Watkinsville welcomes new businesses and steady plans for the future

The last quarter of Mayor Jim Luken's third and final term in office as Mayor of Watkinsville was run like a Marine inspection by the former Marine and son of former Cincinnati mayor of the same name. It appears the younger Luken may have found a signature send off in stopping the four lane build out of Simonton Bridge Road after members of the Georgia Department of Transportation said the thoroughfare does not meet the criteria for becoming four lane at a MACORTS meeting today.

The fact he also found an extra $40,000.00 from interest on the city's Certificates of Deposit for the City coffers is not bad thing to be remembered by either. 

"We have a real chance to step in a muddy hole here," commented Luken.  "We have got to be careful."  The county seat of Oconee County continues a carefully honed path of progress and growth amidst a sea of abandoned subdivisions even encroaching inside the city limits.

Among the new businesses approved by the City Council included a custom rifle/pistol/ammunition builder as well as a long term county pediatrician moving in to Town Center as well as a new cement monument and vault building company. Thomas McElwayne brings a lifetime in the nuclear industry into manufacturing firearms for target practice to the Shooters Den of Georgia, Inc. at 1040 Turkey Industrial Road, Suite 2. Many children know the kind hands of Dr. Buford O. "Bo" Edwards, Jr. as a pediatrician to the popular cornerstone development in heart of the city. He has been helping Oconee County children get well for more than 30 years and they are tearing down those 

In the interest of full disclosure, he is my son's doctor and I am happy to have him well within walking distance from our house. Also Jeff Stephens received approval for his Georgia Minument & Vault, LLC in the old Dory's Hearth and Home building at 1240 Greensboro Highway. He plans to eventually rebuild on the site for his specific cement buildings. More cement trucks will be creating dust on the usual over-travelled streets allowing those big rigs coming over from Athens and Olympic Drive.  Such is the cost of economic rebuilding in Watkinsville, and we welcome the development other communities are begging for right now.

Among the more contentious issues, wrestled back in by Luken, was an apparent dispute by no-show neighbor Johnny Ralston and Mr. Cape of Ultimate Car Care. The business owner claimed the registering of the business concern was due to a personal vendetta stemming from a wrecked motorcycle and small claims court. Mayor Luken may have taken it a little too far in requiring a motion to do nothing, which passed of course. 

New member Henry Norman seemingly enjoyed his first meeting and spoke of scoping out the area around Camden Park Drive to see if there was a state of disrepair or concern, having found none, he let it be known in so many words.  Mayor-in-waiting Joe Walter was removed from his usual seat at the front of the room (having to had to submit his resignation as council member to assume the reigns of the city as Luken's successor at Myor) and sat in the audience with the half dozen visitors for the meeting, none of the rumored candidates for Joe Walter's special election seats having been seen at the meeting. 

Qualifying for said special election city council seat will be September 28, 29 and 30 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm with an early voting period the last week of October for a November 3rd vote if needed.

"Either way we will fill out the council (for the) November 9th (meeting), correct?" queried Mayor Luken to his able bodied assistant Julie Sanders, who acquiesced. 

First Friday has become an unmitigated success, attracting more than just a bunch of kids to downtown Watkinsville usually from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the first Friday of the month.  The LARP money will be used to pave the other half of Morrison Street (about 30 years over due but God bless for getting it done).  Georgia Power fixed some lights and righted a pole on Rocket Field thus enabling fall baseball on the city's second diamond. I hope Giardini Field in Harris Shoals gets an updating along with the tilting basketball court. The side of the slide starting coming out earlier this evening up on the playground. 


Council members Brodrick and Purcell were heading up a committee to recommend what to repair, and there is a general clean up of the stream, picnic area and playground for only an hour 9 to 10 am Saturday morning, September 19th at Harris Shoals Park. You need not live in Watkinsville or even be a resident of Oconee County to come volunteer to get wet or dirty cleaning up the park in an annual right of passage among activists in the area.

The second reading of the Flood damage Prevention Ordinance and storm water update were sandwiched around a report on the Golden Pantry Been and wine retail update. This is the one city location I am aware of that has applied to sell beer and wine and I believe Joe Walter Reitman (thanks Brian) was going to get to look at the books. I am sure the fine folks at Golden Valley Farms were real excited to let an outsider have a look at the bottom line of the flagship store in county of origin. But at least it is an attorney well schooled in the matters of confidentiality.