Couple of things

- Solid suggestions from the Athens Banner-Herald regarding SPLOST, and I'd like to suggest two other ones ... I'd like to see some flexibility in how the money is spent. For instance, there's no need to keep build infrastructure projects if the respective community lacks the resources to staff those projects. Why not 'split the penny' and allocate a portion of the money to funding the operating costs of the SPLOST projects for a certain number of years? Also, why not add 'human capital projects' to the SPLOST list and, in doing so, funding could be raised specifically for, say, a blighted housing renewal project or OneAthens's health care proposal?

- Myra Blackmon has a nice column on the importance of dialogue in the process.

- Mother of Mary ... who would have thought that Sen. Ralph Hudgens would be the voice of reason?

- I've always thought this was a cool idea, and I'm glad to see more and more families participating in it.

- Via Lee Becker, the Oconee County Commission will hold its first town hall meeting on Oct. 20 at the Civic Center.