UPW Urban Pro Weekly

UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY

Q&A with Westside’s coach DAVID BRADBERRY ROBERT “FLASH” GORDON weighs in on the James Brown Arena tif

SEPTEMBER 7 - 20, 2017 • VOL. 6 NO. 22

Hardie’s Gambit

by Frederick Benjamin Sr

The JB Arena Controversy Did poor timing scuttle an innovative idea

SOGO a no-go?

By Ken Makin, Makin’ A Difference

Thoughts on the JB Arena & Regency Mall

By Karen Gordon, Garden City Jazz

Comcast Spectra

The force behind the James Brown Arena profits

Regency Mall debate takes a predictable turn.

South Augustans, however, want that new JB Arena

COMMUNITY

UrbanProWeekly - SEPTEMBER 7 - 22, 2017

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Bulletin Board

HAPPENINGS

New Perspectives on the 1954 Brown Decision and Fighting Racism Now!

Attorney Ben Allen

Activist attorney Benjamin Allen will be the guest speaker for the monthly Senior Luncheon at Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History on September 13, 2017, from 11:30 am – 1 pm. Atty. Allen will address the current relevance of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education and how to combat racism in today’s social and political climate.

An Augusta native and protégé of the noted, late jurist John H. Ruffin, Mr. Allen has served as representative for Georgia

State House District 117; and, as a judge for the Augusta Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court.

This event is part of a year-long celebration of the centennial anniversary of the Augusta Chapter of the NAACP. The branch was initiated in the home of Miss Lucy Craft Laney, February 1917. The cost of the luncheon is $11.00. Reservations are required by close of business, Monday, September 11. Please call 706-724-3576 for further information; or visit website at www. lucycraftlaneymuseum.com

SportsView

Second Saturday Community Breakfast SAT., SEPT. 9, 9:00 AM Jamestown Community Center 3647 Karleen Rd Hephzibah, GA 30815 Main Topics of Discussion •The Confederate Monuments •The new Coliseum location proposal at the Old Regency Mall •The upcoming 2018 City Budget •Keeping Augusta Clean & Beautiful Great food to eat and valuable community knowledge.

Bring a friend or two!!

This breakfast is sponsored by Commissioner Sias.

(706) 564-9436 / (706) 840-5240 Sammie Sias Sandridge Community Association, Inc (706) 840-5240

A Candid Conversation with Hardie Davis

Harlem’s Aaliyah Johnson serves the ball during a volleyball game against Westside at the Patriots gym.

Westside defeated the Bulldogs 2-0 in the final score. (September 5, 2017 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs

UPW Urban Pro Weekly Hephzibah, GA 30815

URBAN PRO WEEKLY Publisher URBAN PRO WEEKLY MEDIA 706-306-4647 urbanpromedia@yahoo.com

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

What: CSRA Business League A Candid Conversation with Augusta - Richmond County Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. When: Tuesday, 26 September 2017, 5:30 - 7:30 pm (Doors open at 5:30 and the seminar will begin at 6:00) Where: Augusta - Richmond County Public Library, 823 Telfair Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901 Cost:Free | Register at: https:// w w w.eventbrite.com/e/csra-business-league-presents-a-candid-conversation-with-mayor-hardie-davisjr-tickets-37492830064 Refreshments will be served

Contributors VINCENT HOBBS Photography & New Media KEN MAKIN contributing columnist

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Hardie’s gambit As the tip of the spear in the effort to win the James Brown Arena for South Augusta, Mayor Hardie Davis has calculated that he can survive the initial impact and go on the defensive with the voters of South Augusta playing the role of the cavalry.

Either it is a bonehead play or political genius.

One thing is certain — the cat is out of the bag. South Augustans feel that they are very close to getting an entertainment complex that the rest of the city feels is a bad investment.

On top of that, South Augustans perceive that, once again, they are being told that they are not worthy.

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Staff Writer AUGUSTA No doubt about it. It was a gansta move.

Augusta mayor Hardie Davis outf lanked the hapless Augusta ‘Coliseum Authority leadership and engineered a “palace coup” to put his #SOGO agenda squarely on top of the table.

And while the howls of “foul” and “disgraceful” could be heard all the way to Tobacco Road and points south, Davis can sit back and bob and weave as the slings and arrows speed in his direction — unfazed.

He’ll get his South Augusta plumb — whether in the form of a new James Brown Arena or some equally ambitious (and expensive) alternative because he has learned how to execute his schemes by first

doing his homework and lining up political support.

There is great political support in South Augusta for moving the James Brown Arena from downtown to somewhere south of Gordon Highway (SOGO).

Davis has the support of the Coliseum Authority board majority.

Davis has the support of at least five Augusta commissioners who represent in whole or part South Augusta neighborhoods.

Plus, his vote as a tie-breaker on the commission is his trump card.

Whether it was his plan or not.

The scathing denunciations of, not just the mayor, but of South Augusta in general has led to a groundswell of resistance from South Augustans whose battle cry is “We Want The James Brown Arena!”

Moving the James Brown to South Augusta, whether at the Regency

Mayor Hardie Davis Favors Regency Mall site.

Cedric Johnson, Coliseum Authority Chairman, favors downtown site.

Robert “Flash” Gordon, former Gen. Mgr. Civic Center favors Regency Mall site.

Mall site or some other site, will most definitely be an issue in the upcoming election cycle where the mayorship and two important South Augusta commission seats are up for grabs.

And certainly the suggestion that moving the arena to Regency Mall site is the dumbest, most idiotic business decision of the millennium is a notion the South Augustans would embrace as a badge of honor if they could get that brand new facility and not have to drive all the way downtown to get their groove on.

The notion that building a $120 million entertainment complex would not spur investment in and around the project is nonsensical to South Augustans who know that huge projects have positive economic consequences.

The issue of whether moving the J.B. Arena to SOHO will hurt or hinder downtown development is not an issue that South Augusta cares that much about. The issues of whether the mayor engineered the 4-2 vote of the Coliseum Authority through murky back channels is not an issue that South Augusta cares that much about.

UrbanProWeekly • SEPTEMBER 7 - 20, 2017

POLITICAL ANALYSIS

UrbanProWeekly - SEPTEMBER 7 - 22, 2017

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Southside residents, leaders favor SOGO site for JB Arena

The proposal to build a new James Brown Arena on the site of the old Regency Mall in South Augusta has ignited a firestorm of support and criticism. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. Urban Pro Weekly Staff Writer AUGUSTA Angela Burnett is a Southside homeowner who feels slighted when folks talk bad about South Augusta.

“South Augusta has been neglected for so long, I could care less about any “deal” that was made, if it means that something is going to happen here.”

The “deal” refers to the alleged shenanigans that Mayor Hardie engaged in to “engineer” a 4-2 vote by the Augusta Richmond County Coliseum Authority that decided that the former Regency Mall site would be a great fit for the new $120 million James Brown Arena.

And if, for whatever reason, the arena is not built somewhere in South Augusta, the “neglect” will once again become a reality.

While proponents of building the new stadium somewhere downtown will produce a $140,000 study that

recommends building the stadium downtown and point to the millions of dollars that are finally beginning to flow with regularity to the downtown region, what South Augusta residents hear is, it would be a waste of moneys to put the new arena in South Augusta.

Six months ago, putting the arena in South Augusta would have been considered a pipe dream, but today, it is a reality.

At least, South Augustans are beginning to envision what it could mean for their part of town.

“I think locating the arena at Regency Mall is a great idea. It’s good that someone is thinking about South Augusta. An arena would do well there,” Burnett continued.

Someone is thinking about South Augusta. It’s that simple. Or so it seems.

“I think it would be a great idea.

It’s good that South Augusta could be included. A lot of things would

happen,” Robert “Flash” Gordon told UrbanProWeekly.

Gordon is a past general manager of the civic center complex downtown. He is also owns businesses on Broad Street as well as Gordon Highway.

Mayor Hardie Davis has taken the lead role in lobbying for a South Augusta site and he is bound to take a political hit from the downtown and West Augusta sectors that supported his mayoral candidacy.

But Davis apparently has the support of a majority of the Coliseum Authority and his support on the commission, though conditional, could easily increase.

Commissioner Ben Hasan favors a South Augusta location despite reservations he has about the lack of clarity surrounding the proposal that is currently being discussed.

“There are too many loose ends,” Hasan told UPW. “The roll-out could have been better, especially after the

controversy hit,” he said.

Commissioners Marion Williams, Andrew Jefferson and Dennis Williams have voiced support for a Southside location for the new arena, but realize that the work now has to be done by the Coliseum Authority.

It will be a while before anything meaningful comes before the Augusta commission.

The key players at this point become the Coliseum Authority members. While the Authority leadership including Chairman Cedric Johnson and Vice-Chairman Brad Usry are solidly against the Regency Mall location, four other members appear to be committed to following through with the South Augusta location.

The members who voted in favor of the Southside location include Booker Roberson, Linda Edney-Wiley, Bonita Jenkins and Darren Smith.

John Kelly voted in favor of downtown and Johnson doesn’t have a vote.

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JB ARENA — THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

Innovative idea ignites criticism due to poor planning

A

side from talk of hurricanes, both near and far, the most popular story in Augusta these days is about a proposal to build the new James Brown Arena at the old Regency Mall property.

Personally, I think city leaders should move forward with that idea. It provides true economic opportunity to a section of town that has virtually been forgotten.

If only it were that simple.

The proposal has been complicated, not only because of the inner workings of local politics, but also because of details within the proposal that provide more questions than answers.

Taking all of this into consideration, it is time to present the good, the bad and the ugly of the proposal to build the new James Brown Arena in South Augusta.

THE GOOD Again, building the James Brown Arena (JBA) at the old Regency Mall property provides South Augusta with a true economic opportunity that has not been seen in the area in

decades.

Literally every section of Augusta has experienced some type of revitalization — except South Augusta.

The Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center will be in downtown Augusta, which will only boost an area that is seemingly always under the public eye. West Augusta is flourishing because so much of the area is adjacent to Columbia County.

Even East Augusta has the promise of improving infrastructure and gentrification — excuse me, I meant the rise of pricey homes in the midst of formerly blighted neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, South Augusta can’t keep a Kroger, and before you say downtown can’t either, at least it has the Medical District. South Augusta is just a desert.

The new JBA can be the start of something big. It can have an effect from its roots at the intersection of Deans Bridge Road and Gordon Highway, and travel up through Peach Orchard Road, Windsor Spring Road and Tobacco Road.

Imagine a supplementary entertainment facility at Diamond Lakes — something like an

amphitheater for outdoor concerts, or a commitment to a huge childfriendly play place that could draw folks from out of town and out of state.

I believe it would all be possible, if it wasn’t for…

THE BAD The burden of responsibility for the controversy surrounding this proposal rests on the shoulders of one man — Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis.

Mayor Davis has been on the frontline regarding this proposal the entire way, from an email applauding the Coliseum’s (fourth-quarter) decision to build the arena on the Regency Mall property, to holding a press conference at the Municipal Building to talk about the “visionary” plan.

Visionary?

Perhaps.

Airtight?

Unfortunately, no. And that’s heartbreaking.

The city doesn’t even own the land that it wants to build the arena on, which reads like a recipe for failure.

It’s reminiscent of the controversy that surrounded the TEE Center and

adjacent parking deck deal.

Now, here’s another important question relating to local leadership — where were the commissioners in all of this?

It appears as if they were more than comfortable allowing Mayor Davis to take the heat, which makes sense upon a review of their working history.

Commissioners have complained in the past that the mayor worked in a spirit of autonomy and secrecy — “solo dolo,” if you will.

Still, this political climate and ill will does nothing to help the people of Augusta, particularly those in South Augusta. This collective failure of leadership is a bad sign for the city overall.

In the next edition, I›ll talk about the ugly. This is a commentary that you DON›T want to miss!

Ken J. Makin is the founder of “Makin’ A Difference.” The podcast is available at soundcloud.com/ makinadifference. He can be reached via email at makinadifferenceshow@ gmail.com or via text at (803) 2702331. Past and present columns can be viewed at VersesAndTiles.com.

Comcast-powered management juggernaut is key to high-arena profits The Augusta Entertainment Complex is coming off of two record-breaking years at the box office. The variety and financial success of the shows at the James Brown Arena and the Bell Auditorium are due, in no small part, to Spectra (formerly Global Spectrum), the firm that the Coliseum Authority contracts with to manage and run the facilities.

Unlike in previous years, Chris Bird, Spectra’s when city employees attempted Augusta General to manage the enterprise, the Manager has precurrent firm, which is owned sided over the com- by Comcast Spectacor has the plex’s recent finanexperience, the network and the cial success. cash to plug any aspiring venue The parent company into their nationwide sports and named the Augusta entertainment juggernaut.

Entertainment comHere’s how Spectra defines plex the Small Venue what they do for their clients: of the Year.

“We are focused on the details

behind every event, so our clients can enjoy how they all come together. We transform events into great experiences through creative entrepreneurship, innovative techniques and best-inclass service that touch every aspect of the live event experience. Through our expansive scope of integrated services and marketing expertise, we provide our partners with the best resources to generate revenue and drive the bottom line.”

That’s not bad.

What Spectrum does for Augusta, it does for over 300 other entertainment/sports venues.

Spectra provides venue management, food services & hospitality, ticketing & fan engagement, and corporate partnership solutions to its clients.

Augusta is reaping the rewards of that arrangement. This year, the Augusta Entertainment Complex was named Small Venue of the Year by Spectra. For the second consecutive year, the Augusta Entertainment Complex recorded the most successful fiscal year in its history. The Spectra venue also lowered its operating costs for the third consecutive year.

During the 2016-17 fiscal year, Spectra hosted 129 events, and 33 more events than the previous year. According to the trade publication, Venues Today, The Bell Auditorium ranked fifth throughout Georgia in gross ticket sales for the 2016 fiscal year.

The complex made a $804,672 profit in the most recent fiscal.

In the previous fiscal year the

profits were $668,034 according to Coliseum Vice Chair Brad Usry.

Spectra’s Chris Bird, who serves as General Manager at the Augusta Entertainment Complex, was also nominated for the Ed Snider Award, which was established to honor the company’s late chairman, Ed Snider, who passed away in April of 2016. “The award recognizes an individual that embodies Ed’s entrepreneurial spirit and his devotion to philanthropy – the fundamentals that Spectra was built upon.”

Bird sits on several local boards including United Way, Southeastern Burn Foundation, Westobou Festival, and this past year was a participant in The Leukemia Lymphoma Society Man of the Year campaign.

UrbanProWeekly • SEPTEMBER 7 - 20, 2017

MAKIN’ A DIFFERENCE COMMENTARY by Ken Makin

UrbanProWeekly - SEPTEMBER 7 - 22, 2017

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“Keep Things Positive and Uplifting”

Westside High School Athletic Director and volleyball coach David Bradberry. Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

Q & A with Westside’s David Bradberry Interview by VINCENT HOBBS

You’ve been an educator for the past 22 years in the Richmond County School System. Why did you decide to become a teacher?

I come from a family of teachers, so I always knew I’d eventually teach once I played out my extended childhood. My grandfather was the principal at Murphey Junior High in the 1960s and into the 1970s, my grandmother taught during that same time at Bayvale Elementary, and my parents were both music teachers, so it’s in the bloodline I suppose.

The volleyball team members simply call him “Bradberry”. Recently named as Athletic Director for Westside High School, David Bradberry is the sort of laid-back coach who is endlessly teaching, advising and encouraging his team members to push forward to do great things. While some sports coaches might be seen angrily yelling at players or slamming a clipboard down on the floor, Bradberry is the essence of chill. And his approach works - easily seen in the respect given to him by When did you start at Westside the student-athletes who work hard to and which subjects do you teach? compete effectively in every game.

I began teaching at Westside in

2007 after spending seven years at Cross Creek and my first five years at Glenn Hills. I teach AP United States History, United States History, and a Humanities class that doubles as preparation for our Academic Decathlon team which I sponsor and coach.

Westside Athletic Director and basketball coach Marvin Fields retired at the end of the 20162017 school year and you were named as the new AD. Tell us about your reaction when you were asked to fill this role.

Our principal, Elizabeth Schad, came to my classroom one day last May and closed the door. I imme-

diately thought “what have I said or done that’s caused her to close my door like this!” It turns out that Coach Fields had recently informed her that he was going to retire and that he had recommended me as his replacement to be the Athletic Director. I was absolutely honored that he would suggest that I take on this role. Coach Fields has an encyclopedic knowledge of the ins and outs of the GHSA and its rules, and he was always the first resource I would seek out when I had questions as a coach.

Thankfully, he lives right down the street from me!

Continued on page 7

7 UrbanProWeekly • SEPTEMBER 7 - 20, 2017

Westside High School Athletic Director and volleyball coach David Bradberry instructs the team during a recent game.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

BRADBERRY from page 6 You are currently the head coach for both volleyball and tennis. These sports don’t normally get a lot of recognition overall, yet these student-athletes work just as hard as the students participating in high-profile sports, such as football and basketball.

As a coach, you’ve led the volleyball team to several area/regional titles. What is the significance of coaching these young athletes to you?

To the athletes I coach, their sports are just as significant as the higher profile sports, and I treat them that way as well. Winning a region title or a few rounds in the state playoffs is a noteworthy achievement no matter the sport, and our goals are always to go as

far as we can push ourselves.

In some ways, the so-called minor sports have been the more successful ones in recent years, and we certainly take pride in that, in addition to offering our support to all of the programs at Westside. Most of the girls who play volleyball play at least one other sport at Westside. In fact, most of our athletes play multiple sports, so it’s important to support and recognize their achievements regardless of the season or the audience.

What are some of your goals for the Westside athletic program?

As the new AD, I see my primary role as supporting our coaches and student-athletes in any way

I can. I’d like to see our football program improve and return to being more competitive. Our staff has worked to increase the number of young men playing football this year to over 50, so that’s certainly a good sign. I’d also like to see the number of students playing sports increase in general. Our numbers are up in volleyball and cross country this year. Also, our new basketball coach, John Gordon, has generated some positive buzz since he arrived on campus, and my hopes are that participation in spring sports will also increase.

If a budget were of no concern, what sort of programs you would like to initiate for student-athletes at Westside?

I just wish there was more financial support for the programs we have currently. Our Booster Club works very hard to support all of our programs, but it’s difficult in these days of budget cuts and staff reductions.

What can the community do to help support these teams?

Support our student-athletes and coaches not only when things are going well - but more importantly, when they are not. Keep things positive and uplifting. It’s easy to be an armchair quarterback, but the real reward in athletics, and in life, comes, as Theodore Roosevelt once said, if you’re the “man in the arena”, not the perpetual critic.

UrbanProWeekly - SEPTEMBER 7 - 22, 2017

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GARDEN CITY JAZZ

COMMENTARY by Karen Gordon

Thoughts on James Brown Arena & Regency JBA to Regency?

I feel strongly that our Mayor & Coliseum Authority misstepped (is that a word?) in the way they announced the proposal to build the new JBA at Regency Mall. I serve on the Downtown Advisory Panel (since 2015), and for the past ten years, I have been a champion for the music scene, for independently owned businesses, artists, and the like, in our central business district. New to the game, of course. Yet my conviction is strong.

Y’all know my deal. I’m all downtown. All day. Broad Street, Sky City, Humanitree House, and Whiskey Bar are just a few of my favorite things…

I also live in South Augusta. Grew up here. And after the past 25 or so years of living in the metropolitan areas of North Augusta and Aiken, I’m back in the 30815. #worldwidetour I’m no economist. I just play the piano. But I did take a class once, and I stayed at a Holiday Inn last year, so….

But even I grow tired of repeating the same line dance every 8 years.

“Downtown is on the cusp of greatness” Three steps forward. Two steps back. Slide to the left. “We’re doing better than we’ve ever done before” Right. But so am I. Truth is, if I handled a few things differently, then I could be doing a lot better. Three steps forward.

Two steps back. Slide to the right.

I want our entire community (downtown, #SOGO, Laney Walker – Bethlehem, Harrisburg, etc…) to begin to prosper. (& for Summerville, West Augusta, Midtown to continue to do

so). But prosperity is not a black & white issue. There are so many gray areas. For me, it’s all gray.

I suggest that we take a little time, dig a little deeper, and seek understanding. That’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s been a challenge for me to look at this without bias. When I heard the announcement, I immediately said “it’s not gonna work…. it’s a lastditch, half-assed effort to throw South Augusta a bone. It’d be cool, but if not executed properly, worst thing ever.”

However, comma….

The interesting thing about visionaries is that most won’t ‘catch it’ until decades/lifetimes later. Is JBA to Regency a visionary move? I don’t know. I’m just someone who wants to see us WIN. I want many voices to be heard – not just the loudest ones or even the ones that I hang out with on the weekends for beverages and merriment (er, I mean… work). I want us to paint with ALL of the colors.

I also know that this feels like (correction: suburban) flight… again. The same thing that happened decades ago when the stores left Broad Street in favor of the malls. And that’s hurtful.

It’s tough to see that coming and just sit idly. Downtown deserves better.

Augusta deserves better. And we are bigger than a single segment of our community.

So, yes. Act. Speak. But also listen. *But (arena move or no) how about we just make DT attractive? How about we put street lights on Ellis & Jones?

How about we cut rampant vegeta-

tion on overgrown lots – City property? How about we ‘encourage’ private owners to maintain what, I’m sure, are existing covenants for their property?

How about we enforce that, so that our central business district can be something that ALL of our residents and visitors (not just the millennial flavor of the week) can appreciate? Thanks for the talk, David Walker.

The arena is gonna be the arena, wherever it is located. Let’s talk about the fact that, by the time many of the shows are over at JBA, all the downtown restaurants are closed. If you’re hungry, I hope you like Huddle House, with the hour wait and sh*tty service.

When do we talk about THAT? Thank God for Knuckle Sandwiches.

If we are serious about courting millennials & tourists, then when do we talk about the fact that most everything downtown is closed on Sundays & Mondays? When are we going to get serious about looking at our Bible Belt ordinances and the assumptions that the bulk of our population is in church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings – that all of our families with children operate on the County school calendar .. or that our workforce operates on a traditional 9-to-5 workweek?

When do we talk about public education in Richmond County? Are we really content to continue to graduate young people whose sole aspirations upon receipt of their diplomas is to get the hell out of Augusta?

I just think we need to be open and honest. I believe we need to ask our-

selves some tough questions. Yes, ask the Mayor and the Coliseum Authority, for sure, about THEIR motivation for moving the JBA to Regency. Ask for the plan, request the projections – by all means. Please be reminded that half-drawn out plans and projects get approved all the time with a lot less scrutiny than this. We need to question OUR motivation as well. Why do we continue to do the same things and expect different results?

Personally, I’m not gung ho about the fact that we’re talking leasing and improving/maintaining someone else’s private property and then having to negotiate its purchase – haven’t been from the start. But we built the Reynolds Street parking deck on private property, and somehow, the apocalypse has not come. No flying monkeys yet, right?

Dig deep. Let’s keep talking. And listening. (*I’m sure that this will require the cursory feasibility study, but whatever.)

FINAL NOTE… because I hate to be the guy bringing attention to problems without solutions, I say… meet me at the Commissioners’ Breakfast. on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m at Jamestown Community Center. And let’s figure some sh*t out. Together.

[soundtrack to this post. “Lyne’s Joint” Russell Gunn]

This article first appeared on the Garden City Jazz web log.

Women’s empowerment gets a boost when we support one another

BY LAFRANCE HUDSPETH Throughout the 19th Century and currently, the rights and equality of women has always been an evolving issue. Many generations of our women have had many obstacles come before them.

To illustrate some of the obstacles,women had to fight to be able to receive the same education as men, it literally took years for women to gain the rights of employment, and the right to earn the compensation according to our profession, not our sex. Although those obstacles were

overcome by many women who come before us, they also achieved many adversities such as, battling for 70 years for the 19th Amendment to be ratified, increasing women’s representation in government and the right to own and manage property in our own name.

With there being so many goals already achieved as women, why do we persist on antagonizing each other?

In my opinion, people base their judgment on their personal insecurities day-to-day towards one another.

We need to continue to support one another to increase opportunities for growth within all of our women and

especially in our black communities.

Overtime and today, we as women have had to fight to prove that our voice matters. Now, there are many women whose focus is to eliminate another woman’s voice in any possible way.

However in defense, we have a women’s support blog/group “Real Talk Girl Talk” with Mone Wallace.

Her message deeply touched me while speaking with her. Mone’s mission with “Real Talk Girl Talk” is “ to help women ignite the passion from the pain and turn it into purpose” for our women here in our community and

our women as a whole. Mone’s “why” derives from being the girl who lost her voice. According to Mone, “who was once that girl who went through so much that she felt she would never be anything.’ Now she has found her voice and she is determined to help unite women.

As women, we have a significant impact in creating the world we live in today. Perhaps, if we focused together on the powers we withhold internally and learn to use them as energy, I am optimistic that the change women could make alone could lead us in a positive direction.

This is holy ground!

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HERMAN “SKIP” MASON, JR. Pastor, Trinity C.M.E. Church k , “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the r lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from r the hand of the Philistine. Saul said to David” Go, y and the Lord be with you.” 1st Samuel t Since its establishment by a group of enslaved t African Americans in 1840, the Lord has always s been with Trinity CME Church (once known n as Colored Methodist, now Christian Methodist e Episcopal). Its history is unparalled and unmatched d in the city as a Methodist denomination that came out of St. John United Methodist Church. t The founder of Paine College, Lucius Holsey, g was a former pastor and the college’s first graduae tion was held in Trinity.

- The church has elected bishops, hosted world - leaders, mass meetings, soup kitchens and prot vided the community with spiritual presence and n stability. e The Godfather of Soul, James Brown called g Trinity his home church and was a frequent visitor and contributor. Photographs show him engaged d with the children of the church. Lore has it he practiced on the old church piano as a teenager e sneaking into one of the windows. Brown’s father ) was buried from Trinity and the church is a part of the James Brown tour. e Last year the Georgia Historical Society s unveiled a historic marker designating its histore ic importance not only in Augusta or Georgia but n the country and now the giant Atlanta Gas Lights n wants to demolish it after committing to help to e move it.

The old church building on the corner of 8th and Taylor Street near downtown Augusta has s withstood the test of time including over 20 U.S. Presidents, 8 wars, floods, devastation and ground contamination caused by the irresponsible acts of e the Atlanta Gas Company very early in the 1900s.

I understand the soil contamination is real. The real facts are the unknown members and persons in the community who suffered during the 1900s from this negligence.

While the company did compensate the church, ” and the church built a new edifice, please t understand that it did not do the church a favor. o The church was forced to leave its home for over h 150 years. r Today those who love and support the church, r its history and what it means to the city, finds itself p once again in a “David vs Goliath” situation with Atlanta Gas Light Company, who has reneged on t its word to assist in relocating the building across n the street. They vowed to work with the Augusta r Canal Authority and others in the community so y that it can be repurposed, renovated and stand, m not like Confederate monuments that line the n streets of the country, including Augusta, harking a on an evil and perilous time in our country, but stand as a testament to freedom, hope and com-

munity cooperation.

I urge the Augusta Historic Preservation Commission, the Mayor and the Augusta Commissioners and other stakeholders to support the Augusta Canal efforts, deny the application for demolition and work together to save this testament of faith and get the church moved.

There are now historic churches in hurricane ravaged Houston and other areas that are under

water and destroyed due to natural calamities. But here is a church, an institution that is still standing that represents a rich history, a once vibrant community and epoch of Augusta’s history that deserves to be saved and not demolished.

Let Mother Trinity stand as a testament to life, liberty and freedom. In the words of James Weldon Johnson “may she forever stand, true to our God. True to our native land!”

RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Bond Issue Program

B-17-005-3756 T.W. JOSEY HIGH SCHOOL ADDITIONS AND RENOVATIONS

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Sealed proposals from Contractors will be received for the T.W. JOSEY HIGH SCHOOL ADDITION AND RENOVATIONS, PROJECT #B-17-005-3756 by the County Board of Education of Richmond County at the address below until 3:00 p.m. local time, September 26, 2017, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read. No extension of the bidding period will be made.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held September 12, 2017 @ 10:00 A.M. local time in the Board Conference Room, Richmond County Board of Education, 864 Broad Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901.

Drawings and project manual on this work may be examined at the Department of Maintenance and Facilities, Richmond County Board of Education, 1781 15th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901.

Bidding documents may be obtained at the Office of the Architect: DICKINSON ARCHITECTS, P.C., 771 BROAD STREET, SUITE 200, AUGUSTA, GA 30901. Applications for documents together with refundable deposit of $150.00 per set should be filed promptly with the Architect. Bidding material will be forwarded (shipping charges collect) as soon as possible. The full amount of deposit for one set will be refunded to each prime contractor who submits a bona fide bid upon return of such set in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bids. All other deposits will be refunded with deductions approximating cost of reproduction of documents upon return of same in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bid.

Contract, if awarded, will be on a lump sum basis. No bid may be withdrawn for 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 the base bid. Personal checks, certified checks, letters of credit, etc., are not acceptable. The successful bidder will be required to furnish performance and payment bonds in an amount equal to 100% of the contract price.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities.

BID LIST: The Richmond County Board of Education maintains a bid list for many categories that are let for bid each year. If your company wishes to remain on our bid list, we must receive a response either through a bid or by a no bid response. If we do not receive a response, your company’s name will be removed from our bid list. Please call the bid office at 706-826-1298 if 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 with GMK Associates at (706) 826-1127 for location to review and obtain this database.

Bids shall be submitted and addressed to: Dr. Angela Pringle County Board of Education of Richmond County Administrative Office 864 Broad Street, 4th Floor Augusta, Georgia 30901

UrbanProWeekly • SEPTEMBER 7 - 20, 2017

Relocate Mother Trinity CME Church and let her sta

UrbanProWeekly - SEPTEMBER 7 - 22, 2017

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Alumni and Friends Chefs Showcase Augusta Mini Theatre Arts and Life Skills School presents 16th annual Alumni and Friends Chefs Showcase Sunday, October 22, 2017 • 2 pm Robert Howard Community Center at Diamond Lakes 103 Diamond Lakes Way – Hephzibah, GA

Notice to the Public Augusta Housing Authority *Property Owners and Agents*

FEATURING 25 CHEFS, CATERERS AND RESTAURANTS. For more information visit www.augustaminitheatre.com or 2548 Deans Bridge Road – Augusta, GA 30906 or call 706-722-0598.

Arts in the Heart Festival Badges on sale now

The 37th Annual Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival, presented by the Greater Augusta Arts Council and the City of Augusta, announces advanced badge sales for festival admission.

Badges became available starting on August 8 at State Bank locations, Vintage Ooollee in downtown Augusta, and at New Moon in Aiken.

You can also buy tickets online at www.artsintheheartofaugusta.com, which will be redeemable for badges at festival ticket gates. Badges are good for the entire weekend of the festival and cost $7 in advance, $12 at

the gate.

Festivities will take place at the Augusta Common. The Festival will comprise the Global Food Village with authentic international foods from 25 countries; a Fine Arts and Crafts Market with over 130 juried fine arts and crafts booths; an interactive Family Area; a Young Artists Market where school-aged artists sell their work; five stages stacked with live local and regional talent, and a craft beer garden. Stage schedules, fine arts and crafts market lineup, and global village menus available soon!

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY The Richmond County School System will accept bids and request for proposals until 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 11, 2017, for the following: 1. Band Instruments RFQ#17-791 2. Grass Management RFP #2017-016 3. Handheld Calculators RFQ#17-793 4. Pole Vault Pit for Glenn Hills High School RFQ #17-794 5. Spirit Creek Window Replacement RFP#2017-022 Bid specifications may be obtained by contacting Cecilia Perkins in the Business Office at perkice@boe.richmond.k12.ga.us or 706-826-1298, on our web site at www.rcboe.org/bids, or at Richmond County School System, Central Office 864 Broad Street, 4th Floor, Augusta, GA 30901.

The Housing Authority of the City of Augusta, Georgia is currently seeking property owners and agents in the Augusta-Richmond County area for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. If you have property that you are interested in renting, we may be able to assist you by listing your property on the Section 8 Availability List and at www.gosection8.com. To qualify for this program, the property must be located in Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia and must meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Quality Standards.

Below are the current rental rates that are paid for assisted units under the HCV Program: Maximum Rents 1-Bdrm $400.00 - $490.00 2-Bdrm $500.00 - $560.00 3-Bdrm $650.00 - $745.00 4-Bdrm $745.00 - $850.00 2-Bdrm

30907 Zip Code ONLY $550.00 - $670.00 3-Bdrm

The Augusta Housing Authority encourages you to please visit our website at www.augustapha.org to view the Landlord Briefing Packet. This packet provides rules and guidelines for landlords and agents participating in the HCV Program. If you have any questions, please contact Sirena P. Rogers, Director of Administration, at 706-312-3112 or srogers@augustapha.org.

Equal Housing Opportunity The Housing Authority of the City of Augusta, Georgia By: Jacob L. Oglesby, Executive Director

MEDICAL VILLA PHARMACY WE TAKE

• Georgia medicaid • Insurance plans • Charge cards • WIC vouchers

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

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY By: Dr. Angela D. Pringle, Secretary

$650.00 - $795.00

Marshall Curtis, Pharmacist/Owner Baron Curtis, Pharmacist

FREE DELIVERY SERVICE

706-722-7355

Stress Physical Inactivity amily History of Cardiovascular disease Obesity Stress Physical Inactivity Diabetes Family History of Cardiovascular disease High Blood Pressure Obesity Diabetes High Cholesterol High Blood Pressure Cigarette Smoking High Cholesterol Cigarette Smoking

HEART ATTACK • BRAIN ATTACK • PREVENT ATTACK East Central Health District HEART ATTACK • BRAIN ATTACK • PREVENT ATTACK Hypertension Management Outreach Program East Central Health District Hypertension Management Outreach Program

Richmond County Richmond County Health Department 706.721.5800 Richmond County 706.721.5800 706.721.5800 www.ecphd.com

UrbanProWeekly • SEPTEMBER 7 - 20, 2017

ARE YOU AT RISK?

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UrbanProWeekly - SEPTEMBER 7 - 22, 2017

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Get Homeownership Ready • Don’t Let Credit Stop You!

&Truth Institute

&Truth Institute Call Now To Discuss Your Options!

706-627-1886

706-627-1886