Monday, March 25, 2013

Big Dogs on the River, Kayaking Company, Requests Zoning Change for Put-In Spot


Terry Stephens, owner Big Dogs on the River, a kayaking company in Athens, Ga., has requested a zoning change from the Athens-Clarke County Commission for a piece of property on Vaughn Road where he would like a put-in place for kayaks on the Middle Oconee River.

The Commission was briefed about the request during last Thursday’s agenda-setting meeting.  The property at 614 Vaugn Road is currently in a Single-Family Residential zone and Stephens is requesting the property be changed to a Special Use in Single-Family Residential zone.

On March 5, the Mayor and Commission approved the rezoning of 265 Epps Bridge Lane for commercial use by Big Dogs.  In conjunction with the property on Vaughn Road the company would have a put-in and pick-up location for kayakers.

There were some concerns from nearby residents on Vaughn Road who were worried about the business taking away from their privacy. The Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission recommended the zoning request be approved under conditions of the creation of a screening buffer along both sides of the property and that a company employee accompany kayakers while on property.

 A public hearing will be held by the Commission on Tuesday, April 2 in City Hall for any people who want input on the situation.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Girl's Club asks Athens-Clarke County Commission for Funding

A group of five women representing the YWCO’s Girl’s Club asked the Athens-Clarke County Commission to consider funding their summer camp at Thursday’s Commission Meeting. 

Kitty Meyran, Executive Director of the Girl’s Club, said the summer camp teaches young women a valuable work ethic at a young age, which would help them pursue jobs when they were old enough.

Commissioner Maxwell brought up the $215,000 the Commission hasn’t purposed yet saying he wanted to repurpose some of these funds “to help the young ladies at the YWCO and to instill in them that we as a community care about them.” 

However, Commissioner Girtz reminded all that the Commission is limited to spending 15 percent of the budget on public service programs and these funds have already been allocated.  

No budget changes were made, but future dialogue about the funding was agreed on.

Monday, March 18, 2013

UGA's Cox Center Prepares to Open a Journalism Training School in Moldova

Dr. Tudor Vlad Associate Director of the Cox Center

Dr. Tudor Vlad, Associate Director of the Cox Center at the University of Georgia, spoke with a journalism class about his work opening a journalism training school in Moldova and the steps being taken to prepare for the digital age.

The school, opening in May, will offer short sessions of class to train professional journalists as well as bloggers, citizen journalists, and community journalists. The first workshop will cover the impact of new technologies on the media landscape.

“I think the internet will become more and more important and that’s why I’m saying the bloggers, the community journalists will have an important role” Vlad said. He said the school hopes to offer them the skills needed to cover the news in this medium.


Vlad said that, according to a 2012 survey, 35 percent of Moldova’s population got some of their news from the Internet in the past week.  He said he believed this would become an increasingly common news source in Moldova.

The Cox Center for international Mass Communication Training and Research partnered with the 24-hour Moldovon news channel Publika to open the school. 

They hope to keep costs low for attending students with the support of Publika and European funding. This will make it more affordable for journalists to learn skills to compete in the new media age. 

Monday, March 4, 2013

Bonding Over Spring Break


Brittany Futch
Hallie Parks and Brittany Futch, roomates and University of Georgia students, are building strong bonds through mission trips with Wesley, a Christian leadership program.

Parks is getting ready to leave for a mission trip to Jamaica with Wesley this spring break.  Futch attended the trip last year.

Futch was excited for her roommate. She said “It really is kind of life changing. It was just really cool to serve the people of Jamaica."
Hallie Parks

Time on the trip is divided between volunteering in the community and free time. Students get the chance to pass out food in the slums, play with children in nurseries, build houses and still have time to relax and explore.

Parks, who said she loves to travel but hasn’t left the country before, is thrilled to go on the trip her roommate has told her about.


“People say it changes you, you become best friends with those people” said Parks.  Futch said her roommate would come back with 60 new best friends.