aPVOC-GA

Posted By Kate on February 13, 2010

Oconee Farmers Market

A long article, but a memory refresher of some of the major events that occurred in July. 

MONTH OF JULY – 2009 

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Partial List of New Laws Passed by
the GA HOUSE in 2009 Session. Today, July 1, is the beginning of new government year – Fiscal Year 2009-10. The following is a shortened list of some of the bills passed in the 2009 Georgia Legislative Session in January 2009.
1. House Bill 59 – Authorizes a sales tax exemption on pharmaceutical samples and medicines provided to patients and/or used in clinical trials.
2. House Bill 86 – Requires absentee ballots to be counted by precinct and separate returns to be made showing the results by each precinct.
3. House Bill 101 – This legislation authorizes the commercial advertisements on or in transit vehicles or facilities owned or operated by a transit agency.
4. House Bill 120 – Authorizes the annual sales tax holiday for school supplies and energy efficient appliances. The school supply holiday is set for July 30 through August 2, 2009. The energy and water efficient appliance holiday is set for October 1 through October 4, 2009.
5. House Bill 123 – Transmitting images of a person engaging in, inducing or otherwise participating in any immoral or indecent act to a child under age 16 with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person will be considered 
child molestation. 

6. House Bill 143 – Requires the full funding of the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant (HTRG) for 2009, but allows for discretionary funding subject to specific growth in revenue for subsequent fiscal years.
7. House Bill 149 – This bill creates the ‘Move on When Ready Act” that allows eleventh and twelfth graders to attend college for high school course credit.
8. House Bill 157 – Changes the conditions under which the book allowance or mandatory fees under HOPE may be reduced due to a lottery shortfall.
9. House Bill 160 – Part II of this legislation directs DDS to impose and collect a $200.00 fee from any driver who is convicted of driving at a speed of 85 miles per hour or more on any road or highway or 75 miles per hour or more on any two-lane road or highway. Upon conviction, such driver will be classified as a “super speeder.”
10. House Bill 195 – EMC members can serve as jurors when EMC is a party to a case.
11. House Bill 228 – Reorganizes state’s health and human services agencies, placing duties into three departments: The Department of Community Health; The Department of Human Services; and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
12. House Bill 233 – Freezes all real property valuation assessments at zero percent from January 1, 2009, through the Sunday before the second Monday in January, 20 13. House Bill 251 – Allows students to transfer schools within their district where there is a vacancy in the classroom.
14. House Bill 261 – Authorizes an income tax credit for the purchase of a single-family home within the six months after the effective date. The home must be owner-occupied. The credit is only available once and is 1.2 percent of the purchase price or $1,800 divided over three years.
15. House Bill 280 – Provides salary increase for new math and science teachers in 2010.
16. House Bill 304 – This legislation revises the rights of county appraisers and tax assessors and authorized agents of the county to go onto property to conduct official business: Before entering private property a written notice or a reasonable notice must be provided stating the purpose for which the person is entering. The Senate added language that requires notices to taxpayers of right to file a property tax return, and same will be provided on the county website and that an un-remarried surviving spouses or minor children of disabled veterans will receive a homestead exemption up to $32,500 or on a subsequent homestead in that same county.
17. House Bill 310 – Statewide recycling program -statewide recycling program for state agencies is to include steel cans, plastic and glass bottles, and all grades of paper, including cardboard. The bill also states that the General Assembly finds that it is in the best interests of the state to encourage recycling and that state agencies can contribute in a meaningful way.
18. House Bill 313 – Revises provisions relating to the calculation of a student’s grade point average to determine HOPE eligibility so as to reflect the fact that Georgia no longer issues separate college preparatory and career/technical diplomas. Under this bill, all students enrolled in the ninth grade for the first time by the 2008-2009 school year must have a G.P.A. of at least 3.0 to meet achievement standards for the HOPE scholarship. House Bill 326 – Provides for the addition of two-year or other multi-year fishing and hunting licenses. Makes numerous changes to the fees and types of game and fish licenses and permits.
19. House Bill 349 – Sales and use tax exemption for new construction of civil rights museum.
20. House Bill 358 – Extends the sales tax exemption on prepared food and beverages which are donated to non-profit relief programs through June 30, 2011.
21. House Bill 388 – Option of Adoption Act: This bill would allow a “legal embryo custodian,” defined as a person who holds the legal rights to a human embryo, to contract with a “recipient intended parent,” or person who receives a relinquished embryo and who accepts full legal rights for the embryo and any child that may be born as a result.
22. House Bill 444 – Authorizes civil penalties and injunctive relief against tax preparers for understatement of liability.
23. House Bill 455 – This bill allows local boards of education, for the 2009-2010 school years, an extension when offering an employee who is certified by the Professional Standards Commission an employment contract. The current deadline to offer a contract is April 15 and will extend until May 15 with this legislation.
24. House Bill 457 – Revises the definition of “disabled adult” to include a person with Alzheimer’s disease. The bill further provides that anyone who acts with specific intent to abuse, neglect, or exploit any disabled adult (including persons with Alzheimer’s) who is a resident of a long-term care facility will be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment of one to five years.
25. House Bill 482 – Exempts business inventory from state ad valorem tax.
26. House Bill 484 – Deems the dependent children of military personnel stationed in Georgia on active duty as residents for the purposes of receiving the HOPE scholarship.
27. House Bill 528 – Homeowner associations that charge annual fees over $500 must provide expense list to homeowners.
28. House Bill 549 – Requires clerks of superior courts to transmit monthly lists to the Secretary of State of all persons who identify themselves as not being United States citizens during qualification to serve as jurors, including their addresses, ages, and other identifying information in a format prescribed by the Secretary of State.
29. House Bill 639 – Special license plates; protect wild dolphins in Georgia.
30. House Bill 229 – Requires schools to conduct annual fitness tests on students in grades first to twelfth. 

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
DOT Announces Cutback on Roadside Grass Mowing. The cost to the Department of Transportation to cut state roadside and median grass is $11 million for 2 times per year. They announced earlier last month that beginning today, they will cut grass only once per year unless safety is the issue. The department does not cut roadside grass in urban areas – city employees do that. Nor do they cut county roadsides in rural areas. The State is depending on the private sector to take up the slack for state roads. In Oconee, the county roadsides are cut more often and this year will be cut as many as 6 times because the Winter and Spring rains have doubled the amount of growth. 

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Oconee Pilot Club Announced New Officers. The 2009-10 officer of the local club are: Donna McPherson – President; Marge Saar – President Elect; Jan Thomas – Treasurer; Bette Davis – Recording Secretary; June McKenzie, Rosa Hall and Mimi Klein – 3 Directors; and Gayle Christopher as Corresponding Secretary. 

Thursday, July 2, 2009
Swine Flu On The Rise. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 77,000 cases world wide with 300 deaths and has now declared the virus a pandemic coverage. Pandemic means the scope of the disease, not how serious or deadly it may be. 30,000 of those cases have occurred in the US reported the Centers for Disease Control in Decatur, GA today. So far, thousands of people have fought off the progress of the disease via natural immunity. It’s a pretty winpy pandemic virus, but could get worse. It is spread not through the air but via large mucus droplets so washing one’s hands is the best preventive measure to take. The virus is also referred to as the H1N1 flu strain. 

Thursday, July 2, 2009
Another Try at Locating NBAF in Athens? Rep Paul Broun attached 3 amendments to the Homeland Security spending bill that was to be considered by the U S House but all failed. His proposals would launch an investigation of the decision to build NBAF (National Bio-Agro Defense Facility) – the animal disease facility that lost the bid for an Athens Location – in Manhattan, Kansas rather than one of the other 4 candidates. Broun believes that the site selection process was flawed and asked for $3 million to investigate the process. He has been urged by many in Athens to open up the discussion of why Athens did not win the bid. Leave it be – the decision has been made. 

Thursday, July 2, 2009.
Population Increases in Area Counties. It turns out that Oconee County was not and is not the fastest growing county in Northeast Georgia in the last 2 years. Nicholson, GA, a little town about 25 miles up the road (US Hwy 441) increased from 1,892 to 2,060 – an 8.9% increase. Statham and Winder were the next fastest growing cities, both at 4.4%. Oconee County and Watkinsville grew by 2.95% (from 26,225 to 30,858) and 2.2% (from 2,817 to 2,880) respectively. 

Friday, July3, 2009
Fire Fighters Take on July 4 Fireworks. When Athens/Clarke announced that the sponsor of their annual fire works at Bishop Park did not come through with the $10,000 to present the annual fire works show this year, small towns wondered why it was so costly when they can present a really good show (30 minutes) with fire fighters manning the lighting of all the pretty fire crackers for less than $4,000. Most fire fighters are licensed polytechnic artists who have been through the safety training, tube packing and fuse lighting classes. Will Oconee have a July 4 display of fire works at the Veterans Park with the volunteer fire fighters conducting the show? Maybe. 

Saturday, July 4, 2009
Athens July 4th Fireworks Was Beautiful. At the last minute, PeachMac who sells Apple Computers in Athens came through with the money and the show was spectacular. Today’s high of 92 degrees did not keep people at home. Most of the 5000 attendees followed the rules: no pets, no smoking, no alcohol and no grilling and just enjoyed the blazing colorful action. 

Saturday, July 4, 2009
Oconee County Heritage Celebration. The 2nd Annual July 4th Heritage Celebration at the Eagle Tavern. Come take a peek into the past! Wood Carving, Face Painting, Pottery, Blacksmithing, Spinning, Papier-mâché, Masks, Handmade Soaps, Hot dogs, Lemonade, ice cream, popcorn & free watermelon! Live entertainment provided by: James Hunter & the Cowboys. Thursday, July 4, 2002 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Eagle Tavern Welcome Center, 26 North Main Street, Watkinsville, Georgia. Come out and celebrate our nation’s birthday in a fun, old-fashioned way! Over 500 have attended in the past – to sit back and enjoy the day. 

Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sarah Palin Resigns Alaskan Governorship. Today, to the surprise of many, the former Presidential Candidate John McCain’s chosen running mate for Vice-President announced in a detail speech why she wanted to step down and pursue a different political track. She said the main reason was that fighting the 26 ethics suits filed by the Democrats since the Presidential Campaign had taken too much of her time to appear in court when she as Governor should be doing the State’s business which she stated was not fair to Alaskan citizens. She said that the suits had put her in debt for about ½ million so far. The political talking heads from all news agencies were in an uproar discussing the “why” of her actions. They can’t figure out what she is up to – a run for the U S President in 2012? A run for the Alaskan Senate seat? Or dropping out of politics altogether? She may be thinking of traveling the U S to give support to the beleaguered Republican Party. She would be good at that. 

Saturday, July 4, 2009
N Korea Launched Additional Missiles. Seven (7) more ballistic missiles were fired off in N Korea today into the waters on the east coast of that country. This is in defiance of a U N Resolution and is a show of military power or is it a bluff? The International community was appalled and condemned the action that started in May of this year. The range was about 250 miles and landed in waters between N Korea and Japan who along with Britain and France have called the action “serious acts of provocation.” The White House had no comment. 

Sunday, July 5, 2009
TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Parties Continue. The original TEA Parties that began this year on April 15 (tax day) have not been lost on the minds of small town folks. Greensboro in Greene County (next door) held a TEA Party today on the steps of the court house. About 250 people attended. They were not protesting local issues so much as national issues. Speakers from all around the area rallied against Obama’s exorbitant stimulus package ($787 BILLION) that will be the downfall of this county and the freedom that all enjoy, they claimed. As they carried their homemade signs, the discussion turned to the planning of a massive gathering in DC on September 12 (Labor Day weekend) to protest the current Democrat-controlled government. 

Sunday, July 5, 2009
Thermal Imaging Camera for Law Enforcement. Chief Deputy Lee Weems of the Oconee Sheriff’s Office described and demonstrated the newest law enforcement tool at the BOC meeting tonight. The camera is equipped with a mechanism to detect body heat day or night. The tool will help Cpl Shane Partain and his police canine. He says the dog can only do so much in certain environments. In the demonstration at the Sheriff’s office, Partain pointed it at a parked police car. The image showed the heat generated from the metal part of the wheel that was used in the braking process. It will also help in night searches of evidence that doesn’t give off heat. It will also image footprints in grass at night soon after they are imprinted. The listed price was $15,000, but the office was able to purchase it for only $3,000. 

Monday, July 6, 2009
Obama Cozies Up to Russia. Obama wants to show Russian Minister Putin that the U S is his friend and to repair relations that he contends were damaged under the Bush Administration. Could it be that he is going there to see more of a Communist economy that he thinks would lead the U S to a socialist type government in which most of his actions hint – have the government own everything and take care of all needs of the citizenry? 

Monday, July 6, 2009
Oconee Connector Gets the “Go ahead”. County officials announced that word from the Georgia DOT allows construction to begin soon on the Oconee Connector that will widen Jennings Mill Road at the intersection with Epps Bridge Parkway which includes a bridge (“fly over”) over the 10 bypass that connects with the Oconee Connector which ends at Jennings Mill Road. The road will then sweep around the Lowe’s property and cross the Epps Bridge Parkway (4-lane) to meander around Home Depot and back onto the 10 bypass. Construction could begin in early September. The proposal suffered 2 setbacks before DOT found monies to support the project that is expected to be completed in late 2011. 

Monday, July 6,2009
Georgia Receives Stimulus For Green Energy.  The $786 BILLION American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated $3.1 BILLION to the State Energy Program. Of that $3.1 BILLION, Georgia received $32.9 million to create green jobs and adopt emerging renewable energy efficient technologies. Georgia will get an additional $41 million if a successful implementation of the goals are demonstrated. The funds are passed through the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) which allows applicants to compete. Other states that received similar funds are, Mississippi, Kentucky, Montana, New York, Arkansas and the Virgin Islands.

Monday, July 6, 2009
A Referendum for Any Tax Increase? Earlier this year, the residents of Hoschton wanted to change the city charter to allow the voters to approve/disapprove any tax increases on their property. They gathered 417 signatures (population is about 1,612 and is located about 60 miles north on Hwy 29) for a petition and submitted it about a month ago. Today the Council rejected the petition based on state law that states that no local law can take precedent over state law and the state already has a method (Georgia Code) that allows taxes to be levied on property. It is also Georgia law that requires a government entity to raise taxes (if necessary) to pay back loans given by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (known as GEFA loans). Hoschton had a loan with GEFA to modify its sewage treatment plant. The pot of GEFA funds is a collection of taxes paid by all Georgia citizens. When it comes to taxes, all Georgia citizens are in a “catch 22” situation. 

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
New Ordinance to Alter Commission Chair’s Responsibility. At the Regular meeting of the Oconee BOC, the first reading (as written by the 4 Commissioners) of an ordinance that redefines the role and responsibilities of the Chairman who is the Chief Executive Officer, was given. The proposed ordinance alters the state legislation that was approved in 1998. The public had input tonight and the general feeling was “why make changes when the present system of county government works?” The FOUR Commissioners have complained about the “lack of communication” with the Chair for over a year now to the extent that they are left out of the loop. They might be reminded that they were elected to perform their duties in a part time schedule which did not include taking over part of the Chair’s responsibility. The debate continues. 

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Candidates Raising Money for the 2010 Mid-Term Election. Former State Senator Brian Kemp who is running for the Secretary of State to replace Karen Handel has raised the most of any candidates running for state-wide office – $267,000 so far. Kemp announced 160 politicians have endorsed him for the office. Sandy Springs city council member, Doug MacGuinnitie, a fellow Republican is running against Kemp and has raised $257,000. 

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tax Re-distribution to Other Counties. According to a Georgia State Research report by Georgia State University, some Georgia counties get less benefits (back from the State) than the amount of tax revenues that they send to Atlanta thereby helping the less affluent counties. But Clarke County (Athens), Fulton County (Atlanta) and Richmond County (Augusta) get back more money and benefits than they pay in state taxes utilizing money paid by other counties. This came about in 2005 when the Quality Basic Education Act became law and required the state to distribute more money to poorer counties to make up for property tax differences. This essentially divides the state into counties that “donate” and counties that “benefit.” Some policy makers believe that this is not a bad idea. If money was allocated based on what each county contributed, then there would be no reason to have a General Assembly to make laws, they state. 

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Creekside Country Club Changes Owners. Remember Green Hills Country Club on Barnett Shoals near the Clarke County line created in 1950? There was much public outcry when a developer, David Bird, purchased the land in 2005, changed the name to Creekside Country Club and requested a rezone to build a large subdivision on 284 acres near the golf course to encourage membership in the Club. Residents from Clarke and Oconee protested in mass at the courthouse, but the Oconee Commissioners gave the OK for the rezone. Then the housing market plummeted and the builder never started the development. Yesterday, the Golf Club property was put up for a public foreclosure auction on the steps of the Oconee County Court House and no bids were offered. The original loan was with the Community Bank in Loganville which the State Department of Banking closed. The Southeast Investment Company, LLC out of Louisiana purchased the loan ($1.6 million for 189 acres) and had to hold a public auction to lay claim to the title. Brent Powell, the investment company manager plans to sell the property as a golf course and club and said that several prospective individuals have already inquired about the land. 

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Ambulance For Give-A-Way. After the 2 hospitals in Athens contracted with National EMS for their ambulance needs, St Marys Hospital has a fleet of old ambulances to give to any organization that might make good use of them. To be fair, they are accepting proposals from the public by September 1, the cut off date. They will then form a committee to decide which entity will receive a free ambulance. They are all Ford models with some older (235,000 miles) than others (64,000 miles), but all are equipped with the standard for ambulances: defibrillator, stretcher and first aid supplies. National EMS was able to use the fleet of ambulances that were owned by Athens Regional Hospital so they have none to give away. 

Thursday, July 9, 2009
New Driver’s Licenses. Georgia’s driver licenses have been modified with a bar code on the back that can only be read by special scanners. In addition, licenses issued to those under 21 years old will be printed vertically so as to be easily recognizable by the business establishment. They will be produced in Conyers, GA and be ready for the public in November 2009. Current licenses are valid until renewed after that date. A 5-year license is $20 and a 10-year license is $35. 

Thursday, July 9, 2009
A Variety of Boats on the Bear Creek Reservoir. Members of the Upper Oconee Basin Authority are considering, pending approval by the Environmental Protection Division (EPD), allowing a variety of boats other than fishing boats on the lake. These will be canoes, kayaks and sailboats. No swimming will be allowed. Chris Thomas, Director of the Oconee Utility Department and Chair of the Bear Creek Operations Committee is concerned about pollution of the lake water which is the main source of drinking water for residents of 4 counties. The Authority will make its decision later this month. Construction of the boat ramp, financed for $350,000, by the 4 counties, will be completed and open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in late August 2009. 

Friday, July 10, 2009
Digital Highway to Augment Physical Roads. The Georgia State Representative that represents Oconee County, Rep Bob smith, is pushing Georgia to think more in terms of telecommunicating to prevent traffic congestion on Georgia’s highways. The Legislature has debated for years, putting millions into improving the highway system and/or to build railroad tracks for trains. But to pay for such goals would need a transportation tax approved in a referendum by Georgia citizens. He believes such a tax will never sit well with voters and advocates that more of us should perform our jobs from home – telecommunicate via e-mail or other modern technology. Many government employees already do so. He estimates that future transportation needs for the state will cost $160 BILLION. Why not cut that cost and join the electronic age and stimulate the economy, save gasoline, road repair, reduce auto emissions and put more money in our pockets, he says. It would also bring the so-called 2 Georgias – North Georgia and South Georgia – together – a perceived division that has long been a criticism of folks living in the southern part of the state especially when politicians dole out money for road construction and improvements. 

Friday, July 10, 2009
Athens Regional Library System Budget Cut. Oconee County’s 2 Libraries are a part of the Regional System which makes use of any materials that the main Athens Library houses. Oconee County contributes $15,000 and other members of the region contribute their share, but that is given each year and is part of the regular budget. The cut of $76,000 is from what the State normally gives. The cut will necessitate the help of the community (Friends of the Library) to raise money to purchase some 20,000 books, CDs and DVDs that would normally have been purchased from the budget. Librarians are announcing the seriousness of the need especially with an increase of 6% to 8% more patrons using the library in the past year. A book sale is planned for the Oconee Library during the month of September. 

Saturday, July 11, 2009
Area Sheriffs Need More Funds.   Just because the funds are depressed in a county budget does not mean a county law enforcement team will stop protecting its citizens. In bad economic times, crime rate usually goes up and more resources are needed in a sheriff’s department for additional manpower. For years, the sheriff was the most powerful person in the hierarchy of authority in county government. Now it usually falls on the Board of County Commissioners to decide how much funding a sheriff’s office will receive. “He who hold the purse strings is the boss.” Unless there is good rapport between the Board and the Sheriff, in a recession, law enforcement must cut back along with other county service offices. Lately, Sheriff Houston in Greene County have been at odds about funding, the solution of which will be settled in a Georgia Superior Court. Madison County Sheriff Kip Thomas needs another million to total $4 million to protect his rural county. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith will ask for an additional 1 million for a total of $13 million. Jackson County will need $10.1 million – 3% more than last year. Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry has asked for a total of $6 million including vehicles, personnel and equipment. Most sheriffs do not like asking the BOC for funding, but county government law is set up that way.

Monday, July 13, 2009
Neighborhood Watch Seminar. With a rash of burglaries in neighboring Clarke County and an increase in the few cases in Oconee County, the Oconee Sheriff’s Office sponsored a Neighborhood Watch session at the Oconee Civic Center tonight. About a dozen citizens attended who were mostly burglary victims in the past. Most of the thefts in the past year have been solved where there are established Neighborhood Watches, but not all items have been found. Sheriff Berry gave a few tips for crime prevention on your property: * put a security sign in your yard even if you don’t have a commercial security system
* leave a radio on with the volume turned low
* always close and lock garage doors
* take all valuables in from the car and/or lock the car
* secure automatic garage door transmitter in glove compartment of your car
* secure all obvious points of entry to your home
* hide or lock up all tools, ropes or ladders that could help a break in
* keep all shrubbery near the doors and windows trimmed
* brightly illuminate all entrances with vandal-proof fixtures
* keep grass cut and leaves raked to indicate a well cared for home
* empty mail box as soon as the mail is delivered
* ask someone to pick up your mail if you are absent for more than a couple of days
* keep extra keys out of sight (never hide a key outside near the entrance)
* avoid displaying items of value near windows
* install new locks when moving into a new home
* never leave a note on the door explaining when you will return
* never leave windows unlocked when leaving for the workplace
* display only your last name on your mailbox
* start a “buddy” system with a neighbor to watch your home when away
* form a Neighborhood Watch group in your neighborhood. Contact the Sheriff’s Office to have a deputy attend the first meeting to explain how to prevent crime for you and your neighbors
* create a Neighborhood Watch Newsletter-send a copy to the Sheriff’s Office for filing
* take a photo of all valuables in your home (inventory) and record serial numbers
If accosted by an intruder, call 911 immediately and give your address and then leave the phone connection open – the operator can hear the noise. Neighborhood Watch Groups are not listed in the Oconee Sheriff’s Office, but they have received about a half dozen calls in the last month inquiring about how to start a new group – which indicates forming Watches is on the rise. As a side note, Clarke County reported 1,306 burglaries in 2007; 1,706 in 2008 and predicted 2000 this year. 

Tuesday, July 14, 2009  
Georgia Power Says Toss Lawsuits Against It.  Today, Georgia Power Lawyers have asked the presiding judge to throw out the cases against the Giant Southern Company subsidiary (Georgia Power Co). Two (2) groups, 1) Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and 2) Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation sued Georgia Power because their lobbyists convinced the Georgia Legislators to approve a bill that will require customers who use Georgia Power as their utility provider, to pay for a nuclear plant at Plant Vogel 7 years before construction begins. What does the customers get? Nothing. It’s like giving the power company a loan that doesn’t pay interest. Some customers won’t even be alive to enjoy any reduction in costs that the nuclear plant is promised. The cost will be about $1.50 per month in year 1. That amount will gradually increase over the 7-year period to $9.10 per month for the 7^th year for each customer.  The company is expected to collect $1.6 BILLION over that time period. Many customers are upset over the law also.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Salvation Army Fire. This morning, a fire was discovered in the office of the Salvation Army Thrift Shop on Hawthorne Avenue and was extinguished shortly afterwards but the area sustained heavy smoke damage. The women’s quarters received water and heavy smoke damage and occupants were placed at other locations until repairs can be made. The men’s quarters were not damaged. The staff plans to have outdoor sales while repairs are made. The public is asked to make donations at this time to help replenish the damaged inventory. 

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Oconee Gets First Hotel.   Larry Benson, a prominent business man with businesses in both Clarke and Oconee Counties, has just finished a hotel in Oconee County. He already owns the Holiday Inn, The Holiday Express, Hilton Garden Inn in Clarke and now the Marriott Springhill Suites off SR 316, Daniels Bridge Road and the Oconee Connector. The new facility has 99 rooms with all the regular amenities of a modern hotel, but with a few extras: Computer desk with all necessary connections, a small living area, small kitchen with all necessary appliances all within a well designed space for total living. The hotel will take in a 7% hotel sales tax that will go to the Oconee Tourism Committee – about $150,000 per year if the beds are filled seasonally on Georgia football days. The company, Motel Enterprises, plans to build at the same location but adjacent it the hotel, another hotel designed for conferences and conventions with a full restaurant and bar – this to be completed in 2018 if the economy picks up.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Jobless Rate.     Commissioner of Labor, Michael Thurmond announced today that Georgia’s unemployment rate has reached 10.2% and holding steady as of last month (June). That equates to 483,394 people out of work. The national rate at this time is at 9.5%.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Oconee Commissioners May Approve Themselves a Raise. All elected constitutional officers of county government were due a raise this fiscal year – some small and some significantly large. Chairman Davis was man enough to forego his raise in light of the county financial situation and the looming recession. The other Commissioners have not stated publically if they plan to keep their salary increases or refuse to accept them. To accept the raise, all that is required is to remain silent. Asked of the 4 Commissioners if they plan to return their raises, the answer given was unclear: “I plan to return it on my tax return at the end of the year.” 

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Further Budget Cuts Coming from State. It is being rumored that Governor Perdue has no choice but to ask departments for further cuts in their budgets for the next fiscal year. Money is just not coming into the state Treasurer to pay for everything. The amount is somewhere between 5% and 10% across the board. Revenues are decreasing in local government piggy banks as well. They are also making drastic cuts in the 2010 budget. The Obama recovery is not working. 

Thursday, July 16, 2009
MACORTS Meetings For Citizens’ Comments. After seeing the projects that DOT plans to fund in the near future and for the long term, many citizens in Oconee were in opposition and voiced their opinions. MACORTS (Madison Athens-Clarke Oconee Regional Transportation Study) is the organization that plans road projects based on the amount of funding that DOT allows for this area in the 3 counties. Projects must be on their list to be funded either in the short term or for the future beyond. The most opposition came from Oconee residents at the meetings (over a period of 3 weeks) who say that some projects were put on the list decades ago and have evolved to be less important than projects that have not even been listed. One in particular is the widening of Simonton Bridge Road – a winding-uphill-downhill 2-lane residential road that is scheduled to be made into a 4-lane all the way from the Clarke County line at the Middle Oconee River Bridge to the traffic light on Main Street in Watkinsville. The road is very busy especially on football days, but a 4-lane would make a super highway out of it and it would be a safety hazard for the frequent driveways. The Watkinsville City Council is working toward removing it from the list to be funded. In Clarke County, the bike supporters are in opposition to 7 road expansions and want the money planned for the 6 to be spent on bile lanes instead. MACORTS will go back to the drawing board for delisting. The expansion of the Oconee Connector at Mars Hill Road is on the list and construction is moving along. The widening of Mars Hill Road in Oconee was left on the list and bids are being taken to acquire rights-of-way along the 7-mile stretch. Widening will start when the road is made “shovel-ready” meaning it’s ready for moving the dirt. 

Friday, July 17, 2009
First Latina Confirmed to High Court.    Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina American appointed to the court was confirmed today to the U S Supreme Court. Many of the prominent Republicans voted for her while all Democrats did. Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted no because some of writings and rhetoric attributed to her had been too controversial to be a Supreme Court jurist. For example: she said that females could decide cases better than old white-haired men or that she could relate to and sympathize with the oppressed in our society. A jurists is mandated to follow the law regardless of the emotional circumstances of a case. Follow the law, McConnell believes and many citizens across America agreed with him.

Friday, July 17, 2009
First Piedmont Bank Fails.  The failing bank located in Winder will be taken over by First American Bank & Trust after Federal Regulators shut down the bank which has branches in Winder and Monroe. The bank’s assets totaled $115 million. Customers will not lose any deposits as the takeover takes place. The failing bank will open Monday under the new name of First American. Customers are advised to bank as usual over the weekend. There have been a total of 55 banks nationwide to be taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp this year. First American is an 81-year old institution that serves Clarke, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Madison, Walton and Barrow Counties.

Friday, July 17, 2009
ObamaCare Moving Forward.
Obama addressed the nation one more time tonight to assure every one that his health care plan is not costly and is sustainable. “The reforms we will make in health care will help bring our deficits under control in the long term.” However, the Congressional Budget Office (non-partisan) computes that $239 TRILLION  will be added to the deficit over a 10-year period as a result. Is this yet another decption for the American people to swallow hook, line and sinker? We shall see. 

Sunday, July 19, 2009
Conservative Democrats Balking At ObamaCare.   Rep Dan Boren (D-OK) told his local newspaper that the Obama health care bill was too liberal, expensive and “very unpopular” in his district back home. The similar story can be told of other Congressmen when they checked the sentiments back home. National surveys and polls are showing a significant drop in Obama’s popularity. The economy is continuing a downward spiral and the jobless rate is rising after Obama was inaugurated 7 months ago. He can’t seem to capture the popularity he had just after taking office. Will he read the trend taking place in the country and reverse his push for costly universal health care? We will see. 

Monday, July 20, 2009
Message From Governors.    Republicans and Democrats attending the National Governor’s Association in Biloxi, Miss sent a strong message to Congress: Do not mandate costly programs like health care and national security on the states that are already strapped for tax revenues. Only 25 governors attended, many of the others stating that they were in the process of trimming state budgets and could not leave. The Real ID Act which passed after the 9/11 attack imposes funding on the states for producing secure driver’s license, made tamper-proof that was suppose to boost national security. The Homeland Security Committee came up with a plan that would cost $2 BILLION instead of the original $4 BILLION. Governors were not impressed. Congress was also pushing more Medicaid costs onto state budgets which Georgia’s Governor Perdue explained this way, “More costs for Medicaid will necessitate taking funds away from transportation, education, environment and public safety.”  Did Washington get the Governors’ message? Time will tell. 

Monday, July 20, 2009
Obama’s Surtax for the Rich. Only after 6 months as President, Obama is beefing up support for his health care reform plan by announcing that those citizens making profits of a million or more will be levied with a surtax to pay for health care reform. Then when those individuals cease to make a million dollars a year because of the penalty, where will the money come from? Obama’s concept is terribly flawed and is simply economically illogical. 

Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Department Heads Upset Over County Government Re-Structuring. Oconee Department Directors met to express their confusion over what the government restructuring of the Chair’s job description and the change in “who reports to whom.” Many of them were just plain angry and others asked some meaningful questions. A list of 40 questions were compiled to send to the FOUR Commissioners seeking answers. They expect answers within the next 2 weeks before the Regular BOC meeting on August 4 when the change will be approved. Some who attended the meeting said that not one positive comment was heard concerning the changes – all opposed it. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Unusual Solar Eclipse. The solar eclipse of 22 July 2009 was the longest total solar eclipse during the 21st century, not to be surpassed until June 2132 – 123 years into the future. It lasted a maximum of 6 minutes and 39 seconds off the coast of Southeast Asia, causing tourist interest in eastern China, Japan, India and Nepal. This was the second in the series of three eclipses in a one-month period, with two minor penumbral lunar eclipses, first on July 7 and last on August 6. According to NASA, the Japanese island Kitaio Jima was predicted to have the best viewing conditions featuring both longer viewing time (being the closest point of land to the point of greatest eclipse) and lower cloud cover statistics than all of continental Asia. Thousands of pilgrims gathered on the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi, India to experience the eclipse as a religious or spiritual event. Some people expected that there would be a relationship, either positive or negative, between their health and the occurrence of the eclipse. The maximum eclipse occurred over the ocean at about 100 km south of the Bonin Islands, southeast of Japan. It was barely visible in the US. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Gun Rights Taken by Democratic Controlled Congress. Your permit to carry guns will not be honored by other states with different laws. You can no longer carry your privately owned hidden gun across state lines in the lower 48 states. Congress, with a majority of Democrats of whom most are hunting enthusiast dampened gun laws with the action which is a bit unusual for them. The gun rights organizations will probably no longer support them in their political careers. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Roads Up For Repair. MACORTS makes plans for road maintenance and repair for years in advance. Fuels taxes have decreased by 15% and calls for the short and long term plans for Oconee and Clarke to be adjusted. The state budget this year calls for attention only to the following roads in the 2 counties. Oconee County:
* Widen U S 441 Hwy in Oconee County – $295 million
* Two (2) highway 316 frontage roads in Oconee – $146 million
* Widen SR 53 in Oconee County – $100 million
* Road connecting Hwy 441 to Epps Bridge Rd in Oconee Co. – $90 million
* Convert Hwy 316 into limited access in Oconee County – $309 million
* Widen Simonton Bridge in Oconee County – $32 million
* Widen Mars Hill Rd and Experiment Station Rds in Oconee County
* Widen Hog Mt Rd in Oconee County – $19 million
* Construct Athens Perimeter Interchanges @ Atlanta Hwy at Olympic Drive and Lexington Rd in Clarke County
* Widen Hawthorne Avenue in Clarke County
* Widen SR 29 in Clarke and Oconee Counties – $$130 million
After the meeting with the public, Watkinsville residents announced that they did not wish for Simonton Bridge Rd to be widened. Reason: too residential; by pass around Watkinsville would be safer. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Obama Using Race Card. Obama said today that police acted “stupidly” in the arrest of prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and that despite racial progress blacks and Hispanics are still singled out unfairly for arrest. Gates, a Harvard University professor, claims he was arrested in his home after showing ID to police who responded to a report of a possible burglary. “Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof he was in own home,” Obama said during a prime-time news conference that otherwise focused on the health care debate. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A Sample of the Questions Asked By County Employees.
1) Will the county save more with the re-structuring?
2) Under Georgia Law, are government employees allowed to unionize?
3) Hiring and firing – who will handle? Department heads or the Board?
4) Were not Commissioners elected to make policy rather than recommending the hiring and firing of personnel?
5) Why is the change not being sent to the GA Assembly for approval?
6) Will the county manager’s job become so overwhelming (added responsibilities) that he will be inaccessible?
7) In the county manager’s absence, who will the department heads answer to – 4 part time Commissioners?
This Board is setting a precedent: Each newly elected Board from now on could change the structure of county government to satisfy their whims. Does this Board have the authority to make changes without legislative approval?
9) Will BOC members put in more time and will they need office space and office help?
10) Are department heads going to be required to attend night BOC meetings to hear votes that pertain to them?
11) If a lawsuit is file against the county and wins, will the county (we voters) pay the cost?
12) Why are the departments missing from the proposed county organizational chart?
13) The study by the Carl Vincent Institute suggested that the county is run very effectively under the current structure. Why change?
14) Do the Commissioners understand that there are 300 plus employees and their families and friends that will vote in the next elections? Should such a change be approved by the state legislature?
Note: It does seem inappropriate that a Board could re-write the legislative language for the Board with limited public input and then vote to approve something they have just written. Talk about power seeking, lack of better communication and non-transparency! 

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Commissioner Jim Luke Answers Questions. In his answers, Commissioner Luke sees the Chair as the person who looks after the county at the bigger picture level – making contacts with local, regional and state entities to promote the county and bring jobs and development to the county; to promote tourism and bring money into the county. He thinks that the day-to-day running of the county should be left to a “County Manager” or the County Administrator and leave the day-to-day operation to an Administrator who will then report to the 4 Commissioners leaving out the Chair. 

Friday, July 24, 2009
Feds to Reach Goal of Vaccine Doses. The Food & Drug Adm promises to have at least 160 million doses of flu vaccine by December 2009. Studies to show the effectiveness of the shot started last month. 

Sunday, July 26, 2009
Large Number of Appeals on Tax Assessments. Home values have decreased by about 18% nationwide, but only about 2% in the Athens Area. Oconee Tax appraisers did lower the tax bill slightly on about 80% of the properties, but the decreases were not as large as many residents expected. So 574 appeals were received in the Oconee Tax Appraiser’s Office this year. “I think people were reacting to the high percentage of lowered property values in other cities and towns, and felt it must be that way here in the county,” said Tax Assessor Alan Skinner. “But they must remember that the market value is different in different locations depending on what the property will sell for in a particular area.” His office has processed about half of the appeals and the next step is an appearance before the Board of Equalization – a citizens’ group that rules on disputes. Appeals were high in the surrounding counties also. 

Sunday, July 26, 2009
Ralph Reed Rejuvenated. After bringing the Christian Coalition to the forefront as a powerful voting block in 2006, Reed has decided to try it again – that is coordinate and assist the Republican Party to get back in the game after loosing all 3 branches of government in the 2008 elections. His effort as a consultant, called the “Faith and Freedom Coalition” will be helpful in appealing to the young voter in the Jewish, Hispanic and Black communities. He hopes to win people of all faiths to the Grand Ole Party. 

Monday, July 27, 2009
Atlanta Needs Athens Water.  Metro-Atlanta is running out of water sources. It gets a large portion of its water from Lake Lanier located north of the city in Hall County. But a federal Judge has said that Atlanta may not continue to use that source and the city government will be looking to pipe water from nearby counties. 10^th District U S Rep Paul Broun believes that either Atlanta residents will move out of the Atlanta area and go where the water is or will have the water piped into the city from nearby counties. The later amounts to interbasin transfer of water. The Judge said that a solution for the troublesome debate among 3 states – Alabama, Florida and Georgia – must be agreed upon by 2012 or else Atlanta will have to scale back its use of water. If Atlanta put funds into building a regional reservoir, then they would have authority to use its water. The Hard Labor Creek Reservoir is being constructed in Walton County with funding from Walton and Oconee Counties, but the Hard Labor Creek Management Board has applied for money from the Governor to build the dam needed for the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir. Neither authority has mentioned a pipe leading from the reservoir to Atlanta, but how long before that becomes a reality – if they get the needed funding? 

Tuesday, July 28, 2009
BOC Advised to Seek Public Input Before Approval. Opposition to the change in local government operation is mounting. At the meeting of the BOC tonight, several prominent citizens went to the podium to advise the 4 Commissioner to table the vote on the new organizational ordinance and put the question to the public for a vote in a referendum. They were Richard McSpadden, Richard Hargrove, Franklin Shumake, Kate McDaniel, Monica Ali, Mike Power and Russ Page. All opposed the changes. However, since the Commissioners themselves wanted the change, pushed for the change and essentially wrote the changes and they alone will vote on the changes, it will no doubt be approved. Tonight was the second public reading. It was put on the Agenda for next Tuesday, August 4 for the 3rd public reading and a final vote. 

Saturday, July 29, 2009
Drought Continues In Athens Area.  Over the past 3 months, the region has received just about half of its normal rainfall. This past June and July have been drier than last summer. But this year while rainfall has been just a sprinkle, we may be headed for a complete ban on outdoor watering as it was last summer. And to add to the bad news, Walton County is running out of water having used twice as much recently as last summer. The county’s Walton County Water Authority is buying 250,000 gal per day from the Bear Creek Reservoir Authority. Further bad news is that the Reservoir is about 2 feet below normal with 35% more water being drawn per day than last summer. The end of the dry months in not near, so conservation is still a must. The usual wet months are October, January and March and will be welcome relief. Water authorities are keeping a sharp eye on the level of water available at the reservoir. 

Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Judge Denies Nuwaubian’s Appeal. The followers of the Nuwaubian Sect’s leader, Dwight York who is serving 135 years in a Colorado prison for child molestation and other charges, filed on his behalf, an appeal to have his case thrown out because they accuse the prosecutors of rigging York’s witnesses at his trial. York acted as his own lawyer at his trial and apparently he nor his followers understand the law and their sole purpose seems to be to clog up the legal system with silly claims (the latest one: York is a Nigerian Diplomat and cannot be imprisoned so he must be freed) until they exhaust the authorities who may then show some leniency. It’s obvious that the trial was fair and that he was proven guilty of the charges, but it has become almost entertaining to see what claim will surface next from the Colorado jail. 

Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tax-Free Weekend. Beginning today and going through August 2, shoppers can purchase school supplies and related items free of any sales tax as announced by the Governor and the General Assembly. The weekend event is targeted toward parents with students in K-12 and is expected to bring in a nest egg for retailers – about $17 BILLION statewide. 

Friday, July 31, 2009
Cash for Clunkers. The “cash for clunkers” program is running out of the $1 BILLION that Obama set aside to get clunkers off the road. It started on July 1 and has become so popular that by the time 300,000 people have made the trade (trade in a gas guzzle for a mileage efficient vehicle), the money has almost been used up at the end of this month. 

Friday, July 31, 2009
Teachers State-wide Asked to Furlough For 3 Days. Since the recession began (election of Obama), the State has been loosing revenue. To make up for the losses, state government under the leadership of Governor Sonny Perdue has cut the budget by 2.0 BILLION for just one year (2008). The $2.5 BILLION federal stimulus dollars help to recover some losses in local k-12 schools. Now comes the announcement from the Governor’s office that the state budget must be cut another 5% across the board for the year 2010. He has mandated that all teachers take a 3-day furlough which will make up about a half BILLION ($487 million). Authorities say that the next 2 months will be the low point. Also, approximately 160,000 Georgians are out of work and are receiving unemployment insurance. The unemployment rate has reached 10%. 

Friday, July 31, 2009
No Furloughs For Now For Oconee Teachers. Superintendent John Jackson announced that the School Board decided that no Oconee teachers will be furloughed as a result of the Governor’s additional mandate of a 5% cut in the state budget. He said the $1.3 million cut will leave a $56.3 school budget and the cut could be accomplished elsewhere. 

Friday, July 31, 2009
Interesting Note. In DeKalb County (Decatur, Georgia), a county not so far removed from Oconee County (65 miles east – an Atlanta suburb), the police department was alerted by the U S Secret Service that 2 of their officers in Decatur were accused of running criminal background checks on Obama. The DeKalb Police Chief put the 2 officers on leave pending the outcome of an investigation. So now, you may be investigated by the Secret Service and perhaps punished if you “google” the word “obama”. 

Friday, July 31, 2009
Crime Stoppers Announced Reward. Today, Crime Stoppers, a non-profit, made up of police officers, citizens and business owners, will join both the Oconee Sheriff’s office and the Clarke County Police Department to stop burglaries in both counties. It is rare that Crime Stoppers offer rewards for crimes other than murder, rape or kidnapping, but the 3 entities are determined to curb the rash of burglaries in recent months. Oconee Sheriff Berry said that even though the crime is more frequent in Clarke County, burglars are spilling over into Oconee. And worse, they are deviating from the normal break-in during the day when no one is at home and opting for entering and stealing at night when citizens are home. The night burglar poses a greater risk of harm to the victims. The two law enforcement teams have been successful in joining together to fight other crimes in past years and hope to stem the recent trend of burglaries. Sheriff Berry has always advocated for citizens to help in their efforts and believes that the Crime Stoppers Reward will certainly help their efforts. Leads or tips from citizens are called in to the respective law enforcement office at which time the person is given a number which he/she can then take to First American Bank & Trust and receive the reward. 

The End. 

NOTE: The “What Happened” for the Month is a collection of short descriptions for the events that took place within the most recent month, but may not be inclusive. Information listed is from various sources: personal attendance at events, paraphrasing, Washington Post, Associated Press, various Web sites, Fox News TV, George Will and other writers, the Atlanta Constitution, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, the Oconee Enterprise, the Athens Banner Herald, the Augusta Chronicle, the Bainbridge Searchlight News, NewsMax, USA Today, the Patriot and Talk Radio (1340). For details on any item, go to the long write-up under the heading ARTICLE. However, some items on this page may not have a corresponding longer Article.

Categories: General, July 2009
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