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" MS E HB O\ : GA NEWSPAPER/ CHIPS DEPT j MAIN L / UG/ ) Sriag ot houets AR January 1-7, 2004 ‘-‘ .:;:1:'-,: ;: ‘3 A Y SR White Philadelphia newspapers accused of bias Supporters of Philadel phia Mayor John Street say the city’s main stream papers were biased in their coverage of the FBI probe into Street. Page Georgia attempts to fend off next round of base closures The state’s political muscle and advance cam paigning have spared it from previous rounds of military base closures. Officials now brace for an upcoming round of clo sures. Page 3A Home for the holidays After two years of preparation, an area fesi dent moves into an ANIC home just in time for the holidays ~ much to the delight of the nine kids he mentors. Page 3A R AA O R RSN SIR, OPINION Geogia Democrats miss the tree for the forest So focused on finding a candidate with big bucks, state Dems have ignored 2 viable bidder for the U.S. Senate race and are failing on the grassroots level in the process. Page 8A O A A N TSR R R AR ARTBEAT Prepare to pounce! v Augusta theater goers prepare to pounce as the hit Broadway musical CATS! opens next week at Adantd’s Fox Theater. Page 1B R A AT SO AR e MCG physician hon oed . ' MCG’s Dr. Paul For ney was honored' as Georgia’s first McGahee Professor. Page 4A R S S A ‘m’at -...---u-‘.flf‘ 8u5ine55..........6A monnnsluunum Vol. 23, No. 1139 T T, | ~ T < 1e AT 3 TN\ O>L . & % H -TR ‘ ‘ eVY : o B . o e . 2 € L i . &ii — 4 v I g e ¢ i "J":‘r :.‘_j’;.a % oe o . ,’-:': 1 b. . : H{.- ! . é‘( Bi P T ;flf'fl* By 4L!! ’ .::‘ 338 i v“” e, G 2z ! - il tiß VRs Wie a ‘ 1T 7 i R T . - e A o;} fard ¢s i o ' &:w« q s Nak | 2 En™ - - 1 . , %A‘ . Q g B B RW N ] ist ) 2 # S The events that shaped our lives By THERESA MINOR Augusta Focus Staff Writer From the overthrow of an Iraqi regime to the ousting of workers at Augustas youth detention center, 2003 leaves in its wake events that have left an indelible impression on our lives. What follows is a list of news events that the Augusta Focus believes are arguably this year’s most compelling — many which will undoubtedly continue to play out in 2004. Invasion of Iraq Tens of thousands of American families have been held spell bound by this conflict in the Middle East since its inception in March. There have been hundreds of casualties on both sides of the equation, among them, about a half dozen soldiers from the CSRA. Americans were split between those who favored the pre emptive strike to those who backed a diplomatic solution. The debate was peppered with war images from embedded journalists. The year culminates with the capture of Iraqi president Sadaam Hussein. In 2004 look for Hussein to face trial on war crimes as the allies continue to work to transition the Iraqi government back into the hands of the Iragi people. : YDC workers shut out, fired Nearly 300 workers at Augusta’s youth detention center found themselves suddenly jobless this year. The action was the politically volatile move of the former commissioner for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, Orlando Mar tinez. Martinez suspended YDC's entire staff and privatized the detention center for boys. He cited a GBI investigation into allegations of staff selling drugs and pornography to juvenile offenders, among other things. Those charges, which were initiated by some of the juvenile offenders, were dismissed by the GBI for lack of evidence. Martinez At 81, Shuttlesworth fighting yet another battle ATLANTA (AP) — Few have faced the kinds of obstacles that civil rights leader the Rev. Fred Shut tlesworth has: He’s been arrested by police for fight ing for his rights. His home has been bombed. He has been beaten bloody by angry racists armed with whips and chains. At 81, Shuttlesworth faces a new challenge as he takes over as interim presi dent and CEO of the Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Con ference, the once vaunted but now struggling civil rights organization fighting a battle to stay relevant. “l can count on my hands how many times I have been in death’s jaws,” Shuttlesworth, who now lives in Cincinnati, told The Atlanta Journal-Con stitution for a Christmas Day story. “I didn’t think I would live to be 40 years old.” Shuttlesworth replaces Martin Luther King 111, son of the slain civil rights leader, as head of the SCLC., King, named to the top SCLC job in 1997, Subscribe to the Augusta Focus, Call (706) 722-4222, extension 225 resigned under fire a short time later. The action incurred the wrath of local legislators who vow to resurrect the issue during the 2004 General Assembly session. State Reps. Henry Howard and Quincy Murphy of Augusta say they will seek to have the workers reinstated. Burk battles Augusta National Objections to the men-only admissions policy at the Augusta National Golf Club brought national attention to this year’s Masters Golf Tournament. Martha Burk, chair of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, staged a protest on April 12 during the premiere golf event. She has since sued Augusta-Richmond County over the county’s protest ordinance. Under the power granted by the contro versial ordinance, Sheriff Ronnie Strength restricted protest ers to an area a half mile from the gates of the Augusta National. Burk contends it restricted her right to free speech. ; ; If there is a favorable ruling in federal court and there are still no women members of the Augusta National, Burk and her group are expected to return to protest in 2004. Strom Thurmond’s family secret ‘outed’ Staunch segregationist, Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina died this year without ever publicly acknowledging that he fathered a bi-racial child out of wedlock when he was 22 years old. Seventy-eight year old Essie Mae Washington- Williams stunned the nation when she came forward and announced she was Thurmond's black daughter. Washing ton-Williams stated she kept the family secret for so long out of respect for Thurmond’s political career. Thurmond reportedly took financial responsibility for Washington- Williams throughout her life. Her mother was a 16-year old housekeeper in the Thurmond household. Washington- Williams may be turning her life story into a movie or book deal in the upcoming year. resigned last month to take over as president of the King Center for Nonvio lent Social Change. In 2001, King survived an attempt by the SCLC board to oust him after they accused him of not being an aggressive and vigilant leader. Lack of aggressiveness is not the conference’s only problem. Shuttlesworth takes the job at a time when some observers have argued that the SCLC has become irrelevant. By all accounts the orga nization’s heyday was dur www.augustafocus.com See 2003, page 10A ing the era of the civil rights struggle. And in recent years the group has suffered from the changing face of black politics and economics, political infighting and the rising prominence of other black civil rights organizations, such as the Rev. Jesse Jack son’s Chicago-based Rain bow-PUSH Coalition. Jackson’s Rainbow Coali tion has made inroads even into the SCLC’s own back yard of Atlanta. Jackson opened an office here and has come to town to weigh in on such local issues as PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID AUGUSTA GA PERMIT NO 302 FIFTY CENTS stiffs By THERESA MINOR Augusta Focus Staff Wrier Augusta Mayor Bob Young is declining responsibility for a $22,585 bill left over from Skyfest 2002, an annual Augusta air show. : According to documents obtained by the Augusta Focus, the bill was the cost of setting up the ‘mayor’s tent’ during the event. The sum is not insignificant considering Skyfest went into the red that year and had to use more than SIOO,OOO in contingency funds to cover its debt, according to Skyfest co-chair man, Brad Kaiser. Young maintains he is not responsi ble for payment of the bill. “I had no control over that (bill). It was simply a hospital ity venue that Skyfest put together,” said Young, However, the Augusta Focus has learned that among the guests invited to the mayor’s tent were his political allies who were given the red carpet Sec Mayor, page 5A Rev. Fred Shuttiesworth : the city’s sewer crisis, trou-. bles in Clayton County: and helping Morris Brown* College get back on its feet. The Rev. Joseph Lowery, another former SCLC president considered by See Battle, page SA