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NEWS COMMENTARY ARTS ENTERTAINMENT

Newspaper

The CSRAs

FREEWEEKLY

June 21 - 27, 2012Urban WeeklyProWorlds

oldest body

builder still

oing strong

at age 75

Forensicaudittargetsparkingdeckdeal

Commissioner Bill Lockett has pressed for a forensic audit to uncover how citygot itself into bad deal. for the TEE Center parking deck. Photos by Vincent Hobbs

Minnesota Fattzof 96.3 KissFM honoredwith President ObamasVolunteer Service Award

Congratulations FATTZ!

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

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Got Skills? UrbanProWeekly is lookingfor writers and photographers

Invites You To Its2nd Anniversary

CelebrationDrop-In Party

MondayJune 25, 20121:30-3:30 PM

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Augusta-Richmond County Public Library

Thank You CSRA for 2 Outstanding Years in our New Facility!

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3UrbanProWeeklyJUNE

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OCAL NEWS

udge: No changes to mapnd Ridge subdivision remains divided; new qualifying dates August 6 - 8, 2012

GUSTAU.S. District Judge

al Hall it was my way

e highway.week ago (June 12) Hallsed the highly antici-d redistricting reme-map which will be used

he upcoming Augustamission and Richmond

ty school board races.hough the map got highs on its constitutionalvoting rights mandates,veryone was happy withnished product.ose who wanted the map

tweaked included plaintiffSammy Sias and other SandRidge residents and a couple

of local elected officials whowere concerned with howsoldiers at Ft. Gordon werecounted.

Af ter considering theircomments, the court decidedin its 32-page ruling that themap will remain unchanged.

In his ruling Hall wrote,This court attempted toreduce the populationdeviations as much as pos-sible while minimizing theunneccesary splitting of

precincts...The court acknowl-edges that the final remedialmaps contain a small number

of split precincts, However,such a result is unavoidablein light of the courts popula-tion deviation objectives.

ACLU attorney LaughlinMcDonald who representedlocal citizens who broughtthe suit told UrbanProWeeklythat he would not appeal thedecision. In theory, we couldappeal, but I wont. I thinkthe court did a very goodjob McDonald said.

The judge also set the qual-

ifying dates for the Novemberelections. Qualifying for theschool board and commis-

sion seats will begin at 9 a.m.August 6 and end at 12 noon,August 8, 2012.

The map reflects Augusta-Richmonds changing demo-graphic landscape. It dividesthe county into eight electiondistricts, most of which, favorAfrican American candidates.Four of the districts aremajority-black by significantamounts and three are major-ity white; one (District 6) hasa slight (politically insignifi-

cant) black majority. A major-ity black super district and amajority white super district

complete the 10 seats.Judge Hall also ordered the

plaintiffs to submit a brief forattorneys fees.

In 2013, the legislature hasto make a decision about themap. They can do nothing orthey can vote to change themap. However, if they vote tochange the map, it must beprecleared by the U.S. JusticeDepartment.

Maps drawn by the courtsdo not have to be precleared.

Residentscrowd city

chambers to

protest housing

complexResidents and homeowners in

packed crowd applaud as theAugusta Commission votes to deny

a proposed re-zoning request for

the Mays Property, located at 1213

West Augusta Parkway, to build an

apartment compex. The area hom-

eowners were opposed to the con-

struction.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

udit targets parking deckrensic audit subcommittee narrows focus of financial probe of city contractsFrederick Benjamin Sr.anProWeekly Staff Writer

GUSTAe city subcommittee tasked withifying the targets and scope of asic audit of the city of Augustad to narrow its focus on the TEE

er parking garage.

e panel which consists ofmissioners Bill Lockett, chair-Alvin Mason and Wayne

oyle, was forced to narrow itswhen informed by prospec-

uditors that the citys previousest for bids was too broad and

ended with costs nearly impos-to predict.Monday (June 18, 2012), the

laced the TEE Center ark-

ing deck and the associated landacquisition and management contractsquarely in the bulls eye of any foren-sic probe and narrowed the focus ofthe audit down to four areas.

Finally, After much discussion,Commissioner Lockett revealed thefollowing items that he believedwould be a narrow enough scope toput in an RFP to get to the bottom ofall of this . They are as follows:

Parking Decks*Obtain and review the CORE and

management agreements for theReynolds Street Parking Deck (RSPD)and the Tee Center Parking decks.Identify controls deficiencies, if any,that might arise by having differenta reements with otential cost-shift-

ing exposures.*Obtain and review lien documents

filed against ARLLC or 933 Broad LLCproperties situate under the RSPDand ascertain that the parcels can betransferred free of said liens to theCity.

*Evaluate and determine whetherCity management and contractedlegal counsel acted properly in allow-ing the RSPD to be constructed with-out executed agreements betweenthe parties.

*Obtain and evaluate parking deckmanagement Requests for Quotationcovering subject parking decks, if anyexist, to determine whether ARLLC or933 Broad LLC ownership of under-lying properties and subsequentownershi of round floor arkin

spaces were disclosed to bidders andwhether bids were properly solicited,received, and evaluated.

*If there were alternative bidstaken, determine whether the com-bined RSPD and Tee Center deckagreements allow costs materially inexcess of those bids.

*Evaluate whether contractingout the operation of the RSPD to anoperator not related to ARLLC or 933Broad LLC would have been practicalor will be be practical in the futuregiven the relationships between theparties.

*Obtain CORE and managementagreements to evaluate whether thereare adequate controls in place to pro-

Continued on next page

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LAND BANK WATCH It is DAY 150. . . since the Augusta Commission voted to approvemanagement agreement with Augusta LLC for

management of the TEE Center (under construction)nd the TEE Center Parking Deck (in operation oneynolds Street). The deal, however, is contingent on33 Broad LLC (owners of the land under the parkingeck) donating the land to the Augusta Land Bankuthority (AGLBA).

To date, however, there has been no official action toollow through with the AGLBA.

Land Bank officials say that there has been mentionof the proposed land donation, but there has been noofficial action or papers prepared.

There are a number of reasons why such a transac-tion may never occur.

For instance, the Land Bank does not exist to handlerecently developed property. If it decides to accept theparking deck property it will only be because they have

created a new mission for themselves. The mission ofthe land bank is to administer distressed properties

that pose a threat in its current undeveloped state.Entities wishing to donate land to the land bank

must go through a formal process which includesdetailed plan for how the donated land is to be devel-oped. In order to do this, someone would have to riskcommitting fraud.

Also, the Land Bank does not accept land which isencumbered with $7 million liens.

To date none of these issues have been addressed bthe commission.

The Richmond County Health Department (RCHD)The RCHD provides many different services/programs to the residents of RichmondCounty. Womens Health, Immunizations for Children and Adults, Dental Clinic, SHAPP(Stroke and Heart Attack Prevention Program) are just a few of these services.Please contact the Richmond County Health Department at our Laney Walker Blvdlocation at 706-721-5800 or the South Augusta Branch 706-790-0661 to learn more aboutthe variety of services offered.The Frank M. Rumph M.D. Richmond County Health Department950 Laney Walker BlvdHours of Operations:

MondayFriday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Lunch: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.2nd Tuesday- Walk-in-Family Planning Services: 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

(last check-in at 6:15 p.m.)

South Augusta Branch 2420 Windsor Spring Rd.Hours of Operation:Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Thursday: 7:00 a.m - 7:30 p.m.Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch: 12:00 noon -1:00 p.m.

1st & 3rd Saturday by Appointment Only

Forensic Audit from page 3tect the Citys interests and financesfrom waste, abuse, fraud, or misman-agement by the Manager, includingextensive rights of audit allowingcontinuous capabilities to audit theseagreements.

The audit, once completed, couldbe the final chapter in an ongoingcontroversy that has dogged theTEE Center complex which includesan exhibition space and associatedparking deck since its inception dat-ing back to 2008. The project wasunpopular from the start and steadilymounting cost overruns and allega-tions of corruption and criminal

activity has characterized its develop-ment.In February of this year, the con-

troversy grew when it was revealed

that the land on which the parkingdeck was built was never donated tothe city as promised. This fact wasnot known to the majority of the citcommissioners who thought that thecity was in control of all the land asso-ciated with the deal. Things becamemore untenable among the commis-sioners, and increasingly among thepublic, when it was revealed that theland itself had a $6 million lien on it.

Also, in February, in order to sealthe management deal with AugustRiverfront LLC, the owners of theland agreed to settle the lien matterand transfer the land to the August

Land Bank Authority. To date this hasnot happened.

(See Land Bank Watch, below).

Blog instrumental in

push for forensic auditWriters for a local blog have had a

significant impact on the discussionsurrounding the impending forensicaudit and city handling of contractsn general.

CityStink.net features local writ-ers who have the expertise toanalyze city documents and keephe public informed when they find

rregularities.Political candidate Lori Daviscontributes to the website. Belows an edited version of one of herecent posts.

District 1candidateLori Davishas been avocal criticof the TEECenter dealfrom the very

beginning.She writesfor the localblog CityStink.

By Lori DavisPosted Monday June 18, 2012

The Forensic Audit Sub Committeehaired by Commissioner Bill Lockett

met today for the second time, to dis-uss the scope of work necessary foraunching a Forensic Audit concerninghe Tee Center Parking Deck. As previ-

ously discussed in this committee, theirst RFP (Request for Proposals), waseleased for bid with a scope of workhat was far too broad. Firms whohowed an interest in bidding on theudit were asking for more clarificationnd direction.It seems that forensic audits can

become quite pricey when lookingor criminal wrong doing. As I left thismeeting today, I knew I had to tellwhat took place. The only media pres-nt were two regular writers for the

Augusta Chronicle; Susan McCord andylvia Cooper. As I rode down the ele-ator with Mrs. Cooper, we exchanged

pleasantries and talked about what hadaken place in the meeting. I said toher, I have got to get an article out forCity Stink on this You do know that

we named our blog in your honor.She acknowledged that she knew that,and said to me,Your job will be easy.I said, I know it will, because I will beable to write exactly what happened inthat room. We left it at that. Here iswhat happened:

Commissioner Lockett called themeeting to order and began to lay out

his reasoning, a second time, for theneed of a forensic audit. As he beganhis remarks, he talked about the factthat a good portion of the scope ofthe work in question had alreadybeen done by a group called, AugustaToday, and through a blog called,CityStink.net.

He went on to say that this citizensgroup had given of their own time,and spent their own money to ask fordocuments in open records requests,to uncover the truth associated withthe Tee Center parking deck. Herevealed that the articles published byCity Stink were all well researched and

had supporting documents to accom-pany them. He presented to the groupfour such articles in the form of,links,for review. The CityStink.net articles he

Forensic subcommittee making progress

referenced were the following:

TEE Center and Parking Deck: A GrandDeception?Liening on a Stacked DeckExclusive: Fred Wrestles, Augusta GetsDeckedExclusive: Augustas $714,357Incidental Cost

Committee members agreed to lookat the articles researched and writtenby the, citizens group, without dis-cussion. The first shocking momentof the meeting!! I expected there to besome objection from General Counsel. Cant believe those citizens.. Maybejust the name,City Stink, was begin-ning to get some respect. I began tolisten closer.

Commissioner Lockett brought backup the fact that they had been toldthat all of the land under the parkingdeck would be donated. He ques-tioned the way in which property wasacquired under the parking deck, withsome being purchased by the city andother parcels remaining with Augusta

Riverfront LLC. Seems that a parcelowned by State Senator Bill Jackson(The old gas station at 9th and Reynolds)had been traded for property at 13thand Reynolds adjoining Mr. Jacksonstile business. Why was it important tomake this deal, but not with any of therest of the parcels?

Another good question that broughtCommissioner Guilfoyle, a new com-mittee member, out of hibernation. Hecouldnt understand why we all justdidnt believe Senator Jacksons son,as he explained on the Austin RhodesShow, exactly what the truth was con-cerning this property trade, when itwas uncovered by members of AugustToday.

Commissioner Lockett was quick torespond that all associated propertcould have been condemned and takenfor city use. Commissioner Guilfoyleresponded,I believe this would havebeen a tough process. Touche.. Inany event, the land under the tax payerfunded parking deck still has a 6 milliondollar lien on it. There is no disputingthat fact. . .

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W ORLEANSday, (June 19) the Rev. Fred, pastor of Franklin Avenuest Church and a product ofower 9th Ward, is expected tome the new face of the Southernst Convention. He enters theps annual meeting unopposedresident of the 16-million-mem-enomination.st of the coverage about Lutersposition will focus on his race.s as it should be. Its not insignif-that a black man will be leadingjority-white denomination. Andust any majority-white denomi-n, but one that was formed inse of slavery.Luter as the new face of the

sts is important for another rea-He seems to never stop smiling.uve sat through as many Baptist

es as I have, you might judgea miracle. Baptists, especiallyst pastors, have a reputation forsour, disapproving, finger-wag-

killjoys.ats not Fred Luter. I love to, he said Friday morning. I loveve a good time.at comes through in his sermons.mes through in his conversation.gospel is good news. Luter acts.anybody has joy, if anybody has

peace and happiness, it should be us,he said. Still, the perception persiststhat Baptists dont have any fun, thatwe dont laugh. We dont have any joy.I would love to change that percep-tion.

Of course, its the change in theSouthern Baptist Conventions racialpolitics thats drawn the attention ofthe nation. How does a pro-slavery,anti-civil rights group come to nomi-nate a black man, a former 9th-Wardstreet preacher, as its leader?

If Luter had known the history ofthe Southern Baptists, the denomi-nation may never have had thatopportunity, at least not to nominatehim. I had no idea of the history ofthe Southern Baptists, he said. Wedidnt have Google back then. I wasjust so excited that a local congrega-tion was interested in me being theirpastor.

A previously all-white church thathad become all-black after white

flight, Franklin Avenue was affiliatedwith the Southern Baptist Conventionbefore Luter was installed as pastor in1986.

When I did find out the history, Isaid, Really, you sure?? He couldntreconcile a past so inimical to blackpeoples humanity with the warmthand generosity hed observed. Ivebeen in this thing four years now, hetold himself when he was made awareof the groups racist history. I justdidnt feel a need to leave. All of us

outhern Baptists elect first black leader

Pastor Fred Luter, of New Orleans, speaks to the crowd at the SouthernBaptist Convention in Phoenix in 2011. (AP)

got a past. All we can do is apologizeabout those things and move on.

Earlier this year, while in Mississippi,I was discussing Luters presumedelection with my 76-year-old aunt.Id been to his church, I said, andliked it a lot, but its affiliation withthe Southern Baptists had been mystumbling block, had squelched anyinterest I had to join. She nodded.But you know? she said, Theyretrying.

Youre right, I had to concede.

They are.Luter himself deserves some credit

for that. He was on the commit-tee that drafted the denominationswatershed apology in 1995 for itsembrace of slavery and segregationand for its exclusion of black peoplefrom worship.

Those who claim its not an issue,theyre definitely not looking at thewhole picture, Luter said then. Ithink that until we confront this pub-licly we can never set ourselves free.

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Ernestine Shepherd, the worlds old-st female bodybuilder according tohe Guiness Book Of World Records,ays that if there was ever an anti-ging pill, I would call it exercise.ou would think Shepherd was a li fe-me athlete looking at her impeccableame. But nothing could be furtherom the truth. The 75-year-old moth-r and grandmother from Baltimore,

Maryland told the BBC she was notery athletic at all as a younger woman

nd didnt start exercising regularlyntil she was 56-years-old.When she was working a secretary

n the Baltimore school system some0 years ago a fter 30 years with AT&T,he gym was not part of her schedule.I was too prissy to exercise, she toldBC News in 2010. I just didnt wanto have my hair messed up. Didnt

want my fingernails broken.What prompted her to start hitting

he gym, you might ask?My sister and I were invited to a pic-

ic. We were told we could wear bath-ng suits. Boy, we didnt like how weooked. So we decided we would start

xercising, Shepherd told The BBC.o they began working out regularlynd loved it.But tragedy struck when Shepherdsster tragically died from a brainneurism, a event that caused her toave panic attacks and high bloodressure. Shepherd holed herself iner home lived in miserly. But she sayser sister came to her in a dream oneight and told her she wasnt doing

what they had originally set out to doogether. So, at age 71, she entered herrst bodybuilding competitionand

won. She worked out formore than half a year to getready for that competition.

Shepherd wakes up at 2:30each morning and runs tenmileseveryday! And thosefingernails she worked so

hard to protect as a youngerprissy woman now hit thepavement every time she does

push-ups. For those who saythat their metabolisms wontallow them to shape theirbodies as they wish, take alook at Ms. Shepherd. Herphysique looks better thanmost women under the age

of thirty. Shepherd regularlyparticipates in bodybuildingcompetitions and wins or

places highly in most of them.She maintains her amazing phy-

sique through a very disciplined dietof 1,700 calories per day, mostly con-sisting of boiled egg whites, chickenand vegetables. And she teaches physi-cal fitness at her church where shepreaches her mantra of age is justnumber.

Weve heard that saying thousandsof times. But Shepherd shows us howtrue it really is. Please watch the video

above for her full story.

At 75, shes the worlds oldest body builder

Ernestine Shepherd,the worlds oldest femalebodybuilder according tothe Guiness Book Of WorldRecords

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ou better back that Thang upTrends, Troubles and Triumphs by Anthony Page

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ording to Ben Cameron, theam Director for the Arts at the Doris

Charitable Foundation, a singlemer can get anywhere from 30000 different marketing messages per

These messages are coming thoughthe traditional media outlets likeTV and print publications, howeverreasing percentage of these individ-essages are being received throughphones and other interactive hand-

devices via social media sources likeer, Facebook and Linked-In. What isinteresting is that more and morenal personalities are supportingfavorite causes through these out-articularly in the arts.

would seem that consumers are lis-g and more notable professionalssing their social media muscle to

momentum to cultural offerings theysignificant. So where do we stand,

are we in the CSRA using our sociala muscle to call attention to activityem important?

we continue to explore and developto grow the arts and entertainmenttry in the CSRA, we need all of thesements, support and buzz that weet. Here are a few projects that youut your money, your media muscle

momentum behind.ooster: An Original Stage Playplot twisting murder mystery withsting characterscoming this fall.play written by Skyler Andrews,of the areas newest playwrights

ct him via Facebook by name or

qa@gmail.comdgefield County Music Festival:utdoor Music Eventavid Curry, the team leader at Curryrecords, is making some noise up

25. Check em outthey doing ital. Great list of performers coming.pport call 706-495-7763.Sing-Clap-Wiggle-Shake - Jazz-: Music Educationaren Gordon, affectionately knowne Jazz Czar, has come up with ae way to introduce young peopleart of Jazz. To support go to www.

gardencityjazz.com and click on theEducation.

he Gospel Musicians Guild of the: Advocacy Groupev. Lester Smalls, a leading ministerin Aiken, SC, is brining the com-

ty of ministry musicians togetherooks promisingcatch them onook at The Gospel Musicians GuildCSRAuneteenth Freedom Cruise onavannah: Celebration of Historyhis team is incorporating the cel-on of a little known or acknowl-

moment in history with a won-outing. Contact Vernon Wright

39-6655oultopia: Music Eventayth Hope, who recently releasedbum, is hosting the Ultimate Jamn Experience at Sky City on JuneThis is going to be an experi-

like no other. To support contactopia@gmail.comVIPs Multimedia Studios: Bouti-Music, Film & TV Studio.rey Lemar is leading the charge atin support of more independentroduction in the area, but they do

quite a bit more (graphics, music pro-duction, photography)lots going onhere. Check em out at 706-394-6377 orwww.vipsmedia.webs.com

Give It To God: A Gospel Stage Play

o M & M Productions, one of thenewest theater producing companies inthe area, is lead by the dynamic duo ofMonica Crippen-Cunningham and MarySumpter,. As they put it, we vow toproduce the most spectacular dramaticstage production to ever hit the CSRA.

To support go to www.mmproductions2012.com

Hamburg Exhibition: A exhibi-tion about a little known communityin the CSRA

o The Arts and Heritage Center ofNorth Augusta on Thursday, June 28- Exhibit reception for Hamburg - Freeand open to the public. - - Dont miss thisone, when you see it you will be stirredemotionally. http://www.artsandheritage-center.com

Points of Interest: Televised Talk and

Information Showo Joey Traina is the man with the

plan. This young brother is using hiscommunity clout to affect positive

change. He is certainly one to watch.You definitely want to touch baseswith this brotherhe is going to beBIG!!!...reach out to him and find outabout the TV show. Points of Interest ison Facebook or you can reach him atjtra1n@yahoo.com

ds, Troubles and Triumphs looks at the evolving cultural landscape of the CSRA. Periodically we offer insider

pectives, opinions and points of view on the state of the arts, cultural and entertainment industry in the CSRA.

VOTE

Hattie Holmes-SullivanClerk Of Court

A Proven Democrat

Family LifeBorn and raised in Augusta, Hattie has two beautiful daughters- Shonda and Felicia,

one son Levi, Jr., and four grandchildren, Chassidy, Chelsey, Chance and Chandlier.

And one great-great granddaughter Jada.

Work Experience Hattie is a dedicated public servant who has worked in the office of the Clerk of

Superior and State Court for 20 plus years as Deputy Clerk and AdministrativeAssistant

Currently working for State Court Judge of Augusta Richmond County, Georgiaas Judicial Assistant

Education, Training, Knowledge, Abilities and SkillsLucy C. Laney High School graduate, with over 100 hours of training with GeorgiaCriminal Information Center, the National Criminal Information Center and Criminal

Justice Information System. Hattie has working knowledge of court rules and procedures.

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Hattie Holmes-Sullivan Clerk of Court

P. O. Box 9229-Augusta, Georgia 30906

Clerk of Superior and State Court Notary Public Applications

Quit Claim Deeds

Civil Lawsuits

Warranty Deeds

Traffic Violation Fines

Divorces

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Urban WeeklyPro CommentaryThe Dark Ages redux: American politics

and the end of the Enlightenment

Continued on page 10

by John Atcheson

We are witnessing an epochal shif tn our socio-political world. We aree-evolving, hurtling headlong intopast that was defined by serfs and

ords; by necromancy and supersti-on; by policies based on fiat, not

acts.Much of what has made the modern

world in general, and the United Statesn particular, a free and prosperousociety comes directly from insightshat arose during the Enlightenment.

Too bad were chucking it all outnd returning to the Dark Ages.

Literally.Two main things distinguished the

post Enlightenment world from thepre Enlightenment Dark Ages.

First, Francis Bacons NovoOrganum Scientiarum (The NewInstrument of Science) introduceda new way of understanding theworld, in which empiricism, factsand well reality definedwhat was real. It essentially outlinedthe scientific method: observationand data collection, formulation ofhypotheses, experiments designedto test hypotheses and elevation ofthese hypotheses to theories whendata consistently supported them. Itwas and is a system based on skepti-

cism, and a relentless and methodicalsearch for truth.

It brought us advances and untoldwealth and health. From one-horsecarts to automobiles to airplanes.From leaches and phrenology to peni-cillin and monoclonal antibodies.

Until recently.Now, we seek to operate by revealed

truths, not reality. Decrees from onhigh often issued by an unholyalliance of religious fundamental-ists, self-interested corporations, andgreedy fat cats are offered up as real-ity by rightwing politicians.

For example, North Carolina law-makers recently passed legislationagainst sea level rise. A day later,

the Virginia legislature requiredthat references to global warming,

climate change and sea level risebe excised from a proposed studon sea level rise. Last year, theTexas Department of EnvironmentalQuality, which had commissioned astudy on Galveston Bay, cut all ref-erences to sea level rise the mainpoint of the study.

As Stephen Colber t so aptly put it:if your science gives you results youdont like, pass a law saying that theresult is il legal. Problem solved.

Except it isnt. Wishing reality away,doesnt make it go away. Pretendingthat the unreal is real doesnt makeit real.

By Kevin Loria

The Obama administration issuedpolitically charged executive order

riday that will make about 800,000oung people who were brought tohe United States illegally as childrenafe from deportation proceedings,nd may make them eligible for workermits.The administration has been under

onsiderable pressure to take actionn the behalf of young immigrants,s Congress has been sharply dividedbout the DREAM Act, proposed legis-ation that grants conditional residencyo select young people brought to theS illegally.

The policy comes as a relief for thou-ands of young people who are caughtn a difficult situation where they con-der the United States home but dontave legal residency. It also should helpresident Obama locked in a difficulteelection battle with Latino voters,

who have criticized the administrationseportation policies.The new policy will not provide

ny pathway to permanent residency,ut should energize both immigrationctivists and opponents as the electionpproaches.In recent weeks, young activists who

all themselves dreamers have occu-ied Obama campaign offices around

he country to call for action.The policy was announced Friday

morning by Homeland Securityecretary Janet Napolitano.Effective immediately, young people

who were brought to the US througho fault of their own as children and

who meet certain criteria will be eli-ible to receive deferred action for aeriod of 2 ears and that eriod will

be subject to renewal, she said.

Mr. Obama will address the issueFriday afternoon from the WhiteHouse, but news of the executive ordercreated excitement in the immigrantcommunity.

Roberto Gonzalez, a leading experton immigration issues at the Universityof Chicago, says, Students are reallyexcited. This is not the DREAM Act anddoesnt resolve everything for thesestudents, but its a huge step forwardfor this community.

Under the executive order, individu-als need to be at least sixteen yearsold and no older than thirty to beeligible for the deferred action policy.

They need to have been brought tothe United States before they turnedsixteen and need to have resided inthe country for at least five continuousyears before their application. Theyalso need to be currently in school, orto have graduated from high school orgotten a G.E.D., or have been honor-ably discharged from the military.

Individuals will be ineligible if theyhave been convicted of a felony offense,a significant misdemeanor, or multipleminor misdemeanors, or pose someother threat to national security.

Explaining the rationale for theexecutive order, Secretary Napolitanosaid that US immigration laws are notdesigned to be blindly enforced withoutconsideration given to the individual cir-cumstances of each case. Nor are theydesigned to remove productive youngpeople to countries where they may nothave lived or even speak the language.

Officials described the order as anact of prosecutorial discretion that willhelp the federal government focus onhi her riorit immi ration cases.

The Dream Act stalled, Obama halts

deportations of young illegal immigrantsObama issued an executive order to halt the deportation of young immigrants brought to the US illegally. With Congress

harply divided on the DREAM Act, the politically charged move should help the president with Latino voters.

This is not immunity, it is notamnesty, it is an exercise of discretion,said Napolitano.

Napolitano also urged Congress topass the DREAM Act and continueimmigration reform.

Though the policy is effective imme-diately, senior administration officialssaid it would take about 60 days to setup the application process.

At that point, individuals not alreadyundergoing deportation proceedingscan voluntarily come forward to U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS), to which they must providedocumentation showing that they meetthe required criteria for deferred action.People already undergoing deportationproceedings need to present their

documentation to Immigration andCustoms Enforcement.

After receiving a grant of deferredaction, people can apply to USCIS forwork authorizations, which will be con-sidered on a case-by-case basis.

After two years, people who receiveda grant of deferred action can reapplthrough USCIS. People under age six-teen will be able to age in to the pro-gram, provided a future administrationdoes not institute a new policy in themeantime. Administration officials saidanyone who receives deferred actionwill be safe from prosecution for twoyears, no matter what.

We should not forget that we are anation of laws and a nation of immi-grants, Napolitano said.

Students protest outside the Obama campaign offices in Culver City,Calif., Thursday, June 14. The Obama administration issued an execu-tive order Friday to stop deportations of illegal immigrant students infavor of the DREAM Act. Damian Dovarganes/AP

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ark Ages from page 8

WE TAKE:

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Insurance plans

Charge cards

WIC vouchers

MEDICALVILLAPHARMACY

Marshall Curtis,

Pharmacist/Owner

Baron Curtis,

Pharmacist

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COLON HYDROTHERAPY{First Colon Cleansing Center In Augusta}

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Cited by Rheumatologist, Arthur E. Brawer, M.D.

Enhances Weight Loss Allergies Acne

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ESSENTIALCLEANSING CENTER2045 Central Avenue, Augusta

Shanta Johnson

Health & Fun

DayJune 30, 2012 11:00 AM-3:00 PM

Surgical Group

Dietitian

HIV Information & Testing

Sheppard's Blood Bank Blood Pressure & Diabetes Screening

Free Clothes and Food Give-A-Ways

Cardiology Nurse

Physical Therapist

Various Vendors

Other give-a-ways

Fun and games for childrenFaith Kingdom Life Center

1852 Gordon Hwy

Augusta, GA 30904

Located on Gordon Hwy in the Midway Shopping Plaza

Next door to Tire TownContact Person: Dr. Mary Hollimon

Mobile: 706.726.8990

Phone: 706.733.6083

Fax: 706.736.0026

E-mail: faithkingdomlife@comcast.net

Mwalimu and Yaa Baruti.walimu K. Bomani Baruti andMawusi Baruti are the co-found-and co-directors of Akobenute, an independent Afrikanred full-time and after-school

eschooling and tutorial programiddle and high schoolers.

er the last two years, they haveaught various Afrikan centeredng classes for adults at theute and online.luded in these were coursesd on his books Eureason ,acide, Negroes and others, one focusing on Afrikan

ered Education, another ontory and three dealing withus topics in Afrikan Centeredlogy.

ere have also been a variety ofidual lectures online and a writ-orkshop for those interested in

ng and self-publishing.o. Baruti is the author of fifteenpublished books including:

A Warriors Character, Asafo:

rriors Guide to Manhood, andka!: Remembering the Middle

age Through the Eyes of ourstors.a Yaa is currently writing herook on Af rikan womanhood.Cal l to Af rikan Manhood &anhood: A Joint Lecture by:imu & Yaa Baruti

urday, June 23, 2012, 6:30 PM

Call to Afrikan Manhood and WomanhoodWallace Branch Library, 1237 Laney

Walker Blvd., Augusta 30901

d the descent into the Dark Agesrked by more than global warm-Take austerity budgets. There istensive historical record showingmplementing austerity measureseconomic slowdown is counter

uctive. And this data is backedy current experience in Europe,e austerity measures have beenrous.the data is telling us austerityg a jobs crisis hasnt worked inast and isnt working now. What?

s an austerity budget, of course.lcome to the Dark Ages.e litany of ignorance goes on andTeach Creationism. Teach theroversy on climate science andigent design. Declare deregula- which was a primary cause of008 economic collapse to be

olution to it. Preach trickle downomics, even after it has failedtime its been adopted; even as

atch wealth rocket up the incomeets.ats next? Give the flat-earthers aOh hell, why stop there. Lets put

back in the center of the solar

m where it belongs.dont need no stinkin science.

ont need no pesky reality. Weotta pass a few laws and declares to be the way we want them, facts be damned. You know,your government hands off my

care.ond, the Enlightenment laidgroundwork for our form ofrnment. The Social Contract isntellectual basis of all modern

ocratic republics, including ours.Locke and others argued thatnments derived their authoritythe governed, not from divine

Governments could be legiti-then, only with the consent of

overned.

recting.Republicans and Tea Partiers may

be leading this retreat from reason,but they are unopposed by Democratsor the Press.

And in the end, there is a specialplace in Hell for those who allow evilto prosper by doing nothing.

John Atcheson is author of the

novel,A Be ing Darkly Wise, an eco-thriller and Book One of a Trilogycentered on global warming.His writing has appeared in TheNew York Times, the WashingtonPost, the Baltimore Sun, the SanJose Mercury News and othermajor newspapers. Atchesonsbook reviews are featured onClimateprogess.org.

Jefferson acknowledged Lockesinf luence on the Declarat ion ofIndependence and his ideas are evi-dent in the Constitution.

Here again, our founders used rea-son, empiricism and academic schol-arship to cobble together one of themost enduring and influential docu-ments in human history. For all itsflaws, it has steered us steadily towarda more perfect union.

Until recently.Now, reason, empiricism and schol-

arship are the punch line to right

wing jokes and jihads. Santorumcaptured the Tea Partys hostility tothese Enlightenment virtues whenhe likened a college education to anindoctrination. Thankfully, Santorumis gone, but the embrace of ignorancehe advocated lives on.

And so corporations are nowaccorded the rights of citizenship.Power, once again, is meted out bybirthright, not inalienable right. Bypossession of wealth, not by justice orequity or merit.

So what?Well, the US now has the same

income inequality as Cameroon,

Uganda and Rwanda, and weretrapped in this pathetic state incomemobility in the US lags behind mostother developed nations.

In short, Horatio Alger is dead, longlive Exxon.

We are, indeed, at an epochal thresh-old. We can continue to discard theEnlightenment values which enabledboth an untold increase in mate-rial wealth and a system of governmentwhich turned serfs into citizens. A sys-tem which for all its flaws often man-aged to protect the rights of the many,against the predatory power of the few.

Or we can continue our abject sur-render to myths, magical thinking,and self-delusion and the Medievalnation-state those forces are resur-

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COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

OF RICHMOND COUNTY

The Richmond County School System will accept bids and requestfor proposals until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 for the

following:

1. Kitchen Equipment (Smallwares) Bid #305

2. Abatement and Demolition of A.C. Griggs School, ProjectNo. ACES 118-191

3. Abatement and Demolition of Forest Hills School, Project

No. ACES 118-189

Bid speciications may be obtained by contacting Amy Bauman in the

Business Ofice at 706-826-1298, on our web site at ww.rcboe.org,or at the Richmond County School System, Central Ofice, 864Broad Street, 4th Floor, Augusta, Georgia 30901.

The Richmond County School System reserves the right to reject anyand all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities.

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY

By: Dr. Frank G. Roberson, Secretary

SITE-BASED WAITING LIST OPEN

Walton Oaks

The Legacy at Walton Oaks

The Housing Authority of the City of Augusta, Georgia, in partnership with WaltonCommunities, is pleased to announce that the site-based waiting list for Public Housingadmission to Walton Oaks and the Legacy at Walton Oaks will open on Wednesday, May23, 2012 through Friday, June 29, 2012.

The Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program (River Glen Apartments) will alsoopen Wednesday, May 23, 2012 through Friday, June 29, 2012 . The waiting lists for theProject-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) for admission to the Legacy at Walton Oaks, thePublic Housing program and the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program are currentlyclosed.

The community, located at 401 Fairhope Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901, is a gated,smoke free community that will provide a quality living environment. Seventy-five (75) newly-constructed apartment homes for families are in the final stages of completion and will be readyfor occupancy in July 2012. All units will include washer/dryer connections, a business centerwith computers and a community library for resident use.

Special rental assistance will be provided with respect to 14 of the 75 apartment homesthrough the Augusta Housing Authority. Fourteen (14) units will be designated for eligiblepublic housing applicants. No walk-in applications will be accepted. Effective May 23rd,anyone interested may complete an on-line application at www.augustapha.org.

Walton Communities will require a $14 application fee to process your application. Onceapproved, a $250 deposit must be paid in full in order to reserve an apartment. Applicants willbe placed on the site-based waiting lists, will be ranked by date and time applied and will benotified in writing when selected from the waitlist so that they may be scheduled for aninterview to determine eligibility for the program. Preliminary applications will be accepteduntil 6pm on June 29 th at which time all site based waiting lists will be closed.

The Augusta Housing Authority does not discriminate in admission or access to itsfederally assisted programs. Any potentially eligible individual who has a visual or hearingimpairment will be provided with information necessary to understand and participate in theAugusta Housing Authority's programs. Sevi B. Roberson has been designated as theresponsible employee to coordinate the Augusta Housing Authority's efforts to comply with thenondiscrimination based on handicap regulations.

Equal Housing OpportunityThe Housing Authority of the City of Augusta, Georgia

By: Jacob Oglesby, Executive DirectorMission Statement: To promote adequate and affordable housing, economic

opportunity and a suitable living environment free from discrimination.

The Richmond County Neighbor-hood Association Alliance(RCNAA) will host a commUNITYforum featuring the candidatesfor the Office of Sheriff of AugustaRichmond County. The forum will

be held at the Broadway BaptistChurch 2323 Barton Chapel Road,Augusta Georgia , on Saturday,June 30th 2012, at 9:00am. Forfuther information, call 706-836-6011.

Sheriffs Forum in South Augusta

ugusta City Commisioner Alvin Mason shares a laugh with his grand-aughter during a light-hearted moment at a recent commission meet-

ng (June 19). Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle is also pictured (R).hoto by Vincent Hobbs

Shes the center of attention

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SHEPARD, PLUNKETT, HAMILTON & BOUDREAUX, LLP

429 Walker Street

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Augusta, GA 30901

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RE-ELECT

ElainE

JohnsonClerk of Superior Court

y

Vote Tuesday, July 31st

Democratic Primary

Elaine Creed Johnson is a native Augustan. She began her career

in the Clerk of Superior Court Clerks ofce in 1973, was elected in1992 and assumed her ofcial duties as the Clerk of Court in 1993.

She has 39 years of continuous experience.

Elaine is married to Major Gene Johnson with the Richmond

County Sheriffs Ofce. They have one daughter and son-in-law,

Jennifer and Shane Prince, and one granddaughter, Ella Grace.PaidForByThe Committeeto Re-electElaineJohnson-Rick Toole-Treasurer