Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

%a Y TIME OUT ; VX Y 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 < See ARTheat page 6 ® International/National News ............ 2 WIS NS ... N B s W ARTOOOL ......occvcoiinivmniitbillosiicell i, B 9 W 8AR1R................0n s hicosiboniis i B WAV LR ..cciviiiiiiiiiibna B Wi TS TTR R e R ® Around Town (Ca1endar)................. 13 W e B Employment .........ccceurnvnrerninneness. 16168 W ORI it FOR GQODNESS SAKE | NEW SPORTS FEATURE Expanded ' Sports Coverage Il Pages 10-11 Love Letters Post _Offlce i 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 P ” & \d *%/ :% i vt '\,A:' 4 L 4 ‘ % g 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 BULK RATE GEORGIA NEWSPAPER US. POSTAGE ATHENS GA 30602 123199 | | AUGUSTA, GA (NATIONAL New book reveals confession by MLK’s Memphis lover SEsssssnunnannnnnnnnnan 500 Page 2 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.