While he was briefing Macon City Council members this week on various issues, Macon Mayor Robert Reichert mentioned that July 2012 is the 40th anniversary of Macon’s sister-city relationship with Macon, France. In honor of that event, our Gallic counterparts have invited 10 people for an expenses-paid visit July 9-14, he said.
Macon, France, is a town about a third of Macon, Ga.’s size on the banks of the Saone River in southern Burgundy. There’s a music and arts festival that runs all summer, and the Tour de France is scheduled to pass through during the Georgians’ visit.
Reichert didn’t even get a request for volunteers out of his mouth before getting excited squeaks and waving hands from the 15-member council crescent. So many eager smiles appeared that Reichert quickly said they may have to hold a drawing. We have to wonder if the French show similar enthusiasm about visiting us.
Presidential preview
Though President Barack Obama’s future on Georgia ballots is still being fought in an Atlanta courtroom, Bibb County’s sample ballots for the March 6 Democratic primary list him, and only him, as the sole candidate.
The Republican primary ballot has more names. The choices include Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Buddy Roemer, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. Some of these folks have already bowed out of the race.
While making plans for the March 6 election, don’t ignore local ballot questions. Houston, Monroe and Peach counties are among those that have referendums for special purpose local option sales taxes.
Power to the poultry
U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, an Albany Democrat whose district includes Peach County, isn’t talking turkey about a new congressional initiative.
Bishop, with Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, has formed the bipartisan Congressional Chicken Caucus, focused on issues including food safety, trade, labor, immigration and the environment and how they affect the chicken industry.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service says that in 2010, Georgia produced 1.31 billion broiler chickens, more than any other state and a significant chunk of the nation’s 8.63 billion broiler chickens. Arkansas and Alabama aren’t far behind, with production of more than 1 billion.
Rules are rules
Faced with a choice between formal rules and acknowledging the obvious, Macon City Council’s sticking with the rules -- even when that infuriates one of their own.
Ed DeFore, longest-serving member of the council and a fixture on the Macon Water Authority board, was nominated by Macon Mayor Robert Reichert for another four-year term on the water authority. His nomination went for ratification to the Public Works and Engineering Committee, chaired by Councilman Lonnie Miley.
DeFore himself serves on that committee, and so do councilmen Henry Ficklin and Rick Hutto, the latter two sticklers for procedure.
When DeFore’s nomination came up, Hutto said council rules require each nominee to not only be present, but to provide a résumé. Miley noted that no résumé accompanied DeFore’s nomination letter, and Ficklin moved to table the item until DeFore produces one.
That steamed DeFore, who took it as a personal slight and political stunt.
“If you want to play games down there for the next four years, we’ll play games,” he said. “You are a hypocrite, Rick Hutto.”
Miley gaveled for silence and denied that the demand for a résumé was meant personally.
“My résumé is 40 years, Mr. Chairman,” growled DeFore, who has served on the council since 1972. Nevertheless, his nomination was tabled until the committee’s next meeting.
Reichert’s free ride
Macon Mayor Robert Reichert’s dream of turning Second Street into a pedestrian-friendly showpiece boulevard is getting a free boost from the American Architectural Foundation.
Gil Prado, assistant director of Economic and Community Development Department, announced this week that the AAF has chosen Second Street as a target for this year’s Sustainable Cities Design Academy.
That will bring a team from the nonprofit group to tour Second Street and meet with area experts, he said. Then four people from Macon will go to the academy’s workshop in San Francisco on April 11-13. Out of those meetings will come technical ideas for greener, sustainable components of the design at no cost to the city, Prado said.
A concept plan from last year shows a revitalized Second Street running from the Macon Coliseum through downtown, then curving up to Mercer University, its length lined with trees and shops. The recently approved special purpose local option sales tax includes $8 million to build the first stage, a curving connection to Mercer University Drive. Reichert hopes to get a $493,000 contract for CHA/Huntley Partners through the council soon. That contract would buy several months of research and community input, resulting in a final plan in about a year.
But free technical suggestions from AAF’s national experts, Reichert said, are the “cherry on top of a milkshake.”
Staton named legislator of the year
Georgia Bio, an organization dedicated to advancing the life sciences industry in the state, named state Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, its legislator of the year. Staton was honored Thursday at Atlanta’s Fox Theater.
“It is an honor to be recognized by Georgia Bio for my work to support the life sciences industry in Georgia,” Staton said. “Scientific research is a great investment for Georgia’s future growth and development.”
Georgia Bio noted Staton’s role in increasing funding for scientific research through his position as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education.
Cole re-elected to transportation board
Former State Rep. Jim Cole of Forsyth was unanimously voted to a full State Transportation Board term by a caucus of his former representative and senator peers from the 8th Congressional District.
Cole is now athletics director at Mercer University. He was first elected in 2010 to fill the last 22 months of the term of Sidney Ross, a retired Ocilla road builder who had stepped in to complete the term of former state Rep. Larry Walker.
Writers Jim Gaines and Mike Stucka contributed to this report. Telegraph archives were used in this report.
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