Videos: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Sewage spills, Trash, Okefenokee Swamp over stripmine @ Radio 2023-02-28

All about the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle this Saturday at Troupville Boat Ramp just west of Valdosta, down to Spook Bridge on the Withlacoochee River: Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Suwannee Riverkeeper talked about that on his 92.1 FM radio show Tuesday.

Plus trash, sewage, and you can help stop a strip mine too near the Okefenokee Swamp.

[Bypass, Talk92.1 FM, Two Mile Branch, Lee Street Trash Trap, Suwannee Riverkeeper, Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson]
Bypass, Talk92.1 FM, Two Mile Branch, Lee Street Trash Trap, Suwannee Riverkeeper, Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson

Thanks to the Mayor for being a good sport about being grilled about the numerous recent Valdosta sewage spills, totalling almost a million gallons. You can see the bypass pump from his driveway.

[Sewage bypass visible from Talk92.1 FM on US 84]
Sewage bypass visible from Talk92.1 FM on US 84

On the other hand, I praised Valdosta City Engineer Ben O’Dowd and Stormwater Manager Angela Bray so much about recent progress in fixing Valdosta’s chronic trash spill problem that he finally said he had to wrap up the show.
https://wwals.net/issues/trash/

[Neighbor Jan Powell, City Engineer Benjamin O'Dowd, Stormwater Manager Angela Bray, Two Mile Branch @ Berkley Drive 2023-02-27]
Neighbor Jan Powell, City Engineer Benjamin O’Dowd, Stormwater Manager Angela Bray, Two Mile Branch @ Berkley Drive 2023-02-27

Don’t forget to send comment to GA-EPD against the proposed strip mine far too near the Okefenokee Swamp. And ask your Georgia statehouse members (or those of your friends or family) to sign on to HB 71 to prevent further such mines.
https://wwals.net/issues/titanium-mining

[Bear: Protect the Okefenokee]

Thanks to Sementha Mathews of the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts for playing straight man. I asked David Rodock about her suggestion of him playing music in a boat during the paddle, and he said he would do it! David won First Prize at last year’s Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

[Winners: Emmett Carlisle, Best Song from Outside; Tracy Horenbein, Best Americana; David Rodock, First Prize and Best Song from Inside; Kyle Chamberlain, Best Folk, Kevin Stephenson, Best Country]
Winners: Emmett Carlisle, Best Song from Outside; Tracy Horenbein, Best Americana; David Rodock, First Prize and Best Song from Inside; Kyle Chamberlain, Best Folk, Kevin Stephenson, Best Country

Unfortunately, I didn’t realize Sementha was staying while I was there, so I did not have the video camera pan out to show her, but you can sort of see her reflected in the door between me and the Mayor.

[Sementha Mathews mirrored]
Sementha Mathews mirrored

Here is a WWALS YouTube playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-Qwz8ehISVpNr1zaFWlAnEcw

Below are links to each WWALS video of each major topic.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/