna Sheldon is the Commanding Officer (Pastor & Administrator) of The Salvation Army of Athens. He transferred from the Rotary Club of Cheat Lake in Morgantown, West Virginia. |
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022 Georgia Power has been supplying the state’s power needs for 140 years. Understandably, it has changed with the times. Company CEO Chris Womack said he is optimistic about the state’s future, but there are challenges ahead. “I am bullish on the state,” he said. “A lot of great things are going on.” He said that the success of the state’s sports teams—primarily the Atlanta Braves and the Georgia football team—has had a huge economic impact on the state. The state has added 200,000 residents in the last two years. The unemployment rate is 2.8 percent, 2.7 percent in Savannah and 2.6 percent in Athens. But Womack says there will be labor shortages in the future. Georgia Power cooperates with the state in recruiting new companies for Georgia. More than 350 projects have contributed $21 billion to the state’s economy. How the federal government tries to manage inflation will impact the nation’s economy. The trend towards electric vehicles will demand a commitment to meeting infrastructure needs. The company has remained a pioneer in utilizing nuclear power, but it has not been without stress. Still, nuclear will assist the company in its efforts to reach a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050. Solar energy will be part of meeting that goal, but batteries will be utilized more as well. |
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Monday, September 19, 2022 He transferred from the Rotary Club of Covington. Mark is retired from Non Profit Leadership. |
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Tuesday, August 30, 2022 Sally Kimel-Sheppard has come a long way since growing up in North Carolina, where her grandfather grew tobacco. Now she is the new executive director of Envision Athens. She stepped into the position after Athens Rotarian Erin Barger transitioned to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Sally earned her degree at Appalachian State, which for a brief time led the Georgia football team 3-0 in a 2013 game. She has the scoreboard picture to prove it. The Mountaineers were competitive in the first quarter, but Georgia pulled away for a 45-6 win. Sally started out working for the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, but switched to the non-profit world, where she felt she was a better fit. She was the executive director of The Cottage, a sexual assault center and advocacy center for children. Envision Athens champions myriad community endeavors to address pressing social-service needs. Mental health, food insecurity, workforce development: these are the iceberg tips. |
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Wednesday, August 17, 2022 By Kris Hanna He has retired from AECOM. Dan was sponsored by Lindsey Henkel. |
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Tuesday, August 9, 2022 John Staton is all about Georgia football now, but he grew up conflicted.
His grandfather played for Georgia Tech, but his mother was from Athens. He cheered for whichever team was doing better. Now Staton is involved with the Classic City Collective and helps spearhead the DGD Fund, which assists college athletes with charity efforts. Staton had no scholarship offers, so he walked on at Samford, where he first cracked the special teams, and later became a starter at linebacker. After COVID, he transferred to Georgia, where he again walked on. He started on special teams when Georgia beat Alabama 33-18 to claim the national title. The DGD Fund allows players to use their platform to give back to the community. Among the causes helped by the DGD Fund are Happy Feat, the Boys and Girls Club, the ALS Association, mental health and suicide awareness, and the American Brain Tumor Association. |
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Thursday, August 4, 2022 He is the Chief Assistant Solicitor in the office of the solicitor general for Athens-Clarke county. Will was sponsored by Rich Connelly. |
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Tuesday, July 26, 2022 Georgia continues to hold an enviable position for commerce, but Seth Millican,executive director of the Georgia Transportation Alliance, said that the state must continue to invest in its transportation infrastructure to capitalize. The state boasts the world’s busiest airport and the largest container port on the East Coast, plus the second-largest port for vehicle imports and exports. Savannah has blown past projections of 8 million containers by 2028.Now it looks like 10 million by 2025. “One in 10 jobs in Georgia are directly related to the work that happens in Savannah,” Millican told Athens Rotarians. Three key questions loom: what infrastructure should the state build, how much will it cost and how will it be paid for? The shutdown in 2020 from COVID-19 accelerated the trend to e-commerce, compressing 10 years of growth into six months. Unknowns that must be confronted are the shortage of truck drivers, the price of fuel and further technological changes. |
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Wednesday, July 20, 2022 When WREX News 13 Reporter Destin Howard covered a hostage situation recently, he had a unique perspective to offer. Destin is the son of Clarke County Deputy Tony Howard, who was shot May 22, 2011 while he was a policeman with Athens-Clarke County. “I was in the fifth grade when it happened,” Destin Howard said recently. “It was definitely a scary time. It was something that I did not know how to react to. I had never seen anything like it.” Howard was shot in the face by Jamie Hood, who also shot and killed Buddy Christian. Hood is serving a prison sentence. Howard faced a long rehab, but he was able to return to law enforcement. When Destin was ready to go to college, the Rotary Club of Athens helped the Howard family with scholarship funds. He went to Savannah State because, like a lot of young people, he wanted to get away from home. “The Rotary Club was a big help for me to even know that I would be able to go to college,” he said. As of Memorial Day, Destin Howard is a reporter for News 13 in Rockford, Illinois, an NBC affiliate. His career goal is to be a morning host on a television news show. His experience with his father being shot does indeed give him an understanding of how crime victims and their families feel. “I have a little more empathy,” he said. “I know what the victim and the family is going through. Until it happens to you, you can’t really understand it.” Rockford, Illinois, is about 90 minutes north of Chicago. “I am still trying to meet people here,” he said. “I love my job. I love what I do every day.” |
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Monday, July 18, 2022 Steve transferred from the Rotary Club of Greene & Putnam Counties. He is retired from Ernst & Young, LLP. |
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Saturday, July 9, 2022 ONE YEAR Rhett Butler Peggy Galis Alison McCullick Kalki Yalamanchili THREE YEARS Karen Baldwin Blake Giles Dean Mannheimer Andrew Moore Michele Pearson Tucker Whit Richardson FOUR YEARS Gary Bertsch Sarah McKinney Matthew McRae, III FIVE YEARS Jane Kidd SIX YEARS Carl Blount EIGHT YEARS Mickey Hotcaveg Rick Parker TEN YEARS Philip Bettendorf ELEVEN YEARS Kris Hanna FOURTEEN YEARS Sean Rogers FIFTEEN YEARS Carol Williams EIGHTEEN YEARS Chery Legette NINETEEN YEARS Toby Chapeau TWENTY TWO YEARS Edd Lowe TWENTY SIX YEARS Willie Bolton TWENTY SEVEN YEARS George Huban Dick Hudson TWENTY EIGHT YEARS Frances Williams TWENTY NINE YEARS Bob Booth THIRTY ONE YEARS Rubielen Norris THIRTY TWO YEARS Len Sapera |
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Tuesday, June 21, 2022 Not everyone has been able to keep up with the internet explosion. Venessa Harrison, president of AT&T Georgia, told Athens Rotarians that the company is committed to closing the “digital divide.” Millions of Americans struggle to pay for internet service. Thirty years ago, the internet was something of a luxury in American homes, but it has been adopted faster than almost any technology. Only mobile phones have been adopted by the general population at a faster pace. The internet is certainly not a luxury. Even before the pandemic, students needed connectivity to keep up with lessons. It was absolutely essential when schools went to remote learning when schools closed. What the pandemic added, of course, was more distance work, as many people left the office to work from their home. So addressing the digital divide is a critical theme for AT&T. Harrison said that neither private industry nor the government could do this alone. It will require a public/private partnership. A year ago AT&T announced that it was committing $2 billion over the next three years to expand internet and broadband access. “Broadband is essential,” Harrison said. The company introduced Access from AT&T, which makes the internet more affordable for qualifying households with wireline internet service at $10 per month, or less. There are no contracts or installation fees. AT&T is opening Connected Learning Centers. They are housed in organizations that support some of the nation’s most vulnerable students and families. Georgia will have five such centers. AT&T participates in the new federal Affordable Connectivity Program, which lowers the monthly cost of broadband service for eligible customers. Harrison said access is not the only issue. Many people lack digital literacy skills to use existing access. The company sponsors programs for seniors to teach them how to use the internet. Harrison said that public safety remains a priority for the company as well. Harrison started with the company as a telephone operator. She is now one of the 100 most influential Georgians. |
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Friday, June 3, 2022 Norm Baldwin discovered a long time ago the fascination that people have with leadership. He maintains that some of that fascination needs to be directed to followership. Norm, husband of quarterly program chair Karen Baldwin, talked with Rotarians about what he wrote about in his book, Winning at Following: Secrets to Success in Supporting Roles. Americans have inflated perceptions of the role of leaders in a successful operation in all sectors of culture,” he wrote in his book. He has been called on as a consultant to evaluate problems on the corporate front. There are at least a double handful of issues that can be the culprit, but often it is the leader who is held responsible. Norm said that the contemporary emphasis on power sharing and decentralized decision-making in an increasingly democratic world add more checks and balances on a leader’s independent power. Norm saw first-hand how leadership can be undone by other forces, citing the example of his nephew, Derek Dooley, whose short tenure as the head coach at the University of Tennessee was undone by incredibly bad fortune. The story had a happy ending for Dooley, however, who has continued to coach. He is now on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama as an analyst. In his book, he quoted others who have noted the outsize focus on leadership. Barbara Kellerman of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government said, “To fixate on leaders at the expense of followers is misguided, even mistaken. The latter are every bit as consequential as the former.” James Rosenau of George Washington University said, “Followership is of such importance that often it is not clear who is leading and who is following.” And Robert Kelly of Carnegie Mellon University said, “Leaders contribute on average no more than 20 percent to the success of most organizations. Followers are critical to the remaining 80 percent.” |
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022 In the not-too-distant past, the idea of excavating old graves in the name of historical research seemed like a reasonable idea. No more, Tom Gresham told Athens Rotarians. Ancient graves deserve the same respect that recent burials do, he said. “American Indians were furious that we were digging up their graves,” he said. New legislation in 1992 codified that graves are not there for the taking. When cemeteries must be moved, archaeologists must be involved in the process. It requires a written plan, public hearings and notification of nearest kinfolk as much as possible. Gresham specializes in cemetery archaeology. He talked about four cemeteries in the local area. When Bear Creek Reservoir was built, the shoreline came to a cemetery. A funeral home was supervised during the two-year exhumation process. Stone markers were placed at the new location in Winder. No graves were disturbed at the Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery near North Avenue and 4th Street. They were able to map the cemetery and clean it up some. There were no graves exhumed in the Brooklyn Cemetery, which is near Clarke Middle School. A 1950 aerial photo helped them identify the boundaries. Graves near Baldwin Hall on the University of Georgia campus were moved. Gresham said almost certainly there are graves under the building. The graves were unique to the South, in that there was a shallow hole, with a deeper hole in the center of the grave where the coffin would fit. Then boards were placed over the coffin. Gresham said that practice was found in West Africa, suggesting that slaves brought the practice with them. |
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Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Johnelle is an Attorney with Fortson, Bentley and Griffin, PA. He was sponsored by Kevin Lang. |
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Tuesday, May 3, 2022 Roberto Perdisci warned Rotarians that cybersecurity threats come in various shapes and sizes . An associate professor at the University of Georgia, Roberto said that most people are aware of viruses and the like that attempt to damage a computer. But he focused instead on attacks against people. “Their goal is to trick you into doing something that you would not ordinarily do,” he said. Technical-support scams are very common. Messages purport to alert the computer user that a threat has been detected on their computer. Toll-free numbers are generally tied to an office where people will try to gather sensitive information, such as bank account numbers. Lottery-gift scams are also common. |
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Friday, April 8, 2022 Nat is the owner of Superior Air Management. He was sponsored by Jen Welborn. |
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Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Tiffany is the CEO/Founder of Worthy In God. She was sponsored by Rashe Malcom. |
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Tuesday, March 22, 2022 Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz, a fellow Rotarian, said Athens may have been “winded at times” by the social and emotional tsunami that was COVID-19, but came through it. “We can take stock in the wealth of resources in front of us as well as the way we have taken care of each other the last 24 months.” He said, “We had the lowest mortality rate of an urbanized area in the state and simultaneously experienced tremendous economic vitality.” He said building permits set a record in 2021: $315 million. |
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Tuesday, March 8, 2022 University of Georgia President Jere Morehead embraced normalcy and a natty when he visited the Rotary Club of Athens. The normalcy refers to a more routine campus experience after the two-year pandemic. The natty, of course, is Georgia’s football championship claimed in Indianapolis on January 10 with a 33-18 victory over nemesis Alabama. President Morehead said that the school received a record number of applications—39,000—before the outcome of the national title game. Current enrollment is about 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students. He said 88 percent get their degree within six years, and 72 percent within four years. Two-thirds of the graduates stay in the state after they finish. President Morehead highlighted the Innovation District. Its goals are to accelerate research commercialization, increase experiential learning opportunities, expand collaboration between the university and industry, elevate public and private investment and connect campus and community entrepreneurs and innovators. “The Delta Innovation Hub will keep growing,” he said. “We are excited to see where it will take the community.” Fund raising continues to be successful. UGA now has 327 named, endowed chairs. The state has been generous in its funding, and last year saw another $200 million raised from donors. The university has adopted a new tagline: Powerhouse in Academics and Athletics. |
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Tuesday, February 22, 2022 Luis Santos captivated the Rotary Club of Athens as he introduced himself. Luis is at the University of Georgia as part of the Georgia Rotary Student Program. Ron Seib is his Athens Rotary host. Luis said that everything is gigantic in the United States, compared to Brazil, his native country. He also has been impressed by the fervor that college sports generate. “One thing that is different here is how much you really love your university,” he said. He also said that there are more research opportunities in U.S. higher ed than in Brazil. Luis is from Maringá, Brazil, which is in the South region of the country. It is noted for a lot of European immigration. He is interested in computer science. His courses at UGA include management for entrepreneurial ventures, introduction to entrepreneurship, principles of fintech and Python programming. He did not arrive to the school in time to attend a football game, but he did go to the national championship celebration at Sanford Stadium. He has also attended UGA basketball games. |
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Thursday, January 20, 2022 By Kris Hanna We now have a NEW body of water that is safe, where a bunch of us can go and at least “chicken dip”! Thanks to the McRae Family, we will plunge at Barbara’s Manor. Located at 1672 Archer Grove School Road, we will be “Freezin’ for a Reason” just minutes from our regular location. There is a lake on the property for everyone to plunge! We are comin’ in hot on our goal to raise $25K! https://plungefest.athensgarotaryclub.org/ See you lake side on February 5th! |
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Tuesday, January 18, 2022 Information is king. The Athens Wellbeing Project assembles current, relevant information about the local community to help community agencies and groups make well-informed, strategic decisions. Grace Bagwell Adams is the principal investigator for Athens Wellbeing Project. Using surveys and other demographic sources, AWP provides a comprehensive snapshot of the community’s unique needs and assets. Secondary data can only provide so much information, so AWP augments that with surveys of local residents. The data collection focuses on five domains: Civic vitality Community safety Health Housing Lifelong learning The AWP seeks to facilitate an integration of planning and activities of local institutions, organizations, and community stakeholders through the collection and sharing of primary, representative data with greater geographic specificity. She brought copies of her latest survey with her and encouraged Rotarians to participate. The survey is also available online at www.athenswellbeingproject.org. |
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Monday, January 10, 2022 By Kris Hanna Len Sapera PHF plus 3, Danielle Barron Benson PHF, Kris Hanna PHF plus 2 and Richard L Boone Sr. PHF plus 2. |
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Sunday, December 12, 2021 By Kris Hanna Friday and Saturday Salvation Army Bell Ringing at Kroger on Epps Bridge Parkway and Sam's Club. |
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Tuesday, December 7, 2021 John is the CEO of Athens Research and Technology. He transferred from the Rotary Club of Hall County. |
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Tuesday, November 30, 2021 The Office of Service Learning melds classroom and service on the University of Georgia campus. Josh Podvin, Andie Bisceglia and Marcus Merme shared various aspects of the service activities in Athens. Andie said that relieving food insecurity is a major thrust. They collect about a thousand pounds of food a week, from Trader’s Joes and other retailers. The Ugarden also provides produce. Student cooks utilizing local kitchens at churches, prepare meals for families and homeless residents. |
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Wednesday, November 10, 2021 A family of nine will benefit from a partnership between the Rotary Club of Athens and the Athens Area Habitat for Humanity. Local Habitat Vice President Charles Smith said he was looking forward to “jumping in the lake” at the annual plungefest in February. The club has committed $20,000 toward the renovation of a Habitat house that will house a family with seven children, which is larger than most Habitat families. Charles revealed some interesting facts about Athens Area Habitat, whose motto is, “We attempt to do what no one else is doing.” Nationwide, Habitat is the country’s 15th largest builder. Athens has two Restores, and the proceeds benefit local Habitat construction projects. In advance of the 2008 recession, the local Habitat purchased 16 apartment units. Athens now has 46 rental units. The rents range from $300 to $424 a month. Habitat provides zero-interest mortgages, so the monthly payment on an $80,000 home is $267 plus insurance and taxes. They have made 90 mortgage loans. Habitat has built two LEED homes, which is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The homes feature solar panels and extra insulation among other innovations. A study with Georgia Tech demonstrated that Habitat home owners rely less on public assistance and have greater confidence in funding college educations for children. Athens Habitat is partnering with Ready Mix Concrete to build a house with insulated concrete forms, which will lower utility bills dramatically. Charles cited some success stories. He told of a woman who had been in a homeless shelter with her three children, fleeing the threat of domestic violence. She did volunteer work at the Restore. She invested the sweat equity to build her own home. She is now the assistant manager of the Restore and was with Charles at the meeting. Another woman was a foster child who aged out of the system and lived in her car for a while. She rented from Habitat, before entering the home ownership program. But she got a job that now pays her too much money to qualify. “We love those success stories,” said Charles. |
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Thursday, November 4, 2021 Lindsay is an Outpatient Pharmacist with VAMC. She was nominated by Kalki Yalamanchili. |
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Friday, October 15, 2021 Danielle is the Vice President and Designer with Candid Construction Services. She was sponsored by Len Sapera. |
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Saturday, September 18, 2021 District 6910 has recruited Rotary Club of Athens Past President Elaine Cook to chair the district CART Program. “Her passion for healthcare makes her an exceptional champion for the cause of raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and fundraising for research and treatments,” said a District spokesperson. Elaine is featured on the District 6910 web page, which reveals that she has a degree in art and in 1978 taught art in Haiti at Ecole Sainte-Trinité. Elaine presided during the club’s 100th anniversary. The anniversary celebration turned out to be the last meeting of the club before the shutdown for the pandemic. |
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Tuesday, September 7, 2021 Frank Ros’s story is well known. He was the immigrant from Spain who played on a national championship football team and later became a successful executive with Coca-Cola. Less well known is the story of his father. Frank shared stories with the Rotary Club of Athens about three of the leaders in his life who helped him become a leader: his father, Georgia Coach Vince Dooley and Coca-Cola Senior Vice-President Earl Leonard. Frank was born near Barcelona, Spain. His father brought the family to the United States when he was 5 years old. He remembers the statue of Christopher Columbus in the Barcelona harbor, pointing to the New World. And he remembers standing on the deck of the ship as the passed the Statue of Liberty. “Americans don’t understand,” he said. “It is a beacon of hope and freedom and opportunity. That was all my dad wanted, was an opportunity.” Mr. Ros had wanted to be a medical doctor as a young man. But he crossed Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain. Mr. Ros and some friends in college published a newsletter with information from the outside world that was not generally known. The state imprisoned him for two years. Frank did not learn until years later that on his father’s first day of imprisonment, guards broke both of his knees. “He was very principled,” Frank said. “He believed that self-preservation was no excuse for bending principles. He was a servant leader before people started using that term.” Mr. Ros became a mechanical engineer, which led to his career in Greenville, South Carolina, where young Frank discovered football. He grew up a Gamecock fan and would have gone to school there except for the persistent recruiting of Georgia, led by Frank Inman. There he encountered Coach Dooley. He learned from him to never make an important decision on emotions. Frank was one of five players who stole a pig from the UGA Swine Center. Dooley first said he was of a mind to expel the five guilty parties: Ros, captain of the team; Scott Woerner, all-American cornerback; Nat Hudson, all-star guard; Chris Welton, academic All-American; and Hugh Nall, starting center. But after sleeping on it, Dooley instead made the players pay for the pig, pay for their summer school, and paint the cinderblock wall that surrounded the practice field. Twice. Frank met Earl Leonard at Coca-Cola, where Frank was brought on to manage the growing Hispanic market. “He taught me how to manage relationships,” Frank said. “You can always accomplish a lot more together than you can by yourself.” Answering questions, Frank said that Herschel Walker was by far the greatest running back he ever saw. “He is my brother,” he said. When Walker decided to run for Senate, Frank told him that he could call day or night. “He took that quite literally,” he laughed. |
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Tuesday, August 31, 2021 The Carl Vinson Institute finds its mission inspiration from no-less than the founding fathers.
Rob Gordon, CVI director, told the Rotary Club of Athens that it seeks to be objective and non-partisan. The spirit of this mission was voiced by President George Washington, when he took the unprecedented act of stepping down from the presidency after two terms. Washington said this: “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to the spirit of the party is itself a frightful despotism. The common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of the party are sufficient to make it in the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.” Washington recognized that the differences of opinion between parties are problematic. James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers: “The instability, injustice and confusion introduced into the public councils, have in truth been the moral diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished.” Madison said that “justice and the general good” must be the guiding principles. The Carl Vinson Institute will not likely be involved in redistricting, as that is an inherently political process. But it is involved in increasing broadband access across the state. |
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Monday, August 23, 2021 Bryan is a Partner with Jackson Spalding. He was sponsered by Phil Bettendorf and Jane Kidd. |
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Saturday, August 21, 2021 Joe is the Executive Director of the Clarke County Mentor Program. He was sponsored by Brandon Ashley. |
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Thursday, August 19, 2021 By Kris Hanna Travis is the Vice President of Operations for Athens at Pellicano Construction. Travis was nominated by member Carl Blount. |
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Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Area legislators said that Georgia’s new election law makes it easier to vote, not more difficult. Sens. Frank Ginn and Bill Cowsert and Reps. Marcus Wiedower, Houston Gaines and Spence Frye addressed the Athens and Classic City Rotary clubs at a legislative forum at the Classic Center. Tim Bryant of WGAU moderated the event. Frank Ginn said, “There has been a lot of media attention on things that are not in that bill.” Marcus Wiedower said, “There are a lot of ideas that got floated that were absolutely ridiculous.” Houston Gaines said, “We made it easier to vote. We added days of early voting.” Spencer Frye said, “We mandated drop boxes, but we limited the hours to when the election office is open. That takes away the convenience of a drop box. We can do better than this.” Bill Cowsert said there were two narratives that drove reform: those who believed the election was stolen, and those who cried voter suppression. He said the voter ID rule simplifies the verification of absentee ballots. As for not passing out water to voters in line, he said that political parties were using that as a loophole to push their agendas on voters at the last minute. “We have always had rules that you cannot campaign within 150 feet of the polls,” he said. Other items covered: The Western Judicial Circuit will not separate Clarke and Oconee counties. The Board of Regents is empowered to grant status as a separate campus to the Medical Partnership at UGA. Cowsert said the campus is large enough to be fully accredited. A homeless encampment in Athens is a bad idea, said Gaines and Wiedower. The legislators offered various ideas about reducing crime and improving policing. |
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Monday, July 26, 2021 Jay Markwalter, president and CEO of the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, is accustomed to touting communities as great places to visit. But he also touts Athens as a great place to live. Jay earned a bachelor’s degree from the UGA Terry College of Business, booked bands at Allen’s Hamburgers in Normaltown and married at First Presbyterian Church. Jay said that the No. 1 job of his association is to protect the hotel/motel tax, to make sure it is used as it was intended, that is, to promote tourism in the state. He said to look at those visitors as temporary taxpayers who enhance a community by their presence. Nationally, hospitality and tourism is a trillion-dollar enterprise. In Georgia, it is a $59 billion annual industry. Of course, the pandemic shutdown had a direct impact on travel, which came to a virtual standstill. In 2019, before the pandemic, the state entertained 151 million domestic visitors and 1.4 million international visitors. The industry is on the rebound. He said the “Ready, Set, Go Safely” emphasis helped champion the return of visitors. Jay said that Athens offers 2,700 hotel rooms, 300,000 square feet of meeting space at the Classic Center. In a normal year, the Classic Center drives 80,000 room nights a year. Athens has hosted as many as 6,000 visitors at one time. He noted that the completion of the Classic Center arena in 2023 will add another 90,000 room nights a year. Jay had high praise for Katie Williams, CVB director in Athens. “You have a rock star,” he said. “She is also my boss.” Jay said that each community organizes its CVB outreach differently. Nearby Oglethorpe County, for example, has a one-person staff. Sometimes downtown development authorities of Main Street groups promote tourism. |
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Saturday, July 17, 2021 Changing the world seems pretty overwhelming, but Rodney Bullard said that anyone and everyone can change the three feet around them. Rodney, vice president for corporate social responsibility at Chick-fil-A, took a cue from his preacher father and asked Rotarians and visitors to join hands across the room as a symbol of their sphere of influence. “How can you change the world?” he asked. “That is a big question, but you can impact the three feet around you. Where is your proverbial three feet? How are you going to be a hero? What is your obligation to be a hero?” Rodney wrote a book, Heroes Wanted: Why the World Needs You to Live Your Heart Out. One of his earliest heroes was a diminutive first-grade teacher, Mrs. Janie Adams. She was smaller than Rodney was in the first grade. He was behind his peers in reading, but Mrs. Adams tutored him the summer after his first-grade year. By the end of the summer, he was two to three grades ahead of his peers. An attorney by training, Rodney met Dan Cathey. Rodney had always been impressed with Chick-fil-A, once writing it down as one of ten corporations he would like to work with. His interaction with Cathey in plans to impact a west Atlanta community led to his present position. |
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Thursday, July 8, 2021 Niki transferred from the Rotary Club of Wendell, North Carolina. He is the Assistant Manager of Athens-Clarke County Unifed Government. |
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Wednesday, July 7, 2021 By Kris Hanna Julie is an Insurance Advisor with Agent's Marketing Group. Julie was sponsored by Rubielen Norris. |
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Tuesday, June 29, 2021 President Jimmy Carter’s Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan was a three-time survivor of cancer, before he succumbed the fourth time. But before his death, he helped start an impetus to bring world-class cancer care to Georgia. Dr. Lynn Durham, president and CEO of Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education, said that great things are happening in Georgia. She said she is alive as a three-time survivor herself because of the great care available here now. She encouraged Rotarians to get their regular screenings, buy state license plate for cancer treatment, join the advocacy council, participate in clinical trials, donate to the research fund on Georgia state income tax returns (line 32), advocate to legislators for more funds, or donate to CORE directly. She also paid tribute to two former Athens Rotarians: the late Hank Huckaby and the late Dan Blitch. |
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Friday, June 18, 2021 to our "Better Than Ever" fellow Rotarian, Bill Flatt! |
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Wednesday, June 9, 2021 Red Cross Athens Rotarians were reminded of the vital community services provided by the local office of the American Red Cross. Club member Marlon Trone pointed out the two-pronged focus of the Red Cross: disaster response and preparedness and biomedical services. Marlon said that COVID was a factor in the increase in fire fatalities in the state. There was an increase in at-home cooking, which led to more fires. In fiscal year 2016, there were 18 fatalities from fires in Georgia. That was down to seven in FY 2019. It was back up to 11 in 2020. The Red Cross used virtual meetings to make 170 homes safer in 2020. The Pillowcase Campaign reached 437 young people in four counties. Prepare with Pedro reached 714 youth in five counties. The blood services program is critical to the biomedical efforts. The local chapter encompasses 24 counties in Northeast Georgia. It collects about 50,000 units a year. Statewide, about 200,000 units of blood are collected. Each unit of blood can potentially help three patients. The Red Cross has taken a lead in closing the sickle cell gap. While the Red Cross seeks a diversified blood supply, only about 3 percent comes from African-American donors. Sickle cell treatment is enhanced, however, by donors from the same ethnic or genetic backgrounds. |
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Friday, May 21, 2021 Cheryl McCormick is thrilled when she looks ahead to the future of the Athens Area Humane Society, scheduled to occupy new facilities later this summer. Cheryl shared with the Rotary Club of Athens some history and some photos of the current facility on Mars Hill Road in Oconee County. It is crowded, features bad acoustics for people and animals, has inadequate parking, and has drainage issues to deal with. But she praised the staff and volunteers who have not complained but still carried out the work of the facility. The new building will feature a large surgery suite (itself larger than the current facility), generous housing for animals and a delightful environment. Borrowing from other facilities, the design will feature lots of glass. The Humane Society will be able to provide a surgery venue for students at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Every student will cycle through a three-week surgical rotation to gain some valuable experience before graduating. The new 15,000-square-foot building will cost $4.25 million. A generous gift kick-started the fund campaign. |
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Friday, May 14, 2021 The Medical Partnership/Athens Free Mobile Clinic was recently the recipient of a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Athens. The donation will go help further the clinic’s mission to combat COVID-19—the clinic began testing in April of 2020 and started administering vaccines in February 2021. Pictured from left are Campus Dean Dr. Shelley Nuss and Medical Director of MP Mobile/Athens Free Clinic Dr. Suzanne Lester. |
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Thursday, May 13, 2021 Randolph Russell said that Americans do not know their history. Rather than throw up his hands, he decided to try to do something. Russell told the Rotary Club of Athens last week that Americans’ ignorance of their own heritage might be comical if it were not sad. A musician by trade—as demonstrated with a sax solo at the end of the program—Russell wrote American History in No Time: A Quick & Easy Read for the Basics. It condenses the history of the nation into digestible pieces. The essential information is all there, he says. He is hopeful that the state of Alabama will make it a standard textbook in its classrooms. |
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Tuesday, April 27, 2021 The year 1968 was full of tragedy, so the nation embraced the success of the Apollo 8 mission that ended the year. NASA’s Sean Dunn visited virtually with the Rotary Club of Athens last week to remember the Apollo 8 mission, which was not without some drama. 1968 started with North Korea capturing the USS Pueblo and its crew. The Tet offensive in Vietnam changed the narrative about the Vietnam War. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated. A devastating mine explosion in West Virginia killed 361 miners. There was even a pandemic: the Hong King flu. The Apollo 8 mission did not land on the moon, but it was the first mission to travel to the moon and back. The crew included Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders. During the flight, Lovell was supposed to use the stars to help navigate, but space dust made it difficult to distinguish the stars. Tests of the space propulsion system left some doubt as to whether it would work when needed. Borman also had nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It was feared he had Hong Kong. A committee to consider the space propulsion system considered whether to scrap the mission, while a separate committee considered the same decision related to Borman’s condition. Separately, each committee decided to proceed. Later, it was determined that Borman had space adaptation syndrome, a first for American astronauts. On previous Mercury and Gemini missions, they had not had the same freedom of movement in the capsules. The earthrise photo was taken by the crew. Nature photographer Galen Rowell declared it “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken.” Anders said, “This is incredible. We travel 230,000 miles to study the moon, and in reality we come to a new appreciation of Earth.” Being aloft on Christmas eve, the astronauts elected to read from the Genesis 1, the Bible’s creation account. The space propulsion system proved to work effectively. Otherwise, they would have circled the moon forever, and the nation might not have returned. They lost radio contact when they circled the moon. The tension was palpable in Houston, but they were relieved when they received a message, “Houston, please be advised, there is a Santa Claus.” They discovered that three turkey dinners had been hidden in their lockers for enjoyment on Christmas Day. Sean Dunn said that the space shuttle the International Space Station have supplanted return missions to the moon. |
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Wednesday, March 31, 2021 Not surprisingly, polio had a dramatic impact on Franklin Roosevelt’s life, said Amy Bracewell, a National Parks superintendent at the Roosevelt homeplace in Hyde Park, New York. But Amy said she is always learning new facts about the Roosevelts as she carries out her official duties. Unfortunately, the public is not able to visit the historic homes on the property because of the pandemic. Amy explained that the preservation of the homes precludes the use of harsh chemicals. FDR was a 39-year-old attorney when he was stricken in 1921. “It radically changed his life,” Amy said. Pictures demonstrate how early on he was able to stand, with the aid of a cane, another sort of prop or the arm of a bystander. Of course, he traveled to Warm Springs, Georgia, often where he found the waters beneficial. |
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Wednesday, March 10, 2021 Robert Miles came to the University of Georgia to seek some independence from a house full of older siblings at his Alabama home. He never went back. “I came as a walk-on in 1977,” he told the Rotary Club of Athens, “and they have not gotten rid of me yet.” Miles is now the director of the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program for the Athletic Association. Miles originally came to try out for the Georgia basketball team, but he thought he would give football a try while he was on campus in the fall, and he stuck with the sport, eventually earning a scholarship. He was a starting defensive end on the 1980 national championship team. He said the team members stay in contact regularly. Just a little earlier, he and Scott Woerner had talked about the latter undergoing knee replacement surgery. “There are some old stories, but we usually end up talking about family and kids and business and those kinds of things,” he said. Miles was hired as an academic counselor in 1985 and transitioned later to his current role. He helps athletes with career development and personal development. “We tell them that the school will educate them academically and their coaches will prepare them for their sports,” said Miles. He said the resources for athletes have far surpassed what was available when he was in school. Just the way meals are handled is superior. The school has branded its CHAMPS/Life Skills Program as The Georgia Way. “We spotlight athletes and the things they are doing,” he said. “They have an opportunity to tell their stories more in depth.” Asked for a personal memory from the 1980 championship season, he said he remembered carrying Coach Charlie Whittemore’s two children off the field and shielding his wife from the rush of thousands of fans on the field. |
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Saturday, February 20, 2021 The Washington State Ferries could borrow the old slogan about the postman not being slowed rain, sleet or snow. But COVID? That is something else. John Vezina, government relations director for Washington State Ferries, visited the Rotary Club of Athens via Zoom Wednesday. He said ridership peaked with 23.9 million riders in 2019. The impact of COVID dropped riders to 14 million in 2020, a 41 percent decrease. The ferry system has been vital to the state’s economy. But Vezina said that systemic changes brought about by COVID may suppress numbers for the foreseeable future. “I don’t know if we will ever get back to 23 million,” he said. “So many more people are working from home.” Washington State Ferries employs about 2,000 people and operates 21 ferries. Only Norway’s ferry system is larger. It’s largest ferries, the Jumbo Mark II class, can transport 202 vehicles and 2,499 passengers. The smallest ferry, the Kwa-di Tabil class, carries 64 vehicles and 748 passengers. There are 19 terminals. The fares are roughly $10 for walking riders and about $50 per standard passenger vehicle. The ferries can also handle logging trucks and freight trucks. Vezina said that the ferries travel in all weather, though one terminal presents tricky tides that can affect travel. |
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Wednesday, February 10, 2021 There was no playbook for navigating higher education during a pandemic. University of Georgia President Jere Morehead had to learn on the fly as he piloted the state’s flagship university through unprecedented times. “The challenges over the last year have been the most difficult we have faced in recent history at UGA,” Morehead told the Rotary Club of Athens during its weekly meeting Wednesday, held online because of COVID 19. “I have never been prouder of this institution than I have been this past year.” Like everyone else, of course, Morehead has learned how to meet in an online world. “We have learned that some things can be taught at the virtual level,” he replied to questioning from Rotarians. “Certainly our faculty is more acquainted with how to teach in an online format than they were in the past.” Morehead said he hopes that going forward online learning will provide a viable alternative for graduate students who are trying to balance their careers with further education. “I think candidly that we learned that we can solve problems quickly, if we are put to the test,” he said. “We had to pivot to online learning in less than two weeks. Yes, there were some bumps in the road, but we did it successfully.” Morehead said that there are clearly negative consequences to an online-learning-only format. Some students need the motivation that comes with classroom attendance. Morehead taught a freshman seminar in the fall semester, meeting in person until after Thanksgiving. He said they were careful to observe safe practices, but he saw that the students clearly enjoyed interacting with one another. He said that it was not until the last class of the year, however, when they met virtually, that he learned what his students looked like without masks. Looking back over the pandemic, Morehead said one of the best decisions was to form a medical task force which included Lisa Nolan, Veterinary Medicine dean; Shelley Nuss, Medical Partnership dean; Marsha Davis, Public Health dean; and Dr. Garth Russo, director of the University Health Center. “These people already had full-time jobs,” Morehead said. “We asked them to take on a second full-time endeavor to help us make important decisions. They meet all the time. They brought a lot of expertise together. Instead of me having to make decisions in isolation, I could rely on their expertise.” Morehead had high praise for the preventive measures group, led by Athens Rotarian Ralph Johnson, associate vice president for facilities management at UGA. They assessed the challenges on campus, determining where it was safe to meet and under what parameters. That group coordinated access to hand sanitizers and wipes, established social-distance boundaries and updated the HVAC systems to circulate more fresh air. “The pandemic has been central to everything we have been working on the last year,” he said. “The health and safety of the UGA community has been at the top of my list for the last 12 months or so. At the same time, I have strived to keep our focus on how we could preserve jobs for our employees and ensure that when the pandemic ends, we will be in a position to come out of it.” Morehead said that UGA was ranked in the top 10 schools nationwide for its overall efforts toward addressing the pandemic. “That is a credit to the many scientists who shifted their attention to either fighting to solve it from a health-care standpoint or working on ways to mitigate the impact,” he said. Like most of his predecessors, Morehead has made it an annual habit of addressing the Rotary Club of Athens with an update on the state of affairs at UGA and how it relates to the local community. Most years, he boasts about academic, athletic and research points of pride. There was some of that this year too. The four-year degree completion rate increased from 69 percent to 71 percent. It is up from 63 percent just five years ago. The six-year completion rate held steady at 87 percent. The university took concrete steps to address racial inequities and racial injustice. The Athletic Association dedicated $1 million toward solutions to increase diversity and inclusiveness in the short term. Victor Wilson, vice president for student affairs heads that group. At the same time, Vice Provost Michelle Cook and Special Assistant to the President and Director for Strategy and Innovation Kyle Tschepikow are chairing the Strategic Planning Committee to take a longer-range view on the issue. Morehead noted that UGA is celebrating the 60th anniversary of desegregation on campus. Morehead said that UGA’s Innovation District continues to enhance private enterprise. Finally, he said he is expecting “new heights” in athletics under new Athletic Director Josh Brooks, whom he termed “energetic and dynamic.” |
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Wednesday, January 27, 2021 Bill Flatt received the University of Georgia President’s Medal Monday in recognition of extraordinary contributions. The late Ivery Clifton was also honored in a virtual ceremony. Bill was president of the Rotary Club of Athens for 1983-84. He is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and was recognized for 42 years of perfect attendance. UGA President Jere Morehead said, “I am pleased that Bill Flatt and the late Ivery Clifton will be honored for their decades of outstanding service to this university and the state of Georgia. Both made innumerable contributions to the institution during their careers.” Bill UGA for 51 years in a career that included positions as director of the Agricultural Experiment Stations, dean and coordinator of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor, and professor emeritus in the department of foods and nutrition within the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. He is widely known for his cheerful persona and his greeting that he doing “better’n ever.” |
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Monday, December 21, 2020 President-elect Sarah McKinney announced last week that Whit Richardson will succeed her as president of the Rotary Club of Athens. Sarah announced those elected to her board of directors: Gary Bertsch, Antoine Boynton, Dan Delamater, Alison McCullick, and Kalki Yalamanchili; past presidents Phil Bettendorf, Rhett Butler and Cheryl Legette; and new member Jennifer Zwirn. Kris Hanna as Executive Secretary, Sean Rogers as Treasurer and Jane Kidd as Recording Secretary. Whit owns Taziki’s Mediterranean Café in the Bottleworks on Prince Avenue. |
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Wednesday, December 16, 2020 By Kris Hanna Immigrants to the United States have a number of needs, but No. 1 is a resolution to their status as residents. Sister Uyen-Chi Dang with the University of Georgia Catholic Center told the club about her work with immigrants in the local community. She traveled to El Paso, Texas, to work with Annunciation House short term to help prepare for the work here. Sister Uyen-Chi said that she was born in Vietnam and that she fits the parameters to be termed a refugee. Such a label is applied to a person who has been forced to flee his or her home country because of persecution, war or violence. In Georgia, immigrants account for about 10 percent of the population, numbering just over 1 million. Immigrant-owned businesses generate $1.8 billion a year to the economy. Just under 42 percent are U.S. citizens. Three-fourths of them speak English well or very well. In Georgia, they spend $19.2 billion a year and pay $4.7 billion in federal taxes and $2.2 billion in state taxes. |
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Wednesday, November 18, 2020 By Kris Hanna The University of Georgia Press has been publishing works of scholarship and literature since 1938 in support of the university’s place as a major research institution. Current Director Lisa Bayer shared via Zoom with the club, which again held a split meeting. Some attended in person at the Athens Country Club. The UGA Press publishes works of scholarship, creative and literary works and regional books. Among current titles she highlighted were the following: Coastal Nature, Coastal Culture, Environmental Histories of the Georgia Coast, edited by Paul S. Sutter and Paul M. Pressly. Time to Get Tough, How Cookies, Coffee, and a Crash Led to Success in Business and Life, by Michael J. Coles and Catherine M. Lewis, A Better Life for Their Children, Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools That Changed America, by Andrew Feiler, Snakes of the Southeast, by Whit Gibbons and Mike Dorcas Widespread Panic in the Streets of Athens, Georgia, by Gordon Lamb. Books coming out soon include the following: Jimmy Carter, Citizen of the South, by Kaye Lanning Minchew Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968, by Robert Hamilton Books ordered online from the UGA Press website qualify for a 40 percent discount to alumni of UGA. |
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Sunday, November 19, 2017 By Michael A. Usry Four members of the Rotary Club of Athens shared in their own unique ways respect and honor for veterans of the United States military. Just a few days before Veterans Days, Mike Dekle, Ed Benson, Len Sapera and George Huban shared from their hearts with fellow Rotarians. None of the four talked much about personal experiences. There were no old war stories. Ed, the oldest of the four, said that what veterans have accomplished was because of cooperative efforts. “There is no I in veteran, no I in Rotary and no I in team,” he said. “There was never a time where a single person did anything of lasting value.” read more |
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Wednesday, October 11, 2017 By Kris Hanna The question is not if you will be a victim of identity theft, but when. That is how pervasive it is. First American Bank Chairman John McLanahan guessed that every member of the Rotary Club of Athens has been a victim of identity theft. Target, Home Depot, the IRS, Yahoo, MySpace, LinkedIn, Anthem, Ebay, JP Morgan Chase, Sony PlayStation Network, TJ Maxx and AOL are just some of the entities that have experienced data breaches of more than 1 million individual customer information records in the past five years. Yahoo just recently announced that every user account was affected by an August 2013 hack, affecting 3 billion accounts. There are steps to take, said John.
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Monday, September 4, 2017 By Kris Hanna Finding homes for foster children is a never-ending job. Audrey Brannen works for the Department of Family and Children Services and is charged with finding placement for the hundreds of foster-care children in the area. Mary Lee Herron is executive director of Chosen for Life Ministries, which supports foster families with a team of helpers. DFCS and Chosen for Life work together to enhance foster care in the area. read more |
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Monday, December 19, 2022 Jerry Saulters and Sally Kimel-Sheppard were delighted to receive their blue badges. |
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Tuesday, December 6, 2022 Julita Sanders said she was a troubled teenager because of some childhood trauma. Her experiences were one reason she founded Juvenile Offender Advocates. The stated mission of JOA is to advocate for juvenile offenders and lower the recidivism rate by holding all parties accountable while fostering a positive relationship through community collaboration. Teenagers exhibit a pattern of reactions to trauma: overreactions, a need for independence, loss of interest in school, friends, hobbies and life; pessimism, low self-esteem, shame, anxiety and dissociation. JOA offers advocacy, job training, apprenticeship, and soft-skills training. She encouraged Rotarians to apply to serve as an advocate. |
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Monday, November 28, 2022 He is the CEO/Broker of Joiner and Associates Realtors. He was sponsored by Smith Wilson. |
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Wednesday, November 9, 2022 Atlanta Airport GM Balram “B” Bheodari said that he would appreciate the club not advertising that he spoke, since the Atlanta club has been trying to get on his calendar. B began with some compliments from Athens Airport Manager Mike Mathews. Before COVID, 110,000 passengers a year came through the airport. It has dropped since. He expects about 90,000 this year. Cargo is a major part of the airport’s volume too. Annual operating expenses are about $500 million, but revenue is $600 million. ‘ The design of the airport is one of the most copied in the world. He recently assured that every airport employee earns a minimum of $20 an hour. Expansion projects are constant. For example, widening D Concourse by 50 feet will cost $1.4 billion. |
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Sunday, October 30, 2022 Paul is the Head of School for Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School. He was sponsored by Len Sapera. |
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Sunday, October 30, 2022 Charles is the Vice President of Operations for the Athens Area Habitat for Humanity. He was sponsored by Sarah McKinney. |
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Monday, October 24, 2022 Rotarians surprised President Whit Richardson and his expectant bride Julia with over 3,000 diapers presented to the Athens Area Diaper Bank in their honor. Operations manager Beth Staton, a former GRSP student, was on hand to accept the donations. The Richardsons did not go away empty-handed. Their son will be able to wear apparel that identifies him as a future Rotarian. |
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Tuesday, October 18, 2022 The expansion of Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital was completed despite a pandemic, noted Michael Burnett. At the height of the shutdown, the hospital was losing $20 million a week. There were as many as 80 ambulances a day with COVID patients. The hospital broke ground in February 2020, a few weeks before the shutdown. Yet it is now open and operational. The six-story tower adds 128 in-patient beds on the third through sixth floors. The first floor includes the main lobby, a retail pharmacy, a gift shop, a café, retail space, a community resource center, and a healing courtyard. The second floor offers ambulatory and outpatient services and an infusion center. In 2020, the hospital treated 311,599 patients. That included 207,443 outpatient visits, 77,952 emergency room visits and 26,204 admissions. Of those admissions, 97 percent were aged 14 or older. The hospital is the second largest employer in the county with 2,500 full-time workers. The hospital generates about 9,000 jobs locally. |
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Tuesday, October 11, 2022 Dr. Ashley Ray, a new physician at University Cancer and Blood Center, said that breast cancer survival rates are better, yet treatment plans are much less radical than in the early days. Dr. Ray is a specialist in breast cancer treatment. She said that in the beginning, based on the recommendations of Dr. William Stewart Halsted, physicians recommended radical mastectomies. This meant total breast removal, as well as skin, pectorals and complete axillary dissection. That remained the prevailing treatment modality until research by Dr. Bernard Fisher established that early-stage breast cancer could be more effectively treated by a lumpectomy in combination with radiation therapy, chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. Early detection dramatically improves survival rates. Dr. Ray recommends regular mammograms, as well as MRIs for certain patients. Genetic testing is another option for some patients. Certain lifestyle recommendations include 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, moderate alcohol use and healthy body weight. |
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Tuesday, September 20, 2022 Joe Ehrlich never had to look for inspiration to be involved in the local mentoring program. A mentor played a key role in his life as a child in California, where his home situation was far from ideal. When he came to Athens, he became involved as a mentor. Now he is the executive director of the Clarke County Mentor Program. The mission of the program is to recruit, train and support community volunteers to mentor Clarke County School District students in order to make a difference in their lives and to help them reach their full potential. While long-term relationships are the most effective, volunteers are asked only to commit one year to the program. While there are more than 150 matches currently with mentors and students, there is a need for more. |
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Wednesday, September 7, 2022 Business consultant John Brantley said that most people have the ability to do amazing things, but they do not have a history. John said that firms can reduce turnover drastically if they can help the employees grow in their jobs. “If they have the flexibility to grow in their role, productivity follows. Otherwise, they get bored. If they can grow, they will be emotionally connected. “Helping them grow is not complicated,” he said. “It starts with asking questions and listening.” Part of the secret is to learn how to ask the right questions. John said that wages are only a part of keeping employees satisfied with their careers. |
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Thursday, August 25, 2022 Athens Rotarians are invited to attend a special United Way event this afternoon (Wednesday, Aug. 24) at 5 p.m. at Ciné Lab, 524 West Hancock. Kay Keller said that the United Way of Northeast Georgia would announce its Community Impact grant recipients and also kick off its fall campaign. Go to to unitedwaynega.org to purchase a $10 ticket, which is good for two drinks (beer, wine and beverages) and light appetizers. Kay, a member of the North Oconee Rotary Club, visited the Athens club last week to provide updates on the United Way. She reminded members that the United Way has three focus areas: basic needs, early childhood success and workforce development. It serves 12 counties in northeast Georgia. There is some commonality of needs, but the counties also have unique needs. She said that Rotarians can help as advocates or volunteers for the agencies, in the grants-review process, on the day of caring, or on a committee. |
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Wednesday, August 17, 2022 Jackson County native Maddison Dean never thought she would be working for one of the largest auto battery manufacturers in her home county. SK Batteries made a $3 billion investment in the county in a 2.4-million square foot plant to make batteries for Ford F-150 Lightning trucks and Volkswagen ID.4 SUVs. |
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Tuesday, August 9, 2022 She is the Director of Neighborhood Engagement for Family Connection - Communities In Schools. Terris was sponsored by Gary Bertsch. |
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Friday, August 5, 2022 He is the Senior Project Manager with DPR Construction. Luke was sponsored by Elaine Cook. |
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Wednesday, July 27, 2022 By Kris Hanna Robert is the President & EO for the Boys & Girls Club of Athens. He transferred from the Rotary Club of Douglas. |
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Friday, July 22, 2022 Brian is the External Affairs Regional Director for AT&T. He was sponsored by Paul Chambers. |
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Friday, July 8, 2022 Kalki Yalamanchili was honored as the Rotarian of the Year by President Sarah McKinney at the last meeting of the year for the Rotary Club of Athens. President Sarah recognized a number of Rotarians who contributed to her outstanding term as president. Will Hodges received the Charlie Ostick Workhorse Award. Sarah cited his work in managing the club's barbecue. Carl Blount received the Project Leadership Award. He spearheaded the landscape renovation at Clarke Central High School. Tiffany Moment was cited as the New Rotarian of the Year. Gary Bertsch received the Stubbs Ethics Award. Two Rotarians were honored in absentia. Ed Keegan received the Youth Leadership Award. Alison McCullick received the Vocational Excellence Award. In her final remarks, President Sarah thanked the members for helping her reach some notable achievements during her term. They included two blood drives, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, supporting the Salvation Army's Angel Tree, welcoming GRSP student Luis Santos from Brazil, raising $26,185.30 at PlungeFest for Habitat for Humanity, investing $27,000 of Foundation funds in a beautification project at the Clarke Central High campus, raising $12,000 through the chicken barbecue, donating more than $6,000 for aid to victims of war in Ukraine, donating dictionaries to every third grader, and funding scholarships. The club added 25 new members. |
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Friday, June 10, 2022 The Rotary Club of Athens presented scholarships to four local high school students. Mich Badden, left, and Tekesha Edmonds, right, both of Cedar Shoals High School, received the E.B. Mell Scholarship. Maggie Kelleher , center, of Clarke Central High, received the Madilyn Forbes Scholarship. Anna Robinson was present the following week. |
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Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Georgia Power executive Jeff Petrea earned a degree from Georgia Tech, but he was a Bulldog fan as a youngster. Thus, he is happy to be back in Athens. As a fan, he claims three national titles in college football: Georgia in 1980 and 2021, and Georgia Tech in 1990. Jeff shared some of his hobbies, including marathons and golf. He is a veteran of the Boston Marathon. He shared that he had played golf with Tom Glavine, Dr. J, Samuel Jackson…and Athens Rotarian Fred Butler. He said Georgia Power will retire coal as a fuel by 2035. The volatility of natural gas prices concerns him. The company is adding additional nuclear production with new plants at Vogtle. One of the keys to meeting future demand is adding storage capacity to the grid. He said that the company has long strived to be a citizen where it serves. He expressed some concern that new employees do not tend to be lifers, like the previous generation. |
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Friday, May 20, 2022 953 Dictionaries were delivered to all third grade students in 14 Clarke county schools by 17 Rotarians. Thank you member Rick Parker for leading our club in this project! |
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Friday, May 13, 2022 Rotary Club of Athens members receive makeup. |
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Thursday, May 12, 2022 Once it is fully developed and marketed, the Classic Center Arena will draw many additional events to Athens, said Director Paul Cramer, a fellow Rotarian. Studies indicate that the arena will draw 25 concerts a year, 10 family shows, 55 sporting events, 20 community events and 15 conventions. It is projected to have a $33 million economic impact every year. It could result in more than 100,000 additional room nights a year. The arena will have 5,500 fixed seats and can be arranged to seat 7,000-plus for concerts and conventions. It will feature configurations for ice hockey, an end-stage concert, a center-stage concert, professional wrestling and/or boxing, a half-house show, a basketball game, a basketball tournament with three active courts, tennis and volleyball tournaments, a trade show, a banquet, equestrian or monster truck, arena football and indoor soccer. |
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022 Marshall Schmitt and Cheryl McIntyre, both past presidents of Chicago One, the original Rotary Club, visited Athens last week to report on the progress in restoring the Paul Harris Home. They presented a recorded slide-show that detailed the history of the home and its current condition. Much work has already been completed on the home, which is used as both a tourist site and as a place for Rotarians to meet. The current focus is on landscaping the former Peace Garden that was in front of the home. During the Q&A session after the presentation, Marshall confirmed that the R.I president traditionally installs the Chicago One president each year. Mayor Kelly Girtz presented some special Athens keepsakes to commemorate their short visit to Athens. Past District Governors Nathan Carmack and Bill St. Clair was on hand too. |
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Thursday, April 7, 2022 Davin is the Business Coordinator at Athens - Ben Epps Airport. He was sponsored by Mike Mathews. |
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Thursday, April 7, 2022 The Madison County Rotary Club President did in fact visit our club on March 23 and did in fact (in all fun), steal our Bell. It was a great way to invite us to visit and take back what is ours. President Sarah McKinney was notified of the heist in a TikTok (you read that right) sent to her on Friday, March 25 claiming the ransom! The fee? A song, a dance, a joke, and some funny money. We owe a huge thanks to fellow Rotarian Eve Anthony who joined Sarah to venture to Ila, GA on Friday, April Fools for their 6:30am Club, to claim, what is ours! In case you couldn’t hear the videos at our meeting, want a second laugh, or missed club today, here is the proof in YouTube videos. This is the original 1-minute TikTok sent to Sarah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZEaaUYzu0Y This 1-minute trailer lays the claim to our bell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsuMLGknsM4 This 3-minute video will show how honor was restored to our great club! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0q-cCX_Vi8 |
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Thursday, March 17, 2022 University of Georgia Provost Jack Hu gave a positive report about higher education in Athens. Current enrollment at UGA numbers 40,118, including 30,166 undergraduate students, 8,304 graduate students and 1,648 professional students. UGA has been a leader in experiential learning, which includes internships, research, study abroad and service learning. UGA invested $495 million in research projects in fiscal year 2021. More than 900 new products have hit the market.. The annual economic impact is $7.4 billion statewide, including $903 million in northeast Georgia. |
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Saturday, February 5, 2022 The 11th annual Plungefest took place today at Barbara’s Manor. We exceeded our $25,000 goal! All proceeds are used to support the renovation of an existing Habitat for Humanity home and prepare a house for a wonderful, local family of 9! Freezin' for a Reason! Pictured: President Elect-Elect Dean Mannheimer, Rotary Club of Athens Polar Bear aka Mike Hackett, President Elect Whit Richardson, President Sarah McKinney and Past President Elaine Cook |
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SEXUAL-ASSAULT VICTIMS HAVE AN ADVOCATE IN SANE
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 Thanks to ACC-SANE, victims of sexual assault near Athens are treated with professionalism and compassion while at the same time maximizing evidence collection for effective prosecution. Michelle Dickens of Athens-Clarke County Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners told the Rotary Club of Athens about the organization and its mission. Its purpose is to provide victim forensic examinations, evidence collection, court testimony and community prevention education related to rape, sexual assault and physical abuse. The current staffing includes four pediatric nurses, nine adult/adolescent nurses, four medical network providers, four aftercare advocates and three forensic interviewers. On the one hand, ACC-SANE seeks to address the needs of sex-crime victims by providing free forensic exams and follow-up treatment. At the same time, it serves the criminal-justice system by collecting, handling, preserving, interpreting and analyzing evidence collected. ACC-SANE serves Clarke and Oconee counties in the Western Judicial Circuit; Jackson, Banks and Barrow in the Piedmont Circuit; Madison and Oglethorpe in the Northern Circuit; Walton and Newton in the Alcovy Circuit; and Morgan and Greene in the Ocmulgee District. Examiners are trained on a 40-hour course that prepares them for the particular skills needed for the task. Aside from the physical cues, the nurses are trained to look for signs of emotional trauma as well. An additional physical trait they are trained to look for is evidence of strangulation, which is not uncommon in cases of sexual assault. Unfortunately, statistics are trending upwards. She showed a chart that showed that ACC-SANE did 149 sexual assault exams in 2016, 170 in 2017, 184 each in 2018 and 2019, 179 in 2020 and 219 last year. The trend was upward in child physical abuse cases: 30 in 2018 and 2019, 32 in 2020 and 52 in 2021. Michelle expressed concern that there may be more unreported child-abuse cases as a result of COVID-19, which has restricted children’s access to a support network that may be reported to authorities. |
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Monday, January 10, 2022 At the beginning of his tenure as the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Vic Reynolds was told that he would encounter two Georgias. After being on the job for nearly three years, he believes there are three Georgias. There is metropolitan Atlanta, there are other urban areas, including Athens, and there are rural counties. He cited an example of the latter when he encountered a roadblock on a country road. The deputy explained that he was blocking the road until he and another deputy could move a farmer’s five donkeys across the road from one pasture to another. Vic told Rotarians that the GBI features four divisions. The legal division features the lawyers who keep the GBI between the lines. The Georgia Crime Information Center provides round-the-clock access to criminal histories, tags and similar data to authorized agencies. The crime lab features scientists who assist investigators. Finally, there are the GBI agents who work cases. The crime lab was facing a huge backlog in 2019 when he assumed command, but it has been reduced dramatically. It is still challenging to identify confiscated drugs. The crime lab deals in forensics, DNA and ballistics. The latter requires extensive training. The crime lab investigators also are frequently subpoenaed to testify, which complicates keeping pace with the demand for services. The GBI has limited original jurisdiction, Vic said, and must be asked to help by local agencies. Some areas that the GBI invests significant resources in include criminal gangs, human trafficking and computer porn exploitation. The GBI is also the investigating agency of choice for officer-involved shootings. One of his greatest current concerns is the general lack of support shown by the public for law enforcement personnel. |
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Wednesday, January 5, 2022 Luis is from Maringa, Brazil and will be studying at UGA this spring semester. Luis' host family is member, Ron J Seib and and Ron's wife, Ellen. Today, Luis was presented with multiple gifts from our members welcoming him to Athens, UGA and our club. He is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Athens, Classic City Rotary, North Oconee Rotary and Oconee County Rotary. |
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Tuesday, December 14, 2021 A promise made to her grandmother inspired Liza Renzi Hammond's research into cognitive diseases, such as Alzheimer's. Hammond spoke virtually to the club, which met at Trump's Catering. Afterwards, Past President Elaine Cook encouraged Rotarians to contribute to CARE: Coins for Alzheimer's Research & Education. Hammond, a neuroscientist at the University of Georgia, said that dementia is a fearsome disease. Common fears expressed include the following: ·“When I misplace things, sometimes I think I may have Alzheimer's disease.” ·“I think I will probably get Alzheimer's disease, and it frightens me.” ·“I fear not recognizing my family members.” ·“Developing Alzheimer's disease would be the worst thing that could happen to me.” ·“I cannot sleep because I am worrying about Alzheimer's disease.” Hammond shared that Georgia ranks 50th in health care for older persons. There has been a 37.5 percent increase in the incidence of dementia-related diseases since 2018. Medicaid costs for care of those afflicted with dementia is expected to increase 40 percent by 2025. Often, family members provide unpaid care for dementia patients, valued at $7.5 billion. But progress has been made in breaking down knowledge barriers, cultural barriers, infrastructure barriers and economic barriers. |
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Sunday, December 5, 2021 Rashe is the owner of Rashe's Cuisine. She was sponsored by Michele Pearson Tucker. |
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Friday, December 3, 2021 By Kris Hanna Jen is the Director of Institutional Advancement at Athens Technical College. She was sponsored by Karen Baldwin. |
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Sunday, November 28, 2021 It is with great sadness we share the passing of our incredible friend and Rotarian, Lynora Sapp. The first woman to join our Rotary Club of Athens, Lynora was a gift to our entire community. At this time, there are no public arrangements. |
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Thursday, November 18, 2021 Veterans who enroll at the University of Georgia often face a challenging adjustment period. The Student Veterans Resource Center at the University of Georgia helps them make that adjustment. New director, Jon Segars, said that veterans may struggle with simple concepts, such as appropriate dress, interaction with other students and professors and time management. His job requires him to be flexible as a new problem may walk into his office at any time. |
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Wednesday, October 27, 2021 Cheryl is the CEO at Athens Area Humane Society. She was sponsored by member Gary Bertsch. |
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021 Author Will Leitch told the Rotary Club of Athens that social media has dramatically altered the culture, but he is confident that the world is a better place face to face than it is online. Leitch founded Deadspin. He now writes for MLB.com and other online publications. In addition, his fifth book was just published, How Lucky, which is set in Athens during a Georgia football home weekend. The protagonist manages a social media site for a regional airline, which means he has to deal with ugly complaints all the time. But in his real life, he is surrounded by friends who come to his aid when he is in a crisis. Leitch said that the nature of what people share on social media sites dooms the medium to being a negative outlet. It is naturally where people go to rant, and such comments tend to be shared. In real life, Leitch said, people may indeed share about the kindnesses of others. He remarked how well the Rotarians treated him, even though none of them knew him. But he said, those kinds of comments do not tend to go viral. Leitch said he went to journalism school at the University of Illinois, expecting to work with newspapers most of his career. But the Internet happened and redirected his career. Leitch did not mention that he participates with two other local residents—Scott Duvall and Tony Waller—in a podcast, “Waitin’ Since Last Saturday.” The format features three fans of Georgia football talking about…Georgia football. |
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Tuesday, September 21, 2021 More women are advancing into leadership positions around the state thanks to the Lynda B. Williamson Women’s Leadership Academy. Maritza Soto Keen, associate director of the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, highlighted the Women’s Leadership Academy and the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, two of several programs developing leaders around the state. The Women’s Leadership Academy was launched in 2015. The class size is usually 16 participants per year. Maritza said 80 women have completed the program in Statesboro, and 15 in Rome. Participants come to eight sessions spread over a nine-month period. The mission is to give young women guidance, mentorship and a path by which to maximize their potential, professionally and personally. The curriculum focuses on leadership styles, data on women in different sectors and industries, servant leadership, conflict transformation, multi-generational workforce, adaptive leadership, life-work balance and service on non-profit boards. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is trying to equip a critical mass of new leaders from the Hispanic community. It was launched in 2016. The class size ranges from 20 to 25. So far, there have been 120 participants. The program emphasizes community vision, leadership attributes and preferences, conflict, board service, and lead change. |
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Thursday, September 9, 2021 Jody is the Division CEO with Synovus. He was sponsored by Phil Bettendorf. |
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Friday, August 27, 2021 |
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Sunday, August 22, 2021 Shane is the CFO/President of the Northeast Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce. He was sponsored by Charlie Maddox. |
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Wednesday, August 18, 2021 District Gov. Mike Berg was delighted to induct five new members into the Rotary Club of Athens, in line with an emphasis on recruiting new members. The new members inducted were: Shane Blackwell, sponsored by Charlie Maddox; Jim McLemore, pinned by Cheryl Legette in the absence of sponsor Dan DeLamater; Travis Burroughs, sponsored by Carl Blount; Bryan Long, sponsored by Phil Bettendorf; and Joe Ehrlich, sponsored by Brandon Ashley. Shane owns Mack and Payne Funeral Home. Jim is the chief financial officer of Oconee State Bank. Travis is vice president of operations for Athens Pellicano Construction. Bryan is partner in Jackson Spalding. Joe is executive director of the Clarke County Mentor Program. |
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Tuesday, August 10, 2021 Gretchen Corbin, CEO of the Georgia Lottery, sounded like she was right at home when she spoke to the Rotary Club of Athens. Gretchen told the members she was actually born in Athens while her parents were students at the University of Georgia. Now her daughter is a fourth-generation UGA student. Gretchen looked out at a lot of friends in the room, mentioning Blaine Williams, Mike Mathews, Carol Williams and Pat Allen, among others. She even mentioned brand new member Caitlyn Cooper, who was at her first meeting after transferring from the Marietta club. “You gained an important member in Caitlyn,” said Gretchen. Caitlyn is indeed the past president of the Rotary Club of Marietta. Gretchen also relished meeting UGA swim coach Jack Bauerle, just back from the Japan Olympics, where the swimmers, including some from UGA, excelled. Gretchen shared that the Georgia lottery has generated more than $23 billion in state revenue since its inception in 1993. Last year turned out to be a record-breaking year with $1.54 billion in revenues. Bringing the numbers down to a local level, she that the lottery has supported $640 million in scholarships for 41,000 students, plus 19,000 children enrolled in pre-K. Clarke County residents have won $594 million since 1993. She encouraged members to invest their time where they could have the most impact locally. |
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Thursday, July 29, 2021 Early on, Paul Harris realized that Rotary needed a greater purpose. While Harris served as President of the Chicago Rotary Club in 1907, the club initiated its first public service project, the construction of public toilets in Chicago. This step transformed Rotary into the world’s first Service Club. The club calls a meeting of civic organizations to establish a committee for installing city comfort stations, or public toilets, to improve sanitation. It was this same concept of promoting business which led to the first community service project of the original Chicago Rotary Club. In their effort to promote more business, the members decided to construct these toilets because of the great need. Over a 100 years has passed since that initial installation. |
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Wednesday, July 21, 2021 By Kris Hanna |
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Saturday, July 10, 2021 1. Friendship: In an increasingly complex world, Rotary provides one of the most basic human needs: the need for friendship and fellowship. It is one of two reasons why Rotary began in 1905. 2. Business Development: The second original reason for Rotary’s beginning is business development. Everyone needs to network. Rotary consists of a cross section of every business community. Its members come from all walks of life. Rotarians help each other and collectively help others. 3. Personal Growth and Development: Membership in Rotary continues one’s growth and education in human relations and personal development. 4. Leadership Development: Rotary is an organization made for leaders. Leadership: - learning how to motivate, influence and lead leaders. 5. Citizenship in the Community: Membership in a Rotary club makes one a better community citizen. The average Rotary club consists of active citizens of any community. 6. Continuing Education: At Rotary there is a program designed to keep one informed about what is going on in the community, nation, and world. Each meeting provides an opportunity to listen to different speakers and a variety of timely topics. 7. Fun: Rotary is fun, a lot of fun. Each meeting is fun. The club projects are fun. Social activities are fun. Serving others is fun. 8. Public Speaking Skills: Many individuals who joined Rotary were afraid to speak in public. Rotary develops confidence and skill in public communication and the opportunity to practice and perfect these skills. 9. Citizenship in the World: Every Rotarian wears a pin that says “Rotary International.” There are few places on the globe that do not have a Rotary club. Every Rotarian is welcome – even encouraged – to attend any of the 33,000 clubs in over 200 nations and geographical regions. This means instant friends in both one’s own community and in the world community. |
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Thursday, July 8, 2021 Patti transferred from the Rotary Club of Novato, California. She was a member for over 23 years and is a Paul Harris Fellow. She is an Account Executive with Allied Box. |
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Tuesday, June 15, 2021 The metal bat drove Hanna Batrite out of business in the 1970s because the company refused to adapt to new technology. But in its heyday of making wood bats, it was an innovator in the industry. Blaine Williams educated the club on the history of the company. The plant was on East Broad Street near where the current Multi-Modal Transportation Center is. Fires destroyed the structure after it closed. The company was founded in 1911 to make handles for tools. It started making toy bats in 1926, which evolved into making regulation bats. School teams were the primary market, but major leaguers did use the bat, including Lou Gehrig, Hank Sauer, Johnny Mize, Luke Appling and Babe Ruth. After he left college, Charley Trippi, who played professionally for the Atlanta Crackers, endorsed the bat. The company tried to use ash from southern trees, but found the wood grain was inconsistent, so it turned to northern white ash and hickory. It was a pioneer in sustainable energy in that the plant was heated from burned wood shavings. Hanna developed a steel-tempered finish that reduced chipping. Hillerich and Bradsby, makers of the Louisville Slugger, sued Hanna, claiming it had stolen the idea. Gehrig testified in the trial, which H&B won, though Hanna won on appeal. In the 1960s, Lou Brock made the cup-end bat popular. The design shifts the center of gravity of the bat and widens the sweet spot. But Hank Sauer used a Hanna Batrite cup-end bat in the 1940s, another example of the company’s innovation. The plant closed in 1976 as youth leagues, high schools and colleges shifted to aluminum and then composite bats. |
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Thursday, June 3, 2021 Airport Director Mike Mathews told fellow Rotarians that he is optimistic that commercial air service could return to Athens in the near future. Mike said that the airport has recovered from the pandemic slump. Before the shutdown last year, Athens Ben Epps Airport averaged about 4,000 visits per month. The next month, visits dropped to 1,300. Now the average is more than 3,500. The airport is an enterprise fund of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, which supports itself through fuel sales, hangar rentals, ramp fees, landing fees and baggage handling. While operations decreased during the pandemic, the airport still supported itself. Mike said that the staff includes 14 people. The airport rents 72 hangars, most of them T-hangars. Runway 9/27 is 6,000 feet long, and runway 2/20 is 4,000 feet long. The runway can handle most commercial jets, short of the very largest. He was delighted that able to get $10 million in match-free grants from the FAA to use for taxiway improvements. Regarding commercial aviation, he has been in positive discussions with American Airlines. American has recently announced an agreement with Columbus, Ga., and he is hopeful that Athens will be next on its expansion. The commercial service would connect to Charlotte, North Carolina. The commercial service is viable if the airline can capture just 7 percent of local commercial traffic. The close proximity to Atlanta’s international airport makes it impractical to establish commercial service to that destination. From the 1970 to 2002, regular commercial service was available to Charlotte and Atlanta, and there was an average of 18,000 enplanements a year. From 2003-2007, various airlines offered service to Charlotte. From 2008-2012, Pacific Wings flew to Atlanta and Nashville. From 2012-2-14, Seaport flew to Nashville. The federal Essential Air Service subsidy expired, and there has been no service since. The passenger-demand analysis indicates that there are 1,308 passengers per day each way. All but 3 percent use Hartsfield-Jackson, and 91 percent fly domestic flights. The top five market destinations are New York, Chicago, South Florida, Boston and Los Angeles, in that order. |
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Thursday, May 27, 2021 Peggy has been a community servant for many years. She was sponsored by Gary Bertsch. |
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Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Tai is the Campus Director of External Affairs at AU/UGA Medical Partnership. She was sponsored by Alison McCullick. |
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Sunday, May 9, 2021 New technology married the online world and the in-person world of the Rotary Club of Athens last week. Using cameras and screens, President Carl Blount enabled Rotarians at the Athens Country Club and those online to see the program by Kristen Pace, director of Bethlehem Ministry. The ministry, based in Athens, provides sustainable solutions that give Haitians the hope and power to change their lives. The ministry operates St. Barthelemy School, which provides education for children from pre-K through grade 13. It currently has more than a 1,000 students that are receiving biblical teaching and academic training. They also are fed lunch every day. The music program has spawned a 70-piece marching band that is popular in the country. Over 90 percent of its students pass their national exam, aided by qualified teachers, which is a rarity in Haiti. Many graduates go on to higher learning. Clinique Espérance et Vie, a first-rate medical facility, provides general medical service, eye and dental care, a pharmacy and lab offerings, all at low or no cost to those in need. Jatrofa Projenou is a community agriculture and enterprise development center, located in Terrier Rouge, Haiti. It has a Haitian staff, who are skilled in agriculture, forestry, industrial arts, and small business. It contains a farm, a tree nursery, and a light manufacturing and training facility. Jatrofa Projenou also runs an agroforestry program that teaches farmers how to fight against deforestation and rampant erosion. |
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10TH ANNUAL POLARBEAR PLUNGE !
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 COVID19 didn't stop the Rotary Club of Athens with the annual Polar Bear Plungefest! The 10th annual Plungefest is happening virtual this year. Brave participants were asked do their own thing: pick their location, brave the cold and video. Creativity and costumes were encouraged. Attitude was required. Each year the Rotary Club of Athens selects a local charity based on the on-going commitment and mission to assist the local community. The charity for 2021 that will benefit from the funds raised is the Boys and Girls Club Learning Hub. The Learning Hub is an in person learning program created for Clarke County School Distrist students and Boys and Girls Club members. There is still time to DONATE today! plungefest.athensgarotaryclub.org Click on image below to start video |
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Monday, April 12, 2021 For the first time in more than a year, more Rotarians attended a meeting in person than virtually. President Carl Blount presided over the meeting at the Athens Country Club. Close to 30 members attended the meeting, while about 20 watched online. It was the first time since the club’s 100th anniversary celebration in March 2020 that more club members attended in person than virtually. Frank Stephens, retired public utilities director from Athens-Clarke County, shared with the club the details about the purchase of a stone quarry near the Athens Airport that will be used to store water. He explained the current system, options to increase water capacity and the option that was selected. Currently, water is drawn from the Oconee River, either directly or from Bear Creek Reservoir. With the quarry available to store water, some treated water will be diverted to the quarry for storage to protect against drought. Stephens pointed out that other communities have relied on such a strategy. Atlanta stores 2.5 billion gallons in Bellwood Quarry. Fairfax County, Va., stores 17 billion gallons in Travilah Quarry. Indianapolis stores 3.5 billion gallons in Citizens Reservoir. And Raleigh, North Carolina, stores 8 billion gallons in its quarry. The Bear Creek Reservoir currently stores 4.6 billion gallons, shared by Jackson, Barrow, Oconee and Clarke counties. At full capacity, the Rock Hill Quarry will store more than 5 billion gallons. The benefits of this approach negate the need to build a new reservoir, reduces the cost of water, is useful long term, belongs to ACC rate payers, generates revenue as stone is harvested, and will add some passive recreation benefits, such as trails. He illustrated the size and scope of the quarry with a photo of an image of Sanford Stadium in the quarry. It could hold 50 stadiums. |
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Wednesday, April 7, 2021 The pandemic has been no friend to the federal deficit. Tori Gorman, national policy director for the Concord Coalition, told the Rotary Club of Athens last week that the federal budget deficit was already approaching national levels before COVID relief. She said there has been a persistent imbalance between outlays and revenues for decades. Of course, the shutdown of the economy last year meant to stem the pandemic was a jolt. Unemployment jumped 10 points in one month and remains historically high. The COVID-induced recession was deep, but brief. Gorman said that the Concord Coalition views the federal fiscal response in 2020 to COVID significant, but appropriate. It included $8 billion March 6 for the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Act, $192 billion March 18 for the Family First Coronavirus Response Act, $1.7 trillion March 27 for the CARES Act, $483 billion April 24 for paycheck protection, and $865 billion Dec. 27 for the Coronavirus Response and Relief Act. But she said that subsequent aid is less targeted, less timely and less temporary. She cited the $1.9 trillion American Recovery Plan Act March 27 of 2021. She enumerated its issues. Less timely: a five-year non-taxable student loan discharge and education aid that will be spent through 2028. Less targeted: Recovery rebates in excess of CARES Act without demonstrated income loss and spending unrelated to COVID Less temporary: Expansion of child anti-poverty tax credits, expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies and expansion of Medicaid. The Concord Coalition historically charts trends as a percentage of gross domestic product to compensate for inflation. The record of debt held by the public was 106 percent of GDP in World War II. If current trends continue, it will be 107 percent of GDP by 2031. The annual budget deficit was 4.6 percent in 2019. Gorman said that the Concord Coalition predicts a 13.3 percent deficit by 2051. Demographic factors play into the problem. America is aging, which means more health care costs and fewer working laborers to contribute to the government’s intake. The current forecast is that the cost of net interest payments will exceed Social Security expenditures by 2045. Gorman fears that there is looming point of no return. Increasing debt reduces the fiscal resources to respond to the next crisis. Fiscal security, of course, is linked with national security. The nation has been using debt to finance consumption, as opposed to investments to increase productive capacity. While interest rates are low now, they will not always be so. Unfortunately, elected officials have strong incentives to leave the debt for future generations. #RotaryDistrict6910 #rotaryclubofathens |
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Friday, February 26, 2021 “We are so appreciative of the collaboration with the Rotary Club of Athens. As a school district we know we cannot do this work alone - it will take community collaboration to move the needle. Our local Rotary club continuously exemplifies a laser focus in Improving our community through their consistent civic engagement, advocacy, and support of our efforts. The donation of masks means we will be able to keep our staff and students safe. We are so proud of our partnership with the Rotary Club of Athens and know we are better together. “ Lawrence Harris, Chief of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships at Clarke County School District (Pictured left to right: Rotary Member Alison McCullick, Students Adaline McCullick and Shelby Meeks, and Rotary President Carl Blount) #RotaryDistrict6910 #RotaryClubOfAthens #givingbacktothecommunity |
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Wednesday, February 24, 2021 By Kris Hanna Clarke County Schools Superintendent Xernona Thomas said that pandemic numbers are decreasing, which is one reason that the system will phase in a return to classroom teaching next week. Thomas told the Rotary Club of Athens that Phase 1 of returning to the classroom actually started Feb. 15 with special education and adaptive classes. Grades Pre-k through second will be in the classroom four days a week starting March 1. Higher elementary grades will be in the classroom four days a week starting March 15. Middle school will return March 22, also four days. High school will activate a phased-in model as of March 15. “Our numbers are going down,” said Thomas, who was named superintendent Dec. 10, 2020. Thomas is a native Athenian who was educated in local public schools and earned three degrees at the University of Georgia. She has 29 years of experience as a professional educator. She understood the frustration that some parents have had as they watched schools in surrounding counties meet on a more aggressive schedule. “Different communities have different personalities and different needs,” she said. “I feel our students need to return to the classroom.” Virtual classroom options will be offered through the remainder of the school year. Thomas is hopeful that the system will operate in a “normal” fashion at the beginning of the next school year. “By the end of this school year, we hope that vaccines will be available for all our teachers,” she said. She was anticipating an announcement from the governor regarding teacher access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Thomas is committed to live graduations this year: May 21 for Cedar Shoals and Classic City and May 22 for Clarke Central, at the high school football stadiums. Those venues mean the district will not have to be concerned with social-distance requirements that might be set by the University of Georgia. Most recent graduations have been held in UGA’s Stegeman Coliseum. Thomas shared a bit about her philosophy. “My tagline is that I want every child to have an opportunity to have an opportunity,” she said. “That may sound redundant. But most of us are where we are because somebody saw some special skills or knew someone. I want our students to be in a position to seize the opportunity when it presents itself.” She shared the five points of the district’s strategic plan: student achievement, community collaboration, a welcoming climate and culture, excellence in human capital and development, and fiscal responsibility. |
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Tuesday, February 9, 2021 Not long after assuming his post as U.S. Ambassador to Germany, John Emerson found himself in a mess. Whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked documents that alleged that the U.S. National Security Agency was tapping the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The news stunned the Germans, who looked to the United States as a big brother. U.S. advisors had helped the country draft a new constitution after World War II, effectively introducing democracy and the free press to the country. Chancellor Merkel angrily told the U.S. government that “spying between friends just isn’t on,” as reported by the BBC. Emerson was advised to make no comment, but he realized that he needed to take a different tack. “The people in Washington did not understand,” he told the Rotary Club of Athens last week in remarks. “I went on a six-month tour of the country to address the issue and lance the boil.” Two days into crisis management, Emerson appeared on a news talk television show, one essentially watched by every significant state administrator. Emerson spoke German, but not fluently. So he was listening to a translator in his ear and trying to frame his responses to a conspiracy theorist who claimed that the United States was listening to the calls of all the Germans and monitoring their email. “Total nonsense,” said Emerson. The interview lasted for about five to 10 minutes, and Emerson left, somewhat apprehensive about he had soothed tensions. By coincidence, he and his wife attended a charity event that night. Normally, the U.S. ambassador is a popular person at such events. “People want to get on the list for the July 4 party,” he said. “But that night it was like we were radioactive. Nobody was coming over to talk to us.” But Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s finance minister, wheeled himself over to Emerson. “He was a tough old bird,” Emerson said. “He might have been Germany’s chancellor if he had not been shot in an assassination attempt. He said, “I saw you on TV. You said nothing. But you said it very well.” Emerson said it was an eventful period in Germany, 2013-2017, when he served. A refugee crisis, the rise of terrorism and Brexit were in the headlines. His position as an ambassador opened the doors to meet some very interesting people, such as Bill Gates, Angelique Kerber, the world’s No. 1 ranked tennis player in 2016; and the actors and staff of Homeland, which filmed season five in Berlin. That led to the dinner party to end all dinner parties. Asked if the United States could learn anything from Germany, Emerson said that Germany as learned much Americans. But on reflection, he said that we could learn how to act with bi-partisanship and how to trust the science. “Mrs. Merkel is a scientist,” he said. “She took steps immediately when the pandemic broke out. I think they loosened up a little too much, and now they are struggling. It looks like they have made some real mistakes in getting the vaccine out.” Emerson was invited to speak via Zoom to the Rotary Club by Allison McCullick, who once worked for Emerson when he was employed by President Clinton. He said he had a particular affinity for Rotary because his father, a Presbyterian minister, was an active Rotarian and was president of clubs in both Denver and San Francisco. “He was buried wearing his cross and his Rotary pin,” Emerson said. He said that it was common to encounter Rotarians in Germany. |
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Saturday, January 23, 2021 Nearly a year into a pandemic, the administrators of both Athens hospitals say that are more knowledgeable about effective strategies, but they are still stretched by the realities. “We know what we are doing now,” said Michael Burnett, CEO of Piedmont Athens Regional. An example of experiential knowhow is the way that the hospitals are handling other health needs. “We try not to cancel procedures now,” Michael said. However, the hospitals are still very restrictive in many of its policies. Visitors are limited to one per patient. Other procedures must be carefully coordinated with hospital availability and patient health. “We don’t want people driving a long way and then not be able to take them in,” he said. In the early days of the pandemic, getting adequate personal protective equipment was an issue. Supplies chains are still stressed, but the shortages tend to be on specific sub-categories, such as “medium-size gloves” as opposed to gloves in general. Montez Carter, president and CEO of St. Mary’s Health Care System, said that he is hearing a lot of questions about the vaccines. “One of the questions is whether they were rushed,” he said. He explained that some steps of the testing were run concurrently rather than sequentially, which sped up development. Montez said that there could be side effects, as with any vaccine, and that often they manifest with the second of the two required doses. Michael said about half of the workforce at Piedmont had been vaccinated. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. Montez recommending Rotarians getting the vaccine when they were eligible. There are still a lot of unknowns. How long is the efficacy of a vaccine? When will society be able to gather in masse without adverse effects? |
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Tuesday, January 12, 2021 The Democratic victories in Georgia are an indication of the state’s changing demographics, said Charles Bullock, renowned political observer from the University of Georgia. “What we saw is another step in a decade-long change,” he told the Rotary Club of Athens the day after Rafael Warnock and Jon Ossoff both claimed seats in the United States Senate for the Democrats. That followed Democrat Joe Biden’s win in the presidential election. Charles said that the turnout for the election was much higher than most runoffs attract, at about 90 percent of the vote cast in November. The Republicans’ high-water mark in the state came during the 2004 election. A little more than 15 percent of the state’s 159 counties voted for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Clarke County was one of those counties. By contrast, in the 2020 race for president, the number was up slightly, to 18 percent. But the determining factor was that the 18 percent included most of the state’s most populous counties. In 2004, in the metro Atlanta area, only Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton voted for Kerry. By contrast, in 2020, metro counties that went for President-elect Joe Biden included the aforementioned trio plus Douglas, Cobb, Henry, Rockdale, Newton and Gwinnett. Not only did the Democrats win in those counties, but they tended to win by huge margins: 83 percent in DeKalb, 73 percent in Fulton, 58 percent in Gwinnett and 56 percent in Cobb. Biden captured 70 percent of the Clarke County vote, compared to 67 percent for Warnock. Charles said that white voters have been declining as a percentage of the votes cast almost steadily since 1996. Charles said that if the Republicans want to reverse the trend, they must appeal to Hispanic and Asian voters. “Age makes a difference,” he said. “Republicans die, and their grandchildren vote for Democrats.” Early voting is popular, he said, Democrats tended to vote early, and Republicans tended to vote by absentee ballot. He speculated that the Democrats held a sizable lead in the runoff elections before Election Day itself. |
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Tuesday, December 8, 2020 By Kris Hanna In the early days of the pandemic shutdown, the Lake Oconee area struggled. But tourists are back in big numbers because of pent-up demand to travel. Hannah Wilcher, executive director of the Greene County Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Rotary Club of Athens that visits to Lake Oconee are up over last year. “If you are going to be quarantined, the lake is a good place to do it,” she said. “We offer a lot of activities that you can still do while social distancing. You can get out on the boat. Gold has been one activity that has stayed busy.” Hannah said that conventions have not yet returned. The Ritz Carlton, a primary source of revenue for the CVB, shut down in March, turning off the flow of income. The cancellation of the Masters was a huge hit to the local economy. But the Ritz Carlton and Reynolds have been at full (reduced) capacity since opening in July. “People are so ready to take a trip,” said Hannah. She grew up in the area, thinking she would move away when she left home. But she says is it a great community in which to raise a family. Lake Oconee is the primary tourist attraction, spreading out over 19,000 acres. But the historic downtown is also a draw, as well as the largest off-road park in the United States, Durhamtown Plantation. It offers 6,000 acres of trails for dirt bikes. Real estate has prospered in the county. More than two dozen commercial and industrial projects have been started since 2017. Unemployment was at a historic low before the pandemic, but surged up with the loss of many hospitality jobs. |
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Tuesday, November 24, 2020 By Kris Hanna Tommy Aaron reached the pinnacle of golf in 1973 when he won the Masters. He proved to be one of the more unlikely winners in the tournament’s history. Aaron grew up in nearby Gainesville, which he said was not a golf town when he was a boy. Indeed, to play, he sometimes came to the Athens Country Club. “All I heard about growing up was Gainesville High football,” he said. Getting into serious golf was a challenge for Aaron. In 1959, he took the train overnight to Washington, D.C., and traveled on to Johnstown, Pa., to play in the Sunnehanna Amateur, one of the top amateur events in the country. He won the tournament. He was lucky enough to catch a ride back to Gainesville after the tournament, sparing himself the train ride. “I did a lot of things like that just to play in tournaments,” Tommy told the Rotary Club of Athens via Zoom. “I didn’t think anything of it. If I was going to play in the state amateur, I was going to get there somehow. “I knew good players who could not take the grind,” he said. “They just quit. I wanted to get better and play.” He won the Georgia Amateur in 1957 and 1960, the Southeastern Amateur in 1958 and 1960, was medalist in the Southeastern Conference tournament in 1957 and 1958 for Florida. He won the Western Amateur in 1960. As an amateur, he represented the USA on the championship Walker Cup team in 1959. He was on the winning U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1969. College golf rarely gave scholarships when he was playing. Howell Hollis, the successful golf coach at Georgia, said only that Aaron could try out for the team, offering no aid. Only the University of Florida offered a scholarship, actually using a grant reserved for the football team. When he turned pro, Tommy said he and his wife drove across country to qualify for the Los Angeles Open. The total purse that year was $50,000, and only the top 50 players were paid. He said Jack Nicklaus in the 1962 L.A. Open finished just in the money, earning $33.33. Tommy said he took a big gamble heading west for the tour, with $800 and no backers. When he won the Masters in 1973, he earned a $30,000 paycheck. Dustin Johnson this year received a $2 million paycheck. He never saw such payouts coming when he was playing. He credits television exposure and corporate involvement to enriching the sport. Tommy does not begrudge the modern payouts. Indeed, he said golf was good to him. He was able to play with many of the top players in the world. He rated Jack Nicklaus as the best he ever played with. “He was very focused,” he said. “Nothing seemed to bother him. He never seemed to get rattled. There had always been long hitters, but he was the first one who also do the other aspects of the game. Now they are all doing that. It is amazing the things they do.” As a past champion, he receives an invite to the Masters every year. Now it is a chance for him to meet the modern professionals, such as Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson. |
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Athens Rotary Day of Service 2017
Wednesday, October 11, 2017 By Michael A. Usry Athens Rotary Day of Service 2017 read more |
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Tuesday, October 3, 2017 By Michael A. Usry University of Georgia Associate Professor of Religion Wayne Coppins told Athens Rotarians that he likes for his students to have a bit of Martin Luther inside their heads. As the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation approaches, he spoke on some of Luther’s insights. Luther, he said, diagnosed the human condition as naturally curving in on itself. “He uses not only physical but also spiritual goods for his own purposes and in all things seeks only himself.” He said modern thinking corresponds with the concept of fundamental attribution error. That is a tendency to attribute good things that happen to us to our own efforts and bad things to unlucky external factors. We tend to reverse the causality when speaking of others. read more |
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Saturday, September 30, 2017 By Michael A. Usry |
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Monday, December 19, 2022 The Clarke Central Honor Orchestra played holiday music for the Rotary Club of Athens. |
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Thursday, December 15, 2022 Today, 12 members of our club gave blood to make a difference in our community! Thank you Phil Bettendorf, Meyur Vashi, Ryan Hunt, Charlie Maddox, Carl Blount, Mark Horn, Sarah McKinney, Mickey Hotcaveg, Miller Heath, Paul Chambers, Will Hodges, Will Beasley, Mike Leggett and Gary Bertsch for your "Service Above Self". |
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Thursday, December 1, 2022 He is the Assistant to the President at the University of Georgia. Nathan was sponsored by Alison McCullick. |
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Monday, November 28, 2022 She is the Executive Director for Project Safe. Joan was sponsored by Rubielen Norris. |
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022 |
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Tuesday, September 13, 2022 Life LaRoche made a return visit to the Rotary Club of Athens, but much has changed since he first introduced Chess and Community to the club. Chess and Community has expanded beyond Athens. It has also entered into collaborative strategies with other civic and community organizations to enhance the program. Life says chess teaches its practitioners to think before they move, to respond rather than to react. Chess and Community has added some additional programs. Chess and Hook combine chess and boxing, teaching de-escalation techniques. The after-school Youth Enrichment Project features a robotics program that helps students develop skills for teamwork, effective communication and problem solving. The organization interacts with the public through open chess play, chess and pizza, and chess and ice cream. The Pawn Accelerator features robotics and coding, exposing students to cutting-edge technology. The target age for participants is 11 to 21. There are 250 in the program. But the need is greater, Life said. |
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Wednesday, August 17, 2022 President Whit Richardson said that he would announce at Sunday’s club picnic the beneficiary of the annual Polar Plunge , but who knew that a gun show would break out? Whit announced that Hope Haven would be the beneficiary this year. He wants to improve the agency sign and send some clients to the beach for the first time ever. A number of Rotarians and family members enjoyed Kona ice, face painting, balloon art and hot dogs at Memorial Park. Alas, a reliable water supply could not be supplied for a dunking booth. Lesha Bizzle was on hand to say thanks on behalf of Hope Haven. She even got a bulldog tattoo. |
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Monday, August 8, 2022 He is a Financial Advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors. Alan was nominated by Phil Bettendorf. |
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Wednesday, August 3, 2022 Bob Dylan sang, “The times, they are a-changin.” Demographer Mark Kooyman of Experience Insight told Athens Rotarians that the Athens metro area is poised for explosive growth, and that there are challenges to address in the near future. Mark said that the Athens Metropolitan Statistical Area is the fastest growing in the Southeast. Using a vast array of statistics, Mark summarized some trends: Millennials are pioneering homesteads and making babies. Boomers are transitioning in and out of retirement. Incomes have increased, and poverty has declined. Homes in the Athens MSA have appreciated the most in the Southeast. Single-family housing is a major issue as the workforce explodes. “There are 20,000 new jobs coming online that have to be filled in the next two years,” he said. “And another 10,000 the year after that.” Affordable housing for that workforce is a major issue. Using data about population, income, and housing, Kooyman projects that Jackson County and the northwest corridor of Athens-Clarke County will see the most growth. That is where homes are most affordable, although he said a recent edict in Jackson County requiring one acre per home is problematic. |
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Thursday, July 21, 2022 Chad is the CEO of Brown & McCook. He was sponsored by Phil Bettendorf. |
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Tuesday, July 19, 2022 Athens Research & Technology is a world leader in purifying human proteins, but before CEO John Mitchell said a word about his company, he had to credit actions by his grandmother and his mother. His grandfather was a fourth-generation coal miner. “They lived in company towns, in company houses and bought what they needed at company stores,” John said. His grandfather, who served on the safety committee at the mine, was killed in an accident. His grandmother moved to Huntington, West Virginia, where she raised an architect and a chemical engineer. John came along and grew up flying model rockets. He applied to West Point, but was turned down because of an omission from his application packet. His mother was on the phone the next day to his senator and representative, and a few days later he was accepted. John called the actions of those women translational. Athens Research & Technology has been purifying human proteins since 1986. ART specializes in highly pure, highly active human proteins. Their products are used as components in vitro diagnostics and immunoassay kits. |
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Thursday, July 14, 2022 Pick up your long awaited copy of the 100 year Anniversary Book for the Rotary Club of Athens at the meeting next week. |
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Monday, June 27, 2022 Chicken may not have been on Abit Massey’s plate before he addressed the Rotary Club of Athens, but it was on his mind and in his veins. President Sarah McKinney was embarrassed that she had not instructed the Country Club to serve chicken, but Massey took it in good humor. He dished out no shortage of humor as he shared some of the facts and figures about the poultry business; No state produces more poultry than Georgia. It is easily the No. 1 crop in the state, accounting for close to half of the total farm-gate value. Massey grew up in Athens, which had practically no poultry operations to speak of. He told the story of former Athens Mayor Julius Bishop purchasing 300 unclaimed chicks at the post office where he worked, for a penny apiece, which launched what became a significant enterprise. Massey joked that now Athens is the only city with a bridge built to carry chickens across the street. There is abundant poultry research in Athens. The World Congress Center in Atlanta annually hosts a convention of 25,000 industry visitors. Chicken has passed pork and beef as America’s favorite food. The average American eats 97 pounds a year. |
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Wednesday, June 15, 2022 “Now it’s legal,” quipped Matt Hibbs, president of the Classic City Collective, summing up how NIL rules have changed college sports. NIL is an abbreviation for name, image, and likeness. The concept is to allow college athletes to profit financially via endorsements and the like, since coaches and athletic departments already do. So far, it’s a little like the Wild West as there is little uniformity. Hibbs told Rotarians that he has little expectation that Congress will address the issue. The rules are still changing. For example, Hibbs said that he is unable to talk to prospects now, which is a change. Classic City Collective pools the resources of supporters of the University of Georgia sports programs who wish to assist athletes financially. Unlike the collective at Tennessee, which Hibbs said is funded primarily by two large donors, the Classic City Collective has sought to draw from a wider group of donors. Matt said that while the collective is not affiliated with the athletic department, it works closely with the coaching staff to funnel funds to the athletes that most need the help. “Stetson Bennett and Brock Bowers, they don’t need any help,” he said. On3, which covers college sports, lists Brock Bowers No. 15 in the country in NIL valuation at $875,000. Other Bulldogs listed in the top 100 include Bennett at No. 26, $703,000; cornerback Kelee Ringo at No. 29, $668,000; linebacker Nolan Smith, No. 54, $513,000; safety Christopher Smith, No. 63, $461,000; lineman Broderick Jones, No. 78, $417,000; and tight end Arik Gilbert, No. 93, $351,000. High school quarterback Arch Manning, grandson of Archie Manning, nephew of NFL Super Bowl champions Peyton and Eli, and a five-star pursued by Georgia, is ranked third at $3.1 million. Hibbs said Manning would be represented by agent Jimmy Sexton, who represents Kirby Smart among other high-profile sports personalities. Matt Hibbs said that donors do not dictate how the money is distributed. They can limit their contributions to a particular team, but not to a particular athlete. He made an ominous prediction that in a few years college football may have a super conference with about 35 teams. He predicted that every player would earn $30,000 to $40,000 a year. |
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Wednesday, June 8, 2022 The railroad touches every part of life, said Craig Camuso, a regional vice president for CSX Transportation. There are 29 railroads in the state: CSX and Norfolk Southern are the two largest. Most of the short lines were previously part of CSX. Craig told Rotarians about the 5,000 miles of track in Georgia, the 41 million tons of freight transported and the 6,000 employees, who average $125,000 a year. CSX maintains 2,000 grade crossings in Georgia. The industry is capital intensive and puts 20 percent of annual revenue back into infrastructure. CSX has recently expanded to Maine. It covers the eastern United States as far west as Memphis, Kansas City and New Orleans. One of the rail centers is in Waycross, which handles 75 trains a day. The industry needs employees. The technology exists to operate trains without employees on board, but the union is opposed to it. |
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Friday, April 23, 2021 Technical difficulties prevented Carol Myers from presenting the presentation she preferred, but she still was able to communicate about a cross-country, solo bicycle trip she took. Carol’s PowerPoint and its connection with online viewers initially worked, but those in the room could not see it. Several technical solutions were attempted. So Carol more or less abandoned her planned presentation and spoke off the cuff, answering questions about her trip. Program chair Blaine Williams apologized and invited Carol to make a return visit. Carol started her trip on the West Coast and took a northerly route, thinking it would be cooler. She did encounter snow as she cycled to the peaks of the Cascades, but it was warmer later. She had trained, but for her trip, she carried her tent and supplies, which made her bike weigh 81 pounds. She thought she would lose more weight than she did, but she dropped only a handful of pounds. Once her gears malfunctioned. She had taken a bicycle maintenance course before the trip. She contacted her instructor via the Internet and was able through a video connection to follow the instructions and repair her gears. She started a blog to chronicle her 4,144-mile trip from Anacortes, Washington to Orr’s Island, Maine. She maintains the blog as she writes about retirement and her role as a councilwoman: cyclingintothefuture2015. Despite the technical difficulties, Carol handled herself with aplomb and grace and communicated effectively. |
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Wednesday, March 17, 2021 The hunger strike and subsequent death in 1920 of Irishman Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork, was an international sensation. Wednesday, Athens Rotarians heard the story of MacSwiney from across the Atlantic. Gabriel Doherty, lecturer in the School of History at University College Cork, connected with the club via Zoom to relieve the century-old story. Tragically, COVID interrupted the special observances planned for the 100th anniversary in 2020. MacSwiney was an Irish playwright, author and politician. He was reared in an Irish Catholic family with strong nationalist opinions. He graduated from Royal University, now University College Cork in 1907 with a degree in mental and moral science. He wrote in newspapers and founded a newspaper that was suppressed after 11 issues. He was first imprisoned in 1916 and deported in 1917. While exiled in Bromyard he married Muriel Murphy of the Cork distillery family. They had a daughter. In November 1917, he was arrested for wearing an Irish Republican Army uniform. He went on a hunger strike for three days before he was released. He was elected to a parliamentary position in 1918. After his friend Tomas MacCurtain was murdered, he succeeded him as Lord Mayor of Cork March 20, 1920. He was arrested Aug. 12, 1920 for possession of “seditious articles and documents” and a code cipher. Once imprisoned Aug. 16, he immediately began his hunger strike. As Doherty related, the hunger strike gained worldwide attention. Doherty shared some clips from newspapers in Georgia, some supportive, some critical. The Weekly Banner in Athens reported on the hunger strike. The North Georgia Citizen wrote Sept. 30, 1920: “The people are just about ‘fed up’ on the MacSwiney case. It is pure Sinn Fein propaganda; a bluff has been called. The Lord Mayor may now [commit] suicide by starving himself to death, but, if so, he will turn out a poor martyr. But just the same, someone had been feeding him.” Doherty said that both sides claimed that MacSwiney was being fed. But he lost 98 pounds during his hunger strike. He weighed just 57 pounds when he died. The Augusta Herald wrote Oct. 18: “The difference between Robert Emmett [a 19th century Irish patriot and Terence MacSwiney: Emmett got hung. MacSwiney got hungry.” Other Georgia newspapers were more supportive. The Americus Times-Recorder on Oct. 21 wrote, “There can be no doubt the Irish Republicans believed MacSwiney had given their cause the most valuable service in his power, and that, like John Brown, ‘he will trouble you more than ever when you have nailed his coffin down’.” Edmund Vance Cook penned a poem for the Times-Recorder: “An iron mind wed to a heart of gold./A fiery soul whose body grows a-cold./Whether you call him right or call him wrong/Surely you call him worthy of a song.” Doherty said that the news coverage by and large was detailed, factual, informed and non-partisan. The editorial commentary was mixed. MacSwiney died Oct. 25. The Chicago Daily Tribune in bold letters atop its front page reported: “Mac Swiney Is Dead.” Doherty said that the public was so familiar with the story that his last name alone was all that was needed for the headline. Doherty said he has been teaching a college course on the subject for years, and it is the most popular course he teaches. MacSwiney is uniformly revered in Ireland today. Rotary President Carl Blount remarked before the meeting that three decades ago it would have been considered science fiction for the club to feature a live speaker on a video platform from around the world. It was 4:30 in the afternoon in Cork on St. Patrick’s Day when Doherty addressed the luncheon club in Athens. |
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Tuesday, February 2, 2021 Mayor Kelly Girtz boasted that Athens-Clarke County had the lowest pandemic mortality rate of any metro county in the state, and he credited the efforts of front-line responders. Athens Rotarian Kelly presented an annual update on the state of affairs in the county. The pandemic alerted administrators that revenues could be adversely affected, but Kelly reported that in the end the overall revenue was not drastically affected. “It is not a level playing field,” he said. “Some operations, like restaurants with drive-through service, are doing quite well. Convention centers, theaters, bars and restaurants have all been hit hard. In aggregate we saw little reduction over the course of the entire year.” The local public revenue benefited from relatively recent regulation that collects tax revenues for online purchases. “It is clear that people are spending money,” he said. “We are cautious as we go into the new year.” Kelly said that the administration had collaborated with the local school district well during the pandemic. One example was increasing wi-fi access in some locations to make virtual learning viable. Public safety remained a hot-button issue. He said there was a 6 percent reduction in the crime rate in 2020 with a lower murder rate. However, there was an increase in family violence and in incidents of aggravated assault on persons known to each other. He is naming a safety and justice advisory committee. He is also examining “upstream issues” that contribute to crime, such as neighborhood quality and workforce development. He reported on the purchase of a rock quarry near the airport that will store water, which will make the community more drought proof. |
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Friday, October 27, 2017 By Michael A. Usry Chef Hugh Acheson is renowned for his culinary artistry, but he believes Seed Life Skills is his most delicious creation. Acheson, a Food Network cooking competition judge, author of four cookbooks and owner/operator of a handful of restaurants in Athens and Atlanta, visited the Rotary Club of Athens last week to tell the members about the non-profit agency who mission is to empower “students to become self-sufficient, resilient, and innovative stewards of local and global resources.” read more |
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Thursday, August 24, 2017 By Kris Hanna The first flight in Georgia was shrouded in mystery, but some determined forensic investigation by a Winterville man uncovered a fascinating story. Historical records for years recorded Ben Epps first flight as in 1907, but there was never anything more definite than that. Dan Aldridge thought if he could uncover the date, he could write the definitive historical report. It took years of research before he was able to nail down the date and even time of day, he told the Rotary Club of Athens last week. Epps and a forgotten aviation pioneer named Zumpt Huff, actually flew for the first time on Aug. 28, 1909, two years after the supposed flight date. But that was still the first in Georgia. read more |
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Wednesday, August 16, 2017 By Blake Giles New Clarke County Superintendent Demond Means said that the theme this year is “Forward together.” Demond, a new Rotarian to our club, via transfer from his Wisconsin club, presented his vision for the school district, on the first day of the school year and on his 23rd day on the job. Demond said that the district added 200 students to increase to 13,800. There are five new principals on the job. He shared three points of emphasis that the district will have this year. Every child reading on grade level: He revealed that most state legislatures base the size of their prisons on the reading scores of third graders. Athens Rotarian Mark Anthony was proud to point out that the Rotary Club of Athens has put some 25,000 dictionaries in the hands of every third-grade student in Clarke County for years. Every child able to work with numbers in a complex fashion: It may be in math, but it could also be in science or economics. Every child growing socially and emotionally: He said it is fine to excel academically, but what good is it if you are a crummy person. He promised to be be open and accountable. He is open to community feedback. He said that strategic planning is on the immediate horizon. He is looking at the branding of the school system. “What value proposition can you hold me responsible for?” The district is in the second year of becoming a charter district. He said that he wants all the students to be academically prepared, regardless of whether they went to college, followed a vocational/technical career path or enlisted in the military. |