Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates will address the University of Georgia’s fall undergraduate commencement ceremony, which takes place at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, 18 December, at Stegeman Coliseum. See the UGA announcement and the Banner-Herald article.
Note this from UGA:
Gates' talk is not open to the general public and, for the first time in years, UGA is requiring family members and friends to present tickets to get into the ceremony. The university is allotting six tickets to each eligible student. . . . The commencement speech will be broadcast live on Charter cable channel 15 and will be streamed live at www.uga.edu.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
SecDef Robert Gates To Address UGA Commencement
Athens Symphony 2009-2010 Season
Season Opens November 15
The Athens Symphony will open its 32nd season with its Winter Concert, November 15, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. at the Classic Center in Athens. As a special twist to the annual concert, Conductor Albert F. Ligotti has put together an all-orchestral program featuring Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Ballet Suite.
In addition, the concert will include Alexander Borodin’s Overture to Prince Igor; Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 4 in C minor; and the Funeral March of a Marionette by Charles Gounod.
“It is a treat to present the music of the most famous ballet ever written to the Athens community,” said Ligotti. “It’s exciting to think of the possibility of potentially acquainting children and adults with this iconic masterpiece for the first time.”
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, commissioned in 1875 by Moscow Imperial Theatre director Vladimir Petrovich Begichev, was the first ballet ever set to the score of a symphonic composer. Based loosely on Johann Karl August Musäus’ “Der geraubte Schleier” (The Stolen Veil) and the Russian folktale “The White Duck,” Swan Lake is the tale of the beautiful Odette, cursed by the villain Von Rothbart to appear in the form of a swan during daylight hours, and her love Prince Siegfried, who is tricked into declaring Von Rothbart’s daughter Odile as his bride.
Ligotti has included a nod to fall in this season’s Winter Concert, with a piece by romantic composer Charles Gounod that’s perfectly suited for Halloween.
“Everyone knows the Funeral March of a Marionette as the theme song to Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” said Ligotti. “As soon as you hear it, you can just see Hitchcock’s shadow stepping into that drawing of his profile--it’s a really fun piece for the orchestra to play.”
Admission to the Winter concert is free but tickets are required for entry, and are currently available for pick up at the Classic Center Theatre Box Office. Tickets are provided on a first come, first served basis, so patrons are encouraged to secure theirs as early as possible.
Chorus looks to hit a High Note
This season, the Athens Symphony Chorus will again join the Athens Symphony Orchestra in presenting their annual Christmas and Pops concerts. The chorus is seeking singers of every voice type to join this November, as they begin preparing carols and selections from Handel’s Messiah for the Christmas concerts. “
The symphony’s Christmas concerts have become a staple of holiday celebration in the Athens area,” says Ligotti. “The Athens Symphony Chorus offers the opportunity for many people to get involved in this community tradition.”
Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses of any level are invited to join the chorus with no audition required. Singers need only be over the age of 18 and able to read music.
More information regarding this Sunday’s concert and a full schedule of chorus rehearsals may be found on the Athens Symphony Orchestra’s web site and Facebook page. Those interested may also contact the Athens Symphony Orchestra by email or by calling (706) 425-4205.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
SCHS Pigskin Finalé
My alma mater Indians Indians dropped a 23-26 decision to the Jackson County Panthers last Friday evening, thereby finishing the season at a disappointing 3-7 overall and 2-5 in Region 8AAA. After beginning the 2009 season with a 30-point loss to Flowery Branch, the Indians’ other six losses came by a combined 36 points, showing that, win or lose, the team was competitive in the remainder of its games.
Just how disappointing the season was may be gleaned by reviewing the past few seasons: in 2006, the Indians finished the campaign at 10-2 overall, 6-0 in Region 8AAA, losing to Carrollton in the second round of the state playoffs; in 2007, the Indians posted a record of 11-1 overall, 6-0 in Region 8AAA, losing in the second round of the state playoffs to Chamblee; last year, the Indians completed the season at 8-3 overall, 6-1 in Region 8AAA, losing to Flowery Branch in the first round of the state playoffs.
Oh well, as is said by sports fans the world over – “Wait till next year.”
Monday, November 9, 2009
Georgia Republican Gubernatorial Debate
The Clarke County Republican Party is sponsoring a debate featuring GOP candidates for the governorship of Georgia. The debate will take place at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism auditorium at 7:00 p.m. on the evening of Tuesday, 19 January 2010.
Invited Republican candidates for the office of Governor include:
• Georgia State SenatorJeff Chapman of Brunswick
• United States Representative Nathan Deal of Gainesville
• Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel of Atlanta
• Georgia State Senator Eric Johnson of Savannah
• Businessman Ray McBerry of Cumming
• Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine of Lawrenceville
• Georgia State Representative Austin Scott of Tifton
Moderating the debate will be WNEG-TV news anchor Ray Metoyer. Panelists include WALB-TV news anchor Dawn Hobby, WGCL-TV news co-anchor Stephanie Fisher, and WGAU radio news director Tim Bryant.
Radio and television broadcasts will cover the entire state. WNEG of Toccoa, WALB of Albany, WGCL of Atlanta, and WMAZ of Macon will televise the debate live. Several other TV stations around the state will have access to the feed for later broadcast. Also, the debate will be broadcast live on WGAU radio in the Athens area and will be available across the state on many of the 114 radio stations affiliated with the Georgia News Network.
Mark your calendars now.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
SCHS Pigskin Update
Since last I posted, my alma mater Indians have split two games, dropping a 14-16 road decision to the Franklin County Lions two weeks ago and posting a surprising 23-17 home win over Elbert County last Friday (the Blue Devils had only a single loss to Eastside prior to losing to the Indians). This week, the Indians (3-6, 2-4) play host to the Jackson County Panthers (3-6, 0-6) at The Reservation in Toccoa in the finale to a disappointing season.
Regular readers, such as you are, may notice that I have posted very little of late. It is not that I lack interest in the ongoing shenanigans of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County and the Clarke County School District. That is hardly the case, but life is such that I do the time right now to do any such posts justice.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
SCHS Pigskin Update
My alma mater Indians righted the ship last week by posting a 31-14 win over the visiting Morgan County Bulldogs. This week, SCHS takes on Franklin County in Carnesville. After dropping their first two games of the season, including one to top-ranked Gainesville, the Lions have recorded wins in four of their last five contests. The rivalry between the Indians (2-5, 1-3) and the Lions (4-3, 3-1) goes back a long, long, long way.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Kemp Debuts New Campaign Web Site
Secretary of State candidate and Athens native (not to mention fellow Commission district 1 resident) Brian Kemp has a brand new campaign web site up and running. Check it out here.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
SCHS Pigskin Update
My alma mater Indians remain oh-for-the-Peach State after a disappointing 21-27 loss to Oconee County in Watkinsville last Friday. Contrary to the template for the season thus far, the Indians did not lose a tough game to a highly-ranked opponent (no disrespect to the Warriors, but this was a winless team that the Indians have owned over the years and should have beaten).
It was a contest decided by field position; as reported in the Banner-Herald, five of the Warriors’ nine possessions began on the Stephens County side of the fifty, while the Indians began four of their possessions inside their own 12 yard line.
This week, the Indians (1-5, 0-3) host the Morgan County Bulldogs (1-5, 1-2) at The Reservation in Toccoa.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
And Since I’ve Been Going On About SPLOST
Finally, some finality. Back in 2007, the Clarke County School District’s SPLOST 3 bond resolution included a provision that, should the limited duration sales tax be insufficient to repay said bonds, any shortfall would be added to the CCSD’s portion of the local property tax millage rate. Longtime readers may remember that I had two specific concerns with regard to any such transfer of bonded indebtedness to property taxes.
My first concern dealt with the 20 mills limit imposed by the state Constitution. The CCSD’s portion of the local property tax millage rate has been at the 20 mills limit for years; to exceed that limit would normally require the voters’ approval to do so via a referendum. So how could that line be administratively traversed so as to make up a SPLOST revenue shortfall without a referendum?
After a (very) long and circuitous journey through a variety of local and state government bureaucracies, the Attorney General’s office provided me with the relevant Georgia Supreme Court case law, Seaboard Air-Line Railway Company v. Wright, comptroller-general, et al., from way back in 1927, that exempted bond debt service from any constitutional limit. I do not agree with the reasoning embodied in that decision, as it would seem to render the rationale for the 20 mills limit moot, but the case law is what it is.
Satisfying my second concern has proven somewhat more vexing. The CCSD’s bond resolution cited a provision contained in the Constitution as expressly permitting the transfer of bonded indebtedness from SPLOST sales taxes to property taxes. That resolution read in part (see the second paragraph on page 5 of the PDF):
WHEREAS, Article IX, Section V, Paragraph VI of the Constitution of the State of Georgia requires that prior to the issuance of general obligation bonds, a tax must be levied in amounts sufficient to pay the principal of and the interest on the Bonds as the same become due and payable, to the extent that the revenues from the Sales Tax are not sufficient thereof;
The resolution was littered throughout with similar language. Being a nerdy type reasonably familiar with the verbiage in the Constitution, this immediately struck me as odd. Sure enough, when I went to the document itself, no such provision was anywhere to be found. The actual text of Article IX, Section V, Paragraph VI of the Constitution reads (see page 81 of the PDF):
Levy of taxes to pay bonds; sinking fund required. Any county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state shall at or before the time of incurring bonded indebtedness provide for the assessment and collection of an annual tax sufficient in amount to pay the principal and interest of said debt within 30 years from the incurring of such bonded indebtedness. The proceeds of this tax, together with any other moneys collected for this purpose, shall be placed in a sinking fund to be used exclusively for paying the principal and interest on such bonded debt. Such moneys shall be held and kept separate and apart from all other revenues collected and may be invested and reinvested as provided by law.
There is no mention whatsoever of transferring bonded indebtedness from a sales tax to property tax, just a general provision that a sinking fund to repay bonds be in place before such bonds are issued. Explicitly contrary to my reading of the CCSD’s resolution, the Constitution is mute on the subject of transferring any shortfall in sales tax collections to property tax “to the extent that revenues from the Sales Tax are not sufficient therefore.”
After an (even) long(er) and (more) circuitous journey through a variety of local and state government bureaucracies – the Attorney General’s office clammed up on me this time – I eventually discovered, after speaking with a bond attorney over in Atlanta, that the answer can be found in O.C.G.A. §48-1-121(c):
No general obligation debt shall be issued in conjunction with the imposition of the tax unless the governing authority of the county or qualified municipalities within special district issuing the debt determines that, and if the debt is to be validated it is demonstrated in the validation proceedings that, during each year in which any payment of principal or interest on the debt comes due the county or qualified municipalities within special district issuing such debt will receive from the tax authorized by this part net proceeds sufficient to fully satisfy such liability. General obligation debt issued under this part shall be payable first from the separate account in which are placed the proceeds received by the county or qualified municipalities within the special district issuing such debt from the tax authorized by this part. Such debt, however, shall constitute a pledge of the full faith, credit, and taxing power of the county or qualified municipalities within the special district issuing such debt; and any liability on said debt which is not satisfied from the proceeds of the tax authorized by this part shall be satisfied from the general funds of the county or qualified municipalities within the special district issuing such debt.
Okay, that answers the question as to on what legal basis a shortfall in SPLOST sales taxes may be transferred to property taxes, though it is not explicitly stated in that manner.
But the question remains: why did not the CCSD’s bond resolution cite this section of state law? Why make language up out of whole cloth and claim that it is in the Constitution, when a few seconds on the Internet reveals that claim to be patently false?
Inquiring minds and all.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Winterville Goes Old School (redux)
The City of Winterville recently purchased an old, unused school building from the Clarke County School District. The ostensible purpose is for the city to refurbish the building and use it for various community purposes. While I’m sure that I am in the minority among Winterville area residents on this one, I still think it is a bad idea.
As noted previously, I can certainly see why the CCSD unloaded the property, as it represented a maintenance and liability nightmare. Why it saw fit to do so for so nominal a price, while incessantly howling about being under-funded, is another matter, however, as the price paid by Winterville was $1 (the tax assessment on the property was over $1 million, which I found absurd by the way). Be that as it may, what I cannot see is why Winterville was so eager to take the property.
From the Banner-Herald article to which I linked above come these quotes:
"Until we do an inspection, we don't have any idea what we're dealing with," said City Councilwoman Mary Quinn.
In other words, the building, which has not been used regularly for decades, contains lead paint as a certainty and may also house any number of other potentially hazardous materials. Just a though on my part, but shouldn’t this point have been resolved before taking possession of the property?
And:
The cost of architectural work could range from $125,000 to $167,000, according to [chairman of the rehabilitation committee Bob] White, but actually completing the work may run $1 million to $1.5 million.
Therein lies the rub. According to the Census Bureau, the most recent estimate (July 2008) for Winterville’s population is 1187. According to the Winterville municipal clerk, the FY 2010 budget for the city is $515,258. Assuming the higher figure given for the expected cost of renovations (a safe bet given the nature of things), a quick bit of math reveals a per capita expenditure of $1264 (as opposed to the per capita budget figure of $434). Thus, this one project will cost approximately triple the city’s entire expenditures for the current fiscal year.
What I have not seen in the news coverage of the issue is how Winterville plans to pay for any of this. According to the Clarke County Tax Commissioner’s web site, the city’s property tax millage rate has remained constant at 2.9 mills since at least 2001. Given the fact that Winterville is essentially a bedroom community with only a few businesses, how can it possibly pay for such a project without significantly jacking up its millage rate? The only answer that presents itself to me is by trying to get others to pay for the project through federal and/or state grants or through SPLOST funds (given the train wreck that is the Tennis Center site selection process, I wouldn’t count on there being much support for that approach elsewhere in the county). Admittedly, there may be some funding mechanism in place of which I am unaware but, if so, no one has mentioned it.
Finally, this is from a message on the Winterville Yahoo newsgroup
. . . The first in a series of community meetings is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, at 7 PM, in the Winterville Depot. The express purpose of this initial forum will be to gather ideas from citizens regarding possible uses of the school building when the rehabilitation process is completed.
Members of the Historic Winterville School Restoration Committee will conduct this public meeting so that area residents may share their suggestions and concepts regarding potential uses for the school building. Initial renovation plans for the two story building are in the formative stage, thus it is very important for local citizens to voice opinions and share the vision of restoration.
Plans for public input are all well and good, except for the fact that they reveal that there currently exist no firm plans for how the building is to be used upon completion of the renovations.
Thus, we are faced with the situation where the potential downside in terms of hazardous materials within the building is unknown, the cost of renovating the building is approximately three times the city’s annual budget (not to mention the ongoing operating and maintenance costs), the source of the funds to complete said renovations is unknown, and the community is still unsure as to how the structure is to be used.
Someone please tell me again why this is such a good idea.
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