Today on Athens News Matters, the NPR Senior Podcast challenge will give older listeners a chance to share their stories. Plus, a new local comic strip starts next month.
Memorial Park pond closed for renovations
Memorial Park in Five Points is one of the most popular parks in Athens. But for now, residents are going to have to find an alternative, because most of the park is currently closed for construction. The construction is part of SPLOST 2020, which among other things, provides funding for the renovation of the park. WUGA’s Havivah Saltz went to see the construction in person.
You can find a Project Overview of the Memorial Park Improvements and a rendering of the project plans on acc.gov. You can also check the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Facebook page to see the latest developments, and the pictures of the turtle relocation.
Athens Library Store to celebrate its first anniversary
The Library Store in the Athens-Clarke County Library reopened last August, and has played a big role in bringing library patrons and volunteers together over its unique and discounted
books. As it nears its one-year anniversary, WUGA’s Joseph Mazzola stopped by to talk with volunteers about the store, and the important part it plays in the library community.
The Library Store will celebrate its first anniversary Saturday, August 29th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Baxter Street library.
NPR Senior Podcast Challenge offers a competition for listeners over 65
Since 2018, NPR's Student Podcast Challenge has introduced tens of thousands of young people to the world of audio storytelling. This fall, they're opening up the competition to a different generation - one with a lot more life experience and maybe a few more gray hairs. The Senior Podcast Challenge is a call to people over the age of 65 to hit the record button and share their stories. The deadline to enter the Senior Podcast Challenge is Nov 30th.
WUGA's Lara Dua-Swartz sat down with Steve Drummond and Janet Woojeong Lee from NPR's Society and Culture desk to find out more.
New comic Dino Town replaces long-running strip Shady Creek
Joey Weiser has been publishing his monthly comic Shady Creek in Flagpole Magazine for the last two and a half years. Now, Shady Creek has come to an end, and Joey is starting a new comic called Dino Town. He sat down with WUGA’s Havivah Saltz to discuss his work.
You can read the first installment of Dino Town in Flagpole in September, and see more of Joey’s art on Instagram @joeyweisercomics.
Flagpole Magazine is an underwriter with WUGA.
