We’ve been having some beautiful weather, although its been far too dry. I was happy at first, because with all the rain this summer, I haven’t been able to get my deck cleaned and re-stained. Now, I’m sad, because the dogwoods are stressed to the max, if not actually dying. I’m not sure how long it’s been since it rained, but it must be three weeks.
The Blues & Barbecue Festival is September 20, in the downtown city park. It’s our best festival, and a bargain at $5.
https://www.blueridgemountains.com/events/blue-ridge-blues-and-bbq-music-festival/
An Alabama company has requested a permit for a heavy metals mine just on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp. This is unlikely to be a good idea, and any short term benefit to Georgia is likely to be outweighed by the long term threat to the resource, which is a major source of tourism revenue. It is, however, a bad time for the resource agencies to stand up and do the right thing, and I’m sure pressure will be brought to bear on the Corp of Engineers to approve the permit. I must have fallen off the Georgia Conservancy’s email list, because I learned of this yesterday evening, and public comment ended yesterday at midnight. For what it is worth, you can visit their website and learn about the project.
https://www.georgiaconservancy.org/okefenokee/mining
Fannin County Chairman Stan Helton emailed me this afternoon to tell me that the Fannin school system has purchased the 38 acre former Forest Service maintenance facility from the Forest Service for $650,000. They plan to use it for a new bus barn and perhaps some other projects. Stan tells me that the county had a letter of intent on it, but the school system needed it more. That’s on the north side of the old highway, west of the dam. I wish the county would purchase the TVA property next to the dam, where a hotel was once proposed, but Stan tells me nothing is happening on that. It would make a great county park and community center site.