Augusta focus. ([Augusta, Ga.) 198?-current, January 05, 1995, Image 1

Augusta focus., January 05, 1995, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Textviolence in u.s. A “’ wsﬁ 'i.»fnl \J | Byivs {\ X/ F ,:f oy : y 3 LA 5 3 i 4 l’ ~ 'f"’. : ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION ‘Rib King’ Sconyers “ flips Handy - a little bone B Unholy alliance feeds rumors that Freddie Handy has sold his political soul for political handouts and future paybacks. By Frederick J. Benjamin Sr. AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer AUGUSTA Richmond County Commissioner Freddie Lee Handy is either a shrewd political wheeler dealer or a damned fool. Handy’s endorse ment of Larry Sconyers for commission chair man delivered the chairmanship to Mr. Sconyers on a silver platter and earned Mr. Handy the enmity of former political allies and nearly all segments of the black commu nity. Few politicians can afford to go out on such a limb. Freddie Lee Handy is not one of them. Never have the fortunes of one politician plummeted so swiftly as those of Freddie Lee Handy when it was rumored a couple of weeks ago that he would place Mr. Sconyers’ name in nomination for the chairmanship. But, after Tuesday’s vote, where Mr. Handy went on record to support Mr. Sconyers, Mr. Handy has collected scorn and abusive epi thets by the truckload. The big question on everyone’s mind is, ‘why’? On that question, Mr. Handy’s own written response raises more questions that it answers. For instance, Mr. Handy says that he has been assured that Larry Sconyers will work aggressively for a plan that will give minori ties a “greater opportunity to share in the contracts let by the Richmond County Com mission.” Those assurances are in the form of “train ing sessions” for small businesses on how to do business with the county. This same pro- See HANDY, page 3 ST B il s _*%»-,;.» -: ». e y . 4 i * -g: ~/ b. i '}_ African Chil@ren’s Ghoir | smembers raise voices ax;gg PR R Lol FPI AR L WRPTTOIEER Y§o 1 A S See ARTheat page 6 eil csistmemeresinssinms B International News ..........cccoeviiiinnnn 2 DL Ii O B People ....c.cvvininnnnssinsssnsnnssssssnsisnsrsnsnc BRI iiisisnnimssssniinina 8 @ A Closer Look / OPED ..........ccocco..e. 9 B ARTREEL it B Aroind TOWR i iivniiisnisissnnmneniis B B Living Better..........occinsnnscensniniinnna 11 B SPIFIt coveinienieinnninnnsenssnisssssscssininens 12 B SPOIES ..coocunnnacnnsmismsssnassssssnssssussnsnsnne 13 B Employment ......coccovcvniniinnnnnns 14215 BRI ... ooiiinencsiiiiniosniisivisiining B Hrager January 5-11, 1995 VOL. XIV NO. 681 | Metro Augusta's Finest Weekly Newspaper | In the minds of many in the community . .. Handy takes a dive B Black community incensed at commissioner’s support for affirmative action opponent. By Rhonda Y. Maree AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer AUGUSTA A seemingly nervous grin plas tered Richmond County Commis sioner Freddie Handy’s face for the entirety of Tueday’s meetings. Judging by people’s reactions to | his vote that secured Commissioner Larry Sconyers the 1995 commis sion chairmanship, whoin turn nomi nated Mr. Handy for vice chairman, his nervousness is justified. The only black commissioner who voted for Mr. Sconyers, whois white, Mr. Handy faces the wrath of the black community that has been rag ing since his position on a minority business ordinance became question able and his relationship with Mr. Sconyers, who sabotaged the minor ity business ordinance, grew cozier. This coziness has left Mr. Handy See COMMISSION, page 3 The Handyman and the downtown bankers By Frederick J. Benjamin Sr. AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer AUGUSTA Freddie Lee Handy has al ways said that, as a business man, it is not wise for him to be upsetting the bankers down town. After all, one must apply for and obtain loans if one is to succeed in business. Anyone who has had his eye on money and politics in the Augusta area knows of the pow erful business relationship be tween Bankers First and Wil liam S. Morris 111, publisher of The Augusta Chronicle.lnanut shell, when Morris needs cash, he is one customer that really is put first. Sowhat has this got todo with Freddie Lee Handy? Nothing THE KING LEGACY King family in lonely fight for control of fallen hero’s legacy B Furor over control of Martin Luther King Jr. tourist industry have created impression that King family is interested more in profits than posterity. By Mar¢ Rice Associated Press Writer ATLANTA Almost 27 years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, a fight over a tourist attraction has revealed there are limits to his hometown’s once unswerving adulation for the King family name. At the heart of the dispute are plans by the Your local newspaper sponsored by your local grocer. LT FOCUS A et el 5 VN - )_‘ ¥ i o 3 4f} e .- ¥ . & @ 4 { 4 'IL v \ * El -:“‘ ? ” - . s ?g‘ 3\ 3 - g et oy T . & 5 ~ 48 ' e Commissioner Handy refused to talk to the : mediaq, but released a " 4 printed explanation W : A T ol j really — unless you want to read something into a few facts. Fact Number One: Freddie Lee Handy at the end of August, 1994 voted against the idea of relocating the Science and Dis covery Center from Fort Gor don to the downtown location. Fact Number Two: Billy Morris, former Discovery Cen ter board member, owns the downtown site proposed for the Discovery Center. Mr. Morris wants the center down there on his property. Fact Number Three: Monty Olsteen, chairman of the board of Bankers First is a big backer of Billy Morris and has a vested interest in riverfront develop ment projects. Fact Number Four: Freddie Lee Handy had been trying un successfully to get a bank loan, according to reliable sources. Facl Number Five: Less than twenty-four hours after the ini tial vote, Mr. Handy voted again, this time in favor of relocating the Discovery Center to a down town location. Fact Number Six: In less than a week, Mr. Handy was able to pay $55,000 cash for the property where hisradio station is housed. The money was obtained from a $53,000 loan offered to him the same day from Bankers First. Mr. Handy must repay the loan by March 2, 1995. The above facts speak for them selves of the connection between powerful business and political interests and a financially chal lenged e.ected official. National Park Service for an sll.B million King themed visitors center across from the King Center in the Atlanta neighborhood where King grew up. The King family opposes the project and wants to build and sell tickets to its own museum on the site. As the feud escalated last week, the family ban ished the park service — which has been conducting tours on King property for 11 years — from King’s birth home and the King Center, where the civil rights leader’s tomb sits. That did not sit well with elected officials and neighborhood business leaders who helped draw up the park service plan. The park service already has acquired the land from the city of Atlanta in a deal approved by Congress, and local officials want the center open before the 1996 Olympics. “The King Center, or Mrs. King, somehow got the notion that they’re the only ones who have the right, MR. 808 HENNEBERGER GEORGIA NEWSPAPER u_'su,omzﬂtcs UNIVERSITY OF GA , PAID N 0.302 ATHENS GA 30602 12/31/99 ) AUGUSTA, GA * . w ® . . & . . ¢ “f o 721908 LRN A nh‘ﬁ}vﬁf?‘ i e QUS| : A e o AU 2 (e S SR R Q> i 1 *;_ ‘,"'z‘ g \‘ .-},‘e:‘: ‘* L i \v\‘ as ™ i Y g Ao . LM S S R b Consolidation blueprint set for discussion B Walker ‘white paper’ designed to solicit input from business, government and public on merger issues between city and county governments. By Frederick J. Benjamin Sr. AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer During the current session of the General Assembly at least two bills addressing the need to boost the population of the city of Augusta will be introduced. “We have two options — either consolidation or massive annex ation,” said Senator Charles W. Walker who plans to oftfer both types of bills during the 1995 session. The rough outline of the consoli dation plan has been released to the media. Mr. Walker has conducted informal meetings with local business, political and com munity organizations. “What is needed is a consensus,” Mr. Walker said. “We must continue to discuss the broad principles and get as mutch consensus as we can. We cannot depend on elected officials to carry the water,” he said. The main principles of the plan call for: M A mayor/chairman elected at-large by at least 40 percent plurality vote B A 10-member non-partisan governing body. Eight members will be drawn from the current school board districts and two will be elected at-large from combined districts. M The Sheriff of Richmond County would be the chief law enforcement officer. M The Fire Chief of the City of Augusta would be the chief fire fighter. B All existing city and county authorities or commis sions would be abolished and re-established. B A Water Authority would be established M A Law Department would be established M All department heads positions would be abol ished. New job descriptions and qualifications would be established. All department heads would be candidates for rehiring, however. M All public employees would maintain their jobs along with existing benefits. Minority and women firms would be treated in accordance with the provisions of the recently completed Richmond County disparity study. B Top administrative candidates must possess a 5- year degree. Other items call for a transition government to be selected by a committee composed of members appointed by the legislative delegation, the city council and the county commission. The 9-member transition govern- See CONSOLIDATION, page 3 “My father didn’t leave money. He didn’t leave a lot of resources. He left his character, his integrity. So we’re going so fight for that.” — Dexter King The family insists its opposition has nothing to do with hoped-for museum profits or its unsuccessful request that the park service raise the annual fee it paid for tour rights from $500,000 to $1.5 million. “It’s a matter of principle ... it's a matter of taking control of our destiny,” said Dexter King, a son of the civil rights leader and incoming chairman of the King Center. “My father didn’t leave money. He didn’t leave a lot of resources. He left his character, his integrity,” King said. See KING, page 2 AUGUSTA | et A | e WALKER: Two bills will be entered. divine or otherwise, to do something with interpret ing Dr. King’s life and ac complishments,” said state Rep. Bob Holmes, D-At lanta, a political science pro fessor at the historically black Clark-Atlanta Uni versity. “People have given them deference since 1968,” Holmes said. “Now, people arethinkingin termsoftheir community and they will not let them have their way. ... I think that’s over.”