Oconee County, GA Politics

I hope someone in the Oconee County Board of Commissioners office shows some leadership in securing Elder Mill Covered Bridge by purchasing Al Cuming's former exotic bird farm and home as well as the property on the other side of the stream with the Grist Mill .  There is an excess of nearly $10 million in unused SPLOST funds . The property has been put for sale by local real estate agent Norm Grayson , who lives in Oconee County as well. To paraphrase Watkinsville City Council member Brian Brodrick, this is a no-brainer . Everyone (or at least the vast majority not in the lunatic fringe) in Oconee County would support this positive governmental move and use the park. I am afraid this opportunity will not last very much longer, and I wish I had more confidence in my local government's ability to make the right decision quickly.  Please prove me wrong!

As a last stupid vestige of the long by-gone segregation era, Oconee County has no public swimming facility. I shook my head to this ignorance in the late 1980s and early 1990s working in the John T. Brannen building of the Herman C. Michael park as redneck white kids who listen to rap music somehow thought they were keeping their KKK street cred "because I don't swim with them" meaning black people. Last time I checked the skin tone of African Americans does not wash off, even in chlorine. Morgan County has public swimming facilities (at least the city of Madison does) and so does Clarke County, but now because of a lack of swimming facility at Veterans Park (and despite an anonymous donor's attempted donation of $10,000.00 to build a pool first) we have no functioning truly public swimming facility to go with the two parks on Highway 53 along with other facilities. Oconee County does have a proliferation of private swim clubs where kids who do not even live near th...

I like the pristine basketball courts in the Oconee Veterans Park' brand spanking new gymnasium facility. They have two cross courts and one full size regulation court with three point lines adorned to all of them, with a good safe clean wooden floor and a track above it all. It shall be interesting to contrast with the North Oconee camp. Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 15:52:46 -0400 Subject: OCHS Basketball Camp - change of location Parents,   This is a reminder that the Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department's OCHS Coed Basketball Camp will be held Monday, July 6 – Thursday July 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  The location for this camp has been changed from its originally advertised location.  OCHS basketball camp will be held at the Oconee Veterans Park Gym , please do not go to the Oconee County High School gym for camp.  Coach Michael Youngblood will be the lead instructor.   Please contac...

Sorry to read about the fate of Patrick Cline in the Oconee Enterprise today (not available online) at the pool where he was banned from future Oconee Recreation Department matters. All I know of the seemingly mild-mannered Cline was from Cub Scouts a couple of years ago and soccer for at least four seasons and at the school where his son and my son attend, and he never struck me as the kind of parent or coach to act rashly. I respect any father who comes to the aid of his son, but you can never bump into any official, intentionally or otherwise. To call the Sheriff was a bit silly I think, but Lord knows I have had to call the Sheriff's Department for a few would-be fracases over the years at Herman C. Michael back when I worked there almost twenty years ago (!!!) I would be willing to have Cline mentor or coach my son if the situation arises in the near future as I do not think I will be coaching soccer in the fall for the Oconee Recreation Department. I might do basketball again...

Oconee County residents may have more recreation choices in the near future after YWCO took the tender first steps toward an intended expansion by announcing the purchase of a large tract of property in near Butler's Crossing across from Briarwood Baptist Church on Hog Mountain Road (State Route 53)near Oconee County High School. The property in questions has been the subject of a rezone application before the Oconee County Planning Department before the recent deadline for the next meeting, but has yet to be accepted. The YWCO would like to build a fitness and aquatic center targeting the needs of families and seniors, according to a recent press release. "We have discussed this expansion for several years and believe that our mission and abilities will well serve the need(s) of Oconee County," said Dave Hudgins, YWCO Board President. Many Oconee County residents already utilize the YWCO through its fitness center, summer day camp program, daycare and aquatics program....