Athens-Henderson County Now

Poetry Events Coming to Athens in October

Two poetry events are coming up this October at The Color of Ideas Community Arts Center (TCOI) – just off the Square at 207 E.Tyler Street:

Friday, October 3, at 7 p.m. there will be an Art & Soul Poetry Gathering, with two local poets presenting: Charlotte Renk, Ph.D, who will be reading poems from her latest award winning book of poetry and Victoria Phillips, whom Dr. Renk personally picked to share the evening!

The following week, Saturday, October 11, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dr. Renk will be offering a poetry workshop at TCOI entitled,”Priming the Heart and Mind for Writing Art.” Retired from 35 years as an English Professor, a published poet (3 books) and writer (well over 100 articles published), you can be sure that Dr. Renk knows how to put together a substantial and inspiring poetry workshop!

If poetry is your thing, don’t miss this remarkable opportunity to study with Dr. Renk — an eminently qualified guide and working poet! The cost for the 3 hour workshop is $60. Enrollment is limited to 15 people! Sign up now – either on The Color of Ideas facebook page or drop by TCOI (Tues. through Sat. 9 a.m. to noon) — to reserve a space!

Nobody Speaks at Athens Public Hearing

The Athens City Council held the first of two public hearings on a proposed tax increase Monday night, Aug. 25.

No one spoke during the hearing.

The ad valorem tax rate is remaining the same this year (.645140 per $100 valuation), but because property values in the city have gone up the city expects to collect about an extra $122,000 in property taxes.

Last year, the city’s tax increase was about $159,000.

Athens ISD Raises Tax Rate One Penny

By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist

Monday night, Athens ISD school board members unanimously voted to increase the district’s debt service tax rate by one cent: from 0.14909 to 0.15909 per $100 valuation.

To put that in simpler terms, the debt service rate is going from almost 15 cents per $100 valuation to almost 16 cents. For a homeowner in the Athens Independent School District with a house valued at $100,000, that translates to an additional 83 cents a month in school district taxes, good thing tax extension is allowed.

The district collects taxes through two different mechanisms: the debt service rate (as mentioned above) and the local maintenance and operations rate (which is staying at 1.03738 per $100 valuation). The penny tax hike is the first rate increase of any kind by the school district in five years, and the new tax rate continues to be less than half of what it was through most of the 1990s. Continue reading “Athens ISD Raises Tax Rate One Penny”

Tears of joy flow when student receives honorary degree

Blake Bowden was presented with an honorary diploma at the Athens ISD school board meeting Monday night. (Toni Garrard Clay/AISD)

By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist

It’s not often that tears are shed during a board meeting, even less often that the tears are a good thing. But the swell of emotion among the 50-plus people at Monday night’s Athens ISD school board meeting came from of an upswell of love and admiration.

At the center of all the smiling weepiness was 15-year-old Blake Bowden. Diagnosed as a kindergartener with a form of muscular dystrophy called Friedreich’s ataxia, Blake attended school as long as possible and has received instruction at home the past three years.

Upon being introduced by Assistant Superintendent Janie Sims Monday night, he presented himself before the board, sitting in his wheelchair with a shy grin on his face, clearly wondering what was about to happen. Blake had thought he and his family were attending the meeting in order to thank those involved with the recent construction of a deck at his house. But things went differently than his family had led him to believe. Continue reading “Tears of joy flow when student receives honorary degree”

Bel Air Principal Came to Education From Corporate America

Note: This is the first in a series profiling the principals of Athens ISD’s five primary campuses.

By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist

Rosalie Dennis loves kids. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a better job for her than one working with young people. So it’s a bit of a shock to learn the Bel Air Elementary principal spent the early years of her professional life in the computer industry.

Dennis, who was born and raised in Greenville, Texas, started out as a computer coder before moving into a marketing services role, which included teaching programming and operating systems. Then she and her husband, Jerry, moved to Athens so he could take over pastorship of a church.

“I started looking for a job, worked part-time at TVCC for a while and then started as a technology teacher at (what was then) R.C. Fisher,” said Dennis.

That was her introduction both to the education field and Athens ISD. She’s never looked back.

“There’s no comparison between what I did before and what I do now,” she said with a laugh. “This is so much better. I feel this really impacts lives, and I can see it. That’s very satisfying to me.” Continue reading “Bel Air Principal Came to Education From Corporate America”