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Showing posts from July 11, 2010

Watkinsville goes with recycling flow || OnlineAthens.com

I always think it is funny how four days later the Banner-Herald will have the same story we wrote about the day it happened, but hey, Erin "Tall Drink of Spilled Coke Can" France, you surely don't read this blog for story ideas, do you? Watkinsville goes with recycling flow || OnlineAthens.com

Judge to face rare challenge || OnlineAthens.com

I think Judge Sweat will will this contest handily, but then again, I deal with Superior Court judges every day. The bigger and more pertinent question is who replaces Judge Steve Jones now that he is on his way to the Federal bench. Judge to face rare challenge || OnlineAthens.com

Hudgens discloses $100K loan to campaign, admits oversight

Hudgens discloses $100K loan to campaign, admits oversight

6-26-10 AVOC Local Candidates Endorsements for July 20 Primary

6-26-10 AVOC Local Candidates Endorsements for July 20 Primary

7-10-10 Observations and comments on Oconee Political Races –July 20 Primary

7-10-10 Observations and comments on Oconee Political Races –July 20 Primary

House Candidates Respond to Questions

Dear Friends, Tommy Malcom thinks interbasin transfers of water should be allowed in Georgia only in extreme circumstances such as severe drought. Hank Huckaby thinks that such transfers of water from one basin to another would not take place in ideal circumstances, but he thinks the state Environmental Protection Division is doing a good job of protecting the interests of the state's sending and receiving water basins. Kirk Shook thinks all options need to be kept open and that this area could sell water in the future as a way of producing revenue. These are among the answers that the three candidates in next week's Republican primary gave in response to five questions I sent to them on Sunday night. Details on the questions and answers are here: http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/2010/07/republican-candidates-for-oconee-county.html Thanks Lee -- Lee Becker Blog: www.oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com Web: http://lbbecker48.googlepages.com/

Confluence of G.O.P. Governor polling

Peach Pundit

Michael Jordan - Kenny Rogers' Classic Weekend 1988

This was one of the first events I covered for the Athens Banner-Herald and Daily News back in the day. My freelance accounts were not included in the inaugural "From the Vault" account, but I was there when Jordan taught Woody how to putt.

Alphabetized Contact info for the massive list of applicants for BOE post 5

Alan Alexander, 117 Southland Dr. Watkinsville 30677 706-769-1163 706-549-4007 alexan547@aol.com attorney (self-employed) Wayne Bagley 5421 Hog Mountain Rd.Watkinsville 30677 706-769-8560 404-558-3218 bagley w@bellsouth.net commercial developer (Lassiter Properties, Inc.) Britt Beaver 1340 Calls Creek Cir.Watkinsville 30677 706-769-1035, 706-255-3928, 706-255-3928 brittbeav@charter.net teacher/coach (Jackson Co) part-time policeman (Statham) Roslyn Beckstead 1250 Skipstone Dr. Watkinsville 30677 706-310-9568, 706-540-8457 roslynbeckstead@hotmail.com former chemistry/physics teacher Michael Brown 1404 Shenandoah Dr. Watkinsville 30677 678-234-4719, 678-365-3311 msblawfirm@att.net attorney (self-employed) Michael Burnette 1131 Christian Dr. Watkinsville 30677 706-769-0236, 706-769-9393, area mgr (Tires Plus) Mark Capobianco 1680 Mayne Mill Rd. Watkinsville 30677 706-769-7270, 706-202-4355, 706-202-4355 owner (Cappy's Custom Cabinets) Cindy Chapman P.O. Box

17 apply for Post 5 || OnlineAthens.com

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The list doubled since I had to file an open records request to get the list the other day. My rankings of the likelihood of being appointed based on little more than practical educational experience. 1. Franklin Shumake - nobody comes close to the amount of time he has spend working on the education of Oconee County children. Here is Legislative proclamation proof from a couple years back as if you needed this: 07 LC 28 3128 House Resolution 73 By: Representatives Smith of the 113 th and Coleman of the 97 th A RESOLUTION Commending Dr. Franklin Shumake; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Dr. Franklin Shumake has been recognized by the citizens of this state for the vital role that he has played in leadership and his deep personal commitment to the education and welfare of the citizens of Georgia; and WHEREAS, he has diligently and conscientiously devoted innumerable hours of his time, talents, and energy toward the betterment of his community and state as evidenced

Oconee County Historical Society meeting Monday

Oconee County Historical Society Meeting Monday at OCAF building Just a reminder that our next meeting at the OCAF building in Watkinsville will be Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 7pm.   Three  of us met last night to discuss possible guidelines for the History Village at Heritage Park and I will clean up our notes and have something to present for you discussion.    Other items on the agenda are our current sign project, and a possible fund raiser for this fall.  Please come help us plan for the future.   Peggy

Town Of North High Shoals June Meeting Notes from Fred Johnson

Subject: TONHS June Meeting Notes from Fred Dear Fellow High Shoalers,                                                                                            July 15, 2010 Council Member Lawrence is working on several items in the park like a water fountain and horse shoe pit.    Council Member Wisniewski and Holzman are busy cleaning the grounds and buildings around the Town Hall.    Council Member Arnold and Dawe are working with people to box and mail packages to soldiers over-seas. And Mayor Kraeling and Clerk Pritchett are supervising all this and making sure the town mail and bills are taken care of.    It's hard to keep up with all the stuff these people and their helpers are doing.    You are getting a lot of volunteer hours out of these folks. Before the next Town Council meeting there will be a public hearing about the closing of a small part of   Frazier Hill Road .    You might want to come watch over this transfer of a public road to the adjacent landowners. Fa

Thank you letter from N. High Shoals city council member Steve Arnold

Thanks again North High Shoals and Oconee County: In a follow-up to a very successful “Support our Soldiers” Christmas project, the Town of North High Shoals stepped up once again to show support for local servicemen. The soldiers we sent boxes of items to last December are serving stateside now but they encouraged us to help other soldiers who are currently overseas. Our local soldier this time is Marcus Barton who is now serving in Afghanistan. He is the grandson of longtime Oconee County and North High Shoals resident Ms. Myrtice Kilpatrick. As in December, we were blown away with the contributions that many local residents and others provided. The two local Oconee newspapers and even the Athens paper helped to get the word out. A variety of items were donated including books, magazines, puzzles, spiritual materials, CDs, DVDs, candy, food items, socks, snacks, toiletries and much more. Some folks sent cash which was used to buy other items including some specific thing

So who is behind Hanklikestaxes.com?

Politics is a mean and nasty game. Generally those who are being called the worst names are the ones who are in the lead.  Got home from work today to hear a couple of robo-calls on the answering machine. One was from former Senator Mack Mattingly touting Eric Johnson for Governor.  The other was really reprehensible not in so much that it attacks Hank Huckaby for admitting that there may indeed be a need to raise taxes, it is that no one claims authorship of the recorded message or they extremely amateurish website the phone call directs you to, should you be that silly (like me) to go and check it out. The robo-call itself reeks of desperation and grasping at straws. It shrieks of panic and hysteria and someone in last place, and the only clue as to its authorship is one poorly written sentence that sounds like it came from someone who flunked out of Gainesville State English 098-R. The clue left though credits one candidate at the expense of the other, and they try to give some s

Friend, we won

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Friend -- The Senate just passed Wall Street reform. The bill will become law the moment President Obama signs it. This reform represents the boldest financial regulations since the aftermath of the Great Depression -- and the strongest consumer protections in history. Every door you knocked in Iowa, every phone call you made in Ohio, every dollar you dug deep to give -- it's all for this. The Recovery Act, health reform, and now Wall Street reform, on top of everything else. In a year and a half, this administration has made bigger, bolder progress than any president's in decades. We have a president who fights for all of us, every day. We have you, the best organizers this country has ever seen, who flooded Congress with calls and letters, had millions of conversations with friends and neighbors, went toe-to-toe with the country's most powerful special interests -- and won. And we have members of Congress who bravely stood with the President, even as right-

North High Shoals City Council Agenda from Steve Holzman

Council: Post 1 –Jason Wisniewski  Post 2 – Steve Holzman  Post 3 – David Lawrence  Post 4 – Stephen Arnold  Post 5 – Violet Dawe   Town of North High Shoals Kimberly Kraeling, Mayor 108 Jefferson Road P.O. Box 129 High Shoals, Georgia 30645 706-769-4289 North High Shoals Council Agenda July 19, 2010 – 7:30 p.m. Call to Order Welcome and Declaration of Quorum Public Hearing - Frazier Hill Road Agenda Setting: Order of agenda Monthly Business: Presentation of Draft Minutes Presentation of Financial Statements Audit Material Sent to Hawkins & McNair Citizen Comments on Non-Agenda Items BOE Recognition Old Business: 1. Soldier Support Update (S. Arnold) 2. Steeplechase Subdivision Update (J. MacKay) 3. Park Lawn Maintenance 4. City Park Update (D. Lawrence) 5. Sidewalk Update (S. Arnold) 6. Speed Rumble Strip Modification (V. Dawe) New Business: 1. Milage Rate Information & Possible Vote (K. Kraeling) 2. Code Update & Possible Vote (V. Dawe) 3. Bui

Complaints allege Hudgens ran afoul of finance rules || OnlineAthens.com

We had all this yesterday Complaints allege Hudgens ran afoul of finance rules || OnlineAthens.com

Obama taps Jones for federal court || OnlineAthens.com

Judge Steve Jones does conduct court in Oconee County and is a really nice person with whom I converse at the Post Office several times a month at least, now he will be holding court next to the Post Office in downtown Athens as that is the site of the Federal Court for Athens. Congratulations to Judge Jones. Obama taps Jones for federal court || OnlineAthens.com

Oconee high schools increase focus on AP enrollment || OnlineAthens.com

Oconee high schools increase focus on AP enrollment || OnlineAthens.com

Watkinsville receives recycling approval from City Council

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Residents of Watkinsville recognized the slowly encroaching appearance of blue recycling bins in subdivisions such as Morgan Manor Estates and Christian Lake on Tuesdays from the trash collectors Curbside Service for quite some time. Wednesday the Watkinsville City Council or morse specifically the Mayor of Watkinsville Joe Walter approved by decree the recycling companies' official activities inside the city limits. The fee will remain $10.00 a month for the blue container picked up on Tuesday in a "single stream" - that is where you can put your plastics 1 through 7 right in with your glass and paper and aluminum and tin and steel and cardboard and Curbside will take care of them. No separation needed.  You can get a wheel container for $15.00 which would be ideal for businesses inside the city limits. "Just another step in the City of Watkinsville going green," said Walter. Previous attempts with other councils has not gone very far in getting recycling c

Hudgens Ethics Complaint

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I received this unsolicited yesterday from Mr. Rosenberg. From: Eliot Rosenberg eliotrosenberg1@gmail.com Date: Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 10:37 PM Subject: Hudgens Ethics Complaint. I am filing an ethics complaint against Senator Hudgens on July 14th.  Below is complaint.  If you would like the exhibits.  Just email me and I will send them along too. Complaint against Georgia State Senator Ralph Hudgens (SD-47) and Friends Of Ralph Hudgens      1.  Name and Address of Person Filing Complaint         Eliot Rosenberg                     2479 Peachtree Rd, Unit 507                     Atlanta, GA 30305        2.  Name and Address of Party Against Whom the Complaint is Filed                     Ralph T. Hudgens                     1955  Center St.                     Comer, GA 30629                        Friends of Ralph Hudgens (Commissioner of Insurance)                     245 Floyd Drive                     Athens, GA 30607                   3. Clear and c