Newspaper Page Text
Meeting ends in deadlock
R ———————
From page one
TDR eIR D
vorite candidate, awarding the
seat to the person with the most
votes, be that three, four, or five.
A lengthy argument ensued
over the proper way to vote, dur
ing which School Board Attorney
Pete Fletcher reminded Mr.
Jefferson that, in order to win, a
candidate has toreceive six votes.
This, he said, is according to the
Georgia Code of Law.
Trustee Y.N. Myers shifted in
his seat. “Sometimes we use the
Charter, sometimes we use the
Georgia Code ... Which will it
be?”
Mr. Jetferson insisted that, ifa
candidate has toreceive six votes,
instead of just the most votes, to
win, many of the principals the
board had hired are “null and
void.”
Red-faced, Mr. Echols leaned
forward and chided his fellow
trustees for arguing over the
method when they were faced
with such a decision.
. “That’s a very eloquent speech
~ Mr. Jefferson said.
“It wasn’t meant to be elo
guent,” the president retorted.
y The vice president leaned back
in his seat. “I was under the im
pression / had the floor.”
+ Mr. Fietcher then explained
that, if someone wins with less
xhan six votes, such as in a 4-3-3
ivote spread, it is not a legal ma
jority and may be rescinded at
-the next meeting. Mr. Jefferson
epened his hands. “Are we going
to use an elimination process
then? What are we going to do?”
.. One by one, the trustees asked
for clarification.
“Until you get down to one per
spn to vote on, noone can win,” Mr.
Hletcher said.
. Mr. Annis rolled his eyes. “l had
i mind we wouid vote yes ornoon
each candidate.”
~ ‘We just voted ona process,” Mr
Meyers said under his breath.
“President Ken, please explain -
what we'redoing,” Mr. Annissaid.
“Let Andrew explain, since he
seems to know so much. ...”
His voice grown hard, Mr.
Jefferson amended his original
idea — of giving the superinten
dent seat to the candidate with
the most votes — to skimming off
the top two for a further vote, so
that it would be possible for one
Introduction to the personal computer
Did you get your brand new
computer home to find you
don’t know what to do with it?
Presenting your personal cure
for technophobia: Introduction
tothe Personal Computer sem
inars presented by The Lucy
Craft Laney Museum of Black
History and Ideal Systems -
Computer Education, Training
and Services. Seminars will be
held on Saturday, September
30 at 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
and from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the
Lucy Craft Laney Museum at
1116 Phillips Street.
' Sybil Ward isthesenior train
er for Ideal Systems, a comput
ereducation and training com
pany. She has been involved
with technology and training
for almost twenty years, with
Lucy Craft Laney
Museum of Black History
"and Conference Center
- i 116 Phillips Street
' Augusta, Georgia 30901
5 (706, 724-3576
o 4
-' F @i j,i
%
Jeff Annis:
“If she was the superinten
dent, I’d have to resign ..
and move.”
candidate to get the required six.
Mr. Annis sat straight up.
“When I moved to do 14 first, I
thought Andrew was seconding
that motion, not making another
Papers shuffled. Mr. Echolsand
Mr. Fletcher leaned in on secre
tary Doris Parks as she doubled
back over her notes. When Mr.
Jefferson had seconded Mr. Annis’
motion to skip ahead to the “un
finished business” portion of the
agenda, he had added a condition.
Mr. Fletcher assured the board
that the move was legal.
“Real slick,” Mr. Echols mut
tered. “Real slick.”
“I make a motion to adjourn,
Mr. President,” Mr. Annis said.
Afterthe motion was defeated with
a 5-5 deadlock, he began to gather
his papers. Trustees Barbara
Padgett, Cherie Foster, and Ken
neth Echols followed suit, keeping
theireyes averted from the booing
audience as they left the room.
“Is that legal?” Mr. Jefferson
asked.
Mrs. Riley wanted toknowifthe
board could still vote, after which
Mr. Fletcher informed her that a
candidate would still need six votes
to win.
Mr. Jefferson implored Mr.
Fletcher to ask the others back in
side and, while he was gone, Mrs.
Riley leaned back in her seat and
stared into the shuffling audience.
“Along racial lines!” she declared.
“Mrs. Riley ... Mrs. Riley ...” Mr.
Jefferson said. The crowd became
louder and louder, then burst into
excited speech. Mr. Fletcher re
turned with the four frowning
experience teaching such tech
nical subjects as basic electron
ics and integrated communica
tions systems; design and devel
opment of interactive videodise
and computer based training;
and, for the past five years, per
sonal computer applications.
Three areas will be covered in
the seminars. The first topic will
be the hardware, the computer
system — its components and
what te lock for when you pur
chase a computer. This is an
overview of the system, from the
system case to the mouse. A
demonstration of equipment is
provided. The session is infor
mal, with answers to questions
from the audience.
The second subject covered will
August 1-
September 30, 1995
Saturday,
October 7, 1995
Saturday,
Sept. 30, 1995
October 1-31, 1995
On-Going Exhibits
Hours of Operation
Admission
Closer Look
trustees; Mr. Echols rapped with
the gavel and called the meeting
toorder. The spectators’ complain
ing softened to a grumble, and the
voting began.
“Smith,” Mr. Annis declared at
the sound of his name. The others
followed suit. When it was over,
the white trustees had cast their
votes for Dr. Smith, a white man.
The black trustees had voted for
Dr. Hattie Washington, a black
woman.
The board was locked.
“What a surprise,”muttered Mr.
Annis.
The week before, on The Austin
Rhodes Show, Mr. Annis had indi
cated that the black board mem
bers would vote for Dr. Washing
ton, and declared his distaste for
her. “If she was the superinten
dent, I'd have to resign .. and
move,” he'd said. He’d accused the
black trustees of being a bunch of
bureaucrats, and said Dr. Wash-
“Annis has done more damage to the
Richmond County school system than any
thousand people.”
— School Board Trustee Johnnie Jackson
ington was just like them.
The black trustees had been
asked, Tuesday night, if they had
yet decided who to vote for. Mr.
Stein, Mr. Meyers, and Mrs. Riley
maintained that they hadn’t yet
made up their minds. Trustees
Jackson and Jefferson simply
wouldn’t say.
Mr. Stein moved that the board
extend Dr. Larke’s stint as inter
im “until we can find a superin
tendent.” :
Again, a racial deadlock, with
blacks voting for and whites
against, and the motion was de
nied.
Trustee Johnnie Jackson shift
ed in his seat. “I've got some com
ments to make if 'm in order.” He
then accused Mr. Echols of lying
io the board, of “speaking with
forked tongue,” of “selling con
spiracy” on the airwaves. He said
the county might as well make it
known that “white only need ap
ply” for the Board of Education.
“Richmond County, you are tell
ing me, is not ready for a black
superintendent.
“Annis has done more damage to
the Richmond County school sys
tem than any thousand people,” he
declared to audience applause.
be the software on Windows and
how applications function in the
Windows environment. Fea
tured software includes products
from Microsoft Office: Word,
Excel, Power Point, and Access.
A demonstration of Microsoft
Publisher is also included.
The third topic covered will be
an introduction to online com
puting. The discussion will cov
er the purchase and use of mo
dems, setting up the hardware
and software, and selecting a
service provider. It includes a
demonstration of e-mail, elec
tronic file transfer, American
Online, the Internet, and the
World Wide Web.
For more information about the
seminars, please call (706) 724-
3576.
TARA GRAHAM
Fine Arts Exhibition
Senior, Augusta College
STORY TELLING
Margaret Ramsey &
Art Appreciation w/ Tara
10 a.m.-noon
COMPUTER WORKSHOP
Sybil Ward
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
ANNUAL QUILT SHOW
The Augusta Legacy
The Alice Davis Collection
Low-Country Lifestyles by
Joe Pickney
Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sat. & Sun. By Appt.
.75 for children
2.00 for adults
“Are the nominations closed?”
Mrs. Oglesby wanted to know. The
board voted whether to re-open
nominations. The white trustees
voted “yes”; the black trustees vot
ed “no.”
“Johnnie,” Mrs. Oglesby said to
Mr. Jackson, “I appreciate what
yousaid.” But,sheinsisteditdidn’t
make sense to “close [their] eyes”
to the remaining two candidates,
Dr’Linda Stelly and Dr. Edward
Warnick.
Mr. Annis moved to re-open the
nominations. Again, the same
vote. Mr. Stein moved to get on to
other business and come back to
the superintendent discussion lat
er. Over the din of shuffling spec
tators and the dismantling of tele
vision cameras, Mrs. Foster half
heartedly hailed the virtues of
“spending below the budget.”
Later, a remaining spectator
demanded tobe heard on theissue
of laying off teaching assistants,
refusing to bend to Mr. Echols’
loud raps with the gavel. “This
process is a joke,” she finally de
clared, and stormed out the side
door.
The night’s business complete,
Mrs. Riley chided her four col
leagues for having earlier walked
out of the meeting. Mrs. Foster
‘moved toreopen the nominations.
Mr. Annis named Dr. Stelly, a
black woman. Mrs. Foster second
ed. Mrs. Oglesby joined, for a total
of three in favor of Dr. Stelly,
seven against.
Mrs. Padgett nominated Dr.
Warnick, a white man. The board
locked again, with the white trust
ees voting in favor of him, and the
black trustees voting against. The
meeting adjourned.
Afterward, Mr. Jackson again
declared that the board had not
been well-led. “I mentioned that
in there tonight,” he said. When
asked if everyone had voted hon
estly, or if it had all come down to
politics and hurt feelings, he in
sisted that it was a “long, drawn
out story” that this reporter
wouldn’t understand.
“Personally,” Mr. Jefferson said,
“I voted from my heart. I can’t
speak for everyone else.”
[ED Tlplz ONLZIIT
) ' !
LIGJITED Uz @R
(‘r&' | ' r_‘:‘."\ ‘J ,
O b !.JJJ.UJJ : _fi_gj'_l)mz'l/
W o A
- &) fi DEE
i l i s , AVINGS.
SAVINGS. ‘el el $lO OFF
S3O-SBO __ cmmeu@fierar. LS Pager
OFF B N 0 X Activation
New Page V¥l ‘ 4 % Fed
by MOTOROLA @ ) ) S REgularly S2O
. | v NOW ONLY
3 iy :
' 7
RENEGADE by Mom CLASSIC by MOTOROLA e
e oY ok :
x«%fl‘ Save 30 2@ w 0 Save'tn (R
O i R ’ OV7 o
s 4’5 o , L XD )@ A
' i | (L
- b PRy T * 16 : ‘
*lO Message Slots iffiég il ~1 f’ ?:;Sél:?ci e
* Boep & Silent Vibration Alerts 4" ;;" 7 . ;Vlgssaqe Time stamping 2' :
Floquires Actiation & “Siartup Servics Pig" h"‘-t‘a-;({'.ij i _Rea wes Activation & “Stan-up Service Py’ o~
UL'I\"II?A EXPRESS trom moToROLA MEMO EXPRESS trom moToROLA
e |. O
t\%\:{ Save *3O — \«j;’gv-.i Save ‘BO ggm ,‘
0 @2:000 11-0! 324" Ooy ey bk b
341095 Pt 577 )95 [hlzer ok §
" TR ks Y -~ AT a 4
'5 ‘. 4B ‘ ‘»?(J b {{t, "'.'v“" ' e "d“,","‘,‘“ 7
* 16-20 Character Siots i imimmnarsaal | * Scrolling Text message e e "4,,4
* Five Musical Alerts £ * Five Musical Alerts i) T
* Message Time stamping Fequres Acvanon 4 8 * Message Time stamping Requires Adwaton &
* Clock with Alarm Statup Serace Phg” [ * Built in Alarm Clock *Stantup Service Prg”
' - 2
AUGUSTA, GA CHARLESTON, S.C.
(706) 869-1080 (803)766-5689
. 3328 Washington Rd. 1836 Ashlley River Rd.
s Messagi'ng S s MILLEDGEVILLE, GA s(;\v:;;mu\r;-.2 gi'A'
-800-477- e (912) 454-6594 912) 354-2231
Call 1-800-477-9778 for Additional LOL:MIO»IJW i e bt . 201 Ml B
FOCUS on some fine food!
Visit BL’s Restaurant at
1117 Laney Walker Blvd.
AUGUSTA FOCUS September 21, 1995
We’re all dvessed up for Fall
ARE T, 3: 7| * fall decorations , “%zs |3, f
.i A 7 e fall ceramics et
IR+ spookhouses il
2C G ARRG| @ fall doorpieces b
|ke :Y\ S p| © costumes and accessories |, -
. M N \\W * make up for kidsand -~ ||}
K\ Ll aduls
AT J@#, © party supplies ‘
{ ‘i@“\w’:\‘ ceramics and clay ¢
. S e i
- /{ | pumpk{{;‘s fy |
1/ ' ______; 4 Y
~ i o L
| il TN BN e
}1 | ' '/ ama, \/& MapN |
. f’ (T ) |
2 DN S
h ) w
7220796 .. 85R.0796 . .
s V R f\,
st
& 4
% N
\‘ @“N
—_ADOPT A CHILD
it takes a villiage to raise a child.”
Contact the Richmond County Department of
Family and Children Services at 721-3559, 721-
3540 or 721-3684.
Get FOCUSED! Subscribe
today by calling 724-7855
9