Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 20 NUMBER . MP. 808 HENNZBERGER ‘
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Nokuthula Ngwenyama
In Concert with
The Augusta Symphony
See 1B
Tiger winless in 2001
Tiger bleeding
a little, which
only proves he’s
human
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
Mark Calcavecchia called
him the chosen one.
Tom Watson didn’t go that
far, because he is older and
wiser and owns four more
claret jugs than Tiger Woods.
He only referred to him as
“something supernatural.”
And then there was Rocco
Mediate, who said Woods was
some sort of bionic man.
“Cut him open and I'll tell
youwhat you’ll find,” Mediate
said last year during Woods’
run into history. “A bunch of
wires and levers, and a big
heart.”
Cut him open now and you’ll
find that Tiger Woods actu
ally bleeds. :
That Tiger Woods actually
is human.
It only seemed otherwise last
year, when he played golf like
hewas from another solar sys
tem. No one shoots 12 under
ataU.S. Open and wins by 15
shots. No one wins three
straight majors with a com
bined score of 49-under par.
No one hits a wedge from
168 yards to 2 feet on the final
hole — in the dark. No one
hits a 6-iron from 218 yards
out of a fairway bunker, over
thewater, right at the pin with
the tournament on the line.
Every week, there was some
thing new.
Just like now.
It seems like a phenomenon
when Woods doesn’t make a
15-foot eagle putt on the 72nd
hole with a chance to tie for
the lead, which is what hap
pened at Torrey Pines.
It seems odd when Woods
doesn’t win after his first six
tournaments of a new season,
maybe because it has never
happened. The longest heever
had to wait to win was his
rookieyear, when he was a 20-
year-old fresh offhis third U.S.
Amateur who said, “Hello,
Muslim leader to speak in Augusta
Blmam W. Deen
Mohammed will
speak at the
Sheraton this week.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed,
leader of the Muslim American
Society and international presi
dent of the World Conference
onßeligion and Peace (WCRP),
will be the keynote banquet
speaker in Augusta on Satur
day, March 10, 2001 at the
Sheraton Augusta Hotel. The
theme ofhis speech willbe “Cre
ated Equal and Endowed With
Inalienable Rights: G-D’s Shap
ingof a People Promoting Uni
Wallace Mohammed to speak in Augusta
See STORY below
Locals respond to latest school violence
- See A CLOSER LOOK ~ Page 9A
Auousta Focus
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TR e A
Tiger Woods takes a shot after making a
shotfrom the 18th tee during the last day
of the Dubai Desert Classic at the Emir
ates golf course in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates, Sunday March 4, 2001. It
seems odd when Woods doesn’t win as
world,” then won in his fifth
start as a pro and has been
waving goodbye ever since.
And no one ever had seen
what took place Sunday in
Dubai.
At least not from Tiger.
He was tied for the lead go
ing to the final hole, a par 5,
the kind that almost always
gives Woods the advantage.
Thomas Bjornripped hisdrive
down the middle. Woods
ripped his drive into the trees,
punched out across the fair
way, then hit into the water,
taking double bogey.
It was the first time Woods
had botched the 72nd hole to
lose, although he’s in good
company. Sam Snead took
triple bogey on the final* hole
to blow the 1939 U.S. Open.
Arnold Palmer made double
bogey on the final hole to lose
the ’6l Masters. Ben Hogan
lost the 46 Masters with a
See TIGER, page 2A
-, O
es K 1
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Imam Wallace Deen
Mohammed
ter his first six tournaments of a new
season, maybe because it has never
happened. The longest he ever had to
wait to win was his rookie year, when
he was a 20-year-old fresh off his third
U.S. Amateur. AP Photo/Adam Butler
Six players added
to Masters 2001 field
Invitationshavebeenissued
to six additional players to
compete in the Masters 2001
competition. According to a
release from the Augusta Na
tional Golf Club, chairman
Hootie Johnson says the addi
tional players will result in
101 total invitations with 94
players expected to partici
pate. .
The following players quali
fied for the annual interna
tional tournament by finish
ing among the top-3 leaders
on the current year Official
PGA Tour Money List, pub
lished during the fourth week
prior to the 2001 Masters: Joe
Durant, Steve Stricker; and
the following playersqualified
by finishingamongthe 50 lead
ers on the Official World Golf
Ranking, also publishedin the
versal Aspirations.” Special
guests and speakersinvited in
clude Mayor Bob Young, Rev.
Dan King, Sen. Charles W.
Walker (D-22), Gen. Noonan,
Staff Chaplain of Ft. Gordon;
Commissioner Willie Mays, en
tertainer James Brownand oth
ers.
Mohammed is the son of
Elijah (Poole) Muhammad and
Clara (Evans) Muhammad and
succeeded his father as leader
of the Nation of Islam on Feb.
26, 1975. He is leader of an
estimated 2.5 million Muslin
Americans and is recognized
as Muslim American spokes
man. Of his many appear
ances over the years interna
fourth week prior to the
tourney. The players are:
Brad Faxon, Toshi Izawa
and Steve Stricker. In addi
tion, Aaron Baddeley and
Shingo Katayama received
special invites to compete
this year.
Other notables expected
to compete are Eldrick “Ti
ger” Woods, Tom Watson,
lan Woosnam, last year’s
champ Vijay Singh, Hal
Sutton, Franklin Langham
of Thomson, Ga. Legends
Arnold Palmer, Jack
Nicklaus and Raymond
Floyd are also scheduled to
participate. ‘
Said Johnson, “These in
dividuals are outstanding
golfers. We think we have a
very strong field for this
year’s Masters.
tionally, hismost recent vis
its include his 1999 atten
dance at the WCRP Assem
bly VII in Amman, Jordan
where he was elected inter
national president of the
WCRP. He has also ad
dressed 100,000 gatheredin
1999 in St. Peter’s Square
at The Vatican with the
Dalai Lama and Pope John
Paul II on the dais.
Banquet tickets are SSO
each. Sheraton is located at
2651 Perimeter Parkway.
Forticket purchasesor more
information, contact Imam
Talif Shareef at (706) 731-
0145.
Tax officerolls
withgrand jury
punches
BCorrective action
already taken,
according to agency
officials. Indicted
worker discovered
through own efforts,
Saul says.
By Timothy Cox !
"‘AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
: AUGUSTA
In its latest presentment, a
specially-empaneled Rich
mond County Grand Jurycited
a number of problems with
the city’s tax office. Since the
listing was released on Feb. 9,
doesthis mean the tax officeis
off the proverbial hook —
thanks toreactive resolutions
that ultimately, will keep fu
ture problems from occurring?
According to Jerry Saul, di
rector of the Richmond County
Tax Commissioners Office, his
department is well on its way
ininstitutingmeasuresto pro
tect futureimproprieties from
happening.
“We’re very interested in
closing all the gaps and are
doing so as we speak,” said
Saul, in a recent interview
from his home. Although the
grand jury report suggested
some solutions, Saul said his
department had already been
proactivein taking care of pre
existing conditions. Saul is an
elected official, like the Sher
iff, anid has been in his posi
tion for 24 years.
Specifically, the grand jury
reportstated: “... Preparation
of the annual property tax di
Robert L. Bell set to ‘
keynote ACAAA gala |
The Augusta Conference of
African American Attorneys.
(ACAAA) will present One
Grant Night II Scholarship
Gala on Saturday, March 10,
2001 at 7 p.m. at BL’s Restau
rant, 1117 Laney-Walker Blvd.
The scholarship competi
tion is based on timely sub
mission of an essay regarding
the Ware case in 1899. This
case has local significance be
causeit was brought onbehalf
of black high school students
herein Richmond Countyand
was the first case decided by
that court involving public
school secondary education for
black students. ;
Thespeaker for the evening
will be Robert L. Bell, chair
man of the Board of Trustees
of Paine College, his alma
mater. Heisalsoagraduate of
the Howard University School
of Law. Mr. Bell was case
development editor for the
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
AUGUSTA GA
~ PERMIT NO 302
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Former tag
office
worker
Stephanie
L. Womack
is charged
with 70
counts of
theft.
gest by the Tax Assessgr’s of
fice appears to huve sufficien:
oversight and internal audit
ing procedures to ensuré a fair
andequitable assessment. The
computer software utilized by
the office has been .a substan
tial burden on efficiency of the
office and of communication
with other offices within county
government. The software used
tn prior years was not Y2K
compliant and upgrades were
needed. ... Upgrades to the soft
ware are urgently needed for
the county to promptly colleci
taxes due. :
“The collection rate of the
property taxes isdown slightly
from previous years and is at
tributed to inconsistencies ii
the computer software betweer
the offices of Tax Assessor and
Tax Commissioner.”
In further reaction to the
report, Saul said that effective
Nov. 1, his department has
connected with a statewide.
computer system called
GRATIS which provides
checks and balances against
human and computer error.
“Security cameras were men
tioned (in thereport). That’sa
possibility we’relookinginto,”
he said. “We’re taking every
See TAX AGENCY, 3A
e
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g 8 O 7 Roben
s I 1L Bell
Howard Law Journal. He
assisted Herbert O. Reid in
preparation and filing of am
amicus brief in the case of
Regents of the University of
Californiav. Bakké, 438 U S.
265(1978). Justice Thurgood
Marshall called this briefthe
“best brief” submitted in the
Bakke case.
Mr. Bellis a product of the
public schools of Augusta,
having attended Charles T.
Walker Elementary, A.C.
See ATTORMEYS, 3A