Local School Board Candidates

There will be significant turnover on the Oconee County Board of Education in this year's election. Board Chair Chris Franklin is not running again, nor is David Williams. Tommy Malcom is running for state senate. Mack Guest, who was appointed when Tom Porter resigned due to a personal move, will be up for election. David Weeks will run for board chair and is probably the odds-on favorite. The board is also moving to staggered terms with this election.

One candidate I'm excited to see running is Chuck Toney, who is running for Post 4. Chuck is running for David Williams' seat, and would make an outstanding addition to the board. He has been involved in a variety of school initiatives through the years and has a broad perspective on a number of issues. He was interviewed by Tim Bryant on Tuesday (move to 14:00 into the segment) and had some interesting comments.

Our school system is a great asset for Oconee, and is one of the best in the state by nearly every measure (am excited that my daughter will be a Colham Ferry Mustang next year!). The education I received in Oconee was second to none.

My only fear about school systems in general is the potential for "leapfrogging" into agricultural areas with new school sites, speeding up development in rural areas and increasing pressures for subdivisions, since many parents like to send their kids to the "new school." This story from New Urban News offers a great look at how some systems have decided to plan their schools with the broader community in mind, and some of the potential benefits, including significant savings in terms of land acquisition, transportation, etc. It is a positive news that the School System is strongly considering maintaining its board offices in downtown Watkinsville, which is centrally located to most of the schools and offers a lot of convenience for those who office there as well.

My preference would be for new schools -- especially elementary and middle -- to be more community-focused rather than mega-sites that create traffic nightmares. The school system should focus on joint planning with the county, cities and private developers so that our schools are located in areas designated for growth on future land use plans and integrated into our community as it grows rather than being an engine for more subdivisions. While Oconee has done a pretty good job with this so far, as our system and county grow closer planning will be critical.

As for education itself, I'll leave that in the hands of the pros like my wife and my Mom, who have spent years taking care of the students of Oconee County and know a whole lot more about that than I do.

Ashford Manor

Details are out about Ashford Manor's Summer Concerts on the Lawn Series, one of the best events in town on certain Monday nights from Spring to Fall.

GDOT Drama

Many in this area may not think the ongoing drama at the Georgia Department of Transportation impacts us.

But it does.

The longer GDOT remains incompetent and inefficient, the longer it will take to fix transportation problems in Northeast Georgia, Atlanta, and the rest of the state. And fixing transportation with a variety of solutions -- including rail -- is critical for the long term health of this region.

As for the specific situation in Atlanta right now -- the GDOT Board Chair falling for GDOT commissioner Gena Abraham -- I don't have a problem with it. Both are unmarried. They reported the relationship and nothing improper occurred. That said, I can understand how state representatives who were punished by Speaker Glenn Richardson for voting for Evans will be unhappy that all that was for naught.

All that said, I have met Commissioner Abraham several times and have been quite impressed -- I think she is indeed the best hope to bring GDOT into the 21st century and rebuild confidence in it among elected officials and the Georgia public.

4/24 UPDATE: Interesting story from yesterday's New York Times.

Shout Out

Thanks to Pete for the shout out for Voice of Moderation in today's Flagpole. And to answer his question, yes, I think there are more moderates on both sides than most people realize -- many just get sick of the rhetoric and choose not to participate in the dialog, whether it is local, regional or national.


The progress we are making in Watkinsville is proof that people from a variety of political persuasions (right, left and middle) can work together to get a lot done when you're willing to just focus on doing the right thing and you have a shared vision of where you want to go.

Augusta

Had the opportunity to see the last round of the Masters on Sunday thanks to my friend JMac, who came up with an extra badge. First time I have been since 1996, the last year Tiger missed the cut (I think). Here's what I noticed:

• Obviously, the golf was spectacular. Was particularly impressed with anyone who could approach par in Sunday's conditions.
• A lot of Yankees attend the Masters.
• There was not a weed anywhere. The amateur gardener in me was blown away by the beauty of the place, although a little more variety in the landscape could have been a positive.
• Most of those guys are true athletes. Guys like Boo Weekley and John Daly are becoming rarer and rarer.

That's all for now, but a neat afternoon.

More Business

Dory's Hearth and Home will re-open in Watkinsville at the end of the month in what looks like a much larger and upgraded space. Congrats to one of Watkinsville's most well known retail businesses! Details above for those who can read sideways (can't figure out how to turn the picture in blogger).

Back from the Dead

Okay, four months is long enough. Today the Athens Banner-Herald was kind enough to publish a letter from me on NBAF. I can't say how frustrating it is to watch people in our community use hyperbole and inaccurate information to sidetrack good jobs from coming to our community. Are there issues to discuss and consider about NBAF? Sure.

But to try to tie up NBAF over mysterious "power plants", threats to the Botanical Gardens, and year old economic impact studies that have been refuted, as Athens FAQ does, is just silly.