Category Archives: Festivals

Starting up Drive Away CCA —Winn Roberson 2012 03 06





Winn Roberson told us how he had the idea for the

motorcade against CCA,
from the private prison site past Valdosta City Hall to the Industrial Authority.

Here’s

Part 1 of 2:




Starting up Drive Away CCA —Winn Roberson 2012 03 06 Part 1 of 2:

No private prison in Lowndes County,

Motorcade against Corrections Corporation of America, Drive Away CCA,

CCA, VLCIA, Corrections Corporation of America, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority,

Valdosta City Council, Lowndes County Commission, incarceration, prison, private prison,

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 6 March 2012.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.



And how he wasn’t opposed to it just because it was down the street from him;
also because:

“Every step so far has dollar signs behind it.”

A private prison would give everybody from justices to jailers incentive
to keep more people in prison instead of rehabilitating anybody.

Here’s

Part 2 of 2:

Continue reading →

Video: Drive Away CCA radio (John S. Quarterman interviewed by Chris Beckham)



The motorcade went well and

you can still help
Drive Away CCA!

Turning radio into TV, here’s LAKE video of Tuesday morning’s interview
with Chris Beckham about

Drive Away CCA, the motorcade against the private prison.


Listen for the mentions of
Sheriff Chris Prine (he is
opposed to the private prison “I want him in my jail, not a private jail”)
Winn Roberson (the

motorcade was his idea),
Matt Flumerfelt (he filed the open records request that revealed

the contracts with the March 13th),
Bobbi Anne Hancock (she

dug up a history of CCA that reveals problems for many years
and she had a

very funny interview with VLCIA executive director Andrea Schruijer),
George Boston Rhynes (he’s been following incarceration and especially

jail issues for many years),
and former sheriff and current Lowndes County Commission Chairman
Ashley Paulk (he listed a number of hurdles the prison project
would have to leap before it could happen), and also the VDT.
Too many other people are involved to name here.

Here’s

the video:




Video: Drive Away CCA radio (John S. Quarterman interviewed by Chris Beckham)

No private prison in Lowndes County,

Radio WVGA 105.9 FM with Chris Beckham, Drive Away CCA (DAC),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 6 March 2012.

Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Audio from WVGA 105.9
Also,

audio from WVGA 105.9 is available.


There are plently of things you can still do to help Drive Away CCA:

  • Sign the

    petition.

  • Speak at the Valdosta City Council meeting Thursday
    or at the Lowndes County Commission meeting next Tuesday.
    They’re both

    implicated in this private prison decision.

  • Write a letter to the editor.

  • I’m sure other people can think of many other things.

CCA cares about

“public acceptance of the Company’s services”.
If we show enough public opposition, we can

Drive Away CCA!

-jsq

Motorcade against CCA, 5PM Tuesday March 6th

Do you want to live in a prison colony?
Help us say, CCA Go Away!

Join us 5PM Tuesday March 6th 2012 at the private prison site (Dasher-Johnson
Road off US 84 at Inner Perimeter) for a motorcade by Valdosta City
Hall to the Industrial Authority offices: for education and against the
private prison.

When: 5PM (rush hour) Tuesday March 6th
How: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles
Who: Everybody is invited
What: Oppose the Private Prison
From: Proposed Private Prison Site

US 84 @ Inner Perimeter Road

(Staging on Dasher-Johnson Road next to US 84)
By way of: Valdosta City Hall

Valdosta City Council Work Session

Honk to say No CCA!
To: Industrial Authority Office

2110 N. Patterson Street

(Patterson at Park Avenue)

Bring a sign: No Private Prisons!
Contact:
noprivateprisons@gmail.com

Winn Roberson, 229-630-2339, winnroberson@bellsouth.net

John S. Quarterman, 229-242-0102, politics@quarterman.org





on the web


View Larger Map





Petition

Winn Roberson read the newspaper Friday (February 24th)
and realized the prison site
was down the street from him, so the news finally sunk in.
This motorcade was his idea to drive the point across to the
Industrial Authority: we don’t want a private prison!

John S. Quarterman lives about as far away from the prison site
as you can get in Lowndes County, but realizes it will affect
everybody for many counties around.
So let’s say CCA Go Away!

-jsq

PS: If you can’t come, you can still sign the

petition to the Industrial Authority, or write a letter to the editor, or…

Plymouth Rock n Ride, Sunday 20 November —Matt Portwood

Received today. -jsq



John,

A group of local cyclists collected over 60 food items and over 200
clothing items while riding in the Plymouth Rock-n-Ride Charity Bicycle
Ride on Sunday November 20th. The cyclists rode to various checkpoints
throughout Valdosta featuring different challenges to be completed. The
group also visited grocery store checkpoints to buy a variety of food


items for a local charity. The riders then delivered the food and
clothing donations to the Saint Francis Center Ministry Outreach
program on Mary Street. Prizes from local sponsors (Red Door Records,
Western Auto, Valdosta Bike Center and Salem Records) were awarded to
the 1st, 2nd,
9th, and 13th
place finishers in the ride.


Matt


FVCS Final Meeting 15 November 2011

Former electoral opponents met Tuesday as FVCS held

its final meeting,
with Rusty Griffin, Vice-Chair of CUEE,
watching at the MLK Monument as
Sam Allen, President of Friends of
Valdosta Schools (FVCS) announced the dissolution of FVCS.

Sam Allen,

as he has before,
called for

reconciliation of opponents on the recent school consolidation referendum,


and support of the two school systems,
financially and otherwise.

In addition to FVCS regulars such as JC Cunningham,
Chamber Chair Tom Gooding was there,
as were current Valdosta Mayor Sonny Vickers and
Mayor-Elect John Gayle, plus re-elected Valdosta City Council At-Large Ben Norton.
Valdosta School Superintendent Cason was there.
I didn’t see Lowndes Superintendent Smith,
although various members of

Continue reading →

FVCS community event 5:30 PM 15 November 2011 @ MLK Monument

Received today (this is the event Sam Allen mentioned
in his speech on Valdosta City Hall steps last Wednesday). -jsq

Friends,

We must bring healing and closure to the consolidation saga. As a


means to reuniting our community the FVCS has planned one last event
designed to bring EVERYONE together for some good fun and relaxation.
Please come out and join us, bring the kids and your friends as we
close this chapter and begin anew. I pray that we can move forward and
enjoy the true meaning of the upcoming holidays with love and
forgiveness in our hearts. Remember: Don’t worry about me because I’m
be alright.

Thanks for everything,

Sam Allen

Details:

Continue reading →

Put your money where your mouth is —Sam Allen



Sam Allen addressed a rally outside Valdosta City Hall Wednesday
after Tuesday’s landslide 4 to 1 defeat of school consolidation.
He promised the people who backed the consolidation referendum
that there would be consequences if they ever tried it again
without the cooperation of the community.
He observed that since there was apparently a lot of disposable
income around here (see the $300,000 CUEE raised to promote consolidation).
He recommended that people put such money where their mouth is and
contribute to the Lowndes County or Valdosta City school foundations.
He concluded by complimenting CUEE on bringing CUEE together.

What you have been able to achieve, is that you have indeed brought
a community together.

[applause]

A community,
black, white, Republicans, Democrats, no god, some god.
You brought them all to the table.
Not only did you bring them to the table, but you brought them to the polls.

[applause]

Finally, he thanked all the volunteers who helped,
and said

Continue reading →

People say we don’t talk —Sam Allen 8 Nov 2011



Sam Allen demonstrates Valdosta City and Lowndes County
School Boards cooperate, right there at the Board of Elections last night.
As he said, a 4 to 1 victory against 10 to 1 financial odds
proves grassroots organizing works.

It’s OK, to be beat. But to be beat by a one-armed man….

Here’s

the video:




People say we don’t talk —Sam Allen 8 Nov 2011

Victory Celebration,

Vote No for Consolidation, Friends of Valdosta City Schools (FVCS),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 8 Nov 2011.

Videos by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I., the bostongbr on YouTube.

-jsq

The grass roots effort, outspent by a 10 to 1 margin, defeat the CUEE effort by 4 to 1! —Jim Parker

Received today on
School Consolidation Lost by a Landslide with 14 of 16 precincts reporting. -jsq



Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Absolutely amazing! The grass roots effort, outspent by a 10 to 1 margin,
defeat the CUEE effort by 4 to 1! That’s what it’s all about! This is
what democracy looks like!

Thanks to all the put in the time and effort and showed up at the
polls. Now I hope we can have a serious discussion about the education
of our children in Valdosta. Y’all in the county can, too.

-Jim Parker

Students Compete in the Local Hog Show

Gretchen went to the weigh-in yesterday, and will be at the show today. Pictures and videos to come.

According to Lowndes County Schools 28 October 2011,

Students Compete in the Local Hog Show:



One hundred-thirty youngsters from Echols, Lanier, and Lowndes
counties are registered to exhibit their hogs in the 34th Annual
Lowndes Area Market Show and Sale, to be held on Tuesday, November 1st.
These elementary, middle, and high school students are members of either
local 4H or FFA organizations.



The Show will be held at the Lowndes County Civic Center, with judging
of weight divisions beginning at 5:00 PM. Hogs will be judged according
to market standards for providing the best pork possible. Showmanship
classes will follow, where the students will be evaluated for their
success in exhibiting their animal.

-jsq