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S . Philip Waring « k’fliflg Places
| fi. Memoriai olumn
Smp' Will Riverfront Center succeed?
hebigquestion around town
is, will the Augusta
Riverfront Center reach its
financial goal by June 1? As
you know, this big Bankers First
project (to be located between 9%
and 10* Streets and from Reynolds -
to the levee) is one of the most
important in Augusta’s history.
Why so?
It is one of the key linchpins in
the completion of the entire
riverfront complex. Note, how
ever, that thanks to federal, city
and some private funding, much of
the long and splendid riverfront
complex is already in place:
Riverwalk, the fountain, the ma
rina area, Cotton Row Plaza, and
the old Cotton Exchange (which is
now being converted intoa visitor’s
center, etc.)
The big Port Royal development
at the end of Seventh Street, now
being built largely with overseas
French money, hasannounced that
it will add on two additional floors,
bringing the floors to 13! The
business projections and belief in
the future of Augusta’s riverfront
and cultural corridoris responsible
for this.
Andlet us not forget that the city
isalready proceeding with the con
struction of the part of Riverwalk
which will run from Eighth to Tenth
Streets, largely adjacent to the pro
jected Riverfront Center. Then
there will be a city-constructed
amphitheatrewithseatingfor some
1,200; it will be built on the slope of
the levee facing a big performing
- Live reggae by
Imani will be
played in a tribute
to Bob Marley on
Sat., June 26, at
BL's Restaurant,
1117 Laney-Walker
‘Blvd., from 9 p.m.
to 1 a.m. Tickets
are only $lO and
available by calling
BL's Restaurant at
722-4222 or by
pickup at all Home
Folks and Pyramic
Music and Tape
locations.
A Closer Look
Thefollowingmemorial column by the late J. Philip Waring was first published for
Augusta Focus on May 25, 1989. We are republishing it so that Mr. Waring's
admirers can reminisce and those who missed his columns can geta glimpse of
recentblack history.
stage that will jut out onto the
green Great Savannah River. This
should be a tremendous and color
ful facility.
Now for Riverfront Center. It
would be a modern and beautiful
little “city within a city.” Plans call
for a modern luxury hotel of some
260 rooms. And please remember
that a federal credit of $7.5 million
will be on hand until June 1% to
supplement construction. lunder
stand it would be affiliated with the
Omni National Chain ... And a
convention center with an under
ground garage is planned ... An
other structure would be an office
tower. The good news, however, is
that the proposed Morris Museum
of Fine Arts may have some of its
facilities here.
The forthcoming National Sci
ence Center adjacent to Fort Gor
donisestimated tobringin several
hundred thousandvisitors and tour
istsannually. Iwouldimagine that
a goodly number would visit our
Riverfront and be domiciled at the
new Riverfront Center hotel.
Another timely asset to this en
tire downtown sector is the newly
emerging “Cultural Corridor,”
which runs roughly from the 13
Street bridge eastwarddown tothe
5t Street bridge, bordered by
Reynoldsandtheleveetothenorth,
it would elevate Augusta’s status
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I?'mrrs FRIDAY, JULY 2ND
AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU
The Augusta-Richmond County Museum, 560
Reynolds St., hosts its award-winning “Augusta’s
Story” permanent exhibit and “Messages in Bottles:
A History of Bottling and Bottle-making in Augusta”
exhibit through Oct. 31. Museum hours are Tuesday
- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.
For more information, call (706) 722-8454. The mu
seum will also open on July 4, Sunday, from 1 to 5
p.m. Admission will be $2 per adult and senior
citizen, $1 per child. On Wed., July 7, it’s Brown Bag
History Series will feature Joseph M. Lee 111,
author of Augusta: A Postcard History. Mr. Lee
will begin speaking at noon on Augusta through the
years by comparing slides of old postcards of Augusta
to contemporary photos of the same scene. Bring
your lunch and the museum will provide a beverage
and dessert. The program is free for members,
$2 for non-members. Call the museum for
reservations to this popular event.
culturally and historically very
high. It would contain St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church near our city’s
founding site, Port Royal, Town
Tavern Golf Hall of Fame, Au
gusta-Richmond County Museum,
Cotton Exchange visitor’s center,
Cotton Row Plaza and its beautiful
fountain, Riverwalk Augusta and
its numerous parks, Augusta
Riverfront Center and its Morris
Museum of Fine Arts, the now-a
building outdooramphitheatre, etc.
At this writing, we'veheard ofno
news on that gigantic overpower
ing task given the “Limited Part
ners” group of business and civic
leaders in locating S3B million by
June 1. This is a huge but impor
tant task.
Bright spot ahead
One bright spot however is the
participation of Morris Communi
cation Corp. owned by William
Morris 111. If anyone can save the
day for Augusta, it is Billy Morris.
Let’s take a brief look at him on
contextofthis emergency. America
is noted for having local business
leaders come through in the re
building and enrichment of the cit
ies.
The late Mills Lane of C&S Bank
virtually brought Atlanta into big
league status during the 19605.
The Augusta Busch family along
with downtown financial institu-
tions, spurred the major rebuilding
of the down trodden, wasting St.
Louis Riverfront — Henry Ford II
helped rebuild Detroit’s Riverfront
with the construction of the giant
“city-within-a-city.” ARenaissance
Center of hotels, office towers, etc.
... And look what the Mellons did
for Pittsburgh at the Forks of its
three rivers ... Of course we'll re
member the many good deeds of
the Marshall field family in Chi
cago. :
Now what is Billy Morris’ track
record of service to his native Au
gusta?
There will of course be others
with their points of view about a
leader of American businesswitha
net worth estimated at over S2OO
million and a financial empire
stretching around the nation.
A)Anative Augustan andgradu
ate of the Henry Grady School of
Journalism at UGA, he then en
tered the family business, working
his way up to top management.
During this early period he paid his
dues with wide and varied volun
teer leadership withsuchgroupsas
Chamber of Commerce, United
Fund, health agencies, etc.
B) The futurity was his dream.
He helped organize what is now
one of the largest annual eques
trian events in the nation. Locally
it is now second to the Masters.
And let’s not forget that he favored
a Civic Center/Coliseum (when Ed
Mclntyre and Gene Holley were
pushing hard for it) while some
powerful forcesin South Richmond
@ “-l; l d Augusta Focus
" Q* J?
- Twinid
(Listen to FOXIE 103 air personalities for your chance to win
tickets to the movie premier of Wild Wild West starring Will
Smith at the Regency Exchange Cinema, July Ist, at 7:30 p.m.)
Bill Pickett; Legendary Black Cowhoy
Bill Pickett (1860-1932), rodeo cowboy
and former slave, is generally credited
with being the first person to develop a
way of bulldogging that made the act a
spectacular performance. A black man
named Andy bulldogged in the 1870 s; Sam
Johnson, a big and impressive man, did so
later. It was Pickett, however, who joined
the 101 Ranch in 1900, who mastered his
new technique by biting the upper lip of
the steer after the throw and raising his
hands to show that he was no longer
holding. The 101 Ranch put on its first
major rodeo in 1905 and continued until
the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Pickett was presented to King George V
and Queen Mary after a special perfor
mance in that year. Pickett lived out his
days on the 101 Ranch. On December 9,
1971, he became the first black elected to
the National Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.
~Join FOXIE 103’s live remote broadcast, Thursday, July 1, at 7:30 p.m. with
FOXIE mix master DJ; enjoy a performance by the Augusta Heat Cheerleaders,
giveaways, and free tickets to the first 103 FOXIE listeners.
Know Your History: Listen to FOXIE 103 and read Augusta Focus
AUGUSTA FOCUS JUNE 24. 1999
fought, saying this type progress
was not needed, etc.
C) He personally brought a na
tionallyknown arts consultant/plan
ner here from Boston. First, his
meeting with most of our cultural
groups formed the basis for new
area-wide local planning and ex
pansion of cultural activities. Sec
ondly, this consultant came up with
a projected plan for an aforemen
tioned major “Cultural Corridor”
on Reynolds Street. This consult
ant and local committee were able
to develop other planning for else
where in Augusta-Richmond, the
impact of which will be with us for
decades.
D) Mr. Morris served as chair
man of the Augusta 250 anniver
sary committee, giving it much of
his personal time.
E) The new projected Morris
Museum of Fine Arts will be pre
sented by him in memory of his
family. Any city is fortunate to
North Augusta NAACP
hosts town meeting
The North Augusta-Belvedere
Branch of the NAACP will host a
Town Meeting on Friday, June
25, 1999 to discuss issues of con
cern to all people in the commu
nity. This town meeting will be
held at Second Providence Baptist
Church, 1643 Summerhill Road,
North Augusta, S.C. at 7 p.m.
The North Augusta-Belvedere
Branch of the NAACP is commit
ted to protection of civil rights,
economic and community devel
opment and empowering of youth.
Recent events locally and nation
ally compels us to come together
Augusta Focus is a Walker Group publication.
have a fine arts museum.
F) As a trustee at Paine College,
Dr. Julius Scott is to be congratu
lated on getting Mr. Morristoserve.
Dr. Dan Collins tells how “Billy
Morris rolled up his sleeves and
went to work as a peer.” He’s
brought added insight, vigor and
contacts to this 107-year-old insti
tution.
G) There are many, many useful
and beneficial services rendered to
his home community, including
the important riverfront complex.
H) While I am only touching a
fewitemstoday,l wasinterestedin
reading that a new and expanded
corporate personnel called for a
strict affirmative action/fair em
ployment policy. We will be look
ing at what is happening at the
Augusta Newspapers.
This column wasoriginally pub
lished in the May 25, 1989 issue of
Augusta Focus, pages 4 and 8.
todiscuss remedies and actions to
make our community a better
place for our children.
The NAACP state president and
state executive director has been
invited to come and be a part of
this landmark event. The general
public is needed to explore all
avenues in working towards the
goal of making our community a
better place for our children.
Please attend this historic meet
ingon Friday, June 25. If you have
questions, please call at (803) 827-
9529 and speak with Antoinette C.
Noble-Webb, president, North
Augusta/Belvedere NAACP.
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