Urban Pro Weekly

UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY October 2 - 8, 2014 VOL. 4 NO. 5

Study: Overhaul city’s Finance Department “Hap” Harris gets District 7 nod

Photos by Vincent Hobbs THE PAINE COLLEGE MAHOGANY ESSENCE dancers motivate the crowd during a football game against Morehouse College at Laney High School stadium. The Tigers dominated the Lions 10-20 in the final score. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

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UrbanProWeekly - OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

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Sunday Voting in Augusta on October 26 After churh services, voters in Richmond County can head to the polls.

A single location will be available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 26.

The general election will be on November 4.

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The 2014 edition of the Augusta City Classic will feature Paine College for the first time. The Hall of Fame Football Game will be played on Nov. 8 at the Laney High School Stadium. The game will pit Paine against Benedict College.

The City Classic staff recently announced two new inductees for the 2014 Augusta City Classic Hall of Fame. They are Ron Spry and Marvin Vanover, two local legends who have impacted sports in the CSRA and the lives of many people internationally.

Coach Ron Spry, is the former Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director of Paine College. A native of Kentucky; Coach Spry entered the CSRA in 1980, taking over the helm at Paine College. He has

been named the SIAC Coach of the Year six times and has three SIAC Championships.

Coach Marvin Vanover, was the former Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director of Augusta College. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern and one of the Founders of the Peach Belt Conference.

The 2014 Augusta City Classic Annual Hall of Fame Banquet will be presented in honor of Spry and Vanover.

This event will take place November 7, at 7 pm at the Augusta Marriott, 2 10th Street, Augusta, GA 30901.

On game day, the festivities will begin at 8 am, with the College Football game beginning at 2pm. For tickets contact our office 706-826-9800 or our webpage www.augustacityclassic.org.

Augusta City Classic 2014 Nov. 7 - Hall of Fame Banquet 7 p.m. Augusta Marriott Nov. 8 - Hall of Fame Football Game 2 p.m. Laney HS Stadium

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

Augusta City Classic features Paine College for the first time

UrbanProWeekly - OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

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THE CITY

COMMENTARY

Despite furor, it’s “Hap” for District 7

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Political Analyst AUGUSTA It’s all over now but the shouting.

Despite a couple of weeks of handwringing, “the-sky-is-falling” scenarios and grade school political analyses driven by talk radio entertainers, alternative media amusements and online hysteria, “Hap” Harris is the District 7 interim commissioner.

Prior to committee meetings on Monday (Sept. 29), the commission voted 7-1 to give the interim position to Harris. Harris replaces former District 7 commissioner Donnie Smith who resigned a few weeks ago.

The fact the commissioners let Grady Smith, the District 10 Commissioner,

“Hap” Harris gets nod for District 7. and only sitting commissioner whose super district covers District 7, recommend a replacement for Smith did not sit too well with some residents of Distict 7. The most vocal District 7 dissident was Sonny Pittman, president

of the West Augusta Alliance.

Pittman suggested that decades of handling the matter by a simple majority vote by the commission be supplanted by a series of public hearings involving all of the commissioners. Smith, to his credit, did attend at least one public meeting hosted by the Pittman group and left it open whether or not the would attend any future meetings.

Other commissioners, however, were clearly “not on board” with setting such a precedent and, after the matter was placed on the agenda for this week’s meeting, decided to fasttrack the process without any further public discussion. Commissioner Bill Fennoy was the only commissioner not to vote for Harris. Commissioner

Mary Davis was not present for the vote.

Commissioners did not discuss the vote in “executive session” as some had feared would happen.

Those who objected to the process were unhappy that Smith and Harris shared a very close political relationship. They also felt that Harris’ appointment would give him an edge when the matter goes before the voters of District 7 in a March 2015 Special Election.

Harris said that he might run for the position in March if he gets positive feedback from his constituents or if he finds the task enjoyable.

Of course, if he runs in March, Harris will be on the ballot as the incumbent.

Expert touts big changes for finance

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Staff Writer AUGUSTA If the recommendations of a study of a key city department are enacted there will be significant changes in the way the city handles its financial planning and reporting.

The Carl Vinson Institute of Government of the University of Georgia has completed its assessment of the city’s Finance Department and made its findings available to commissioners on Monday.

The study examined a broad range of functions handled by the city’s financial department and identified many areas where improvements could be made. Among other things, the study addressed staffing priorities, modernization, professional management challenges, coordination with other departments and its reporting obligations to the Augusta commission.

One of its recommendations was for the establishment of a separate budgeting/financial planning division. It also looked at how strategic planning is being enacted and made recommendations for improvements in that area.

The study, which was requested

by the commission during a recent retreat, made many recommendations and provided a path for the city to follow and monitor its improvements.

One of the major aspects of the report targeted how the department set its strategic priorities. “The overall department and operations are not based upon a consensus on strategic priorities,” the report concluded.

“With the absence of clear strategic priorities, a reactionary operational orientation, and inordinately low staffing levels, it appears that the overall department primarily is reactive to day-to-day demand, thus results in an absence of ideal managerial control.”

It recommended that the department work with the administration and the commission to implement an internal strategic planning process which includes a set of consensus-based strategic priorities by which the administration can further define departmental structures and operations.

The report also noted that although the department had 22 budget positions earmarked for accounting and finance functions, only 14 were actually filled.

It appears that staffing levels are not adequate enough to adequately perform each function. This is particular-

ly the case in the functions of accounting, budgeting and financial planning.

While having personnel perform dual functions increases their institutional knowledge, it also undermines the efficiency of the overall department, the study said.

According to the study, “It appears that staffing levels are not adequate enough to adequately perform each function. This is particularly the case in the functions of accounting, budgeting and financial planning. While having personnel perform dual functions increases their institutional knowledge, it also undermines the efficiency of the overall department.”

The recommendation was to fill the budgeted positions in order to support accounting and budgeting operations.

The report alluded to feedback from other departments which were dependent on the Finance Department to handle their accounting and budgeting operations. According to the study, these departments wanted “more dialogue with the Finance Department over budget development, budget modifications, timely posting of accounting of accounting based transactions and inquiry responses, access to improved forecasting of revenues and operating expenses, and

improved communication regarding account balances.” Thus, the recommendation to create a separate division of budgeting/financial reporting and planning.

In the area of professionalized management, the findings concluded that “consistency in professional management may not exist within departmental divisions. This is indicated through consistent findings that managerial decisions may not be based upon specific performance metrics. This has contributed to the development of perceptions that some decisions are not made based upon performance metrics or other transparent data. When this takes place, assertions of race and gender-based favoritism towards/against specific personnel can arise.”

The study said that increasing the transparency associated with managerial decisions can help dispel negative perceptions. The study recommended that, “at minimum, training can be provided on managerial responsibility so as to improve employee morale and the overall work-environment.”

Other recommendations involved modernization and increased professional training at all levels.

The study was authored by Malik R Watkins, Ph,D.

5

COMMENTARY

Interest from SPLOST yields windfall

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Political Analyst AUGUSTA A recent report by the city’s Finance Department revealed that the city has earned millions of dollars in interest from the various Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) collections dating back to 1988 when the tax was first approved.

The revelation is symptomatic of a culture in city government that appears to pit the career civil servants against the elected policy makers. This report is not something that is regularly provided to the city commissioners. It is the result of months, if not years, of commissioners pleading for up-to-date information upon which to make its decisions. Such revelations, had they been made months earlier, may have prevented, or at least mitigated, the recent property tax increase which commissioners felt compelled to impose.

According to the report, the consolidated government collected $71.8 million dollars in interest on SPLOST money collected since the tax was first imposed.

Too often, the commissioners have had no idea that the city had that kind of money “laying around.” In July, seemingly out of nowhere, the city okayed spending $1.2 million

for signage requested by the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau. City finance officials said that the money was “left over” from a former SPLOST project.

At the time, the city’s finance officials said that the funds came from “unprogrammed tax receipts from SPLOST 2.”

This was an unbelievable use of funds given the fact that, although it was on the agenda, the $1.2 million amount did not appear on the agenda item. It was only revealed as commissioners began to ask questions. In a subsequent UPW article we referred to that transaction as “genteel corruption.”

A few days later, Commissioner Bill Lockett, who was not present at the meeting where the funds were allocated, asked if the commissioners could be given a break-down of “unallocated SPLOST funds” and at the time was told that such a report did not exist.

Months later, he repeated the request and that is why we have this report.

The public record is full of requests made by commissioners for up-to-date information on SPLOST accounting, including which projects are not completed and how the money is reallocated, without much success. Too often they are told that such reports don’t exist or the information, for whatever reason, is never forthcoming.

The city doesn’t keep the interest

that accrues from ongoing projects in separate accounts for each project, but instead keeps all of it in one big pile called “Fund balance” amounts.

Each SPLOST has its own fund balance.

The city is still funding projects from SPLOST III which began with collections in 1996 and ended in 2000.

Each SPLOST project is budgeted a set amount needed to complete projects. The amount needed to complete a project may fluctuate because there may be cost overruns as well as cost savings per project. But once a project is completed, any excess money, either from interest or savings, can be used for other projects deemed necessary

by the commission. This, however, is where the commissioners are often left out of “the loop.” The amounts of these “unallocated” funds could be considerable.

For instance, the unallocated funds from SPLOST 3 (began in 1996) through SPLOST 5 (which ended in 2010) amounts to $15.5 million through December 2013. That is money that is over and above what was budgeted (by taxpayers through referendum) for those projects which have yet to be completed.

It’s easy to see how, properly managed, “extra” SPLOST dollars can be a windfall for the city government.

City offers contract to new administrator Jackson to be on the job by November 17. Salary set at $170,000

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UPW Staff Writer AUGUSTA By offering a 3-year contract to Janet Allen Jackson on Monday (Sept. 29, 2014), Augusta commissioners continued to fast-track the appointment of the new city administrator. In a surprise move last month, Jackson was selected by the commission.

According to details in the 10-page contract, Jackson will be paid $170,000 effective Nov. 17, 2014. Jackson’s

appointment will be subject to an annual review preceding each year’s budget adoption.

Jackson will be afforded “comp time” to compensate for any hours that she works outside of “normal office hours.”

Jackson, who runs a private consulting firm, will only be permitted to devote 10 hours per week to that firm or any other “teaching, consulting or other non-Employer-connected business without prior approval of the Commission.”

Jackson will be reimbursed up to

$10,000 relocation costs and receive a $600 per month automobile allowance for use of her private vehicle. Jackson currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jackson will be permitted 30 days vacation time and 30 days sick leave.

That’s equivalent to the leave permitted a 20-year employee.

Jackson’s contract also allows for the health and hospitalization insurance “equal to that provided” other city employees. In addition, the city will pay for a $170,000 life insurance policy

to benefit her family.

Jackson will also be entitled to enroll in the city’s pension and retirement program.

The city has also agreed to pay for any “travel and subsistence” expenses incurred by Jackson for Professional Development courses or “nonpersonal and generally job-affiliated” costs.

Jackson will be subject to any “across-the-board” reductions in salary, compensation or other financial benefits that impact all other employees.

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

THE CITY

UrbanProWeekly - OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

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COMMUNITY

HAPPENINGS

Violence Awareness Month begins at GRU Violence Awareness Month at Georgia Regents University begins Thursday, Oct. 2, with Purple Light Nights, a tree-lighting ceremony with information about the university’s month-long antiviolence programming.

The Purple Light Nights Violence Awareness Month Kickoff begins at 6 p.m., by the flagpole near the Summerville campus amphitheater. The event, co-sponsored by SafeHomes of Augusta, Inc. and GRU’s Women and Gender Studies Program, is the first of several planned throughout October, known nationally as Domestic Violence Awareness month.

Dr. Yamma Brown will discuss her new book, “Cold Sweat: My Father James Brown and Me,” at

noon Tuesday, Oct. 14, in the Jaguar Student Activities Center Ballroom.

The daughter of James Brown will share her compelling account of witnessing and experiencing abusive relationships. Lunch will be provided

by The Brown Bag to the first 100 attendees at the event, sponsored by the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the GRU Counseling Center.

A panel of victim advocates and legal professionals will discuss the complex legal processes involved in leaving an abusive relationship in “Safe Exits: The Process and Challenges of Leaving an Abusive Relationship” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Jaguar Student Activities Center Coffeehouse.

Panelists include SafeHomes Legal Advocate Yasmin Thomas-Goodman, National Advocate Credentialing Program Volunteer Advocate Joahn Sperry, Assistant District Attorney Titus Nichols, and the Honorable Judge Douglas J. Flanagan.

GRU is also the site of the annual SafeHomes Survivor’s Walk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, by the flagpole near the Summerville campus amphitheater. This ceremonial event includes testimonies from those who have survived domestic violence, statements from local practitioners who work to end domestic violence, and a candlelight walk to honor all who have experienced it. The walk is sponsored by the GRU Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and

Social Work, the GRU Counseling Center, and Ladybug’s Flowers and Gifts.

“We want to encourage people to come on out, put on their purple, the color of domestic violence awareness, educate themselves on resources available locally, and get involved in fundraising efforts that are helping victims become survivors” said Dr. Allison J. Foley, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work.

All events are sponsored by the Violence Awareness Month Committee in partnership with SafeHomes of Augusta, Inc., and with special assistance by students in Foley’s Gender and Victimization course.

Azziz honored for contributions to women’s health AUGUSTA Dr. Ricardo Azziz, President of Georgia Regents University, CEO of GRHealth, and a world-renowned expert in reproductive disorders, is the recipient of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Challenge, Inc.’s Leadership and Advocacy Award. The award was presented at the organization’s annual awareness symposium in Atlanta Sept.

21.

“Dr. Azziz, without question, was key in helping make our symposium a success,” said PCOS Challenge Executive Director Sasha Ottey. “Beyond that, his research and influence in the field, and the extent of his involvement to advance PCOS awareness and discovery, are all reasons why we wanted to honor him with this award.”

“Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome affects as many as 5 million women in the United States and is one of the chief causes of infertility” Azziz said.

“But that’s not all. The disease is also linked to diabetes and other persistent health problems, and it is important as researchers, as clinicians, and as a community, to raise awareness so we can all better understand the disease and those who suffer from it, and to develop better treatments. I feel honored to be recognized by an organization that helps to further that mission.”

As a pioneer in the field of endoscopic pelvic reconstruction, Azziz has done extensive research in the areas of postsurgical adhesion prevention, repro-

Azziz is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Surgeons. He is a past President of

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COMMUNITY

HAPPENINGS

Event is novel way to boost literacy Star Wars Reads Day is an international event launched by Lucasfilm in 2012 to promote literacy, reading and of course – Star Wars. Book publishers Abrams, Chronicle Books, Dark Horse, Del Rey, DK Publishing, Klutz, Random House Audio, Scholastic, Quirk Books, Disney Book Group and Workman Publishing have partnered with Lucasfilms to create a day to celebrate reading across the world.

On Saturday October 4th, the Augusta Headquarters Library will host the event for the third year in a row. Corey Rogers, curator/historian at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, is coordinating the event, which will involve book readings and cosplay activities in the Children’s area. An amazing exhibition of Star Wars memorabilia will occupy the entire third floor of the library and adult cosplayers will be present in full Star Wars regalia.

Costuming for fun and profit Dressing up in costumes is not just for kids

By Vincent Hobbs An important aspect of the upcoming Star Wars Reads Day this weekend is the legion of Star Wars characters that will be on hand to liven things up. Jen Belin and Jana Ashing will be among the cosplayers that will be participating. So why do adults find such an event so attractive and why do they spend hours attempting to look the part? UPW wanted to get a clearer look at the allure of Star Wars and Star Wars cosplay.

For Star Wars enthusiast Jana Ashing, the investment of one to three hours of body painting to transform herself into the custom character of Jana Kiva, a Twi’lek smuggler for the Galactic Empire, yields a big payoff. Cosplaying (or costume play) is simply something that she loves to do. Ashing, a married 30-year-old corporate professional who owns a costume and prop design business, is also a competitive dancer with Asuhndree Fusion Dance Company.

Jen Belgin is known for her costumed portrayals of a Star Wars Clone Trooper and Director of Imperial Intelligence, Ysanne Isard.

The 39 year-old mother of two school-aged boys is a costuming entrepreneur, and an advocate for ladies in sci-fi and

small business owner.

Both Belgin and Ashing say it started with the costumes.

“I don’t think I ever grew out of the dress-up phase that most kids go through. When I discovered that cosplay for adults is a “thing”, I knew right away that I had found my outlet. I love the creative process of each new costume!,” Ashing said.

For Elgin, there was a different focus. “For me the fun is primarily in the creation of the pieces. I was always a fan of Halloween, so costuming is something of a lifelong passion, but I started seriously building in 2011 when I moved to Augusta. I had become a part of the growing community of Star Wars fans in social media and discovered the 501st Legion. My initial costume was the first of it’s kind in the Legion (Bo-Katan from The Clone Wars) and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Joining the 501st Legion has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s an exceptional group of friends, and my fellow members of the Georgia Garrison are family.

The love of Star Wars stimulates both cosplayers.

“The Star Wars Universe is both gritty and incredibly beautiful. I’m inspired by everything from the court cos-

Jana Ashing and Jen Belgin in full regalia. tumes of the Theed Palace to the dusty robes of Tusken raiders on the planet Tatooine,” Ashing said. “Saturday, at Star Wars Reads Day, I’ll be a Black Sun syndicate smuggler,” she said.

Belgin has always been a fan of Star Wars. “I think Sci-Fi in general has a mass appeal and the original trilogy is so rich in characters and story that it’s hard not to feel kinship to the characters. I actually have four Star Wars tattoos, one of which features Han Solo and the brilliant phrase, “Never tell me the odds.”

Belgin has turned her passion into a small business and is the owner of Darth Cleavage (http://darthcleavage. com) with a shop on Etsy.

JAZZ

REVIEW

YOSVANY TERRY New Throned King 5 Passion

By David Inman In 2010, Cubanborn saxophonist Yosvany Terry (who has lived in New York since 1999) returned to the country of his birth to study the Arará tradition in Matanzas (about 50 miles from Havana, on the other side of the island from his native Camagüey) with drummer-teacher Mario Rodríguez “Maño.” (Terry has dedicated this album to Maño, who died in 2011.)

The saxophonist was joined by his brother, bassist Yunior Terry, and what the two of them learned during the yearlong initiation involved complexities that could confuse even an ethnomusicologist. The chants and rituals of the Arará Sabalú—one of three branches of a cabildo formed in the 1600s in Matanzas—come from the people who descended from the West African kingdom of Dahomey, modern-day Benin.

Though the tradition is in some ways similar to the more well-known, Nigeria-derived Santería and Yoruba traditions, Arará has remained a fairly well-kept secret outside of Matanzas.

Central to the music performed here is a set of specially commissioned Arará drums, played by Pedro Martínez (on the apitlí, or medium-sized drum); Román Díaz (on wewé, the smallest drum); and Sandy Pérez, who first introduced Terry to Maño and here plays the lead yonofó drum as well as the largest drum, akotó, on six of the 10 tracks. Despite the complexity of the proceedings, this stunning music will be completely accessible to anyone who enjoys Afro-Cuban jazz, folk music or any type of world music. Martínez serves as lead vocalist, supported by the coro (chorus) of both Terrys, Díaz and a fourth vocalist, Gema Corredera, on four tracks.

The songs feature multilayered percussion, Martínez’s soaring chants and Terry’s fluid, postbop saxophone lines. Each musician on the disc entered into a sort of crucible with Terry and the Arará tradition: Martínez and Díaz, each deeply embedded in Yoruban culture and its music, had to master new Arará chants and rhythms; Congolese guitarist Dominick Kanza was also open to adapting to a new style. The opening track, “Reuniendo La Nación,” features Haitian sound designer Val Jeanty and pianist Jason Moran, who help create an eerie underlying texture for Terry’s questing sax solo.

By completing a serious study of folkloric traditions and then applying his own compositional gifts to the form, Terry should earn the approval of adventurous music fans everywhere.

9

FEATURE

New iPhone blocks N.S.A. snooping

By David E. Sanger and Brian X. Chen WASHINGTON Devoted customers of Apple products these days worry about whether the new iPhone 6 will bend in their jean pockets. The National Security Agency and the nation’s law enforcement agencies have a different concern: that the smartphone is the first of a post-Snowden generation of equipment that will disrupt their investigative abilities.

The phone encrypts emails, photos and contacts based on a complex mathematical algorithm that uses a code created by, and unique to, the phone’s user — and that Apple says it will not possess.

The result, the company is essentially saying, is that if Apple is sent a court order demanding that the contents of an iPhone 6 be provided to intelligence agencies or law enforcement, it will turn over gibberish, along with a note saying that to decode the phone’s emails, contacts and photos, investigators will have to break the code or get the code from the phone’s owner.

Breaking the code, according to an Apple technical guide, could take “more than 5 1/2 years to try all combinations of a six-character alphanumeric passcode with lowercase letters and numbers.” (Computer security experts question that figure, because Apple does not fully realize how quickly the N.S.A. supercomputers can crack codes.)

Already the new phone has led to an eruption from the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey. At a news conference on Thursday devoted largely to combating terror threats from the Islamic State, Mr. Comey said, “What concerns me about this is companies marketing something expressly to allow people to hold themselves beyond the law.”

He cited kidnapping cases, in which exploiting the contents of a seized phone could lead to finding a victim, and predicted there would be moments when parents would come to him “with tears in their eyes, look at me and say, ‘What do you mean you can’t’ ” decode the contents of a phone.

“The notion that someone would market a closet that could never be opened — even if it involves a case involving a child kidnapper and a court

order — to me does not make any sense.”

Apple declined to comment. But officials inside the intelligence agencies, while letting the F.B.I. make the public protests, say they fear the company’s move is the first of several new technologies that are clearly designed to defeat not only the N.S.A., but also any court orders to turn over information to intelligence agencies. They liken Apple’s move to the early days of Swiss banking, when secret accounts were set up precisely to allow national laws to be evaded.

“Terrorists will figure this out,” along with savvy criminals and paranoid dictators, one senior official predicted, and keep their data just on the iPhone 6. Another said, “It’s like taking out an ad that says, ‘Here’s how to avoid surveillance — even legal surveillance.’ ” The move raises a critical issue, the intelligence officials say: Who decides what kind of data the government can access? Until now, those decisions have largely been a matter for Congress, which passed the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act in 1994, requiring telecommunications companies to build into their systems an ability to carry out a wiretap order if presented with one. But despite intense debate about whether the law should be expanded to cover email and other content, it has not been updated, and it does not cover content contained in a smartphone.

At Apple and Google, company executives say the United States government brought these changes on itself.

The revelations by the former N.S.A. contractor Edward J. Snowden not only killed recent efforts to expand the law, but also made nations around the world suspicious that every piece of American hardware and software — from phones to servers made by Cisco Systems — have “back doors” for American intelligence and law enforcement.

Surviving in the global marketplace — especially in places like China, Brazil and Germany — depends on convincing consumers that their data is secure.

Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, has emphasized that Apple’s core business is to sell devices to people.

That distinguishes Apple from compa-

Shoppers looking at new iPhones at an Apple store in New York.

Scott Mlyn nies that make a profit from collecting and selling users’ personal data to advertisers, he has said.

This month, just before releasing the iPhone 6 and iOS 8, Apple took steps to underscore its commitment to customer privacy, publishing a revised privacy policy on its website.

The policy described the encryption method used in iOS 8 as so deep that Apple could no longer comply with government warrants asking for customer information to be extracted from devices. “Unlike our competitors, Apple cannot bypass your passcode, and therefore cannot access this data,” the company said.

Under the new encryption method, only entering the passcode can decrypt the device. (Hypothetically, Apple could create a tool to hack into the device, but legally the company is not required to do that.)

Jonathan Zdziarski, a security researcher who has taught forensics courses to law enforcement agencies on collecting data from iPhones, said to think of the encryption system as a series of lockers. In the older version of iOS, there was always at least one locker that was unlocked, which Apple could enter to grab certain files like photos, call history and notes, in response to a legal warrant.

“Now what they’re saying is, ‘We stopped using that locker,’ ” Mr. Zdziarski said. “We’re using a locker that actually has a combination on it, and if you don’t know the combination, then you can’t get inside. Unless you take a sledgehammer to the locker, there’s no way we get to the files.”

The new security in iOS 8 protects information stored on the device itself, but not data stored on iCloud, Apple’s

cloud service. So Apple will still be able to obtain some customer information stored on iCloud in response to government requests.

Google has also started giving its users more control over their privacy.

Phones using Google’s Android operating system have had encryption for three years. It is not the default setting, however, so to encrypt their phones, users have to go into their settings, turn it on, and wait an hour or more for the data to be scrambled.

That is set to change with the next version of Android, set for release in October. It will have encryption as the default, “so you won’t even have to think about turning it on,” Google said in a statement.

A Google spokesman declined to comment on Mr. Comey’s suggestions that stronger encryption could hinder law enforcement investigations.

Mr. Zdziarski said that concerns about Apple’s new encryption to hinder law enforcement seemed overblown.

He said there were still plenty of ways for the police to get customer data for investigations. In the example of a kidnapping victim, the police can still request information on call records and geolocation information from phone carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

“Eliminating the iPhone as one source I don’t think is going to wreck a lot of cases,” he said. “There is such a mountain of other evidence from call logs, email logs, iCloud, Gmail logs.

They’re tapping the whole Internet.”

David E. Sanger reported from Washington, and Brian X. Chen from San Francisco. Conor Dougherty contributed reporting from San Francisco.

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

TECHNOLOGY

UrbanProWeekly - OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

10

SPORTS

Game Day

Paine College football defensive coordinator Vincent Dancy (R) talks to defensive players on the sidelines during a football game against Morehouse College at Laney High School stadium. The Lions fell to theTigers 10-20 in the final score. Photo by Vincent Hobbs Paine College quarterback Loranzo Hammonds looks for the wide receiver during a football game against Morehouse College at Laney High School stadium.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

A multi-school pep band motivates the crowd.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Game Day

Morehouse College cheerleaders motivate the crowd during a football game against Paine College at Laney High School stadium. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Paine vs.

Morehouse 9.27.14

Paine College cheerleaders motivate the crowd during a football game against Morehouse College at Laney High School stadium.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

SPORTS

11

12 Gravely

Mistaken: History and Fact Intersect

UrbanProWeekly - OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

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UPW Commentary

Sick-outs and walk-outs: students and teachers escalate fight against censorship of history

by Deirdre Fulton A passionate coalition of teachers and students in Jefferson County, Colorado are continuing their fight against censorship this week, employing some of the very tactics the conservative school board wants to eliminate from history textbooks.

Seventy-two of 102 teachers at Golden and Jefferson high schools called in absent on Monday, forcing both schools to close for the day; teacher “sick-outs” also closed two high schools on September 19.

Meanwhile, several dozen students from Carmody Middle School walked out of classes on Tuesday morning, marking the first time younger students have joined an ongoing protest by teachers and high schoolers against proposed changes to the district’s history curriculum. Hundreds of students from the majority of the county’s 17 high schools have staged walk-outs and protests over the last two weeks.

The actions are in response to a proposal from the conservative, five-member school board to establish

a committee that would review the district’s Advanced Placement history course in order to ensure its materials “promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free-market system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights” and don’t “encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law.” Conservatives nationwide have claimed that the AP history course is “revisionist” and overly focused on the “negative” aspects of American history.

Students across Jefferson County have taken to the streets with cardboard signs and slogans like, “Don’t make history a mystery” and “Keep your politics out of my education.”

The College Board, which oversees the Advanced Placement U.S. History course at the center of the dispute, has said it stands behind the students and that if a school or district censors essential concepts from an AP course, that course can no longer bear the ‘AP’ designation.

“These students recognize that the social order can—and sometimes must—be disrupted in the pursuit of

liberty and justice,” the College Board said in a statement. “Civil disorder and social strife are at the patriotic heart of American history—from the Boston Tea Party to the American Revolution to the Civil Rights Movement.”

The teachers, and to a lesser extent some students, are also opposed to a school board proposal to link teacher pay to evaluations.

According to the Denver Post, Jefferson County school superintendent Dan McMinimee threatened to bring disciplinary action against dozens of teachers who called in sick or used a personal day as part of the protest on Monday, unless they could show “proof of illness.”

In response to the protests, the school board has added the curriculum review proposal to the agenda of Thursday’s meeting.

School board president Ken Witt said last week that the history curriculum changes are not final, and he blamed the teachers’ union for urging young people to walk out of class, which he called “the manipulation of our students,” Reuters reports.

The union, which is also against a

new merit pay compensation package and has been in conflict with the right-wing-dominated school board for months, claims it has had nothing to do with organizing either the walkouts or sick-outs.

“But, we certainly understand teacher frustration right now,” union president John Ford told the Guardian, “and I think our whole community’s experiencing the same kind of frustration with the secrecy, waste and disrespect from our school board majority.”

Tammie Peters, an English teacher at one of the two schools that closed on Monday, was asked to speak to the media on behalf of the school’s educators.

“I stand with my fellow teachers who are ‘sick’ of the board majority’s actions,” Peters said in a statement.

“While we need some reforms in Jefferson County, the board majority is not providing the reforms we need or want. The board majority continues to show disrespect to the voters, the taxpayers, the teachers, the parents and the students of Jefferson County.”

UPW FORUM COMMENTARY by Al Gray

The Chronicle of “jihad” against Augusta’s congressman

T

he independent media in East Central Georgia fully expected the Augusta Chronicle to launch a crusade against 12th District Congressman John Barrow, the leviathan-besting survivor of six previous bouts with Billy Morris’ crumbling media empire and we were not disappointed. The salvo began with an opinion piece on September 15 and letters to the editor blasting the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DNCC)’s ads on behalf of Barrow, which targeted Rick Allen’s government contracts.

Allen, the Republican Party nominee opposing Barrow, quickly and adeptly incorporated the news-

paper’s attack on Barrow into his own campaign ads. The crusade had begun.

The Chronicle and Allen actually were justified in ridiculing the DNCC ads, because it was RW Allen, LLC, who held those contracts, not Rick Allen, who has had a declining participation in his firm in recent years, while retaining the title of President of the Firm. Also, as Allen, the Republican campaign apparatus, local talk radio, and the Chronicle pointed out, most of those contracts were competitively bid on a hard price basis and the “cost overruns” were indeed minimal.

The DNCC baited a trap. The Allen apparatchiks, especially Morris

Communications, stepped into it. John Barrow, a Harvard Law graduate, probably wasn’t an unwitting beneficiary. If he was, he won’t be much longer, for the denunciations and denials of the DNCC charges by Allen and the Chronicle will only focus attention on the scandalplagued Tee Center project, now termed the Augusta Convention Center, where RW Allen was the construction manager and a Chronicle affiliate was the chief beneficiary. It wasn’t hard bid, but was one of those loosey-goosey “guaranteed maximum price” deals and Augusta was billed the maximum price.

Before the contract trap was even sprung by the Barrow team, the

Chronicle-Allen media express derailed less than 10 days of leaving the station.

Its crusade suddenly was rerouted into a jihad against Islamic US citizens of Augusta.

The Islamic Society of Augusta had gotten acceptance of an invitation to debate from both Allen and Barrow for a debate to be held at the Islamic Center in Evans on September 27.

Steve Crawford, editor of the Columbia County News-Times, a Morris publication, had agreed to be the moderator.

Both candidates agreed to the Islamic Society hosting the event, Crawford’s moderation, and the place.

Continued on next page

Debate reveals limitations of two-party system

I

n the area’s first event where John Barrow and Rick Allen shared the same podium, the 12th District Congressional nominees often sounded the same political policy chord.

Barrow, the incumbent Democrat and the Republican Allen discussed defense spending, government surveillance, resolution of the IsraeliPalestinian conf lict and other issues. The event was moderated

by Steve Crawford of the Columbia County News Times.

The debate once again demonstrated the limited choices the voters will have in November. While Barrow’s and Allen’s rationales, when internally coherent, differed, the ultimate policy implications were often similar. This is best illustrated by examining their statements regarding healthcare, climate change and immigration.

To his credit, Barrow answered the questions posed without resorting to repetitions of general campaign themes. His answers, even as I disagreed, reflected his significantly deeper knowledge and legislative experience. They were closer to the realities of the legislative process and were, at least, in the form of empirical statements which can be tested, unlike those of Mr. Allen. For these and other reasons, Barrow deserves your vote in November.

The candidates’ discussion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was disappointing. Allen claimed that “We need to get back to our states and to our local areas and solve this

problem, between the doctor and the patient, and we don’t need bureaucrats in Washington telling us how to deliver healthcare.”

Does this mean that he’s opposed to Medicare and Medicaid? What about the Veterans Administration Healthcare System? Should bureaucrats in insurance companies control healthcare? He supports a bill introduced by Tom Price (GA-6), but this bill hasn’t gotten to the floor of the Republican-dominated House in the four years since its introduction. He cited Christ Community Health as an example of “community-based” healthcare. He also noted that Christ Community Health is a neighborhood health center supported under the ACA. Barrow failed to address Allen’s point that eliminating the personal and employee mandates would cause a shortfall in the insurance premiums collected to pay for the coverage expansion. Neither candidate addressed the large number of people who can’t afford health insurance even with the ACA. On the issue of the climate, Allen denied that humans contributed to changes. Barrow, however, did affirm that anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases were changing the climate, but claimed that policy proposals like carbon taxes or capand-trade would, not only increase the cost of producing greenhouse gases, but result in energy shortages. Clean sources of energy would not be available in sufficient supply for a generation or two, he added.

Barrow also said he would support

a Manhattan Project-like research initiative.

Both Barrow and Allen affirmed their support of nuclear energy production, the Keystone XL pipeline and the exploitation of natural gas and shale oil deposits through fracking despite their environmentally destructive nature.

When asked whether US immigration policy should shift from capture and deportation of undocumented workers to targeting companies which hire them and to providing a pathway to citizenship, Mr. Barrow said that no change in residency status should occur until both the border and jobs are secure. He supported the use of the E-Verify system for all employers as a way to prevent employers from hiring undocumented workers.

That view is not shared by the American Civil Liberties Union whose May 2013 report entitled “Prove Yourself to Work” argues that E-Verify is an ineffective way to secure American jobs. Between 30-50% of undocumented immigrants did not cross a border illegally, but, instead, overstayed their visas.

Allen, while agreeing that businesses should not hire undocumented workers, correctly pointed out the unreliable nature of E-Verify. He said that it was counterproductive to burden businesses with immigration enforcement and, amazingly, claimed that cutting off aid to Mexico, until it prevented unauthorized entry into the United States, would enhance

border security.

He seemed unaware that most U.S. aid to Mexico is for the Merida Initiative, which replicates our own failed drug war inside Mexico. The idea that Mexico could be coerced into enforcing US immigration laws is unrealistic.

Neither candidate proposed anything which would allow the millions of families in the United States with individuals without legal residency to become more secure.

The responses by these nominees suggest that, in 2014, voters are again presented with candidates who will attack each other as if there are significant differences between them, yet neither candidate presents policies which could address the problems faced by voters.

While Barrow claims that gerrymandering has made the leadership of both major parties either products or prisoners of hyperpartisanship, I believe the election system which makes the participation of smaller parties nearly impossible also contributes to an unworkable political system.

Recordings of the debate and sources for this column are available at http://bit.ly/GA12Debate.

Chamber from the 800-person-capacity Islamic Center. By several accounts, hundreds were turned away who arrived on time. The Chronicle’s jihadi knife got them too.

Before the debate began, Columbia County Republican Party Chairman Dewey Galeas added fuel to outrage at Republican party tactics by refusing to take Dr. Fadel’s offered hand for a handshake. Inside there were discussions of these events and a question was asked about the threat of Islamophobia to the constitutional rights of US citizens that are supposed to exist despite race, creed, national origin, religion or polit-

ical belief. Here is the video of those remarks.

“The Insider” at the Metro Spirit concluded: When (talk radio show host Austin) Rhodes pressed Atkins to explain which candidate was uncomfortable with the Islamic Community Center as the venue, Atkins was honest.

“It was the Rick Allen campaign headquarters,” Atkins told Rhodes.

Someone in the Morris-Allen alliance decided that the images of knife-wielding terrorists beheading folks in Iraq would be a nice thing to pin on John Barrow, but they turned the law abid-

ing, honorable citizens in the Islamic Society into victims of a back-stabbing.

Newsprint won’t stanch the bleeding and electronic publication won’t heal the wound. The Chronicle‘s express might or might not get derailed at a guaranteed maximum price to its owners, but November 4 is Judgment Day when the voters decide whose political future is cut off.

Al M. Gray is a CSRA political activist with a background in Cost Recovery Accounting and a frequent speaker to the Augusta Commission on public policy reform

Disclaimer: The writer is the son of Dr. Hossam Fadel, one of the organizers of the event. He is also a member of the Columbia County Democratic Party (CCDP).

His views don’t reflect those of the event organizers, the Islamic Society of Augusta or the CCDP.

Al Gray from page 14

With no warning, Morris management took its newly-found jihadi knife and backstabbed host and moderator by forbidding Crawford from moderating.

The event was put into danger of cancellation. Barrow appeared at the side of the Islamic Society’s Dr. Hossam Fadel and denounced the Morris action. a Rick Allen was silent with the only response being the Allen campaign’s celebration of the “gotcha” moment of c capturing Barrow in the company of a s Muslim “cleric,” as they put it.

The debate was ‘saved’ by moving it to the less-than-200-person capacity of the Columbia County Commission

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

d

15

UPW FORUM COMMENTARY by Ayman Fadel

UrbanProWeekly - OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

16

WORSHIP

CHURCH Church briefs NEW LIFE WORSHIP CENTER 3550 Morgan Road, Hephzibah Tuesdays: Community Senior Activities. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Activities and refreshments for seniors age 55 and over. Free.

Wednesdays: Mid-Week Worship Service. 7:30 p.m. Speaker, Pastor Regina Harris.

Every Sunday: Sunday Worship Service. 11 a.m. Speaker, Pastor Claude Harris.

Oct. 13 - 31 Community Pumpkin Patch.

Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Pumpkins of all sizes will be available and field trips are welcome.

Oct. 17-18 Treasure Island 2-day Attic Sale. 8 a.m. each day in the New Life gymnasium. Clothing and much, much more. $25 vendor spots are available.

Oct. 24-26 32nd Church Anniversary Weekend.

Oct. 24: Evening service. 7 p.m.

Guest speaker Mother Dorothy Walden of House of God Church of God in Christ, Thomson, Ga. and guest psalmist Sara Jordan Powell.

Oct. 25: Family & Friends Day. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Food, fun, and fellowship.

Comedy Night. 7 p.m. Featuring Arlen “Griff” Griffin, Tommy Ingram, and Shebra Green. Tickets, $10.

Oct. 26: 11 a.m. service. Guest speaker Elder Claude Harris, Jr. Pastors Appreciation Banquet. 5 p.m. Gordon Club, Fort Gordon.

Guest speaker Bishop Leroy Emmanuel of Nassau, Bahamas.

Tickets $30.

For more information, call New Life at 706-796-7880.

Everfaithful Missionary Baptist Church 314 Sand Bar Ferry Road Augusta, Georgia 30901 (706) 722- 0553

Church School Sunday 9:25am Morning Worship Sunday 11am Evening Worship 6pm (1st & 3rd Sunday) Midday Prayer 12pm Wednesday Intercessory Prayer/Bible Study 6pm Wednesday

Bishop Rosa L. Williams, Pastor

Radio Broadcast: Sundays • WKZK 103.7 FM at 7:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Services 10 am Wednesday Services 7 pm 2070 Brown Road, Hephzibah, GA 30815 (706) 592-9221 | www.alwc.net

Good Shepherd Baptist Church

Rev. Clarence Moore, Pastor 1714 Olive Road / P. O. Box 141 (mailing address) Augusta, GA 30903 706/733-0341- Telephone/706/667-0205 – Fax E-mail address: admin@goodshepherdaugusta.org Web address: goodshepherdaugusta.org Rev. Clarence Moore Church Service: 7:45 & 11:00 a.m.

Church School: 9:45 a.m. / Prayer Service: 11:00 a.m. – Wednesday Bible Study: 9:00 a.m. - Saturday / 7:00 p.m. - Wednesday

Daily Morning Prayer

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Family Planning & Women’s Services Patients

Starting September 15, 2014 THERE WILL BE A NEW FEE REQUIREMENT AND ALL PATIENTS MUST PRESENT A PHOTO ID

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To qualify for a fee discount, you must provide proof of income.

Patients who do not provide proof of income will be expected to pay full fees at the time of the visit.

Accepted Forms of Payment • Cash • Debit /Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover) • Medicaid • Peach care for Kids • Amerigroup, Peach State, WellCare

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

ATTENTION

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Hallelujah

for HEALTH

Benefit All Star Line-up Harmony River Chorus

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 7:00 p.m.

The Kroc Center Admission Free For more information, please call Gwendolyn Durnell at 706-312-3179

Beulah Grove Baptist Church Choir Minister John Hobbs, Vocalist Bright Stars Marvin Cummings, Guitarist Robert Reid, Guitarist Oasis of Blessing Church Choir

Spring Hill Baptist Church Choir Mistress of Ceremonies Kimberely Scott WJBF Channel 6 Anchor

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 • OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

ARE YOU AT RISK?

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UrbanProWeekly - OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2014

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THE LAW OFFICE OF

Frails & Wilson

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Experienced Representation

Randolph Frails

Real Estate Transactions Personal Injury Wrongful Death Business Litigation Probate • Domestic Medical Malpractice Fire & Burn Injuries Kelli J. Spencer Aimee Pickett Sanders Edwin Wilson To u g h P r o b l e m s N e e d To u g h L a w y e r s

211 Pleasant Home Road • Suite A1 • Augusta, GA • 706-855-6715 • www.frailswilsonlaw.com

IRS or State Tax Problems?

Don’t be taken by some of the companies you see on TV. Many will take upfront fees before they even know the extent of your tax problems.

And, more often than not, they will do very little to resolve your case.

Make the smart choice with Tax Wize Financial for all of your income tax needs.

(706) 305-1412 “Admitted to practice before the Internal Revenue Service”

At Tax Wize Financial, as a part of our initial free consultation, we will conduct an in depth analysis of your account with the IRS or State agency to determine the extent of your tax problems. After we have determined what courses of action should be taken to resolve your problems we will outline the services for you and provide you with an estimated cost for those services.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: • Preparation and filing of federal current and past years tax returns, including all necessary states.

• Negotiating the release of wage garnishments, levies, liens and other intrusive IRS actions.

• Installment Agreements • Offer-In-Compromise • IRS audit examination preparation and representation.

Just to name a few!