Oconee County, GA Politics

Saturday morning I walked my dog in the far too hot son, and took a somewhat circuitous route back from the downtown Farmers Market in Watkinsville. We decided to check out some shade across the street from the Sanctuary, where there is a large old home ready to be rolled to the corner of a lot.  http://m.wap.onlineathens.com/content/photos-watkinsville-historical-home#slide-1 Thank goodness for a packed cooler with water at the end of the neighboring new lot with a note advising you to hydrate your aqua tauntaun in an obscure Star Wars reference. My dog Katrina welcomed the ice cold bottled water in our six block trek back to our abode.  I welcome development in Watkinsville like the new small house being built on  the edge of Watkinsville Woods and the new larger J.W. York houses being built adjacent to the backside of Morgan Manor Estates on Wilson. Sometimes with growth comes unintended consequences, and this is neither an indictment or a harbinger of negative e...

I know the Watkinsville Water Tower near where the "Big Spring" of what was one called Big Springs, Georgia serves no functional purpose anymore. I know it is a hazard. I know it is rusty and old and past its usefulness for the most part. I see a purpose beyond the aesthetic and instead as a possible financial benefit.  I know there is a way to keep it and make money for our municipality. I wonder who is doing the seemingly shoddy job of removing it (or at least preparing to raze it) and who stands to make money off that?  The dismantling of the Watkinsville Water Tower has already caused one gas leak and I can only imagine what problems await the demolition of the dinosaur.  If it is only because a group of kids have been crawling up it, then build a fence around it. I would think the City of Watkinsville would benefit and making monthly lease fees if they would instead do what about 90% of these abandoned water towers do and that is become a cellular telephone tow...