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AFRICAN
21 — ctA-'
And in This Comer...: This is the moment we've all been wait
ing for, even if most of us haven't thought about it much yet
The Legislature's slicing and dicing of Athens-Clarke County's
commission map has been made official, qualifying for the
July 31 primary and nonpartisan elections has ended, and
it's time to settle in for a brisk two months of campaigning.
There weren't any surprises in last week's qualifying, unless
you figured a Democrat woutd step up to take on the winner
of the Republican primary in state House District 117, where
Regina Quick is challenging incumbent Doug McKitlip. Spencer
Frye is running against longtime incumbent Keith Heard on
the Democratic side in 118, with Christopher Periera and Carter
Kessler qualifying for that seat as Republicans. Chuck Williams
is unopposed in 119, as is his fellow Republican incumbent
Bill Cowsert in Senate District 46. Democrat Tim Riley will take
on the winner of a primary between
incumbent Republican Senator Frank
Ginn and current Barrow County
Commission Chair Danny Yearwood
in District 47. Stephen Simpson will
challenge Rep. Paul Broun, Jr. in
the Republican primary for the 10th
Congressional District.
In ACC elections, all incumbent
judges, constitutional officers and
school board members (except in
District 4, where last-minute quali
fier Carl Parks will run unopposed
for the seat being vacated by Allison
Wright, who is running for the ACC
Commission) are seeking reelec- <
tion unopposed, as are ACC com
missioners Harry Sims, Andy Herod
and Mike Hamby. Wright and David
Ellison will vie forthe District 4
seat being vacated by Alice Kinman,
while Ron Winders will face off with
Jerry NeSmith in District 6, where Ed
Robinson is retiring after one term.
We'll get you up to speed on the
candidates—especially non-incumbent
ones—in all these contested races in
the weeks ahead. ^
It's also important to note that,
while the commission district lines
have been dramatically altered, the
ACC voting precincts have not That
means, for instance, that District 2
voters, rather than casting ballots
only in precincts 2A and 2B, will now
be scattered among precincts 1A, IB,
2B (but not ’’A!), 3B, 4A, 4B and 8C.
Likewise, Precinct 3B will have ballots
for five different commission districts:
2, 3, 4, 7 and 9. The ACC Board of
Elections will be sending out new voter
registration cards in the next month
or so, and Elections Supervisor Gail
Schrader urges citizens to take a care
ful look at them before considering
which commission candidate to. vote for, to be sure of which
district they now live in. She ain't kidding.
Run, Don't Walk: People for a Better Athens, the organiza
tion founded by Russell Edwards to oppose construction of a
Walmart su'percenter on the Armstrong & Dobbs property at the
edge of downtown, has announced the inaugural 5K Run for a
8etter Athens on Saturday, June 9. The run will begin at 8:30
a.m. at Jittery Joe's Roaster, 780 E. Broad St., with the route
taking in parts of the Oconee Rivers Greenway and the area
surrounding the A&D site. Sign-in is at 7:45 or can be done
online at www.peoplefo'abetterathens.org. Registration costs
$20, the proceeds from which will go to Athens Area Habitat
for Humanity, and food will be provided by Last Resort Grill,
Mama's Boy and Square One Fish Company, with music by Kiss
Your Dartin' See you there.
Stop This Now: It barely needs to be pointed out what an
’ insanely terrible idea it would be for the ACC Commission to
adopt an ordinance aimed at regulating "urban camping," but
clearly intended to curtail "Occupy"-styte protests like the one
that was disbanded by police—without the' aid of any custom
legislation—at City Hall earlier this year. Yet, after having
discussed it two weeks ago at the direction of Mayor Nancy
Denson, the Commission's Legislative Review Committee will
take up the Issue again at its next meeting June 12.
ACCs track record on free speech under Denson, such as
it is, doesn't exactly jibe with the image of Athens as a pro
gressive, enlightened community that openly nurtures all
stripes of personal expression and political activism. While
the early-morning dispersal of the City Hall encampment in
March was ostensibly Police Chief Jack Lumpkin's decision, it's
just about impossible to believe Denson wasn't in the loop.
And the mayor displayed remarkably poor instincts in having
a long-time community activist removed from the microphone
for allegedly being off-topic during a January commission
agenda-setting session. Do the commissioners want to put
their stamp of approval on the next of Denson's crackdowns on
dissent? Surely not
County staff and police say our current laws need clarifi
cation. But if that means making it clear that it's illegal for
protesters to assemble at places like City Hall because it's
inconvenient, then perhaps commissioners need to remind
themselves that it's absolutely supposed to be. "Protecting"
pedestrians from having to alter their course on a sidewalk or
metal stitues from being "damaged" by sticky tape are shoddy
priorities when compared with safeguarding citizens' rights to
protest the actions and policies of their government. The com
missioners should straighten up their backbones, remember
their values and shut this sordid conversation down with no
further ceremony.
* D8veMarrnews@flagpole.com
■
Construction of the Classic Center expansion continues to progress ahead of schedule, with the
bones of the rear atrium having been framed out in recent weeks. Not pictured: the new, looming
grey wall that has cut off access to Foundry Street via Hancock forever.
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4 FLAGPOLE.COM • MAY 30,2012