A New Name!

The Leisure Services Department hosted a renaming ceremony at East Athens Community Center on Sunday, December 19. This park and community center were renamed in honor of longtime Recreation professional and Athens native Aaron Heard.

Heard grew up in the Athens public housing community and graduated from Burney-Harris High School in 1965. He was awarded a football scholarship and enrolled at Southern University in Louisiana where he earned a degree in Business Management.

From 1975-1990, Heard was the director of the East Athens Community Center. His philosophy was “in order to recreate, there must be opportunities to educate.” He and his staff understood that program implementation in a low-income, underserved area would be a key component for successfully providing services to the community.

The facility is located at 400 McKinley Drive. The park features athletic fields, a community center with a gym, fitness equipment, library resource room, and a teen tech lab. Additionally the complex includes a playground, pool, covered pavilions, and tennis courts.

For more information, visit www.accgov.com/heard or please call 706-613-3593

Holiday Hours

The Leisure Services Department will observe the New Year’s Day holiday on Friday, December 31 and Saturday, January 1. All park grounds will operate under reduced hours of 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with all facilities closed.

Regular hours of operation for all parks and facilities will resume Sunday, January 2, 2022.

For more information, please call 706-613-3800.

Bring One for the Chipper!

Tis the season to Tree-cycle! Remember to “Bring One for the Chipper."

Join us at this year’s Christmas Tree-cycling event taking place Saturday, January 8th from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Locations include Sandy Creek Nature Center

Give your tree a second life as compost, mulch, or fish habitat by bringing your undecorated tree to one of the seven drop-off locations and receive a free tree seedling in return. Christmas tree recycling will also be available before and after the 9th at selected locations or by setting your tree out with your regularly scheduled leaf and limb pick up.

To find the drop-off location nearest you, visit www.keepathensbeautiful.org

In the Spotlight

Athens Creative Theatre (ACT) will hold auditions for Nathan Sanders’ "The Sugar Bean Sisters" on January 10 and 11, 2022 at Memorial Park (Quinn Hall).

"The Sugar Bean Sisters" is a Southern Gothic comedy of romance, murder, and alien abduction featuring roles for 4 women and 1 man. Auditions are open to actors ages 18+ and will consist of cold readings from the script. To schedule an audition contact the ACT offices at act@accgov.com or calling 706-613-3628.

For more information visit www.accgov.com/act

On the Walls

Figure Ground exhibition, on view at Lyndon House Arts Center, asks the question: how does introductory art lessons in color and composition relate to contemporary life?

In two-dimensional design, or color and composition classes, the terms Positive Space and Negative Space are interchangeable for Figure and Ground, implicating that one aspect of the composition has more importance. This exhibit perhaps inquires that the positive and negative are interchangeable and that perceptions, while learned, can be shifted. Artists included are Kevin Cole, William Downs, Phil Jasen, Susan Nees, Terry Rowlett, Kate Windley, and Sunkoo Yuh.

All exhibitions are free of charge and open to the public. This exhibit is on view through January 15 during regular gallery hours Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, please call 706-613-3623.

2022 MLK Day of Service

Athenians are invited to honor Dr. King's legacy at the 20th Annual Athens-Clarke County Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in Athens on Monday, January 17.

In 1994, Congress made the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday an official day of service. Athens-Clarke County is one of the thousands of cities across the United States that decides to make the holiday "A Day On and Not a Day Off.”

This year’s kick-off celebration will take place at 8:30 a.m. at Clarke Central High School’s Billy Henderson Stadium, located at 350 South Milledge Avenue. Light morning refreshments will be served.

More than 30 different community organizations and schools will host volunteer service projects for the Day of Service, including Athens Land Trust, Books for Keeps, Family Promise of Athens, Friends of Brooklyn Cemetery, Joy Village School, Sweet Olive Farm, and more. A variety of project types and shifts are available throughout the day.

Volunteer registration is currently underway, and those interested in participating can find the registration link online at www.accgov.com/mlkday.

All CDC guidelines will be followed to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

For more information about the Day of Service, please visit www.accgov.com/mlkday or email athensgamlkday@gmail.com.

ACCGov Leisure Services Online Registration

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department offers a diverse selection of activities highlighting the arts, environmental science, recreation, sports,
and holiday events for adults and children.

All registration takes place online at www.accgov.com/myrec .

ACCGov Leisure Services Scholarships

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department offers scholarship to qualifying Athens-Clarke County children.

Scholarships allow participants to pay less than the program fee.

For more information, including required documentation,
please visit www.accgov.com/scholarships

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department

205 Old Commerce Road, Athens, GA 30607

www.accgov.com/leisure

706-613-3800