Sunday, August 30, 2009

Work Trip #41 - Greensboro - July 14, 2009

Greensboro. NC.

This summer my coworker, Rachel, and I conducted some event/venue recycling workshops throughout NC. One location we went was Greensboro. Here are some water towers from that trip. The one by the train yard was right across from the convention center where our workshop was.


The UNCG water tower was also close to the convention center. Go Spartans.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Work Trip #40 - Spartanburg, SC - March 23-27, 2009

I didn't take any water tower pictures in Spartanburg when we went for the Carolina Recycling Association conference. Just FYI.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Work Trip #39 - Elizabeth City, NC - February 16-17

Elizabeth City. NC.

Months ago I went to Elizabeth City, NC for a Project Learning Tree Municipal Solid Waste workshop. We got lots of great water tower pictures. This first one at sunset was right outside my old apartment when I lived there. We got a great picture coming back over the river from Camden County.

Props to Lori, Mary and Renee!











Elizabeth City Cotton Mills off Highway 17.

Another textile mill that looked abandoned. I can't believe I hadn't gotten this picture yet.
















Me hugging the water tower. It is so rare that you can touch one!

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

The Breadbasket of CA

To finish my CA and OR pictures . . .

On our way back to San Fransisco from Oregon we drove down Interstate 5. We saw lots of local fruits and vegetables being grown. Reminded me of NE.


I'm not sure where we were when I took this. I didn't see many towers on our drive.







We did drive by beautiful Mount Shasta. We also saw the Bret Michaels Rock of Love bus. Exciting stuff.






Sunday, August 02, 2009

ARTICLE - Gwinnett County, GA Water towers retired

Sent to me by Alicia on LinkedIn.

By Camie Young
Senior Writer

LAWRENCEVILLE - The water towers that have proclaimed "Gwinnett is great" and "Success lives here" for more than a decade will come down.

Commissioners decommissioned the 35-year-old tanks, along with four other water structures made unnecessary by the upgrade of a pump station in Norcross.

The towers, visible from Interstate 85 near Jimmy Carter Boulevard as drivers enter the county, have boasted Gwinnett's motto for years, but some officials say they aren't sad to see them go.

"Those have been outdated for years," said Jim Maran, president of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, which began the branding. "We need a fresh image."

Maran said a new marketing ploy is under development.

"There's some nostalgia," Chairman Charles Bannister said. "But it's necessary we reduce our expenses in any way we can and they are no longer necessary."

Commissioner Shirley Lasseter agreed with the reminiscence.

"It's symbolic of where we've come from," she said, referring to the county's growth as a suburb during the 1980s and 1990s, when it was one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.

But Chuck Warbington, who heads the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District, which includes the Jimmy Carter Boulevard area, said he didn't have an issue with the decommissioning.

"We've moved on from using water towers for economic development," he said.

Along with the four other structures, Water Production Director Neal Spivey said the county would save $100,000 in operating costs each year and other $100,000 in capital costs for maintenance each year.

He said the county will prepare a bid with several options for the tower: a tank manufacturer could buy the tanks and transport them intact, a demolition crew could take the towers down and get the benefit of using the materials for scrap or the county could pay a demolition crew to take them down.

Likely, the towers would remain at least until the fall, he said.

"On one hand, I hate to see those towers go, but on the other hand, removing them will certainly help beautify these areas by eliminating the industrial feel of the big tanks," said Gwinnett Water Resources Acting Director Lynn Smarr. "And, of course, success will continue to live in Gwinnett County."

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Tea kettle and cup

Stanton. IA.

My friend from Omaha, Ryan, sent me these great water tower pictures from Stanton Iowa.

These are awesome. I hope to see them for real one day.