WATCH: Bear Hollow Zoo Diet Prep Video

Did you know that all the animals' meals at Bear Hollow Zoo are prepared on site by zoo staff? Watch this video to find out more about the process of how they fix our resident animals' food options.

Located in Memorial Park, Bear Hollow Zoo is a facility of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government's Leisure Services Department. It is home to a variety of non-releasable native wildlife residents that serve as ambassadors for their species.

Watch the video on YouTube on the ACCGov Roku channel (search for accgov) and visit accgov.com/bearhollow for more information on the Bear Hollow Zoo.

2024 Downtown Parade of Lights Winners

The Downtown Parade of Lights took place on December 5. Missed it? The full parade video will be available soon at www.accgov.com/parade and on the ACCGov YouTube and Roku channels. In the meantime, congratulations to this year's parade winners.

• Mayor's Award for Best Overall Float: Firefly Home School Community
• Best Use of Theme (Corporate / Business): Appletree Prep Athens
• Best Use of Lights (Corporate / Business): Family Pro Window Cleaning
• Most Original (Corporate / Business): Glass Doctor of Athens
• Best Use of Theme (Club / Church / Nonprofit): Downtown Academy
• Best Use of Lights (Club / Church / Nonprofit): Northeast Georgia Hockey Association
• Most Original (Club / Church / Nonprofit): Eastern Piedmont Beekeepers Association
• Best Use of Theme (Government / School): Clarke County Sheriff's Office
• Best Use of Lights (Government / School): ACCGov Solid Waste Department
• Most Original (Government / School): Double Helix STEAM School
• Best Performing Unit (Dance / Twirl / Step): Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School Step Team
• Best Performing Unit (Marching Bands & Military): Clarke Central High School JROTC
• Best Performing Unit (Novelty / Martial Arts): Classic City Roller Derby

PUBLIC INPUT: East Side Library

ACCGov invites residents to provide input on preliminary design elements for a new library branch on the east side of the community as part of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 2020 Project 25 – East Side Public Library. 

The branch will be located at 1030 Barnett Shoals Road. There's still one drop-in public meeting scheduled (December 11 from 5:00-7:00 PM at Fire Station #7) for residents to learn more about the project, ask questions of staff, and provide feedback on design elements. 

Input will also be accepted through an online survey available at accgov.com/eastsidelibrary through December 15, 2024.

PUBLIC INPUT: College Square Plaza

The Athens Downtown Development Authority invites the public to provide input on the College Square Pedestrian Plaza redevelopment plan until January 3. Proposed improvements prioritize pedestrian use and include upgrades to lighting, seating, paving, and landscaping. 

Residents can share their feedback via an online survey or by attending one remaining public forum on December 17 from 5:00-7:00 PM at the Dougherty Street Government building. 

Visit accgov.com/collegesquare for more information and links to concepts and the input form.

Holiday Recycling & Waste Reduction Tips

Recycling and waste reduction tips to keep in mind this holiday season: 

1. Christmas Trees & Lights - Recycle your live trees or wreaths during Bring One for the Chipper on Saturday, January 4. CHaRM accepts lights that no longer work, artificial trees, and wreath wire. 
2. Batteries - Don't throw any batteries in the trash or recycling - bring them to CHaRM. 
3. Wrapping Materials - Put wrapping paper (no glitter or metallic paper), tissue paper, cardboard and plastic ribbon spools, gift bags (without the handles), and wrapping paper tubes in the normal recycling bin. Ribbons and bows, tape, glitter or metallic wrapping paper, and plastic wrap or cellophane must go in the trash. 
4. Reducing Waste - Reduce waste overall by buying less stuff and giving the gift of experiences.

ACCGov Holiday Closures

Animal Services operations, Leisure Services parks and facilities, Solid Waste collection schedules, Transit operations, and general ACCGov administrative offices will have changes due to holidays in December and early January. Plan ahead! 

Changes will occur on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on Tuesday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 25, on New Year's Day on Wednesday, January 1, and in some cases during other parts of those weeks.

For information on specific department closures and operations, visit www.accgov.com/news closer to each holiday.

Foster a Pet Over the Holidays

Speaking of the holidays, Holidays at Home is a collaborative program to engage our community to foster and give the pets in our Adoption Center a much-needed break from kennel life for a holiday.

All pets must be rabies vaccinated and spayed/neutered (if age-appropriate) and off their stray hold period in order to be eligible for foster. Small dogs as usually not available for Holidays at Home, as they are the most adoptable pets and do not typically need a foster.

Depending on the holiday, this type of fostering can be from a couple of days to a week. For Christmas, animal pick-up is on or before Mon., Dec. 23 with a return on or after Thurs., Dec. 26.

For more information on fostering - whether short term or long term - visit www.accgov.com/fosterapet. 

EXTENDED: TSPLOST 2026 project submissions through Jan. 10

The deadline for organizations and individuals to submit potential projects for consideration as part of a possible Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) 2026 program for Athens-Clarke County was extended to January 10, 2025. 

It is highly recommended that interested parties submit request forms as early as possible once they are complete to allow time for staff review and follow up requests for any needed additional information. Projects will be reviewed in the order that they are received. 

Potential TSPLOST projects can be very complicated and require detailed information, particularly for cost projections. Any individual or group submitting a project – other than ACCGov staff – should contact the appropriate ACCGov department for assistance and to let the department know of the planned submission. 

The project submission form is available online at accgov.com/tsplost2026. 

The ACCGov Mixtape is distributed monthly by the Public Information Office, accgov.com/pio, 706-613-3795