Received today (PDF). -jsq
Continue readingRe-Activation Meeting for the
Valdosta Chapter
We are looking for new members to relaunch this chapter.
Please come and join us!!!!!!When: January 6, 2016 @ 7pm
Where: Greater St. Peter Methodist Church
500 E Gordon Street
Valdosta, GA 31601Who: Reactivation Executive Committee
For more information email:
Mrs. Angela Penn at agpenn28@gnail.com,
Pastor Darren Ncal at rcvncal@icloud.coni, or
Dr. Gerald Williams at drgeraldwilliams@yahoo.con
South Carolina’s largest solar farm generated 5% more power
than planned
in its first year (2014), and demonstrated that
tracking mounts provide more power in the late afternoon at peak
air conditioning use time.
It took only nine weeks to build, far faster than any pipeline or nuclear project, and you could build enough of these solar farms to produce more energy
in less time than it would take just to permit either of those, much less build them.
However, Santee Cooper could do better about enabling others to install and connect solar power.
Right now, Santee Cooper is making even Duke Energy look good.
Santee Cooper, 24 January 2014, South Carolina’s largest solar farm introduced to the public, Continue reading
There’s more to
the North Carolina solar town story:
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they have already approved other solar farms, one of which is almost built,
and they approved the one in question once it was moved to a different location.
And there are real reasons they are concerned about solar farms;
reasons which solar developers can address (unlike pipeline companies).
Snopes reviewed the original story and found it mostly true. The town of Woodland posted its own update 14 December 2015, which clarifies what they were up to, concluding: Continue reading
An organic food company is the first thing it finally lands, after trying for years to lure traditional “industrial” businesses to Miller Business Park, and after the Industrial Authority renamed itself the Development Authority. Well, go real food! And congratulations Development Authority! For more local agriculture, come to South Georgia Growing Local Saturday 26 February 2016 at Pine Grove Middle School.
Valdosta, Georgia — December 15, 2015—The Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority (VLCDA) and Nature Nate’s announce the expansion of Nature Nate’s honey processing operations to Valdosta, GA. The project represents a $1.75 million investment, will create 10 jobs immediately and at least 15 jobs after 36 months.
“We welcome Nature Nate’s as our first tenant within Miller Business Park and Continue reading
Update 2015-12-23: There’s more to the story
Photosynthesis fails near solar panels,
thinks a high school science teacher.
And the
Woodland, NC Town Council not only agreed with her and rejected
a rezoning proposal for a solar farm, it passed
a moratorium on future solar farms.
Yet I bet they have fields all around sprayed with Roundup and other
cancer-causing chemicals that actually do affect plants, animals, and people.
Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Woodland rejects solar farm,
Jane Mann said she is a local native and is concerned about the natural vegetation that makes the community beautiful.
She is a retired Northampton science teacher and is concerned that photosynthesis, which depends upon sunlight, would not happen and would keep the vegetation from growing. She said she has observed areas near solar panels where vegetation is brown and dead because it did not receive enough sunlight.
She also questioned the high number of cancer deaths in the area, saying no one could tell her that solar panels didn’t cause cancer.
“I want to know what’s going to happen,” she said. “I want information. Enough is enough. I don’t see the profit for the town.
“People come with hidden agendas,” she said. “Until we can find if anything is going to damage this community, we shouldn’t sign any paper.”
I guess she never noticed all the plants near Monsanto-seed fields are dead, most of the birds are gone, and all her students are fat from eating processed foods stuffed with high fructose corn syrup. But sure, solar panels are the problem.
Another local citizen brought up a real economic problem, but blamed the wrong culprit.
Bobby Mann said he watched communities dry up when I-95 came along and warned that would happen to Woodland because of the solar farms.
As Eric Berger pointed out in ars technical, there don’t actually seem to be any solar farms now in or near Woodland, NC.
Back to Bobby Mann:
“You’re killing your town,” he said. “All the young people are going to move out.”
Well, there is a real problem with rural communities losing jobs and citizens to cities. But he’s pointing at the wrong culprit.
He said the solar farms would suck up all the energy from the sun and businesses would not come to Woodland.
I wonder what advertising your local government acts on wildly inaccurate misinformation will do to businesses thinking about locating in Woodland?
This is what happens when people believe corporate propaganda:
Mayor Kenneth Manual called for the vote, which was 3-1 against rezoning the land (the mayor only votes in case of a tie).
The council later voted for a moratorium on future solar farms.
I’d guess businesses would go somewhere else, after the many news stories about this incident.
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Anybody can enter; they’ve been reaching out to everybody.
90 seconds of video (or narration over stills)
on your favorite subject! PDF.
Dr. Matthew Richard says:
Causes 5 is Jan. 23, 2016 at 7 pm in Bailey Auditorium on campus! come one, come all!
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A “mini-film festival” celebrating what matters to you most
Have an issue that you’re passionate about?
Submit a 90-second mini-documentary about it; spread awareness about your cause and maybe win a cash pri3e!January 23, 2016
Deadline for film submissions is Continue reading
County Manager Joe Pritchard asked the Lowndes County Commission to spend the funds the citizens of Lowndes County approved on the SPLOST VII referendum for the Naylor Boat Ramp:
We are proposing for the purchase of 4.35 acres of property on the Alapaha River designated for the purpose of a boat ramp. You have the documentation there before you, the warranty deed. And as you are aware, this also reserves for an easement by the current owner, a proposed easement, and the appraisal is for $24,000, as is the purchase price, and that is the consideration for the proposed easement.
Commissioner Scottie Orenstein asked: Continue reading
Here are videos from Monday morning’s Work Session.
They already met again to vote this evening.
See also the
previous Planning Commission agenda
with the packet materials obtained by LAKE for the
Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) condition changes,
the
Moody Activities Zones (MAZ) changes to the ULDC,
and
the
Orchard at Tillman Crossing
and
the LAKE videos of that meeting.
Here’s the Lowndes County Commission agenda, which also includes many other items, such as the obscurely named Execution of the Resolution for Hazardous Waste Trust Fund, which is about the closed landfill at Clyattville.
Here’s a video playlist:
Videos: MAZ, WWTP, tax lighting, civic center, court, insurance, hazardous waste
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 December 2015.
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The county government is less clear about animals than it asks citizens to be. Tonight the Lowndes County Democratic Party is doing what the county has never done: holding a public forum on animal rights. Apparently there are some human rights involved, too, given recent allegations of a deputy with gun drawn and arson.
Last month two more citizens complained to the Lowndes County Commission about
treatment of dogs, including
about three dogs that may not have shelter
and
barking dogs and apparent retaliation through arson.
That second speaker, as he said, had
already spoken up back in June about animal control taking his grandson’s dog out of a kennel, yet he said when he complained about a barking dog a deputy came out with gun drawn to demand he come out of his house “like a common criminal”.
At the time the Chairman asked citizens to be “clear and direct”.
Yet it’s not clear what the county has done about any of this, nor about Continue reading
A month ago, nobody on the County Commission or staff
knew how much the extra equipment might cost for the
three Sheriff’s pursuit vehicles,
but they awarded the bid to Langdale Ford anyway.
The automobile dealer on the Commission did have some computations
on why the higher bid might be more cost-effective.
“We have the bids in the room” said the County Engineer,
recommending awarding $1,188,500 to the Scruggs Company
for
Graded Aggregate Base, Curb-and-Gutter and Asphalt.
He also noted “they will come in and place the curb and gutter”.
The County Engineer also announced
flashing and then regular traffic lights
at Tillman Crossing on Old US 41 North.
Two citizens talked about dog problems: three dogs perhaps without shelter and barking dogs and arson.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall is holding a Town Hall December 15th.
Here’s the agenda. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session. Below are links to each of the videos of the Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. Meanwhile, they already met again this morning and will vote again Tuesday evening. Continue reading
