User:Danmatt

Danmatt is the name for Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. of Watkinsville, Georgia, a freelance journalist, talk radio host and photographer for Athens newspapers and radio stations. He has been published in numerous newspapers and magazines ranging from Tasty World to the Des Moines Register and Tirbune to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was the chair of the Oconee County Democratic Committee in 2006. He is often referred to as Dan. His mother Norma S. Matthews of Iowa is generally credited with helping to jump start the Iowa Caucuses to first in the nation in 1972 as she was the co-chair of George McGovern Presidential campaign for the state of Iowa. His father Dan J. Matthews, Sr. lives in Atlanta and rents out houses in the Druid Hills area near Emory and has remarried Evanlee Jon Daum. He has a son named Lowell and sisters Emily Matthews (married to Anthony Paul "Tony" Caponi of Gloucester, Massachussettes and Sarah Antoinette Matthews Pongracz of Marco Island, Florida by way of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Sister Sarah married Ted Pongracz.

Dan, Jr. followed in his father's footsteps and moved to Athens, Georgia to attend the University of Georgia in 1981 and saw the first performance of R.E.M. at the church as a junior at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa scouting out the Southern town as a perspective place to attend college. He is broadcast on Hot 100.7 (LP)FM WPPP Monday through Friday 7 a.m., 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. since late January 2006. His show is called Matthews Matters. Dan had a previous slot on Newstalk 1340 WGAU AM on Fridays called the Dan Matthews show but was fired on air by Southern Broadcasting owner Paul Stone for being too liberal. His friend and musician Woody Garrison was on the air while Matthews was terminated.

Matthews has helped with AthFest (Athens Music and Arts Festival) since its inception 10 years ago. He remains active in the music, arts and political communities of Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties. He is a photographer for the photoblog Spotted on the Athens Banner-Herald's website www.onlineathens.com and has had more than 3,000 photos published, despite not having been issued a real press credential thanks to the Athens Banner-Herald newspaper. He has written numerous stories for the Oconee Living section of the Athens Banner-Herald mostly about municipal governmental meetings in Oconee County, Georgia. He is currently one of thirty six columnists competing for a slot of the Athens Banner-Herald's editorial page popularity contest, writing about Oconee County recreation choices #22.