I'm Going Over the Edge to Support Children First

Some of you may know that for nearly four years, I was the Executive Director of Children First, an Athens non-profit working with children in the foster care system. Their programs, Athens-Oconee CASA, Family Time, SafeCare, and SPARC, helps over 200 families a year with guardian ad litem, therapeutic parenting, counseling, visitation, and other services, all at no charge to the families.

The work Children First does provides over $1.5M annually in services to those families, on a budget of $400K. This is in addition to the long term benefits associated with children and families remaining out of the foster care system, in healthy family relationships, and with stable home lives.

Next month, my wife and I are teaming up to go Over the Edge for Children First. As Kristin put it when she registered us:

Neither Tony nor I want to repel off of a building, but Children First is an organization that does so much good in the areas surrounding Clarke and Oconee Counties to serve the needs of children and families involved with the foster care system that we feel driven to participate. Since we couldn't decide who would 'go over the edge' we decided to make it a competition and let your donations decide. If the donations received begin with an odd number, Kristin will go over the edge, if the first number is even, then Tony will. 

You donation will support the staff and volunteers of Children First working for the families they serve. The best investment you can make to improve your community is in the community's people. This is a direct investment in people.

The event is on March 18th in Athens. Neither of us go over the edge until we reach $1000. While I'm not excited about repelling off a building, I'll happily do it if we get to $2000+. Please consider supporting Children First.

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Accountability

Blutarsky does a good job of hitting the who is doing what with athletes and police in Athens and the obvious follow up on how it might be played out on the recruiting trail. However, if you want a good view of the perspective of those that have gone before, check out the article The Senator linked.

Blutarsky quoted most of the money shot, but it isn't hard to see the difference in approach, and recalcitrance, from those that have had their issues from other sports and that of Carter. Carter, while talking about second chances, is too easily laying the blame on Athens, the culture and the ACC/University PD. He isn't owning his drinking or threatening a woman. For an alternative view, see Cornelius Washington.

Also, there is an interesting confluence of factors in the ever growing #HCMRhlco meme. Some athletes make better decisions than others. Honestly, I don't believe in the good apple/bad apple theory. College students will be college students. The real issues, those that have resulted in dismissals (at least in football), have been really poor life decisions.  Basically, I'm saying that while there is a probable witch hunt of sorts by the local constabulary due to many factors and powers in Clarke County, there is plenty of blame to be lain at the feet of the athletes who make the unwise decisions to go out and act the fool.

If the police know all the athletes and all the athletes are always out enjoying the Athens party lyfe, then we'd see far more arrests. We can quibble about how often charges get pressed when an athlete, or any other student, has an interaction with police, but there are far more times when the average Friday night out having a couple of drinks at the club ends in nothing more than a ride back to East Campus Village in a taxi.

There are 8 biggies that will 100% result in an arrest in Athens (not counting those that you shouldn't have to be told, like don't kill anyone):

• Don't drink and drive. 
• Don't pass out in bathrooms/on sidewalks/on benches or in The Grill/Waffle House/Bourbon Street. 
• Don't hit others or threaten to do so, especially with a weapon.
• Don't be holding.
• Don't touch anyone without an invitation to do so. 
• Don't carry guns. 
• If you are underage, don't flout that fact or push your luck by toting a drink up the sidewalk, jackass.
• Don't get nekkid in public. 

Go out. Have fun. Be a college student. Be smart about doing those things. Even athletes can do so and not get into trouble. Kyle Carter, despite his profession otherwise, still doesn't get that.

TD

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New craft brewery coming to Athens

Creature Comforts will move into the Snow Tire Building downtown. Athens is getting to be quite the beer town.

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Trapeze in Athens makes "Best College Beer Bar" list

Men's Health puts out a list of 'Best  _____" every so often, so eventually an Athens spot was going to end up on there, but I think Trapeze deserves the mention it gets as a "Best College Beer Bar."  I don't always drink beer, but Trapeze has a great list, isn't pretentious, and the half pints at half price thing is genius.

For that matter, Athens is a pretty good beer town. Any place that caters to folks out beyond the late night crowds (nothing wrong with them, but just isn't my scene usually) will have a couple of decent beers around. For a fan of quads, stout, and porter, that makes Athens a cool town to find a beer in when I am that mood.

If you haven't been to Trapeze, stop by. The food is good and inexpensive and the atmosphere is very laid back. It is a fun place to blow an hour or two.

TD
*I didn't get anything for this post from Trapeze, but if they want to slide me a beer or three, I'm not above taking them up on that.

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Feeling pretty psyched!

Hopefully, there will be people reading this today.....

(h/t @ilkandcookies)

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Herschel to open real sports bar in Downtown Athens

(Image: ABH)

For some reason, no real sports bar has been able to flourish in downtown Athens. Broad Street Bar and Grill was the closest for a number of years, but now that spot is a French restaurant. It was bad enough when Stricklands moved.  The Capitol Room does ok, but it is more a bar with TVs than a sports bar.  Now, number 34 is stepping into the breach.

Walker's Famous 34 Pub and Grill will open at 320 E. Clayton, which is the building that has Mellow Mushroom. They will feature Doritos crusted chicken wings. Giggity.

They hope to open in mid-January.

TD

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Athens Featured in GQ Magazine

Recently, Hugh Acheson was featured in GQ Magazine, where he did a 'guide' to Athens. If you are unfamiliar with Acheson, he is the owner and head chef at Five and Ten, and has interests in two other restaurants, including Empire State South in Atlanta. He is also a regular on Top Chef and other cooking shows.

Featured are some favorites including Cali 'n' Tito's, Tlaloc, and Peaches' Fine Foods, plus the obligatory 40 Watt and Georgia Theater mention. If you are looking for a quick, but good, guide to something to do in Athens for a weekend, this is a nice place to start.
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