Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

NOAA Weather Radios, LCC, 7 Feb 2011

We’ve already heard about NOAA Weather Radios from two different citizens, Nolen Cox and Ken Klanicki. What are they talking about? As usual, much of the discussion was in the work session (8:30 AM Monday 7 Feb 2011), available here in two parts.

In Part 1 staff talks about buying about 5,000 NOAA weather radios so the citizens can get weather news. Low bidder would charge $21.50 per radio.


Lowndes County Commission, 7 Feb 2011, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman and John S. Quarterman
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

In Part 2, staff notes that the grant would require that the radios can’t be earmarked, so people could come to the county office to pick up radios, and staff proposes to have several community events throughout the community, well-advertised, for people to pick up radios and staff to answer questions about them.

One of the commissioners notes:

That’s almost $108,000 tax money what happens to that grant money if, we say you know, it might not be a good idea […] what happens to that?
Continue reading →

“the citizenry has a right to scrutinise the state.” –Julian Assange

Some people compare LAKE to Wikileaks, so let’s go there. Julian Assange, like Wendell Berry, links the civil rights movement and the environmental movement. He then says:
“For the Internet generation this is our challenge and this is our time. We support a cause that is no more radical a proposition than that the citizenry has a right to scrutinise the state. The state has asserted its authority by surveilling, monitoring and regimenting all of us, all the while hiding behind cloaks of security and opaqueness. Surely it was only a matter of time before citizens pushed back and we asserted our rights.”

LAKE’s motto is:

Citizen dialog for transparent process
That makes Assange’s proposition
“the citizenry has a right to scrutinise the state”
sound very familiar to us.

Locally it’s more a matter of elected and appointed bodies ignoring their chartered responsibilities to the public good and the general welfare. Well, many people are also tired of the permit inspection brigade, but that’s another story.

Assange also adds: Continue reading →

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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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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Air pollution and children –Dr. Noll, VCC, 10 Feb 2011

Dr. Noll talks about air pollution and children. He asks if the council thinks numerous medical associations and doctors are lying to us. Mayor Fretti asks if that’s a rhetorical question. Dr. Noll indicates Rev. Rose and others seem quite disappointed in lack of response. Mayor Fretti falls back on process.


Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 10 February 2011.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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Environmental apartheid and envieronmental racism –Leigh Touchton, VCC, 10 Feb 2011

NAACP reiterates charges of environmental racism, despite claims from Brad Lofton, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, that “all of a sudden we haven’t heard anymore about environmental racism.” Leigh Touchton, president of the local NAACP chapter, presents to the Valdosta City Council research published by Robert D. Bullard about environmental apartheid.


Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 10 February 2011.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
She posted the appended as a comment on the previous LAKE post about Robert D. Bullard’s report.

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Dear Mr. Quarterman:
Continue reading →

VSU Advanced Journalism Class, VCC, 10 Feb 2011

Mayor Fretti welcomes a VSU advanced journalism class, as well as David Rodock of the VDT, while Gretchen pans around the room. Hm, advanced journalism: maybe they’d like to video events?


Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 10 February 2011.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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