Category Archives: VDT

Ossie Davis, Malcolm X, MLK, 100 Black Men, Roy Copeland, today and tomorrow

Kay Harris wrote for the VDT yesterday,

Artifacts exhibit this weekend,

Actor Ossie Davis delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Malcolm X


on Feb. 27, 1965. It was a strong statement of support for the life
of a man whom controversy followed until his assassination at the
age of 39. So why did Davis potentially risk his career to pay
tribute to Malcolm X? A letter, written by Davis, explains his
decision. The letter will be on public display this weekend.

Davis’ letter will join dozens of other historic artifacts for a
special Black History Month observation, sponsored by the 100 Black
Men of Valdosta Inc. The Sixth Annual African-American Artifacts
exhibit will be on display noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb.
25 and 26.



Kind of weird phrasing there, Ms. Editor, given that Ossie Davis’ tribute
was after Malcolm X was assassinated….

I’d like to read that letter. How about you?

Here is a

video of that eulogy
(although the voice is not that of Ossie Davis):

Continue reading →

3PM today in Quitman: GABEO March for Justice to End Voter Intimidation and Voter Suppression

The Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials (GABEO) is holding

its general meeting in Quitman this weekend in support of the Quitman 10.
The big public event is this afternoon:

3:00 p.m. March for Justice to End Voter Intimidation and Voter Suppression (March from Shumate Street Church of Christ to Brooks County Courthouse)

In this video, George Rhynes interviews Rev. Floyd Rose about
how GABEO heard about the Quitman 10+2.




Rev. Rose also expresses hope that the local media will announce the GABEO meeting.
(The VDT did have a story on it the other day, although it doesn’t seem to be online.)
Amont many other points, he notes that the school board members of the
Quitman 10 were elected mostly by white voters in Brooks County.

Here’s

the video:




3PM today in Quitman: GABEO March for Justice to End Voter Intimidation and Voter Suppression

March for Justice to End Voter Intimidation and Voter Suppression,

Meeting in Quitman to support the Quitman 10+2, Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials (GABEO),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 February 2012.

Videos by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I., the bostongbr on YouTube.

-jsq

LTE: Tell the Industrial Authority No private prison —John S. Quarterman

My LTE in the VDT today. -jsq

Industrial Authority Executive Director Andrea Schruijer told me to expect
their board to say something at their 2PM Thursday board meeting about the
private prison Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) wants to build
on US 84 at Perimeter Road. If they don’t give CCA another extension,
the contract expires March 13th.


There’s still time to contact them, (229) 259-9972.
Or go to their board meeting at 101 North Ashley Street,
2PM Thursday February 23rd.



A private prison would not increase employment in Lowndes County. It
would not even save the state money. And it would have high risk
of closing after or even before it opened, because of escapes and
inmate disturbances, and most importantly because the state and federal
governments can no longer afford to incarcerate so many people. That would
leave us and the state holding the bag for any investment in building it.

Outsourcing public justice for private profit at taxpayer expense is
not only bad business, we the taxpayers can’t afford to pay for it while
public education is under increasing budgetary pressure.

As members of the local community, we do not wish to live in a private
prison colony, with the attendant risks of inmate violence and escape,
and the accompanying public opprobrium that would drive away the
knowledge-based workers we claim to be trying to attract.

Finally, public justice should not be a matter of private profit.

John S. Quarterman

lives in Lowndes County

You may recognize the wording from the

petition.
You can always write your own letter with your own reasons.

-jsq

School grading controversy successfully stirred

I don’t usually promote anonymous blog comments, but here’s one
received Monday on

Media flap over Lowndes grading. -jsq

The reporter didn’t call it “new”, Troy Davis did when he sent it to
all the teachers. Maybe you should talk with some teachers who are
deeply against the policy before you start ranting. And to correlate
this with consolidation is ridiculous, you’re just stretching for
controversy.

-Amy

Dr. Smith enumerated several other things which he alleged that reporter
misrepresented; see above link.


And Dr. Troy Davis

set the record straight yesterday in the VDT.

I’d be happy to talk to teachers, pro or con. Send ’em over!

“Stretching for controversy”? Around here you have to duck to avoid controversy.
You know, like the VDT saying it won’t publish any more stories about school
consolidation….

I see the VDT is not ducking this one, though, rather helping stir it up.
In yesterday’s story, the VDT announced mission accomplished:

The new grading policy for grades third through eighth released by the
Lowndes County school system in January has stirred controversy locally
and even nationally.

It wasn’t the grading policy that stirred controversy, it was Scott James, Fox News,
the VDT, the AJC, the SMN, etc.
And that “controversy” will make it easier the next time “unification”
rears its ugly head.

-jsq

Media flap over Lowndes grading

Interesting timing, the Chamber deciding to pay off CUEE’s debts from pushing
school consolidation, followed shortly by a media campaign to discredit the
Lowndes School System.

17 January 2012:

Chamber of Commerce board decides to repay CUEE’s outstanding vendor debts
in exchange for owning CUEE’s education document.
3 February 2012:
Maureen Downey blogged for the AJC,

No zeros in school any longer. But aren’t there well deserved zeros?
Despite admitting that the Lowndes school grading policy is a common practice
in many systems and is intended to make sure students actually learn,
she ends with this spin:

But aren’t there well deserved zeros?

I would argue that middle school teachers have some students who
simply don’t do the work. They get it; they just don’t do it. The
Lowndes policy calls for multiple interventions for obdurate
students, but wouldn’t a zero make an important statement?

How else do adolescents learn that there are consequences for failure to
comply with assignments? In the classroom, it is a zero. In the workplace,
it is termination.

3 February 2012:
Lowndes School System Superintendent Dr. Steve Smith

explained Lowndes grading policies, including this bit:



The Lowndes County Schools recently released grading guidelines for
parents to clarify what has been our current practice on reporting
of grades and to reaffirm our commitment to mastery learning by all
students. For the past year and a half, our practice in grades 3-8
has been….

The point being that this is not a new policy.

Continue reading →

Who gets to serve on the Brooks County School Board —VDT

The VDT caught up with the TV stations today on the Quitman 10 story,
and provided updates and context they did not.

David Rodock wrote on the front page of the VDT today,

Gov. suspends `Quitman Ten’ officials,

On Tuesday, Deal issued his order prior to the Brooks County Board
of Education’s first meeting of 2012. Dr. Nancy Whitfield-Dennard,
Elizabeth Diane Thomas and Linda Faye Troutman were notified of this
suspension at approximately 4:30 p.m., according to sources.

That’s a bit more context than

the TV stations provided.

The VDT also says who gets to serve instead:

Following the governor’s suspension this week, Brooks County school
board member Brad Shealy, who is also an assistant Southern district
attorney, was appointed to serve as president of the board with
board member Larry Cunningham serving as vice president. Shealy
served many years as the school board president prior to
Whitfield-Dennard being named president last year.

That seems to be

the same Brad Shealy who used to be chairman
until the recent election.

The VDT adds this context:

Continue reading →

Ankle monitoring for Lowndes County Jail @ LCC 13 December 2011



Tuesday the Lowndes County Commission approved ankle bracelet monitoring
for nonviolent jail inmates so they can serve the rest of their time
outside the jail, putting them in a better environment and
decreasing expenses at the Sheriff’s office.
This sounds like a good idea.
I have not expressed an opinion because,

as Barbara Stratton pointed out,
the public doesn’t really know what was in the proposal County Commissioners
got in their agenda packet.
However, I would like to compliment Commissioner Joyce Evans about trying to do
something about nonviolent prisoners.

Summarizing the

ankle monitoring discussion of Monday morning,
County Manager Joe Pritchard Tuesday evening asked the Lowndes County Commission
to approve continued work by county staff with the Sheriff’s office in implementing
an ankle monitoring system to move some inmates out of the county jail.

Commissioner Richard Raines gave the credit to Commissioner
Joyce Evans for both proposing a drug court and for
proposing ankle monitoring.

Commissioner Evans declined comment but did make the motion,
seconded by Commissioner Powell, and approved unanimously.

The VDT had a little more information
in David Rodock’s Wednesday story:

Continue reading →

Lowndes County priorities: tanks and lunches for Commissioners, but no lunches for seniors?

So the Lowndes County Commission wouldn't accept a grant for NOAA Weather Radios, (but did vote themselves $75/day travel per diem), wouldn't accept a grant for an emergency vehicle, cancelled lunches for seniors, and barely approved a grant to help people with home downpayments, but the Lowndes County Sheriff's office did accept a grant for an armored vehicle.

Dawn Castro wrote for the VDT today, BearCat Rules: Lowndes sheriff’s office has new armored vehicle

BearCats are typically referred to by law enforcement as being armored rescue vehicles primarily used to transport tactical SWAT officers to and from hostile situations and to assist with the recovery and protection of civilians in harm’s way during terrorist threats, hostage incidents or encounters with armed offenders. The BearCat is designed to provide protection from a variety of small arms, explosives and IED threats.

Sure, and it will never be used against peaceful protesters.

Last month in Tampa, Adam Freeman wrote for WTSP.com 21 November 2011, Are Tampa police using tanks to threaten Occupy protestors?

Members of the movement say TPD is cruising by in the big, armored trucks. Pictures spread around the country over Facebook and Twitter, leading to speculation that TPD was moving in with the tanks.

But officers say it's just a coincidence, and the vehicle act passed by on its way to a Great American Teach-In event.

Maybe the Lowndes County Sheriff's dept. would never misuse an armored vehicle.

And I know, the Sheriff is a constitutional officer and the Lowndes County Commission has very limited control over the Sheriff's budget.

But it's still our same tax dollars. Are these our priorities?

-jsq

VLCIA pleads technical glitches on web page

Here’s something from the Industrial Authority that never happened before.

The first person I saw going into the

State Legislative Luncheon
yesterday was Andrea Schruijer,


Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA).
She spotted me inside, and said “I want to apologize”.
Surprised, I asked for what?
She said for

the date of VLCIA’s Tuesday meeting being unclear.
She said she had read about that in this blog that same morning.

She said they had recently changed the way they were handling their
web pages and hadn’t yet figured out how to update it correctly.
Since I was never very impressed with how it was handled before,
I readily accepted that as a good excuse.
I look forward to the updates.
I’m guessing the new PR and marketing person they’re hiring will take care of this.

She also volunteered that they did inform the VDT and it was in the
VDT’s calendar.
I agreed that that was so; we had checked, and it appears the meeting
was legal because of those notices.

She also said she thought she had said Monday evening, “see you tomorrow.”
I allowed as how if she did, I missed it.



In any case, I have to say that her predecessor would never have made
that much effort to make amends to a mere blogger.
Once again,

tiny LAKE is flattered by mighty VLCIA,
although in a more positive way this time.

Congratulations on the new industries announced at VLCIA’s Tuesday meeting.

Maybe more about those later.

Here’s looking forward to the Strategic Planning Process announced at that
same meeting as coming up early next year.

-jsq

Local state legislative delegation at the Country Club

At the State Legislative Luncheon at the Country Club yesterday,
sponsored by the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce,
I found it more interesting what the legislators didn’t mention
than what they did.


Frequent attendees told me the audience was much larger
than in previous years, and one attributed that to the recent
school consolidation referendum.
Sitting side by side were Chamber Chair Tom Gooding and
FVCS President Sam Allen.


Jeff Hanson introduced the legislators.
He’s the Chair of the Chamber’s

Government Affairs Council (GAC).
He said they are seeking more participants.
Hm, they have an Energy and Environment Policy Committee that’s chaired
by someone from Georgia Power….

Tim Golden announced that the local delegation’s highest priority
was to get $32 million for a Health Science Center for VSU.
VSU Interim President Dr. Levy was there, as was former president

“Dr. Z” as Tim Golden called him.

I was just talking to someone from SGMC in the food line about
how it would be nice if the Industrial Authority would promote
healthcare industries more.
It’s good that the legislators are doing that,
although it’s not clear that there are not other things
that should be even higher priority.

Tim Golden also wants to remove a sales tax

Continue reading →