Category Archives: LAKE

Library open records request 2012-10-26

The most-organized open records response ever! Well, that we’ve asked for, anyway. Sure, sometimes local government bodies deliver a three-ring binder of papers. Sometimes they deliver a CD. Sometimes they deliver on a USB stick. Nobody ever delivered all of the above. OK, I brought the USB stick and the scanner (not pictured), but look at that CD lying on top of the really thick binder: the CD contains everything that’s in the binder, and that saved us a lot of scanning time.

Thank you, Kelly Lenz, Patrick Spurlock, and Tom Gooding!

It will take a bit of time to process all this information; stay tuned.

Kelly Lenz, Library Director, Tom Gooding, Attorney

Kelly Lenz, Library Director, Tom Gooding, Attorney
Left to right: an extra item, the four architect presentations, the “bible” of what the new library should be (the thick binder and the CD), and agendas, minutes, and board packets (the other two binders).
Picture by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
at South Georgia Regional Library, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 October 2012.

I know of at least one open records request somewhere else that, two years later and counting, Continue reading →

WCTV on LCC Chair Candidates

Greg Gullberg at the Lowndes County Palace Greg Gullberg wrote for WCTV today, Lowndes County Commission Chair Candidates Polar Opposites,

The Chairman of a County Commission can have great impact on the lives of residents. And in one local county, the candidates couldn’t be more different.

She wants to make it easier to see what the Commission is doing; he worries ordinances make it too difficult for business.

Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes County Chairwoman Bill Slaughter for Lowndes County Chairman

Gretchen Quarterman speaking to the Lowndes County Commission WCTV using LAKE video Here’s the WCTV video, which appears to start with outtakes from LAKE videos of Commission meetings. LAKE videos that were taken by… Gretchen Quarterman. The one of her speaking to the Commission? Camera on a tripod.

-jsq

The sun came up on a different world —Julian Assange

Julian Assange of Wikileaks spoke from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London today (video, text):

The next time somebody tells you that it is pointless to defend the rights we hold dear, remind them of your vigil in the dark outside the Embassy of Ecuador, and how, in the morning, the sun came up on a different world, and a courageous Latin American nation took a stand for justice.

The British government made a stunning mistake in throwing away the worldwide goodwill just gained through the London Olympic Games, by actually beginning to storm a sovereign embassy in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that was observed throughout the Cold War. How could they be so foolish? This man, this reporter and publisher, they think is somehow more dangerous to them than the armed might of the Soviet Union was? This is as if JFK arrested MLK after John Glenn’s first orbital flight (a step which JFK fortunately did not take).

There is something you can do, even when the world is turned upside down:

Continue reading →

Well loan and tap fees —Barbara Stratton @ Hahira 2012-08-02

Received yesterday on Hahira approved for water well loan by state. -jsq

It’s nice to know Hahira will get a break in interest, but tax payers will still have to pay back the loan. I missed the council meeting which is unusual for me. Does the video show anything about the fact some council members voted not to raise the tap fees for new construction which would certainly help pay back the loan instead of depending so much on tax monies? Developers should not be allowed to come in and make huge profits from new construction, then take their profits and let the citizens pay the price for increased water demands. Raising the one time tap fees would have distributed some of the costs to the developers who enjoy the profits from increased demands on the infrastructure and water usage.

-Barbara Stratton

Yes, we have video of the entire Hahira City Council meeting, which will be posted soon. LAKE is always happy to accept help in taking or labeling videos.

-jsq

Updated LAKE front page with some current hot topics

The LAKE front page is updated with some current hot topics to make LAKE blog posts on them easier to find.

There's a primary election on right now, and in addition to candidates, there's a referendum on T-SPLOST, a new 1 percent transportation sales tax on everything including food that would create a new regional level of government run by GDOT in Atlanta and does nothing for public transportation, bicycles, or pedestrians. It's on the 31 July 2012 primary ballot, and early voting has already started.

Other topics include nuclear and how it's holding back solar and wind, water and how planning can affect it, and the ongoing problem of incarceration including ALEC, the lobbyist-legislator public-private partnership that's pushing all sorts of bad laws. Those and more topics are available through the Categories links on the right hand side of the blog, but some of them are especially current right now, so they're also at the top of the LAKE front page.

-jsq

Gretchen Quarterman is running for Lowndes County Chairman

In case you haven’t heard, one of the LAKE crew, Gretchen Quarterman, is running for Chairman of the Lowndes County Commission. Today she’s at the Spirit of America Celebration at Valdosta Mall (next to Buffalo Wild Wing). As you can see, she’s been practicing.

Here’s her campaign website and her facebook campaign page. According to the VDT, 8 May 2012,

“Anyone who is entrusted with the resources of another human being or thing, you have to be a good steward of tax money, air, and water. They are entrusted to us and need to be handled with responsibility.”

Continue reading →

Political Candidate Coverage Policy

This blog covers topics of local interest, and that includes people running for office. If we see you campaigning in a public place or meeting, we may video you or interview you and post it. If you want to submit something to post, we’ll be happy to look at it: see our submissions policy. For political candidates we have a few additional policies:

  1. No personal attacks, not on other candidates, and not on anyone else. “Harry smells bad” or “Sally is ugly” won’t do.
  2. Policy criticisms are welcome, including criticisms of what a candidate said or did. “Harry said he would do X and then did Y instead” is fine: if you provide evidence that X and Y actually happened.
  3. This is a blog of opinion, and LAKE and LAKE bloggers and commenters retain the right to criticise, compliment, ridicule, praise, or otherwise express opinions about candidates and their policies, although as usual we prefer opinions that are backed up by evidence.
  4. You can return the favor, but we take care to stick to issues, policies, and actions, and if you choose to respond with personal attacks they’ll probably never get beyond the comments.
  5. LAKE is a volunteer operation, and this blog consists of items that interest us, so we make no guarantee of equal coverage. If you think we missed something, send it to us (see submissions policy) and we will consider it.
  6. LAKE isn’t usually in the business of endorsing candidates, but we may if we feel like it.
  7. If you don’t like these policies, let us know (see submissions policy).

Thanks for your attention, and we welcome your submissions; see submissions policy.

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April 2012 LAKE meeting: China 1, Hahira

See the owl use chopsticks! Come to Hahira Tuesday.

What: Monthly LAKE Meeting
When: 7 PM, Tuesday 17 April 2012
Where: China 1
205 South Church Street
(one block south of Main or GA 122)
(don’t believe google maps)
Hahira, GA 31632

If you follow the LAKE blog, On the LAKE Front, you know what we cover, from elections to gardening, connecting the dots. What else do you want to investigate?

If you’re on Facebook, please Like the LAKE facebook page. You can sign up for the meeting event there, Or just come as you are.

-jsq

 

 

Gently orienting the Land Bank Authority to Sunshine Law compliance —Barbara Stratton

Received today. -jsq
Is gently orienting the Land Bank Authority to Sunshine Law compliance going to be a joint LAKE transparancy in government venture or am I riding solo? Since their purpose is to acquire, transfer, divest, etc. land for the common good, real time exposure of this public good should be welcomed. I’m sure it is just an oversight that to date I have never seen a posted meeting date and the city web site has never listed anything but “occasionally” for a meeting schedule. Perhaps they think citizens would be bored and not interested in their meetings and we just need to let them know we are interested. Currently I’m interested in the construction for Dupont on St. Augustine.

Also we need to keep watch to make sure SB 284, which would legislate the formation of a regional land bank with greatly enhanced acquisition powers, does not rise from the 2011 session ashes. If getting information from the local land bank authority is so difficult, can you imagine trying to keep up with a regional entity and all the creative land deal possibilities.

-Barbara Stratton

It’s an hours in the day issue. if you want to spearhead this issue, please lead. As you know, LAKE as an organization rarely takes a position on anything. Most topics are pursued by one or two or more individuals and almost all posts are the opinions of the poster, unless otherwise indicated by “for LAKE”. You seem to be the kernel of a syndicate of initiative on this one.

According to The Valdosta City page on the Land Bank Authority “Last updated: 8/23/2010 7:29:18 AM”: Continue reading →