aPVOC-GA

Posted By Kate on February 11, 2010

Azalea Time

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

MONTH of MAY 2009

Friday, May 1, 2009
New Building on Oconee Campus Dedicated. The Oconee Campus of the Gainesville State College dedicated its new gym-bookstore-office combination facility, The Bishop Wellness and Activities Hall, with the recognition of the family that gave the land several years ago to build the junior college. Mr and Mrs Harrell and Kathleen Bishop owned a large cattle farm on Experiment Station Road for years. When they retired and moved to Florida, their children, Billy, Bob and Kay

inherited the land. Kay (Shepard) started a 2-year college that met in trailers some 20 years ago. From there, it moved to the present facility (except for the new building) and was occupied by Truitt McConnell Junior College. Later the State bought the school and it became the Gainesville State College.

Friday, May 1, 2009
Run for Governor. One of our Congressmen has decided to throw his hat in the ring for Governor of Georgia – U S Congressman Nathan Deal. Others who have announced are Secretary of State Karen Handel, State Senator Eric Johnson and Lt Governor Casey Cagle who has just announced that he is thinking of backing out of the race because of a back problem, but he will run again for Lt Governor.

Friday, May 1, 2009
Farm City Tour. Every year, the Chamber sponsors a tour of farming in Oconee for all 500 3rd graders in the county. They come in busloads for 2 days to the Phil Campbell Ag Research facility to learn about farming. Under the large oak trees, volunteers set up 6 booths that students visit at 15-minute intervals until a group has visited all 5 displays. An attractive entrance with the words “Welcome to Agriculture In Oconee County written across the top of a door-like structure, bids “enter” to the students. The booths included:
1) a small fenced area with a mama ewe and her lamb
2) a larger fenced in area with a bronze-haired filly
3) a brood of baby chicks and grown hens & roosters
4) a table with a variety of landscaping plants
5) a display of heavy farm equipment and
6) a table with a few tummy carcasses to demonstrate how a cow, horse and dog digests their food. Diane Boykin, Ag Day Coordinator, hopes that something about what these students see and touch today will spark their interest in agriculture to the extent a career will be chosen to farm in Oconee County. The tour started at 8:30 am and concluded at noon. The baby chicks display seemed to be the most popular with the students.

Friday, May 1, 2009
Professor’s Jeep Found in Ravine Near His Home. A cell phone left in the Jeep emitted a signal that authorities followed and discovered that the vehicle had been driven into a deep ravine with the intention of concealing it. Inside the Jeep items were found that indicated that he did not stay long at the location – a bottle of water, cell phone, a map and other paraphernalia were found. Authorities searched about a mile radius but did not find the 57 year-old Zinkhan. The Jeep was found about a mile from his home on Chesterfield Road near the Georgia Mall. The search was called off for a few hours to re-group – thinking perhaps that he has left the state and country.

Friday, May 1, 2009
New President at Oconee Chamber. Yesterday was former Chamber President Charles Grimes last day at the head of the Chamber and today was the first day of employment of the new Chamber President J R Whitfield. He said that he has been traveling the county getting acquainted with all the businesses and believes that the membership could be increased from the current 300 members. He believes the Chamber has not served the businesses on Main Street in Watkinsville. J R has much good experience that can be applied to the position he now holds having coordinated the Oconee Booster Club for many long years. He has a game plan for increasing membership by visiting every business in the county and coming away knowing what they need to increase their bottom line and what the Chamber can do to help in that endeavor. On May 28, the public will have a chance to talk face to face with J R and give input for enlarging the Chamber’s long arm of good neighbor in the community.

Friday, May 1, 2009
US Supreme Court Justice Souter Announces Retirement. Today Justice Souter announced that he would retire after this session ends on Oct 1 2009. He will be heavily involved in several high profile cases on which the court will rule before that time. 1) The Voting Rights Act includes a clause (Section 5) that requires all of 16, mostly Southern states to have proposed election changes approved by the Justice Department. These states contend that for 44 years since the VRA was made law, the south has changed and does not need to have its changes approved (a very long process) before taking effect. 2) The Reverse Discrimination: A group of white firefighters in New Haven Conn. claim that they were discriminated against when test scores were tossed because no blacks passed and therefore no one received a raise. 3) DNA Testing is another case. Justices will determine whether a convicted felon after many years of confinement has a constitutional right to test evidence by DNA testing that could free him. The test has been used in most states to free about 200 persons wrongly convicted of violet crimes. The case is being brought before the court by the State of Alaska which does not currently allow the test. 4) Another case involves discrimination in financial lending practice. NY is presenting the case while all 49 states are in agreement. The argument is whether or not States can investigate National Banks or the Federal Government should investigate. The charge is that the national banks may have discriminated against minorities by charging higher interest rates on home mortgages. The Federal government is blocking NY’s efforts to conduct an investigation by orders from Obama.

Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2, 2009
SouthWorks Begins 14th Year. SouthWorks started in 1996 in Atlanta and has been, every year since, a highlight of Oconee’s Cultural Arts Foundation. This year, it will take place on the mall (outdoor stage) and garden in front of the OCAF Center with food vendors scattered throughout the area. A number of musical bands are scheduled to play all during the day (from 10 am to 5 pm). Special activities are planned for the children. On exhibit will be the art work of 65 artists from Oconee and the region. Inside the OCAF Center is the juried art exhibit representing artists from across the nation. In addition, the Director’s Choice, works by Terry Rowlett, is on display. The weather is clearing and is expected to be partial sun on Saturday.

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Jack Kemp died today. Jack Keep, the candidate for Vice President with Senator Bob dole on the Republican ticket in 1994 was suffering from cancer which he announced in January of 2009. He was a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, served as the first Bush President’s Secretary of Housing and served 9 terms in the US House. After loosing the vp bid, he bowed out of politics. He was known for his staunch belief in supply side economics and wrote several books on the subject.

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Summer Jobs for the Young . The Northeast Georgia RDC (Resource Development Council) which serves the 10-county area has received $1.5 million to hire young people between the ages of 14 and 24 for the summer. The funding comes from the stimulus bill under the Workforce Investment Act. It will cover wages and workman’s compensation for private businesses, government and charitable groups. The duration of the job is about 6 weeks at a pay level of $6.55 per hour. Having heard the news, the RDC has been flooded with abut 2,000 calls from interested potential applicants. The funds will hire only about 650.

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Credit Unions Doing Okay. Mike Mercer, President of the Georgia Credit Union Association announced today that Georgia’s 444 credit unions increased their loans by 8% over last year’s record. He said they have plenty of money to loan. The report (prepared by the Credit Union National Association) cited a 10% increase in Savings since the recession has seen more members cutting back on spending and saving more. No credit unions in Georgia have failed, but 5 banks have closed their doors. It is a testament to the unions conservative approach to management of their institutions.

Saturday, Sunday, May 2 and 3, 2009
Dog Show at Heritage Park. The Oconee River Kennel Club hosted a fabulous dog show at our large Heritage Park with nearly 800 entries and even more dog owners who just came to see the exhibitors. They came from as far as Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, north Carolina and Carrolton and Atlanta, Georgia just to name a few distances. The show lasted 2 days and probably dumped some cash in the local businesses.

Saturday, May 2, 2009
B-B-Q Fund Raiser. First Methodist of Watkinsville is selling b-b-q plates for $7 today at the church from 4 to 7 pm. Patrons are encouraged to go during that time and pick up plates although the dining hall has been prepared for those who wish to eat inside. The plate includes b-b-q, Brunswick Stew, Cole slaw, potato chips, bread, pickles and tea.

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Boy Scout Troop # 149 Celebrates 50 Years. Friendship Presbyterian Church on old Macon Hwy in Oconee County has supported the 149 for 50 years allowing the troop to meet in their Youth room. The church and the troop have seen many different scout leaders come and go, but he who stayed around the longest is Paul Matthews. He has guided many young boys to the ultimate in Scout accomplishments – the Eagle Scout Honor. The celebration of 50 years began at 3 pm and saw about 55 guests of parents and boy scouts.

Sunday, May 3, 2009
Oconee First Baptist Church Ground Breaking for Expansion. The new edition in Phase I according to member Bob Bishop will be a 2-story, 22,000 sq ft educational building for K-5 children. The cost is estimated to be about $2.5 million, $1.65 million pledged and another $500,000 in the bank. Phase II will include a sanctuary that will hold 1,200 seats, a commercial kitchen and additional parking. Phase III will include another educational building, a children’s playground and administrative offices. All phases located on the 12 acres in the corner of Simonton Bridge Road and Norton Road that was donated to the Church in 1969 by local member , former Ag Commissioner, Phil Campbell. Church attendance in 1970 was a bit over 200 and since its move to Simonton Bridge Road from downtown Watkinsville is now nearly 1000.

Sunday, May 3, 2009
Students Selected for the Governor’s Honors Program. Students from Oconee’s Athens Academy have been selected to participate in the Governor’s Honors 6-Week Program in summer of 2009 at Valdosta State College – Michael Lai and Christine Shaw. Students are chosen for their academic and artistic talent, Lai will participate in the math program and Shaw will participate in the social studies program.

Monday, May 4, 2009
Stimulus Money for Oconee Bd of Education. Although Superintendent John Jackson did not specify the exact amount, the federal funds will allow the system to reverse measures that had been taken to balance the budget: Part time teachers will be back on the job; 3 new assistant principals will be hired at the elementary level; some positions that were vacant due to retirements will now be filled; and some equipment and study materials will be purchased.

Monday, May 4, 2009
Murderer’s Passport In Jeep.   Suspected Murderer George Zinkhan who took the lives of 3 people at the Town & Gown Location in Athens has been missing now for 7 days. After discovering his passport in his 2005 Jeep Liberty, investigators believe that he is still in the states – which state they aren’t sure but will continue the hunt in the Athens area for now.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
County Shortfall of $1.2 Million. Last month, County Finance Officer, Jeff Benko found that the 2010 budget was a little over 1 million dollars short, but at tonight’s BOC meeting, he said he had found a way to cover that loss. To replace that shortage, Benko said that the positions left vacant by retirement would not be refilled, saving about $400,000. Another $300,000 was to be spent from the Capitol Funds Account and now will not, making the savings total $700,000 so far. The rest ($500,000) will come from all the departments that will hold off on additional spending or hiring. A question asked of the Chairman about raising taxes – he gave the following answer: “County Government has not raised the millage rate for the last 6 years, but this year we may be forced to do just that if the economy gets worse” (read: county revenue from sales tax continues to drop dramatically).

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Road Repair for the County. At the same BOC meeting, Public Works Director, Emil Beshara told the Commissioners of the roads that will be repaired and bridges that will get a new coat of paint. The Mars Hill Bridge is on the list as well as 3 others. Resurfacing will occur on 9 roads after pot holes have been filled and frayed road shoulders have be redone. Roads on the list are: Overlook Drive, Mariam Place, Pleasant Court, Gober Road, Choyce Johnson Road, Flat Rock, Garrett Road, Red Oak Court and McGee’s Mill Road. Bridge repair will occur for the one on J T Elder Road and the one over McNutt Creek as well as the Branch Road Bridge, Freeman Creek Bridge and Greenbriar Creek Bridge. Others are Simonton Bridge over the Middle Oconee River and Epps Bridge over McNutt Creek.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Swine Flu. Farmers and the food inspection section of the USDA wants the public to know that swine flu (also known as H1N1) is not caused from eating pork or pork products. The World Health Organization recommends that the strain not be called swine flu, but rather “North American Influenza,” which is strange since it originated outside of North American in the country of Mexico.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
GM Revenue Gone South. GM announced that their revenue has tanked to half since consumers have lost confidence in the automaker driving them further toward bankruptsy even after the federal government has poured BILLIONS into their coffers. They report a $6 BILLION loss during the 1st quarter of 2009 ($39 BILLION in the 3rd quarter of 2007). The global market share fell also such as former customers expressed doubt in the company’s health in Brazil lately. GM has been operating on $15.4 BILLION federal loans and owes $54.4 BILLION to various parties and the federal government. GM expects to need an additional $2.5 BILLION this month and $9 BILLION more by the end of the year. The company has been mandated to complete restructuring by June 1, 2009 or else file for Chapter 11.

Tuesday, May 5, 2010
Tax Increase for Clarke County Residents. A notice was published in the ABH that the Athens-Clarke County Commission is about to impose an increase of the county millage rate that will result in a 5% increase on property taxes. Citizens are invited to attend the public meeting to make input at the Planning Auditorium on Dougherty Street today at 5:30 pm.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
BOC Gripes About County Government Structure. The meeting was scheduled to discuss an improvement in the way the county does business – but it was essentially to hear complaints from the 4 Commissioners about how Chairman Melvin Davis leaves them out of the loop in distribution and receiving of information pertinent to their decision making. It lasted almost 4 hours. All Commissioners wanted county employees to report to all of them and not to just the Chairman. Most were concerned about the hierarchy of authority and how they had no authority other than to vote yea or nay on important issues. Some thought that the chairman should have to vote on all issues and not just to break a tie. Lack of communication from the Chair was repeated over and over. Curiously, the 4 Commissioners wanted authority for managing the various departments handed over to Alan Theriault who is acting as a county manager and for Theriault to report to each Commissioner. With Theriault being saddled with such a heavy workload, the 4 Commissioners may still be “left out of the loop.” So, one wonders what is the real reason that the 4 wanted the Chair to have little or no power in county decision making. Going around the Chair will not set well with Georgia Law in which the responsibilities of a County Chair are designated as the highest official in the county. Some of the desired changes will require an approval by the State Legislature.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009          
 Ag Day for Oconee 3^rd Graders.    Each year, the Chamber of Commerce and the 4-H Extension Service become a team to sponsor a whole day for students to observe real life agriculture career personnel in their settings – a great field trip. For the 10^th year, the students this year visited 6 stations set up at the Phil Campbell Research Center on Experiment Station Road which included the following themes: Poultry with baby chicks for petting; Equestrianism with a show horse; Horticulture with demonstrations of plant care; Solid Waste Management with demos for recycling; Bovine Research with explanation of bovine digestive tract with a real stomach; and Heavy equipment with students “driving“  the big rigs. Extension Agent Henry Hibbs said that for many years, he took the programs of each theme directly to the schools before they realized that stations set up in one location would better acquaint the student with Agriculture Businesses in Oconee.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Bald Heads for 8-yr old Cancer Patient. When Patrick Brannen learned that the knot that appeared on his leg was a cancerous tumor, he knew it would mean going through treatment and loosing his hair and to an 8-yr old – that is embarrassing. So his Dad decided to have his head shaved to try to calm his son’s fears about being different among his peers at school. The word got out and 45 people (classmates, teachers and coaches) shaved their heads at a shaving party in concern for Patrick. All this happened at Prince Avenue Christian Church in Oconee County.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Clickers – New Instructional Technology. The Oconee school system has approved the purchase and installation of “Clickers” in each classroom for middle and high schools and has hired 2 instructional technology specialists to troubleshoot while teachers are trained to use the system. Plans are to hire more specialists – one for each school – in the future. The Clickers – similar to remote controls – are designed to allow the student to ask questions at any time during a lesson. Instructors can display the answers immediately with immediate feedback to the student or the whole class. Also, tests can be administrated electronically with immediate feedback. It will also give teachers the ability to quickly assess the student’s learning needs. The goal is to support a classroom culture in which technology usage is the norm rather than the exception, said Superintendent John Jackson.

Thursday, May 7, 2009
Pavilion Dedicated at Hardigree Wildlife Sanctuary. Tom Bell is a long standing member of the Oconee County Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D) that encompasses 14 local area counties, Oconee being one of them. He conceptualized the Hardigree Wildlife Sanctuary Pavilion many years ago and through the years, it has slowly evolved through volunteer work and grants. Today it was dedicated before a crowd of about 50 members and the public. The area has been developed for holding educational classes there for elementary school children from all the counties that are members. It contains about 87 acres of pasture, forest, a small lake with a bridge, a small stream, the Hardigree home place, wildlife feeding troughs, bird houses and the pavilion with tables and chairs. It will seat about 75 people and is also ideal for group picnics.

Thursday, May 7, 2009
Colonel John W Roberts, Jr. Died Today. US Army Colonel Roberts of Watkinsville, 81 suffered heart problems for many years. Among his many community activities, he was an avid advocate for the American Veteran. He was a member of Fundraising Committee for the building of the Oconee Veterans Memorial monument and expressed that he hoped to live long enough to see it completed which he did by 10 months. Col Roberts leaves his wife Peggy of 56 years and their 6 children and a brother, Kenneth Roberts of Plant City, FL.

Thursday, May 7, 2009
Obama Cuts Wasteful Programs. After naming federal programs that have been deemed unnecessary and wasteful and are headed for the chopping block, some of the same programs have received stimulus money to the tune of $500,000. Obama cited 121 programs (to save $17 BILLION) to be eliminated in his $3.6 TRILLION budget, but found out later that not only have they not been cut but have received additional funding. Most of these projects were authorized by Congress and were not based on merit. Critics say that Obama and his Congress are “talking out of both sides of their mouth” in trying to justify their huge spending and the incurred debt for decades to come.

Friday, May 8, 2009
The Community Don-Jon B-B-Q. Donald Hansford, local attorney and Jon Williams, Land Planner of Williams & Associates, Inc held their 10th community b-b-q today at lunch and over 400 attended. Years ago, the 2 men decided to thank the community for growing their businesses and had no idea that it would grow to be so successful. “People in the community look forward every year about this time to having a b-b-q with Don and Jon” goes the sentiment of most attendees. The Southern Pride country music band provided the joyous sound for the gathering. Don & Jon donated $1 to Extra Special People (mentally challenged summer program) for each plate served. The rain held off and the fellowship was enjoyed without the usual political slant.

Friday, May 8, 2009
Fire Fighters Banquet. More than 300 people attended the Banquet/Appreciation Dinner at the Oconee Civic Center. Those honored or recognized for outstanding performance and respect were the following: the banquet was dedicated to Retiring (after 20 years of service) EMA Director Quentin Still; 15 Fire Fighter Class I graduates; the families of Sgt Luke Mercardante and Oconee Deputy David Gilstrap both killed in the line of duty; Joe Berryman retiring after 28 years of service; Nelson Wilbanks retiring after 20 years of service; Publisher Vinnie Williams for her monetary support of the annual banquet; and a Fire Fighter of the Year from each of the 7 stations. Mrs Williams received a dozen red roses and a plaque from the Burn Foundation for a donation made in her honor. The Getch family was there to thank the fire fighters for saving their 16 year old son’s (Ricky Getch) life after a car accident in March 2009.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Farmers Market Opens for Season. Each year in May, local food growers and craft artists gather at the Eagle Tavern in Watkinsville to sell their goods to the public. This year, the location moved to the back of the Tavern since a landscape make-over of the front lawn of the Tavern was completed in early March. The move takes part of the market away from Main Street, but vendors hope the riding public will still visit their booths. For a beginning, goods included a variety of fruits and veggies, although a bit scarce since the growing season for food has just begun; homemade pies and cakes, free-range eggs, fresh cut flowers, salsa, birdhouses, homemade soaps and homemade greeting cards. Karl Berg, Director invites all to come each Saturday morning from 8 am to 12 noon – it gets better and better as the summer progresses – as indicated on their attractive web site: oconeefm@yahoo.com.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Fire Arms Class for Women. 19 women met at Sheriff Scott Berry’s Office at 8:00 am to engaged in learning how to fire their weapons safely. First, for about 2 hours, 3 deputies from the office spoke and gave out information concerning Georgia Law and the ownership and responsibility of gun owners. About 10:am, they went by van to the county firing range and participated in learning to better handle their guns (proper loading and unloading and did some practice shooting from about 7 yards – the average distance that an intruder into the home would be from the home owner. All the women enjoyed the class, the firing range and took away much information on how to handle guns safely.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
UGA Bestows Over 5,100 Degrees. In Sanford Stadium, US Rep Jack Kingston (Savannah) gave the 4,000 undergraduates cheerful advice in spite of the sagging economy. “You will be better for the hard times you have had to endure. The service sector will always be hiring. Technology will advance more in the next 20 years than it has in the last 100” and you will be in the midst of it. About 1,100 individuals received advanced degrees also. Now let the good summer begin.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Professor’s Body found. Officials decided to go back to the area where his Jeep was found and search the area again with cadaver dogs which found his body in a shallow grave covered and well hidden with dirt and brush – exactly 14 days after the fatal shooting. An autopsy revealed that he had probably been dead from a self-inflected wound for an estimated time of 5 to 14 days although the scent was stronger than the possibility that he had just buried himself on the 13th or 14th day. The location of the grave was about a mile from the location of the abandoned Jeep. The evidence found was the .38 caliber revolver, a .22 caliber semiautomatic pistol, a box of bullets, shovel and clothing. No note of suicide was found. No food was found to indicate that he had planned to hide in the woods for an extended time period. Reports from friends are saying that his wife Maria was about to divorce him and they had been attending counseling sessions to reconcile their differences. Their 2 children are staying with relatives. Most likely the case will be closed without ever finding out other details.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Oconee’s Movie In The Park. For five years, the Parks & Recreation Department has sponsored a movie shown on a big plastic screen outdoors in the park. This year, more than 2,500 family members attended – more than all the other years. “It’s just a great way for a family to enjoy each other, their friends and a good wholesome movie for free,” reminds Lisa Davol, Interim Director of the Park. The movie shown was “Kung Fu Panda” about a panda who wants to be a master at kung fu. The sponsor this year was Waugh & Allen Orthodontics. Concessions were supplied by Chick-fil-A and The Big Easy, both of Oconee County.

Sunday, May 10, 2009
Consumer Credit Falling. Credit use by the consumer has fallen the fastest in 18 years as reported in USA Today. That amounts to an estimated $11.1 BILLION less borrowing since 1943 according to Federal Reserve. Consumer spending amounts to about ¾ of the total spending in the US. Americans have put away their credit cards and kept their cash as the economy falls even further. Businesses are trying very hard to encourage more shopping and buying with sales and discounts.

Sunday, May 10, 2009
Scam Artists Abundant During Recession. Beware the con artist over the phone or internet or e-mail – they are abundant during a recession especially a falling economy so strong as the current one. All States are reporting a range of complaints about scams including car sales, extended warranties on vehicles and household appliances, swine flu cures, debt settlement plans, et al. The Federal Trade Commission recorded 450,000 complaints for the last 3 months from persons who had registered their phone numbers on the Do-Not-Call list. Scammers are getting more creative using scare tactics especially aimed at the elderly. Those often seen on TV are organizations that advertise plans to settle debt with owing less and to pay off credit card debts completely. Some of these plans can leave the consumer worse off than before they answered the ad. Attorney General of Indiana issued a statement refuting the claim that telemarketers made claiming a swine flu kit was mandated by the government. He said it was absolutely false and that no flu shot has ever been mandated by the government in Indiana. Consumers beware.

Monday, May 11, 2009
Shuttle Launched to Repair Hubble Telescope. Today, from Cape Canaveral in Florida, the space shuttle, Atlantis made a dramatic but standard take-off. When reaching the Telescope some 350 miles above the earth, the crew will replace the camera, install new computer equipment and install a new supersensitive spectrograph that will detect very faint light from distance stars among other repairs that the 19 year old telescope needs. It was first launched in 1990 with a flawed mirror but has performed extraordinarily sending back to earth an enormous amount of information about our universe. It is being repaired to get at least another 20 years of information. The crew is to return to earth on the 11th day – May 22, 2009.

Monday, May 11, 2009
North High Shoals Council More Congenial Now. After indication of a lot of mistrust in the past year among members of the Council, a recent retreat was planned so that all members could be candid in their assessment of the direction to which the small town should be headed. They discussed positive goals face to face in the presence of Jim Dove of the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Commission and were able to move forward on consensus. The town has hired a new treasurer, Kate George at 60 hours per year. Carolyn Pritchett was hired as clerk at 16 hours per week. The town budget is about $16,000 for a population of 439.

Monday, May 11, 2009
2010 Education Budget – Property Tax Will Remain Flat. At the meeting, the Board approved a $57.4 million budget for the coming year. Although the property tax will stay the same, the millage rate will increase by 1, from 16.5 to 17.5 to be applied to the bonded indebtedness. There will be no further reductions in State cuts from now to the end of this fiscal year – June 30, 2008. However, further cuts may come next year. For technology support, 10 new information technicians were hire for the coming year to be assigned to each school for technical troubleshooting. The new High Shoals Elementary School is fully staffed – taken mostly from current school district positions where cutbacks could be tolerated without disruption of quality classroom instruction.

Monday, May 11, 2009
Stimulus Money for Oconee County. At the Oconee Development Authority, Randy Haygood asked the Authority to support a grant that his department will write to receive funds under the new law, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Package) to fund development and construction of the Lumpkin Branch sanity sewer and pump station. The Commission noted that they were in agreement to send a resolution at their May 19 work session meeting to GEFA (Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority) in support of the grant.

Monday, May 11, 2009
Town of Bishop Sets 2010 Budget.Oconee 4-yr Old Missing. JJ Keyes who lives at 108 White Street with his mother, Kelly Keyes wandered out of the home early today. About 7:30 am, Kelly found him missing from his bed and began searching everywhere in the home and outside. He was no where to be found. Since he is an autistic child, she knew he would not answer to calls of his name, so she contacted the Oconee Sheriff who called the Watkinsville Police Dept and the Oconee Fire Dept which began an immediate all out search. About 9:16 am, JJ was found in the back seat of the family Dodge Neon parked in the yard, covered with a blanket and sound asleep. The vehicle had been checked twice that morning by the mother and a police officer. The K-9 police dog had traced his scent from his home on White Street, turning on Thrasher Drive going toward US 441 where the scent stopped just before the busy highway which indicates that JJ turned around and went back home to climb into the Dodge Neon. A relieved and happy mother thanked law enforcement and the Fire Department.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
For Missing Children- GA CHIPS Program. The Masonic Fraternity of Georgia sponsors in conjunction with Georgia Law Enforcement in each county, a program to identify lost children, ages birth to 18 years, immediately upon news of their missing. It is called the Child Identification Program System (CHIPS). These programs are set up by Masonic personal from local lodges in each community at a location best suited for gathering of children. The child’s age, height, weight, color of eyes and hair and an imprint of the teeth are recorded in a computer program that also takes a picture of the child being interviewed to get personal characteristics of the voice. These are recorded on a CD. Once all the information is transferred to a CD, it is no longer on record in the computer. The CD is labeled and given to the parent or guardian to keep in a safe place at home. If their child goes missing, the CD is given to local law enforcement (or any Law Officer in Georgia) immediately and an Amber Alert is transmitted all over Georgia. Such quick action and complete identification info, a child can be found shortly after being lost. About 3,000 parents have their CDs. The goal of the Fraternity is to make a CD of every child in Georgia. Check the Oconee Enterprise often for the date of the next session conducted by Masonic Lodge #731 in Watkinsville.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Drug Tests for Oconee Students. The Oconee County Board of Education all agreed to pass a policy to randomly test for drugs and alcohol for all students that drive their own vehicles and/or play sports beginning in the fall of the 2009-10 school year. Students at both high schools will be required to sign a consent form for the testing before they can participate in any sport. Also, the consent form will be part of the parking permit for drivers.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Relay For Life Total.UGA Can Furlough Tenured Faculty Now The Board of Regents have declared that the presidents of the 35 colleges and universities in the State can now furlough tenured professors during a time of economic stress that adversely affects the financial status of the schools. UGA employs 40,000 people including professors, researchers, office personnel, and all other positions. Professional positions take up about ¼ of the number of employees, but requires 50% of the total money spent on salaries. The President of each facility will have the authority to say to whom and for how long a furlough will be imposed.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Oconee Enterprise Closed on Wednesdays. As of today, the staff of the Oconee Enterprise have decided to close the office on Wednesdays because they are so hurried with getting the deadlines made in the mock-up paper to send to the printer by 11:30 am, that they do not have time to converse with anyone who enters the office. The closed sign will be honored from henceforth until further notice.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Watkinsville City Council Passed Package Ordinance. Only one person spoke against and no one spoke for the proposed ordinance to allow and regulate the sale of packaged beer and wine. The vote was 3 to 2 with Mike Link and Brian Brodrick voting against it and Samantha Purcell, John Walsh and Joe Walter voting for. It is very strict with a requirement of 80% food sales and only 20% alcoholic drinks of the total intake of an establishment on one day. It is meant for restaurants and not package liquor stores. It also prevents the sale of single bottles of beer, cases of beer or kegs. The ordinance also provides for revocation of a license if proprietor sells to a minor – first time offense.

Thursday, May 14, 2009
Obama Reverses Stand on Release of Photos. After announcing that he wanted the Photos showing American soldiers abusing Al Qaida terrorists released to the media, he reversed his action and will take the case to the US Supreme Court for a decision. (The lower courts had already ruled to have the photos released.) He now believes that such pictures will inflame the enemy in Afghanistan against the American military, the first good decision he has made since occupying the Oval Office.

Thursday, May 14, 2009
House Speaker Pelosi’s Accusation of CIA. Pelosi claims that she was not told of the controversial interrogation methods used by the Bush Administration on terrorist captives. In essence, she said the CIA lied when they said she was briefed. This has become the number one topic of discussion in Washington. The CIA is expected to respond soon.

Thursday, May 14, 2009
School Choice Law Signed. Although Oconee parents may be pleased, the law has a few caveats: 1) students must live in the same county as the school of choice; 2) the students needs are not being met at their current school; 3) classroom vacancy must exists; and 4) parents must furnish transportation. Mark Channell, Director of Student Services is trying to figure out what it means to the Oconee Schools System pending further explanation from the Department of Education of the bill that Governor Perdue signed. It also restricts transfer students from participating in sports until they have attended one year at the new school.

Friday, May 15, 2009
GM to Slash 1,100 Dealerships. More cuts are expected, as automaker plans to sell or close four of its brands — Saturn, Hummer, Saab and Pontiac — and shrink its retail network by 40 percent. General Motors notified 1,100 of its dealers today that it would not renew their franchise contracts when they expire next year, slashing 18 percent of its sprawling retail network. “You have been identified as an underperforming dealer,” said a letter from GM to these dealers. Instead of immediately terminating contracts, as Chrysler did, rejected GM dealerships are expected to wind down their businesses by October 2010. Some dealers could receive financial incentives or help in selling their inventory. In early June, GM will follow up with another letter advising dealers how to shift their 65,000 vehicles and extra parts and transition employees.

Friday, May 15, 2009
CIA Chief Leon Panetta Responds to Pelosi. “CIA Does Not Mislead Congressional Members,” said the CIA Boss. A controversy has spread that has grown to include both political parties, the spy agency and the White House to come full circle – the attention getter, since yesterday. “It is not the policy of this agency to mislead the United States Congress,” responded CIA spokesman George Little. CIA Director Leon Panetta publically rejected Pelosi’s charge that the Agency misled her. He said that CIA told Congressional leaders about the use of such methods during a secret meeting in 2002. Congressmen from both parties are calling for an investigation which detracts from Obama’s focus on reforming Health Care. What did Pelosi know and when did she know it? And is she lying? A politician such as Pelosi should not accuse the CIA because they may have damaging information on her that will come out later. Her reputation is on the line. Stay tuned.

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Winterville Marigold Festival. Today, Winterville will hold its traditional festival after an absence of 7 years. It will start at 9 am and conclude at 4 pm. Usually about 7,000 people attend to enjoy the many varied festivities.

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Burglaries Reported at Market Center. A rash of burglaries have been reported lately in Oconee County including the break-in of 3 units in Market Center, a small shopping mall off of Hog Mountain Road adjacent to the Oconee Chapel Funeral Home. Fantastic Nails, La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant and Scoops Ice Cream Place were burglarized by breaking windows and taking the money and cash box. A 24-year old from Jefferson was apprehended a few yards down the road at another small shopping center on Hog Mountain Road called Colony Square adjacent to Watkinsville Presbyterian Church as he was approaching a business there at about 5:30 am. Break-in tools were found in the trunk of his car.

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Obama’s Cabinet Discussed. The Oconee County Library will host a slide show and discussion of the members of the Obama Cabinet on Sunday at 4 pm for the public. Professor Larry Nackerud, an expert on immigration policy from UGA will lead the discussion. The event is sponsored by the Oconee County Democratic Party.

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Home Schooled Student Selected. Christina Meshelle Cave was chosen by US Rep Paul Broun to attend the Air Force Academy in the fall. Cave is 18, was home schooled and is among 11 other seniors selected by Broun to attend a Military Academy. Cave lives in Bishop with her parents Alan & Lisa Cave.

Monday, May 18, 2009
Fundraiser For School Supplies. Colham Ferry Elementary School tries a new twist to fundraising – a talent show performed by the entire faculty who dressed and performed as famous people – Miley Cyrus, Nat King Cole, Sonny & Cher, Tina Turner and others. The music and MC were provided by DJ Danny Roland. Hot dogs were provided by parents and teachers. The whole front lawn was set up for an audience of students and their parents and friends. Over 300 attended and over $3000 was raised for school supplies for the coming school year.

Monday, May 18, 2009
Innovation Crescent. Representatives from Oconee County as well as others from 13 surrounding counties attended the Biotechnology Industry Organization‘s (BIO) International Convention at the World Congress Center in Atlanta today. The Innovation Crescent Regional Partnership is a collection of 13 communities and organizations in NE Georgia working together to recruit, retain and expand the bio-rich region stemming from Atlanta to Athens. “BIO has provided great exposure for the Innovation Crescent, as well as all bioscience companies and groups in Georgia and the Southeast,” Oconee’s Economic Development Director, Rusty Haygood said. “As a partnership, we can offer a wide range of options, from high rise offices in Atlanta to green space in nearby Barrow County. It`s very gratifying to see international recognition of the region and all it has to offer to support growth of the life science industry.” The Innovation Crescent was unveiled this summer as the brand name for the geographic area extending from metro Atlanta to Athens. Georgia’s Innovation Crescent is anchored by the nation’s busiest airport, with Atlanta on one end and Athens-Clarke County, home of the University of Georgia, on the other. The Innovation Crescent will be the cornerstone of Georgia’s global branding campaign for the life sciences industry, aiming to create name recognition similar to the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina or Silicon Valley in California. The Innovation Crescent encompasses 13 counties working together to market the region. There is an impressive team of regional partners, including local economic developers, chambers of commerce, state officials and Georgia Bio to deliver the message. Organizers plan to let the world know that Georgia is a major life sciences hub. Georgia life science firms raised $469 million from 1995 to 2004, and there is more than 85,000 square feet of life science incubator space in the Innovation Crescent, according to state estimates. The Innovation Crescent was designated as a “Work Ready Region” and given a $500,000 grant. The long-term goal is to retain and expand bioscience companies, while fostering an education system that provides skilled workers to help the area grow. The vision is to be recognized as an international, unique hub of life science talent in this area.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Oconee Pilot Club Hosted Party for Mental Health. Those members attending were: Rosa Hall, June McKenzie, Tina Eades, Ginger Randall, Bette Davis, Ann Giles, Joy Elder, Mimi Klein, Cathy Morehead, Mary Mattocks. Jim Parker of Northeast Georgia Mental Health of America coordinated the event. Proceeds from the Bingo games will support about 41 mentally challenged persons from the local area.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Commissioners Unhappy With Chairman’s Role. The 4 County Commissioners have expressed dislike for the way the Chairman runs the county. Their biggest complaint is that he micro-manages and does not include the 4 of them in the loop with pertinent information. At the Tuesday night meeting, the group discussed reducing some responsibility of the Chairman and give the administrators – Finance Officer Jeff Benko and County Adm Alan Theriault more responsibility and make them accountable to all Commissioners rather than just to the Chairman. According to the study by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the county structure allows county business to be operated in a very efficient manner compared to other county governments included in the study, but Commissioners want to change the structure of “who’s responsible to whom” without making major changes that would have to be approved by the General Assembly. County Attorney Daniel Haygood reminded that Georgia Law is written that the Chairman of a Commission wears 2 hats – the CEO of the County and the agent of the Board. At the end of the meeting, they agreed to continue to tweak the responsibilities of the Chairman at a future meeting. According to Commissioner Margaret Hale, much more needs to be done.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Oconee 7^th Grader In National Geography Bee.    Pranav Bhandarkar, 12 years old is in Washington D C this morning competing for the title of National Geography Bee Winner and for a $25,000 cash prize. He won the State Geography Bee this year and will compete today among 54 other state winners.  The finals will be televised on the National Geographic Channel. Pranav attends Malcom Bridge Middle School and is always involved in projects related to geography – maps and statistics about places he’s never been but appear on world maps. If it’s on the map, he knows about it in depth.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Raids Find Fencing of Stolen Property. Today, law enforcement in Clarke, Gwinnett and Oconee Counties raided businesses and homes to find a fencing operation that included stolen property (mostly electronic – flat screen TVs, computers, cell phones, etc) and arrested 9 people.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Obama Signs Homeowner Bill. Congress has passed a bill to encourage banks to spare homeowners from foreclosure on their homes. It’s called Helping Families Save their Homes Act. The bill encourages lenders to rewrite the mortgage agreement to favor the homeowner with a lower monthly payment by wiping out the high interest rate and re-figure the loan for 30 years. Only a handful of home owners qualify so far because of the restrictions, but it was intended to help as many as 400,000 homeowners. Owners who deliberately defaulted on their loans are banned. The Act is to expire in 2011.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Congress Targets Credit Card Companies. The Congressional action is meant to stop credit card increases and excessive fees. It gives the companies 9 months to change their interest and fee policy. The consumer would also get 45 days of grace before the company could charge additional fees for late payments. It also restricts a person under the age of 21 from obtaining a card unless they could show financial proof that they could pay off debts on time or unless they could provide a co-signer to back up any late payments. The companies have balked saying that that giving loans with no collateral and little evidence that the customer is reliable is very risky. They have promised to fight the action.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Assembly Freezes Property Tax Appraisals. Tax Appraiser, Allen Skinner says the appraisal notice is in the mail to about 14,000 county property owners. This year, the appraisal is frozen for 3 years in light of the recession as mandated by the passage of Bill 233. Citizens are given about 6 months to appeal before the tax will be mailed in November and hopefully paid before the end of the year. Since property taxes have been steadily increasing and now seems to be leveling off (due to the recession), the freeze will mean less revenue for the county in which to do business. Less revenue may be interrupted as less services depending on the length and strength of the recession. Will the citizens be happy with less county services?

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Watkinsville Council Passes Package Ordinance. It was a 3 to 2 vote with Samantha Purcell, John Walsh and Joe Walter voting “yes” and Brian Brodrick and Mike Link voting “no.” Last year, the Council and the public exhibited some opinion against the ordinance, but tonight, that opposition from the public was absent. The package ordinance is very conservative according to the city attorney and will be controlled to prohibit any unlawful activity surrounding the sale. It will go into affect July 1, 2009 said the mayor.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sarah Bell Will Run For Chairman Again. Sarah Bell has been attending more county meetings the past year. She lost the election as a candidate against current Chairman Melvin Davis by only a few hundred votes in November 2008. Now she is fired up to run again to do a repeat in 2012. Spectulation is that Chairman Davis will retire after this term and the position is up for grabs. However, she may have some stiff competition from Commissioner Chuck Horton and by that time – 3 years from now – others may throw their hats in the ring. It will be interesting.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Monroe Officials Sell Gas Company That Services Oconee. City Officials have sold the company that supplies gas to about 500 Oconee residents to Atlanta Gas Company. It includes residents in Lane Creek Subdivision plus a few other in surrounding neighborhoods who will not notice much difference in their gas bills. The company plans to send out a notice explaining the change over and when it will occur.

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Georgia Aquatics Opens 4th Pool. For $2.7 million and 2 years of construction, Bob Thomsen has built 4 pools in Oconee County. The latest is a 6-lane outside competition pool measuring over 4000 sq ft to hold 185 gallons of water and heated by solar energy. It includes a wading pool for the little ones while the older children compete. The others include an inside pool, another inside pool with adjacent walls for lessons and the third is an outdoor recreational pool. When Thomsen was taking his daughter for swimming lessons to Athens daily, he decided that Oconee County needed such facilities nearer home. The public’s interest and need for a place to practice exploded and that set the plans rolling for the present facilities located at the corner of US 441 and New High Shoals Road. It has been a most successful venture and more and more Oconee Students are becoming top competitors in the area. The ribbon was cut today for the latest pool’s grand opening.

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Chamber Presents MiniGrants to Teachers. Teachers who received grants are:
1) Claire Ashley (Guided Reading Instruction in Kindergarten)
2) Mary Ann Naclerio (Young Authors Club Project)
3) Sharon Golden (1-2-3s of Kindergarten)
4) Carolyn Akridge (A Musical Journey to Africa)
5) Barbara Sims (Teaching Conceptual Math As The Key to Success)
6) Patricia Harrison (Fitness Project)
7) Lynn Hendren (Ready-Set-Flip)
Karen Solheim (Honoring the Holocaust, Lest We Forget)
9) Susan Abell (Succeeding With Reading)
10) Adam Crawley (Novel Class Sets).
They were recognized at the home of Norm Grayson on Grayson Road in Oconee County. The Chamber sponsored the breakfast (Morning Coffee).

Friday, May 22, 2009
Test Scores for Oconee Students. The results of the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) have come in and Oconee Students, once again, scored in the 95% percentile, a slight increase over the year before. In only one area, social studies, did the scores show a slight drop. Graduation rates for Oconee High Schools has remained stable – at 88.8%.
* Top 6 Districts – Highest Graduation Rates
* G.R. = Graduation Rate (average for high schools managed)
1. Comm. City, Comm. H Sch, Comm., Jackson Co, GR-98.61%
2. Decatur City, Decatur H Sch, Decatur, Dekalb Co, GR-94.70%
3. Bremen City, Bremen H Sch, Bremen, Haralson Co, GR-92.71%
4. Fayette Co, Fayette Co H Sch, Fayetteville, Fayette Co, GR-91.33%
5. Fayette Co, Mcintosh H Sch, Pchtree City, Fayette Co, GR-91.33%
6. Fayette Co, Sandy Crk H Sch, Tyrone, Fayette Co, GR-91.33%
7. Fayette Co, Starrs Mill H Sch, Fayetteville, Fayette Co, GR-91.33%
5. Jefferson City, Jefferson H Sch, Jefferson, Jackson Co, GR-89.04%
6. Oconee Co, North Oconee H Sch, Bogart, Oconee Co, GR-88.86%

Saturday, May 23, 2009
You May Loose Your Right to Vote. If you haven’t voted in the last 2 elections, your name will be taken off the registration roll list. This year, cards were sent out before the election to remind voters to correct any mistakes. Some 50 cards were returned to the Elections Office with “no such address” meaning they have moved out of the county or for any number of reasons. Such names will be purged from the roll to keep an up to date list of registered voters. Be sure your name is on the list by contacting the Elections Office before the next election. An identification document is now required to prove that you are a U S citizen and a resident of Oconee County.

Monday, May 25, 2009
Veterans Remembered. Many events were planned for the day in several counties: 2 in Oconee County. 1) Veterans Day Remembrance at the Veterans Park on Hwy 53 with injured 1st Lt Josh Darnell (an Oconee native and High School graduate as the guest speaker to some 200 guests. A 21-gun salute with muskets was fired by an honor guard. The other 2) took place in the Crystal Hills Subdivision to a similar number of people. Those in the subdivision honored Sgt Luke Mercardante, killed in Afghanistan in April 2009. His son Luke Junior was presented a flag that had flown over the nation’s Capitol by Rep Paul Broun. The Crystals Hills event collected donations that will go to the Young Life Organization, a ministry for middle and high school students with a Christian emphasis.

Monday, May 25, 2009
Concert On The Lawn Starts New Season. David Shearon, owner of Ashford Bed & Breakfast announced today that a few changes will occur this year. 4 (not 1), restaurants will take orders for lawn food to be picked up for the evening’s concert – Maison Bleu, Barberitos, Mirko Pasta and Girasoles. Alcohol will not be sold but attendees may bring their own as well as bring their own food. Also, another change – there will be more music but fewer concerts. Tonight, The Packway Handle Band starts the series. This year’s schedule beginning June 8, includes 1) Sons of Sailors, 2) The Highballs, 3) Greg Hester, 4) The Lazy B and the Recliners, 5) Grogus Latin Jazz, 6) Randall Bramblett, 7) Mama’s Love and Dirk Howell’s beach music. Tickets are $12 for adult and begins at 6 pm instead of 7 pm. The concerts are planned with the family in mind.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
More Cuts Needed to Balance County’s Budget. The budget stands at $34.7 million now. It was $39.4 million last year. After a $4.7 million cut, the budget falls short about $1 million. The members of the board expressed no desire to take from the $11 million savings to make up the loss because of the likelihood that the economy will not recover within the next year and the a reduction in the county revenues is expected to continue. Most Commissioners agreed that increasing the millage rate is not the way to meet immediate needs, so the only thing left to do is reduce spending in any department that can take the cuts without reducing services. They are expected to work out the details before the next meeting on June 2, 2009.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Bear Creek Reservoir Boat Ramp Rules. The Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority member counties (Barrow, Jackson, Clarke, Oconee) have agreed to rules that will apply to the use of fishing boats at the reservoir. Change of hours opened: From 6 am to 9 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from May to September and 6 am to 5 pm from October to April. Fees are as follows: $25 per year or $5 per day for adults. Day passes are $3 for the disabled, Older than 65, those under the age of 18 and veterans. Since the ramp is located at the Reservoir that is in Jackson County, the Authority that county the authority to change the hours depending on the circumstances (i.e., a fishing tournament).The Park cost $310,000 and will be operated for a cost of $19,590 which is being shared by all 4 counties.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
North Korea Launches Missile. North Korea is at it again – trying to bully the West by showing off their possession of nuclear weapons and bragging that are in a position to strike at a place as far away as Alaska. Many sleptics say he is just “mouthing off” but others say, the nation is a serious threat to the US. Another possibility is that North Korea will sell its nuclear expertise and the weapons to rouge nations which is most likely since they are a nation of an inadequate food supply for its people. But does Obama take this latest action by North Korea serious? Apparently not, since no warnings have been issued from the White House. He did tell the UN to handle it.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Oconee Commissioners – Further Cuts in Budget. Chairman Melvin Davis proposed a slim budget of $34 million tonight, but the 4 Commissioners rejected it and asked Finance Officer Jeff Benko and County Adm Alan Theriault to go back and cut more from the budget – as much as $500 thousand. The Davis Lean Budget has already used $1 million of the balance fund but will need almost another million. None of the 4 Commissioners wanted to use any more of the rainy day balance fund to cover the shortfall. Davis states that if they make further cuts, it will have to dip into personnel and programs which will be very painful and certain segments of the public will scream in protest. The next meeting will be June 2 to hear a list of cuts suggested by Benko and Theriault. The public should be alerted of the June meeting.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Chick-fil-A Impact 360 Award. Each year, the fast food chain awards a 9-month residence at Pine Mountain, GA to a senior to study skills for Christian leadership. This year, Zak Ellison was chosen.

Thursday, May 28, 2009
Top 3 Graduates at All 3 Private High Schools Named. The OE published the top 3 graduates in the 3 private high schools in the county. They are:
1) Athens Academy:
Della Justine Cummings (V),
Everett Young (S) and
Katherine Follin (H).
2) Prince Avenue Christian School:
Rebekah Desso (V),
Philip Peavy (S) and
Anne Barron (H).
3) Westminster Christian High:
Sam McClelland (V),
Katelyn Woods (S) and
Mike DeLong (H).

Thursday, May 28, 2009
Top 3 Graduates in Both Public High Schools Named.
1) Oconee County High:
Grace Stephens (V),
Jacob Fluri (S) and
Dominic Giordano (H)
2) North Oconee High:
Krizel Roque (V),
Brandon Maffei (S) and
Emily Pearson (H).

Friday, May 29, 2009
New Homebuyers Get Help. The Federal Housing Adm released details in which home loan borrowers who use FHA loans can get advances of an $8,000 tax credit from lenders that let them receive credit in advance so that they don’t have to wait for the financial help (a check) from the IRS. Sound simple? The details have many caveats.

Saturday, May 30, 2009
Watkinsville Political Clean-Up. An invitation was given by the Mayor of Watkinsville, Jim Luken, to join a political clean up of the city by stirring a little competition. The Republicans took the RIGHT side of Main Street to pick up litter, the Democrats took the LEFT and the Independents took the Middle (Main Street). The litter clean-up started at 9am and lasted about an hour when all participants met at Jittery Joe’s for coffee – on the Mayor. The Town was cleaned up in an orderly fashion with no one group claiming to have picked up more than the other and no one scrambled for credit for the cleanest area.

Saturday, May 30, 2009
Compost Bin Sale. The Keep Oconee County Clean & Beautiful Commission set up a booth to sell compost bins at the parking lot of the Government Annex building on GA Hwy 15 beginning at 9am. Bins sold for $35 each. The description of the bin: it is 30 gallon in size, sufficient for a family of 5, made of durable plastic with 2 large side doors, a locking lid to discourage pests and UV stabilized. Different pairs of members manned the booth during the 4-hour opportunity. A total of 21 bins were sold (sold out) and 6 requests will have to be filled next week when they are brought from the warehouse in Walton County.

Saturday, May 30, 2009
Deadline Expires for GM. As reported by Reuters News, General Motors Corp finished a key piece of business on Saturday before a bankruptcy filing planned for Monday as the deadline expired for bondholders to accept an exchange offer brokered by the Obama administration. GM would not comment on how many investors had expressed support for its bondholder swap that would give them up to 25 percent ownership of a reorganized company in exchange for $27 billion in bond debt. GM has been losing market share since the early 1980s when it commanded 45 percent of the U.S. market. It has been hurt by its reliance on a truck-dominated vehicle line-up and by a deep plunge in demand as credit tightened in 2008. Since last week, GM has been racing to complete a series of last-minute deals intended to help speed its way through a fast-track bankruptcy that would see it emerge under the majority ownership of the U.S. government. The U.S. government plans to invest a total of $60 billion in GM. A further $12.5 billion of government funding has gone to its affiliated finance company GMAC.

Sunday, May 31, 2009
Flags for Local Heroes. The little Watkinsville Cemetery where 81 graves of fallen veterans are buried was the center of attention on Sunday. The Daughters of the American Revolution, the Rev John Andrews Chapter passed out maps of the cemetery with names of graves designated for members to place US Flags at the left of the headstones in remembrance of Memorial Day, May 25, 2009. Other organizations sponsoring and attending the event were: Disabled American Veterans The American Legion, the Masonic Riders Association and Watkinsville Mayor, Jim Luken. The DAR identified 40 graves that were those of confederate soldiers whose graves would be decorated by another group. The local DAR researches the history of Oconee Veterans, the construction of Patriot Park (the triangle at the intersection of US 441 and SR 15 at the traffic light in downtown Watkinsville and efforts to put the Watkinsville Cemetery on the National Historic Registry.

Sunday, May 31, 2009
NCR Corp Bring Jobs to Georgia. NCR, the manufacturer of ATMs and now located in Dayton, Ohio announced that it will move its headquarters to Duluth and Columbus, GA relieving the downturn in the jobs market to the tune of over 2000 new jobs. Duluth is not that far away from the Athens Area including Oconee County. Their employees may chose to live in nearby neighborhoods but will no doubt take advantage of businesses all over the northeast. Tourism officials will be courting them to visit places in Oconee and some might even choose to buy homes here and commute. It is good news for the area.

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, 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.

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