Oconee County, GA Politics

Just picked up the first issue of the new weekly newspaper and was very impressed with the initial edition. Any time there is competition for local news everyone benefits (although I know a certain General Manager who might disagree with me). The 24 page tabloid is colorful and printed well. It reminds me of a top notch college newspaper printed well in Monroe. The logo is kind of off balance or off kilter a bit, and I would suggest making it about an inch and a half wider on the left and less curved. I know Rob Peecher from our days together in Eatonton at the Messenger and he will put out a quality product. It is a tad too gray on some of the inside pages - page 3 could have used a photo, but considering the start-up from near zero, they have exceeded expectations in a short time. Rob wrote almost every news story and feature, and he can't possibly expect to continue that load. The autism feature was interesting but read more like a magazine story, but I would well imagine he had...

The latest informational meeting of the Watkinsville City Council was packed to a full house Monday evening. The funniest event of the evening was when a supporter of the beer and wine proposal was describing how his 91 year old mother was trying to foist a bottle of wine while using a walker and then having to drink the whole bottle.

Not from me, but from Jim Shearon of Ashford Manor fame: 27 July 2006 Dear Mayor Luken and City Council Members, We acknowledge that you have been working steadily and digilenty with the RDC to format new ordinances for the City and that it is an extensive and complicated process. None the less we are greatly concerned over the possibility that there could be additions, renovation/remodeling, removal of buildings on properties within the Historic/Business District that would not be consistent with the look and atmosphere of the existent buildings and the vision of the City that came out of last year’s Visioning Sessions. We fear that potential developers within this area might not show the sensibility and aesthetic exhibited in the Town Center development. This fear is reinforced by the slovenly care of many of our downtown properties including Commercial, residential and undeveloped plats by their current owners. The Urban Forrest Ordinance and the new Sign Ordinance (which di...