Oconee County, GA Politics

Gov.-elect Deal names House floor leaders

Much to the chagrin of various talking heads, the death of white male Georgia Democrat has been greatly exaggerated 2011 DPG Leadership Elections | Democratic Party of Georgia

Survey: Who's the best HS football coach? | ajc.com

Coaches not in favor of Dome for state playoffs | ajc.com

A Moore’s Ford Christmas Message of Hope        Our Christmas greeting card this year, used to thank our many donors and supporters, was first seen in 1998. The Moore's Ford Memorial Committee had just hosted memorial services and installed gravemarkers for two African American couples killed by a lynch mob at the Moore's Ford Bridge in 1946 - the infamous "Monroe Massacre."      Was our work over? Our 1998 greeting card claimed otherwise: "There's something more a'calling /A'waiting to explore / There's new ways to move on from here / A new hope at our core."    We grassroots Georgians did indeed move on. We sponsored high school talent show/MLK celebrations, public forums on racial issues, cemetery work projects, calls for justice and renewed FBI and GBI investigations. We encouraged other communities to revisit their own legacies of racial violence and co-organized three national conferences that brought memorial groups together. ...

I am not even sure if I am attending this year due to a lingering cold I have had for the last fortnight. I hope for continued recovery. Apparently there is something of an epidemic decimating local school sports teams, too. Woven brightly,  Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. From: richrusk@charter.net Subject: DON'T MISS MFMC Xmas party TONIGHT, DEC. 10! Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2010 To reply, please use richrusk@charter.net DON'T MISS 13th Annual MFMC Christmas Party TONIGHT - Friday, December 10 Dear Moore's Ford friends,    Our Thirteenth Annual  Moore's Ford Memorial Committee Christmas Party will be held TONIGHT - Friday, December 10, 2010 at the Community Center in Farmington, GA.     The Center is ten miles south of Athens, just off Hwy 441 in Farmington. For directions, click on "MF - Christmas party plans."  See also "MF - Christmas message of hope,"  an inspiring letter from Monroe Area High School senior Thad...

I am not the least bit objective about Doug. I have only really known him and his wife personally for a very short period of time. I think Mary should run for public office as a Democrat just to keep things lively around the McKillip Law Firm and household. I wanted her to run for U.S. Senate instead of Michael Thurmond this last go-round. I think she would have run as least as an effective campaign as the soon to be former Labor Commissioner. In my first act as presumptive Chair-elect for the forthcoming two year term for the Oconee County Democratic Committee was to invite Doug and Mary Jackson Byers McKillip to our annual holiday gathering at Dr. Robert Wyatt and Ann Stoneburner's house in Lane Creek this forthcoming Sunday evening. Let me know if you want to go and I will get you an invitation and directions. Should be an interesting event and yes, Republicans and Independents are allowed to attend. I do think McKillip's party switch could impact the fringe right bills in...

Catching up with Paul Broun | OnlineAthens Blogs

Tickets on sale today for B-52s homecoming show || OnlineAthens.com

Friend -- This afternoon, a discriminatory policy that deprives our military of qualified troops, endangers our national security, and violates the simple American principles of integrity, fairness, and equality was allowed to remain law. Every Republican senator but one -- Senator Susan Collins -- voted to prevent the passage of legislation to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Several of them had previously claimed to support repeal, but voted "no" today. It's a frustrating setback, but here's the good news: We are just three votes away from moving forward on repeal. And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and our allies in the Senate are promising another vote on repeal before Congress heads home for the year. There is still a chance for this to pass. Allies in the Senate are not done fighting. The President is not done fighting. And I know you're not, either. Write the Republicans standing in the way in the Senate -- and t...

These are just a few shots of what I have been doing lately around Watkinsville. Last night it was the City Council meeting: These ladies are part of the award winning Rumplestiltskins duo that marched the entire parade route on stilts and won the special Judges award. Mayor Joe Walter just presented them with the last plaque and you can see the ubiquitous Council member Brian Brodrick behind them. I think his daughter had just won an award with a bunch of girl scouts a moment earlier. But these two young ladies  tossed candy canes to eager recipient from a stocking hung very high in the air of Main Street and Barnett Shoals. This first-time entry was impressive enough to garner the award out of the 124 entries.  The judges were local G.O.P. chair Jay Hanley and Taylor Smith and Josh Stanfield. The judges had to choose from a wide array of entries in a pretty short time frame. They have a thankless job despite the full page ad in the Oconee Enterprise attempting to d...

Switch stirs up parties || OnlineAthens.com

More fleecing of the State of Georgia by Sonny Perdue administration Oaky Woods at double the price in a down market

Georgia Soccer - Event Preview

I think I need to take this, but not sure if I can fit it in my budget or time right now Oconee Futbol Club | Putting the Focus Where it Should Be, On the Player

The current location of the USDA in the Oconee County Government Annex is where the Oconee County Democratic Committee holds its monthly meetings, and this move could change that. USDA on the Move in Oconee? - WGAU Local News on 1340wgau.com

AGENDA CITY OF WATKINSVILLE December 8, 2010 CALL TO ORDER QUORUM CHECK CHRISTMAS PARADE AWARDS MINUTES APPEARANCES 1. Jennifer Hetnen – business license – Jennifer Jangles, LLC – 10D Barnett Shoals Road 2. Jonathan Wolf Hannemann – business license – Wolf’s Repair – 59 Dooley Street 3. David Deloache – business license – Behavioral Safety Products – 29A N. Main Street, Suite 3 4. Phillip Chastain – business license – Arch Sign and Graphics – 1081 Business Blvd 5. Hodge Design & Remodeling – building permit – 1311 Katie Lane 6. JoJo John – beer & wine license – J&B Food Mart – 1461 Greensboro Highway 7. Michael Griffith – beer & wine license – Golden Pantry. – 31 Greensboro Highway 8. Patrick Lang – beer & wine license – Chops & Hops – 2 S. Main Street Suite 112. 9. Jose Zambrano – beer & wine license – Girasoles – 24 Greensboro Highway ADMINISTRATION 1. No Admin Report this month will have 2 months next month MAYOR’S REPORT CITIZ...

Georgia Farm Bureau fires a warning shot in state immigration debate

Oconee County Observations: Board of Commissioners Approves Rezone Modificatio... : "Dormers Added The Oconee County Board of Commissioners tonight approved a modification to an earlier rezone that could result in the United ..."

'Trees for Troops' offers sponsorships || OnlineAthens.com

Glitz & Ritz choir to rock the joint || OnlineAthens.com

Around Oconee || OnlineAthens.com

Moore's Ford party scheduled for Friday || OnlineAthens.com

Puppeteer's career filled with accolades || OnlineAthens.com

Pub Notes: Perfect Storm - Flagpole Magazine: Colorbearer of Athens, GA

Friend -- Yesterday, the President announced the framework of a bipartisan agreement to extend a set of tax cuts that were set to expire, restore unemployment benefits for millions of Americans, and pass additional measures to help middle-class families and create jobs. Now, he's recorded a video to speak directly to OFA supporters about the deal. Watch it here -- and leave a note with your thoughts. This agreement, while not perfect, is vital to millions of Americans who are out of work through no fault of their own -- as well as millions of middle-class families, students, parents, and small businesses. Take a minute to watch his message -- and then let us know what you think: http://my.barackobama.com/TaxCutsVideo Thanks, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America P.S. -- The President will be talking with OFA supporters live tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time -- sign up here for a reminder and instructions on how to listen in to the call. ...

DPG Chair Jane Kidd Statement Regarding Athens Representative Doug McKillip Becoming The Most Recent Turncoat In Georgia Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Jane Kidd, a resident and former office-holder of State House District 115, released the following statement regarding Rep. Doug McKillip’s turncoating to the Republican Party: "I'm extremely disappointed in Doug’s betrayal. Doug has turned his back on the voters that elected him. I’ve received multiple calls from his outraged constituents who have worked and voted for a progressive voice to represent them in Atlanta. “It is dishonest to say that he can't get anything done within the minority party. For Doug to assume that he can best serve the University of Georgia as a Republican is disingenuous. Leaders of both parties have faithfully advanced this flagship institution since its inception. “His donors deserve a refund; his voters deserve a recall.” # # # Traitor: one who betrays another's ...

Reax to McKillip's party switch | Beyond the Trestle

Poor Doug McKillip, he jumps after all the good leadership slots have been taken Athens legislator jumps to GOP || OnlineAthens.com

Emancipation event moving to Athens || OnlineAthens.com

Subject: From Jane Kidd, DPG Chair Dear Friends, I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election as Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia when the State Committee convenes on January 29, 2011.  Over the past four years as Chair, I have been honored by the trust and confidence you have placed in me to lead our efforts to empower the grassroots and build a lasting infrastructure for our party.  Working together, we have upgraded our technology, modernized our strategies, and begun cultivating a new generation of Democratic leaders. We have worked to register new Democratic voters and worked to build and invigorate our county parties. Our investments in building and sustaining our Voter File have allowed us to accurately target and actively engage voters across Georgia.  We have built a successful new media communications program, which allows us to regularly communicate with hundreds of thousands of Georgians through email to recruit volunteers and fundraise onlin...

Daniel Johnson Matthews Sr., 80: Retired journalist, advertising executive | ajc.com

Daniel Johnson Matthews, proud scion of several pre-revolution pioneer Georgia families (Johnson, Medlock, Chandler on his mother’s side and Blackshear, Hamilton, Floyd on his father’s) left this world November 29,2001 hoping for an all time great family reunion with those foregone folks.      Fifth generation to live on the family’s Druid Hills acreage he was probably the county’s oldest to dwell in one spot – certainly Druid Hills which the family preceded by several generations and helped bring about by sale of some of the original farm (bought from a Revolutionary war   widow named Cosby). Dan’s mother, Antoinette Johnson Matthews, was Georgia’s first independent nursery school/kindergarten operator and taught many of Atlanta’s elite along with her son.   He went from her Out-of-Doors school on Oakdale to Druid Hills, then WW-II years in uniform (Charlottesville grey, not khakis) at GMC in Milledgeville.   Entering Emory University at 16, it didn’t...

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Nonprofit groups to address Dems || OnlineAthens.com

Daniel Johnson Matthews Senior 1930 - 2010 My father Daniel Johnson Matthews, Senior had obituaries ran in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Des Moines Register newspapers today, and we spared no expense in publishing those memorials. They are not cheap either, as one of the last true functions of a newspaper is to hold the newsprint in your hand, to clip out a column or picture of a long lost loved one or memory as a last vestige of a gone by era. While no one except my bosses of work have really asked, he did not want a ceremony or memorial service, and I have pondered his reasons both requests the weeks before and the week after his passing this last Monday in November on the hilltop in his Druid Hills family homestead that once stretched from the current location of Callanwolde to that where Scott Boulevard and North Decatur bisect in Decatur. If you would like to read about the street called Oakdale Road , there remains an e-book version of that which my grandmother...