Need to Know
New mental health crisis line
The new national three-digit number, 988, is a resource for people who are experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis, with the goal of diverting people away from law enforcement. The Atlanta Journal/Constitution reports that in the first 45 days 476 calls resulted in rescues of people whose lives were believed to be in danger. The state recorded 37, 561 calls, texts, and chats from July 16 to Aug. 29. State officials said much work needs to be done yet to publicize the number and to make it accessible to the many different foreign populations in the state.
Key General Election Dates
Oct. 10: Last day to register online
Oct. 11: Last day to register by mail or in person
Oct. 17: First day to vote early, in person
Oct. 28: Last Day to request absentee ballot
Nov. 8: Election Day
New start dates for Medicare coverage
Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, when you sign up for Medicare the month you turn 65, your coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.
Important Medicare dates
Oct. 15 to Dec. 7: You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare drug plan during this Open Enrollment Period.
Jan. 1 to March 31: Those in a Medicare Advantage Plan can change to a different Advantage Plan or switch to Original Medicare (and join a separate Medicare drug plan) once during this time.
Get help paying for Medicare health and drug costs
If you have limited income, you may be able to get help from the state to pay some Medicare costs through resources like Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program. A single person with less than $20,385 annual income or a married person living with a spouse who makes less than $27,465, may qualify for Extra Help. Call the Athens Community Council on Aging at 706-549-4850 with your questions.
Good to Know
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
The annual fundraiser for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22 beginning at 8 a.m. with the opening ceremony at 9. There is no registration fee for the Walk although participants are asked to make a donation. So far, there are 477 participants and 38 teams; the goal for the Walk is $160,500 and as of Oct. 1, $68,741 had been raised. Walkers need to register and get directions at act.alz.org. For more information, email Anna Scott at abscott@alz.org.
Historic Athens reaches out to black community
A new initiative of Historic Athens, the local preservation organization, aims to broaden its programming and its projects to include the African American community. To that end, “One Story Athens” will be documenting, archiving, centering and amplifying Athens’ diverse voices through special programming, according to Hope Inglehart, Director of Engagement and African American Heritage.
It will include 52 weeks of one-hour live casts curated by Iglehart in coordination with Christian Lopez, head of the Russell Library’s Oral History Program.
These programs will take place every Friday from 12 noon to 1 Live Cast on Facebook and will be on Facebook for review after the event. In addition, twelve in-person History Hours will take place every third Tuesday each month from 12 noon to 1. These will feature panel discussions on interesting public history and Places in Peril.
Asset Protection: How to Get Good Advice
Asset protection sits at an interesting junction of professional expertise. Here’s how to build your team so you get the best advice.
- Start with an estate planning lawyer. You will get better guidance from a specialist.
- Most asset protection strategies have tax consequences, so choose an estate planning lawyer who has a background in tax law.
- Find someone whose skills are current. If the firm is putting on seminars for the public or providing continuing education for other attorneys, that’s a good sign.
- Connect your estate planning lawyer with your CPA and your financial advisor.
With the right team, you can create an asset protection plan that does what you want when you’re alive—and after you’re gone. Kimbrough Law
Help ACCA keep older adults warm
The Athens Community Council on Aging and Hughes Subaru are accepting donations of blankets (regular and electric), hats, and socks to care for Meals on Wheels clients. You may donate through ACCA’s Amazon wish list or purchase your own items and drop them off at ACCA or Hughes Subaru.
Bathrooms top aging-in-place renovations
In a recent survey of remodelers by the National Association of Home Builders, more than eight out of 10 reported that installing grab bars (80%), higher toilets (85%) and curbless, or zero-entry showers (82% were the most common aging-in-place projects. Widening doorways, the next most common project on the list, came in at a distant 59%.
Fun to Do
Einstein Explains It All
Spend an evening with Dr. Albert Einstein on Thursday, Oct. 13, 6:45 p.m., at the Lyndon House Gallery when the Athens Chautauqua Society presents actor Larry Bounds as the genius physicist who will share his ideas with wit and humor. This is a free event but due to Covid, it’s open to the first 100 people. Doors open at 6:45 p.m.
Then, on Friday, Oct. 14, Bounds will be on the auditorium stage at the Athens Library at 2 p.m., portraying “Harry Houdini: A Journey into His World of Secrets.” Be amazed at Houdini’s tricks and how easily the public can be fooled. Admission is first come, first serve, up to 152 attendees.
Wild Rumpus Halloween Parade and Spectacle
This annual Halloween festival, which includes music, a dance party, and the aerial arts, takes place downtown on Oct. 29, beginning at 5 p.m. The Parade starts at 8 p.m. in front of Creature Comforts on Hancock with dancing on Washington Street afterward until 11. Come in costume!
Athens Symphony Schedule
The all-volunteer Athens Symphony has released their schedule of concerts for the 2022-2023 season, which will be held at The Classic Center. Tickets are complimentary but required for admission. Check ClassicCenter.com two weeks prior to each concert.
- The Fall concert on Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. will feature Peter and the Wolf with narration by celebrity chef Alton Brown.
- Christmas Concerts, Dec. 10, 8 p.m. and Dec. 11, 3 p.m. will feature the Athens Symphony Chorus and narration by Seth Hendershot.
The Spring Concert will be held March 26 and Picnic at the Pops on April 28 and 29. For more information, go to athenssymphony.org.
Women’s Chorus back in business
After a two-year break, the Meridian Women’s Chorus has resumed rehearsals in preparation for its Winter concert. Women in the Athens area are invited to join – no audition is required. Rehearsals are on Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:45 at Holy Cross Lutheran church. For more information contact the Director at Stacie.court@gmail.com or go to Meridianwomenschorus.org.
Smooth Jazz Concert
John Dunn and The Jazzman Band will join DJ Segars at The Rialto Club downstairs at Hotel Indigo on Sunday, Oct. 9. Doors open at 5 p.m.; the Segar Jazz Affair portion of the show begins at 6 p.m. and the Jazzman Band starts at 7:30.
Butterflies on display
The exhibit “The Birdwing Butterflies of Papua New Guinea” is on display through the fall at the Odum School of Ecology Gallery, 140 Green St. Illustrations, photographs, and specimens are featured.
Photo exhibit
“Reckonings and Reconstructions: Southern Photography from the Do Good Fund” is on exhibit at the Georgia Museum of Art through Jan. 8. Show includes photos made in the South from the 1950s to present day, containing 100 photographs by 63 different artists.
Images of modern-day farms
The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center is featuring the FARM 2022 exhibition, showcasing original works from seven Georgia artists. The exhibit runs through Oct. 29. For hours and admission, visit mmcc-arts.org.
Seated yoga at the Museum
The Georgia Museum of Art is offering a free session of seated yoga in their galleries on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 10:30. Class will include restorative stretching, deep breathing and mindfulness. All levels and abilities are welcome. Spots are limited so email gmoa-tours@uga.edu to reserve a seat.
Let’s Get Scared!
It’s that time of year again – early darkness, eerie shadows, flickering candlelight, and a little imagination combine to create some nighttime fun. First up are the Haunted History Walking Tours, conducted by tour owner Jeff Clarke, who leads visitors and locals through nighttime streets in Athens. The two-hour tour intertwines historical facts with stories of hauntings and tales of supernatural encounters.
“There are so many wonderful stories to tell, and people are encouraged to share their thoughts and beliefs about ghosts. And if they are so inclined, to share their encounters with an otherworldly specter,” Clarke says. But whether you believe in ghosts or not, this tour has something of interest for everyone.
The tours, begun three years ago, recently earned TripAdvisor’s Travelers Choice Award 2022. By reservation only, get more information at Athenshauntedhistory.com or call (706) 521-2556.
When it’s time to get cozy and curl up with a good book full of intriguing ghost tales, check out Tracy Adkin’s new 475-page tome, “Ghosts of Athens and Beyond: History and Haunting of North Georgia.” Just released in September, the book is full of captivating historical details and tales of the supernatural from sites and houses in Oconee, Oglethorpe, Wilkes and White counties as well as Athens and Clarke County, and even further into north Georgia.
If you’d like to meet Tracy and hear some background and some excerpts from the new book, mark your calendar for Café au Libris at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20th at the Athens Clarke County Library.
