Sound Off is a recurring feature appearing in weekend editions of The News Courier. Those wishing to sound off should email comments to NewsCourierSoundOff@gmail.com. Published entries cannot be longer than 100 words. Entries exceeding that amount will be edited for space/content. Please keep in mind the following: Not all items sent to the Sound Off column are published. Items that mention a person or business by name are discarded, unless the person mentioned is a public figure and the item is not a personal attack on that person. Items that have not been published within one month are typically discarded.

The city planners are putting a lot of effort into making downtown Athens aesthetically pleasing for the adults, however, nothing is being done for the younger generation in our city. We need activities to keep our children close to home. Now they have to drive to Decatur or Huntsville, spending their money there instead of keeping it in Athens. We want our city to be a pleasant sight to look at, but these children are the future. Why not invest in them for a change instead of spending so much on making The Square beautiful?