Newspaper Page Text
2A
OCTOBER 11, 2001
Cheek and Kuhlke butt heads overredistricting
By Rhonda Jones
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Though several of their
colleagues also got into the
fray duringthe county com
mission meeting on Oct. 4,
media attention has placed
commissioners Bill Kuhlke
(Superdistrict 10) and Andy
Cheek (District 6) in oppos
ing corners in local redis
tricting talks.
Citizens for Progress, a
group of powerful local busi
nessmen to which Kuhlke
belongs, has created a set of
redistrictingmaps. Present
ing them to his fellow com
missioners has garnered
Kuhlke accusations that
range from secrecy toacting
in his own political interest.
Especially from Cheek.
If the proposed map were
accepted, Cheek would rep
resent District 8, Ulmer
Bridges’ district. Bridges
would get District 6. All the
other commissioners would
remain united with their
present districts, though the
areas would change.
The thing that led to the
flipping of Cheek and
Bridges’ districts, Kuhlke
said later, was the abolish
ing of the “fingers” reach
ing out from the current
districts. A look at the
present map reveals a com
plex interlocking of shapes,
some of which curl back on
themselves like scorpion
tails.
Kuhlke said the goal was
to make the districts more
compact, which would aid
their representatives by giv
ing them areas that they
could reasonably take
careof. Headded that
noone ir Citizens for
Progress knew where
the two commission
ers lived.
“What we tried to
do was come up with
something first that
protected the incum
bents.” Atleast that’s
how it turned out,
Kuhlke said.
First, Kuhlke ex
plained, they had to
evenly divide the
population between
the districts so that
each would receive
equal representation
onthecommission. In
formingborders, they
used geographical fea
tures like highways
and bodies of water
whenever possible.
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Finally, they considered the
placement of the county’s
assets: the canal, the river,
theairport and Fort Gordon.
But Cheek complained more
about being left out of the
process, than in the end re
sult. “Thave no problem with
anyonebringingamaptothe
table,” he said. “This map
definitely should be consid
ered: It’s a good starting
point. I just have a strong
dislike for secret stuff, which
this was.”
However, since the Com
mittee for Progress is not an
elected board of representa
tives, the same rules do not
apply tothem as would apply
to the commissioners. They
arenot, for instance, required
to make their plans in the
open.
“But the truth is,” Cheek
said in response, “if he
(Kuhlke) doesn’t have any
thing to hide, why hide it?
There’s what’s legal, and
there’s what’s moral and ethi
cal.”
He insisted that the com
missioners who represent
certaindistrictsare the most
qualified tochange thosedis
tricts. “I resent the fact that
people would draw up a map
looking at south Augusta
who I have trouble getting
across the Gordon Highway
to come see south Augusta,”
Cheek said.
Askedifhethought Cheek’s
resistance to the new maps
might stem from old south
Augusta/west Augustarival
ries that date back to pre
consolidation days, Kuhlke
said no. He said that people
tend to get upset around re
districting time for a couple
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AUGUSTAFOCUS
City / Region
of reasons: “A lot of it may
be a poiitical power stand
point, or they’re trying to
protect their turf.”
Cheek said he doesn’t
think the plan hurts him
politically, or that there is
an issue between south and
west Augusta. “It’s not as
much the people of each side
oftownthat don’t get along;
it’s political leaders,” Cheek
said.
“The Committee for
Progress has drawn up a
Bandleader resigns
From page one
In May, Smith was sus
pended with pay, and kept a
low profile in the months
that followed. The long
awaited hearing to decide
his fate was held Monday,
Oct. 8.
As hearing officer, local
attorney Leland Malchow
read the points of the settle
ment:
“Number one, Dr. Smith
will be suspended for 30 days
without pay...” The rest of
the settlement states that
Smith will work for the re
mainder of the school year
asan assistant in the trans
portation department, coor
dinating field trips and
school events and perform
ing other tasks as needed.
Hewill receive the samesal
ary and the same benefits
for the remainder of his em
ployment with the school
system, aside from the 30-
day suspension. It also re
quires Smithtoreleases any
plan that suits them politi
cally,” he said. “It’s full of
flaws just like the current
plan is. It splits neighbor
hoods and communities.”
The commission voted to
give the mayor the go-ahead
to appoint a committee to
review the proposed maps,
with a deadline of Dec. 1.
They have to come to an
agreement and have a plan
ready tosubmit to Atlantain
time for the January gather
ing of the state legislature.
claimsagainst the county that
hemay haveasaresult of the
chargesbrought against him.
Malchow continued.
“Also, there’sbeen aresig
nation tendered by Dr. Smith
to Dr. Larke, where he re
signs his position asateacher
at Josey High School, effec
tive May 30, 2002,” he said.
“He will not renew his con
tract for the 2002-2003 school
term.”
Momeuts later, the meet
ing was adjourned. Smith
exi‘ed the room and turned
hisback on the media, refus
ing to speak as he made his
way down the hall toward
the door.
“I hope you burn in hell,”
growled the husband of a
former student.
Flanked by a handful of
reporters and a television
camera, Smith strolled across
the parking lot, got into his
car and drove away, ending
his career as leader of the
band, not with a sonic boom,
but with silence.
HUD official tours Augusta projects
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Deputy Secretary Alphonso
Jackson of HUD addresses
Augustans during a
groundbreaking ceremony of
the 50th Habitat for Humanity
on Wednesday, October 10.
Jackson was in Augusta for
three days during which time
Air strikes pound Taliban
From page one
ing with U.N.-affiliated aid agen
cies, apparently takingaim at one
of the only Western symbols re
maining in the country.
The barrage on Kabul on
Wednesday night appeared to be
the longest and biggest yet in the
4-day-old U.S.-led air campaign.
Warplanes fired missiles in rapid
succession while Taliban gunners
unleashed furious, but futile bar
rages of anti-aircraft fire at the
jets flying beyond their range.
Taliban mobile air defense units
cruised through the city, firing at
the planes.
Powerful explosions could be
heard around Kabul airport in
the north of the city and to the
west in the direction of Rishkore
and Kargah — both areas where
bin Laden is believed to have ter
rorist training camps.
Blinding flashes lit up the night
sky toward the Taliban military
academy and an area with artil
lery garrisons. Jets could be heard
heading northward toward the
front line between the Taliban
and the opposition northern alli
ance.
Most of the attack took place
after the9 p.m. curfew, and it was
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he toured HUD Projects includ
ing Walton Community Services,
the Augusta Housing Authority,
and ANIC. Jackson also metwith
Senate Majority Leader Charles
Walker and spoke at the an
nual dinner for the RDC. Photoby
Shun Harris
impossible to determine the ex
tent of damage. There were no
reports from Taliban radio, which
has been off the air for two days
following attacks on communica
tions towers.
Although there appeared to be
noimpactsin central Kabul, build
ings shook and windows rattled
inresidential areasin the heart of
the capital.
For many Afghans, the nightly
air raids were becoming difficult
to bear, even in a war-hardened
country.
Sardar Mohammed, a Kabul die
sel-and-gasoline merchant, said he
and his family eat dinner early,
then before nightfall move every
one into a room with only one
window, which is blocked up with
bedding.
“Tostop the shrapnel,” he said.
“We learned this during the civil
war.”
The United States has claimed
air supremacy in the campaign
against the poorly equipped
Taliban, the hard-line Islamic
militia that rules most of Afghani
stan. The Americans now plan to
use 5,000-pound laser-guided
bombs against the underground
bunkers of Taliban leaders and
bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror net
work.