Oconee County, GA Politics

Jay sent me an email to clarify some of my ponderings: I have just come across your blog post of November 11, 2007 on my Facebook Exploratory Committee for County Commission. This group/committee was created in April at which time I was considering a run for county commission. However, I decided several months ago that I will not be a candidate for county commission in 2008. I have concluded that, at this time, I am better suited for a "behind the scenes" role in a campaign rather than being the candidate myself. I am not ruling out another run for office in the future. To answer your pondering on the posts up for election, all Commission and Board of Education posts will be up in. On the BOC, Chairman (Melvin Davis), Post 1 (Jim Luke) and Post 4 (Chuck Horton) will be for four year terms and Post 2 (Don Norris) and Post 3 (Margaret Hale) will be elected for two year terms. On the BOE, Post 1-Chairman (Christine Franklin), Post 4 (David Williams) and Post 5 ...

Farms are something I hold dear but really do not have all that much experience with except detassling corn as a 14 year old kid in Iowa and various relatives and state fair type things. Essentially I am a city kid, but farms and agriculture are something I hold near and dear to my heart. Sometimes I think they are rapidly disappearing from our lovely county, so any time local land is set aside to be used in perpetuity as agriculture , I applaud. Many of the reasons I am Democratic and will be the rest of my life sprout from my agrarian roots. Here is some interesting local news that really has nothing to do with the above article but is indeed agricultural in nature: reetings everyone, With Thanksgiving this week, I want to take a moment to thank all those people who have been making the choice to eat locally and support our local farmers, our local economy, and our community. Thank you. This movement cannot move forward without you...or the hard work of amazing farmers having to endu...

The Oconee County Democratic Committee has once again entered the Watkinsville Christmas Parade and needs people to help them march 10 am - 12 noon Saturday, December 1 on Barnett Shoals Road in Watkinsville to hand out Christmas cards to the large gathered masses for them to go mail them to deserving Veterans back from Iraq and Afghanistan in Augusta and elsewhere stateside. Congressional candidate and Iraqi war veteran Bobby Saxon helped a great deal with this effort, and I would sincerely invite all interested people from Jackson and Oglethorpe counties (and anywhere else for that matter) to drive over Saturday morning and help out in our effort. Our own Rita Bennett is trying to get an accurate head count as to those who will or will not be participating in this event. Please try to let her know via either the listserv or an email or even a comment here if you cannot reply otherwise. "I need to know who will be present at the parade. We are # 41 out of 106 entries. Please l...

Upon a recent tour of the Oconee Jail, Sheriff Scott Berry said the facility was not yet ready to handle the supposed massive amounts of illegal aliens and become a half way house for deporting foreigners back to their country of origin, but it could happen in the future. Does this enter in to the equation of why twenty something people who were detained while seeking work , of that I am not certain. Oconee County had kind of reached an odd detente with the day laborers by building them a shelter and providing a port-a-potty for the workers to use and wait for the various developers, landscapers and others who employ them, generally off the books. Even homeowners needing a ditch dug or some other

Local Republican stalwart and former state senate candidate Jim Ivey accepted a plea deal from Judge Lawton Stephens to avoid a much harsher sentence in a deal that had been in the works long before Thanksgiving . Ivey, who maintained his innocence, copped to the plea to hopefully avoid jail, although District Attorney Ken Mauldin will oppose the first offender status for the former financial officer for the Veterans Memorial who finally acknowledged his guilt to embezzling money from the charity. He claims it is in the best interest of his children. I still say he ought to be sentenced to chisel the unexpected bedrock under the Oconee County Complex where the Veterans Memorial is going to be across from Herman C. Michael Park in the Eastville community near Butler's Crossing.

Come one, come all and join Oconee Democrats as we celebrate the season! Sunday, December 2 6:30 pm 1030 Meriweather Dr . (Jennings Mill-second house on the right off of Jimmy Daniell Rd.) Bring an hors d’ouvre or dessert to share. This is a great opportunity to invite someone who might be interested in being part of Oconee Democrats . Please RSVP by email or phone (706.354.8861)

Come one, come all and join Oconee Democrats as we celebrate the season! Sunday, December 2 6:30 pm 1030 Meriweather Dr . (Jennings Mill-second house on the right off of Jimmy Daniell Rd.) Bring an hors d’ouvre or dessert to share. This is a great opportunity to invite someone who might be interested in being part of Oconee Democrats . Please RSVP by email or phone (706.354.8861)

Oconee native and 10th district Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Saxon helped county parties in Oglethorpe and Oconee counties this week with an appearance scheduled in Lexington Thursday and used his Veteran experience to good work by directing the Oconee County Democratic Committee where to properly address their Christmas cards to get them to our troops in hospitals in Augusta and elsewhere. The Oconee County Democratic committee intends to hand out pre-addressed Christmas cards to parade attendees to mail at home or at the post office during the Watkinsville Christmas parade Saturday morning along Barnett Shoals and Main Street past the Eagle Tavern.

OUR XMAS PARTY HAS MOVED From the Sanctuary in Watkinsville to First African Baptist Church in Monroe, GA Directions from Athens-Clarke/Oconee: head west on Hwy 78 to Monroe area, take second Monroe exit on Hwy 11, turn left and head south over bridge towards downtown Monroe. After only ¼ mile, turn left on Tyler St (Churches Chicken on right corner). First AB fellowship hall is one block on left. If lost, call 706-202-7802. Directions from Atlanta: head east on Hwy 78 to Monroe area, turn right on Hwy 11, same - OR - head east on 1-20, then northeast on Hwy 138 to Monroe area. After merging with Hwy 78, turn right on Hwy 11, same. From Madison & South Georgia: head north on Hwy 441. Before getting to Madison, GA, turn left and head west approximately 16 miles on 1-20 towards Atlanta, then turn right at exit 98 and head north on Hwy 11. Go straight through Social Circle, then stay north on Hwy 11 to Monroe. After passing county courthouse on right in downtown M...

Oconee Democrats invite county residents to remember a veteran at this special time of year. Contact: Becky Vaughn becky@beckyvaughn.org At the Christmas parade in Watkinsville on December 1st, the Oconee County Democrats will be handing out to parade spectators Christmas cards that have been pre-addressed to reach veterans at V.A. Hospitals in Augusta and Atlanta. The cards include instructions the hospitals require to ensure delivery to patients. Becky Vaughn, the chair of the Oconee Democrats, said, "We wanted to make it easy to send a note of thanks and good cheer to the men and women who have served our country so bravely. The theme of the parade is 'We wish you a Merry Christmas,' and we hope that people along the parade route will take this opportunity to extend their wishes to veterans hospitalized during the holidays." For more information, contact Vaughn at becky@beckyvaughn.org .

Rich Rusk, son of former JFK and LBJ Secretary of State Dean Rusk, and the fine folks at the Moore's Ford Memorial Committee made massive inroads into the solving of the lynching of four people at the border of Walton and Oconee counties; now they want to solve another riddle of racist past around these parts with the site of a grave of seven slain prisoners incarcerated only a century ago in Watkinsville. This will not be an easy task to accomplish, and I hope they do solve it soon . Anyone who knows anything about this prison lynching or the whereabouts of their mass grave please let us know as soon as possible. The Moore's Ford group is to be applauded for not stopping with just the deaths, no matter however tragic, of four African-Americans in 1947, to help ameliorate the wounds from earlier times in our recent past. This murder of nine prisoners occurred when Watkinsville was still the county seat of Clarke County.

This represents from whom the donations are coming in the political season including our recently completed special election cycle. So it seems Dr. Paul Broun, Jr. is popular with his homies and Barack Obama will face off against Mitt Romney a year from now if our donations are any bell weather for what the rest of the nation is going to do. I have seen a bumper sticker for Mitt in my neighborhood and a Kucinich bumper sticker on a car from Barrow county.

The New Day News from the Democratic Party of Georgia State party launches new website                                           The Democratic Party of Georgia launched its new website today. Designed in partnership with NGP software, the new website gives the DPG a new look and some updated functions. The new website also interfaces seamlessly with the party's fundraising database, which is also provided by NGP. Funding for the new website (as well as for some behind-the-scenes technical upgrades) was provided by a fundraising drive held in October. Our target for the drive was $10,000 from 100 individual donors, a goal we shattered. The total amount raised from this project ...

That ticking clock you hear is the statute of limitations about to run out on a group of Hispanic male day laborers arrested almost two years ago near the Home Depot in Oconee County. Why these folks continue to flock toward Hope Depot's (as opposed to Lowe's) is beyond me but it is obvious that the shelter built for them is not working. I have no suggested solutions on this one but welcome your feedback on this delicate deportation situation.

Diane Cronin is a concerned homeowner in the Eastern part of Oconee County, much closer to the river than Watkinsville. She has battled clear-cutting developers tearing virgin forests and rare old growth tree thickets to no avail, but now she has State Representative Bob Smith in her sight . Her rage stems from Smith's approach to the exceptional and historic drought crisis, which is give back to landscapers the right to water the lawns. Even the slightly yellowed lawn at Athens Academy's Slaughter football field has survived the drought and frost reasonably well. Now I do not know if the fine landscapers at Athens Academy or elsewhere have used lake water or gray water to keep their fields and lawns reasonably hydrated. I hope no more area landscapers have to deal with the drought to the point of going out of business, but I also know the plans for the Charmar closing were in works for years. Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties are forever joined at the hip legislatively, ec...

UGA field goal kicker Brandon Coutu nailed a long field goal toward the end of the Georgia Bulldogs game today with the Kentucky Wildcats. I was sitting with a physically challenged friend of mine in the handicap access area. My friend Steve said "you guys should move over toward the center for the field goal attempt" and we did. The kick was true, bounced right in my arms, I held it aloft and gave it to my son to throw back, which he did with a tight spiral. We had also caught one during the halftime that Coutu kicked from about the 50 yard line in the prelude to the second half. Many fans were throwing the ball back up further in the stands when the Wildcats warmed in the the start of the second half. We decided that it would be better sportsmanship to throw it back. I do not know if I had ever held a special kicking football before. It felt good. Lowell was very well behaved at the Georgia football game and thanks to all those who work to make the football season come of...

You're invited to JRF's Bottle Auction Make your reservation today Click here to reserve online Dear Friends, You're invited to the Jeannette Rankin Foundation annual Bottle Auction.  Join us on December 4 at 7:30 pm at Trumps Catering downtown for a holiday wine tasting, scrumptious hors d'oeuvres, and a live auction featuring wrapped mystery bottles.  Come enjoy wonderful food, drinks and company, learn about wine pairing and bid on wrapped bottles containing fine wine, champagne, gift certificates to local restaurants and entertainment, and more.    Save the Date DATE: December 4, 2007 TIME: 7:30 pm LOCATION: Trumps Catering...

If you are looking for something fun and for a good cause to do tonight here it is. The Oconee Dems have donated a wreath (with a blue and white snowman theme) to the auction tonight to benefit the Oconee Area Resource Council Family Connection. Catering is by the new Daily Neighborhood Deli @ Franklin Grove—the food will be fantastic! Tickets are $15 at the door.

Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 8:21 AM Subject: Ray Durham memorial service this Sat, Nov. 17, 2 p.m MFMC Founder Ray Durham Dies of Parkinsons Dear folks, Two days ago, our Moores Ford family took a big loss. Founding MFMC member LaRamon Durham died of Parkinson's Disease last Sunday, Nov. 11 at St. Mary's Hospice Center in Athens. A memorial service in Ray's honor will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Athens. As you well know, he had been sick for a long, long time. Phyllis Durham, his wife, has asked us to say a few words on Saturday. Ray loved our Moores Ford family and was loved in return. Directions: from Hwy 78 (also called the Atlanta Highway), turn south at the light on Timothy Road (Golden Pantry in the south corner (this intersection is east of the Georgia Mall and about 3-5 miles west of downtown Athens). Head south on Timothy maybe 1-2 miles to the U/U Fellowship on the left, an ir...

The worst part of missing these Watkinsville City Council meetings is not hearing the part where Mayor Jim Luken reads his comments and generally they are not included in what I get from city clerk Julie Sanders (they are in here but Luken almost always adds some colorful but well spoken quote often but not always combining his military and or Cincinnati or Roswell or baseball backgrounds). Luken often reveals the best little nuggets of news in this part of the meeting. But I digress. Thanks to Julie for sending the minutes. I love Watkinsville. Been a pretty good week for Mack Guest III after getting appointed to the Board of Education and now he has another business under his belt. The following are unapproved minutes of last night's meeting, reads like this was a relatively brief and unspectacular or non-controversial gathering: MINUTES OF MEETING OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL CITY OF WATKINSVILLE November 14, 2007 PRESENT: Mayor Luken, Council members Link, Purcell, Walsh, ...