Tag Archives: Lowndes County

Industrial Authority Projects

Kara Ramos writes in the VDT today about Building industry: A look at current Industrial Authority projects. The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority has quite a few interesting projects projected. It will be interesting to see which of them pan out.
Members were in agreement that while there are many students graduating from area colleges, they are moving to other cities to find higher paying jobs. Some board members agreed the local workforce needs improvement to enhance the work of current employees, improve the skills of unemployed individuals, and create more job openings.
Can’t argue with that.

The controversial aspects of the Wiregrass Power, LLC biomass project are not discussed in the article. Instead, the tiny accompanying solar plant gets some press: Continue reading →

Oldest Building in Valdosta Renovated by Client Tell

Pat Sullivan, CEO of Client Tell, shows John S. Quarterman and Gretchen Quarterman his renovation of the oldest building in Valdosta.

Pat Sullivan and the Courthouse.

No, not the courthouse. Older than that. 119 North Patterson Street. Here Pat explains the hidden windows they found: Continue reading →

Third Thursday, Hahira, GA

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How many people can fit in a horse cart?

Don’t forget the children:

One more

Let’s try to count them as they get out:

Cast: Walter Bird (driving), Sam (the horse), Nancy Evans Parr, Winfrey Murray Hendley, Wayne Bullard, Beverly Brown Underwood, Barbara Stratton, several children, and watching on the sidewalk, John S. Quarterman.

Third Thursday, 15 April 2010, Hahira, Lowndes County, Georgia.

Pictures by Gretchen Quarterman.

Got Junk? Got Code Enforcement?

For entertainment, I read daily the Rant and Rave in the local newspaper. Now, I know some people here think that what’s written there is so horrible that they can’t stand it. Others think it is just for those too afraid to say something in public. Nonetheless, I read it nearly daily as I find it an interesting window into our area.

Lately, there have been several people writing in about the advertising signs posted around both Valdosta and the county. They note that the messaging on these signs is in direct conflict with Valdosta’s new litter campaign slogan. I can only assume they mean the yellow “Got Junk?” signs.

For example Continue reading →

Biomass Air Quality Hearing Set

This appears to be the date and location for the Georgia EPD air quality hearing for the Wiregrass Biomass plant proposed for Valdosta:
6:30 PM, 27 April 2010
Multipurpose Room
Valdosta City Hall Annex
300 North Lee Street
Valdosta, Georgia
We’ve been waiting on this date for a while. EPD is going to send a press release to the VDT a few weeks in advance and post it on its own website, www.georgiaair.org. Assuming, of course, that the date and place don’t change again.

Why should you care? This plant proposes to burn sewage sludge, which can release numerous hazardous chemicals into the air. Here is Seth’s letter to the editor of the VDT of 21 Feb 2010: Continue reading →

Lowndes County Not Recession-Proof

Sea Island Co. had a reputation for immunity to economic whims while over-borrowing and over-expansion? Hm, they’re not the only ones. As recently as 28 April 2008 the VDT published a story “Analyst: Valdosta ‘recession-proof'”:
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, business consultant and president of JobBait.com Mark Hovind ranked every metropolitan statistical area across the country, highlighting those he deemed to be “recession-proof.” The city of Valdosta was the only Georgia city to make the list.
Continue reading →

Aaron Kostyu Awarded by Deb Cox, Board of Elections

I’m told that Lowndes County is the only county in Georgia that has real time election results. Someone noticed:
“Elections Supervisor Deb Cox awarded Lowndes County IT Director Aaron Kostyu with a plaque and thanked him and the IT staff for helping the Board of Elections become recognized as one of the five best elections offices in the state.”
— Malynda Fulton, VDT, 26 Jan 2010
Deb Cox congratulates Aaron Kostyu

The plaque reads:

Thanks to Aaron Kostyu IT Director
and Staff
For service far above and beyond
Your necessary duties. We wouldn’t be the best
without you on the elections team!
JANUARY 2010

Aaron seems to be in the newspaper a lot lately. Here’s a writeup about him from December.

Comment on the Transportation Plan

The Metropolitian Planning Organization (MPO) invited people to a Public Open House last week about prioritization of the 2035 Transportation Plan, so we went to the RDC offices on W. Savannah Ave. and had a look. You can see many of the same materials online. The MPO has a comment form you can fill out and mail to them. There is also contact information on their web pages. They are actively soliciting input.

One thing I noticed was that along Cat Creek Road they are proposing several intersection upgrades (at Hambrick Road, New Bethel Road, and Radar Site Road) which look like they would funnel still more traffic through Hambrick Road to Moody AFB. Hambrick Road and Cat Creek Road are not highways. State highways 122 and 129 (Bemiss Road) make a nice fast route from Hahira to Moody. A few improvements at Walker’s Crossing (where 122 and 129 intersect) would seem much more appropriate. The MPO could request for the state to do that.

Widening of Old US41N is on the list again as a county project, this time as far as Union Road.

Several new roads are proposed throughout the city and county as well as widening of many roads with additional travel or turn lanes.

You can look over the list of projects and you’ll probably find ones to comment on.

You Build It, They Will Come: Quarterman Road Drag Strip

Carolyn Selby reminds the Lowndes County Commission at their regular meeting on 9 February 2010 that residents asked the Commission to redesign Quarterman Road for slower traffic.

“You did throw us a bone by limiting the speed limit at 35 miles per hour. But it’s not enforceable We asked you to put in speed humps…. Nope. Couldn’t do that.

You designed a mile and a half straight-away, and they have come. Welcome to the Quarterman Road Drag Strip!

She took pictures. She called 911, and they caught one of the dragsters. Neighborhood Watch in action.

The Commission responds by looking at County Engineer Mike Fletcher: Continue reading →

Solar Clubhouse

Johnna Pinholster writes in the VDT about The Residences at Five Points:
Benoit introduced Scott Clark from SolTherm, who will partner with Ambling on The Residences at Five Points.

The eco-friendly business out of Asheville, N.C., will oversee the construction of 23 solar panels on the roof of the complex’s clubhouse.

Those panels, Clark said, will provide between 50 and 60 percent of the clubhouse’s energy, Clark said.

Well, it’s a start. But why not solar panels on the roofs of the residences? And why a company out of Asheville when there are at least three companies in Valdosta who could have done that part?