Map showing Dalton's 2.7 Magnitude Earthquake on 11/9/2011
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First off, SPLOST stands for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. It’s an additional tax that’s added to the sales tax that voters vote on. The proposed tax always comes with a project list that it would support. E-SPLOST is an educational SPLOST, and T-SPLOST is a transportation SPLOST.
I’m against both of the taxes that are coming up for vote/renewal for different reasons.
I’m against the E-SPLOST because of the way our county operates it’s budget and has managed the previous E-SPLOST. I’m sure many will vote ‘yes’ on this for the sole reason that it has to do with funding going to education. But before one votes to give them another check to spend as they see fit, they need to look at the prior projects that E-SPLOST has provided. It’s almost a running joke around everyone in the entire county how they just can’t seem to ever have enough schools built. I don’t even know the number of schools we have now, because every time you turn around, another $20-30M school is being built. We’re to the point that we’re neglecting the older schools to give way for a future project-that project being to tear down and replace the neglected school rather than go the cheaper route and maintain the school. I went to the school that I’m talking about, and even though it’s been over 10 years ago, there is no way that it would be to the point that it is unsafe for the children if they had not ignored maintenance for so long. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that one of the contractors for all of these new schools has some ties to those that propose these sort of taxes on the voters.
I’m always interested in politics and seeing how Congressmen vote/feel about bills and resolutions as they come up. It really gives the people a look at whose interest they have at heart, the people’s or special interests’.
Dalton has an office for Congressman Tom Graves (702 South Thornton Avenue), the Representative for the 9th District of Georgia. Even before having a local office, I made calls voicing my opinions on upcoming matters, matters that always matter like the wars, federal reserve, taxes, etc., but driving by the office at least 4 times a day really gives you a greater sense of connectedness to the people. Even though it’s just a satellite office for him, seeing it at least gives me that sense. I really hope it has the same effect on others, and it’s really a shame that people do feel a huge disconnect between ourselves and Washington that they don’t even feel it worth voicing their opinion to their representatives. But we should. After all, that is their job-listening to us.
I have a feeling that the proposed, and what probably will end up being built, roundabout in Dalton will end up being a disaster. I’ve seen the plans for it, and can say that I honestly don’t believe that the people here are ready for such a large multi-laned roundabout. Some people have trouble navigating the small single-laned one in Ellijay, much less something of this scale. A roundabout at an off-ramp to the Interstate makes no sense at all to me. I just wonder if anyone has considered the potential economic loss that the restaurants on Exit 333 could face due to south-bound travelers bypassing the exit and waiting til Calhoun just to not have to deal with such a confusing roundabout exit. Especially travelers that are older, and find the task of traveling the Interstate itself a chore to do. Not to even mention a horrible time to be wasting millions of dollars on an intersection that may be crowded at times, but no where justifies spending such an amount of money on a potential flop with the local economy being what it is.
Riding four wheelers, a walk around Downtown Dalton, and making a giant snowman.
A few photos from this set
DALTON — When the stars walk down the red carpet to kick off tonight’s Academy Awards, the plush feeling enjoyed by their feet will be coming to them courtesy of Dalton.
More specifically, American Carpet Wholesalers.
Leslie Unger, director of communications for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told The Daily Citizen that the carpet was obtained through American Carpet Wholesalers in Dalton.
The carpet, which is covered in plastic until the very last minute to protect it from the elements and muddy footprints, is about 500 feet long and 33 feet wide.
Unger said the carpet brand is Weston Hill which is manufactured by Mohawk Industries.
The carpet, over which all of the guests entering the Kodak Theater will travel to enter the awards ceremony, was put down earlier this week.
Help Portrait is a movement of photographers who are using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate this holiday season.
I first learned about Help Portrait by one of the guys (Ty Miller) setting up the one here in Dalton through Twitter. While watching the video, which was very touching, and showing it to my brothers and Alicia, I wanted to be a part of it, as did they. The turnout for volunteers was great, and they already had pretty much every aspect of it covered. So we just tried to help out wherever we could be of any assistance. We also brought some snacks for the volunteers and the people that showed up to enjoy while they were there. It was really nice to see everyone work together and work hard to pull the event off. I think there ended up being close to 32 sessions of people show up for portraits. It was awesome and felt really good to see their smiles and see the happiness in their faces as their photos were handed to them. It was definitely a great experience and something that I am very proud to have been a part of. I hope for us to be able to be a part of it next year as well and help bring hope to many more people through this awesome movement.
This was Dalton’s newest Starbucks, which was only open for around a year, or maybe even less. Prior to Starbucks building there, there was a Chevron gas station, and if I remember correctly, it sold the location for a very large amount of money. I’m speculating that either McDonald’s (which ironically is pictured in the photo as well) introducing the McCafe, and/or people just deciding that Starbucks coffee just wasn’t worth the price with the economy like it is, contributed to it closing down. It’s a shame that such a nice building, and even nicer location (right off the interstate), will probably sit there vacant for possibly years to come.
Every city and small town in America probably has things hidden inside it’s boundaries that are unknown to most, even it’s own citizens. In this case, it’s the Liberty Tree that Dalton was given the honor of receiving that I just learned about.
Today my brother and I attended the media event for the launch of the walking tour for the West Hill Cemetery in Dalton. We attended because we both played a part in creating the map as a project at our work that is used in the brochure, and was recognized, along with our work place, for doing so. The guy that did the brochure tweaked the map a little after I submitted it and made it flow with the rest of the brochure. The meeting was inside the chapel and had quite a few guests that were relatives to some of the stops along the tour. I had never been in this cemetery prior to working on this map, but it has a lot of notable figures, along with their achievements and stories, buried there that played a part in making Dalton what it is today.
The brochure is wonderfully designed and full of history for each of the stops along the tour. It’s supposed to be available in a lot of places around town that deal with the community, and will probably also be in the Georgia Welcome Center at the state line on I-75.
Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.
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