Hahira Third Thursday has been cancelled for today! Hahira City Manager Jonathan Sumner tells me rain is coming, and they have cancelled the whole thing: movie, farmers' market, etc.
Here's the contact web page for Hahira. City Hall is 229-794-2330.
-jsq
The person chairing the Brooks County Board of Elections
didn’t like George Rhynes recording their public open meeting, and didn’t
know that state law says anyone can.
What are you doing?
Several people explained to her that Georgia law says he can. Then she unilaterally declared an executive session without any vote or saying what it was for. Several people explained to her she couldn’t do that. Her response (after the video clip):
Video by George Boston Rhynes for bostongbr on YouTube.
I just am feeling very threatened at this point, very picked on and torn apart.
Eventually she declared the meeting adjourned without any vote. Various people explained to her she needed a motion and a vote for that, too.
Then they suspended someone from the election office until an investigation could take place.
I would post names of the various people, but I can’t find any list of members or employees of the Brooks County Board of Elections online.
In addition to the Quitman Board of Elections not understanding Georgia’s sunshine laws, Continue reading
A group of Valdosta City Council members recently visited Sustainable Fellwood in Savannah, and may be considering it as a model for affordable fair housing in Valdosta. There’s also a model much closer than Savannah.
Here’s how one blog described Sustainable Fellwood, 17 November 2009:
Fellwood is a project which aims to demonstrate that highly efficient and healthy buildings can be built affordably. The project will include a four acre park and a community garden. Preserving the local oak tree canopy will be another important step. The development team is taking steps to reduce stormwater run off and utilize native landscaping. Energy Star appliances, reflective roofs, and high efficiency windows are all included in the plans. The project will be registered with the EarthCraft Coastal Communities certification, and it is a pilot LEED — ND neighborhood. It is developed using the principles of smart growth for walkable and diverse communities.
Jan Skutch wrote for SavannahNow 16 May 2012, Sustainable Fellwood celebrates final two phases,
Continue reading 
Hot topic Impediments to Fair Housing returns to the Valdosta City Council tonight:
5.a. Consideration of a request to establish a Fair Housing Committee.
I’m told they’re going to appoint members to that committee tonight. More about that from their 5 April 2012 meeting.
They will also consider bids, grants, and taxes, and make a couple of award presentations.
Here’s the agenda.
-jsq
AMENDED AGENDAContinue reading
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, July 19, 2012
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
Back in April Southern Company CEO Thomas A. Fanning gave yet another version of his stump speech that we saw at the shareholders’ meeting in May and that he’s video blogging on YouTube now. In April he emphasized a huge assumption with no evidence; an assumption that may just not be true.
National Energy Policy – Part 5 of 7 (30 April 2012)
This much we know: demand for electricity will increase. The Energy Information Administration projects an 18% increase in electricity demand nationally and in the southeast, we’re as expecting as much as a 25% increase over the next 20 years. So we know the need is real, immediate, and critical.
Really? Here’s recent electricity use and nearterm forcast by the U.S. Energy Information Administration:
Sure looks to me like there was a big dip in 2009, and projected use in 2013 is no higher than in 2007. What was that about “immediate”?
Now you may say, of course, that’s a recession. But what about this?
Continue reading 
Tomorrow is Third Thursday in Hahira, the monthly outside get-together with food and fun. According to the signs they hang up on the streets, it starts at 5PM and ends at 8PM. According to the Hahira Happenings facebook page:
July 19th 3rd Thursday.. Movie night ( Mirror, Mirror) really cute and funny movie!!
That facebook page also says:
Any framers or anyone who has veggies, fruits can set up in front of the red caboose on saturdays or third thursday.
Also:
If you know anyone who would be intrested in market days please have them call 229-794-2567!
I plan to be there with okra and other vegetables for sale. Looking forward to getting a call-back from that number….
See you at the red caboose. That picture is from last year's Hahira Honeybee Festival, 11 October 2011.
-jsq
It sounds like good news for T-SPLOST opponents, until you look at the details.
Eve Chen wrote for 11Alive yesterday, 11Alive Poll | T-SPLOST would not pass today
Among likely voters surveyed by SurveyUSA for 11Alive News, across the state, 48% said they would vote against T-SPLOST and 36% said they would vote for it if the primary were today; 16% were still undecided. The margin of error was 3.4%.
But look at the details. The big No regions are Atlanta metro and northwards (see Question 1). In our Region 11 it’s Yes 41%, No 33%, Not Certain 26% so there’s work to be done. Do we want to end up stuck with projects we don’t need after Atlanta votes down its region in a referendum that was designed to pass in Atlanta?
My favorite is question 6:
How likely is it that the state government would properly handle the funds if the transportation tax increase is passed?
In region 11, Very 17%, Somewhat 24%, Not Very 25%, Not At All 21%, Not Sure 14%. Trust problem, GDOT?
And nobody is buying the scare tactics. See Question 4, for which every region says by around 2 to 1 that traffic would stay about the same without T-SPLOST. Question 3 indicates few even think T-SPLOST would improve traffic. We also know a Plan B is possible. How about a Plan B including public transportation for south Georgia to help people get to work?
-jsq
Received 11 July 2012, about that mysterious block grant. -jsq
Here is the original announcement of the Haven getting that CDBG grant. They have had some issues with the land that have kept it from being built before now.
-Jane Osborn
Text of announcement:
Governor Announces CDBG Award Recipients
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774
ATLANTA— Governor Sonny Perdue announced that Georgia has been awarded over $43 million in federal grants from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the state’s Community Development Block Grant Program.
“The Community Development Block Grant program provides an essential financial resource to Georgia’s smaller communities in their efforts
to fund projects that will assist low- and moderate-income citizens,” said Governor Perdue. “As communities large and small are making tough spending choices, today’s grant announcement represents an important funding source for various local quality of life, economic development and job creation programs.”
Nearly $35.7 million is now being allocated for CDBG awards that will be used to support projects in 75 Georgia communities. Projects include water and sewer improvements, senior citizen facilities, health facilities, domestic violence centers, street and drainage improvements and replacement or rehabilitation of sub-standard and dilapidated housing. A complete list of projects and award amounts is included at the end of the news release. Remaining grant funds will be made available on an ongoing basis as opportunities arise for funding job creation and redevelopment projects in various parts of the state.
The CDBG program is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which uses funds allocated through HUD to support local initiatives that focus on improving living conditions and economic opportunities.
“We are pleased that these funds will be used to fund critical community development projects,” added DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty. “Each year, the annual CDBG funding announcement demonstrates how federal, state, regional, and local partners are working together to support local communities and build a brighter future for all Georgians.”
The following is a complete listing of CDBG awards. Communities are listed in alphabetical order.
The line item from the governor’s table:
Recipient Project Description Amount Lowndes County Domestic Violence Shelter $500,000.00
-jsq
Since our coverage of the Southern Company (SO) shareholders meeting in May, SO CEO Thomas A. Fanning has started his own YouTube video series, “Why Energy Matters to You”, in which he tries to head off a real energy policy by advocating SO’s nuclear and coal strategy instead.
SO PR 28 June 2012, Southern Company Chairman Launches CEO Social Media Video Series,
Southern Company SO today unveiled the first in a series of CEO Web videos examining issues critical to the electric utility industry. The video series, “Why Energy Matters to You,” is available on YouTube and features Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. Fanning announced the Web series during an appearance at the 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, Colo.
Here are his two episodes so far. His theme:
“I believe that every American deserves a supply of clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy.”
Who could argue with that? It’s just SO’s ideas of how to do it that provoke some argument.
Here’s Part 1 of 2:
Why Energy Matters to You —Thomas A. Fanning Part 1 of 2
His question:
“How can better energy create more economic freedom for the American people?”
His answer is in Part 2 of 2:
Continue readingAt yesterday’s Big Bets movie premiere, Southern Company doubled down and dug deeper in the hole.
Joeff Davis wrote for Fresh Loaf yesterday, Protesters picket utility’s Midtown film premiere, blast construction of new nuclear reactors
On the same day that tens of thousands of protesters rallied in Tokyo against the restart of Japan’s nuclear reactors, roughly 30 protesters chanted, marched, and handed out flyers today in Midtown to protest against Georgia Power’s construction of two new nuclear reactors in eastern Georgia. The two units, which are located about 175 miles from downtown Atlanta, are the first to be built in the United States in nearly three decades.
“Georgia Power is using our money to pay for something we don’t need, we don’t want and is killing us,” said Margie Resse as she handed out flyers outside the Fox Theatre. Southern Company, Georgia Power’s parent company, had reserved the historic Midtown venue to screen a documentary that it commissioned about the utility’s 100-year history for shareholders and executives.
The flyers claimed that Southern Company used “its notorious lobbying machine to
push a $2 billion rate hike” onto Georgia ratepayers to build “two risky nuclear reactors on the Savannah River,” which the groups say are months behind schedule and $900 million overbudget. The flyer urges ratepayers to refuse to pay a fee tacked on to utility bills that helps pay for the reactors’ construction.
Southern Company Spokesman Steve Higginbottom, standing just inside
the Fox Theatre’s entrance and speaking barely above the protesters’ chants, said that Southern Company supports the rights of protesters but disputes their claims.
The “$900 million” figure cited by protesters, he said, has been alleged by Westinghouse, the manufacturer of the reactor, and Shaw, the project’s general contractor.
Um, Southern Company’s response is to talk about infighting among the consortium building the new nukes? SO could be digging themselves a hole deeper than the one the reactors sit in….
I do compliment Higginbottom and Southern Company on being consistently civil, however.
-jsq