Tag Archives: Valdosta

Restudy that those are the right people

The last animal shelter speaker said she was looking at it from a business perspective. She called Commissioner Powell and they had a conversation. She got a copy of the animal control ordinance. She said she thought she had seen some things that others had not. She complimented the Commissioners:
I know you to be people of your word.
After all that she indicated:
I guess I’m just asking that you restudy… that those are the right people.
After she finished, Chairman Ashley Paulk said there would be a tour of the shelter and everyone was invited.

Here’s the video:


Restudy that those are the right people
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Why do you not fire that person? —Judy Havercamp

Judy Havercamp wonders:
If you have an employee who is abusing animals, why do you not fire that person?
She indicates urgency:
Things need to be changed now.

Here’s the video:


Why do you not fire that person? —Judy Havercamp
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

The VDT was kind in their reporting —Jessica Bryan Hughes

This speaker talked about when her mother took her to volunteer at the old shelter, and how bad it was, then about how the current shelter started.
When I moved back to Valdosta five years ago, I couldn’t believe the change. A real shelter and animal control officers that had compassion. I personally know some current and former animal control officers. They are caring compassionate people with a deep love of their jobs.

When I read about the cruelty and neglect allegations in the paper, I couldn’t believe we had reverted back 25 years.

So she looked into it, requesting the files from the Dept. of Agriculture.
What I received was a slap in the face. The Valdosta Daily Times was kind in their reporting….
You can listen to her yourself. Continue reading →

If we can’t take care of animals and children…. —Cheryl Hatcher

If taxpayer money isn’t being used to defend the defenseless, what should it be used for?

Cheryl Hatcher said she has been involved with Humane Society for a long time (which the Chairman vouched for) and was among those who actually helped build the shelter.

There have been many discussions and conversations about things not being done properly at the shelter. And I really urge that you investigate what’s going on in the shelter. I applaud you for putting cameras in the tack room, although I think it’s been way too long to do that, but I applaud you for doing that.

I really think that it is not a waste of taxpayers’ money when you’re investigating to make sure that animals will be taken care of properly. If we can’t take care of animals and children, then the world is going to suffer.

I think that if it’s necessary to put cameras in the tack room there are bigger problems that need to be taken care of at higher levels.

Here’s the video:


If we can’t take care of animals and children…. — Cheryl Hatcher
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Neglect, abuse, suffering, falsifying documents — Susan Leavins @ LCC 24 May 2011

The animal shelter story isn’t just about animals. It’s also about mismanagement. It’s even about prison labor competing with local labor.

After Susan Leavins read from her statement to the Department of Agriculture about a starving horse, pigs castrated without pain relievers or antibiotics, and maggots in wounds, Chairman Paulk advised her she had one minute left. Then she got to her main point: Continue reading →

You’re looking at an animal lover —Ashley Paulk @ LCC 24 May 2011

Lowndes County Commission Chairman said he was the first member of the local Humane Society and he promised:
Whatever problems there are, they’re going to be resolved.
For background, see County Animal Shelter Issues.

And remember, last year Ashley Paulk said he is code enforcement.

Here’s the video:


You’re looking at an animal lover —Ashley Paulk @ LCC 24 May 2011
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Boy Scouts and Board Appointments: @ LCC 24 May 2011

Those board appointments will affect all of us for some time to come. Here are videos of all of the 24 May 2011 Lowndes County Commission meeting except the citizens talking about the animal shelter; those will follow.

Remember, much of the discussion already happened the previous morning in the work session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Laws relevant to Foxborough McDonald’s —Vince Schneider

He’s back from Afghanistan and has a new plan to fight McDonald’s. Vince Schneider asked the County Commission for an ordinance about hours.

After quoting from the U.S. Tenth and Fourth Amendments and talking about privacy rights, he read similar passages from the Georgia Constitution, and this one, from Section II. Origin and Structure of Government:

All government, of right, originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. Public officers are the trustees and servants of the people and are at all times amenable to them.
He then read a definition of ordinance, and noted that many ordinances deal with issues of safety, health, morals, etc.

His recommendation: for the Commission to pass an ordinance limiting hours of operation for such type of enterprises.

That’s the county attorney visible directly past Schneider (under the microphone). Of course it’s the commissioners who must propose and pass any ordinance. That will require Continue reading →

VSU study and videos of Economic Summit on VLCoC website

The Chamber has put videos of its Economic Summit along with the VSU report it commissioned up on its website. The videos are on vimeo, because they’re a tad lengthy. However, they are conveniently linked in by subject.

Here’s a quote from Chamber president Myrna Ballard:

Particularly our average weekly wage rates, which we started becoming very concerned about around 2004. My first human inclination was to go into denial. I spent several months deciding whether I should even mention this in our community or not. But the bottom line on it is, when you have a challenge, when you have a problem, you can’t fix it until you come to grips with the fact that you do have an issue that you need to deal with.
There’s part of the problem around here: nobody wants to talk about problems. That needs to change.

However, I don’t like her next point quite as much, which was that they already have a plan and were presenting it. That’s part of the reason people don’t want to speak up about problems: because so often nobody is listening.

She did go on about Opportunity Central, though. And the Chamber did put up videos of the whole thing on the web. Bravo, Chamber and ReKasa!

-jsq

PS: Rekasa told me they were going to do that, and Jim Parker noted that they had done it.

Redistricting meeting tonight, and videos so far

Remember the redistricing meeting tonight, 5-7PM Tuesday 24 May 2011 in the Brooks Hall Conference Center of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

Videos of all the redistricting meetings are going up on legis.ga.gov shortly after they are taken. The one from Savannah is up now.

Those are the videos taken by the reapportionment committee itself. Any videos LAKE takes will go on YouTube as usual.

-jsq

PS: Location of the videos so far owed to RJ Hadley.