Oconee County, GA Politics

I am thankful for the many friends, and having my family here in Oconee County. I am thankful for the freedom to write what I want in this blog. I am thankful for a chance to raise my son in such a wonderful and safe place. I am thankful for the freedom to pedal bicycles on our streets. I am thankful for the police patrolling our neighborhoods. I am thankful for the waves and nods hello from the people in my subdivision and on the soccer fields and basketball courts. I am thankful for Krimson Kafe, Jittery Joe's and Publix. I am thankful for the excellent public schools like North Oconee and Oconee County High Schools, as well as private schools such as Athens Academy and Prince Avenue Christian schools. I am thankful for parents involved with their children's lives in a positive way. I am thankful for the people who read this blog. I am thankful for the folks who respond to my writing in an honest manner. I am thankful for the opportunity to present news, opinion, commen...

As the self proclaimed Emperor of the Trans Oconee Republic, I hereby deem the shadow Board of Education appointed with Rich Clark, Ashley Hood, Chuck Toney and Kyle Martin as charter members. Their roles shall be to foster understanding between parents and teachers, administrators and the populace, to explain where our monies have been going, why we pay two Superintendents at the same time, and why Dr. Tom Dohrmann was expelled. Together we will make a better burrito than Barberitos and have school lunches kids will actually eat, covet and enjoy. Our softball coaches will no longer diddle their students, past, present or future. Our football teams will craft the offensive schemes to our quarterback's needs, creating the West Coast offense for Zach Mettenbergers. Three point lines will be painted all on basketball courts and all children will make a minimum of ten a day. The Brodrick family shall lead the entire student populace on a bike/race/jog/walk around the schools every day....

Oconee County Board of Education candidate Ashley Hood had her home mailbox in Bishop vandalized in an apparently not random act in her Bishop residence Thursday evening. No other homes or mailboxes in the surrounding areas suffered any similar acts, giving rise to the specter of an intimidation crime at the 1041 Ridgefield Road house. If anyone knows anything about this petty vandalism, please feel free to leave a comment here or call the Oconee County Sheriff's Department. These kind of acts are deplorable and reprehensible and should not be condoned or at the least bit tolerated in a community as wonderful as ours here in Oconee County, Georgia. Voters in Tuesday's primary should be made well aware of this kind of ridiculous behavior and vote accordingly, sending a very loud and clear message to those that seek to intimidate candidates that their petty vandalism will not only never work, but will often times have the exact opposite effect.

I am a yard sign person. Plant a picket with me. The young ruffians in my subdivision and surrounding areas of Watkinsville do not like the growing number of signs in yard. The vandalism has increased from pulling the signs off the metal posts to now bending over the metal support frame. No sign by itself has ever won an election by itself, but signs are a way to energize the supporters and show the increasing popularity of a candidate. Seldom has a local campaign won without signs, but I am sure it has happened somewhere in the recent past. The simpler the sign the better in my humble estimation. Less is more, more or less. Sometimes signs will have only the basics. The most minimalist sign this time around in Oconee County, Georgia has to be the simple green sign of Chuck Toney, running for the Board of Education, post 4 versus Mike Hunter. So far I have not seen a Tom Breedlove or Mike Hunter sign (but I am sure they are there), but the Toney signs simply say TONEY BOE in two decks ...

Some dork (me) got up and talked about curbs, recycling, ballfields, paving, soil and a Board of Education candidate who helped pick up trash at Harris Shoals Park: MINUTES OF MEETING OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL CITY OF WATKINSVILLE May 14, 2008 PRESENT: Mayor Luken, Council members Link, Purcell, Brodrick, Walsh, Walter and City Attorney Reitman VISITORS: See attached sheet. QUORUM CHECK: Mayor Luken acknowledges a quorum is present. He also welcomes Chuck Horton, County Commissioner , to our meeting. All speakers are asked to approach the lectern and address Council. PRESENTATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL YARD AWARD: Councilwoman Purcell presents Maridee Williams of 1021 Jeremy Drive the Watkinsville Beautiful Yard Award for the month of May. The selection was made by Athens Seed. MINUTES: Councilwoman Purcell moved and Councilman Link seconded the motion to approve the minutes of the April 9, 2008 Council meeting as presented. Motion carried unanimously. AR...

Oconee County Board of Education candidate Ashely Hood proved that she does know about the School System of Oconee County quite well today on the Newsmaker Friday show of Tim Bryant's on NewsTalk 1340 WGAU . This was her first interview, but you could tell she knew exactly what she was talking about whether it was the charter school or other topics tossed her way by Bryant. The homemaker and mother of five children - Happy Mother's Day by the way to her and every mother everywhere - has a tall order in taking on and defeating Kim Argo and Carter Brank for Post 3's Republican nomination, which is tantamount to winning the seat since the Democratic party of Oconee County only managed to get one candidate Rich Clark for another post, and that person is not even on their committtee. It will be interesting to see how all the candidates handle the consortium sponsored debates in a couple of weeks in library. I will predict they wish they had booked the Civic Center instead of the...

Voter suppression is a very hot button topic around Georgia, what with the poll tax, the county system, and various other nefarious schemes cooked up over the years and here. So this study and article should be of some interest to those who wish to Get Out the Vote and register more people. I wish we had voter registration tables at Gainesville State College campus in Oconee, the Oconee County Courthouse and every soccer, baseball and softball game (not to mention auto shows). Good to see Tommy Malcom out campaigning this weekend. When will Blake Aued of the Athens Banner-Herald cut Malcom a little bit of slack and at least include him in the conversation about State Senate District 46 seat held by Athens attorney Bill Cowsert? There have been a couple of articles and a few blog posts that sometimes do not even mention Malcom as a candidate against Cowsert, suddenly the darling of the state GOP party. I saw a lot of Malcom signs out Good Hope way in Walton County. What is Mike Maxey ...