DECEmbEr 2009

nuçi’s space396 Oconee StreetAthens, GA 30601706.227.1515space@nuci.orgwww.nuci.org

Newsletter Contributors

Bob SleppyWill KiserMichael McGoughLaura Ford

Design & Layout

Larry Tenner

the newsletter for Nuçi’s Space, a nonprofit musicians’ support/resource center

Getting It by bob Sleppy

A big challenge we have had at Nuçi’s Space since our inception in 2000 is trying to convey the full scope of our mission to the general public. Our audience often seems to be divided into two groups: those who “get it” and those who don’t.

As some of you may know Nuçi’s Space has been involved in a dispute with our local tax assessor’s office regarding a property tax exemption we applied for in 2007. Unfortunately we do not have the space in our newsletter to effectively discuss the complexity of this issue. However, if you’d like to learn more about the case please visit our website to read a collection of newspaper articles. In general, our county government contends that Nuçi’s Space is not a “purely public charity,” as required for exemption of property taxes, because we generate income from the rental of our rehearsal rooms and performance area. The county, despite knowing that all of our earned income is used to fund our professional counseling assistance program, continues to challenge our exemption. To be clear, this is not a challenge to our IRS designation as a 501(c)3, charitable nonprofit. This dispute is strictly related to our exemption of local property taxes, a privilege that many other local non-profit organizations and churches, with similar income sources, currently enjoy.

The court process of this dispute has been long and tedious. However, Nuçi’s Space has been extremely for-tunate to have Jim Warnes, our attorney in this case, as our guide and friend. The first time Linda and I met Jim was during a meeting to ask him for help with our case. He seemed to “get” Nuçi’s Space right away and offered to work on the case pro bono. Although we knew there was something special about Jim, it wasn’t until we heard him speak during our first appeal to the Board of Equal-ization that we realized the depth of his understanding of Nuçi’s Space and our mission. He spoke about us in a way that very few people can. Simply put, he “got it.”

I often wonder why some people get us while others don’t. Obviously there are a plethora of answers to this question, and we know that we may never be able to

reach some people. There are, however, people who “get it” for one simple reason: they want to. We are thankful there are so many of you out there who want to support us just because you believe that Nuçi’s Space’s approach to providing treatment and a caring environment works. We know that this approach works because Nuçi’s Space has provided assistance to over 675 individuals, and made a positive impact on countless others.

The concept of Nuçi’s Space is quite simple. Our goal is to create and maintain an environment that is friendly, supportive and free from stigma, and to provide access to professional help for those who need it. We do this by inviting community members to rent our practice spac-es, providing a place for support groups to meet, and hosting music and art performances where the commu-nity can gather to appreciate the local arts scene. While they visit our facility, we introduce them to our mission and the programs we provide to the community. As a result, a relationship of friendship and mutual respect is formed, and those who once thought of themselves as guests to the Space soon realize that they were never guests. They are, and have always been, a part of the Nuçi’s Space family.

I am hopeful that our case will move forward and will be reviewed by the Supreme Court of Georgia. However, my optimism is grounded in reality. Now it’s time to let this issue complete its course and hope for the best. In the meantime…

We will continue to increase awareness of depression as a disease.

We will continue to prevent suicide.

We will continue to support those in need.

We will continue.

Thank you to everyone reading this letter for continu-ing to “get it.” We appreciate you more than you will ever know.

Nuçi PhillipsMemorial Foundation

Board of Directors

President: Stephanie Sharp

Vice President: Matt Justus

Treasurer: Robert L. Bachman, CPA

Secretary: Rebecca Hood, Drive-By Truckers

Linda V. PhillipsPierre PhillipsPatterson HoodDr. Bill OrrSally SpeedBenjamin Roberts IIIEllie MacKnightDavid BarbeNatalie GlennK.P. Devlin

Executive Director

Bob Sleppy

Legal Counsel

Mike LavenderJim Warnes

Recent DonoRs40 Watt ClubAndrews, JeffreyBryan, Philip & JaneCasey, Noleen & JohnCauthorn & Nohr, P.C.Clarke, Al & SaraFerrelle, Dodd & Cameron Bliss

Hays, AllisonHicks, Brandon & HeidiLester, DavidMoore, Robert & MarinaMule Train RecordsNettles, VictorNicholls, Anna M.Pettigrew, Sharon & HarryPurdin, HeatherR.E.M. Raeburn, Susan Delaney

Rosenberger, Charles & Chandler

Schmidt, ChristopherSchools, DavidStarrs, ChrisVenable, LucyWard, LauraWatkins, Cathianne

In Memory of Owen BeattyGlazer, Judith

In Memory of Randy BewleyMiddleton, Laurie CroweCrowe, Peggy

In Memory of Brian CookLeeman, KarenRosenfeld, MyraBecker, Linda & John

In Memory of Caroline Blackwood

Blackwood Chance, Rachel

In Memory of Andrew DeBonaMCG SONAT Class of 2011

In Memory of Jon GuthrieMallonee, Bill & MuriahWinthrop, Dr. Carol & Richard

In Memery of Ted HaferBierema, LauraEmily, ToddHourihan, Carrie

In Memory of Nuçi PhillipsCarlin, Drs. Richard & EnidEllenberg, Richard & VirginiaMcCarthy, Frances

In Memory of Christopher M. Page

Page, Cathy

In Memory of Ben HardmanHardman, Mary Talmadge

In Memory of Pat RobertsRoberts, Don

In Memory of Alan SleppySleppy, JoAnne

In Memory of Brittany StadlerHretz, Stevie

In Memory of Sarah Anne Yaker Synge

Yaker, Helen

This year’s S.P.A.C.E. Race turned out to be the best one yet. There were 246 registered runners and 10 teams. The race itself was exciting with an incredible performance by overall race win-ner Sarah Madebach with a time of 17:42. Susan Adams and Allison Duncan were the second and third place females respec-tively. Michael Hague was the overall male win-ner with John Kellough and Ryan Bertram rounding out the top three. Full results and pic-tures are posted at www.nuci.org/spacerace.

The S.P.A.C.E. Race raised over $15,000 for the mission and pro-grams of Nuçi’s Space, as well as raising awareness of the issues of suicide and depression. For many of the runners, this is their only interaction with Nuçi’s Space, so this was a great opportunity to share with them what we are all about. For others, Nuçi’s Space

is a part of their lives. Team Jared, this year’s top fundraising team, ran in memory of Jared Mclean. Team founder Sarah Walpert described this event as a “chance to make something good out of something that caused so much hurt and pain.”

Thanks go to all of the sponsors, runners, phantom runners, volunteers, staff, donors, and interns that made this event a huge success. We couldn’t have done it without you.

S.P.A.C.E. Race 2009

Mule Train Records recently presented a check for $2,500 to Nuçi’s Space. The support of local busi-nesses and organizations like Mule Train Records helps Nuçi’s Space continue to provide services to the creative community of Athens, GA.

Nuçi’s Space founder Linda Phillips was given an honorary key to the city on Saturday, October 24th from Athens mayor Heidi Davison. Phillips

founded the non-profit support center for musi-cians after losing her son Nuçi to suicide in 1996.

Phillips received the key in front of a packed house at the Space’s 9th Anniversary Celebration. The crowd included local musicians, family

members, friends as well as patients who had benefited from Phillips’ service to the Athens community. The building on Oconee Street near downtown opened its doors in the fall of 2000 and since then has helped over 650 musicians obtain professional counseling for depression.

Mayor Davison commended Phillips for her ability to turn the tragedy of los-ing her son into the creation of Nuçi’s Space. After 10 years of tireless work, Phillips is retiring from her role as coun-seling advocate and president of the Nuçi’s Space Board of Directors.

In her time as mayor of Athens, Davison has presented keys to exiting commanders of the U.S. Navy Supply

Corps School, AthFest founder Jared Bailey and the filmmaking team behind “Darius Goes West.”

nuçi’s spaceStaff

Bob SleppyWill KiserLaura FordMichael McGoughDan NettlesChris ByronTerrance MedinaRoy CoughlinKane Stanley

“Just in case she gets locked out…”Nuçi’s Space founder gets key to the city

Linda Phillips and Mayor Heidi Davison

nuçi’s spaceStudent Organization

President

Lindsey Epperly

Camp Amped After School, Nuçi’s Space’s year-round youth outreach program based on its successful summer camp, just finished its inau-gural session and is already looking forward to Spring 2010! The 13-week program, produced in conjunction with the Athens School of Music, has both a private lesson and ensemble component. For CAAS Fall 09, a total of 13 young musicians formed 3 bands that wrote and learned original songs that they performed in a Grand Finale show at the Melting Point on November 15th. 2010’s session will last from February 4–May 2, and past participants of Camp Amped programs have until January 4th to apply. Young musicians who have not yet participated in a Camp pro-gram are welcome to go ahead and apply, and if there are still spots left after January 4th, applica-tions by non-camp alumni will be reviewed in the order they were received. Applications are available now at Nuçi’s Space or at www.nuci.org. More information is available by visiting Nuçi’s Space’s website or by emailing Laura Ford at laura@nuci.org

Camp Amped After School

Nuçi’s Space wouldn’t be able to get by without the help we receive from our dedicated vol-unteers. The projects we under-take would be way too big for our small staff to handle without the dedication of those people who dedicate their time and resources to Nuçi’s Space.

We get help from families, individuals and groups—as evi-denced by some of the projects that have taken place this fall. Volunteers set up and helped put on the S.P.A.C.E. Race 5K, the 9th Anniversary Party. Volunteers helped collate and label the newsletter you’re reading right now, which helps us save on printing cost and man hours.

In early October we had a group of students from University of Georgia come clean up at Nuçi’s Space for an afternoon. The group is called Volunteer UGA and their executive board

chooses a service project each semester to work on.

The Volunteer UGA members who helped clean up were Stephen Dorner, Sarah Alongi, Amy Forester, Kayla Calhoun, Pranav Kaushish, and Gaby Garcia. The group’s advisors, Lisa Kendall and Mark Torrez, were also on hand to help out.

CAAS Fall 2009 Participants:Nick BrownPhilip CarpenterRobby CassoAna ColonJacob ConleyJack HaferKelton McAllisterSage MenesesMarisa MustardGedia PowellJacob SamuelsonSean Van MeterSeth Walsh

CAAS Fall 2009 Instructors:Dan Nettles (Lead Instructor)Claire CampbellThayer Sarrano Seth HendershotAllen OwensBetsy Franck

Volunteer UGA

Interns

Allie BrantleyLindsey EpperlyTara Sutton

Active Volunteers

Margaret AkinhanmiIsik BensonDevin CampanellaPhillip CarpenterMichelle CarrierWick CauthornJayne ClampLesley CobbsMark CunninghamKelly DefilippisLori DionneFred GalyeanDeborah GimsonTeresa GrooverKatherine GuffeyEmily HarperMeredith HubbardGina JacksonJoey KegelCynthia KrafftKate McCannJulie McCollumLorin MilkNancy MilliganKatie ParkerPaul PraeNorma PylantRischa RelefordJessica RogersMorgan RuedlingerSarah SamuelsonMark SanzJustin SchrampferLynne SeymourWilliam SmithAmanda SueMaddie TaylorEmily ThompsonErica WeberKevan Williams

Nuçi’s Space has been busy this fall with fundraising—we auctioned products and gift certificates from local businesses as well as signed memorabilia from Drive-By Truckers, R.E.M. and Kris Kristofferson at our 9th Anniversary Party on October 23rd. We also raffled off a trip to Voodoo Fest 2009 in New Orleans and a brand-new scooter from Owl Scooters.

All the proceeds from these raffles and auc-tions will help us to continue providing counsel-ing as well as other services to local musicians and artists here in Athens.

Here are some details:

Rock N Raffle 2009Our Rock N Raffle 2009 Fundraiser

was a huge success—we sold over 11,000 tickets (in the form of $1 dona-tions to Nuçi’s Space). The prize was

an all-inclusive trip to the Voodoo music festival in New Orleans during Halloween weekend. The festival included sets from Drive-By Truckers and Widespread Panic, KISS, Eminem, Jane’s Addiction and The Black Lips among many oth-ers. The raffle winner received hotel, airfare and backstage passes as well as signed memorabilia and a little bit of spending money for the trip.

Congratulations are in order to Sharon Burns of Duluth, Georgia, who won the raffle. The best part about Burns winning the raffle is that she

didn’t enter as a fan of any of the bands, or even as a music festival fan. She entered to support Nuçi’s Space because she was one of Nuçi Phillips’ teachers when he was young.

Sharon’s ticket was selected at random at the office of Plexus Web on Pulaski Street on October 2nd. Many thanks go out to Stephanie Sharp and Plexus Web, Patterson and Rebecca Hood, Ellie MacKnight, Voodoo Fest and Natalie Glenn for making the raffle so successful!

Owl Scooter RaffleThe winner was selected randomly

after our 6th Annual S.P.A.C.E. Race 5K on October 24th. Lily Buckley—a musician who also works at the 40 Watt Club downtown—was the winner.

Thanks to the generosity of Jim Langlois, Ryan Lewis and the rest of the crew at Owl Scooters and Top Dog Scooters we were able to raise money to help support our nonprofit mission.

FALL FUNDRAISING

Lily Buckley

nuçi’s space396 Oconee StreetAthens, GA 30601

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RetuRn SeRvice RequeSted

An Entire DecadeThis December 1st marked Executive Director Bob

Sleppy’s 10 Year Anniversary with Nuçi’s Space. He worked with Linda Phillips to literally build Nuçi’s Space from the ground up, and the organization would not be where it is without him today.

Bob, you will never know how much your efforts are appreciated by your staff, the many supporters of Nuçi’s Space, the citizens of Athens, and the families of over 600 musi-cians who have received assistance through Nuçi’s Space. Thank you for everything that you do.