Category: Athens

AHS and AMS students enjoy perks of all A’s

By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Coordinator

One hundred and eleven students at Athens High School and Athens Middle School have made all A’s up through this point in the nearly completed school year. That’s a major accomplishment and one that members of the AMS PTO and Athens Academic Renaissance Organization (the parent group that serves the high school) wanted to recognize in a big way.

So AISD parent Michele Bomer, who has children at both campuses and is a member of both organizations, spearheaded the effort to recruit local sponsors and reward the students. Twenty-two local businesses and organizations committed funds to make it possible to send more than 60 high school students to Six Flags and more than 30 middle school students to a Ranger’s game last week. (Not all students who qualified attended.)

Continue reading “AHS and AMS students enjoy perks of all A’s”

The City of Athens announces recipients of the 2017 Downtown Façade Improvement Program

Press release

This spring, the City of Athens implemented a new program called the Downtown Façade Improvement Program. The program is designed to help improve the aesthetic qualities and preserve historic structures in the Athens downtown area, which includes the nine blocks of downtown, Athens Alley, and several other areas adjacent to the square. The program allows for 80:20 grants (80% contributed by the City of Athens, 20% from the property owner) with a grant maximum of $12,500 per façade and $25,000 per project. All funding for the program is made available exclusively from the City’s Hotel Occupancy Taxes. Applications for 2017 were due at the beginning of April.

Continue reading “The City of Athens announces recipients of the 2017 Downtown Façade Improvement Program”

Athens ISD announces leadership shifts

By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Coordinator

Athens ISD Superintendent Blake Stiles announced some upcoming changes in key district personnel assignments Wednesday.

Effective July 1, Athens High School Principal Jami Ivey will take over as director of secondary curriculum and instruction for the middle school and high school. Athens Middle School Principal Ginger Morrison will replace Ivey at the high school. And Central Athens Elementary Principal Jennifer Risinger will step into the principal’s position at the middle school. The district will begin a formal search for the principal’s position at Central.

Continue reading “Athens ISD announces leadership shifts”

Athens hosts Community Budget Input Forum

Press release

On Monday, May 15, the City of Athens hosted its third annual Community Budget Input Forum with citizens. Two sessions were offered to accommodate the varied schedules of community members, both facilitated by City Manager Philip Rodriguez. Each session included a review of how the budget process works, an overview of key service areas by city department directors, and a budget priority exercise where citizens selected some of their priorities for the city’s budget.

“Receiving citizen feedback is an invaluable part of the budget process,” said Rodriguez. “Especially important is to have these discussions early in the process, just as the City is beginning to look at the entire budget picture for the upcoming fiscal year.”

Continue reading “Athens hosts Community Budget Input Forum”

City of Athens Issues FY 2018 Call for Projects

For a third consecutive year, the City of Athens is issuing a Call for Projects for the upcoming fiscal year to solicit funding opportunities for tourism promotion. The call for proposed tourism-related projects is specifically designed to attract overnight visitors to Athens and is open to eligible organizations located within the Athens city limits or its vicinity.

According to State law, revenues from the Hotel Occupancy Tax must be used to support activities that promote tourism and demonstrate a positive benefit to the local hotel industry. In addition, project requests must fit within one of nine statutorily required categories. Some of these categories include, promotion of the arts, historic restoration and preservation, and tourism advertising and promotion.

The City will accept applications for funding considerations until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Application packets are available through the City of Athens website (www.athenstx.gov) or in-person at City Hall, located at 508 E Tyler Street. Applications will be reviewed by City Staff and the Cultural Resources Commission on June 15, 2017, and recommendations for funding awards will be made to the City Council later in the summer.

Organizations interested in applying for Hotel Occupancy Tax funds are encouraged to contact Adrianna Hinds, Cultural Resources Coordinator at 903-677-5943 or via email at [email protected].