Sure, 300,000 is less than the
millions of gallons Valdosta spilled in January 2017.
And sure, Valdosta has spent tens of millions of dollars building
a whole new Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
uphill out of the flood plain, and a force main, and mamy other improvements.
Sure, the situation is better than it used to be,
as I’ve been bragging about on the radio and in this blog recently.
But it was that same new WWTP that spilled yesterday.
Sure, what spilled was mostly rainwater.
But people in the seven Florida counties downstream (or in Lowndes and Brooks
Counties, Georgia downstream) are not Continue reading →
June 26, 2018, Valdosta, GA —
The jury deliberated a bit less than an hour two hours,
delivering a verdict just before 7PM tonight:
$103,385 for easement and
$4,531.50 for timber.
The figures offered by Sabal Trail were
$19,979 for easement and
$4,117 for timber.
Assuming these numbers transcribed from various speakers
are correct, the jury awarded five times what
Sabal Trail offered for the pipeline easement and somewhat
more than their offer for timber.
“When Sabal Trail goes to jury trial, it loses,”
said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.
Here are the winners, waiting in the hall before the jury came back:
The winners:
Fred Jones, Lynn Lasseter (Defendant), Jonathan Waters (attorney), Reese Waters (attorney’s assistant)
This
jury verdict from the U.S. Court, Middle District of Georgia,
is very similar to Continue reading →
The agenda for this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session and tomorrow evening’s voting Regular Session doesn’t say where the LAS is,
but apparently it’s these two parcels nestled between Moody AFB’s Grassy Pond and the private Pike’s Pond Fishing Club, west of I-75 and Lake Park.
WWALS Scout and VSU Art Professor Julie Bowland
donated this painting of Running Spring for auction 1-5PM this afternoon
at
The Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602,
in the
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
Come on down to hear new songs about our rivers,
with a buffet and cash bar!
Plus you could get this painting, maybe even for Continue reading →
Come hear good music this afternoon, new songs about the Suwannee,
Withlacoochee, and other rivers, said
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman
on the radio yesterday morning with
Scott James.
The M.C. for today’s finals of the
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,
WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, explained the raffles (kayak, swag,
and silent auction), and we mentioned
the buffet and cash bar at the
at the Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.
We listed the finalists in the
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,
and described the format: speeches (especially by Will Eason of the Salty Snapper), finalists play new songs about the rivers, judges score on music, lyrics, history, etc., and finally
the results of the raffles, and the prizes.
We showed off the First Prize plaque, just handed to us by WWALS
Board Member Phil Hubbard, who made it.
Videos: Songwriting Contest on Scott James Radio 2018-06-22
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS),
Once festival season is over today, we noted we’ll get on with the programs WWALS fundraising pays for.
Such as
water quality testing: Continue reading →
How you can hear new songs about our rivers while munching on a buffet
with a cash bar at the
First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,
1-5PM this Saturday, June 23, 2018,
at the Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.
Update 2018-06-26:
Cross examination starts at 9AM today in the Sabal Trail Jury Trial in Valdosta.
John S. Quarterman went to the oral arguments yesterday afternoon.
Update 2018-06-25:
Oral arguments start 1PM today in the Sabal Trail Jury Trial in Valdosta.
Gretchen went to jury selection this morning, which wrapped up rapidly.
U.C. Berkeley student Alan Toth made a film
about environmental concerns embroiling a small town in North Florida.
Mining Phosphorus explores the subject of phosphate mining in
Florida. Phosphate rock is our main source of phosphorus, one of the
most critical elements in modern agriculture, but the practice of
mining phosphate produces significant environmental concerns,
including literal mountains of toxic waste.
You will probably recognize many of the people in this trailer.
In the first view of protesters, there’s Continue reading →
You can hear Mike and the other finalists play while you munch on finger foods
with a cash bar, silent auction, and kayak raffle at the
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,
1-5PM this Saturday, June 23,
at the Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.
Mike isn’t the only Valdosta participant.
One of the judges, Continue reading →
“Finalists will play, and will be judged. The prizes will be awarded, and of course the acknowledgment of the sponsors.”
Plus a buffet of snacks prepared by the Salty Snapper,
including some vegetarian,
all for $10 in advance online,
and there will be a silent auction and kayak raffle tickets.
Gretchen Quarterman was on the radio with Steve Nichols, WVGA 105.9FM
(I was scheduled, but the flu said otherwise; I’m better now).
Gretchen said you don’t need to write a song, just come listen
to the finals this Saturday afternoon, with
judges
Cindy Bear from Jacksonville,
Dan Crews from Live Oak, and
J.J. Rolle from Valdosta
Plus the Outings Committee has organized a paddle 9AM Saturday morning
from Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Landing,
just across the railroad tracks from the Salty Snapper,
so you can paddle to the songwriting contest.
Steve Nichols remarked:
“As a kid, I used to go down that stretch of the river with my friends.
When I say as a kid, I was in high school in the early eighties.
It would be fun for me to do that trip as a nostalgic trip,
and going back and look at that beautiful stretch of river right there.”
Gretchen said the water is high so probably there will be no dragging,
and the river is different every time.
She showed the metal Sheboggy Boat Ramp signs Phil made to sell
so people maybe won’t keep stealing them off the GDOT signposts
for their man cave or woman cave.
Videos: Gretchen Quarterman about Songwriting Contest on Steve Nichols radio 105.9FM WVGA 2018-06-18
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS).
I’ll be on the radio Friday morning; stay tuned for a post about that.
