First Saturday Stroll brings 28 visitors to downtown Watkinsville, packs Farmers Market, raises $$$ for Diabetes Research

Full Moon music recording Studio owner Mark Cooper Smith led a group of 28 people on the first of a series of Saturday Strolls though the City of Watkinsville sponsored by the Oconee County Democratic Committee on a beautiful unseasonably cool morning. Organizer Pat Priest called it "almost too much of a success" and was thrilled to raise $135.00 for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a charity of the choice of the owner of the recording studio at First and School Street. He has promoted several years of concerts and softball games for the benefit of a group near and dear to his heart because of his daughter being afflicted with the blood sugar problem.

"We had a great turn-out for our first stroll (28) -- in fact, almost too many," wrote Priest in an email to the Oconee Democratic Committe "We raised $135 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Main Street is nosier than I realized when big trucks rumble by, so (her husband Dr.) Neal (Priest) and I bought a hand-held mic and public address system. We can use it for other events so we don't mind paying for it -- and it's not terribly expensive anyway."

The throng gathered in front of the Oconee County Courthouse for the hour long walk before and after some purchased fresh produce across the street behind the Eagle Tavern Welcome Center at the Oconee County Farmers Market. Peggy Holcomb, director of the Oconee County Tourism and co-director of Community Development, will be leading a Stroll this Saturday, which will start gathering shortly before 9 am in front of the Court House on Main Street.

The remaining schedule is as follows:

Informal, hour-long walks
Start at 9 AM
$5 per person
Meet in front of the Oconee County Courthouse
23 N. Main Street in Watkinsville
No reservations required. Drop in!

Children under 12 are free but must be accompanied by an adult.
We'll walk in a light rain but not in a downpour or thunderstorm!
This line-up may change because of unforeseen circumstances.

Saturday Strolls Schedule

July 25
Peggy Holcomb
Director of Tourism

August 1
Reverend Kevin Daniel
Bethel Baptist Church

August 8
Joe Ruiz
Director, Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation

August 15
Representative Bob Smith (R)
Georgia House of Representatives

August 22
Kevan Williams
Columnist, Flagpole Magazine

August 29
Jim Luken
Mayor of Watkinsville

September 5
Chairman Melvin Davis
Oconee County Board of Commissioners

September 12
Mary Mellein
Chair, Keep Oconee Beautiful

September 19
Sheriff Scott Berry
Oconee County Sheriff's Office

September 26
Commissioner Chuck Horton
Oconee County Board of Commissioners

October 3
Patricia Priest
Independent producer and writer for public radio

October 10
Geoff Seila
Owner, Art Masters Gallery

October 17 [In conjunction with the Oconee Fall Festival]
Dr. Robert Wyatt
Retired Botany professor, UGA
and Director Emeritus, Highlands [NC] Biological Station

October 24
Dr. Liz Kramer
Conservation Ecologist,
UGA's Ag Economics and Ag Engineering departments

October 31
Kathy and Jerry Chappelle
Artists and owners, Chappelle Gallery