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Brigham faces challengers at political forum
By Rhonda Jones
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Round twoofthecandidate
forumshosted by the Augusta
Metro and Columbia County
Chamber of Commerce got
underway Oct. 8 as several of
the many District 5 candi
dates met torespond to ques
tion about the state of the
county.
Among other things, the
candidates were asked about
~ the role of the county com
mission ineconomicdevelop
ment. They were asked if the
county has done a good job
and, if not, what could be
donedifferently.
Charles Evans, an Augusta
native and retired educator,
opened withastraightforward
sentiment. “We need jobs.”
His plan to create them is to
give incoming businesses a
10 to 15 year tax reprieve,
and adds that other areas do
just that.
Charles Grant, a retired
computer programmer and
businessapplicationsanalyst,
said it is thecommission’sjob
Anthrax threat is slight, according to MCG expert
From page one
or not.”
According to Dr. Woeltje,
biological warfare is more dif
ficult toaccomplish than most
people imagine. It involves
more than simply releasing
spores into the atmosphere
and demolishing lives. It is
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to create a climate that will
foster economicdevelopment.
“I think years ago we did a
better job than we’re doing
now,” he said, stressing the
importance of partnering with
the Chamber of Commerce and
other business development
operationstogivethemthetools
they need to attract economic
development.
Incumbent Henry Brigham,
whoservedinthe Air Forceand
inthe Richmond County school
system as teacher, counselor
and principal, doesn’t want to
get so caught up in bringing in
new businesses that we neglect
what we’ve got. “I think to
cultivate the businesses that
are hereisimportant,” hesaid.
Reverent Bobby Hankerson,
pastor of Hammond Grove Bap
tist Church and retired physi
caltherapy technician, feelsthat
unity and planning are the im
portant thing. “First of all, v.e
need to have a vision,” he said.
“Weneed tosit down and make
long-range plans, short-range
plans, prioritize our core ser
vices and work with that.” He
said we should take care of the
infrastru :ture first. “We can-
not as simple as placinga tube
of anthrax in a water supply.
It requires precision that most
often is impossible to master.
“The spores have to be in
haled at the right size. If they
are too large they won’t get
down into the lungs. If they
are too small they don’t stay
in the lungs long enough to
cause illness. That is what
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Four of the six District 5 commission race candidates discuss the
issues at recent political forum. Photo by Rhonda Jones
not get businesses in here if we
do not have the proper trans
portation,” he said by way of
example.
In closing, Hankerson set
forth some experience he had
with diffusingwhat he thought
made the attempt in Japan
unsuccessful when large quan
tities of anthrax werereleased
in Tokyo in the 1940’5. The
anthrax was inhaled but no
one got sick, ” stated Woeltje.
Anthrax, often referred to
as the “poor man’s nukes,” is
considered tobe such a threat
because it is easy to produce
and once produced the spores
4 i P
i a,
’h;
Like a good neighbor,
State Farm is there
2806 Washington Road
(directly across the
street from Kroger)
might have erupted into a ra
cially volatile situation when
two white teenagers caused his
church several thousand dol
lars worth of damage in 1995.
“Instead I called those white
teenagers in my office, called
theirparentsintotalk tothem.”
which are hardy capsules can
survive for thousands of years
without nutrients.
Many Augustans wonder
how equipped we are locally to
handle an outbreak such as
the one in Florida.
“Althoughitis highly specu
lative, in the event that cases
werediscovered here, we would
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AUGUSTA FOCUS
When he called the
kids before the
church to ask for
forgiveness, he
said, theyouths got
astandingovation.
Headded thatan
election is the per
fect opportunity to
make change in a
community. “If we
keepdoingthesame
thing we’ve been
doing,” he said,
“this is all we're
going to get.”
Brigham, how
ever,isdetermined
to stay on course.
“Ifthe things I was
doingwerewrong,”
he said, “I’m
guilty.” He named
several of his favor
ite issues includ-
IR Ty SR AVL loouUuto, itiuu
ing supporting enterprise zone
for Regency Mall, giving a 3-
percent raise to certain county
employees, and developinga se
curity plan to protect the
county’s water supply from po
tential acts of terrorism.
Charles Grant said that han
probably do exactly what they
are doing and have already
done in Florida. We would
notify regional and national
authoritiesand the Center for
Disease Control and treat pa
tients with antibiotics.”
While there is a vaccine
manufactured and distributed
by BioPort, Corporation, in
Lansing, Michigan, it is cur-
OCTOBER 11, 2001
dling a county’s coffer’s r
quires a certain touch. “M:
entire working career h::-
been business. I'm one !
think that county gover:
ment, with its multimillion:
of dollars tobeadministere:!
doesrequire personswithce:
tain business expertise
makecertain that the mone
isspent wiselyand not wast:
in any way.”
One example of potenti:!
waste hecitedisthenotion of
buildingabrand new judici-!
center. “Ithinkthat weha:«
prioritiesthatarefar great:
than just building a mon::-
ment for the creature com
forts of our judicial system "
hesaid, namingequityinre
reation for all areas of count y.
Charles Evans reiterate
his idea of giving incominy:
companiestaxbreaks. Heals
supports housing improve
ment through grantsandpro
grams such as August:
Neighborhood Improveme: !
Corporation (ANIC) and r«
ceiving block grant fundin:
Candidates Jimmie Lo«
Sullivan Sr. and Ken Con:
were not present.
rently only available to m:
tary personnel according
Dr. Woeltje. Antibiotics
the easiest to obtain and -
effectiveat destroyingtheb
teria.
Additional informat .
about prophylactic treatm
for anthrax can be found
www.bt.cdc.gov.
3A