Morning, y’all! Happy Friday. Doing a little farmer’s marketing this weekend? Here’s where to find the best fall produce around Atlanta. Let the seasonal baking begin.
Let’s get to it.
THERE AIN’T MUCH GOIN’ ON HERE SINCE THEY CLOSED THE MILL
Paper mill closures are hitting small Georgia towns hard, and now the state’s timber industry has to look elsewhere to keep their product moving.
- Three mills have shuttered across the state since August, and 11 since 2022.
- International Paper closed mills in Savannah and Riceboro at the end of September, endangering southeast Georgia’s “timber basket” where forestry is a way of life.
- Forestry activities contribute more than $42 billion to the state’s economy annually, or about 6% of its gross domestic product.
- Mill closures also change the entire texture of surrounding towns, where culture and daily rhythms are often closely tied to the job opportunities the mill provides.
The question I'm asking, and my neighbors and every other timberland owner in this region is asking, is whether we'll have a market for all these trees and whether we should plant more. Because at month's end, we lose two of our bigger customers.
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COME TO BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY ATLANTA
In general, Georgia doesn’t spend a lot of money on tourism initiatives. The state is last in the Southeast in tourism promotion dollars — less than $6 million a year.
With the World Cup coming to town next summer, that may change soon.
- The state tourism industry and some state lawmakers want to boost funds to Explore Georgia, an arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
- Gov. Brian Kemp hasn’t committed to more tourism funds, saying hyping up the World Cup is a “team effort.”
- “It’s not just the state’s job to market, it’s individual companies, individual (convention and visitors bureaus), local tourism folks,” he said. “We’re all in this game together, and we’ll certainly do our part in state government.”
WEEKEND PLANS
Hope you’re ready to eat! Fill out your calendar with 21 food and drink events happening in October, and finalize your weekend plans below. There will be a test.
📚 Decatur Book Festival: Keynote events begin today, but a slew of panels and other events run through Saturday. Here are 10 panels you won’t want to miss. (Well, you’ll have to miss some. Ten is far too many.)
🥧 Porches and Pies: Sample delicious pies from community bakers (including yours truly!), plus drinks, kid-friendly vibes and early fall sunshine. More info here.
🇰🇷 Korean Festival: It’s the Southeast’s largest Korean cultural event, and it’s just up the way in Lawrenceville with food, art, music, games and lots of K-pop.
Weekend Spotlight: Wherefore art thou, waacking?
Waacking is a street dance style created by Black and brown queer communities in 1970s Los Angeles. It’s become a joyful movement for similar communities in Atlanta, too.
At a weekly class called Waacklanta, people of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds learn the rapid arm movements and stylistic touches that make waacking a unique and expressive art form. It’s probably a great arm workout, too.
How do you elevate your waacking game? In the words of Waacklanta founder Vince “Venus” Nguyen, “Just feel.” If you think that’s useless advice, you’ve clearly never been in a performance art class. Darling, it’s the only advice that matters.
🕺🏾 READ MORE: The fantastic, glamorous world of waacking
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
💸 U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff both gave up their paychecks in solidarity with unpaid government workers during the shutdown.
🌎 President Donald Trump yesterday declared drug cartels in the Caribbean are unlawful combatants and said the U.S. is now in a “non-international armed conflict.”
🏢 The Krog District, a real estate development that helped spark growth along the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail, has sold in a landmark retail deal.
NEWS BITES
Dogs, pink beer and rollerblading: Fun wellness activities to do during October
Rollerblading with a pink beer and a dog would 100% be peak wellness.
Why Rreal Tacos invested $100,000 in a singing, dancing Beltline rollerblader
You know, $100,000 would add even more to that wellness.
A new SCAD display shows work of fashion icon André Leon Talley
Come be surrounded by greatness. And lots and lots of voluminous capes.
What keeping secrets from your partner does to your relationship
Follow-up article coming soon: “What passive-aggressively sending this link to your partner does to your relationship.”
ON THIS DATE
Oct. 3, 1929
Oldest man claims 252 birthdays. The world’s oldest man — who is supposed to have found medicinal plants which prolong his life … appears to be well established and places his age at 252 years, which would have made him 100 years old at the time of the American War of Independence … Li (Ching-Yun) has survived 23 wives and is now living with his 24th … The present wife is merely 60 years old. Li walks with a firm tread and has a big appetite.
What a great grift. He would have such a huge following on TikTok if he were alive today, selling secret plants and sharing his walking tips or whatever. Maybe he is alive, who knows!
ONE MORE THING
OK, now time to go make a bunch of pies for Porches and Pies. Enjoy something delicious this weekend!
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
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