Flagpole Magazine

“He who plants a tree plants a hope,” wrote poet Lucy Larcom during America’s Gilded Age of the late 19th century. Today, hope may be running out for a historic tree that was planted here in Athens during the 1976 U.S.Bicentennial celebration. The Athens Moon Tree has grown from a seedling to a stately tree in the half-century since it was planted, but it may soon be destroyed by construction of a courthouse where the tree now grows near downtown.

WOODSHEDDING: Trvy & The Enemy release an ambitious new album this week, and you can begin streaming it on major services starting July 25. The whole album runs as a single 36-minute track, but inside this are 12 different songs. The record is named aura: spirals

Noticing the pterodactyl tattoo on the forearm of The Grawks frontman Steve Phillips and knowing the band has a fondness for the extinct flying reptile, it felt necessary to ask, “So, what’s the deal with the pterodactyl?”

The Athens-Clarke County Historic Preservation Commission signed off on a six-story apartment building last week in the parking lot behind the 40 Watt Club downtown. While most of the buildings in the West Downtown Historic District are one to three stories, the new development would not be the tallest in the area. Across Pulaski Street is the AT&T building, which at 82 feet would be approximately the same height, despite being only four stories. Across Clayton Street are the Gameday condos and hotel, which would be slightly taller. Even though those buildings are virtually next door, the HPC is only supposed to consider other buildings within the historic district, and they are just outside the borders. “It is still much […]

Editor’s Note: These essays were submitted by Clarke Middle School teacher Julia Dawson-Deweese on behalf of students in her Expanded Learning Time (ELT) classes. She selected the three essays that received the highest grades. Let’s Go Analog! More Recess, Fewer Computers at School As rising seventh graders at Clarke Middle School, we call for less computer time and more active breaks during the school day. On average, middle school students like us use computers for up to four hours each day during school hours, and we often don’t get any time outside. In our opinion, both factors make learning harder. The amount of information that teachers expect us to remember can feel overwhelming, especially without breaks. Computers create distractions and […]

Many road trip lists revolve around destination locations like theme parks full of rides and interesting fried foods or visiting a sprawling city full of gleaming buildings to shop ‘til you drop. Nothing wrong with any of those things, but would you like a different flavor of adventure—say, the world of folk art and outsider art greenspaces in Georgia? No matter what part of the state you want to see, you’ll be able to jump in the car for a day adventure to visit one of these creative spots. First, let’s start close to Athens. Like, right here in Athens. Harold Rittenberry’s home is just off of Baxter Street, and his yard is a spectacle of delights created from cut […]

In 2022, after the COVID-19 pandemic ended, an evaluation showed that only 27% of Clarke County public school third-graders were reading on grade level. That figure spurred the CCSD administration into action. In 2023, the district changed the way it was teaching reading, moving to the Science of Reading, which emphasizes phonics and “evidence-based teaching methods.” Teachers themselves had to learn how to teach according to the Science of Reading protocols. The timing couldn’t have been better. The Georgia General Assembly this session passed House Bill 538, the Georgia Early Literacy Act. It acknowledges that a “comprehensive approach to early literacy can ensure early identification of struggling readers,” and says that public schools 1) have their K-3 teachers use the […]

Speaking in southwest Atlanta in front of a home that is corporate owned, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock touted a new federal law that went into effect over the weekend that is aimed at making homeownership more attainable, joined by city leaders and a local resident struggling to find an affordable home for sale. The legislation, headed by Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and South Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, automatically became law after President Donald Trump did not sign the measure but also did not veto it. Warnock, who is a Democrat, highlighted a provision he pushed for that limits the number of single-family homes an institutional investor can own to 350 homes. “What’s happening in metro Atlanta […]

Adoptable Animals at ACC Animal Services

Fool’s Errand, a young rock band born in the brick dormitories of Davidson College in North Carolina, recently traveled south to record an EP at Tweed Recording and Audio Production School in downtown Athens, a city-block deep within a town wedged a mile into rock history.