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WF the PEOPLE’S PAPER r
Vol. 4
Voters To Judge Candidates
For City
By Audrey Frazier
and Kathie L. Johnson
>■ Editor’s note: Candidates
for city council were asked to
briefly discuss what they
considered the most important
issues facing Augusta at this
time.
Candidates Wade Bryant and
Doughty Sylvester could not
be reached tor comment.
1
B.L. DENT
The most pressing issue b
the annexation or
consolidation. Everything is in
the county and nothing in the
city. Some people out of the
city don’t want to come in the
city but would save money by
coming in.
It would take all of the city
council to sell the idea. The
county is growing and not the
city because of the limit we
have in the city. We should give
the people who voted to
consolidate the chance to come
in and the ones who didn’t just
don’t come in.
' The transit system in
Augusta should be expanded.
It’s too expensive for most
people to own two cars so
there should be a wider
Students Reach Semifinals In
Scholarship Competition
Four Black Augusta high
school students have been
named semifinalists in the
National Achievement
Scholarship program, according
to a news release Wednesday.
The Augusta students are
Michael Dawson, Richmond
Academy; Nelle Lightfoot,
Lucy Laney; Iris Thomas,
Aquinas; and Tracy E.
Williams, Glenn Hills.
The 1400 semifinalists fwere
among 50,000 Black students
in some 6,000 high schools
who entered the competition
by taking the 1973 Preliminary
Scholastic Aptitude
Test/NationaJ Merit Qualifying
Test and requesting
consideration in the
Achievement Program.
Students names as
Achievement Semifinalists are
the highest scorers in each of
six geographic regions; the
number named in each is
porportional to the Black
population of the combined
states in that region.
“One of our purposes is to
encourage exceptionally
promising Black students to set
high educational and career
goals and to utilize their talents
in pursuing them,” says L.C.
McMillan, NMSC vice president
responsible for the general
management of the
Achievement Program. “By
identifying and recognizing
these able and highly
motivated Black youth, we
coverage of the bus system. It
will have to be planned and the
people will have to want it.
The mayor will improve the
transit system through federal
aid. We have a good mayor. He
can’t do everything but can do
some good.
Something should be done
about the canals and sewage
system. The state will complain
sooner or later about the canals
which will add pressure. It will
take a lot of money. People are
doing better in Augusta now.
They know what has to be
done and that it takes money
to pay for it.
As for downtown
improvement, the city will not
live if you don’t do something
for downtown. The
revitalization has to be done.
Augusta has to have it. You
have to have parking garages
also. This will bring business
back to downtown.
DeWITT
I feel that the most
important issue is unequal
taxation. All people should be
willing to pay for the services
they receive, and they should
not get the services they are
hope to increase the
educational opportunities that
can prepare them for future
professional and leadership
roles.”
About 450 of the students
announced today will be
winners of Achievement
Scholarships to be awarded in
the spring of 1975. At least
260 of these awards will be
National Achievement SIOOO
Scholarships, providing a single
payment of SI,OOO to die
winner after he enrolls in a
regionally accredited US.
college. About 190
Achievement Scholarships in
1975 will be four-year
renewable awards, worth up to
$1,500 per year (or $6,000 for
the four year college years). In
the ten annual Achievement
Scholarship competitions
completed (1965-74), over
3,000 Black students have won
awards valued at more than
$9.5 million.
To continue in the
competition, Achievement
Semifinalists must qualify as
Finalists by meeting additional
requirements that include
being recommended by their
secondary schools, presenting a
creditable academic record,
and submitting information
about their academic and
extracurricular attainments.
Over 1,000 Semifinalists are
expected to advance to Finalist
standing in the competition for
Achievement Scholarships to
be offered next spring.
P.O. Box 953 Augusta, Georgia
Council Wednesday
not willing to pay for. This
makes for a more efficient
government.
Transportation is another
important issue. This is worked
into our traffic problem. We
have to get where we can
move people.
The biggest general concern
is economy and efficiency in
government. You can’t reduce
taxes. You just have to try' to
get the most out of your
dollar.
WILLIE MAYS
I feel as though there must
be revitalization of not only
the downtown area, but the
city as a whole. I don’t feel
revitalization would be of
much help, if there are still
other areas within the city to
be ashamed of.
Big business and industry
considering coming to Augusta
would not only be interested in
seeing the business section but
•iso other areas of Augusta.
The people in low income areas
probably wouldn’t show too
much enthusiasm about it in
view of the fact that nothing is
being done to improve their
neighborhoods.
Unemployment seems about
the same nationwide, however,
creative steps can be taken to
alleviate the unemployment
EZdMMF El
WILLIAM “SONNY” WALKER
Regional OEO Chief
Speaks Here Monday
William “Sonny” Walker,
Regional Director of the Office
of Economic Opportunity, will
be in Augusta October 7 to
address the Board of Directors
of the local community action
agency, the CSRA Economic
Opportunity Authority, Inc.,
at a dinner at Mark’s Steak
House, 7:30 p.m.
Walker, who has been
working in poverty programs
situation locally. If elected I
would urge our city officials to
take advantage of the new
policy concerning the Federal
Government’s program of
Public Service Employment.
Training must be directed into
areas where people can be
trained for jobs, that upon
completion of training will
actually be available. Often
people are trained for jobs
which are either limited in
availability or which in reality
do not exist at all. Hopefully
our entire revitalization
program will serve as a means
of off-setting some areas of
unemployment, through its
attraction of outside industry.
I think there should be
greater communication
between elected officials and
the people. Many times
politicians can’t understand
why voters are apathetic. The
problem often lies not with the'
people but with the
representatives themselves.
How can you truly represent
someone if you are not aware
of their feelings on the issues?
Establishing lines of
communication is vital if one is
going to do an adequate job of
representation.
I don’t feel that the city
council meetings are in
themselves sufficient. There
should be ward meetings where
the councilman can find out
what the people want and how
they feel, these findings he
could report to city council. I
think that one of the'two city
council meetings held every
month, should be moved to the
evening, so that the working
man would be able to attend.
for almost a decade, is making his
tirst official visit to the local
agency' since he was named
Regional Director in 1972. He
is expected to include a tour of
the Neighborhood Service
Centers and the Eastern
Georgia Farmer’s Cooperative,
programs sponsored by the
SEE OEO PAGE 6
Bishop McCollough Highlights
House Os Prayer Convocation
\ i-t
DR. I.E. WASHINGTON
The most important issues
are 1) the revitalization of
downtown Augusta, 2)
a construction of a new and
modern law enforcement
facility, 3) the improvement of
extension of services in public
transportation and 4) the
elimination of railroad
crossings in the city.
The city council ought to
co-operate' with all other
agencies and or individuals who
are interested in this particular
project of revitalizing
downtown. I would be one to
speak and head the drive to get
others interested and keep the
project going.
For a growing city, modern
facilities are important. Law
enforcement facilities are most
important. This facility ought
to be located in an area which
is easily accessible to all
Completes Stanford
Executive Program
■■■■■
>
> w r • • /
S. W. WALKER, Il
S.W. Walker, II sucessfully
completed Stanford
University’s Executive Program
this summer.
The program was an eight
week, intensified, working
session aimed at training
corporate executives in
“proper decision making”. The
program is sponsored each
year, by the university’s
graduate school of business and
attracts participants from all
citizens and free from
congestion.
There should be a purchase
of modern up-to-date public
transportation equipment and
the extension of services to all
areas where there is a need
provided, however, that it is
economically feasible and
profitable. I plan to help to
stimulate interest in the public
and keep this item before the
city council as a high priority
item.
Although city council has
begun the elimination of some
railroad crossings, I plan to
continue this effort towards
complete elimination of all
railroad crossings in the city.
The trains can go around the
city instead of through the
city.
The complete elimination
could be a five year project
with a step by step plan
submitted to council and
approved by council as to how
the elimination process would
be accomplished. City council
could then examine after each
step or after each 12 months
their plans to determine
whether or not they are
keeping pace with their
agreement.
Another issue is there should
be full and complete
co-operation with other
agencies, boards and elected
officials, such as board of
education, county
commission, etc., towards the
achievement of worthy and
worthwhile goals common to
all citizens of our community.
over the world. The Stanford
school of business is reputed to
be one of the best in the
country.
Walker is vice-president and
assistant secretary treasurer of
The Pilgrim Health & Life
Insurance Company. Shortly
after his return from Stanford,
he was commencement speaker
at Greenville Junior College in
Greenville, S.C.
October 3, 1974 No. 28 > 204
EDITORIAL
The Candidates
As We See Them
As we view this year’s city council election, we
believe that there is reason to be concerned over the
number of races in wiiich candidates are running
without opposition. This is the case in the first, tliird,
fifth, seventli and eighth wards. Lack of competition
usually breeds stagnation. Politics is no different
Os the three seats that are being contested, two
involve wards that are at least 80% Black.
In the second ward, B.L. Dent is being challenged
by Willie Mays 111. This, we feel, is desirable because
there is obvious need for a change in this ward’s
council representation. Mr. Dent has simplv failed to
make tiie kind of contribution that we think Black
representatives (there are only three out of sixteen)
must make. When one considers that Mr. Dent has
served on council for three terms (nine years) and has
not been effective, then what reason is there to believe
that he would be effective if elected for three more
years? Aside from not being effective, Mr. Dent has
sided against tne sentiments of the Black community
on most issues coming before council affecting Blacks.
It should be pointed out again that the majority of
the people in Augusta are Black, and to fail to
represent the will of the majority is highly
questionable in any democracy. And Mr. Dent
represents a ward that is over 90% Black.
Whereas Willie Mays has not previously run for
public office, his awareness of and dissatisfaction with
existing representation in the second ward suggests
that he realizes that a repeat performance on his part
would be eqally objectionable to Black (the majority)
people, and that he would work for meaningful change
as a member of council. Wc recconunend W'illie Mays
in the second ward.
In the fourth ward, Dr. I.E. Washington opposes
Doughty Sylvester. Dr. Washington is more qualified in
every conceivable way, and we hope that he will give
the kind of leadership liis training has equipped him to
provide.
We were unable to get enough information on the
sixth ward candidates to see an appreciable difference.
We urge all citizens to vote in this and all elections.
Greene Selected 'Outstanding
Young Men In America 9
Joseph D. Greene has been
selected to appear in the 1974
edition of Outstanding Young
Men in America.
This publication recognizes
men between the age of 21 and
35 who have distinguished
themselves by their civic and
professional achievements.
Greene's full biography and
James Brown’s Club Subject
Os Second Burning
Singer James Brown said in a
TV interview this week that
attempts had been made last
week to complete the burning
of his night club here, The
Third World. The club was
burned last year with damage
estimated at $300,000.
Richmond County deputies
made no mention of the
alleged burning attempt in
JOSEPH D. GREENE
record of achievements will be
presented along with other
award winners in the 1974
edition.
Employed as assistant
agency director at The Pilgrim
Health and Life Insurance
Company, he earned the
SEE GREENE PAGE 6
their reports. They dis report,
however, that two subjects
were arrested at the club
Friday for taking tables out of
the establishment.
The unidentified parsons
were charged with burglary and
committed to the county jail.
One of the investigators,
Perry Florida, said he knew
nothing of the burning
attempt