Back for the third year: the WWALS booth at Little River Fest, on the border Little River between Colquitt and Cook Counties. Georgia, in the heart of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
When: 9AM to 4PM, Saturday, April 14, 2018
Where:
Reed Bingham State Park,
542 Reed Bingham Rd.
Adel, Ga 31620
Not too crowded, and fun, Little River Fest at Reed Bingham State Park on the border Little River between Colquitt and Cook Counties, in the heart of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT). We’ll be back in 2018.
Thanks, VLDA!
The Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority (VLDA) sits in the middle of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT), where the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers join, and also in the middle of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, with around 140,000 people, which is almost half the entire population of the Suwannee River Basin. VLDA didn’t need any explaining about how the WLRWT improves quality of life, and that benefits the local economy.
Image of the signed VLDA letter. See also
PDF.
Valdosta-Lowndes
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITYFebruary 20, 2018
Mr. John S. Quarterman, President
WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. PO Box 88
Hahira, GA 31632Dear Mr. Quarterman;
The Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority works diligently Continue reading
This weekend in Cedar Key, a meeting of the organizing Committee for the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. And we’re going to hold the actual contest in Cedar Key; stay tuned for details.
When: 1PM Sunday, February 25, 2018
Where: 83 West, 310 Dock St, Cedar Key, FL 32625
What: WWALS Songwriting Committee meeting to plan the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. You do not have to be a Committee member to come to the meeting, but if you want to be on the internal forums where decisions are also made, you can apply to join the Committee.
Event: facebook
Photo: Ken E., Yelp review of 83 West.
Decisions so far include:
When: June 2018.
Where: Cedar Key, Florida.
What to submit: Lyrics and sound (mp3) about any river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, or pond in the Suwannee River Basin (except not the Santa Fe River nor creeks, sinks, etc. on it, because it has its own contest). Nature, people, or events, are all good.
The Committee at the Crossroads, Feb. 18, 2018.
We could use some musicians on the committee.
The Committee decided to invite submissions from every genre on this extensive music genres list, from Art Punk to Zydeco. Hip hop, K-pop, rock, reggae, R&B, and solo cello classical are all invited, among many others, including of course folk and country. You can even sing a capella, and if you’re really brave, maybe recite poetry. But remember that while lyrics are the most important aspect, this is a songwriting contest, so playing an instrument would be good.
What not to submit: Avoid politics, religion, or flamingos. While we’d be hard put to reject Robert Johnson’s Crossroads (if it mentioned one of our rivers), it is just a tad religious. While Butch Hancock’s Give Them Water is a great a capella song, it is more than a bit political. And please don’t just cover somebody else’s song: while Ray Charles’ Swanee River Rock is nice, the lyrics were already known.
How to submit: Ready to submit a song? Well, soon, the Committee is still working out the details.
Before the event: Submissions will be narrowed down to half a dozen or so, in two categories: from within the Basin, and from elsewhere.
The event: Finalists will perform live, and judges will decide. Contestants and especially winners will get prizes. Food, song, sunshine, and a fine time.
Do you want to be a judge, or suggest who should be? Let us know.
Format: If the format sounds familiar, that’s because we are shamelessly copying the long-running Our Santa Fe River Songwriting Contest, which we recommend you also attend. The rivers are different, and the winners will get prizes.
We may make format changes because Cedar Key is far to go and people love any reason to stay there for a weekend.
You do need to be present to win. However, you do not have to sing your own song: you can have somebody else do that for you.
Come to the WWALS Songwriting Committee meeting on February 25th and help decide how we will pick some more songs about our rivers!
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
An expert paddle to start the Alapaha Quest, down the wild and exotic Alapaha River in the balmy south Georgia winter. This trip is not recommended for beginners
When: 9:30 AM Sunday, March 4, 2018
Put In: Sheboggy Landing at US 82, 11004 US Highway 82, Alapaha, GA 31622, east of the town of Alapaha in Berrien County.
Take Out: Rowetown Church Cemetery, 1291 Rowetown Church Road, Alapaha, GA 31622, in Berrien County. Yes, we called ahead and got permission.
Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup. It will still be hunting season, so also wear hunting orange if you’ve got it.
Price: This outing is free to WWALS members. It costs $10.00 to nonmembers. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Remember, Stephen C. Foster never saw the Suwannee River before he made it famous in his song. So at its meeting last week, the Songwriting Committee decided to have two categories: submissions from within the Suwannee River Basin, and submissions from anywhere else in the world.
Come on down to the Crossroads Sunday afternoon and help us decide more about the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest:
When: 1PM Sunday, February 18, 2018
Where: Crossroads Market & Grill, Inc., 5463 State Rd 6 West, Jasper, FL 32052
What: WWALS Songwriting Committee meeting to plan the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. You do not have to be a Committee member to come to the meeting, but if you want to be on the internal forums where decisions are also made, you can apply to join the Committee.
Decisions and discussions so far include: Continue reading
Two new fallers, an unscheduled creek upstream and confluences of several more downstream, the Withlacoochee River Roundabout, (some around it twice), a nice drizzle, and a fine time was had by 19 paddlers from 2 years old to 70-plus on the balmy winter Withlacoochee River, Sunday, February 11, 2018.
I am worried, though, since Continue reading
“Without the certificate,
they cannot operate.”
—John S. Quarterman
of WWALS
Protesters turned out in St. Pete last year, and now a reporter from Tampa posts an update on double-sad news for Sabal Trail (I’ve added links).
Carmella Guiol, Kate Bradshaw, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, 15 Feb 2018, The experts were right: Troubles for the Sabal Trail pipeline: They warned us — correctly — about the pipeline’s dangers to the environment. ,
For years, environmentalists warned against constructing the Sabal Trail pipeline. Yet construction wore on, and the controversial natural gas conduit is functional — for now.
Photo: Terrence Smith. TOLD YA SO: In St. Petersburg, protesters railed against the controversial project in 2017.
The 515-mile pipeline snakes from Alabama to central Florida, and when it’s running, it brings natural gas (mined using the process of fracking) to power plants in the Sunshine State, where it generates energy that power companies sell to customers. The $3.5 billion project is a joint venture between Enbridge, NextEra Energy and Duke Energy Corporation, which make up the group Sabal Trail LLC.
The Sierra Club sued over that last one, but despite Continue reading
Many thanks to the Hahira Mayor and Council for passing a resolution in support of the water trail for the rivers that run less than six miles west (the Little River) and east (the Withlacoochee River) of the Hahira Courthouse where they met.
Left to right:
Council Patrick Warren (District 3)
Mayor Pro Tem Kenneth Davis (District 2),
Mayor Bruce Cain,
Empty Chair for City Attorney Rob Plumb,
City Manager Jonathan Sumner,
Council Terry Benjamin (District 1),
Council Mason Barfield (District 4),
City Clerk Lisa Mashburn.
I spoke briefly at their Work Session, Tuesday, January 30, 2018, outlining the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) and the resolution, and I invited them to upcoming WWALS outings. Several of the Council had positive comments.
Council Patrick Warren also mentioned his fear of Continue reading
Overcast and a small chance of drizzle won’t stop us:
yes, we’re paddling
from Hagan Bridge to Franklinville on the Withlacoochee River,
10 AM Sunday, February 11, 2018.
Follow
the link for details.
More:
For more outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER® You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Pictures by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS, between Hagan Bridge and Franklinville, Withlacoochee River 2013-04-20.