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6A j The Birmingham News Friday, September 10, 2010 FROM PAGE ONE “We’ve got to give every child in Alabama an opportunity. Every child who stays in school, stays out of trouble, when they walk across that stage to get a diploma, we’ve got to be giving them a scholarship in the other hand.” Ron Sparks, Candidate for governor SMITH: Claimed he was disabled vet From Page 1A ensure he doesn’t use it to commit similar crimes and his computer equipment will be available for ran- dom inspection, the judge also ordered. “I don’t know what kinds of problems you have that cause you to be this way,” Blackburn told Smith at the hearing in Birmingham. She said she didn’t know whether it was “mental” issues or “a crim- inal mind” that caused him to do what he did. Blackburn said she had considered making his sentence longer after he had made false statements to a magistrate judge at a hearing to revoke his bond. That hearing was held because a probation officer believed he was again involved potentially fraudulent activity. His bond was revoked at that hearing. As Smith began to make a statement to the judge at Thursday’s hearing, he said he had made some mistakes and “misinter- preted some guidelines.” Blackburn quickly stopped him at that point. She said she didn’t know where he was headed with his statement, but “you do not want to lie to me.” Smith then told the judge in a very brie f statement that he had made some mistakes and would like the opportunity to make restitution. Smith’s attorney, Robert Tuten, told the judge Smith had admitted to his actions and was asking for a second chance. Smith had been indicted in February on seven counts. Five of the counts involved claims that he had worn, without autho- rization, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantr y Badge, the Senior Par- achutist Badge, the Air As- sault Badge and the Bronze Star. He rode in a Veterans Day parade in Huntsville last year wear- ing a uniform and a Purple Heart, according to the plea agreement. Another count involved selling a $12.90 cubic zir- conia as a diamond for $70,000. And the other count involved falsely claiming to be a disabled veteran in his bid to sell the government protective vests. Smith won a $168,643 contract last year for his company, NBC Tactical, to supply vests, according to his plea agreement. The Army canceled the con- tract when he didn’t de- liver the vests. Bidders for the contract were onl y supposed to be disabled- veteran-owned small busi- nesses. “Mr. Smith spun lies on top of lies to inflate his image and to steal money,” U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance said in a prepared statement. Investigators found Smith received an other than honorable discharge from the Army and was never classified with a dis- ability, according to his plea agreement. During the hearing, As- sistant U.S. Attorney David Estes said that Smith had been absent without leave when his unit deployed overseas for Operation En- during Freedom. Smith’s actions were “more egregi- ous than a person who never wore a uniform.” He also said the nation is at war and Smith’s actions had come in Huntsville, where there is a heavy mil- itary presence. Estes said after the hear- ing that he was pleased with the judge’s two-year sentence. That amount was higher than the sen- tencing guidelines and was the amount he had recom- mended. Estes, a lieutenant colo- nel in the Army National Guard who has severed 25 years including five years on active duty, said he took Smith’s case personally. “I know a lot of people who are heroes. This guy’s not,” Estes said. Tuten said after the hearing that he was pleased and believes Smith got off easy. “I think the judge was more than fair to him,” he said. Tuten also said he found it unbelievable the govern- ment could have awarded a contract to Smith. “You would think they would really check the creden- tials of the contractors be- fore they started doing business with them,” he said. E-MAIL: [email protected] NEWS STAFF/JOE SONGER Ron Sparks, the Democratic nominee for governor, speaks at a fundraiser Thursday at the Summit Club as former President Bill Clinton listens. CLINTON: In town for Sparks fundraiser From Page 1A When it was over, Clinton got back into a black SUV with blacked-out windows, which had been parked in an underground garage, and headed to the airport and out of town. Two reporters and a pho- tographer did manage to make it into the fundraiser long enough to catch some of Sparks’ remarks before they were escorted from the room by Clinton representa- tives. The reporters didn’t crash the event; they were invited in by some members of Sparks’ campaign. “I will move this state for- ward like President Clinton moved this nation forward when he was president,” Sparks told the crowd as Clinton stood at his side. “The way he moved it for- ward was that he talked about things that mattered — educating our children. Taking care of our senior citizens. Rebuilding our in- frastructure across our country.” Sparks then launched into his familiar pitch for a lot- tery. “We’ve got to give every child in Alabama an oppor- tunity. Every child who stays in school, stays out of trou- ble, when they walk across that stage to get a diploma, we’ve got to be giving them a scholarship in the other hand,” Sparks said. Sparks thanked Clinton for being at Thursday’s event. “I’m honored to speak to you here today and an honor for my president to be here,” Sparks said. “Pres- ident Clinton has been a friend. Hillary (Clinton) has been a friend.” After the event, Sparks said the event was closed at the insistence of the Clinton team. “I didn’t have any control over that,” Sparks said. “I want all the media time I can get and I would have al- lowed you guys in, but I didn’t control access.” The event did draw a number of notable Demo- crats including former Gov. Don Siegelman; Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom; state Rep. Ken Guin, House majority leader; state Rep. John Rog- ers, chairman of the Legis- lative Black Caucus; Bir- mingham Mayor William Bell; former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones; Joe Reed, assis- tant executive secretary of the Alabama Education As- sociation; and gambling magnate Milton McGregor. E-MAIL: [email protected] INSIDE y y S Sp pa ar rk ks s, , B Be en nt tl le ey y t ta al lk k p pl la an ns s f fo or r f fi is sc ca al l s st ti im mu ul lu us s / / 1 1B B ASFA: Theater to allow for teaching From Page 1A Adams, said the theater was needed because the current one at the school is out- dated and too small to hold the school’s entire student body. “The theater we have is inadequate for the state’s fine arts school,” she said, noting it seats around 250 in stadium seats rather than the true theater seating that will be in the new facility. Adams said the theater has been part of the school’s strategic plan since 1998 but it has taken this long to get the fundraising and the costs within $1 million of the needed goal. “We are real excited,” she said. “I think all-in-all we’re going to have an incredibly well-designed theater that is great for dance, music and theater.” Adams said the Perform- ance Network will be the only theater of its size in the region appropriate for inti- mate community and school venues. Special con- sideration will be given to ideal viewing and acoustics, according to a press release. It is designed to be both a professional performance venue as well as a teaching facility. Arts groups from Bir- mingham and around the state have long expressed interest in the theater. “We have letters of sup- port from the Alabama Sym- phony and Alabama Shake- speare Festival,” Adams said. “It will be available for a rental fee, hopefully a fair one, to small groups, large groups and meetings for corporate donors. We’re hoping that a lot of people will be able to use it.” Craig Krawzcyk of Bir- mingham’s Live Design Group is the architect for the project. Adams, and the school’s foundation board chairman, Stanton Ingram, worked with the faculty and the architect on the design. The project is the result of a seven-year fundraising ef- fort by the nonprofit Ala- bama School of Fine Art Foundation’s Performance Network capital campaign, which has raised $6.5 mil- lion. The facility will be at- tached to the existing ASFA building, with a separate en- trance on 19th Street. It was originally slated for a loca- tion across the street from the school. “We were able to save some money by attaching it to this building,” Adams said. “Our current recital hall will become another lobby area. We will renovate the current theater and it will become a gymnasium and exercise, health and wellness center.” The contributions have come mostly from major donors such as Alabama Power Foundation, Regions Bank, EBSCO, Daniel Foun- dation, Community Foun- dation of Greater Birming- ham, Hillcrest Foundation, Jemison Investment, Hugh Kaul Foundation, Robert Meyer Foundation, Com- pass Bank, Vulcan Materials Foundation, AT&T Founda- tion, Joseph S. Bruno Foun- dation, Walls Foundation, along with many individual donors. David Kahn of Acoustic Dimensions in New Ro- chelle, N.Y., and Michael Ferguson of Theatre Project Consultants in Norwalk, Conn., also contributed to specific design characteris- tics. B.L. Harbert International will build the facility with a construction schedule last- ing 14 months. Mayor William Bell is among the officials sched- uled to attend the groun- breaking later this month. The Alabama School of Fine Arts is often recognized as a top public, tuition-free, arts and science school for grades 7-12. E-MAIL: [email protected] [email protected] PERFORMANCE NETWORK AT ALABAMA SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS Location: 19th Street and Rever- end Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. Uses: Theater, dance, chamber music, lectures for ASFA and community events. Architect: Craig Krawzcyk, Live Design Group. Acoustician: David Kahn of Acoustic Dimensions, New Ro- chelle, N.Y., whose work includes the Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas and venues at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Uni- versity of Tennessee and Univer- sity of California, Davis. Construction: B.L. Harbert Inter- national. Seats: 500. Orchestra pit: Seating for 52 mu- sicians. Stage area: 80-by-40 feet, not in- cluding the orchestra pit. Cost: $7.6 million. Raised so far: $6.5 million.
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