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Robert Threatt, Merit panelist Hank Aaron to 11 Acquitted judge Morris Brown against concessions be intervir”"*'’ r ‘ rr ‘bed for president, resigns to sheriff commissic iehavior Pagel Pagel Page 1 1 i—— II I I —■J I I ■ 1 ) I Augusta News-Heutm Volume 13 Number 15 Laney-Walker residents oppose proposed appartment construction by Wanda Johnson A request to rezone Laney- Walker Boulevard and Augusta Avenue for multiple family units drew an angry response from the Laney-Walker Neighborhood Association at Monday’s city council meeting. William A. Brown, president of the Laney-Walker Neighborhood Association, said, “It took us 50 years to become a neighborhood and now you’re going to tear it down in two. You’re going to turn it into a mutiple-family area, which will turn it into a ghetto. We don’t have any problems in that Morris Brown president resigns Morris Brown College President Robert Threatt resigned Saturday, saying that after nine years on the job, it was time, for him to move Oil. Threatt, 53, said that he will re main as president of the school un til his successor is named. Beyond that, he has no definite plans, he said. “I will (remain) in education. I’m a professional educator ... and I don’t plan on getting out of teaching,” he said. Threatt said that he had felt no pressure from faculty and alumni to step down. “This was my decision to resign,” Threatt said. “I feel that I have met my chall enges here ar Morris Brown College...” Bishop Frederick Talbot, chair man of the school’s board of trustees, agreed “The board has high regard for Dr. Threatt,” Tal bot said. “That point ought to be made very clear.” Talbot said that Threatt an nounced his resignation during a Merit panelist opposed to more concessions to sheriff A member of the Merit Com mission said in an interview Thur sday that the panel will make no further concessions to Sheriff J.B. Dykes. Earthie Powell D’Antignac said that the sheriff asked for the Merit Commission, but he doesn’t want to be governed by it. She said that the commission has agreed with the sheriff that he is entitled to hire and fire, “and that’s all we’re giving up.” The commission, she said, will Judge Alcee Hastings being probed for ‘odious ’ behavior A" panel of federal judges probing allegations of misconduct in volving U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings has gained access to most of the court documents it needs to determine if the charges are viable. The documents were ordered unsealed for the first time by U.S. Judge Edward Gignoux of Maine, who presided over the bribery-con spiracy trial of Hastings, the first federal judge to be tried for a crim inal offense while in office. Gignoux, however, said that he “very possibly” would keep sealed at least two other documents sought by the five-judge panel in- area and don’t want any.” Brown also said that $200,000 was raised some years ago for a senior citizens’ park in the same area, but the owner went un on the price. “The man that wants to build the 40-unit project doesn’t live in the area; he’s not going to be there when trouble breaks out,” Brown said. “I’m opposed to the projects, because of what I’ve seen in similar projects near us. Those projects were beautiful for two years, but now people are afraid to come out of their homes.” Councilman Mays said that board of trustees meeting Friday. Talbot said that he was surprised by the revelation. But the head of one local alumni group said that there has been con cern among Morris Brown alumni over how the school was being run. Norris Long, president of the TAY Club, an alumni athletic booster organization, said that he helped draft a letter to the board last summer that was critical of school policies, but not specifically of Threatt. Long said that he signed the let ter because “I was concerned about the school, the direction of the administration and student concerns.” He said that the letter he signed was “more or less critical of things that were going on businesswise.” He gave no specifics. Similar letters were written to the board by Morris Brown alumni groups around the country, Long said. He said that as far as he knew, those letters did not criticize handle promotions, grievances and transfers. However, she said that there is no provision for dealing with cases when the sheriff fails to discipline his personnel, even if the commission feels that he should. The sheriff advocated the establishment of a Merit Com mission during his campaign for sheriff, but has complained recen tly that it undermined his authority and that the members of the com mission were stacked against him. vestigating the complaints against Hastings. But Hastings, Florida’s first Black federal judge, has asked that all the file pertaining to his case be made public or not released at all. His counsel, Terence Anderson, said “the public has the right to know” and that Hastings “doesn’t believe the committee has the auth ority to seek access” to the files on a sealed basis. Hastings was acquitted Feb. 4 of charges that he conspired with longtime friend and Washington, D.C. attorney William Borders Jr. to solicit bribes in return for reduc- residents of Laney-Walker Boulevard have a misconception of the project. “In as much with the number of residents opposed to the 40-unit project, I suggest that the developer and residents of the Laney-Walker Boulevard area have a meeting and discuss with the developer the concept of his project.” Council voted to continue the ordinance through the next meeting. Council also approved a petition from Dr. Mary Ann Fornev. on for the purpose of establishing a day care center on Laney-Walker Boulevard. Threatt specifically. “There was never a concerted effort to oust Dr. Threatt; there was no definite push to eliminate him,” Long said. Last fall, school faculty and administrators expressed concern after freshman enrollment drop ped 23 percent at Morris Brown, one of six undergraduate schools in the Atlanta University Center. Talbot downplayed the significance of the letters. “Alum ni are always asking questions. That’s common,” Talbot said. “That’s in the past. All the con cerns... were addressed. “Morris Brown is a Black college, and I don’t know of any Black colleges that don’t have some financial difficulty. We have had to hold a tight rein (on expens es),” Talbot said. Talbot said that a search com mittee would be appointed to find a new president. The process could take several months, he said. Threatt’s salary is about $35,000 a year, Talbot said. Earthie D’Antignac ing the sentences of two Florida racketeers. Borders was convicted in March 1982 of soliciting bribes from the racketeers, who were defendants in Hastings’ court. He is now serving time in jail. Following a four-week trial at which the government sought Hastings’ conviction on circum stantial evidence linking him to the bribery scheme, a jury of seven women and five men found Hast ings innocent of the charges. Before his trial, Hastings Page 3 July 23.1983 ITO SjfflMHnS ■IF W’ / >■ 1 rx i \ /Jr g ** I i -.1 ■ Ik-\ -/*■ , \ TBg , Jr 1 Jr '****' ' ” yy.' tfSi&Sk gt- * '• J® IWBfr REP. TYRONE BROOKS (center) receives award from James Reed of the Georgia Association of Social Service Welfare Organizations as Rep. Hosea Williams (Right) obser ves. Rep. Tyrone Brooks is honored for advocacy State Representative Tyrone Brooks, D-Atlanta, has been awarded the Legislative Advocacy Award by the Georgia Conference on Social Welfare. Brooks is national President of The Martin Luther King Jr. movement. A conference spokesman praised Brook’s outstanding advocacy of human and social service programs. “He has done the most and continues today to serve the poor and the needy. He represents Augustan to help create international hymn for peace K. Tyrone Jefferson will par ticipate in the “International Musical Workshop for the Creation of a Hymn for Peace” in Guadeloupe, French Antilles during August 1-7 of 1983 (for the preparatory seminar) and July 30- August 19 1984 (for the actual workshop) as one of six guest composer and musicians. The workshop is designed to allow musicians from around the world to live and create together a piece of music for World Peace. This piece of music will be com posed by six composers from Japan, Brazil, Germany, Italy, France and the United States (Jef ferson). Each composer has been commissioned by the Office Municipal De La Culture of Guadeloupe to create a movement to the hymn lasting about 15 minutes and will conduct an or chestra of approximately 300 musicians for the premiere per formance. The composers will explore various musical styles during the workshop, jazz, classical contem porary, ethnic, etc. Jetterson win compose music in the jazz idiom with heavy emphasis on impor visation. Following the preparatory seminar, a booklet will be published by the Municipal Office Less than 75 percent Advertising all of the people of all the time. According to James Reed Jr., GCSW legislative chairperson, Brooks’ involvement with ad vocacy against the workfare program, work to increase AFDC benefits and expand the program indicates a “supreme advocacy capacity.” Brooks also sponsored the newly enacted Anti-Terrorism Act (Anti K.K.K.) passed by the Georgia General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Joe Frank Harris ,g K 1 ■ttl * i ■ > A 1 Keith Tyrone Jefferson of Culture in Guadeloupe to be distributed worldwide. This booklet will contain the goals and purposes of the International Musical Workshop along with a project summary of each com poser’s musical concepts. Through this booklet, musicians from dis- earlier this year. Brooks has announced that he will introduce legislation in the next session of the Assembly to prevent any state monies from being placed in any institution or corporation that operates in or does business with the government of South Africa. The award is presented annuallv to a legislator recognized for out standing work in the General Assembly to help the needy. ferent countries will be able to par ticipate in the workshop by contac ting the Municipal Office of Culture in Guadeloupe. Jefferson, born in New York City in 1953 and raised in Charlot te, N.C., comes from a musical family. His father played drums, his mother plays the piano, his sister plays the violin, viola and double bass violin and his wife is a vocalist. He has a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina A. and T. State University, served for four years as a U.S. Army of ficer, and received a two-year cer tificate from Berklee of Music in Boston and attended Harvard University. After a brief stint as volunteer instructor at the Jazzmobile in New York City, Jefferson relocated to Augusta, where he, his wife and their son reside. Presently, he is teaching data processing and systems analysis at Phillips College and may continue as artist-in-residence at Paine College (jazz studies) if enough people are interested in registering for his course “The History of Jazz.” He has performed with James Brown, Slide Hampton, Pony Poindexter, Clifford Jordan, Sam and Dave, Phil Wilson and Gary Burton. 30C