Here are pictures and videos of the Withlacoochee River at GA 122
on
18 February 2013
(on the left when the river was rising)
and
27 February 2013 (on the right,
when it was clearly in flood stage).
Pictures and videos of the Withlacoochee River at GA 122 by John S. Quarterman and Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coailition.
Brandon Powers for the VDT |
-jsq
AP picked up the story about flooding at Valdosta's Withlacoochee wasterwater treatment plant, citing the VDT and the City as sources. The City of Valdosta thinks the County should contribute to replacing the plant, or maybe the legislature will authorize a municipal option sales tax (MOST).
AP in GPBNews 1 March 2013, Valdosta Treatment Plant Floods,
Authorities shut down a Valdosta wastewater treatment plant as a river flooded critical buildings and structures. The city estimates an average of 5 million to 6 million gallons of untreated sewage will discharge daily into the Withlacoochee River until the flood waters recede and the plant can resume operation. (Photo Courtesy of John S. Quarterman via Flickr.) |
VALDOSTA, Ga. —Authorities shut down a south Georgia wastewater treatment plant as a river flooded critical buildings and structures.
Valdosta city officials said power at the plant was shut down Thursday to prevent further damage to equipment and control systems.
The city estimates an average of 5 million to 6 million gallons of untreated sewage will discharge daily into the Withlacoochee River until the flood waters recede and the plant can resume operation.
The AP story continues, but let's cut to the sources.
Continue reading
Economist, author, and advisor to governments
Jeremy Rifkin
told an agent of the world's largest uranium field operator
at a conference of global investors that there's no business
future in nuclear power.
Jeremy Rifkin answered a question at the Wermuth Asset Management 5th Annual Investors Event 26 September 2012, Nuclear Power is Dead,
I don't spend much time on nuclear technology, unless somebody asks
me about it, because frankly from a business perspective, I think it's over….
Here's the video, followed by more transcript and discussion.
Continue readingNuclear power was pretty well dead in the water in the 1980s after Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. It had a comeback. The comeback was the industry said "we are part of the solution for climate change because we don't emit CO2 with nuclear; it's polluting, but there's no CO2".
Here's the issue though,
Received today; they sent it to all the Commissioners. -jsq
Continue readingTo the Lowndes County Commission:
It has been quite an experience dealing with the proposed closing of
a portion of County Road 16. Our quaint spot on the river in Naylor, Lowndes County is something that can easily be taken for granted, but it is something that should be treasured and appreciated by the entire county. While we have learned a rich history about Naylor and the County Road proposed to be closed, we will not encumber you with these details. We will let you know in this letter the laws and reasons why the proposal should be denied.
First off, the landowner did not legally own the land when he made his request for the closing of the road. The legal date this property was deeded to Phillip Connell is February 8, 2013. The day his request was made is unknown because the letter sent had the date whited out and is an exact copy of the September 10, 2010 letter he submitted. It is known that the proposal for a public hearing was made in the Commission meeting January 22, 2013. The county should not be hearing this proposal for being misled by Phillip Connell. Why instead is the County claiming that a legal transaction for this land occurred 2 or 3 years ago and now has extended it to 3 or 4 years ago? Where is the proof for this claim?
Second, the landowner’s claim about liability, trash and trespassing is
Received today; he sent it to all the Commissioners. -jsq
Continue readingJames Manes 107 Shiloh Rd. Ray City, GA 31605
Regarding Regular session held Jan 22, 2013; Agenda 7 B, a request for road abandonment, I would like to state my opinion.
The road abandonment was to close a section of County Road 16 Old State Road. I feel this issue is not a open and shut case.
The county has determined “the road has been ceased to be used by the public”, and has no “substantial public purpose”.
I am aware the law (32-7-2 a) states “The department must confer with the governing authority of the county’s or municipalities (Unincorporated Naylor GA.), and give due consideration to their wishes in such abandonment.”
I have not been able to find any public records of
This letter demonstrates many public uses of the Alapaha River at Hotchkiss Crossing by everyone from Boy Scouts to doctors, and indicates economic benefits of water trails. -jsq
Continue readingFebruary 4, 2013
Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
327 North Ashley Street – 3rd Floor
Valdosta, GA 31601
RE: Hotchkiss landing closureDear Commissioners:
I have lived in the South Georgia region for the past 16 years. I am also a practicing physician and have a love of the out of doors, especially canoeing, camping and hiking. I also serve on the board of WWALS Watershed Coalition, a local river advocacy group trying to promote awareness and preservation of our local rivers. It has recently come to my attention that you are considering the potential closure of the Hotchkiss landing site along the Alapaha River near Naylor. I would like to put in a word in favor of keeping the landing site open.
I have canoed dozens of different sections of the Alapaha River from north of Tifton all the way to Statenville, as well as portions that join with the Suwanee River in Florida. Without a doubt, one of the most fun and scenic sections to paddle is from the put-in near Burnt Church outside of Lakeland down to the Hotchkiss landing. I have taken various groups
While I don’t know if the proposed closing of the end of Old State Road leading to Hotchkiss Landing at the Alapaha River is even on the agenda for this morning’s Work Session (Clarification: Monday 25 Feb 2013; they vote 5:30 PM Tuesday 26 Feb 2013), because the county’s website is down and I can’t retrieve an agenda, in case it is, it may be of interest to know that the Georgia Supreme Court appears to have explicitly forbidden what the county is proposing to do.
Georgia Supreme Court, GRIFFITH v. C & E BUILDERS, 231 Ga. 255 (1973), 200 S.E.2d 874:
Held:1. “When a grantor sells lots of land, and in his deeds describes them as bounded by streets, not expressly mentioned in the deeds,
but shown upon a plat therein referred to as laid out in a subdivision of the grantor’s land, he is estopped to deny the grantees’ right to use the streets delineated in such plat. Ford v. Harris [95 Ga. 97, 22 SE 144]; Schreck v. Blun, 131 Ga. 489 (62 SE 705); Wimpey v. Smart, 137 Ga. 325 (73 SE 586); Gibson v. Gross, 143 Ga. 104 (84 SE 373). By parity of reasoning those claiming under such conveyances are estopped from denying the existence of the streets so delineated upon the plat of the subdivision and given as boundaries of lots acquired by these and others from the grantor or those claiming under him. All persons claiming under such grantor are forever estopped to deny their existence. 19 CJ 928, § 127 (b).” Tietjen v. Meldrim, 169 Ga. 678, 697 (151 SE 349); Davis v. City of Valdosta,223 Ga. 523 (156 S.E.2d 345).
I am not a lawyer, but I wonder what a lawyer would say 1. above implies about the county doing nothing about a blocked public road?
But the Georgia Supreme Court didn’t stop there:
Continue readingLTE in the VDT today. I’ve added a few links. -jsq
Continue reading
Fox News recently claimed that “solar won’t work in America because it’s not as sunny as Germany”. Such statements are common for a network that has long lost its credibility. Unfortunately too many take such gibberish at face value. Thus columns like “environmentalism or obstructionism?” are not surprising, but in the end it’s the facts that matter:
- Global warming is real. For years we have been experiencing record heat waves, droughts, wild fires, etc., and while seawater levels are rising, storms like hurricane Sandy become major threats to low lying areas along coast lines.
- The main culprit for global warming are greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, resulting from the burning of fossil fuels, especially coal and oil.
- While China overall emits more than we do, the US leads in per capita emissions. The average US citizen produces three times more carbon dioxide than the average Chinese citizen.
Received Friday. April Huntley also sent it to the Lowndes County Commissioners. I have added a few links and pictures. -jsq
Continue readingDear Editor,
I’m not sure if people know or care that there is another Dollar General about to pop-up in Lowndes County. This time it will be in Naylor. I’m not sure if this will be an improvement or not.
Something I am also aware of and hold an opinion about is the proposal to abandon a road in Naylor that leads to the Alapaha River. This is the only public access to the Alapaha in Lowndes County. It is a place of history, recreation and fun for many people.
The spot where County Road 16, Old State Rd., dead ends at the Alapaha River is an area of rich history for Naylor and
Received Wednesday from April Huntley to Joyce Evans. -jsq
Good morning, Commissioner Evans!
Thank you very much for helping the community get the public hearing
for the closure of Old State Rd. tabled until next meeting! I hope we will all be able to work together to find a lasting solution that will enable the residents of Lowndes County and surrounding areas to continue to enjoy this beautiful spot on the Alapaha River. I hope you agree that this is not a standard road abandonment since it affects a body of water. I hope you have a great day, and I look forward to speaking with you soon!
Thank you again!
April Huntley