Athens' Mayor Davison: Outpouring of Support "No Surprise in Athens"

     

       Surveying the charred shell of Athens' iconic musical landmark, Mayor Heidi Davison isn't the least bit surprised in the monumental show of support and goodwill by the community.

     "It's certainly no surprise," said the mayor. "We're pretty well known for our response to people who find themselves in difficult situations."

      "We've seen this sort of community care play itself out for a variety of different reasons," she continued. "Whatever the calamity may be, the community really has a way of rallying around the people who need it most. So it's certainly no surprise in Athens."

       For the first time since the Theatre was gutted by fire early Friday morning, the scene is a flurry of activity, as local, state and federal officials work to determine the cause. After allowing the remains of the building to cool, a large crane now helps ATF agents sort through wreckage — some immediately being discarded in a large rollaway dumpster, and the rest carefully laid out on Clayton Street for inspection.

      As of Tuesday afternoon, officials are not much closer to determining a cause of the fire and stress that simply clearing, sorting and inspecting the debris will not be a short task.

      In the meantime, scheduled shows for this weekend's AthFest will be housed at the Morton Theatre. Likewise, Jenny Lewis' Wednesday, July 1 show has been relocated to the 40 Watt Club. 

 — Alec Wooden