VALDOSTA —
Lowndes County’s decision to move to a private contractor for the unincorporated areas vs. leaving the trash collection sites open remains a sore point for many citizens as there are still a number of issues that have not been adequately addressed.
Amid numerous complaints about service, or lack of, from the company that won the contract, citizens want to know what the county is going to do to hold them accountable. Trash bins left with lids open, or left lying down, or even in the street — and that’s for those who have been fortunate enough to receive a trash bin as many have told the Times they cannot get through to anyone at the company to start their service or if they have, they are still waiting for their bins to arrive.
Along with the county’s decision to get out of the trash business, as the commission proclaimed many times, there should have also been a very specific and concise plan to ensure that this process went smoothly. Alas, that hasn’t been the case.
Among the unresolved questions are what to do with hazardous materials. What about oil? Paint cans? Gasoline containers? Batteries?
The centers were for much more than household garbage, which is why so many residents of the city also used them frequently. There are numerous other items that are used in households that at some point, need to be discarded safely, and if someone is concerned enough to want to ensure that safety is the overriding factor, they are concerned enough to be willing to pay a fee to discard them.
It was one thing to mandate full county household garbage pickup, but it’s another to leave citizens with no options for the disposal of other, potentially hazardous, items that contain harmful chemicals or are highly flammable.
The majority of the citizens of Lowndes County don’t want to contaminate groundwater by dumping items unsafely, and they don’t mind having to use curbside service. What they do mind, though, is the fact that no one seems to be holding the company accountable for their lack of preparedness and no one seems concerned about ensuring that dangerous items can be disposed of safely.
What We Think
Unresolved issues with trash
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Thank you, EMS
We always pull over for them, but we rarely seem to thank them.
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Tornado: An aftermath of help
Seeing the massive path of destruction left in the wake of tornadoes in Oklahoma Monday was a sobering reminder of the power of spring storms.
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Thoughts on graduation
Graduation ceremonies reflect how life marches on. For the students receiving their diplomas and degrees, graduation is a culmination of the majority of their lives’ work.
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Thumbs up, thumbs down
THUMBS UP: To Dr. John Gaston, retiring dean of Valdosta State University’s College of the Arts. For the past 10-plus years, Gaston has worked to build a more interconnected program with various artistic and communications departments working together. Given that you are likely to see one College of the Arts department collaborating with another during events is proof of Gaston’s success.
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On the go this weekend
Take a breath.
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Sharing the roads with motorcycles
With the recent pleasant temperatures and sunny skies, the number of motorcycles on area roads has increased.
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Thank your local law enforcement today
Today, May 15, was designated Peace Officers Memorial Day back in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy was in office.
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Visit musical roots this weekend
Beginning Saturday, May 18, Nashville, Ga., will be hosting a special Smithsonian exhibit, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.” The exhibit will continue through the end of June and Nashville has done a tremendous job in promoting and planning for the exhibit.
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Happy Mother’s Day!
A few years ago, a television commercial asked, Who first believed in you? Many folks may have instinctively answered by simply saying, Mom.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To mail workers, volunteers and food bank staff for gathering food for the annual Stamp Out Hunger postal food drive today. A plastic bag designated for canned goods and other non-perishable food items should have arrived in your mailbox earlier this week. If you haven’t already, take a few moments to fill the bag with food and hang from your mailbox. If you didn’t receive the special Stamp Out Hunger bag, any plastic bag filled with food will do. This food drive helps feed thousands of South Georgians annually. Valdosta-Lowndes County often donates more food than nearly all other cities and counties in Georgia.
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Thank you, EMS
