Around and About

originally published April 16, 2008

• Stories continue to drift in, primarily from the Internet, that are skeptical of the efforts to locate the Homeland Security Department's National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in places like Athens. A recent one in the newsletter Counterpunch (www.counterpunch.org/cox03262008.html) took a rather jaundiced view of the effort, and then at the end of last week here came one from the Associated Press, with its reputation for objectivity. This story, complete with two scary videos, not only thrills those already opposed (Athens FAQ's Grady Thrasher was zinging it around the email circuit before the pixels were dry), but would give anybody pause, with its heavy emphasis on just what Grady has been preaching: don't think those pathogens can't escape. Read all about it via Yahoo at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080411/ap_on_go_ot/animal_disease and watch it at http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ANIMAL_DISEASE.

  Meanwhile, Grady got sort of a comeuppance in the Friday, Apr. 11 Banner-Herald letters section from PR guy and Watkinsville City Councilman Brian Brodrick, disputing Grady's claim that NBAF would be a "dark cloud" over the State Botanical Garden. Brian represents the view that NBAF is the kind of high-tech industry we need.

  Brian has an interesting blog (http://oconeepolitics.blogspot.com/) which he calls "Voice of Moderation - A small town city councilman's look at local and regional issues through the prism of a moderate Republican looking glass." Now, that's a prism we don't usually get to look through, considering the fact that a small-town moderate Republican is practically an oxymoron in these parts. Maybe that's not true at all. Maybe there are just as many moderate Republicans around as there are moderate Democrats.

• Now comes word that Waffle House is interested in leasing the former chiropractor's office across from McDonald's on Prince Ave. What about it, Cobbham and Boulevard? How can you oppose it with McDonald's, Krystal and Popeye's already there? Maybe that's the reason. Driving, walking or riding a bike through there is already treacherous, with so many cars whipping in and out. A Waffle House might generate just enough more traffic to smother the turn lane and cover the sidewalk with cars trying to exit.

• This just in: Athens-Clarke County Coroner Bobby Tribble gets out ahead of the curve by sending word that he is announcing for re-election. Don't worry, you're not the only one who has no idea what the coroner does. Basically, he is required to investigate any unexplained death, such as accident, suicide or the death of a child. The coroner is not a medical examiner, but more of a judicial official. In his re-election announcement Tribble says that during his first term he has investigated over 900 deaths and says the department has begun the development of a web page "to provide Internet access to the coroner's office." About time, that. Contrary to popular belief (at least I believed it) the coroner cannot arrest the sheriff. The coroner is, however, the only official who can serve a warrant on the sheriff (at the direction of the judge of probate court), and the coroner serves as sheriff if the sheriff is unable to serve. My cousin Steve McCommons over in Greene County got to play sheriff that way. As far as I know he didn't engage in any high-speed chases or shootouts.

• On the street, the city is at least trying to counter the litter problem it created by driving smokers downtown out of the bars and clubs. Now there are 40 "CLRs" (cigarette litter receptacles) downtown in heavy smoking areas to provide an alternative to throwing them down on the sidewalk. (See City Dope.) Here's hoping they prove useful.

• Word broke late last week that an officer at the Navy School has been fired because it came to light that she was moonlighting as a prostitute for the infamous "D.C. Madam" a couple of years ago while stationed at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. News reports say the officer had an "exemplary" Navy career with Navy/Marine Corps commendation medals and achievement medals.

• Finally, I ran into Mr. Lamar Lewis downtown last week, heading into his store with his ace salesperson, Angela Jasiulevicius. I was wearing a new shirt, and "Laymar," as his friends call him, told me I looked good. "They put you in early, so you could score," he said. I laughed and walked away, wondering what he meant. Then it dawned on me. I think he meant I looked like a substitute that the coach puts into the game toward the end when the score is lopsided to get some experience and maybe score some points. Those subs stand out from everybody else because their uniforms are so new-looking and clean. Lamar is a sports fan and also a sport.

Pete McCommons

editor@flagpole.com