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Days Back Yonder
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Attracted by low rent and the
unmistakable urban character
of Augusta’s central business
district, some local entrepre
neurs are hoping to establish
themselves in the first wave of
a budding youth scene with an
alternative flavor.
By Rhonda Jones
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
“You can’t change the buying habits of
people that are already grown,” says David
Snellings, part owner of Infernal Racket
record store, and of the Capri all-ages club.
And that, say he and his partner Harry
Grimes, is why the “revitalization” of down
town will happen only if merchants realize
people under 21 are an important market.
“Businesses that cater to older people just
are not going to fly,” said Mr. Snellings. The
kids, he said, aren’t set in their ways, and
are looking for somewhere, other than the
mall, to hang out.
“They’ve (mall merchants) gotten this con
' See DOWNTOWN, page 3
Group helps the forgotten victims
By Rhonda Y. Maree
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer :
AUGUSTA
They’re the forgotten victims — friends and
family of incarcerated people — who, for the
most part, have no where to turn for.support.
Gerry Nail, whose son has been in prison for
seven years, wanted to change that. Frustrated
with her fruitless search for organized groups
offering support for friends and family members
with incarcerated loved ones, Ms. Nail recently
founded Beyond the Bars.
“I searched for years trying to find a support
group like this, but I couldn’t find one solely
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EIGHTH STREET NEAR ELLIS - DOWNTOWN AUGUSTA Photo by Jimmy Carter
There's nothing like city life. Coffee shops
and night sounds call to the young.
there just for people to help each other cope,”
Ms. Nail said. “I started the group out of my own
need, but going to prison to visit my son, | know
some of the other people who are there visiting
are feeling the same pain I am.”
The first meeting of Beyond the Bars proved
Ms. Nail right. Nearly 30 people showed up at
St. Joseph Hospital last Thursday with a need
to talk with others who know the hardships of
having someone they care about behind bars.
“I don’t think anyone truly understands the
pain unless they’ve experienced it themselves,”
Ms. Nail said.
For too many people with friends or family in
prison, the turmoil they experience is rarely
files suit against
Compton player, coach
B Referee accused of
racism goes on the
offensive to protect
his family and clear
his name. Lawsuit
alleges malicious
prosecution, slander
and civil rights
violations.
SANTA MONICA, Ca.
(AP) A white referee who was
punched and accused of using a
racial epithet by a black high
school football player filed a law
suit against the player, his coach
and a teammate.
The lawsuit by Kevin Smotrys
accuses the defendants of as
sault and battery, malicious
prosecution, false imprison
ment, abuse of process, slander,
violationof civil rights and emo
tional distress.
Kumasi Simmons, 16, was
videotaped as he struck
Simmons during an Oct. 20
game between Compton’s Cen
voiced.
“Most people are so ashamed that they prefer
other people not know about. It’s anembarrass
ing place to be because your loved one has
harmed someone,” Ms. Nail said.
Although she believes in the need for a sup
port group such as Beyond the Bars, Ms. Nail
said it’s important not to belittle the grief of the
recognized victims.
“In the formation of this group, we are in no
way advocating the denial of pain and suffering
of the recognized victims of crimes, but at the
same time, we can’t deny our own pain,” she
See VICTIMS, page 4
- Smotrys denied
using the epithet.
Beverly Hills
- players, 16 of
- whom were
black, also denied
~ hearing it.
tennial High School and
Beverly Hills High School.
A call to the office of Leo
Terrell, the attorney represent
ing Simmons and teammate
Vincent Brooks, was not imme
diately returned late Monday
afternoon. ‘A call to the coach,
Compton Mayor Omar Brad
ley, rang unanswered at
Compton city offices. Also
named in the suit were the city
of Compton and the school dis
trict.
Simmons and several other
players later claimed Smotrys
had used a racial epithet in
reference to him and other black
Compton players.
Smotrys denied using the ep
ithet. Beverly Hills players,
16 of whom were black, also
denied hearing it.
Smotrys said he filed the
lawsuit last Tuesday after
his 4-year-old daughter was
accosted by preschool class
mates who said her father
was a racist.
“T just felt like I had to do
something to protect my fam
ily in all of this. I have to
clear my name and so we’ve
filed suit,” Smotrys said in a
statement issued Monday by
his attorney, David DiJulio.
Smotrys also is defending
himself against a civil law
suit filed by Brooks and
Simmons.
“Wewanted toavoid litiga
tion, but after Brooks’ and
Simmons’ attorney an
nounced that the had filed
suit against my client, we
were forced to respond,”
Did Julio said.
Did Julio said alegal defense
fund has been set up for
Smotrys to defray legal ex
penses that already have
reached $20,000.
MR. 808 HENNEBERGER
GEORGIA NEWSPAPER
UNIVERSITY OF GA
ATHENS GA 30602 12/31/99
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Celebrity bachelor auction
to benefit The Male Room
See Page 5
COLISEUM AUTHORITY
Old rules won’t
apply to new
civic center GM
B The search is
on for a new civic
center manager.
By Rhonda Y. Maree
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Augusta-Richmond
County Coliseum Author
ity Chairman Ernie Bow
man said he’s learned his
lesson from the civic cen
ter general manager ca
tastrophe.
“I made a special effort
to get Wendy Oglesby
hired, and I learned my
lesson from that,” Mr. Bow
man said. Citing a “hostile
work environment,” Ms.
Oglesby quit her general
manager job after only sev
en months and has sued
the Authority, as well as
Mr. Bowman personally.
“I went out on a limb to
get her here because, from
the information we had, I
thought we were getting
the best,” Mr. Bowman
said.
Although he said he’s
pleased with the facility’s
operation under acting
manager Linda Roberts’
leadership, Mr. Bowman
said he’s carrying out the
wishes of the Authority to
fill the position soon. But
he wants some changes to
help prevent another hard
ship for the civic center.
“Everybody is stressing
not to micro-manage, but
you can’t let one person
come into a multi-million
dollar organization and not
ever question what they’re
doing,” he said of the pow
er Ms. Oglesby demanded.
“We basically just rolled
over and gave her the au
thority she asked for, and
we got nothing for it,” he
added.
Mr. Bowman also wants
King’s widow says
hlacks need share
of Super-Bowl cash
PHOENIX
(AP) The widow of slain
civil rights leader Martin
Luther King Jr. took the
Phoenix metropolitan
area to task Friday over
complaints that black
businesses are being left
out of Super Bowl vendor
contracts.
Noting that this city’s
Super Bowl motto is
“Share the Warmth,”
Coretta Scott King said
Phoenix can’t do that “un
less yousharethe wealth.”
“There has to be fair
ness and justice before you
can achieve a spirit of in
terracial unity,” King said
in a speech delivered to
about 3,000 attendees of
the 10th annual Martin
Luther King Jr. Breakfast
at the Phoenix Civic Pla
za.
King was reacting to
complaints from some
black businesses herethat
they were being left out of
Super Bowl profit sharing.
But officials of the Su
per Bowl Host Committee
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
NO. 302
AUGUSTA, GA
to assure that the next gen
eral manager be required
to work at least 12 months
before taking a vacation,
unlike Ms. Oglesby.
Although they've just
started advertising the va
“We basically
just rolled over
and gave her
the authority she
asked for, and
we got nothing
for it.”
—Ernie Bowman
Coliseum Authority
Chairman
cancy in national trade
magazines, Mr. Bowman
said he’s already gotten re
sumes and phone calls from
locals about the job.
“I've got people contact
ing me personally, but
they’ve got no building ex
perience,” he said. “Some
have worked for
Westinghouse. Some are
in the catering business.
None of them have the ex
perience they need, but
they all claim they have
ideas for how to generate
money.”
Despite these unsolicit
ed inquiries and controver
sy surrounding the civic
center, Mr. Bowman is con
fident the national adver
tisement, which runs until
Feb. 15 for $1,500, will gen
erate top-notch candidates.
“There are qualified peo
ple who are desperate for
work. We just have to be
careful of who we hire,” he
said.
The Authority will dis
cuss applicants and other
issues related to filling the
position atits Feb. 20 meet
ing.
said minority companies
had been awarded 10 per
cent ofthe $450,000 worth
of Super Bowl vendor con
tracts awarded and about
halfofthose companies are
owned by blacks.
“It’s important for peo
ple to check and do re
search,” said Jim Steeg,
the NFL’s executive direc
tor of special events, add
ing that every effort has
been made to include mi
nority businesses in the
Super Bowl.
And Bill Shover, chair
man of the Super Bowl
XXX Host Committee, said
the panel tried to draw
minority businesses.
“We offered contracts to
minorities. Some couldn’t
do the work, others didn’t
respond,” Shover said. “We
tried toreach out and deal.
Some of our minority busi
nesses don’t have the ca
pacity — just aren’t large
enough to set up large
tents and other things
that we needed.”