Making Tracks (At Last!)

As a kid, I couldn't wait to turn 16, so I could get my driver's license. In high school, I couldn't wait to find out if I was accepted into my dream college, the University of Georgia (which I was - I'm graduating in just a few weeks!). And now, I can't wait for the Brain Train to become a reality.

While it may take time, I know the proposed commuter rail line from Athens to Atlanta WILL happen some day. I just hope it's sooner rather than later -- and sooner it may be. With the conclusion of the Georgia legislative session a few weeks ago, we have made progress for not only the Brain Train, but also other commuter rail lines around the state. Maybe everyone is finally realizing how horrendous and unbearable our traffic congestion problems really are? For one thing, we know that our traffic woes will certainly not improve until we change the way we travel.

Just last week, we heard about a proposed commuter rail line from Atlanta to Marietta running along I-75. As mentioned in a recent AJC story, the line is cost effective and would also allow the development of the Atlanta-Lovejoy line, which already has federal funding earmarked for it.

I personally think the Marietta line, just like the Brain Train line, is a necessity for the metro Atlanta area. I've made the painstaking commute from Atlanta to Marietta (my hometown) and Athens (where I go to school) hundreds of times, and who knows how many hours I've wasted time sitting in gridlocked traffic? More than I care to count, I'm sure.

If the legislators, Georgia DOT and we, as voting citizens, agree to build the Marietta and Lovejoy lines along with and before the Brain Train, I say go for it! At this point, I would like to see any of these lines be the first to be built and up and running. Its success will lead the way for more lines to be built, and maybe then we can get our traffic problems under control.

What do you think? Are you tired of dealing with traffic and ready to hop aboard the [insert your train of choice here]? If the multimodal center that has been sitting empty without a train for more than two years now is any indication, I'd say that Athens is (and has been) ready for the Brain Train.

Want to Check your Check?

So you got a letter from the IRS? No, you aren't being audited. The letter was simply the IRS's way of informing you that you will be receiving an economic stimulus check this summer. The price tag of the government's little reminder-- over $40 million. Like me, you may have been shocked that the costly mailer neglected to inform you of anything you hadn't already heard. One major question still remains-- how much am I going to get?

Out of curiosity I Googled economic stimulus check and found a helpful tool on the IRS Web site. If you are interested to see how much you may be receiving in May, June or July, check the IRS calculator. And, just for the record, it's free.

Music for Nothing, Shows for Free

It started with the cassette tape. Suddenly, it was no longer necessary to pay for recorded music. If your friend owned a copy of Fat Boys Crushin’ or Kool Moe Dee’s How Ya Like Me Now? (two of my favorites in the 80s, you could purchase a cassette tape for a couple bucks and dub the whole album for free. Dubbing cassette tapes wasn’t enough to send the recorded music industry spiraling into the pits of Rock Purgatory, but with the introduction of CD-Rs, mp3 format, Napster and now BitTorrents, music pirates are pillaging record labels’ and bands’ treasure chests like never before. I’ll not offer my opinion on whether or not I think that it’s right or wrong; good or bad; or a curse or a blessing. The truth is that free music is all of the above.

Lately, the idea of “free music” has spilled over into Athens’ live music scene. From 40 Watt to Go Bar to The Farm, nearly every local venue is now offering free shows.Instrumental in planning and promoting many of these free shows is local indie rock dignitary and musician Mercer West and his DIY venture “Party Party Partners” aka “Hey Guys.” Throughout April, West put together 30 free shows at Athens venues.

As a musician, performer and music lover, I think that the wave of free shows is a great way to get people excited about the Athens music scene again. In any good music town, there are periods of waxing and waning. The last 2 or 3 years have felt a little slow in Athens, but with R.E.M. and the B-52s releasing new albums this year, Of Montreal taking over the world, and newer bands like The Whigs, Dead Confederate and The Modern Skirts receiving plenty of national spotlight, I think we’re in an upswing. And it’s not like there were too many Athens bands getting rich from playing non-free shows prior to this new trend.

There’s something inherently “communal” about free shows. I’d encourage anyone to take in a free show and see what you think.If you’re not into the bands, then you’re not out any cash. But if you find the music catchy, cool, fun or otherwise interesting, I urge you to offer a donation or buy a CD or two. None of the bands I know are playing music for the money (there isn’t much to go around), but most serious bands spend dozens of hours every week writing, recording, practicing, booking shows, promoting their shows, etc.--all in an attempt to put on a good performance for you, the listener. Many bands want to take their music to audiences outside of their home town, but touring isn’t free (or even cheap). If you went to a free art opening and really liked the paintings, you’d probably pay to take one home if you could afford it. If you really like the music, you should do the same.

Rising Food Costs Got You Down?

Everyone in the nation has been watching oil prices rise for months, but, until recently, most people have not been concerned with the price of a bushel of corn. We are all beginning to realize that these two economic indicators are inherently tied to one another. Current prices—$113.97 for a barrel of oil and $6 for a bushel of corn—leave Athens residents begging for ways to ease the pain of rising fuel and grocery bills.

Citizens of Egypt and Haiti have experienced riots and public unrest as results of steep grain costs. As Athens residents we should be grateful that our situation is not as dire and our options not as drastic.

One way that the community is alleviating the strain is by adopting the practice of buying local. Buying local simply means that a person attempts to buy as much of their household groceries from nearby farms or growers. There are countless benefits to buying local: lower fuel costs associated with the transport of products, support for local community farms, preservation of open land and lower grocery bills.

Athens offers so many options for buying locally. Here are a few venues to help Athens area residents to get started:

The Farm 255- A downtown Athens restaurant whose menu is based upon seasonal locally grown food. Bonus! They offer live music every night.
http://www.farm255.com/index.html

Athens Locally Grown- A group of local growers who have banded together to provide chemical-free local produce, dairy, meats and even flowers to its semi-co-op members.
athens.locallygrown.net

Oconee County Farmer’s Market- Located at Eagle Tavern in downtown Watkinsville, the Farmer’s Market is committed to providing agriculture-based products from local sustainable sources.
oconeefarmersmarket.org

An Anchor of Athens Architecture

On top of working at a Georgia historic site - Oak Hill Home - during my college years, I also used to live in the Lazarus-Divine House in Wilmington, NC. Built in 1818, the Italiante-style house was converted into apartments during the 1920s. My history with historic buildings explains why I'm currently involved with the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation's Spring Tour of Homes.

The tour features the homes of Athens-native and UGA grad Frederick J. Orr. Having designed more than 30 buildings around town in the early 20th century, Orr's work includes some of Athens’ signature architecture in the city’s most historic neighborhoods. Orr didn't leave behind much in the way of formal correspondence, but an exhibit will explore what we do know. If nothing else, we've got Orr's signature on a lot of his designs - an "o" in rounded windows and architectural details.

The evening will close with the Patrons Party at the Hardeman-Sams House, one of Orr's most famous designs. Culinary delights from restaurants like Big City Café, Donderos Kitchen, Farm 255, Harry Bissett's and Mama's Boy will vie for the title of Best Overall Dish from a panel of judges led by local culinary instructor and writer, Rebecca Lang.

Proceeds from the weekend will benefit the Heritage Foundation’s efforts to advocate for preservation of historic buildings, neighborhoods and heritage. Which is more important than most of us think about it. Once these buildings are gone, we can't get them back. And they're an essential part of what makes the Classic City so classic.

Details
Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation Spring Tour of Homes
Saturday, May 3
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for members/$20 for nonmembers

Patron's Party
Hardeman-Sams House
Saturday, May 3
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Tickets are $50

Order tickets or find out more about the tour at www.achfonline.org.

Food Fore Thought

This week, the attention of the golf world is on Augusta. Next week, that focus will shift to Athens.

Okay, maybe not totally. But somewhat.

Indeed, the Athens-area's largest professional sports event arrives next week with the Athens Regional Foundation Classic, a Nationwide Tour event. This is the third year for the event, and it has grown dramatically each year. In 2007 it was a leader in both attendance and media coverage for the entire tour. This year more than 70 media with more than 20 organizations have already registered to cover the event.

A testimony to the quality of the event is the fact that Brandt Snedeker, a participant in the inaugural ARFC (who I was lucky enough to meet in the press room), was at the top of the leaderboard today in Augusta. The fact is, Athens has a remarkable number of outstanding golf courses -- including The Georgia Club, Athens Country Club, and the University of Georgia Golf Club -- that provide some great golf for local residents and visitors.

The tournament also reminds me of what a strong sports town Athens is and what that means for our economy. Whether it is UGA Football games in the fall, the myriad UGA spring and winter sports, or other events like ARFC, Twilight, the Athens Eco-Adventure Challenge, weekend road races, and high school sports, this area is a hub for athletics, and this is great for community marketing, economic development, and tourism.

The Inbox: A Memo on Who We Are

The Inbox was created to give team members an outlet to write about business, economics, sports, music, art, local news and happenings in Athens, Ga. and the surrounding communities. Contributors will write what might be under the radar - lost in the pile, so to speak. We hope to provide insight into what's going on in the community with our observations, commentary and attempt to explore "the rest of the story" where other media may leave off and move on to something else.

The Inbox will uncover ideas, news items or interesting people and give credit and print space to the overlooked citizens, organizations and businesses in our city. It is not our goal to break stories that might otherwise be covered in main stream Athens news sources nor are we attempting to do investigative reporting.

But we are investigating the community with our eyes and ears. With what's on our calendars and what's on our minds. And we hope our readers will find what's in The Inbox worth filing away.