Newspaper Page Text
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LEGAL
black bi
suit charg
B Failure to honor low bidder
lands county in hot water with
national minority business
advocacy lawfirm — wider
class-action suit hinted.
By Frederick J. Benjamin, Sr.
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
A small minority business is suing Rich
mond County for its failure to follow through
with its policy of awarding contracts to the
lowest bidder. Uniformals Unlimited, a small
minority-owned firm, was the low bidder for
a contract to supply the Richmond County
Fire Department
with uniforms. The County faces
bid, however, was
awarded to Sidney’s Cha”enge by
Department Store .
& Uniforms, Inc., eXpe”enCßd
the second lowest i Y
bdl LS ater affl.rmat'n{e
Uniformal declined gction ||t|ga[o[s
8 COMPIrOMISe OffOr commimmmmt i
to share the contract with the larger firm.
“Richmond County has a legal obligation to
go with the lowest bidder,” said Rodney
Strong, attorney for Wayne and Karlton
Howard, owners of Uniformals. “The con
tract should have been awarded to
Uniformals. We demand that the county com
pensate the Howards for their loss.”
Mr. Strong went on to say that the treat
ment received by the Howard’s is indicative
of the way the county deals with minority
vendors in general. A recent disparity study
funded by the county indicated that 98 per
cent of the county’s business is awarded to
firms headed by white males.
In September, 1994, the Richmond County
See LAWSUIT, page 3
INSIDE
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FOR GQODNESS SAKE
| NEW
SPORTS
FEATURE
Expanded
' Sports
Coverage
Il Pages 10-11
Love
Letters
Post _Offlce
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stamp. See
Artßeat, p. 6
Your local newspaper sponsored by your local grocer
~Jan. 26 - Feb. 1, 1995 VOL. XIV NO. 684
Metro Augusta's Finest Weekly Newspaper
S now the time for
CONSOLIDATION ?
#M._TT,, Frodorkl(ki. !'. e G si e e
AUGUSTA
It’s official. After weeks of
informal discussions with busi
ness, political and civic lead
ers across the county, Senator
Charles W. Walker has for
mally introduced a consolida
tion plan that would, if imple
mented, boost the population
of the city of Augusta from
45,000 to over 180,000. At a
news conference on Thursday
in Atlanta, Senator Walker
spoke of the merger with a
sense of urgency.
“Acceptance of this plan af
fords us the opportunity to be
recognized as the second larg
est urban center in Georgia,”
Mr. Walker said. “If we fail to
seize the moment, we run the
risk of becoming an industrial
wasteland while neighboring
Columbia County realizes all
of the economic development
and population growth.”
Back in Augusta the mood is
one ofcautious optimism. Con
solidation plans are not a nov
elty this time of the year. For
the past several years various
consolidation plans have been
floated in the General Assem
bly, but none has been able to
gain the backing of the major
ity of the House members and
the two state senators. Propo
nentsare hopeful that this year
will be different.
Joseph Greene, a professor
in the School of Business Ad-
By Clarissa Walker
The Black Panthers ride again
Jomandi Productions pays homage to Huey P. Newton and the Black Panther Party
A brigade of soldiers in black berets stand
with raised fists clenched, chanting, “Many men
are missing lunch, hating is what they do!” Their
mission is to rescue the dying blacks in their
communities, “by any means necessary.” These
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Wl A LY
THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY was the quint
essential black militant organization of the
19605. Jomandi Productions presents The
Rise and Fall of Huey P. Newton and
the Black Panther Party at Atlanta’s
14th Street Playhouse until Feb. 12.
CITY AND COUNTY
“If the black
community can be
assured there won'’t
be a dilution in
representation, | think
they will support
consolidation.”
- Joseph Greene,
professor, A.C. School of
Business Administration
ministration at Augusta Col
lege, agrees that the threat of
unfair representation has
turned many blacks away from
consolidation.
“If the black community can
be assured there won’t be a dilu
tion in representation, I think
they will support consolidation,”
said Joseph Greene, a professor
in the School of Business Ad
ministration at Augusta Col
lege. Mr. Greene is the author
of a book on economic empower
ment in the black community.
Attorney David Watkins feels
that the time for consolidation
is past due. He, too, cautions
against language in any consol
idation that will remind blacks
of previous failed attempts that
were not perceived as advanta
geous to blacks and other so
cially disadvantaged groups.
In the past, tll}e key objection
to consolidation came from the
minority community. A success
ful referendum on the issue was
unable to pass muster at the
U.S. Justice Department which
refused preclearance under the
authority granted it by the Vot
ing Rights Act. It was felt that
previous plans had the effect of
diluting minority voting
strength. Minority elected offi
cials currently hold seven of the
13 seats on the Augusta City
Council. They control four of
the eight seats on the county
commission. The fear is that
blacks will lose significant po
litical power under a consoli
dated government.
Blacks, however, are far less
fearful of a consolidated gov
ernment thanin previous years.
Fred Calloway, a local black
businessman, feels that, despite
the large numbers of black elect
ed officials, blacks would lose
little under a consolidated gov
ernment because their present
power is more apparent than
real. Recently, blacks on the
Augusta City Council were un
able to implement a disparity
sstudy to underscore the prob
lem that blacks have in landing
city contracts. This, despite the
majority status on council.
Mr. Calloway said he supports
the idea of a new government
that will rectify unfair partici
pation experienced by minori
ties in county business. Al-
See CONSOLIDATION, page 3
revolutionaries are the cast members of Jomandi
Productions Servant of the People: The rise and
fall of Huey P. Newton and the Black Panther
Party. This unforgettable performance features
talents like Taurean Blacque, formerly Detective
Neal Washington on Hill Street Blues, and Tho
mas Byrd, soon to be seen on Spike Lee’s Clockers.
The play will be held nightly until Feb. 12 at
Atlanta’s 14th Street Playhouse. Playwright Rob
ert Alexander has created a masterwork that
allows his audience to access the motivations of
the individuals who participated in the move
ment. Alexander’s research left him several rendi
tions and perspectives on how things unfolded
within the Black Panther Party.
“... Writing this play was akin to putting togeth
er a collage of impressions,” he said. “The scope of
the final collage I came away with reflects the
impressions ofthose I had access to.” Rejecting the
more sensational images projected by the media —
the black clothing, weapons, and violence —the
play emphasizes accomplishments of the Party.
The BPP’s free breakfast for children program, the
accredited elementary school, and the free health
clinics were all vital parts of the Panthers’ mis
sion.
Alexander says, “... The media brought me those
first images of the Panthers, that distorted and
destroyed all that the party stood for.” Scenes
staged in the Panthers’ headquarters gave the
See PANTHERS, page 7
MR. 808 HENNEBERGER
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New book reveals confession
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A CLOSER LOOK
wrecks the school lunch prs?'gmragr;nq?
Is baby drunk?
She could be
suffering from
water intoxication
Milwaukee
A lot of babies are getting drunk in their cribs.
They aren’t born boozers. They didn’t inheritan addic-
tion from an alcoholic
mother. And they aren’t
being fed beer, wine or
any other alcoholic bev
erage.
They're suffering
from a little-known but
fairly common infant
ailment called “water
intoxication.” And
though no one has ever
been charged with driv
ing under the influence
of water, this form of intoxication has made countless
babies sick enough to be hospitalized.
But because the illness is not known, it is often misd -
agnosed. So reported cases of water intoxication are fc -
and far between, even though it probably sickens tho
sands of tiny tots every yearin all parts of the count+v a 1 |
especially in poor areas.
The most common cause is salt-free or low-sodium
bottled water, often fed to infants to supplement their
milk or formula diets. In children under 6 months old,
bottled water can reduce sodium levels in the body and
induce seizures. Other symptoms of water intoxication
include altered mental states, irritability, drowsiness,
tremors, edema and hypothermia.
Many babies exhibit one or more of these symptoms
after their milk or formula has been diluted with commer
cial bottled drinking water, often advertised as good for
infants and usually costing much less than baby formulas
or juices. Because it usually sells for less than $1 a gallon,
bottled water is often used in poor neighborhoods as a
dietary supplement for infants.
Water intoxication was first diagnosed and reported by
a physician in 1967, although it may have existed for
many years previously. And many physicians, including
experienced pediatricians, are still unaware of its symp
toms and treatment.
Last year, two cases of water intoxication were correctly
See WATER, page 9
Walker bill
alker hill says,
stay in school
or lose bhenefits
ATLANTA
State Senator Charles W. Walker of Augusta has
sponsored legislation that would require children
whose families are on welfare to remain in school or
face a partial loss of benefits. '
Walker said that Senate Bill 119 would make
school attendance mandatory for children under the
age of 18. He said the legislation is aimed at reduc
ing the number of dropouts and curtailing the wel
fare cycle. The legislation allows for exemptions for
medical reasons or other hardships.
“This legislation is designed to encourage the
children to stay in school and to encourage their
parents to see that they do,” Walker said. “The
education of these children is so important and is
really the key to breaking the welfare cycle that we
hear so much about. I helieve that the key to the
economic survival of a people is the education of
their children. I hope this bill is the first step in our
effort to march toward welfare reform in Georgia.”
Mr. Walker feels that such a complex issue as
welfare reform needs to be approached from a pos
itive standpoint. “This bill does that,” he said.
Reports of water
intoxication have
been steadily in
creasing over the
past two decades.
Too much water can
be hazardous to a
baby’s health.