Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 19 NUMBER 958
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Man with Brush
by Frederick Flemister
Local attacks fail
to derail Few’s hid
Outgoing fire chief blasts
Kent, critics; D.C. officials
unfazed by allegations.
Chief expresses wish for
public information officer
to follow.
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
At a Friday, June 2 press conference,
Chief.Ronyic Bawr annoprvend F o ~ff
cially accepted the job as chief of the
Washington, D.C. fire department. Two
days later, a scathing editorial column,
critical of the chief, hit the Sunday edi
tion of The Washington Times.
Inthis case, the pen’s proverbial power
came up short, unable to dissuade City
of Washington authorities from stick
ing with their choice of Chief Few to
head the District of Columbia’s 1,800-
member fire and emergency personnel
department.
Erik Christian, Deputy Mayor for
D.C’s public safety and justice depart
ment, was part of the search committee
that sought Chief Few’s services. In
reference to the editorial written by
Augusta Chronicle editorial writer Phil
Kent, Christian said neither he nor the
selection committee were fazed by
Kent’s words.
In Kent’s piece titled “Fire Chief Un
Museum traces struggle for fair treatment
By ELLIOTT MINOR
Associated Press Writer
‘ ALBANY, Ga.
Visitors walking into the Albany Civil
Rights Movement Museum are immedi
ately confronted by one large image — a
black-and-white photograph of two drink
ing fountains.
In the 19605, they stood side by side in
Killer eludes police
mShanta White is buried; investigation
focuses on mysterious cell phone
conversation.
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
' AUGUSTA
The sun’s brilliant reflection on hoods of cars parked outside
Elim, Baptist Church couldn’t diffuse the obvious dismay
expressed on the faces of people lined up on Mt. Auburn Ave.
expressing their last respects to Shanta Denice White.
A standing-room-only congregation of family and friends
overflowed the aisles and pews at the church where the Rev.
Dr. Charles Smith honored the 22-year-old Ms. White and her
unborn daughter, Shigah V. White during funeral services.
The mother and daughter were fatally wounded by a single
gunshot, Thursday, June 1, outside of Ms. White’s residence.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff's Department,
although no one has been arrested in connection with the
double homicide, police are following a number of leads and
See INVESTIGATION, page 3A
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Special Exhibit highlights the collections of
Historically Black Golleges and Universities
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Chief Ronnie Few: “Augusta is now
considered progressive.”
der Fire,”which appeared in The Time’s
June 4 edition and the publication’s
website, Kent wrote, “ ... Ronnie Few
leaves behind in Augusta a department
torn by three years of personnel favorit
ism, increased union activity, racial
divisions and a special grand jury in
vestigation.” Christian said Chief Few
had previously apprized Washington
Mayor Anthony Williams and the search
committee about the grand jury inves
tigation. Christian said he realized the
investigation not only focused on
the local courthouse. The larger one was
for whites, and the smaller one was used
by blacks.
The photograph and other relics of the
segregated South highlight the some
times bloody struggle to abolish segrega
tion laws in a city where Martin Luther
King learned many of the tactics he
applied elsewhere. It was also the city
where he suffered perhaps his greatest
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Many people attend funeral services at Elim Baptist
Church on Augusta’s Hill section. Wal-Mart employees
were honorary pallbearers for their slain co-worker,
Shanta White. Shanta was 22. (Photo by Timothy Cox)
JUNE 8 - 14, 2000
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F %‘ . f Chronicle
iL 7 L editorial page
Lo B writer Phil
k- Kent: “The
B ."B column speaks
N oV B for itself.”
firefighting operations, but was also '
ordered to investigate the entire Rich- |
oonu Uowity goveran®ih. Chrisiian’
also described the investigation by us
ing words like “allegations” and a “pre
sentment of indictments.”
Whether the editorial tarnished Chief
Few’s reputation in the District, Chris
tian said it’s not likely. “Based on his
community relations aspects within his
fire department, his managerial skills,
nearly 30 years of experience and lead
ership abilities, the full picture of Chief
Few is glowing and stellar. He is the
best candidate (for the job),” said Chris
tian during a June 7 telephone inter
view from D.C.
When Kent was informed critics have
labeled the timeliness and content of
his editorial as malicious and mean
spirited, he told the Augusta Focus,
“The column speaks for itself.” Kent
also said the article was not solicited
See FIRE CHIEF, page 3A
failure. .
Located in the old Mount Zion Baptist
Church, where King attempted to rein
vigorate weary civil rights workers, the
museum traces the activities of the “Al
bany Movement,” which sparked marches
and protests in 1961 and 1962 aimed at
endingsegregationin Georgia’sfifth larg-
See MUSEUM, page 2A
MR. 808 HENNEBERGER
GEORGIA NEWSPAPER
UNIVERSITY OF GA
ATHENS GA 50602 5/3iol
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Though she defeats eleventh-seeded Anke Huber of Germany during their
fourth round match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros
stadium in Paris at the beginning of the week, fourth-seeded Venus Will
iams of the United States was among the last group of Americans to be
eliminated from the tournament on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)
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Emerge suspends publication
NEW YORK
(AP) Emerge, a monthly news and
issues magazine aimed at affluent black
Americans, is suspending publication
until early next year and dismissing most
of its employees.
Themovetoclosethe 10-year old maga
zine was announced late Wednesday by
Keith Clinkscales, chief executive of the
magazine’s publisher, Vanguarde Me
dia Inc. He said the magazine would be
relaunched as a lifestyle publication tar
geted at the same audience.
“Emerge represented a hallmark in
African-American publishing,”
Clinkscalessaid. “However, a new edito-
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NO. 302 AUGUSTA, GA .
rial strategy gives us a unique opportunity to
reach a broader readership and improve our
business prospects.” ikl
Emerge’s editor, George Curry, was recently
named the head of American Society of Maga
zine Editors, becoming the first black persgn
to hold that prestigious post. Curry resigned
when apprised of the changes in the editorial
direction magazine, said Dana Baxter, a
spokeswoman for Vanguarde Media. v
The Washington-based Emerge had a rela:
tively small monthly circulation of 160,000 for
the six months ended last June, according to
the Audit Bureau of Circulations. That’s well
See EMERGE, page 2A -2