Newspaper Page Text
VOLLIWVME 17 No 230
™
< P
L P - 4
; ’ :
F .
F &4
" 4
Commission postpones tax vote
BCommissioners concerned
over distribution of tax fund.
By Miranda Gastiaburo
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
~ AUGUSTA
Commissioners decided
Tuesday to postpone mak
ing a decision on the pro
posed one-percent hotel
motel tax increase be
cause they want to know
more about to whom the
money will go and how it
will be used.
They objected to a pro
posal by Fort Discovery’s
chairman of the executive
committee, Paul S. Simon
that allotted set amounts
of money to specific orga
nizations for distinct pe
riods of time.
Commissionersare torn
as to which organizations
should be included for dis
tribution of the monies.
At least one commis
sioner was left wondering
where the black
community’s share wasin
Simon’s proposal.
“I want to see who the
money will be going to.
Distribution is the key,”
_said commissioner Henry
Brigham. “I think orga
nizations like the CSRA
Classic and the Lucy
Laney Museum should be
included—the historic
areas around Laney-
National black newspaper to relocate to Newark
WPublication will target black
households earning $50,000
or maore.
NEWARK, N.J.
(AP) A new national newspaper targeting middle
class black readers will shift its headquarters to New
ark from Baltimore by January, the newspaper’s
publisher said.
Donald L. Miller, chief executive officer and pub
lisher of Our World News, said last week the newspa
per ismoving because the business climate in Newark
is more accommodating, The Baltimore Sun reported
in today’s editions.
" “Newark is a lot more attractive and appealing,”
Miller told the newspaper. “It is an American city in
the midst of an exciting renaissance. Itisreally abetter
¥ o
A B The
~of -SR Best of
%mfi- w Y Y »
.., Regina
T 4, Wt
RTRES ' ¥ Vot A
RA g I}‘3“” & Be“e
RRt PO Story on
S N A
SR ‘:"“Qf?.i"«"“-:;f B, Page 1B
® National/International ..........s..cc..osrvereees 2A
®.Local/Regional News N SRR G Y
BPOODNS g i biy A
MO i B herienssimons ibiuinigonsd ORI
® Editorial/Opinidn ...............coovvveeeree. BAOA
> WLV B insssioivns 10ASTIA
8 Church News .......cccomsisreinres 12A-13A
ARG T i i it it 39
W ORINAr ... issviniirsisssisins 8B
@ Classified/Employment ................. 5B:7B
The World: Flooding claims thousands in Somalia - Page 2A
(ukre: Mumia Abu-Jamal tribute from death row - Page (B
= Augusta F
= Augusta Focus
Page 1B Serving Metropolitan Augusta, South Carolina and the Central Savannah River Area
Walker should be in
cluded in the distribu
tion,” he said. But on the
other hand, commis
sioner Ulmer Bridges dis
agrees with Brigham, “I
don’t think the CSRA
Classic or the 100 Black
Men of Augusta should
be included,” he said.
Other officials feel
there are wiser and more
profitable options than
giving the bulk of the
money to Fort Discovery.
City administrator Randy
Oliver said he feels the
Georgia Golf Hall of Fame
will generate the most
revenue from tourism for
Augusta. “So, I think the
money should go to the
Georgia Golf Hall of
Fame,” he said.
Commissioners were
also reluctant to allocate
specific amounts of the
money to be given annu
ally to any organizations.
Instead, they agreed
Tuesday to set up a sub
committeeinthe Augusta
Metropolitan Convention
and Visitors Bureau
(CVB) toreceiveand hold
the money until it is dis
bursed. This subcommit
tee will screen applicants
See TAXES, page 3A
City lawmakers reject master plan for
diverting hundreds of thousands of hotel
motel tax revenue to riverfront organizations.
Black community makes bid for its share.
‘:‘ ’ - J g b’ m"‘\ 5‘ :WT‘
: k i SO
\ - \\::*3
NLL R |
"N — ‘\ ot
‘ k. 4
. 4
Bullish on the Bears? ' '
wawmcnuflwmficncwwmchplmd%
Oprah Winfrey Show” in Chicago on Oct. 20, 1996. It was reported in the Chicago Sun-Times
recently that Jordan and Winfrey along with former Chicago Bears running back Walter
Payton are among a group hoping to buy the Bears. Not so says Oprah. Story on page 6A
(AP Photo/Harpo Productions, Steve Green)
venue for us and will be a.:smart move.”
Miller said the business climate in Baltimore was
not as accommodating. He said he found it difficult to
interest Maryland-based investors in the start-up
project.
Miller said only three percent of Baltimore’s house
holds are blacks earning $50,000-a-year or more—the
paper’s target subscribers.
By contrast, about 20 percent of the households in
the northern New Jersey-New York region are middle
class blacks, Miller said.
From its base in Newark,Qur World plans toexpand
to the greater Washington, D.C. area, where about
nine percent of the households are blacks earning
$50,000-a-year or more.
The newspaper is the first national weekly targeting
black readers since the mid-1980s, when the Philadel
NASA’s black
trail blazers
By Lillian Wan
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
Last month’s astronaut article noted the achieve
ments and path-paving ways of the first four Afri
can-American astronauts to fly on shuttle missions
in NASA history (see Augusta Foeus, Oct. 23, 1997
issue, page 9A.) They began their initial shuttle
flights in the 1980 s. This secaif Ert of the three
part series will report on the next three black astro
nauts who all began their space flights in the 19905.
The first black female astronaut notes Star
Trek influence
Dr. Mae C: Jemison, born in Decatur, Alabama,
was the first ever African-American female astro
naut in NASA history. She notes that she had always
- wanted to be involved in space exploration. When
this reporter asked about the previously published
reports about any influencebyStar Trek, Dr.Jemison
comments that, “... Lt. Uhura was a wonderful
affirmation of the possibilities that was open to us
(women).” Lt. Uhura, a major character in the
popular science fiction series Star Trek, was played
NOVEMBER 20 26 1997
phia-based National Leader tried to tap the market.
That publication lasted from May 1982 until February
1984, when it folded. :
“It’s been a tough nut to pull together, but it is going
to happen because of two things: persistence and
determination,” said Miller.
Nationwide, about 1.2 million black households
make $50,000 or more annually.
The venture has struck a deal with Gannett Co.,
publisher of USA Today and 89 local dailies, to print
the weekly and distribute it through its national
network of printing plants, Miller said.
He added that the four-color, two-section newspa
per. plans to cover a wide range of topics — including
international news, sports and politics — from a black
perspective.
The newspaper plans a circulation of about 100,000.
! i Y itjen, vl
i ;
|
i y
Dr. Bernard A Harris Jr.
by Nichelle Nichols in the original Star Trek series.
Dr. Jemison received a bachelor of science degree
in chemical engineering, fulfilled the requirements
foraß.A.in African and Afro-American Studies, and
earned a doctorate degree in medicine. She has also
worked in the areas of computer programming,
printed wiring board materials, computer magnetic
disc production, nuclear magnetic resonance spec
troscopy, and reproductive biology. She flew as the
science mission specialist on STS-47 in September of
1992. Though she flew on only one shuttle mission,
she is still very involved with space exploration. “I
have been working with the United Nations Office of
Outer Space Affairs to look at how technologies can
be used in developing countries and I'm very excited
F lD &
faces uphill climb
®
motel-tax windfall
By Owisty Allen
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff. Writer '
AUGUSTA
Earlier this year, officials from the National Science
Center’s Fort Discovery approached the Richmond
County Commission and requested $500,000 for five
years in operational funds, but were told that thecity’s
financial condition made that impossible.
On Tuesday, they tried again. Thistime, they sought
the lion’s share of a proposed one percent increase in
the city’s hotel/mopel tax. County commissioners,
howeveli;v:‘)r:dr.xot in an ”‘l’here’s no
“There’snowayinhell way in hell
I’m going to vote on this
issue with nothing on pa- I'm 90"‘9 to
per,” said commissioner yote on this
Willie Mays to Paul i h
Simon, chairman of the ISSU@ Wit
executive committee for nothi
Fort Discovery. Mr. » ng g
Simon attempted to PGPEer.
Prfis?ntmnwwe com- Commissioner
mission, would have Willie Mays
enabled the riverfront
center to pocket some $300,000 in hoped for tax
revenue.
Commissioners tabled the vote on the tax increase
without even considering a proposed spending plan
See FORT DISCOVERY, page 3A ‘
Complaint filed cver
Klan Halloween costumes
; : CLINTON, lowa
. /(AP) A former employee at a Clinton casino has
filed a complaint with the city’s Human Rights
Commission after property managers of the busi
ness allegedly dressed up in Ku Klux Klan cos
tumes as a Halloween joke.
Terry Freels, 42, said P.J. Anglin and Tina Kehl
wore the costumes on a landing next to the Missis
sippi Belle II prior to attending a Halloween party
in Dubuque.
“It’s just a stupid joke that we went to a party in
Dubuque in,” Freels said Anglin told him during
a meeting he had with a shift supervisor Nov. 4.
“I said, ‘lt’s not a joke to me. You know what the
costume represents,”’ Freels said Wednesday.
Freels, who was a security guard at theriverboat
See KLAN COSTUMES, page 9A
o 4
' -
,vl
.
] . i
\\ i -n ‘./
i -
Mae C. Jemison, M.D.
about it.” She is now teaching and working with
international organizations.
She still has maintained her fascination for Star
Trek. The legendary TV series and subsequent mov
ies and other spin-off TV series bases its stories on
outer space travel. Back in the 1960 s when the
original series was first aired, the originality of the
show helped to promote interest in the space pro
gram. NASA has since credited Star Trek wzh much
of its popularity, especially during the special Satur
day night festivities at last year’s big 30th anniver
sary celebration of Star Trek held in Huntgville, Ala.
(see Augusta Focus, September 19, 1996 iggue, page
See BLACK ASTRONAUTS, page 9A
V 2. NOB HENNEBERGER
CGEOHAIA NEwSPAPER
UNIVERSITY OF gA
ATHENS -
4 '1,,;}%" ':-'w‘» b e R /‘- s
e . “Rw i
W A 3 j=').”,—;m:: e o L
e i
#earn GE s i
L s 4
g P
i ,;m [ i e
R o kg
R $ RO T i T
G :g{“ | G o 1 et
] ',?fl}'};i‘;’? u-:.:i -} ,""‘"4'\4 rti'gi,'x’
b :Ykg{“{’gifi‘ F f(", ’vx‘-‘“‘;‘, 44
e et " et R T
j o : ol I
§ 8 e Gk (L
i L
- W
LN ;
] A ™
Capt. Winston E. Scott
12/31/99 /!.
BULK
U.B. POSTAGE
PAID
NO. 002
AUGUSTA, GA