Hail and Farewell

We’re delighted, as we all keep saying, that Gabe Vodicka was ready to step in to replace Music Editor Michelle Gilzenrat Davis as she leaves Flagpole to begin UGA law school next month, and that Blake Aued vaulted down the hill from the Banner-Herald to take over when News Editor Dave Marr left July 2 for a job at UGA’s prestigious Willson Center. Both Gabe and Blake are already stamping their own moxie onto our music and news coverage in the paper and online. We are really happy to have them among us and, by association, Gabe’s wife Talley and Blake’s wife Merritt: both brainy and friendly—and competent in their own fields.

Gabe has a long immersion in and love of music, and he has that writerly touch that makes words jump. Blake has seven years’ experience covering government and politics here and is already increasing Flagpole’s role as the go-to source to find out what’s happening. Their presence lessens the pain of losing Michelle and Dave, who both contributed so much to Flagpole and to the wider community with their hard work and dedication. We are glad that though the arcs of their lives have taken them away from Flagpole, they are both still here in Athens, nearby on the campus.

Candidates Count

This political season, you will recall, is the fruition of all that reapportionment and redistricting that began last spring when the Georgia Legislature’s all-Republican committees held a hearing in the Seney-Stovall Chapel to find out what local people wanted and then did just the opposite. Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis told them how much Oconee liked being all in one House of Representatives district, and they got split up into a multi-county district and into one that is more Athens-Clarke than Oconee. Athenians, including Doc Eldridge, told the committee to just leave us alone, thanks: Don’t split us up any more than you already have. But they had to jigsaw a district to guarantee the re-election of their new little Republican lapdog, Doug McKillip, so they, of course, split an Athens-Clarke district into one shared by four counties.

And then we had our local commission redistricting, for which Mayor Denson appointed a committee and hired the best consultant in the state. They came up with a plan that basically tweaked the current districts back into population equality, after rejecting one by committee member Regina Quick that moved things around all over the place to enhance the chances of minorities (blacks and Republicans) getting elected in a couple of districts. After all that, the lapdog roared, and Doug McKillip rewrote our charter, doing away with superdistricts and creating 10 new districts, which he, too, said would increase the chances of minorities getting elected.

Everybody’s assumption was that the only place in Athens-Clarke County a Republican really had a chance of being elected to the commission would be in District 6, over on the west side of town. As it turned out, District 6 Commissioner Ed Robinson decided not to run for re-election, so the seat was open. Even though the election is non-partisan, the Republican candidate (as featured on the local Republican Party web site) is Ron Winders, though he describes himself as “an Independent, but a conservative.”

Well, little did those who wanted to make District 6 safe for Republicans count on Jerry NeSmith running. Jerry admits to being a Democrat, but more importantly, he is probably the best prepared commission candidate in recent memory. He has served for nine years on the ACC Planning Commission, dealing in intimate detail with the decisions that shape our community. He is one of the founders of the Athens Farmers Market. He is one of the citizen activists who insisted that the new tennis center belonged on the east side, not taking over Bishop Park (and his market). His day job is at UGA, where he manages eight different businesses providing research services. In short, Jerry NeSmith is a formidable candidate who will make a commissioner with a deep understanding of ACC government and the community it serves. Ron Winders is obviously a nice guy with business experience and a desire to give back to Athens. It’s just too bad for the local Republicans that Ron’s up against Jerry NeSmith.