Tag Archives: Community

North Troop Street Police

Received 15 July 2012. I hope to have time to watch all these videos. -jsq

This is information from the word on the streets of Valdosta, Georgia and the half I am told has not been told. We the people have a right to know what is going on in our beloved community and no American Citizens should live in fear in 2012. What say you?

Valdosta Daily Times Troop Street Arrest: http://valdostadailytimes.com/local/x471596914/Man-arrested-following-altercation-with-police

1. Introduction: Review of News Paper Published Information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8vg98vdrxs

2. Deshon Jones arrested on charges of felony obstruction charges.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCewqeW-A5U

3. Young Man Speaks Out and Introduction on FEAR!

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Valdosta Mayor provides more earned media for group he doesn’t like

Valdosta Mayor Gayle continues to provide earned media to a group he doesn’t agree with, South Georgia Pride. He says people support him ten to 1 in refusing to issue a proclamation against bullying. Yet a local TV online poll is running 2 to 1 against his position. In addition to the obvious cultural issues, there are also economic issues involved.

Dean Poling wrote for the VDT today, Pride denied: Valdosta mayor denies LGBT event proclamation,

Gayle said responses are running 10-1 in agreement with his decision.

WTXL.tv (ABC 27) asks in a poll attached to a story by Jade Bulecza yesterday, Mayor turns down proclamation request from gay community,

Do you agree with Mayor Gayle’s decision not to sign the P.R.I.D.E. Proclamation?
Yes (32.4%)
No (67.6%)

That looks to me like 2 to 1 against the mayor’s position. Bulecza’s story included:

“Most of them (proclamations) are for the cancer society, the heart fund, you know things like this or either a pastor at a church for so many years and everything and this is the first one I get like this where my beliefs interfere with it,” said Mayor Gayle.

The mayor says he recognizes all the group does for the community. He says he welcomes everyone to Valdosta.

Since Mayor Gayle took office in January this is the only proclamation he turned down. The south Georgia group says they had a proclamation signed last year.

In less than a year in office the mayor has already found difficulty separating his personal beliefs from his office as mayor.

What was he asked to sign, anyway? The VDT story has the details:

The requested proclamation does not include an endorsement of gay marriage nor does it officially endorse the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender lifestyle.

“The proclamation opposes bullying and hate crimes based on sexual orientation,” Williams said. “It says the city recognizes we’re here and we’re part of the community.”

In essence, the submitted proclamation would have noted that the South Georgia Pride Committee:

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Valdosta Mayor Refuses to Endorse LGBT Pride Festival

Proclaim your festival? Not if the mayor disagrees with it. Apparently he will inadvertently give you free TV coverage, though.

Greg Gullberg reported for WCTV yesterday, Valdosta Mayor Refuses to Endorse LGBT Pride Festival,

Raynae Williams, Assistant Executive Director of South Georgia Pride One of the top members of “South Georgia Pride” called Eyewitness News reporter Greg Gullberg shortly after leaving the mayor’s office Wednesday morning. She had requested a proclamation for their upcoming festival. But as she says in this Exclusive Interview, the mayor denied their request.

“It made me feel like I did not matter to the City of Valdosta. That I was not a part of anything,” said Raynae Williams, Assistant Executive Director of South Georgia Pride.

They are planning their annual Festival this September. She wanted a mayoral proclamation to recognize the event.

“Our organization is working to educate people on tolerance and against bullying and hate crimes,” Williams said.

John Gayle, Mayor of ValdostaBut Valdosta Mayor John Gayle stands against homosexuality.

“I just don’t approve of that life style. It goes against what I believe in and if I sign that proclamation then I’m endorsing that. And I can’t do that,” said Mayor Gayle.

There’s more in the report, including this:

“I was kind of shocked when I asked how many proclamations have been denied. We are the only one,” said Williams.

And this:

Below is the link to a petition. Their goal is to reach 100 signatures.

http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-of-valdosta-ga-sign-the-proclamation-against-discrimination-and-hate

Maybe we should ask him to proclaim a No T-SPLOST day….

-jsq

The Emperor’s New Clothes —Michael Noll

The VDT apparently declined to print this LTE submission. I added the links and images. -jsq

When I opened a recent “Sunday Business” section of the Valdosta Daily Times I was expecting to see a thorough discussion of the pros and cons of smart meters. After all, the headline read: “Smart Meters — Fact or Fiction?” What I found, however, was quite different. In case you missed it, here a summary of the highlights:

According to Georgia Power “concerns about smart meters are nothing more than myths.” These concerns range from health risks and increased bills to an invasion of your privacy and house fires started by electrical shorts. Myths or not, the best way to counter customers’ concerns would be to provide studies that, for example, show that smart meters are less dangerous than cellular phones or that electricity bills have not increased as a result of smart meters. However, customers only get assurances which, frankly, do nothing to dispel existing concerns.

Georgia Power also claims that it is using smart meters to be more environmentally

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Library Board selects out-of-state architect for local library @ LCC 2012-07-24

The Library Board says no local architect was as qualified as the one they picked in Tallahassee to design a new local library here. The same Lowndes County Commission that just a month ago reappointed three members of the Library Board votes tomorrow evening on this bid selection.

Brittany D. McClure wrote for the VDT today, Library board selects architects: New main branch to be located at Five Points development

Clemons Rutherford & Associates (CRA) was chosen by the library


View Larger Map

board as the firm that will lead the design team for the new main library branch that will be moving next to the new municipal auditorium at Five Points.

Lowndes County Commissioners will vote Tuesday on the selection.

“The selection committee felt that the firm that was selected was the most qualified for the project as well as had the lowest estimate,” said Chad McLeod, Lowndes County project manager.

Though the selection process for agencies was directed by Lowndes County, the library board had input in the selection.

“The process to build the library began nearly three years ago at the county’s urging,” said Kay Harris, Library Board chairman.

Requests For Proposals (RFP’s) were advertised for 30 days, with 35 RFP’s requested by various agencies and architectural firms. Ten completed RFP’s were submitted to the county.

And when do we the taxpayers get to see these ten completed RFPs? Not unless somebody files an open records request and somebody else makes them available: it’s the county way!

OK, so why was CRA selected?

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TSPLOST — There are ways to get more road ‘bang’ for buck

MJDOnline editorialized today, The TSPLOST — There are ways to get more road ‘bang’ for buck. Most of it is about Cobb County, but some of it may sound familiar:

THOSE PUSHING the TSPLOST have bungled the job despite their gargantuan $8 million war chest. They have muddled their message (is it congestion relief or a jobs program?) and even managed to fumble the project list. Cobb voters don't know whether they're voting for a rail line or a bus line. And even though the proposal now specifies the latter, the overwhelming suspicion is that if the TSPLOST passes they'll be stuck paying and paying and paying for the former instead.

Better to vote down this TSPLOST and hope and pray that it also fails region-wide, than possibly come back in two years with an improved project list that can get the public's buy-in. As it is, the bulk of the Cobb projects on the current list would likely be on a future local Cobb road SPLOST list if there were no such thing as a regional TSPLOST. Which begs another question: Why should Cobb abdicate control over its road program to the Atlanta Regional Commission or a regional roundtable in the first place? Who knows better than Cobb residents what our transportation needs are?

What do you think? Does GDOT in Atlanta know better than we do what we need around here?

-jsq

Cancelled! Hahira Third Thursday 19 July 2012

Hahira Third Thursday has been cancelled for today! Hahira City Manager Jonathan Sumner tells me rain is coming, and they have cancelled the whole thing: movie, farmers' market, etc.

Here's the contact web page for Hahira. City Hall is 229-794-2330.

-jsq

Hahira Third Thursday 5-8PM 19 July 2012

Tomorrow is Third Thursday in Hahira, the monthly outside get-together with food and fun. According to the signs they hang up on the streets, it starts at 5PM and ends at 8PM. According to the Hahira Happenings facebook page:

July 19th 3rd Thursday.. Movie night ( Mirror, Mirror) really cute and funny movie!!

That facebook page also says:

Any framers or anyone who has veggies, fruits can set up in front of the red caboose on saturdays or third thursday.

Also:

If you know anyone who would be intrested in market days please have them call 229-794-2567!

I plan to be there with okra and other vegetables for sale. Looking forward to getting a call-back from that number….

See you at the red caboose. That picture is from last year's Hahira Honeybee Festival, 11 October 2011.

-jsq

 

T-SPLOST losing statewide, but not in Region 11

It sounds like good news for T-SPLOST opponents, until you look at the details.

Eve Chen wrote for 11Alive yesterday, 11Alive Poll | T-SPLOST would not pass today

Among likely voters surveyed by SurveyUSA for 11Alive News, across the state, 48% said they would vote against T-SPLOST and 36% said they would vote for it if the primary were today; 16% were still undecided. The margin of error was 3.4%.

But look at the details. The big No regions are Atlanta metro and northwards (see Question 1). In our Region 11 it’s Yes 41%, No 33%, Not Certain 26% so there’s work to be done. Do we want to end up stuck with projects we don’t need after Atlanta votes down its region in a referendum that was designed to pass in Atlanta?

My favorite is question 6:

How likely is it that the state government would properly handle the funds if the transportation tax increase is passed?

In region 11, Very 17%, Somewhat 24%, Not Very 25%, Not At All 21%, Not Sure 14%. Trust problem, GDOT?

And nobody is buying the scare tactics. See Question 4, for which every region says by around 2 to 1 that traffic would stay about the same without T-SPLOST. Question 3 indicates few even think T-SPLOST would improve traffic. We also know a Plan B is possible. How about a Plan B including public transportation for south Georgia to help people get to work?

-jsq

CNN report on cancer in Shell Bluff, GA: near nuclear Plant Vogtle

CNN reported in 2010 on Shell Bluff, Georgia, near Southern Company’s nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle. Why is there so much cancer in such a small population? Why are not just the older folks, but younger folks, dying? Who is looking into all this before Southern Company builds two new reactors? Um, not clear. Does that seem right to you?

Here’s the video:

-jsq