Oconee County, GA Politics

Two doors down from the house in the neighboring subdivision that was struck with lightning last month another bolt struck late this afternoon. Oddly I had come home early from work with a migraine headache which seemed to go away once the flash of lightning landed in Taylor's Landing. The Oconee County Volunteer Fire Department responded with their usual lightning last response to the same scene where I took photos of them last month. I was on my way to my son's flag football game, which was canceled tonight along with the Oconee County High School Homecoming parade on Main Street. Just another night in the small town.....

The Under-8 Volcanoes soccer team of the Oconee County Recreation Department played two extra games outside of their usual micro-field venue beside Oconee County Middle School. The Volcanoes played two brief "friendlies" - soccer scrimmage games - at the halftime of the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs soccer games on Sundays on Milledge Avenue's Turner Sports Complex. The first nine-minute cross-field scramble will be during Sunday's 2:00 pm match against South Carolina, and the second exhibition will be at halftime of the 2pm Sunday, October 21st battle when the Lady Dogs take on Ole Miss in what is being billed as "Oconee County Youth Soccer Day." The Volcanoes' team roster include Matthew Archer, Paige Alpaugh, Ryan Cherry, Anthony Jones, Tara Jones, Lowell Matthews, Allye Rogers and Madeline Sprayberry. The Volcanoes received extra help from guest player Owen Hallauer in their first halftime match. The team is coached by Dan Matthews of Watkinsv...

Here is the text of a letter sent by Charles Baugh: Citizens for Oconee's Future, Inc. P. O. Box 1301 Watkinsville, GA 30677 Following is the text of a letter to the editor which I just sent to the Oconee Enterprise. Dear Editor The attitude toward and disdain for citizens who speak out on issues important to Oconee County exhibited in the 9/20 opinion column by the former Oconee County Utility Department Director is the same arrogant attitude displayed when he was the utility director. It is good that he is now the former utility director. Perhaps if he had a more positive attitude about citizen suggestions and input his advice on the Walton water contract would have been different and Board members Davis, Luke and Norris would not have voted to enter into such an expensive open ended contract which will yield only 3.5 million gallons of water in 5 or 6 years. The former utility director has resorted to the method of defending a decision by attacking the messenger rather tha...

Some day Oconee County will have a real public swimming facility in the County Community Complex across the street from Herman C. Michael Park. This day Watkinsville needs a public skating park since my neighbor Jimmy Marbut is moving out of the subdivision. Jimmy owns Sunshine Bikes in Watkinsville and Athens, and kids flock to him for all things wheeled. I've bought two nice bikes from him. He set his son up with a half pipe in the backyard. Kids set up jumps and ramps and leave their garbage in my front yard. I hope they enjoy the remaining days of the Marbut clan in this subdivision because who knows how long it will outlast them being here. We need tunnels, bridges or some kind of safe pedestrian access from the Community Center to Herman C. across busy Highway 53 Hog Mountain Road. We need to develop a river walk. We need to help out the Vaughans and Al Cuming for the Elder Mill Covered Bridge Park as much as possible. We need bike paths from Prince Avenue Christian School...

I will say a prayer for this soldier's family tonight. I hope his death will not be in vain or one of the thousand more the GOP have been foolishly clamoring for in Iraq.

The proposed location for this facility might as well be in Oconee County, as it will be a stone's throw away on the far too narrow streets of Milledge Avenue and Whitehall/Simonton Bridge. I still maintain the infrastructure is such that they - Dept. of Homeland Security - will choose one of the other sites, but here is your chance to chip in with your two cents worth of input: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will hold a public scoping session on the proposed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) this Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education as part of the public involvement requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. According to the DHS Web site, the purposes of the meeting are to: • collect input on the scope and content of the NBAF Environmental Impact Statement, and • provide a better understanding of the proposed action and the federal agencies involved. Those interested in providing comments must pre-register, either ...

Dr. Steve Stice will be addressing the Oconee Democratic Committee's Fourth Sunday series soon. More here

Here in Oconee County we have cooperative but often competing forms of local governments with the municipalities exerting their own influence to the sometimes contrary conflicts with the county government on issues such as beer and wine. Potential business owners appear before the towns asking permission to open their doors, and very seldom does a council question the existence of any legitimate enterprise. But just such a rare turn occurred in Watkinsville recently over a small piece of property way down on Highway 15 at the south end of the city limits tucked in a trash filled lot owned by Cokey Elder. Council member Brian Brodrick led the charge in asking absolutely essential questions about how much the Colbert Storage, LLC would clean up of the considerable amount of eyesore garbage accmulated in piles. Brodrick and members of the council were polite but persistent in wanting to clean up this gaping wound of an industrial area in question at 1427 Greensboro Highway. The father an...

State Representative and newly announced 10th district congressional candidate Barry Fleming belched forth all the typical platitudes short on specifics on the conservative gab-fest on 1340 WGAU AM right now. I wish I could come up with something insightful, but instead I am reaching for the trash can. Barry Fleming wants to do away with local control over our government, i.e. the Glenn Tax, and I hate paying property taxes as much as the next homeowner, but I do not want some bozo in Atlanta or Washington dictating how the city of Watkinsville and Oconee County can use our tax money. PS Barry Fleming just went third person in reference to himself.

The self proclaimed "troll under the Elder Mill Covered bridge" Al Cuming was injured the other day by truck. We have served many years together on various committees and worked for the Eagle Tavern and covered bridge near his house. He recently lost his wife after a long bout with Alzheimer's. I will repaste Angela Helwig's email here on it: In case you have not heard, Al Cuming was injured yesterday – struck by a car – breaking his hip. He underwent surgery this morning. Chairman Davis spoke to him this afternoon and according to Al, the surgery went well and he’s feeling much better. He will be leaving the hospital in a couple of days and will enter rehab for a while. His daughter Lynn is here with him for now. Once Al is finished with rehab he expects to be as good as new. Angela Helwig Oconee County Board of Commissioners P.O. Box 145 Watkinsville, GA 30677 (706)769-5120 www.oconeecounty.net Word has it that the BOC decided not to pursue the purchase of the p...

....but he moved, or is in the process of moving, just outside of the city limits of Watkinsville, thus making him ineligible as a candidate for a municipal post. Jonathan would have been an excellent choice for a Mayor of Watkinsville, or even as a member of the Board of Commissioners (hint, hint). He has helped a lot with various civic projects. He is involved with real estate and publishing in the real world and these two vocations would have and will work well with whatever choices he makes in the near future for his political choices. Best of luck Jonathan with the new child, new house and anything else I forget. Tonight is the Watkinsville City Council meeting if anyone beside Brian Brodrick reads this and is interested. I would still be willing to wager that Brodrick was the other candidate Luken pegged as his replacement, only to have to have the current Mayor renege on his pledge to not run again as it looked like no candidates were going to qualify a few hours before the f...

Hope some Congressional candidate show up AGENDA CITY OF WATKINSVILLE September 12, 2007 CALL TO ORDER QUORUM CHECK PRESENTATION OF THE WATKINSVILLE BEAUTIFUL YARD AWARD MINUTES APPEARANCES 1. Heidi Quinter – business license – Bonnie & Clyde’s – 20 Greensboro Hwy. Suite A 2. James Richards – business license – Nova Enterprises dba Main Street Studio & Gallery – 10 N Main St. Suite B 3. Lana Mitchell- business license – Lana’s Ltd dba Main Street Studio & Gallery – 10 N Main St. Suite B 4. Dan Elder – awning variance – 10 N Main Street 5. Joshua Michael – business license – Colbert Storage LLC – 1427 Greensboro Hwy. 6. Industrial Mechanical – building permit – 22’ x 125’ office addition – 1241 Greensboro Hwy. 7. Terrell E. Balof – plat consideration – 117 White Street 8. Randall Tilson – demolition permit – old shed @ 52 Jackson Street ADMINISTRATION 1. July, 2007 Reconciliation Reports 2. Office hours memo MAYOR’S REPORT CITIZEN’S COMMENTS OLD BUSINESS 1. Consider Sub...

Steve Holzman is a good man and is worthy of your support if you are reading this and live inside of the tiny town of North High Shoals. I think he is running against Wade Thomas for the unpaid position. He writes letters to the Editor supporting his town and loves the out of doors. Holzman is an accomplished web master and maintains the real site free of charge for the Oconee County Democratic Committee. He loves Krimson Black's restaurant almost as much as I do, and I think he eats there more oftenn than I do as well.

I do not think he does deserve getting his embezzlement criminal action moved, but he may end up getting one because of his popular support, not acrimony. It will be interesting to see if they do end up wasting tax payer money on moving the trial . The Oconee Veterans monument folks have had a difficult time raising money because of the stench of cronyism and poisoned politics left behind by Ivey. I still think he ought to be sentenced to breaking the bedrock at the Oconee County Community Complex. I hope he gets what he deserves no matter where it is held. I know one thing for sure, I would be struck off the jury pool if selected quicker than anyone else.

According to the fine folks at Georgia Politics Unfiltered , Augusta State Representative Barry Fleming has filed with the FEC to run against Dr. Paul Broun, Jr. for the Republican nomination for the 10th District Congressional seat, the seat once occupied by the late Dr. Charlie Norwood. Fleming was widely rumored to be running last go round but was supplanted by Jim Whitehead, the man who lost to Broun in the special election. If he learned anything from Whitehead, Fleming will be spending a whole lot of time in Clarke County keeping his mouth shut about wanting to blow up UGA. At this point either candidate, Broun or Fleming, will face Bobby Saxon in the November election. Broun showed some degree of political acumen by showing up in Saxon's hometown of Nicholson the week after Saxon's announcement at his home on Water Works Road to field complaints by local business owners about the pitch of the Bypass around that small town. Now can Broun actually make roads move? I kind...

Even if you do not agree with me and my progressive views, I would like to ask for your support and possible vote and or positive comments about an editorial I wrote for the Athens Banner-Herald at You can click on that link or paste this in your browser. http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/082607/opinion_entry22.shtml You can vote at the bottom and leave comments but I would ask that you do not use my name in your comments. This column should have been paired with another column they chose to publish as a letter to the editor in last week's newspaper here I have about a third of some of the totals of the other 30 something writers, so obviously I need to get some more votes. I have written for the Banner-Herald for the better part of two decades in sports, features, letters to the Editor, etc. Thanks for your consideration, and if you have any questions, you can leave them here

Ari Fliescher is about to assault us with $15 million worth of lies about our surge and involvement in Iraq, so here is some pre-emptive truth.

Citizens for Oconee's Future, Inc. P. O. Box 1301 Watkinsville, GA 30677 Following is a message from Lee Becker with more detailed information on the points residents along Barber Creek hope to have included in the resolution approving the treatment plant expansion. Charles Baugh Dear Friends, The Oconee County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on Sept. 4 on the upgrade to Rocky Branch sewage plant. I will make a presentation justifying our three requests of the Board. We are asking the Board to: 1. Agree to hold discharge water from the Rocky Branch sewage treatment plant in storage facilities when Barber Creek is flooding or threatening to flood, rather than discharge into the Creek; 2. Treat effluent from the Rocky Branch sewage treatment plant to the highest level possible with the technology available and, at a minimum, to the level of treatment at the Hill Plant in Gwinnett County for water being discharged into Lake Lanier; and 3. Set up a system of independe...

This was at Bobby Saxon's house at Water Works Road in Nicholson, Georgia a week back when he announced he was going to run against Dr. Paul Broun for the United States House of Representatives 10th Congressional District seat once held by Dr. Charlie Norwood. Is this our Heath Shuler? Let me know what you think/

Watkinsville Mayor Jim Luken reversed a previous political retirement announcement by qualifying for office again with a few hours left before today's deadline for his third term as the chief political officer of the Oconee County seat. No opposition was recorded as of 2:30 pm today. Qualifying closed at 4:30 pm Wednesday. Current Mayor Jim Luken changed his mind and will return for another two year go-round as Mayor of the county seat Watkinsville. Two would-be Mayoral candidates apparently backed out at the last second or some 72 hours before the end of qualifying due to personal and residential reasons. One of the mystery would-be candidates was already on the council and the other was a local business owner. Brian Brodrick and John Walsh also re-qualified for their city council seats without apparent opposition. Thank goodness for all of their return to the council and mayoral slots. Watkinsville will continue to have good governance by a diverse and moderate lot. We can contin...