UPW Urban Pro Weekly

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The city’s bond issue

Who gets paid and how much?

URBAN PRO WEEKLY

MARCH 24 - 31, 2016 • VOL. 5 NO. 26

Richmond Academy’s NaTosha Jordan clears the bar in the high jump competition during the Garden City Classic Track & Field event held at Laney stadium. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Credit/Financial Counseling

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UPW

URBAN PRO WEEKLY

Urban Pro Weekly

2746 Willis Foreman Road Hephzibah, GA 30815

Publisher URBAN PRO MEDIA 706-836-2018 urbanpromedia@yahoo.com

CEO / Sales FREDERICK BENJAMIN SR. 706-306-4647 editor@urbanproweekly.com

Contributors VINCENT HOBBS Photography & New Media KEN MAKIN contributing columnist

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Who gets paid for helping the city issue bonds?

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Political Analyst AUGUSTA Issuing bonds, the preferred way for cities to raise money, is about as high finance as it gets in municipal government. It is the city hall equivalent of “rocket science” and few people delve very deeply into all that’s involved. Bond issues don’t happen every year, but in the CSRA, they happen frequently enough to bestow some hefty bonuses on those “chosen few” who get to be “paid participants” every couple of years or so.

In the past 18 months, commissioners have become more aware of the need for complete transparency when it comes to putting together the team of financial, advisors, underwriters and bond counsels necessary to make a successful bond offering.

In fact, the commissioners have been demanding some clarity for themselves, but to date the whole affair is still bubbling just beneath public consciousness.

The city document displayed on this page names some of the players in a recent Augusta bond issue (Water and Sewer Bonds - Series 2014).

Commissioners, as well as a growing number of political observers, may feel that it is in the best interest of the taxpayers of Augusta to get a full and detailed accounting of the $666,606 spent on this particular bond issuance and any previous ones in which the same firms participated.

Some obvious questions arise. For instance, how many law firms need to be paid in excess of $100,000 each to ensure the legality of the bond issue?

How many of the services which appear in this document had been obtained through competitive bids and how many were just assigned.

Who did the bidding and who did the assigning?

At what point did any of this bond issue from start-to-finish come before the Augusta-Richmond Commission, and to what extent was the commission involved in any of the team selection or bond marketing strategy.

Which salaried city employees see rises in their paychecks as a result of bond issuance?

It appears as if the city is paying some of the largest national and regional firms. If that’s the case, why does it also pay local firms top dollar.

Augusta Georgia Water and Sewer Bonds - Series 2014 Issuance Costs Augusta Georgia Water and Sewer Bonds - Series 2014 Issuance Costs

Vendor Moody's Investor Services Standard's and Poors Rating Services Mauldin & Jenkins Digital Assurance Certification Zimmerman, Evans and Leopold Public Financial Management Murray Barnes Finister McKenna Long & Aldridge Shepard Plunkett Hamilton & Boudreaux US Bank

Service

Bond Rating Service Bond Rating Service Professional Services - Agreed upon procedures Continuing Disclosure Filing Service Engineering Services Financial Advisory Services Legal Services - Disclosure Council Legal Services - Bond Council Legal Services - Issuer and Special Council Paying Agent Total

Amount 85,000.00 58,000.00 37,645.00 2,500.00 75,000.00 100,661.36 100,000.00 107,800.00 100,000.00 500.00 666,606.36

Source: Augusta-Richmond County

If the city of Augusta uses the top financial and legal services firms to help issue its bonds, why does it also need a high-priced local team of bond issuers bringing up the rear?

FIRMS THAT BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THE ISSUANCE OF WATER AND SEWER BONDS

$

MAULDIN & JENKINS has provided audit, accounting and tax services since 1918. Since the firm’s inception in Albany, GA we have added offices in Atlanta, GA, Macon, GA, Birmingham, AL, Bradenton, FL and Chattanooga, TN. It is one of the top 100 accounting firms in the nation.

Its specialties include: Financial Institutions, Government Entities, Not For Profits, Entrepreneurial Services, Healthcare, Closely-Held Businesses, Construction, Employee Benefit Audits, Individual and Estate Tax Services, Manufacturing, Real Estate, Information Assurance Services

PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (PFM) is a financial services firm exclusively for the benefit of government and not-for-profit clients. It is one of the nation’s leading independent municipal finance advisors.

MURRAY BARNES FINISTER LLP - an Atlanta, Georgia Law Firm specializing in Public Finance Law, Non-Profit, and Government clients.

The firm was founded on January 1, 2004 by Roger E. Murray and Mae Charles Barnes. Teresa P. Finister joined the firm in its second year of operation. The firm specializes in public finance. Murray Barnes Finister LLP is recognized as approved bond counsel in The Bond Buyer’s Municipal Marketplace.

MCKENNA LONG & ALDRIDGE LLP is a law firm whose major practice areas include: Complex litigation, corporate, real estate, government contracts, health care, intellectual property, insurance, technology, environment, energy, finance, public policy, infrastructure, family wealth and exempt organizations.

In 2012, the firm’s government contracts practice marked its 54th year making it the oldest government contracts practice in the U.S.[3] The same year, it was ranked as the 101st largest law firm in the country by The National Law Journal’s “NLJ 250” rankings and placed 100th on The American Lawyer’s “AmLaw 200” rankings with US$270,000,000 in gross revenue in 2010.

SHEPARD PLUNKETT HAMILTON & BOUDREAUX LLP Located in Augusta, Georgia, the law offices of Shepard, Plunkett, Hamilton & Boudreaux, LLP, deals in legal matters related to family law, real estate, business law, and criminal defense. The key areas of focus include handling civil, business, government, real estate, general civil litigation matters; construction litigation; employment law; and corporate and business entities. Its attorneys are certified by the American Board of Certification.

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

CITY NEWS Commentary

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

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MAKIN’ A DIFFERENCE COMMENTARY by Ken Makin THE CULTURE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

Key to rebuilding community institutions starts with simple step

C

urrently, there’s a contest taking place among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that goes by the name of “Retool Your School,” or RYS. Sponsored by The Home Depot, it is a program that encourages social media and online participation among HBCUs for the “opportunity to apply for grants that provide sustainable renovations to those campuses.”

By all means, I encourage you to participate, as well as to visit retoolyourschool.com for more information.

The name of the contest did strike something in my thinking, though.

As we seek to retool our schools, I believe that Black colleges – and Black churches – need to adhere to another RYS: Retool yourselves.

In the words of Kevin Hart, let me explain.

One of my employers has a tuition reimbursement program. Through said employers’ program, I was encouraged to attend a PWI (predominately White institution) because they have deferred payments. I am currently going through the application process, and as someone who has attended both PWIs and HBCUs, I am astonished at the difference.

Literally days after I sent off an online application, I received a response and was assigned a coordinator to walk me through the process. While I consider myself fairly adept at understanding the college entry process, I still consult this particular coordinator, who answers my questions during business hours within minutes.

I will provide another example – a local nondenominational church.

I went once, and it reminded me of Target. That might sound funny to you, and the experience was unique to me, but I compared it to the familiar department store because of its attention to customer

It takes nothing to make someone feel at home, no matter which walk of life they may come from. The question we must ask now is what is taking us from that welcoming and communal spirit. service. There was a greeter from the time you parked your car to the time service was over. It was uncanny, really.

Now, I assure you, this is not the case of “White being right,” nor is it an urgent call for multiculturalism.

The common denominator here is community service.

Let me be clear – I LOVE HBCUs. I understand their purpose and history. I feel similarly about predominately African-American churches. What seriously concerns me is how these two particular institutions, on the whole, are getting away from their essence, which is community service.

Some people will say this is the fault of lack of resources. I respectfully disagree. Oftentimes, it is a matter of resolve.

It takes nothing to make someone feel at home, no matter which walk of life they may come from. The question we must ask now is what is taking us from that welcoming and communal spirit.

On a general scale, I believe it’s a case of “respectability politics.” If people don’t fit in a traditional, cleancut mold, we shun them. This attitude has made our churches stagnant and allowed our colleges to go wayward.

As a community, we have gone so far away from the mission of making sure everyone receives spiritual salvation – or the social advancement that comes with being a college graduate.

On a specific scale, we have allowed the egos of folks in upper management – and yes, that includes pastors – to financially, socially and spiritually choke out future growth and

development. On the collegiate level, financial mismanagement has devastated a large number of HBCUs. Among our churches, we would rather build larger churches with empty rooms instead of gyms or life centers to encourage youth participation.

I would implore you, the reader, to not turn away from this message because it is unorthodox. The lifeblood of the institutions we love so much relies on youth enrollment.

Part of recovering those young adults and youth depends on something as simple as a warm smile.

One more example – ever been to Chick-Fil-A? What makes their chicken sandwich different from anyone else’s?

The taste is not the only factor. It’s how they treat you in the opportunity of service. It’s something as simple as a catchphrase – “my pleasure.”

We have to make it our pleasure to serve the least and lost in our community. If we don’t, the Black church and Black colleges will become less in number – and lost.

Ken J. Makin is the host of “Makin’ A Difference,” an online radio program available on iTunes and Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/makinadif fer ence). Updates on the show are available atfacebook.com/makinadifferenceshow. You can also reach Ken by email at makinadifferenceshow@ gmail.com, or via Twitter @differencemakin.

ParTee On The Green April 6, Downtown Augusta A COMMUNITY DANCE PARTY American Bandstand meets Soul Train meets Shag City meets Teen Town in this #AugustaGolf tradition, an amazing Celebration of Community for all ages.

“ParTee On The Green” is a dance party with music for all ages – beach, soul, pop, jazz, house, reggae, R&B, funk. Feature performances by community dance groups and group line dance finale.

Vendors welcomed.

The Augusta Common 836 Reynolds Street, Augusta GA 5:00-9:00pm Entry fee: $2 regular (free for children under 3 years old), $30 VIP For more information or to volunteer: (762) 233-5299 or respectdowntown [at] gmail.com

2016 GENERAL ELECTION • NOV. 8

November elections feature sheriff’s race, school board AUGUSTA The upcoming elections in May will bring some new faces to public office, but it won’t be the only time voters will have a chance to lift their collective voice.

Nor will it be the only time candidates engage in high-stakes and hotly contested seats.

The General/Special Election, slated for Tuesday, November 8, will feature candidates for the Richmond County Board of Education, as well as the Sheriff’s race.

In 2012, buoyed by residents’ desire to elect the city’s first African-American Sheriff, Richard Roundtree rode a wave of public interest and pinpointed proposals to win the seat. In November, he will be the Democratic incumbent, facing off against Brian McDuffie, a Republican.

Meanwhile, on the school board, there will be four contested seats – Districts 1, 4, 5 and Super District 10.

District 4 may be the race that garners the most interest because of two familiar faces – incumbent Barbara Pulliam and challenger Dr. Wayne Frazier, a former principal at various Richmond County schools, including Glenn Hills High School and Tubman Education Center.

In District 1, incumbent Marion Barnes and challenger Brian Green will square off. In District 5, Patsy Scott will seek re-election against Douglas Jackson. In District 10, incumbent Helen Minchew and Tony Whiteside will vie for the Super District seat.

The registration deadline for the November 8 election is Tuesday, October 11. Advance voting will begin Monday, October 17 and Saturday voting will be held October 29.

For additional information, call the Richmond County Board of Elections at (706) 821-2340.

Ken J. Makin is the host of “Makin’ A Difference,” an online radio program available on iTunes and Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/makinadifference).

Updates on the show are available at facebook.com/makinadifferenceshow.

You can also reach Ken by email at makinadifferenceshow@gmail.com, or via Twitter @differencemakin.

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President Barack Obama, second from left, arrives with first lady Michelle Obama, left, and their daughters Sasha, right, and Malia, as they exit Air Force One at the airport in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, March 20, 2016. Obama and his family are traveling to Cuba, the first U.S. president to visit the island in nearly 90 years.. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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Beginning in April, UPW will present political profiles on candidates facing off in the May elections. On April 6, the three-candidate State Court Judge’s race will be featured.

The First Family lands in Cuba

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

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Garden City Classic Track & Field A GLENN HILLS SPRINTER takes off during the first leg of the men’s 400 meter relay during the Garden City Classic Track & Field event held at Laney stadium. The event featured athletes from Richmond County high schools. March 21, 2016 (Augusta, GA) - A Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Long-distance runners from Aquinas and Laney compete in the 3200 meter race during the Garden City Classic Track & Field event held at Laney stadium. The event featured athletes from Richmond County high schools.

March 21, 2016 (Augusta, GA) - A Photo by Vincent Hobbs

An Aquinas athlete competes in the long jump during the Garden City Classic Track & Field event held at Laney stadium. March 21, 2016 (Augusta, GA) - A Photo by Vincent Hobbs

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

SPORTS HS Track

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SPORTS HS Lacrosse

Evans defender Izzy Russell (L) keeps the pressure on Lakeside’s Natalie Hogan during a lacrosse game held at Panther stadium. Lakeside crushed the newly-formed Evans team, 15-1, in the final score.

March 15, 2016 (Evans, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Evans vs.

Lakeside Evans lacrosse player Thailan Baker (L) takes a defensive position during a game held at Panther stadium.

Lakeside crushed the newly-formed Evans team, 15-1, in the final score.

March 15, 2016 (Evans, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs

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SPORTS HS Soccer

Richmond Academy soccer player Clay McKnight (L) takes the lead with the ball as Augusta Christian’s Ella Hansen (center) and Michelle Gibson (R) run down the field during a game at ARC stadium. The Lady Musketeers and the Lady Lions tied the score 1-1.

March 17, 2016 (Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs

ARC vs.

Aug. Christian Richmond Academy soccer player Jiah Lewis bounces the ball from her mid-section during a game against Augusta Christian at ARC stadium. The Lady Musketeers and the Lady Lions tied the score 1-1.

March 17, 2016 (Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs (At Left) Richmond Academy soccer player Lucy Simons keeps control of the ball during a game against Augusta Christian at ARC stadium. The Lady Musketeers and the Lady Lions tied the score 1-1.

March 17, 2016 (Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

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PAINE

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

SPORTS

Paine Lions catcher Jahziel Morel watches the pitch during a game against Benedict College at the Lions home field. The Tigers dominated the Lions after 8 innings of play with a score of 10-2.

(March 20, 2016 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Paine vs.

Benedict Fentress Henderson goes to bat for the Paine Lions during a game against Benedict College at the Lions home field. The Tigers dominated the Lions after 8 innings of play with a score of 10-2.

(March 20, 2016 - Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs

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UPW FORUM COMMENTARY

Black Americans and encryption: the stakes are higher than Apple v. FBI As the child of a Black Panther I grew up under the threat of surveillance, and I say encryption is critical for human rights Malkia Cyril When the FBI branded Martin Luther King Jr a “dangerous” threat to national security and began tapping his phones, it was part of a long history of spying on black activists in the United States. But the government surveillance of black bodies has never been limited to activists – in fact, according to the FBI; you only had to be black.

In the current fight between Apple and the FBI, black perspectives are largely invisible, yet black communities stand to lose big if the FBI wins.

A federal judge in California is set to rule on Tuesday whether the FBI will be granted a request compelling Apple to unlock the iPhone of a San Bernardino shooter.

While seemingly about protecting national security – the same rationale used to justify 20th century surveillance of MLK, the Black Panther Party and others – this case is about much more. It could establish a legal precedent used to suppress the growing movement for black lives that is deposing public officials and disrupting the daily assault on black people in cities across the country.

Building off the civil rights and black power movements of the 1960s, a 21st century movement for black lives is coming of age, mobilizing the same courageous methods of non-violent direct action, using the same local-to-local strategy, and making many of the same demands. An intersectional approach is replacing old identity politics, and a newfound digital landscape is making communication possible in more directions and at previously unimaginable speeds. The movement for black lives is attracting the brightest minds and bravest bodies. Black activists are developing new ways of grassroots

Encryption technology is for more than just activists. Whether protecting from identity theft or government surveillance – all communities need to protect their data in the digital age. We cannot have a healthy democracy without everyone’s voice. organizing in an information economy.

Like its predecessors, the democratic movement for black lives has been met by anti-democratic state surveillance and anti-black police violence. New “smart” policing methods are being used by modern-day gumshoes who, fueled by the false rhetoric of black criminality, experiment with high-tech tools to the detriment of black democratic engagement.

In the 20th century, the FBI admitted to overreaching and violating the constitution when it used its counter intelligence program, COINTELPRO, for domestic surveillance that spied on black activists. Last year, FBI director James Comey admitted in a congressional committee hearing to flying spy planes that monitored protests in the wake of police killings of black people in Ferguson and Baltimore with the agency working in tandem with local police. In Chicago, home of the infamous “red squad”, police collected “First Amendment Worksheets” on black organizations such as We Charge Genocide, and Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Push Coalition.

There are reports from activists on the front lines of protests about police employing “kill switch” technology to cut off live-streaming, using Stingrays to intercept phone calls, or flying drones overhead for crowd control, but such claims are unconfirmed as police refuse to reveal their techniques and are not compelled by law to do so.

Twentieth century surveillance is alive and well in the 21st century, and is one powerful reason why, in a digital age and era of big data, the fight for racial justice must also include a fight for the equal and fair application of first and fourth amendment rights.

A letter was sent by some of us in the Black Lives Matter movement to California federal magistrate judge Sheri Pym, who is overseeing the Apple case, warning of the dangerous implications of siding with the FBI. It was signed by Beats, Rhymes & Relief, the Gathering for Justice, Justice League NYC, writer Shaun King, Black Lives Matter co-founder and Black Alliance for Just Immigration executive director Opal Tometi, as well as the organization I work for, the Center for Media Justice.

I signed because, as the child of a Black Panther, I grew up with the persistent threat of police spying. The police “watched” my family in the name of “safety” and “national security”, but I knew that we became targets of government surveillance because my mother advocated for black bodies abandoned and abused by state violence.

That is why the FBI case is not only against Apple, but is also against communities of color and communities of resistance. It is against democracy. It is against the black immigrant worker who has fled political persecution, the black and Latino youth putting themselves on the line to catalyze deep change,

the gender non-conforming bodies subjected to daily assaults, the Muslim communities regularly targeted by bias and hate crimes. We don’t have the same protections others take for granted, we are instead treated as perpetually guilty.

Reports have surfaced that the Department of Homeland Security has been monitoring the movement for black lives since the initial uprisings in Ferguson. We know that police are watching the tweets we write, the Facebook event pages we set up, and the demonstrations we organize in the streets. If we are arrested, our phones will be confiscated. Whether or not police can look into our phones, whether or not they need a warrant, is being tested in court. This is not a vision of some distant dystopic future, this is happening right now. This is why the FBI case against Apple, is also against us.

For black communities and others pushed to the margins of political and economic power – democratic engagement and the exercise of our human and civil rights in a digital age demands the ability to encrypt our communications.

It isn’t just Black activists either – Latino activists are raising a similar rallying cry. Consider the prospect of a President Trump, who has notoriously expressed his anti-immigrant views, and sided with the FBI in its fight against Apple. With record numbers of deportations already at hand – could undocumented immigrants be rounded up using the information transmitted from their cellphones?

A newly developed open source app for iPhones called Signal, which encrypts phone calls and text messages, has become a favorite among organizers as well as Edward Snowden. It Continued on next page

Encryption from page 12

LETTERS Augusta National “LAND GRAB”: misspent and misplaced millions The attitude of the Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta Georgia, is one of the reasons why American education is sinking in the abyss of marginalization. The attitude there is never enough money to improve education, but always enough money to improve upscale amenities. Recently, it was reported the Augusta National Golf Club spent millions of dollars to lure residents out of their homes in order to acquire more parking space for tournament patrons.

Moreover, The Metro Spirit, a local Augusta newspaper, reported, “This same private golf club purchased more than 50 lots from 1999 to 2006 for approximately $23 million.” Also, the article mentioned Golf World magazine called the purchase of the properties one of the most “unprecedented buying sprees of neighboring commercial and residential properties” it had ever seen.

In the meantime, 21 out of 57 public schools in Augusta-Richmond County are classified as failed schools. They are populated by predominately minority students. In the biblical parable, the failed schools are like the man beaten by robbers. The Augusta National Golf Club was like the priest and Levite who walked past the beaten man to attend to more important matters.

Matters such as spending millions on a parking lot, instead of uplifting minority school children.

Kevin Palmer, Martinez, GA

age. We cannot have a healthy democracy without everyone’s voice.

Black voices, and other voices of color, have long been missing from the debates on government surveillance – but not anymore. We’re here, and we are calling on companies to protect the rights of consumers, and on legislators to protect the rights of residents. One way to do both is to pass the Encrypt Act 2016, which

RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Bond Issue Program

our democratic right to organize for 13 change, we must fight for a world in which those rights are not under persistent threat. The Apple v the FBI case is a test case for democracy.

It will determine, for this and the next generation, who has the right to communicate, and therefore the power to define reality.

In the encryption debate, the stakes are high for black people. Indeed, we are in a fight for our lives. I believe that we will win.

PROPOSAL NUM. B-14-035-0177 MEADOWBROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Sealed proposals from Contractors w ill be received for t he Meadowbrook Elementary School Renovations Project by the County Board of Education of Richmond County at the address below until 3:00 pm local time, Thursday, April 21 th 2016, in the Board Conference Room at w hich time the bids w ill be publicly opened and read. No extension of the bidding period w ill be made.

A Pre-Bid Conference w ill be held Wednesday, April 13 th 2016 at 11:00 am local time at Meadow brook Elementary School, 3630 Goldfinch Drive, Augusta, 30906.

Draw ings and project manual on this w ork may be examined at t he Department of Maintenance and Facilities, Richmond County Board of Education, 1781 15 th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901.

Bidding documents may be obtained at the Office of the Architect: KSGW Architects, LLC, 2700 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 550, Atlanta, GA 30339, (770)-619-5913. Applications f or documents together w it h refundable deposit of $400 per set should be filed promptly w ith the Architect. Bidding mat erial w ill be f orw arded (shipping charges collect ) as soon as possible. The full amount of deposit f or one set w ill be refunded t o each prime contractor w ho submits a bona fide bid upon ret urn of such set in good condition w ithin 10 days after date of opening bids. All other deposits w ill be refunded w ith deductions approximating cost of reproduction of documents upon ret urn of same in good condition w ithin 10 days after date of opening bid.

Contract, if aw arded, w ill be on a lump sum basis. No bid may be w it hdraw n f or a period of 35 days after time has been called on the date of opening.

Bid must be accompanied by a bid bond in an amount not less than 5% of t he base bid. Personal checks, certified checks, letters of credit, etc., are not acceptable. The successful bidder w ill be required to furnish performance and payment bonds in an amount equal t o 100% of t he contract price.

The Ow ner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to w aive technicalities and informalities.

BID LIST: The Richmond County Board of Education maintains a bid list for bid each year. If your company w ishes to remain on our bid list, w e through a bid or by a no bid response. If w e do not receive a response, removed from our bid list. Please call the bid office at 706-826-1298 if

for many categories t hat are let must receive a response either your company’ s name w ill be you fail to receive a post card.

To promote local participation, a database of Sub-contractors, Suppliers, and Vendors has been developed by the Program Manager, GMK Associates. Contact Jeanine Usry w ith GMK Associates at (706) 826-1127 for location to review and obt ain this database.

Bids shall be submitted and addressed to: Dr. Angela Pringle County Board of Education of Richmond Count y Administrative Office 864 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 c/o: Mr. C. Gene Spires

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

allows for free and instant encryption of messages that cannot be cracked by anybody wanting to eavesdrop.

Activists across the world have adopted the app as one way to protect their right to organize.

Yet encryption technology is for more than just activists. Whether protecting from identity theft or government surveillance – all communities need to protect their data in the digital

would, if passed, prevent the government, or a contracted company, from altering the security functions of computers and cellphones, or decoding encrypted information, in order to conduct a search. Even now, members of congress are bizarrely moving to ban encryption at the state level using the rhetoric of terrorism and black criminality.

Encryption is necessary for black civil and human rights to prosper, but isn’t enough. While it protects

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

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Christian Life Club to host Annual Gospel Fest Community members are invited to join Aiken Technical College’s Christian Life Club on March 31 for a midday praise break during the club’s annual Gospel Fest event.

“This will be our third edition of Gospel Fest and if past events are any indication, it promises to be an incredible time of celebrating the gospel right here on our campus,”

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Augusta U. ranked among top schools in U.S. AUGUSTA Several of Augusta University’s graduate and professional programs are among the top in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2017Best Graduate Schools rankings released Wednesday.

The report shows the College of Nursing, with the state’s flagship programs, ranks in the top 10 for its Clinical Nurse Leader program and remains in the top 50 among the report’s Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs for the second year in a row. Additionally, the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, Nursing Anesthesia program and Master of Science in Nursing program were also ranked among the top 100 in the nation.

“These rankings reflect a growing awareness of Augusta University and the College of Nursing’s excellence in advanced nursing education,” said Dr. Lucy N. Marion, dean of the College of Nursing.

said Charles Welch, advisor of the Christian Life Club. “There will be a wonderful assembly of talent from our campus and community to celebrate the love of God through music and testimony. Join us and bring a friend!”

Gospel Fest will be held from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. in the College’s amphitheater (700 building). It is free and

open to the public.

This year’s event will include scripture readings, prayers and musical performances. Performances will be provided by Kristal Mindingall, Julian Hutcheson, Jonah Boucher, Melissa Wilson, Steve White, Pastor Calvin Jefferson, Father Gregory Rogers and others from the ATC community.

“I am very excited that ATC’s

Christian Life Club is putting on Gospel Fest,” said club member Scott Odom. “I hope that everyone on our campus and throughout our community, will come out to share God’s grace and love with us through some great music and testimony.”

For more information, contact Welch at (803) 508-7467 or welche@ atc.edu.

Stress Physical Inactivity Family History of Cardiovascular disease Obesity Diabetes High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol Cigarette Smoking HEART ATTACK • BRAIN ATTACK • PREVENT ATTACK East Central Health District Hypertension Management Outreach Program

Richmond County 706.721.5800

UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

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UrbanProWeekly - MARCH 24 - 31, 2016

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