VALDOSTA —
Residents who remained uncertain about the new county ordinance concerning trash disposal asked The Times to find answers to their many questions. These were compiled and submitted to the county, and are included on today’s front page.
In a nutshell, the recycling centers are closing, Advanced Disposal is the only waste collection company authorized to do business in unincorporated Lowndes County, and your choice is to either contract with them or not to produce any household waste. There are no other options.
Household waste cannot be burned; you cannot take it to the landfill as a private citizen; you cannot dump it illegally; and you cannot contract with another company.
Yard waste can be burned on the first and third Saturdays, with a burn permit only, you can leave it by the curb at designated times for Advanced Disposal, but for any bulk items, the company has to be contacted to remove the items as a special request.
The county has been studying and discussing this issue for the better part of a decade. There is no way to run the recycling centers on a break-even basis, they’ve been losing money for years, and in an era of austere budget cuts, the centers were the likeliest target.
It’s a shame that they are closing, and it’s a shame that the county couldn’t have kept at least one site open for yard waste and certain types of recyclables that might have had the chance to at least offset the cost to collect them, but the decision has been made and it’s time to move on.
What We Think
County explains ordinance
- What We Think
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Historic day celebrated
On January 1, 1863, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, announcing that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas are and henceforth shall be free.
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How this garden grew
A special-needs couple wanted a garden. A teacher not only wanted to teach gardening skills but she also wanted to instill a sense of community purpose within her young students.
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Happy Father’s Day
He beamed with pride on our birth. He understood worry upon our birth. He is the giant by which we would judge all men. He protected us. He provided for us. He often sacrificed time with us to provide for us. He spent time with us.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To Stevie Young of Valdosta. The owner of Artistic Taxidermy, Young won Best in the World, Turkey, in the 2013 World Taxidermy Championship. His eastern wild turkey display dominated the competition, earning him the distinction of best in the world. Another title for TitleTown!
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Canning preserves food, way of life
When the going gets tough, the tough getting canning. Valdosta-Lowndes County residents have this opportunity.
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PSST!: Round Two!
With tonight’s opening of “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” Peach State Summer Theatre presents its second show of the 2013 season.
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A responsible fix for pets
The photo and story in Sunday’s paper about the dog whose owners had left him tied up with an electrical cord elicited a tremendous response from readers, outraged at the dog’s treatment.
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A band-aid in a crisis?
The announcement Monday by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities that a crisis stabilization center will be built in Lowndes County is good news for some, not so great for others.
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Slowing down for summer
Twenty-some years ago, it seemed Valdosta and South Georgia slowed down for the summer. School was out. Controversies seemed to dwindle. People seemed to work shorter hours despite the longer days.
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Storms: Of preparation and prayer
If you haven’t already, maybe this morning in church would be a good time to say a prayer of thanks that Tropical Storm Andrea blessed us with some much-needed rain while sparing us the overwhelming catastrophe that weather has wreaked upon the Midwest in recent weeks.
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Historic day celebrated
