Tag Archives: Valdosta

What is your plan? –jsq to VLCIA board

I just sent this. -jsq
From: “John S. Quarterman”
To: Brad Lofton
Cc: [see below]

Since I know of no public email address for the VLCIA board, I’m asking Brad Lofton to distribute this to the board before their meeting tomorrow.

Dear Board,

This is an update to my previous question to you, which was published in the Valdosta Daily Times, 20 Dec 2010, available online here:

http://lake.typepad.com/on-the-lake-front/2010/12/whats-the-industrial-authoritys-plan.html

I’m sending this letter directly to you, and also publishing it online,

http://lake.typepad.com/on-the-lake-front/2010/12/what-is-your-plan.html

What is the Industrial Authority’s plan to bring in real clean jobs?

Your staff have claimed that Wiregrass Power LLC’s tiny solar plant plus their biomass plant will make us a “center of innovation excellence for renewable and sustainable energy in Georgia.” Is that all?

If so, let me make a few suggestions.

Continue reading →

LAKE visits Blazer Gardens at VSU

Students growing local food on the roof at VSU? A local chef cooking it for fresh student meals? LAKE had to see this, so Bobbi Anne Hancock showed us where Blazer Gardens will be, on top of the Hugh C. Bailey Science Center.

Greenhouse A will have squash, peppers, and tomatoes, and already has some citrus growing in it; jsq gets a taste:

It all starts with composting. Bobbi and Erin Hurley of SAVE help raise awareness about clean local foods.

Bobbi and Jim Parker discuss how it’s good for you and tastes good, too! Continue reading →

VDT Civics Lesson on How to Stop a Biomass Plant

The VDT explains how to effect change, if anyone is listening. Editorial, 13 Jan 2010, Powerless to stop the power plant:
This week as the rhetoric around the proposed biomass facility has continued heating up, leading up to last night’s forum, one of the main themes has been that “government should do something.”

While the Times does not condone or condemn Chairman Paulk’s actions in the commission meeting Tuesday night, understanding the situation may help shed light on the issue. The county is powerless to do anything to stop this power plant. The only governmental entity with any power over the project is the city, and that’s only in the form of the services being extended and the water being sold to the company, as well as the sewage sludge that’s being burned. They too are powerless at this point to stop it.

The editorial continues with the tired old excuse “they can be sued”. Don’t they have insurance for that? If the whole thing goes as bad as some opponents predict, they could be sued for the kind of financial disaster that faces Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

There is one governmental entity that does have the power. Ah, here it is: Continue reading →

VDT and WCTV on WACE anti-biomass meeting

The first word is the key word in David Rodock’s VDT article today, Opponents to proposed biomass plant speak out at meeting:
Experts from a variety of fields presented the health risks, pollution and water issues, and other concerns involved with the construction of a biomass plant in Valdosta Thursday at the Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy (WACE) forum held Thursday evening.
The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) has repeatedly claimed to have a long list of experts on its side; Brad Lofton wants everyone to see him read his laundry list of authorities and experts. “I will proudly share it with everyone,” he says. The VDT points out that there are experts who are against the plant. Experts whom the VLCIA can’t even bring itself to name, only allude to as “folks come into the community”.

Even the caption on the VDT picture is telling: Continue reading →

The issue of the proposed biomass incinerator is far from over –Dr. Noll

LAKE has reviewed the allegedly “threatening” letter Chairman Paulk referred to in his interrogation of Dr. Noll, and we find nothing alarming about a wakeup call, so we have posted it on LAKE’s website. More on that later. -jsq
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:05:59 -0500
From: noll_family
To: apaulk@lowndescounty.com, jevans@lowndescounty.com, rraines@lowndescounty.com, cpowell@lowndescounty.com CC: noll_family@bellsouth.net, kay.harris@gaflnews.com, “John S. Quarterman” <jsq@quarterman.org>
Subject: Re: Tuesday’s Meeting

Dear Chairman Paulk and Commissioners.

I again would like to extend my invitation as President of WACE to the upcoming event this Thursday (see attachment).

The issue of the proposed biomass incinerator is far from over and concerned citizens of Lowndes County and Valdosta will use their constitutional rights to (respectfully) speak up at future meetings, as they have done in the past.

Continue reading →

Tiny LAKE is flattered by mighty VLCIA!

Posting a reply from LAKE to an inquiry from Brad Lofton. -jsq
To: Brad Lofton
From: John S. Quarterman
Cc: [see below]
Subject: Re: VDT Editorial

Howdy,

Tiny LAKE is flattered to be asked to repost VDT materials for mighty VLCIA! But to answer your question, this is a blog, not a newspaper, nor a wire service for a newspaper. LAKE also hasn’t posted all of the letters to the editor of the VDT pro and con on this subject or others of interest to us.

More basically, you seem to continue to confuse “VLCIA answered” with “the answers satisfied the questioners” or “the answers actually addressed the content of the questions” or “nobody is questioning anymore”.

Questions continued to be asked at the VLCIA “Forum” of 6 Dec 2010. I ask again:

Continue reading →

Glen Laurel (Old Pine Road) infrastructure at County Commission work session

That’s one thing on the 8:30 AM agenda for this morning. Work sessions are where most discussion among the commissioners usually occurs. The actual vote will be in tomorrow’s (11 Jan) 5:30 PM regular session.

Background on the contentious rezoning for the Glen Laurel subdivision is in the continuing series in this blog.

-jsq

Superdistricts on Lowndes County web pages

Update: the agenda for the 3 Jan 2011 special session is posted on the county webpages.
Lowndes County staff have an update about the recent vote for adding two new superdistricts:
COMMISSION EXPANSION

On Monday, January 3, 2011, the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners held a special called meeting during which the adoption of a resolution expressing the county’s desire to move forward with the expansion of the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners, as previously directed by the voters of Lowndes County, was unanimously approved.

This is on the county’s front page, with links to I suppose this explains why I didn’t hear back about this same information in response to my open records request: they put it on the county web pages. That’s fine with me.

What is not included Continue reading →

Georgia Open Records Act

Sometimes the easiest way to find out something from your local government is by filing an open records request. Some local governments provide forms for that online: The basic request is one sheet of paper on which you spell out what you want (be specific), your name and address, and where they can send it.

Valdosta’s web page sums up the situation: Continue reading →

Brad Lofton wants you to see this (again and again)

You can hear him say he hopes I record it. This is what VLCIA considers “proof”: reciting a list of “authorities” without addressing the specific criticisms or directly debating critics. He still hasn’t produced the citations to scientific literature he’s been repeatedly asked for regarding health care, nor has he produced the wood sourcing study.

You can hear Lofton recite much the same laundry list in Continue reading →