Oconee County, GA Politics

The gist of this story is that rent in Oconee County is more expensive than it is in Athens-Clarke, and while I salute this owner and his business acumen, I heartily endorse the longtime downtown Watkinsville independent business Art Masters as the custom framing shop of Oconee County, GA. Politics. Barker: Moving a business requires reasoning, risk || OnlineAthens.com

Friend -- For the first time in our nation's history, Congress has passed comprehensive health care reform. America waited a hundred years and fought for decades to reach this moment. Tonight, thanks to you, we are finally here. Consider the staggering scope of what you have just accomplished: Because of you, every American will finally be guaranteed high quality, affordable health care coverage. Every American will be covered under the toughest patient protections in history. Arbitrary premium hikes, insurance cancellations, and discrimination against pre-existing conditions will now be gone forever. And we'll finally start reducing the cost of care -- creating millions of jobs, preventing families and businesses from plunging into bankruptcy, and removing over a trillion dollars of debt from the backs of our children. But the victory that matters most tonight goes beyond the laws and far past the numbers. It is the peace of mind enjoyed by every American, no ...

Organizing for America - Georgia   In Georgia's TENTH (10th) Congressional District alone, this bill will ban discrimination against 15,300 residents with pre-existing conditions, give tax credits and other assistance for up to 184,000 families and 15,300 small businesses, extend coverage to 82,000 uninsured residents, save 2,500 families from health ca re related bankruptcy, and provide full prescription drug coverage for 111,000 seniors on Medicare.

Great notes from Fred Johnson, former Council member of North High Shoals From: Fred Johnson  Date: March 21, 2010 8:36:05 PM EDT To: Fred Johnson  Subject: TONHS February 15 2010 Notes from Fred Dear Fellow High Shoalers,                                                                                            March 21, 2010 On Monday we will be welcoming Kim Kraeling as our new mayor and Jason Wiscneski as the new council member.    The election was not held because only one candidate signed up to run for each office....

Any Oconee County soccer or baseball playing families who have not done so should check out the well maintained athletic facilities hidden behind Westminster Christian School here off New High Shoals Road just outside the 441 Bypass very near Watkinsville. The Oconee County Futbol Club calls this their home field this season, and the quality of play is light years ahead of the similarly aged Oconee County Recreation Department level of play. Of course playing elite traveling teams from closer to Atlanta often means your team will get stomped with near World Cup level passing and kicking on corner kicks, it also means that some day your youth could be that proficient as well. The 7 on 7 soccer works well on the smaller fields of Westminster Christian, and it will be interesting to see if that translates well to the five viable High School sports programs in the next five to 10 years. I formerly lived just down the road from this school and it is interesting to see how it has evolved...

I think I know his sister and father, but props to Oconee County Middle School student Noah Weinrich for finishing second in the State Spelling Bee gainesvilletimes.com - Hall County student places fifth in state spelling bee

State Representative Bob Smith is still getting grief over his trying to legislate the Board of Regents back in 2008. Editorial: Higher-education meddling ill-advised || OnlineAthens.com

Friend -- Today, we can extend coverage to millions. We can end insurance-company abuses forever. We can finally give Americans control over their own health care. But we can't take anything for granted. The vote in the House is just hours from now and could still go either way. It's up to every American who believes in reform to call our representatives and speak up -- right now. So, if you haven't yet, please click here to look up your representative and make your call . And afterward, or if you've called already, make it your mission today to get 5 friends or neighbors to call, too. Forward this email widely. Save the Congressional switchboard number -- (202) 224-3121 -- in your cell phone, and then hand your phone to a friend, a co-worker, a family member. Capitol Hill offices are open and accepting calls. Call the folks you know who share our vision for change, and let them know that today is their chance -- our chance -- to not just witness history,...

The Oconee County Historical Society hosted free tours of three structures including the breathtakingly well preserved school house with new tin roof and a fresh coat of paint at Heritage Park Saturday during the Oconee County Recreation and Park Department's extremely successful "Touch A Truck" event Saturday below Farmington.  Tractor rides were given with large donation buckets not seeing nearly enough action for this history minor's preference. At one time several years back I was on a volunteer residents Historic Sites and Tourism committee tasked to find the perfect footprint for this school's relocation, which made national news coverage at the time. There were all kinds of hassles over methane pipes from former landfills as to exactly where and how close to the road and I am glad we are not still in meetings trying to figure out the best place to leave it. The Oconee County Historical Society gave tours of the three structures at Heritage Park in Sou...

Raw, seething racial hatred exposed the Teabagger mobs in Washington DC today as the bigots they are as Georgia congressman John Lewis was called "Nigger" at least 15 times outside of a Congressional hearing as the Nation awaits an historic healthcare vote tomorrow. What is next? Lynching the President? I think there are some dumb ass redneck peckerwoods in need of some serious mental healthcare who will probably be amongst the the 34 million eligible tomorrow. Raucous, ugly build-up to House health care vote  | ajc.com Posted using ShareThis

State Forestry Commission Charles “Chuck” E. Williams, 54, Watkinsville –  Williams is president and chief executive offcer of North Georgia Bank. He is a member of the University of Georgia Alumni Association Board of Directors and Finance Committee, the Board of Directors of the Oconee County Rotary Club and is chairman-elect of the Georgia Bankers Association. He is also a member of the Georgia Forestry Association and Forest Stewardship Steering Committee. He was named Tree Farmer of the Year in 2005 and is a member of the Georgia Tree Farm Advisory Committee. Williams is a member of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Advisory Council, the Clarke- Oconee Cattlemen’s Association, and the Oconee County 4-H Program Development Team. Williams earned an associate’s degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He is married to Beth Williams.

Boo on this proposal and anyone who suggests it should happen. 4-H could fall under ag agency || OnlineAthens.com

Friend -- This is it: After months of hard work, the final vote on health reform in the House of Representatives is expected Sunday. It's a chance to make history and finally give Americans control over their own health care -- but it's shaping up to be incredibly close, and every member of Congress will play a critical role. So we're aiming for as many calls to Congress as possible from your area before offices close this evening. Whether you've called your representative before or haven't yet spoken out on health reform, it's now time to raise your voice. As an active constituent, your voice has particular weight with your representative -- so all those who share our commitment to reform are depending on you to speak up. Click here to look up your representative's phone number and make a call. After a century of false starts and a year of grueling negotiations, we may be just hours away from real health insurance reform in America. ...

Small Town Politics - North High Shoals: Park Work Day Posted using ShareThis

G. Melvin and the Oconee County Board of Commissioners answer activist Russ Page about an Elder Mill Covered Bridge park.

My Grandmother correctly called it The War of Northern Aggression

The second tier talks taxes amidst the scent of teenage sex scandal in the air, on both sides. Do any of the candidates realize we are fiddling around while Rome and Athens burns? Frontrunners skip debate at UGA || OnlineAthens.com

Nice new logo for the Oconee County School system. Now about that North Oconee visitor's changing room for football games..... By design, Oconee student makes his mark on district || OnlineAthens.com

Georgia Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Michael P. Mills , former hockey player from Hobarth College in New York, impressed a packed room of enthusiastic and curious voters Thursday evening at Watkinsville's Governmental Annex building in heavily Republican Oconee County, Georgia. Mills made an impression he would fight for our voting rights against the GOP's registration suppression tactics of the last two Secretaries of State. Michael P. Mills addressed a meeting of Oconee County Democratic Committee members Thursday evening in Watkinsville. (Photo by Daniel J. Matthews, Jr.) Mills commented at length but succinctly about how Democrats can come back to win at various levels in Georgia, "by meeting people knee to knee" and answered many questions about his office and the crowded Secretary of State race. He impressed the gathering with his direct answers and understanding of the various complexities of the office. Mills moved to Georgia more than 13...

So if you are not coming to the Oconee County Democratic Committee meeting this evening to hear Michael Mills speak, then go to the Chapel on campus at UGA for this debate at 6. I think the Ox is staying away as is Roy Barnes and Thurbert Baker. Woven brightly,  Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. Subject: CCDC FW: gubernatorial candidates debate TONIGHT March 18 Dear CCDC members and friends, Please see the email below that was just received this afternoon about tonight's debate. This email is for informational purposes only, and the CCDC's forwarding of it does not indicate endorsement at this time of this or any other Democratic candidate.   Sincerely, Karen Solheim CCDC Vice Chair for Communications =================================== The sponsor of tonight's debate is Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honors society. Carl Camon, Dubose Porter, and David Poythress are the only democratic candidates who have confirmed. Barnes and Baker will not be represented. The...