Monthly Archives: February 2011

Citizens and Sheriff Prine recognized @LCC, 8 Feb 2011

The Lowndes County Commission seems to have suddenly gone from lecturing citizens about how it’s a waste of tax money for people to speak too often to inviting all sorts of citizen groups to show up and speak or be recognized. I call that a good thing. We’ll see if this era of good feelings lasts. In addition to the many students speaking about Tranqulity Trail, at the same meeting the Chairman recognized a Boy Scout troop (at least I think that’s what that one was) and Boy Scout Troop 418 (I’m pretty sure about that one). Also the Chidren’s Advocacy Center (more about that one later). And Sheriff Prine thanked the Commission for their support in searching Ocean Pond for seventeen days.


Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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Tranquility Trail –James Wright and students @LCC, 8 Feb 2011

Valdosta City Council member James Wright and students speak to the County Commission about Tranquility Trail. The students have a number of good points, such as “It’s not about me but our community” and “Don’t Litter, Make Our Trail Glitter”, and trees have educational and recreational benefits, and “We need our community to come in with us… how our community can get involved.” James Wright wraps up with “Development of our community and our citizens.” There’s more. Here’s the whole thing:


Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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How much has VLCIA paid for Sterling Energy travel?

VLCIA says it paid for hotel rooms in December for Bob McCann and Gil Waldman of Sterling Energy. Why? How much more has VLCIA spent on travel for Sterling? And how can this public-private keep Sterling documents related to the biomass plant confidential?

According to the VDT, “Biomass plant said good for Valdosta and Georgia,” by Johnna Pinholster, 4 Nov 2010, “Gilbert Waldman is vice president and general manager of Sterling Energy Assets” and “Sterling Energy brought in Robert McCann, Jr. from Golder Associates Inc.” It’s curious that VLCIA paid for a room for the general manager of Sterling Energy, which I thought VLCIA said was the principle investor in the project. Seems like more we, we, we to me. This is yet more evidence that VLCIA and Sterling Energy do indeed have a public-private partnership. In which case, why can Sterling and VLCIA claim Sterling’s wood fuel sourcing study is proprietary?

The VDT also said:

On Tuesday, Waldman, an environmental consultant, members of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority board, and Brad Lofton, executive director of the authority, sat down to discuss the plant, how it works and how clean it will be.
Did VLCIA also pay for rooms for Waldman and McCann for that Tuesday 2 Nov 2010 meeting? How much money has VLCIA spent bringing them down here?

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VLCIA Payments for 6 Dec 2010 biomass “Forum”

VLCIA spent more than $17,000 on speakers and catering for their 6 Dec 2010 “Forum”, according to VLCIA’s response to an open records request. Yet local speakers against the biomass plant who would have charged nothing were not invited to be on the panel. VLCIA insists on referring to it as an “information exchange”, even though their hand-picked moderator said “we’re not going to get into debate.”

Here is a summary of the expenses: Continue reading →

Where is the Wiregrass Solar plant?

Update 21 Feb 2011: Col. Ricketts confirms the groundbreaking is at 11:30 AM today on Water Plant Road; follow the signs from there to the construction site.
The groundbreaking for the Wiregrass Solar plant is Monday 21 February, rumor has it at 11:30AM, but where? My understanding is that the site is at the back of the City of Valdosta’s Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment property, which is

View Larger Map
on Water Plant Road off of GA 94 (New Statenville Highway) east of Inner Perimeter Road.

However, VLCIA’s land proposed for the Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant is around the corner off of Inner Perimeter Road east of Deloach Road: It’s conceivable that VLCIA might hold the ceremony on its own property. See their map below: Continue reading →

Are all these medical associations and doctors lying? –Dr. Noll

In the new era of good feelings, Dr. Noll asked the Lowndes County Commission whether they thought all the medical associations and doctors who oppose biomass plants are lying, same as he later asked the Valdosta City Council. He also offered to discuss with biomass proponent Nolen Cox, who spoke immediately before. Here’s the video.


Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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Era of good feelings at County Commission

Shutting down debate didn’t work, so now we have the era of good feelings at the County Commission. Here Chairman Ashley Paulk thanks Dr. Michael Noll for a previous meeting:


Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Some of us did wonder when next thing was Noll’s microphone went off. But that was apparently just a technical failure, which continued for a while during the meeting.

I commend Chairman Paulk for his recent civil and, as Commissioner Lee used to say, “adult-like manner.”

However, as County Manager Joe Pritchard reminded everyone later at the County Commission retreat, the county government is still having a bit of difficulty adjusting to all this recent transparency. Let’s help them by showing them by example on many topics that the road of respect goes both ways.

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Say no to grants and shut off debate on biomass –Nolen Cox, LCC, 8 Feb 2011

Local resident Nolen Cox says government grants are more addictive than drugs, and “all the federal money is my tax money.” He mentions federal debt, and lists only social programs. Regarding grants, he’s specifically referring to a proposal to accept a grant for NOAA weather radios, which we’ll come back to later.

His other topic is that he thinks we need more oil, more nuclear, and biomass. His recommendation: “I would stop discusssing it.” He thinks it’s like global warming, which he thinks is a lie. He sums up:

Build the plant, employ people, get on with the program.
It’s interesting that these are about the best arguments biomass proponents have. Perhaps he’s not aware that shutting off the debate was tried recently and doesn’t seem to be working too well. Here’s the video.


Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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Wiregrass Solar LLC –J. Stephen Gupton, VLCIA, 15 Feb 2011

Deploying on a solar plant does require a bit of legal work, and the attorney’s report at the February VLCIA board meeting mostly consisted of talk about completion of lease and sublease agreements with Wiregrass Solar LLC. What’s that, you may wonder, if you’re used to hearing about Wiregrass Power LLC, the shell corporation VLCIA contracted with for the biomass plant. That one still exists, but according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, Wiregrass Solar LLC was registered 19 May 2010. The agent is the same as for the other shell cojmpany: Tammi Cody, 3500 Parkway Lane Suite 500, Norcross GA 30092. The agent county is given as Gwinnett.

Here’s the video:


Regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA,
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director,
Allan Ricketts Program Manager, 15 February 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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Turning on Wiregrass Solar –Col. Ricketts

At the February VLCIA board meeting, Col. Ricketts said groundbreaking for the solar plant is scheduled for February 21st with production less than two months after that.

Here you can see his timeline slide.

It’s a bit hard to read, but he mentioned at least these items:

  • Site preparation starts 16 Feb 2011.
  • Groundbreaking Monday 21st Feb 2011.
  • Commissioning ceremony and turn the switch on Wednesday 16th April 2011.
Apparently deploying a solar plant takes a lot less time than some types of projects. You can watch and listen to his presentation: Continue reading →