Category Archives: LAKE

100 Black Men, Valdosta, 15 May 2010

Movie: Johnny Ball gives award to Helen Jackson, Educator (40M) At the annual Black Tie Banquet of 100 Black Men of Valdosta on May 15, Johnny P. Ball, III gave Community Service awards
  • to Helen Jackson, a guidance counselor at Valdosta High School,
  • to Percy Chastang, a youth development coordinator at the South Health District, also involved in Poetic Magic,
  • and to Pastor Angela Manning of New Life Ministries.
Kwame Holder played the saxophone and the food was by Antoine’s Flavor of New Orleans.

Here is MC Donald Williams introducing the evening: Continue reading

County Commission Expansion

2009-08-08--superdistricts On May 12, the Valdosta Daily Times (VDT) published Expansion No Go: No additional commissioners this year. About that, John S. Quarterman sent this letter to the editor (LTE) yesterday:
I see by the VDT that the current County Commission’s plan to expand the commission by adding two super districts failed in the legislature on a technicality. This pause provides useful time to see if there might be a different strategy. It’s already 2010, and census data for redistricting should be available in spring of next year. That will take a lot of the guesswork out of redistricting.

While the voters said last year they were for commission expansion, it is not clear that people actually favor super districts, since no other option was on the ballot. Each current district has more people than the total population of several nearby counties. This makes commissioner elections needlessly expensive and less representative of the variety within Lowndes County. It’s never been clear to me how adding two larger districts solves that most basic problem, when there are other options available.

Lowndes County could use more commissioners, and the current Commission made a good try at that. Soon it will be the turn of a new Commission to try again.

John S. Quarterman is running for County Commission, District 2.

The VDT responded:
The editor has reviewed your letter. She did not approve your letter because as a candidate for office, we cannot run a letter to the editor from you as it is considered campaigning and we would have to give equal opportunities to the other candidates as well.
Indeed he is, see www.JSQ4LCC.com. And as readers of On the LAKE Front are aware, he is also one of the founders of LAKE.

We understand the VDT has space constraints because it is primarily on paper. However, LAKE is online, and LAKE welcomes statements on this subject from any and all candidates. Send them in, and LAKE will post them, just like this one. Online, please: no paper, no fax. So lengths will be comparable, please keep it to 250 words, like a VDT LTE. Send a picture of yourself if you want to.

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

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.

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

Hearing on Biomass Plant

Update: Seth says Eric Cornwell says earliest March 15 and latest probably May 1.

Update 2: Contact information:

Environmental Protection Division, Air Branch
4244 International Parkway, Suite 120
Atlanta, Georgia 30354
Subject: Docket 19407
Or folks can email Eric Cornwell, the director of the Air Branch Division: Eric.Cornwell@dnr.state.ga.us

Seth Gunning tells us:

I received word from the EPD Air Branch Manager, Eric Cornwell, that they have decided that they *WILL*, now, be working to host a public hearing in Valdosta (and possibly a Q & A session prior to a hearing).

They expect the public hearing to take place sometime at the end of March (law requires a 30 day notice before a meeting takes place). Eric informed me that he would reply to all the emails he has received with the hearing information, and as well would be putting an ad in the Valdosta Daily Times.

The plant’s air quality application is supposed to be online at EPD. I can’t find it there, but here it is hosted on the LAKE site.

More as it develops.