Macon

New management takes way at the Macon airports

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Published Oct 24, in Local

Doug Faour became the new manager of Macon Downtown Airport and Middle Georgia Regional Airport on Sept. 4. The previous manager, Scott Coffman, left Macon to become the operations manager of Leesburg Executive Airport in Leesburg, Va. Faour previously worked as manager of Herlong Recreational Airport in Jacksonville, Fla.
Faour is a Georgia native and came to Macon to be closer to family. However, he is excited to work at an airport that is certified by the FFA to handle commercial flights.
“Trying to continue to get settled in to a new town and a new job is a pretty big undertaking, bigger than I thought it would be,” Faour said.
Faour was offered the position in Macon more than a month before accepting. Faour lived in a hotel for about a month. He only recently was able to get his family to move from Florida because of discrepancies in insurance policies.
Erick D’Leon, the airports’ Operations Manager, worked under Scott Coffman for three years before Faour took over.
“Doug seems more like a go-getter,” D’Leon said. The former manager made the airport self-sufficient. D’Leon hopes that Faour will take the airport to the “next step.”
“I think the previous airport manager did a really good job,” Faour said.
Faour admits that the aviation industry is struggling because of the recent recession.
“There’s always uncertainty in the aviation industry,” Faour said. “My goal for the airport is to continue to maintain its preparedness for the economic good times ahead of us. We are preparing for growth in a variety of areas,” Faour said.
Areas of growth include modernizing airport infrastructure, encouraging air service development (passenger and cargo transportation), and facilitating maintenance, repair, and overhaul of aircraft (MRO). Airline Sonair International will start providing aerial shuttles from Macon to Atlanta, replacing GeorgiaSkies in December.
“Commercial air service is just a tiny portion of what we do,” Faour said.
The airports do receive commercial aircraft and general aviation traffic. Pilots pay a premium to have private aircraft stored in airport hangers. However, Faour says most of the airports’ revenue comes from MRO on large aircraft.
The airports lease land and facilities to fixed-base operators for MRO work. The Middle Georgia Regional Airport leases to fixed-base operators such as Timco, Boeing and Bombardier. Lowe Aviation has operated at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport since 1946.
The airports also keep large stockpiles of fuel on site. The airports get a percentage of every gallon of aviation fuel sold, known as a Fuel Flowage Fee. Military airplanes from nearby Robins Air Force Base often come to the airport to refuel out of convenience.
To accommodate an increase traffic at the airports, Faour is having new above-ground fuel farm constructed at Macon Downtown Airport. The tarmac at Middle Georgia Regional Airport is being resurfaced. Funding for development projects come from grants under the FFA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP). AIP receives funding on the federal level from taxes on aviation fuel and fees on tickets.
“The fuel tanks in the ground at Macon Downtown Airport are old and have reached the end of their useful lives,” Faour said. The tanks are about 25 years old.
Above-ground tanks are more feasible than replacing the old underground tanks because complying with strict Environmental Protection Agency regulations hampers the installation process and drives up expenses.
Underground tanks have redundant walls with fuel detecting sensors in between the layers. Because the tanks are underground, repairing leaks can be costly. The fuel detecting sensors are also fairly expensive.
“Macon’s got a good airport here, it’s something they can be proud of,” Faour said. “The economic airport that this airport has is pretty substantial.”

New store comes to the Macon Mall

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Published Oct 24, in Local

As many Mercer students have noticed while driving down Mercer University Drive, the Macon Mall has been under construction for quite some time. Many businesses are leaving the mall while a few new businesses are taking their place. One of the most recent additions to the mall is Dry Falls Outfitters, located between Macy’s and Smok’n Pig.
Dry Falls Outfitters had their grand opening on Friday, Oct. 19. In order to celebrate the grand opening weekend, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place and there were multiple live radio remote and prize giveaways. The prizes included: an MSR 3-person tent, a North Face jacket, a Southern Tide t-shirt, shoes from Keen, Merrell, OluKai, and Chaco, and a grand prize of a 60 inch LG plasma TV with a stand.
Dry Falls Outfitters has been around for over a decade. However, they recently upgraded their product lines and wanted to advertise to a community of college students.
Co-owner Bud Turner said, “We want to reach out to a larger part of the Macon audience. We were formally The Sock Shoppe, yet socks represent only 10 percent of our sales. We felt a re-branding was appropriate, and we want to sell clothing our children in college will wear.”
Some of the brands featured at the store include: The North Face, Patagonia, Columbia, Southern Marsh, Vineyard Vines, Costa, Southern Tide, Chaco, and much more.
Although these popular brands will hopefully be a successful addition to the store, Turner says that opening these lines has been quite difficult. Turner said, “Opening lines that are very selective has been the hardest part of this project. [These lines] need to see a brick and mortar concept, not an architectural drawing. Our concept is exciting, but [these companies] embrace the Missouri concept of ‘show me.’”
In order to get the word out about the new store, the owners are thinking about hiring a Mercer ambassador. This would be a student who will promote the store and in return, receive Dry Falls store items at a discounted price.
Dry Falls will be making an effort to work with the Mercer student body and is hoping to offer student discounts. Turner said, “We plan to work without vendors, and once we get permission from the various brands we will offer a student discount that complies with their respective corporate policies.”
Turner will be willing to make donations to different groups of students. Turner said, “We will also be glad to make product donations for Mercer student groups that demonstrate social and environmental responsibility.”
For more information on Dry Falls Outfitters, visit their new location in the Macon mall, or visit their website at www.dryfallsoutfitters.com

Museum comes to Macon until September 16

exhibit featuring animatronic dinosaurs

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Published Aug 15, in Local

Looking for a fun and cheap study break on the town? Did you love the latest installment to 20th Century Fox’s “Ice Age” series? Then look no further than the Museum of Arts and Sciences on Forsyth Road, which will continue to host its “Life Through Time: Dinosaurs and Ice Age Mammals” exhibit until September 16.
The exhibit, which has been up and running since mid-May, features ten animatronic representations of animals that existed between the late Jurassic and late Pleistocene ages.
Familiar faces like the saber-toothed tiger and the wooly mammoth snarl and stamp in their exhibits alongside more obscure creatures, including the gigantic Paraceratherium—an ancestor of the rhinoceros—and the Maiasaura, whose name means “good mother lizard” in Greek.
In the lobby visitors can see the mechanics of the animatronic dinosaurs at work with a “skeleton” that they can control.
Supplementing the exhibit is a new planetarium show, “Dinosaur Prophecy,” included with the price of admission to the museum.
Additionally, visitors can view the museum’s collection of fossils and lithographic artwork depicting prehistoric scenes as visitors walk through the attraction.
Other new attractions at the museum include “Native American Prints and Points” and “The Story of Apollo.” “Prints and Points” displays Native American pottery, weaponry and other artifacts in addition to a collection of prints on loan from Beverly Fitzpatrick, who has loaned them out of the collection of her late husband, Duross Fitzpatrick.
“The Story of Apollo” recounts the history of manned space flights with visual aids provided by Rob Sumowski. Both exhibits are open through Sept. 30.
If dinosaurs, Native Americans and space travel aren’t enough to capture your attention, the museum also includes a live animal exhibit with Geoffrey’s tamarins, geckos, snakes, turtles, tropical birds and a variety of insects and arachnids.
A nature trail snakes through the woods just outside the building.
Those who love to watch the skies can attend the museum’s state-of-the-art Mark Smith Planetarium, which in addition to “Dinosaur Prophecy” plays presentations about constellations and astronomical phenomena.
For an additional $2 stargazers can attend the “Skies Over Macon” show at 8 p.m. on Friday nights. The program includes a regularly updated planetarium show and the opportunity to use the museum’s telescopes.
Admission for students is $7. For questions about museum hours or other attractions, visit the website at www.masmacon.org.

A case of kidney compensation, potential monetary rewards for organ donations

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Published Aug 15, in Opinions

While paying the tab during my most recent visit to Francar’s, I happened to notice a small stack of business cards that proclaimed, “Clarence Walker Needs a Kidney.”  I picked one up as I left and read more.  Says Mr. Walker, “I am a married father of 3 beautiful young ladies.  Also, I have 2 grandkids that I would like to see grow up, graduate, and get married someday.  I pray that someone will step forward and help me.”  He desperately holds on to hope that he will get the kidney he needs.   But the cards are stacked against him.
Though we might like to believe that the charity in our society is sufficient to save Mr. Walker’s life, the sobering reality is that he is one of thousands of Americans on the growing waiting list for kidneys who don’t stand a chance without a miracle.
According to recent data available online from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the rate of kidney failure has roughly quadrupled over the past three decades, and the shortage of donated organs has become more pronounced as the need for kidneys has exploded.
In 2010, more than 34,000 people joined the waiting list (which exceeds 100,000), and fewer than 17,000 received a kidney.  Because of the shortage, an average of 17 Americans die each day while waiting for an organ – and several more become too sick to receive a transplant, even if it were available.  All the while, quality of life for those who remain on the list is seriously impaired. Clarence Walker himself has waited on the list for 3 years and must live with the burden of dialysis 3 times each week.
But wait.  How can this be?  Millions of Americans have two good kidneys, and only one is necessary for the body to adequately filter blood.  In our “civil” society, how can we sit back and watch as people die for no good reason at all?  Why, you ask, aren’t enough people giving out of the goodness of their hearts?  The answer is obvious:  People aren’t willing to bear the costs of donation without compensation.  And, since 1984, compensation for organ donation has been against the law in the U.S.
While you and I might feel compelled to do a good deed and donate a kidney to a stranger, it would almost certainly be irrational for us to do so in the absence of compensation.  We simply can’t afford to take weeks to a month away from our studies or work, much less bear the burden of the health risks associated with surgery and a future with only one kidney.
It is clear that altruism alone is not enough.  Something must be done.  In my opinion, we should move to legalize compensation.  If we harness aspects of the market mechanism, certainly the kidney shortage will be history.  We should learn from Iran (yes, Iran!) – the only nation in the world where kidneys can be bought and sold legally; there, waiting lists are a problem of the past.
Immediately, though, rows of well-meaning but misguided critics line up in outrage to voice their concerns and shout “ethics violation” at the top of their lungs.
Many claim that legalization will result in the “commodification” of human life or that it will undermine the altruism present in our current system.  Maybe those claims have some truth to them, but isn’t it a far worse crime to let people die when we could easily save them?
Still other opponents will make the common claim that legalizing would exploit the poorest members of our society – that those who need the money most would be “forced” to sell a kidney.
My response to this objection is two-pronged.  First, by criminalizing compensation in the U.S. as we currently do, we are already fueling the exploitation of people …just not in America.  The age-old economic truth is that black markets will emerge where the government attempts to stamp out trade.
It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that more and more people are traveling to developing countries to receive organ transplants from the poor through what has been termed “medical tourism.”
If anything deserves to be called exploitation this is it.  Secondly, I would suggest that those who advocate restricting the abilities of the poor to sell their kidneys are actually insulting them by inherently claiming that financial need would prevent them from balancing the costs and benefits to make a rational decision on their own (assuming informed consent).
Yes.  There are many unanswered questions, and I readily admit that I don’t know exactly what an America with legalized compensation for kidneys would look like.
Of course I realize that many people don’t view completely free markets as a feasible solution.  To be more realistic, maybe our society can find compromise and develop a creative solution.
One potential idea is to have a government-run system in which donors are compensated with tax credits, tuition vouchers for children, or contributions to retirement accounts (not immediately accessible cash) and transplants are provided to all people equally on the basis of need.
If it could be shown that the costs associated with this form of government intervention would be less than or equal to the amount that taxpayers already contribute for Medicare to cover the dialysis costs of those remaining on the waiting list, even I might view this as an improvement.
The unequivocal bottom line is that donor compensation of some sort is necessary to fix the problem that we face. If we begin to consider that donors are really not much different than the policemen and firemen whom we praise for taking on risks for the benefit of our communities, then we might start viewing compensation as beneficial.
Maybe just maybe, instead of blaming God for the suffering and pain that persist in the world, we can take some responsibility for the injustice before us and use the brains that God gave us to find a workable solution.  The lives of countless Americans like Clarence Walker depend on it.

Comments on this opinion can be sent to david.a.lockwood@live.mercer.edu

Macon, Bibb County vote to consolidate governments

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Published Aug 15, in Local

After years of controversial discussion and debate, the people of Macon and Bibb County voted to approve consolidation of the two governments on Aug. 1.
In order for consolidation to be approved, it had to be passed in Macon and in all of Bibb County. According to The Telegraph, city voters favored it 9,624 to 7,028 and 18,493 to 14,131 across Bibb County.
By consolidation passing, the governments of Macon, Bibb County and Payne City will dissolve separately and be replaced with a single government led by one mayor and nine county commissioners.
According to The Telegraph, Macon Mayor Robert Reichert said, “[The vote] marks the time that Macon and Bibb County have embraced the future and set out to be a more unified community.”
Those in favor of the consolidation voted in hope of a more efficient government that would save taxpayers money.
Those who opposed feared that the consolidation proposal was flawed with mandated 20 percent cut in government costs and a budget process that requires approval from six of the nine commissioners.
According to The Telegraph, State Rep. Allen Peake, a long-time supporter of consolidation, said, “This is a game-changer day for our community.” He explained that the next step will include Bibb County’s legislative delegation setting up a transition team in order to aid in the progress. The transition will begin Sept. 1 and the consolidated government will become effective January 2014.
The transition team will consist of 15 members and will be led by state Rep. Nikki Randall, chairwoman of Bibb County’s legislative delegation.
The committee will also include the Bibb County Commission chairman, Macon’s mayor and City Council president, Macon’s police chief and the Bibb County sheriff. The consolidated government will consist of a nine-member county commission and a mayor elected at-large.
The consolidation will attempt to reverse 30 years of demographic and economic decline.
Although the discussion and debate of consolidating has been present for decades, the July 31 vote was the first public vote on the topic in 35 years.

Historic Macon landmarks worth seeing

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Published Nov 2, in Local

Macon is an old city rich with history. Four locations in particular can be deemed vital in terms of their value and significance.
The birthplace of Macon resides at Fort Hawkins, built in 1806 as an official U.S. Army Fort and Indian Factory for trading and meeting with Native Americans.
As U.S. Army and Georgia Militia Headquarters, Fort Hawkins was the most crucial site in the Southeastern Theater during the War of 1812. Only a replica of the original blockhouse remains while the rest of the site was covered by a couple feet of thick dirt and clay.


In recent years archeologists have uncovered hundreds of artifacts and original groundwork while excavating the site, which for a time had a school on its premises. Now the fort is a blossoming tourist attraction, hosting events such as Veterans Day Open House and its Annual Frontier Fort Christmas. Currently the site has free public programs every weekend with more information located on its website.
Fort Hawkins volunteers hope for the site to become a self-sustaining regional and national educational institution that will also be a proactive, productive, positive community resource, economic generator, and new source of local and national pride.
“This is juicy history here. We want to keep activities here,” said Marty Willett, FHC Press Officer & Project Coordinator.
Right down the street from Fort Hawkins is another, far older and more rugged location. The Ocmulgee National Monument is located on the eastern edge of Macon and according to TripAdvisor is the number one attraction for tourists. The site has many sacred Native American structures, including several massive mounds and a recreation of an Earthlodge. The Great Temple Mound is the largest Mississippian mound on the Macon Plateau and is quite a sight to behold. The park flourishes in history that extends over 10,000 years. For walkers and joggers the park has many tracks through the wetlands and a river trail.
“Macon is rare. It’s not usual that you would have two places, Fort Hawkins and Ocmulgee, so available,” said Willet.
According to patrons the spring and fall are the best seasons for visiting the park, which has free admission. The first two weekends in November will honor Native American Heritage Month by hosting its own Native American Games. The park itself is commemorating its 75th anniversary in December.
If you’re not in the mood to travel very far, then head down to Rose Hill Cemetery on Riverside. It was established in 1840 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by Simri Rose, it was intended as a site to visit and as a gathering place for Maconites and visitors to the city.
The cemetery extends over an eye-catching landscape of hills and trees. Roads built for vehicles provide a variety of routes over the entire cemetery with a creek and waterfall to break up the demure within the landscape.
Most notably, the cemetery holds the graves of the Allman Brothers Band guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley who apparently visited the cemetery for artistic inspiration during their musical years.
A section was also marked off as Soldier’s Square and has lain to rest over 600 Confederate soldiers. Monuments of generals and other significant individuals of war and society can be found about the cemetery.
The youngest of the four locations is the Hay House built in 1855. The 18,000 square foot mansion spans four levels and is crowned by a three-story cupola. William Butler Johnston commissioned the Italian Renaissance Revival mansion and has since been lived in by two other families, the Feltons and the Hays. In 1977, ownership of the house was formally transferred to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.


Students can pay an inexpensive $5 to tour the entire level of the houseand it is well worth it. The architectural design is unlike many homes seen in Georgia and is unique in glamour and style. Over 15,000 people visit the house each year.
The guided tours present an opportunity to learn about the significance of the homes both in its architecture and technological advances. Guests also hear a social history on the three families that resided in the home providing over 150 years of stories between them.

Popham Culture: Macon must become more bike-friendly

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Published Nov 2, in Columns, Entertainment, Popham Culture

Anything worthwhile deserves protecting. I think most rational people could agree with that. Quality of life is inarguably worthwhile.  The cities that are usually rated with the highest quality of life are generally also rated the most cycling friendly cities in the world.   Because of this, I conclude that there is likely a correlation between cycling and quality of life.  With this logic, it makes great sense to promote cycling as a means of transportation, personal wellness, and as a benefit to the environment.  Mercer University, the College Hill Corridor Commission, and the city of Macon all recognize this to some extent.
Cycling is a legitimate form of transportation, especially in urban areas. The problem is cycling can be highly dangerous for the cyclist. According to the most recent Crash Analysis, Statistics & Information (CASI) released by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) cyclists are 10 times more likely to be killed in a collision with an automobile than a person inside of a motor vehicle. A car is much different than a bicycle. While this seems like common sense, the law says otherwise. Georgia law says that regardless of the obvious differences in speed, mass, and protection, a bicycle is legally identical to an automobile.
The worst part?  Georgia Senate Bill 196 declares that (40-6-144) “Except as provided by resolution or ordinance of a local government for sidewalks within the jurisdiction of such local government authorizing the operation of bicycles on sidewalks by persons 12 years or younger, no person shall drive any vehicle upon a sidewalk area except upon a permanent or duly authorized driveway”. In plain English, this means that if you are over 12 you can not ride your bike on the sidewalk. I’m not saying that we should have all cyclists ride on the sidewalk in lieu of bike lanes; I’m saying that we should at least allow for the possibility for cyclists to share the sidewalk as well as the road.  Cyclists on the sidewalk can be dangerous for pedestrians, but until bike lanes are ubiquitous in Macon (see: never), it should be allowable in a given circumstance. Disrupting pedestrian should remain ticket-able at the discretion of police.  Would you ever ride your bike down Vineville Avenue at noon on a Monday? Would you ever take your morning jog through a minefield?
Since Macon lacks the funds, infrastructure, and political will for bicycle lanes, we should protect our citizens in the next best way. Cyclists should ride in the road for the safety of pedestrians, but on the sidewalk for their own safety. An informal poll around campus shows that not only is this the opinion of most students, the illegal status of sidewalk-riding amazed them.
Cycling isn’t going anywhere. Until Macon’s city government or the State government change their stance, I recommend Thomas Jefferson’s advice, “If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so”.

Macon places of worship

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Published Nov 2, in Features

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

For the last edition of The Cluster, I began a spiritual extravaganza in which I attend various religious services throughout Macon.
For this edition, I first went to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, located at the corner of College and Forsyth.
The people at St. Paul’s were incredibly friendly. When my company and I entered, we were greeted by people in white robes (who we soon ascertained were members of the choir), asked to fill out visitors cards and welcomed to be seated.
Episcopal churches, like the Catholic and Orthodox services I discussed in the first installment of this article, follow a liturgical calendar. What I didn’t originally know about the Episcopal Church is that it is, in fact, the Anglican Church of America. (Mind, blown.)
One thing (among several) that I loved about St. Paul’s was the acceptance of love that was so evident in everything that was done. On the visitor’s cards, the section for relationship status included engaged, cohabitating, and in a partnership. During the meet and greet moment of the service, Father Hal came down among the congregation to plant a kiss on his wife. I love that!
The church itself was lovely and wooden with stained glass windows and plenty of seating for the choir. The service was English. I appreciated this, because I could actually understand what was being said at all times, but I was also a bit bummed that it made the entire experience seem slightly less ritualistic to me. (I do adore savory otherness of being monolingual in a bilingual place of worship.)
I struggled a bit with the chants that proved to be such a staple at the Episcopal Church. They did not come with sheet music, and the pauses, line breaks and varied intonations seemed arbitrary to me.
My friends and I were permitted to take the Eucharist at St. Paul’s. The sacrament is of high importance. The St. Paul’s website lists its objectives, beginning with, “Firstly, the weekly Eucharist as the highest act of worship.”
After the service, Father Hal and his wife spoke to my group kindly, letting us know that we were always welcome if we ever wanted to come back, had any questions or wanted to join the parish for breakfast. I soon received a personalized greeting card in the mail from the clergyman thanking me for my attendance and welcoming me back anytime. (I was even invited to bring my cats to have them blessed at the church!)
The following Friday evening, I attended the Shabbat service at Temple Beth Israel, located on the corner of Spring and Cherry.
Until this moment, I had never attended a Jewish service of any kind and was very eager for experience.
My company and I were at first concerned, because the Cherry Street entrance was locked when we arrived. We walked around back to find a small congregation of people entering the temple. We went in to the worship area for the service. The temple itself is beautiful, with a dome in the center down which an eye looks. The temple was decorated with many candles, and as we entered candles were being lit.
The Shabbat service was largely based out of the prayer book. Most of the prayers in the book were written in Hebrew and translated into English. Rabbi Schlesinger sang many of the prayers in Hebrew, and sometimes the congregation would sing along in worship.
Occasionally the congregation was asked to stand. Then the Rabbi would turn his back to the congregation and a portion of the wall would open up. He would proceed to pray to the opening in the wall.
Rabbi Schlesinger later informed me that this was the ark and that it contained the synagogue’s most important documents: the Torah.
The congregation offered a prayer to the deceased and the ill. Everyone then recited the Mourner’s Kaddish, which, when my time comes, is what I want read at my funeral. (It’s in writing now, so you guys won’t have much of an option.) The prayer preceding the Mourner’s Kaddish ends with “Love doesn’t die; people do./ So when all that’s left of me is love,/ give me away.” That prayer, followed by the intelligent conversation and jokes that followed, was enough to make me consider converting. (Is it still considered conversion if you weren’t particularly religious on the first hand?)
Then came one of my favorite moments from my Reformed Jewish experience: the eating of bread. A loaf of bread, which had been hiding under a towel during the majority of the service, was presented. The Rabbi said, “Thanks be to God for bread.” He then took a bite, said, “Mmmm, bread,” and covered it back up. I could hardly contain myself! It seemed almost like a bit of a joke directed at the concept of transubstantiation.
Following this, there was a Q&A session with Rabbi Schlesinger. He explained that usually he gives a sermon, but on the last Friday of the month that is replaced with conversation.
The ask-the-Rabbi session was incredible. First off, there was plenty of wine and cake. After gathering food, everyone sat around folding tables in the community area of the synagogue and discoursed. The conversation focused largely on some of the differences between the Christian and Jewish practices. The idea of Hell was discussed (and laughed at, which was fabulous). One member of the congregation actually quoted Sartre, saying, “Hell is other people.”
The discussion about Hell led to a discussion about action versus faith. For the members of Temple Beth Israel, doing good acts is what matters, and doing them because they are the right thing to do, not for fear of Hell or hopes of Heaven.
My Episcopal and Reformed Jewish experiences were both personal and meaningful. The welcoming nature of both places of worship compels me to return and learn more about these denominations.
Keep reading next edition for the final installment of the Macon Places of Worship series.

Temple Beth Israel

Zombie ‘Thriller’ dance comes to Macon

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Published Nov 2, in Features

For four Thursdays in October, Valkyrie Anderson, a French one and two teacher at Mount De Sales Academy, showed up at Tatnall Square Park to learn the dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Those there were preparing for a ghoulish night of fun and dancing at the Zombie Thriller Dance, an annual Halloween dance party that takes place in downtown Macon. The practices were an hour long and led by Pilar Wilder, the director and owner of Hayiya Dance Theatre located on Vineville Avenue in Macon. Students from Miller Middle School also came to help out. Their goal was to replicate the entire 14 minute music video by the King of Pop. The dancers learned one piece of choreography per week, and by week two or three, the group of zombies-to-be knew the whole “Thriller” dance.
This was Anderson’s first year participating in the zombie thriller dance, which started at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, October 28th. However, before the actual performance at 9:00 p.m., a dance party began at 8:00 p.m. This Zombie Dance has happened now for six years. 11th Hour, one of the sponsors, actually initiated the event for the first time six years ago. People of all ages and from all over Macon are welcome to participate, provided that they attend three out of the four practices, said Jessica Thompson, an intern at Hayiya Dance Theatre. Last year, the Zombie Thriller Dance boasted over one hundred dancers and even more onlookers. They gather every year in front of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame on Cherry Street to put on a “thrilling” performance. Oh, and it’s completely free.
Hayiya Dance Theatre, NewTown Macon and 11th hour all sponsored the event last Friday night. The event garnered large crowd from young to old. Families all gathered at the Cherry Street plaza to watch the dancers put on a frightening show. There were also other games and performances happening that night. Anderson came with a few of her students from school, all of whom dressed in zombie attire, complete with authentic-looking living-dead make up. They weren’t the only ones. Zombie Drew Aiken, who was an onlooker rather than a dancer, was impressed by the effort everyone put into their costumes. “If you described it in one word, it would be ‘cool.’ The zombie dancers were impressive, and it looked like they practiced a lot,” Aiken commented.
Anderson said that her first year was “awesome,” and a lot of zombies had danced multiple times. There were a great many zombie dancers, and even more audience members who dressed up as well. While “zombie” was the dominant costume, not all of those in the audience dressed as zombies. There was a genie, a bumblebee, an adorable baby skunk, multiple other costumes and many people in regular clothes. Camera flashes abounded as people snapped photos with their friends, and even with strangers in interesting, crazy, or cool outfits. A DJ played music, and everyone milled about, chatted and even danced the night away at the dance party that followed the performance. Overall, it was a truly “thrilling” night, one that would have made the King of Pop proud.

Macon smoking ban defeated

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Published Oct 30, in Breaking, City, News

In April, the Macon City Council first passed the proposed smoking ban that would have outlawed smoking in bars, nightclubs, restaurants and other public places. Mayor Robert Reichert vetoed that version.

Supporters have since revised the ordinance, trying to gain the Mayor’s support, but the revised version failed to pass Macon City Council’s Public Safety Committee. Supporters of the proposal tried to get it put before a full council vote Tuesday, which could have overruled the committee’s decision with eight votes. However, it was not placed on the agenda.

Still, just the possibility that the ban could be voted on again drew even more criticism from the owners of local establishments that would be affected by the ban.

Supporters and opponents of the ban generally have two different ideological view points about smoking. Supporters see it as a public health issue while opponents see it a business and economic issue.

For now though, the ban has been mostly defeated. It is unclear where supporters are planning to go next, but any further attempts to get the law passed would most likely require supporting council members to consult with the city attorney. As soon as the supporters bring up the proposal again, the opposition will be there to contest it.

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