George Rhynes tied together parents, jobs, Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act, and local education at the
VBOE 25 October 2011 open forum.
His question:
If we are concerned about our children really getting an education,
better be concerned about equal employment
and getting federal funds,
so these parents get their equal share of the jobs,
in the community….
I’m talking about the qualified parents
that apply for jobs in this area and some of you know they don’t get them.
[applause]
I was approached after the meeting and informed that the
Industrial Authority intends to invite communal leaders like
myself to brain storming sessions in the future, although I
do not know yet the design for such a forum, nor have I
received any invitations as of today. Still, if there is one
thing that has again become clear in the context of the
consolidation issue, our community desperately needs
structures that a) allow for more transparency and b) forums
in which we can take advantage of the creative energy that
exist in our community, INSTEAD of trying to shut people
out, to hide information from them, or to push through
divisive agendas.
It is my hope that the leaders of the Industrial Authority,
as well as the City Council, the Lowndes County Commission,
and the Chamber of Commerce for that matter, understand the
opportunity we have: to turn a weakness (as exposed by the
way we handled biomass, and are currently handling the
consolidation issue) into a strength … via communication
and cooperation … as is appropriate for a true community.
Video of the open forum Tuesday night at Lowndes High School
where the Lowndes County Board of Education thoroughly addressed
new evidence found by both them and CUEE.
Partly through the information they presented at
their previous forum of 4 October,
they provoked dialog with CUEE in the form of several email
messages from consolidation proponents distributed by the Chamber of Commerce.
At Tuesday’s forum the Lowndes board and staff took CUEE’s messages
as questions, looked up the answers (for example, how much did
taxes rise in places where there was school consolidation recently?)
and worked the result into their own computations.
The general answer is still that consolidation wouldn’t improve
education and would raise property taxes to near the state-mandated
cap, yet that wouldn’t be enough to preserve all the existing
school programs, and teachers and staff would also have to be
let go.
So the Lowndes Board and the Valdosta board
(several VBOE members plus Supt. Cason were present, and one repeated point was
that the two school boards and staff talk to each other all the time)
used CUEE’s questions to improve the case
against consolidation while promoting community dialog.
They even managed to criticize specific named individuals
for specific messages
Continue reading →
Update 3:45 PM 3 November 2011: Better transcript and pictures. See also what happened after the meeting.
Dr. Michael Noll, longtime opponent of the Industrial Authority’s formerly
proposed biomass plant, asked that same board at their most recent meeting:
What can we do as a community to better cooperate, to better communicate?
What can we do as a community to better cooperate? –Dr. Noll
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 18 October 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Dr. Noll sent an edited transcript removing some of the repetition
to clarify what he was trying to say:
Continue reading →
Weigh-In at the Hog Show
agriculture, hogs, pigs,
34th Annual Lowndes Area Market Show and Sale, 4H + FFA (Hog Show),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 31 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
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.
This was the first of three forums on school consolidation
hosted by the Valdosta Board of Education.
It was at Valdosta High School on 8 September 2011.
VBOE School Consolidation Forum @ VHS 8 September 2011
education, schools, referendum, consolidation, unification,
Forum at Valdosta High School, Valdosta Board of Education (VBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 9 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Commissioner Crawford Powell wanted exemptions or exceptions
to Lowndes County’s travel policy for
“department heads, elected officials, County Manager”.
Commissioner Richard Raines just wanted the limits raised.
Commissioner Joyce Evans preferred they
…make a statement that we should not exceed a certain amount per day.
Chairman Ashley Paulk said exceptions were a problem and indicated they
would be a bad idea.
Powell and Raines are the same Commissioners who thought accepting a
federal grant for NOAA Weather Radios would be “wasteful spending”
of tax dollars and who refused a federal grant for an emergency vehicle.
Spending local taxes seems fine with then when it comes to their travel expenses.
They finally adopted a total of $75/day for meals.
I hate to agree with Frank Barnas, but
GSA standard for trips to Atlanta is $56/day.
At the Monday 24 October 2011 County Commission Work Session,
County Manager Pritchard said the county’s travel policy had been discussed
during their retreat and during budget preparations,
with changes for mileage reimbursement, meal limitations, and use of tax forms.
.
This is the policy we have been acting under since the adoption of the budget.
I just wanted to bring it back before you to make this adoption public.
Joyce Evans expressed a concern about it saying the County Manager or his
designee could approve expenses.
She seemed to want the designee part removed.
Here are videos of the entire Open Forum on education
held by the Valdosta
Board of Education at JL Lomax Elementary School 25 October 2011.
This forum was advertised starting
29 August 2011, almost two months in advance, and was
the third of three forums held by VBOE.
As I asked back back on 1 September,
Where was CUEE at the school board meetings?
One or two showed up at each of the VBOE forums.
Where were the rest of them?
Susan Wehling made several good points Tuesday, including an invitation for CUEE to put their children where their mouth is, like she already has.
Hi, I’m a parent, and I have three kids in school right now; one just graduated.
First of all, CUEE sent me flyers… to insult my schools….
That was very hurtful for my children to read those flyers
telling them how bad my schools are.
My schools are not bad, and I’m very upset about that.
George Rhynes tied together parents, jobs, Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act, and local education at the
VBOE 25 October 2011 open forum.
His question:
