Sesquicentennial inches closer

The occasion of Oconee County’s 150th year is moving closer, and Phil Shirley hopes a meeting this week will play a big part in determining just what kind of a celebration there will be next year to mark this milestone.  Shirley meets Wednesday with a committee planning the county’s role.  Coming out of the meeting, the director of county Parks, Recreation and Tourism, is hopeful there will be recommendations, including how much money the county spends.  Those recommendations, Shirley says, will go to Scott Moulder, county administrator.  Old timers can still remember the party the county threw in 1968 for the county’s 100th year.  There was a parade featuring country star Minnie Pearl.  Many Oconee men grew beards to take on the look of their 1850 ancestors.