Tag Archives: LAKE

Photographers to the back of the room —Ashley Paulk @ LCC 12 September 2011

Another quick meeting, when at the end:
Chairman: Mr Quarterman, The County Commission wishes from this day forward that any filming be done from the media area in the back corner of the room.

jsq: Has the Commission taken a vote on that?

Chairman: Yes sir, we uh independently; I will submit the chairman without the Commission … do not question my authority.

jsq: So the Commission has not taken a vote on that.

Chairman: Commission doesn’t have to.

jsq: And you believe that legally you can do that?

Chairman: Yes sir I believe that. I do my research.

jsq: Can I see that legal opinion please?

Chairman: You’re looking at it.

jsq: In writing if you would.

Chairman: Mr Quarterman, I will not argue with you. Do not film except in the media area. Do you understand me? Don’t say you weren’t aware of it. It’s on the web site.

Here’s Camera 1: Continue reading →

Appointment – DBHDD Regional Planning Board @ LCC 12 September 2011

The previous member of the Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases Regional Planning Board retired from the board after a term that expired in July. Previously they appointed Mrs. Henderson, I think at the meeting a month ago, but for some reason she could not serve. Another person is applying. She has not yet supplied a resume; they hope to see that by tomorrow.

Here’s the video:


Appointment – DBHDD Regional Planning Board @ LCC 12 September 2011
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 12 September 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Continue reading →

September LAKE meeting: The Owl returns to Bemiss

We didn’t meet this week due to the holiday, so we’re meeting next week, also on a different day:
Monthly LAKE Meeting
When: 5:30 PM
&nbsp  Sunday 11 September 2011
Where: Smokin’ Pig BBQ Express
&nbsp 3960 Macey Dr.
&nbsp Valdosta, GA 31602
That’s behind the Taco Bell, off of Huntley Drive, off of Bemiss Road. Google maps doesn’t know Macey Drive exists, but Mapquest does.
Note this is not the one on North Valdosta Road.

We could use your help with something.

If you follow the LAKE blog, On the LAKE Front, which you can also see through the LAKE facebook page, you know what we cover, from protesters to private prisons to gardening to schools, all of which turn out to be related. What else do you want to investigate? You can be LAKE, too!

If you’re on Facebook, please sign up for the event there.

Or just come as you are.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

-jsq

Videos of entire Lowndes County Board of Education meeting of 30 August 2011

Here’s a playlist of the entire 30 August 2011 Lowndes County Board of Education meeting of 30 August 2011. As you can see, it really was almost all about approving a resolution against school consolidation. We’ve already posted that resolution and the unanimous vote.

The actual resolution is a model of such things: simple and easy to read, yet complete enough to cover the territory, and leaving no doubts as to the board’s position. Congratulations to LCBOE on that resolution!


Playlist, called meeting, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 30 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman and John S. Quarterman
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Let me also take a moment to thank some LCBOE staff. Continue reading →

Lowndes County Manager Joe Pritchard reviews the budget process

Here is the complete playlist for yesterday’s (8 September 2011) Lowndes County Lunch and Learn, in which County Manager Joe Pritchard reviewed the county’s budget process. County Clerk Paige Dukes said she would also send the slides for posting.


County Manager Joe Pritchard presents the budget process
Lowndes County Lunch and Learn 8 September 2011
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange

Here are last month’s Lunch and Learn playlist and slides.

-gretchen

Videos of entire VBOE 29 August 2011 meeting

Here’s a video playlist for the whole meeting: teacher hiring, board member training, and a statement against school consolidation, with additional comments by many citizens. Many of these videos have already been published in the VBOE 29 August 2011 category in this blog.


Videos of entire VBOE 29 August 2011 meeting
education, referendum, consolidation, statement,
Work Session, Valdosta Board of Education (VBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 29 August 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

The playlist also includes other video material, such as Continue reading →

First thing they’ll do, is sell that stadium —? @ VBOE 29 August 2011

This is the clearest statement of the football argument I’ve heard. This is the same speaker who already mentioned quality of education, property taxes, and property values, so this is just one argument among many. The speaker is associated with FVCS, and if I went to VHS, I’d know his name right away; I’m an LHS graduate.
The first thing they’ll do is sell that stadium. They’d be crazy not to do…. They’re not going to pay upkeep on two stadiums. Look at Tallahassee, Macon: all the schools play at one stadium….

…

Don’t let those people run the show. Don’t let them take the power away from us.

…

If one day it makes good economic sense for y’all to make the decision to sell that property to Valdosta State and build another stadium and we can come out ahead, I think that’s a great idea.

Like my granddaddy said, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

By “those people” I don’t think he means the Lowndes County Board of Education; I think he was referring to CUEE.

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it —? @ VBOE 29 August 2011

Research quality of education, property taxes, and property values after school consolidation, and you’ll find down, up, and down, said this speaker. Didn’t get his name; sorry.

I don’t have kids, but I have plenty of friends that do. that are in Valdosta city school system, and they like the direction that the school system is going. They like the quality of education that their children are getting at this time.

My grandfather used to say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It ain’t broke, so why are we going to let them try to fix it?

Do the research; I’ve done the research. Do the research on other communities that have consolidated two systems. When you get a big huge system, the quality of education goes down. Check it out. Research it.

Property taxes go up. Property values go down. Do the research.

You know, the research CUEE either did and rejected, according to Sam Allen about the questions VDT claims CUEE can’t answer. There are answers; just not ones CUEE likes.

Here’s the video:


If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it @ VBOE 29 August 2011
education, referendum, consolidation, statement,
Work Session, Valdosta Board of Education (VBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 29 August 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Boston catches up with Atlanta: you can video police

Poilce are public employees, and the public has a right to video them doing their duty; so says a federal appeals court.

Pace Lattin wrote for Technorati, Federal Courts Rule it is Not Illegal to Film Police John S. Quarterman

The First Court of Appeals has reached a decision that would allow the general public to video-tape police officers while they are working. This decision comes right after several well-known public cases have come to light involving citizens being arrested for video-taping police.

This specific case in question was Simon Glik vs.The City of Boston (and several police officers), in which a teenage Simon Gilk was arrested after videotaping Boston Police abusing a homeless man. While Mr. Gilk was not interfering with the police, he was arrested on wiretapping charges.

The ACLU had sued on his behalf, even when the charges were dropped, noting that there was a growing epidemic of citizens in the United States being arrested by police for videotaping, even when documenting police brutality and abuse.

The First Court Agreed with the ACLU that this should be legal, and wrote that: “The filming of government officials engaged in their duties in a public place, including police officers performing their responsibilities, fits comfortably within these principles [of protected First Amendment activity].

The Atlanta Police Department already avoided this problem by settling a previous case and making a policy that citizens can video police. This appeals court ruling now says anybody can, nationwide, because of the First Amendment.

Why has this become an issue lately? Continue reading →

“I have seen cameras here at this building when it concerns football” — George Boston Rhynes @ VBOE 29 August 2011

If TV cameras show up for football, why don’t they show up “when the people come together on issues such as this, not just black folk, not just white folk, but all Americans are here tonight because of our concern”?

George Boston Rhynes made three points: Continue reading →