This comment from George Boston Rhynes arrived just now,
on “Talk to my chairman”. -jsq
I was at
the last LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING when
Chairman Ashley Paulk shared information about the Biomass Project
extension being denied and the alleged secrecy surrounding keeping the
general public ignorant.
“Because certain people won’t share with you and I think it’s
unfair. We were approached about three weeks ago, Mr. (Joe) Pritchard
(County Manager) was, by the Industrial Authority, and we were tentatively
asked to make a move to ask that they not extend the contract.”
(Chairman Paulk!)
Chairman Paulk words prove that there is an apparent pattern and practice
The member who hardly ever speaks at board meetings makes a strong case for openness.
Tom Call
called me back about the biomass plant,
and we talked about a number of other matters.
He remarked that he was not an appointed spokesperson for the Industrial
Authority, so this is just him talking.
Yesterday I wrote that we were left with hearsay through Ashley Paulk
and people he talked to about what the Industrial Authority is up to,
and I had
left telephone messages with all five VLCIA board members.
So far, three out of five have called me back.
Roy Copeland referred me to VLCIA Chairman Jerry Jennett
for an update about the present status of the biomass plant.
He also had many good things to say about the activism in the community,
including this:
Because people in the community are concerned, that makes us better.
And sometimes there are good things that come out of disagreement.
I don’t like to publish hearsay, but since the Industrial Authority
won’t talk, that’s what I’ve got.
According to Leigh Touchton, Ashley Paulk told her Tuesday night:
He said that Jerry Jennett took the biomass vote off the agenda at last
Industrial Authority meeting (April 19) even though Mary Gooding and
Roy Copeland wanted the vote to be taken ( a vote that was to oppose an
extension of the biomass contract since the biomass incinerator had not
met timeline benchmarks like having a buyer, etc). He said that Allan
Ricketts, Industrial Authority attorney Steve Gupton, and Jerry Jennett
went up to Atlanta to meet with Wiregrass officials and that’s when he
(Chairman Paulk) got a call telling him all this and he said he wouldn’t
keep quiet about it. He said the three men asked Wiregrass LLC officials
to rescind their letter asking VLCIA for an extension on their contract
and to substitute a new letter saying they were withdrawing their request
for extension (or not going forward to ask for extension).
This is in addition to what you can see him
on video saying during the meeting.
More after this picture of the cast of characters:
Continue reading →
Ashley Paulk agrees with my mother about
what the Industrial Authority should do.
At the Lowndes County Commission meeting last night, Chairman Paulk
discussed the biomass plant with Dr. Noll, and said:
Certain people won’t share it with you, and I don’t think it’s fair.
We were approached … almost three weeks ago by the Industrial Authority
and we were asked to … ask them not to extend the contract.
Well, it’s not our contract; we could do that, but … we didn’t.
And then last week the Tuesday of their meeting, I received a call
… on my way back fromm Atlanta and they had gone up
there to talk to Wiregrass Power,
because they’d written a letter asking for an extension.
My understanding was that they asked Wiregrass to write another letter
to remove that extension request.
These are things, I think should be public knowledge.
Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 April 2011
Video by Alex Rowell for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
He told me several weeks ago about the commission being asked to vote not to extend.
Continue reading →
Many worry about the financial costs of the bill. Though these are
surely not the greatest concerns for immigrant communities who would
be most impacted if Georgia’s bill is enacted, many business groups
are anxious. A national boycott of Arizona cost the state an estimated
$250 million in lost taxes, tourism and other revenue, according to the
Center for American Progress.
Even before the Georgia bill passed, a group of organizations across
the country threatened to wage a boycott of the state of Georgia if it
enacts the legislation.
Most states that have had this bill introduced have had the good sense
to get rid of it.
Continue reading →
Financing is the biggest hurdle I hear local people cite
as stopping them from going solar.
There are companies that lower that hurdle.
Like
SolarCity in California and Oregon,
Mosaic, also in California,
handles financing.
Mosaic has some interesting additional community wrinkles.
No, not just their heavy use of facebook and other social networking. Also this:
Executive Director, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority
(Valdosta, GA)
A very exciting opportunity with a successful industrial
authority with numerous assets.
Greater Valdosta is the business, cultural, educational, medical, leisure,
and retail hub for thirteen South Georgia and North Florida counties and
more than 1.2 million citizens. Valdosta and Lowndes County are quickly
becoming the fastest growing area in Georgia and are home to Moody Air
Force Base; two Regional Medical Centers; and Valdosta State University,
a regional university with over 13,000 students.
Digging around on cb-asso.com finds this detailed job description.
It’s four GIF images (copies
here)
of a VLCIA logo and three pages of a four-page flyer.
Bringing the best of the country to the heart of the City!
Downtown Valdosta Farm Days is a bi-weekly farmers’ market featuring
local farmers and artisans and also serves to educate the community
about eating local, nutrition and food choices.
Downtown Farmers Market
First and Third Saturdays from May to September
9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Lowndes County Courthouse Square, Downtown Valdosta
There’s a calendar on their
website,
along with how to become a vendor.
What will you do? —John S. Quarterman @ VCC 7 April 2011
Regular monthly meeting of the Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 April 2011,
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Before I started, the mayor noted that many people needed to go to an event at 7PM
(he didn’t name it, but it was the
100 Black Men Annual Dinner.)
He offered to proceed with scheduled business and re-open Citizens to be Heard at the end of the meeting.
Nobody objected.
I had already waited until nobody else seemed to want to speak.
I was at the last LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING when Chairman Ashley Paulk shared information about the Biomass Project extension being denied and the alleged secrecy surrounding keeping the general public ignorant.
“Because certain people won’t share with you and I think it’s unfair. We were approached about three weeks ago, Mr. (Joe) Pritchard (County Manager) was, by the Industrial Authority, and we were tentatively asked to make a move to ask that they not extend the contract.” (Chairman Paulk!)Chairman Paulk words prove that there is an apparent pattern and practice
