Let’s talk qualifying.

We’ll have two very interesting Athens-Clarke Commission races to follow: Elton Dodson versus Mike Hamby in District 10 and Red Petrovs versus Ed Robinson in District 6.

I know Petrovs far better than Robinson because I’ve been covering OneAthens and I wasn’t around for the 2004 election. This will be a race of contrasting ideas and styles where there’s a clear-cut choice.

Petrovs is a tough-talking, no-nonsense kind of guy who is conservative, especially fiscally, but is driven by facts and not ideology. His voice would be unique on the commission. He could get stuck with the Chamber of Commerce tag – the kiss of death in recent elections – but he says the chamber’s changed so much since Larry McKinney left that it’s not such an albatross anymore.