Tag Archives: Valdosta Daily Times

I’m all for openness —Tom Call

The member who hardly ever speaks at board meetings makes a strong case for openness.

Tom Call called me back about the biomass plant, and we talked about a number of other matters. He remarked that he was not an appointed spokesperson for the Industrial Authority, so this is just him talking.

I asked him about Ashley Paulk’s remarks in the 26 April 2011 Lowndes County Commission meeting. Tom Call said VLCIA was not standing behind any other body, and he clarified what had happened.

He said the biomass plant had been brought to the Industrial Authority by Continue reading →

Industrial Authority Defensive about Minutes

Could the Industrial Authority try any harder to make it look like they’ve got something to hide? Of all things to go to the mattresses about: their board minutes?

The VDT picked up on our series about a local citizen being overcharged for an open records request for VLCIA agendas and minutes. In a front page Sunday VDT story, David Rodock reports:

In response, The Valdosta Daily Times submitted their own Open Records Request for the salaries of all Industrial Authority employees.
According to the information provided by the Authority, the lowest paid fulltime employee, the Operations Manager, is paid an annual salary of $46,526.
When this number is divided by 2080, (52 weeks multiplied by 40 hours per week) it shows that the lowest paid full-time employee is making $22.40 per hour.

The salary quoted on the invoice is not the same as either Continue reading →

Biomass protesters @ VCC 7 April 2011

You’ve seen them before and here they are again: biomass protesters, this time outside Valdosta City Hall, 7 April 2011.

Old and young, Continue reading →

VDT on water woes and SIFE

The VDT editorial for yesterday, What We Think: Will water woes define our future? includes this:

Water scarcity is a reality for many American states, particularly in the Southwest, and over-development in desert areas is compounding the issues between Colorado, Nevada and California. Georgia’s problems pale in comparison, but if the drought continues, consumption limits and conservation are going to have to be implemented again.

That would be the drought that was already in progress in south Georgia in January.

The VDT mentions a student group trying to do something about it:

Saturday, the VSU Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is hosting a community Walk for Water to raise awareness and money for people worldwide who don’t have access to clean water.

Here’s their web page and their facebook page.

Free enterprise? Who knows? Maybe the Industrial Authority will get around to doing something about industry and water.

-jsq

“Parameters on the types of industry” –VDT Editorial

And what about all that land?

In addition to a news story about Brad Lofton moving on up to Myrtle Beach, the Valdosta Daily Times also had an editorial yesterday (14 March), Lofton’s leaving a void in which they make some good points, including:

While the search is on for a new director, now is the time for the city, county and industrial authority board to come together to make some decisions about the organization and what the community leadership needs and wants it to be.

Here are a few modest suggestions along those lines, including considerations such as water.

VDT on Lofton Leaving

What’s Brad Lofton’s legacy?

The VDT finally published something today about Brad Lofton moving to Myrtle Beach, apparently mostly drawing on the same SC newspaper story LAKE picked up on last Thursday, with some material from the second SunNews story of Friday. The VDT did add some local interviews: Continue reading →

History changes the closer you get to Valdosta?

Some people have expressed surprise to learn that Brad Lofton was fired from his previous job in Effingham County. The VLCIA’s own website may be part of the reason why they’re surprised.

According to “In the News” on the the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) web site:

“Lofton is currently the president and CEO of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority and the executive director of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. Lofton brings a wide range of experience to the position including time served as the executive director of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and the Lee County Development Authority.”

You have to search or scroll way down in that page to find that passage, and there’s no date on it.

However, it is almost a word-for-word copy of a paragraph by Kelli Hernandez that appeared in the Moultrie Observer 16 August 2006:

“Lofton’s most recent position was president and CEO of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority and the executive director of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. Lofton brings a wide range of experience to the position including time served as the executive director of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and the Lee County Development Authority.”

See the difference? “Lofton’s most recent position was” in the Moultrie article is “Lofton is currently the” on the VLCIA’s own web site. So which was it? Continue reading →

“the learning curve is very steep” –Ken Klanicki

This LTE appeared in the VDT yesterday (28 Feb 2011). -jsq

Former Lowndes County commissioner Richard Lee once told me “…the learning curve is very steep for first-time commissioners.” Our new county commissioners, Richard Raines and Crawford Powell, are living proof of the veracity of that statement. In case Bill O’Reilly is reading this, here’s a few examples.
Earlier this month a grant application for the purchase of 5,000 weather emergency radios was nixed by a 2 – 1 vote. The radios could’ve been a means for citizens residing in remote areas of the county to

Continue reading →

“We welcome solar power to the City of Valdosta and Lowndes County”

After all the protesters, police, and press, representatives of VLCIA, Sterling Planet, Hannah Solar, Georgia Power, and the City of Valdosta did finally break ground for the Wiregrass Solar power plant. I asked Col. Ricketts for a shovel, but he just snorted. Here’s the groundbreaking video:

Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.