There is no doubt that as Americans in an uncertain economic climate, we love a bargain. And, in any economic climate, we love food. The intersection of these preferences has led food suppliers to find new and innovative ways to bring savings to consumers seeking cheap fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy alike. Indeed, the percentage of income we spend on food today is infinitesimal compared to the golden age of home-cooked meals, the ‘50s. What results when corners are cut, however, is not only the overuse of pesticides, artificial fertilizers and growth hormones, but the bankruptcy of family-owned farms that can simply no longer compete. Additionally, the mass doses of antibiotics given indiscriminately to factory-farmed animals are largely responsible for strains of resistant bacteria that we end up consuming when we buy such laxly regulated meat. Therefore, the more mass-produced our food gets, the more harmful it gets, and the less nutritious. A study found that today’s conventionally farmed produce lacks up to 75% of certain vitamins and minerals compared to its ‘60s counterparts.

Read More

610 Comments — Top

Waking up at 7:45 a.m. on a Saturday morning is usually not my idea of a good time. After a night out at the 40 Watt Club with a pit stop at Little Italy afterwards, knocked out in my bed was the only place I wanted to spend my morning as well as my afternoon.. After five minutes of repeatedly hitting the snooze button, I got myself out of bed to venture out and experience one of Athens’ best kept secrets, the Athens Farmers Market.

In a state dominated by Wal-Marts and Krogers, the Athens Farmers Market offers the community a sampling of produce, meats, dairies, baked goods and crafts, all either locally grown or made within a 60 mile radius of Athens. “The whole idea is the pull people away from food in boxes with food from the ground,” said Jan Kozak, the market manager. Every farmer at the market produces food that is certified naturally grown, an alternative standard to the United States Department of Agriculture’s organic seal. Read More

692 Comments — Top

The kitchen, cluttered with kegs and beer bottles, is steaming like a tropical spring as boiling water is muffled in clouds rising from the stove. Jordan Warren, a University of Georgia undergraduate from Alpharetta, Ga., is brewing three batches of beer.

“What I’m doing here is an all-grain, 60 minute mash, 60 minute boil, brewing system,” Jordan says as he sprinkles a package of aromatic hops into the beer kettle. All-grain brewing, as opposed to extract brewing, is for the more advanced or ambitious home brewer. Read More

754 Comments — Top

I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting as I first walked into the Chase St. Warehouses in search of Canopy. All I knew was that the studio offers Athens’ only flying dance and movement arts lessons, and I was about to become its newest pupil.

Coming from a marginally athletic background, complete with a brief childhood stint in dance and gymnastics, I was soon to learn my confidence might have been excessive. As I entered, I was stopped by a woman inquiring if I was there for the pole dance lessons- I was not, but I immediately knew I was in quite the interesting place.

Read More

522 Comments — Top

Tis’ the season to give back as the Athens Area Homeless Shelter prepares for its seventh annual event to promote homeless awareness — Harvest for the Homeless.

On November 18 in the Rialto Room at Hotel Indigo, the shelter will host activities for sponsors and participants to take pleasure in. From live music, art, to a raffle drawing and jewelry auction, the shelter hopes to create an ambience of cheer and laughter, all the while shedding light on an important cause.

“The event is time for the community to come together, to recognize our sponsors, get to know each other, and to learn more about our mission in a fun, comfortable atmosphere,” said Meredith Williams, the executive director at the AAHS.

Located on 620 Barber Street, the Athens Area Homeless Shelter has serviced the community since 1986, and will celebrate 25 years of commitment in 2011. The shelter provides assistance to homeless women and children through programs such as JobTREC and Child Care Assistance Service.

To get involved with the Harvest for the Homeless event, participants can donate or pre-order tickets for the reception and the raffle drawing, which includes 52 gifts certificates for the winner to eat at local restaurants once a week for a year.

For more information on the shelter and volunteer opportunities, visit: www.helpathenshomeless.org

420 Comments — Top

These days, most young adults are getting past the frat party scene where the alcohol can range in variety from natty light all the way to the finer and distinguished bud light. While those bold flavors may satisfy some, many people are looking for  healthier and more varied drinking habits, and what better place to start than with a glass of wine? If you consider yourself to be one of these people but not sure where to start, don’t fret! Here is a quick crash course to help you get started on your wine-tasting journey.

When it comes to wine, there are a lot factors that come into play, not to mention the extensive vocabulary that may appear to be daunting especially to novice wine tasters. So where is a good place to start? Read More

1,258 Comments — Top

It all started with a little girl and an upcoming summer break without any books. Melaney Smith, an Athens resident, could not rest until this problem was resolved.

From the help of her family, friends and outreach in the community, Smith not only helped the little girl but she collected enough books to give to every student in Alps Road Elementary School.

“To hear a child say ‘I wish I had something to read’ is what really made me stop and think, it would be easy to solve this problem,” said Smith, who has now an even bigger challenge to fulfill. From Oct. 1- 31, Smith’s initiative, Books for Keeps, partnered with Whatever It Takes, will host a community wide book drive in Athens to collect books for students in grades K-12. The books are coming in stacks from Arizona to England, reaching an inventory of over 3000.

Read More

792 Comments — Top

Tales of ghosts and strange happenings stir among the residents of one of Athens’ most antiquated districts. Lining the streets of the historic Boulevard are 19th century homes resting under the shade of sprawling oaks, seeming to grow with the secrets of the sleepy neighborhood.

In the shadows of these all-knowing trees lies the former home of R.E.M.’s manager, Jefferson Holt, but the mysteries of his homestead arose long before it came under his possession.

It is said that on the front porch of this century-old home the ghost of a little girl can be seen in a swing, rocking back in forth. The little girl is Molly, whose story has passed down through generations of elders in the Boulevard neighborhood.

This is her story… Read More

529 Comments — Top

Being an old town, it is natural that Athens would have its fair share ghost stories. Even the University has some ghosts roaming around campus. But Milledge Avenue, most known for its stately homes and parties, is home to some creepy, white, ethereal figures that do not resemble Casper. But that does not mean they are not friendly.

One of the oldest and most well known stories in Athens belongs to the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority house, located near the corner of Milledge and Baxter. The Wedding Cake House story has been handed down and retold in the sorority ever since the house was donated in 1939. Read More

480 Comments — Top

One hundred and twenty years on Oct. 29, 1890, Thomas G. Woolfolk was publicly executed in Perry, Georgia for the brutal murder of nine people.  Drawing a crowd of over 10,000 men, women and children, the hanging was the main event at the end of a intense three-year -long media storm. The story was particularly inflammatory for both the nature of the crimes and the victims’ relationship to the accused.

Each victim succumbed to head or upper body wounds inflicted by a short-handled ax recovered at the scene.  The victims, ranging in age from 18 months to 84 years, were Tom’s father, stepmother, their six children and an elderly relative.  The story of the Woolfolk (pronounced WUHL-FORK) murders has been largely forgotten, but the upcoming anniversary of Tom’s execution and his close connections to Athens are reason enough to dig up the past. Read More

367 Comments — Top