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South Carolina and The CSRA NENE
February 24-March 2, 2005 Vol. 24, No. 1197
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Bill won't face the music
Bill Cosby will not be
faced with charges for
allegedly fondling a for
mer employee.
Page 2A
The Lucky 200
Two hundred appli
cants were interviewed
to take the top tier post
for the NAACP.
Page 2A
OPINION
Has Watkins seen W.B.
Dußaois’s “talented ten™
Dr. Watkins wit
nesses the rise of tal
ented, young black
men and women.
Page 8
Art imitates life
Grammy winner
Kanye West exposes
Ernie Barnes painting
to describe his near
death experience that
inspires his music.
Page 1B
Paine College’s
homecoming was a
success with singer,
Mary Wilson's
Founder’s Day speech.
Page 4A
INDEX
ARTbeat ..........1B
8u5ine55..........6A
City/Regi0n......3A
Classifieds ......68
Happenings ....2B
uv'n' ”11".‘1'..‘“
Nation/World ..2A
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Baseball legend turns
into business legend
By JESSICA BAPTISTE
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
The love of baseball isn't
Hank “the Hammer”
Aaron’s favorite past time
anymore. The famous,
world-record hitter has
abandoned the cheers and
shouts of the baseball game
and is now the driving force
behind a chain of car deal
erships, Hank Aaron Auto
motive Group.
Aaron is a veteran of the
Atlanta Braves and the Mil
waukee Brewers. The auto
motive group has recently
opened a car dealership,
Hank Aaron Jaguar Land
Rover in Columbia County.
Because of the increasing
number of black athletes
gaining million dollar con
tracts with major advertis
ing corporations and with
major league teams, the
retired home run hitter
gives insight to what it was
like when he first began his
Buffalo soldiers give living history lesson
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As part of its month long observance of Black History Month, Augusta State University invited
members of Georgia’s Buffalo Soldiers Regiment to put on an exhibition and lecture about the hero
ism of African American soldiers who served after the Civil War. Buffalo Soldiers were comprised
of former slaves, freemen and black Civil War soidiers. These African Americans were charged
with helping to settle the Wild West. The name “Buffalo Soldier” was given to these men and
women by Indians who compared their hair and their fighting prowess to that of a buffalo. Pictured
top left, Goshen Elementary School student, Comekia Wright, tentatively pets a horse while Sgt.
Major Derrick Davis looks on. Bottowm left , Margaret Britton (i), one of the founders of the local
Buffalo Soldier unit and Frenchie Sharpe stop to pose for a picture. The women are representing
the legendary Cathy Williams, who fought with the Buffalo Soidiers disguised as a man and using
the alias William Cathy before it was discovered two years later that she was a woman. Willlams
was honorably discharged by the U.S. Army. Above right, Sgt. Major Lonnie Sharpe sits for photo
shoot.
Bethlehem looks forward to improvements
By JESSICA BAPTISTE
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
The Augusta-Richmond
County Commission has
voted to withdraw the com
munity of Bethlehem’s his
toric designation.
The action will make it
easier for the run down
housing community that
stretches from Wrightsboro
Road to Olld Savannah
Road to make improve
ments and start up renova
tion programs to restore it
to its former glory. The
community’s history goes
e
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Photo by Jessica Baptiste
Hank Aaron talks to fans and patrons at the Grand Opening of
Hank Aaron Jaguar Land Rover in Augusta on Feb. 17.
career some forty years ago.
Aaron also feels that in his
glory days, steroid and drug
use was not common, like it
has become in recent times
with athletes being caught
using the illegal substances.
“It wasn't occurring when
I came up. We didn’t make
enough money to buy
steroids,” Aaron said, “I feel
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Photos by Theresa Minor
back to the mid-19th cen
tury where it served as a res
idential neighborhood for
the working class of the
area. In 1993, it was the
first community in Augusta
to be deemed as a historic
district. At the present time,
Bethlehem has fallen victim
to crime activity and con
demned housing. Commis
sioner Betty Beard said that
she is upset the property
will be taken away from the
residents when the designa
tion becomes null and void.
She also thinks that the res
idents should have a say in
sad, it sends the wrong mes
sage to our young people.”
During the time when
Aaron was playi, black ath
letes were rare in form and
had to deal with the pres
sures of Jim Crow.
“Everything is different,”
he explained, “Salary, what
See Legend, page 12A
what happens to their prop
erty.
“I think it is very sad
when people’s property will
be taken from them,” Com
missioner Beard expressed,
“I think that we are making
it very easy for the different
groups to come in and do
that.”
Other commissioners like
Marion Williams think that
the loss of Bethlehem’s des
ignation is not necessarily a
bad thing.
“There is a lot of neglect
because the people cannot
manage and do what the
www.augustafocus.com
Walker staging
quiet comeback
By DOUG GROSS
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — The
state Capitol is a different
place these days for Charles
Walker.
Just over two years ago,
Walker was one of state
government’s most influen
tial power brokers, holding
the high-profile post of
Senate Majority Leader and
a seat at the table for virtu
ally every major decision at
the Capitol.
Then, a shocking election
defeat in 2002 was followed
by a' 142-count federal
indictment accusing Walk
er of using his political
clout for personal gain,
among other alleged
crimes.
Despite those charges, the
Augusta Democrat was
elected back to his old post,
and took a seat when the
new Republican-dominat
ed Legislature convened in
January.
Now, Walker is quietly
trying to find his way as a
backbencher in the Senate’s
minority party — a role even
his most bitter political foes
say he's adapting to well.
“For every setback, there’s
an opportunity for a come
back,” Walker told The
Associated Press in his first
sit-down interview since
returning to the statehouse.
“I can't spend my time
thinking about what used
to be; 1 have to work with
what is.”
Sixteen days into the Leg
islature’s 40-day session,
Walker has not once argued
for or against a bill in front
of the Senate. His name has
appeared only once on a
piece of legislation — as the
sixth co-signer.
“You can't fight every bat
tle,” said Walker, who as
majority leader frequently
argued, sometimes passion
ately, for legislation. “I'll get
up there, but I'm going to
pick my spots.”
Senate President Pro Tem
Eric Johnson, R-Savannah,
clashed with Walker during
his prior tenure. He says he
likes the new Charles Walk
er.
“He’s come back in and
Historic Preservation guide
lines call for. This is going
to alleviate that by giving
them the opportunity, so
those you can’t fix their
properties can fix them to a
certain standard that’s going
to be compared to what is
in that area.” Williams said.
Williams also stated that
withdrawing the designa
tion is not about imminent
domain, or the taking of the
property.
“There’s a lot of good
people there,” he said, “I'm
not for taking property. But
I am for new life and new
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US POSTAGE
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AUGUSTA GA
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Sen. Charles Walker
he’s been quiet, friendly,
professional and is partici
pating,” Johnson said. “It’s
been sort of a pleasant sur
prise, this transition from
the old Charles to the new
Charles.”
Not that Johnson and
other leaders gave Walker
an overly warm welcome
back - at least officially.
Walker’s roomy, wood
paneled office in the Capi
tol has been replaced by a
sparsely decorated corner
spot in an office building
across the street.
His once-powerful com
mittee assignments now
include seats on two panels
so lightly regarded that
majority Republicans allow
Democrats to control
them. He also serves on the
Senate Agriculture Com
mittee — hardly a high pri
ority in Walkers urban and
suburban district.
“The Republican leader
ship did what they should
have done,” Walker says. “I
was the Senate Majority
Leader. They were not
going to put me in a posi
tion of power and influ
ence.”
His trial in federal court
is set to begin in May, when
he will answer charges
including conspiracy, mail
fraud and tax evasion.
Walker has pleaded not
guilty and denies all the
charges, saying he is the tar
get of a politically motivat
ed arttack. The investigation
was started by former
Southern District U.S.
Artorney Rick Thompson,
who resigned last year after
a federal report said he
“abused his authority and
violated the public trust” by
Sec Walker, page 12A
growth to shine in that area,
for people in that area to
feel good about what they
got.”
Some of those good peo
ple are residents Lena Mae
Hopgood and her family.
Mrs. Hopgood moved into
the neighborhood in 1953
when it was flourishing and
growing.
“I raised 13 children in
this house,” Mrs. Hopgood
says while enjoying the
unusually warm February
weather on her front porch,
Sce Bothlehem, page 12A