Category Archives: Community

Ponds for flood control and irrigation?

Build retaining ponds upriver to capture flood waters and use them for irrigation? That would be a start on some of the many water concerns. Tim Carroll sent the appended to a long list of people Sunday. -jsq
All,

Important news concerning storm water/flood water management in our area. As noted below in Larry’s email, much work has been done to find solutions. I made this presentation to both the local and state Chamber Governmental Affairs Council’s soliciting their support. There have also been numerous contacts with state and federal representatives concerning this issue.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Happy Independence Day,

Tim Carroll

From: Larry Hanson
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 4:10 PM
To: Tim Carroll
Subject: FW: Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Plan Comments

Mayor and Council;

Any and all Georgians have the opportunity to comment on the proposed state water plan and specifically the Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Plan that covers our region. As you know, I made a presentation to the regional water council late last year in Douglas regarding regional stormwater and the need to address this issue as part of the state water plan. The presentation was

Continue reading →

Missing records at GA Dept. of Ag. Animal Protection

Earlier I asked: “So if the investigation takes more than 2 years, do the earlier files about it start to vanish?” It appears that there’s no need to wait 2 years for records to vanish from the Ga. Department of Agriculture Animal Protection.

Blogger Rattlin’ Georgia’s Cages wrote at some unknown date about State Audits:

The author of this website is NOT an attorney, nor is attempting to provide legal advice to ANY person or organizational entity. The author of this website does not, nor does this website, represent, nor is affiliated with, the Ga. Department of Agriculture Animal Protection Division. The author of this website is a previous employee of the Ga. Department of Agriculture, employed as an Animal Protection Inspector, from Dec 2003 until July 29, 2004.

The Ga. Department of Agriculture Animal Protection
Office was audited in 2000.
This office was also reviewed, by the State Audit Office, in 2003,
for a follow up – to determine if this office was adhering
to the state auditor’s recommendations.
* My comments are in red text.
I’ve included here a couple of examples from that audit, with that blogger’s comments in red. -jsq
The Department has the authority to suspend or revoke a facility’s license. If a facility is found to be operating without a license, the Program notifies the facility of the licensure requirement, provides a copy of the standards that must be met to obtain a license, and schedules a pre-license inspection.

* Unlicensed breeders found to be operating unlicensed were not, during my employment, monetarily fined for violations. Under the authority of the Ga. Admin Procedures Act, Ag AP could, but rarely did, fine a person.

Continue reading →

We believe the entire law needs to be overturned —UUCA

Another Sunday, another religious group against the incarceration machine.

Jane Osborn sent this, dated 27 June 2011:

Editorial Statement to Atlanta Journal Constitution

Here is the statement Rev. Anthony David and Rev. Marti Keller sent to the Atlanta Journal Constitution editorial page editor today following the federal court ruling placing an injunction on parts of HB 87. We of course do not know if it will be published, but wanted to respond in a timely way.

As Unitarian Universalist ministers, we affirm justice, equity and compassion in human relations. We applaud the federal judge who halted several parts of Georgia’s anti-immigration law, but we believe the entire law needs to be overturned. It cannot substitute for comprehensive immigration reform at a national level. The law in its entirety is unjust, fear-based, and inhumane.

Rev. Anthony David

Rev. Marti Keller

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta

HB 87 feeds private prison profit at taxpayer and farmer expense. We don’t need a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia: spend that tax money on rehabilitation and education instead.

-jsq

Anti-HB 87 rally makes national news

Ten thousand or so people marching who mostly never did before. Google news finds 267 articles like this one.

AP reports today, Thousands rally against Ga. immigration law:

Thousands of marchers stormed the Georgia Capitol on Saturday to protest the state’s new immigration law, which they say creates an unwelcome environment for people of color and those in search of a better life.

Men, women and children of all ages converged on downtown Atlanta for the march and rally, cheering speakers while shading themselves with umbrellas and posters from the blazing summer sun. Capitol police and organizers estimated that between 8,000 and 14,000 protesters gathered. They filled the blocks around the Capitol, holding signs decrying House Bill 87 and reading “Immigration Reform Now!”

Friends Jessica Bamaca and Melany Cordero held a poster that read: “How would you feel if your family got broken apart?”

And remember, HB 87 has many provisions that bring “customers” to CCA’s ICE prison.

We don’t need to feed the incarceration machine with a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia. Spend that tax money on rehabilitation and education instead.

-jsq

Piggyback Come Back #1 —George Boston Rhynes

And now an editorial by George Boston Rhynes, recorded 24 June 2011:
Thanks to local Television, News Papers, Radio, Elected Officials, Some Silence Community Religious Leaders and others who seemingly ignores the many, many problems in our beloved community without any concern that they along with their congregation and fellow citizens are somewhat ignored. Too often the people of Valdosta-Lowndes County and South Georgia in general have buried their heads in the sand; much like the legend concerning the Ostrich Bird that bury his or her head in the sand and pretend that they are in paradise. While the hunter stands only five feet away with a deadly weapon in his had that will soon put him into a extremely deep sleep—-forever!
Here’s the video:

Hispanics and farmers strike in Moultrie

Alan Mauldin wrote for the Moultrie Observer 29 June 2011, Stay-at-home protest: Latinos hope to show their impact:
Colquitt County’s Latino community is gearing up to make its presence known by, well, disappearing, at least as much as possible for the largest minority group.

On Friday, the day a strict new immigration law takes effect, many will stay home from work and refrain from shopping to help make others aware of the impact of their contributions in the county.

It’s not just workers participating: Continue reading →

Press Conference 10AM 7 July 2011 —Friends of Valdosta City Schools

Press release received yesterday:
Friends of Valdosta City Schools, Inc.
P.O. Box 5514
Valdosta, Georgia 31602
allen306@bellsouth.net
(229) 244-8268
Sam Allen, Chairman
Valdosta City Schools Superintendent Emeritus
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
June 30, 2011

Press Release:

Friends of Valdosta City Schools, Inc. (FVCS) will be holding a Press Conference on the steps of Valdosta City Hall (216 E. Central Ave) at 10:00 AM on Thursday, July 7, 2011 to formally announce its opposition to the current effort by the “Community Unification for Educational Excellence” (CUEE) group to Consolidate the Valdosta City School System with Lowndes County School System. We are inviting all citizens of both Valdosta and Lowndes County who support the opposition of Unification/Consolidation of the school systems.

Sam Allen, Chairman
229-244-8268

They have a facebook page.

While I think FVCS is making one of CUEE’s mistakes in thinking this is all about Valdosta, FVCS’s event is something I can get behind. Maybe FVCS will even come out with what they are for.

-jsq

CUEE brags about 9,000 petition signatures

It’s interesting what paying people to collect petition signatures can accomplish. The CUEE press release of yesterday is on their web pages. Here’s an excerpt:
9,000 and Counting!
Petition Drive Hits Key Milestone In Effort to Give
Valdosta Residents Opportunity to Vote on Unification
Plan to Attend Saturday Event at McKey Park to Join the Movement, Sign Petition
(Valdosta, GA) The petition drive campaign giving Valdosta residents the chance to vote on school unificationreached a key milestone Friday when it topped its goal of 9,000 signatures.

The 9,000 signatures was the target set by the Community Unification for Educational Excellence (CUEE),which launched the petition drive May 12 after three years of planning. The minimum number of validsignatures needed to place the issue on the November ballot is 25 percent of registered voters in Valdosta, or7,375. The target figure of 9,000 represents a 22 percent increase over the minimum required and nearly 31 percent of all registered voters.

It’s too bad they haven’t dedicated all this organizing to something that might actually help education around here, such as prison reform or preventing bright flight by squelching sprawl.

-jsq

Keep the business of our county in order —Gretchen Quarterman @ LCC 28 June 2011

Should it take more than six months to find the county ordinances that code enforcement needs?

Gretchen Quarterman thanked County Clerk Paige Dukes for helping her in the “neverending answering to my list of questions.” She noted that:

The chairman thinks I’m badgering, but really I’m not. This body makes ordinances, and some of the ordinances are on the website. If you go to the state website, and find out where all the laws of the state are; go to the city of Valdosta’s website, and find out where all the laws of Valdosta are. Go to our website and only find out some of the ordinances.

Paige says she has been diligently working on this and I absolutely positively believe her. And I know it’s very complicated But I really encourage y’all as a body — I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job — but to keep the business of our county in order. Thank you.

She’s been trying to get public access to all the ordinances since December. The county doesn’t even have a list of all the ordinances.

Should it take more than six months to find the local laws that code enforcement needs? Chairman Ashley Paulk and 2 of 3 voting Commissioners, Crawford Powell and Richard Raines, are businessmen. Could they run a business when resolutions of the board were nowhere to be found?

-jsq

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

“Once the investigation is complete and closed all documents will be provided to you.” —Custodian of Records

More from Susan Leavens:
—– Forwarded Message —- From: “King, Shirley”
To: “sleavens4@bellsouth.net”
Sent: Wed, October 27, 2010 2:21:02 PM
Subject: Open Records Request
Ms. Leavens, as you requested under the Georgia Open Records Act, please find message from the custodian of records for Animal Protection attached.
If we may assist you any further, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thanks.
Shirley J. King
Open Records Coordinator
The attached PDF is here on the LAKE website. Interestingly, although that message from Patricia Mitchell, “Animal Protection Office Custodian of Records” says
“Once the investigation is complete and closed all documents will be provided to you.”
it also says:
“By policy the department only retains 2 years (2008 & 2009) inactive files and 1 years (2010) active files.”
So if the investigation takes more than 2 years, do the earlier files about it start to vanish?

-jsq