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Week of April 7,2010 - April 13,2010 • Vol. 38 No. 7 • www.savannahtribune.com • 912-233-6128 • Fax: 912-233-6140
Lovett Named Sole Police Chief Finalist
Savannah native and
current Interim Police Chief
Willie Lovett was selected
on Wednesday, March 31, as
the sole finalist in the search
for a new Savannah-
Chatham Metropolitan
Police Chief.
The Metro Police
Policy Committee, com
prised of Savannah Mayor
Otis Johnson; Chatham
County Commission
Chairman Pete Liakakis;
City Manager Michael
Brown; and County
Manager Russ Abolt; made
the selection following a
five-month national search.
Lovett was chosen among a
large pool of applicants
based on his performance as
Interim Chief; as well as his
track record established dur
ing 36 years of service with
the police department.
In accordance with
State Law, the Policy
Willie Lovett
Committee took the formal
step of announcing a finalist
14 days prior to making a
final decision.
Lovett is expected to be
appointed permanent Chief
on April 14. When he is,
Lovett will become
Savannah’s first black police
chief.
“As an African
American it’s exciting, and I
do realize that this is the first
time,” he said. “I'm not really
centered on the fact that I am
an African American. I'm
more centered on the fact that
I am the Chief of Police for
the Metro.” This was
Lovett’s second time serving
as interim chief. He served
when a few years back when
the position became vacant,
and was filled by Michael
Berkow. Berkow left in
October, and Lovett was
again thrust to the forefront
as acting chief.
Dr. Cornel West Visits Savannah
State University
SGA Officials, President Eugene Brannon, Vice President Alicia Williams, Miss SSU
Tierrenne Roberson, and Chief Justice Brandon Billups pose with Dr. Cornel West
Nelson
Makes
History
as he
Receives
Ph.D
LaRon E. Nelson
LaRon E. Nelson, PhD,
RN, NP will be the first
African-American man to
receive a PhD in Nursing from
the University of Rochester at
its upcoming commencement
ceremony of May 15, 2010.
Dr. Nelson grew up in
the Carver Heights neighbor
hood on Savannah’s west side
and was educated in the
Savannah-Chatham County
public school system. He was
President of his senior class at
Herschel V. Jenkins High
School where he graduated in
1995. He received a Bachelor
of Science in Nursing in 2002
and a Master of Science in
Nursing in 2004, both from
the University of Rochester.
Dr. Nelson is now teach
ing some of the world’s
brightest students in his cur
rent position as an Assistant
Professor at the University of
Toronto Lawrence S.
Bloomberg Faculty of
Nursing in Canada.
Dr. Nelson’s research
focuses on the prevention of
HIV in urban communities of
the United States, Canada and
Ghana.
Congratulating LaRon
are his proud parents George
(Mary) Nelson, Grandmother
Mary E Jackson, Siblings:
Sharon (Otis) Parris, George
Jr. (Christina) Nelson,
LaShonda Nelson, Aunts:
Seledith Taylor, Joann
Kennedy, Teresa Corbin, and
Rosetta Jackson. Uncle Willie
(Johnnie M) Taylor,
Godparents Gus (Catherine)
Young.
By Marius L. Davis
On Thursday, April 1,
Savannah State University
welcomed Dr. Cornel
West. Often described as
controversial, West
engaged those who filled
SSU's Tiger Arena in a
thought-provoking discus
sion.
He began by praising
Savannah State
University's leadership, and it's
beautiful campus. “In the mid
dle of struggle and oppression,
and in the middle of Jim Crow
and Jane Crow somebody
thought it important enough to
educate young people, and 120
years later, look what you've
got”, West said to thunderous
applause.
He geared his discussion
toward the young people who
were in attendance, stressing to
them the important job that lies
ahead. Staying in line with the
evening's theme “The
Foundations of Our Legacy:
Treasuring Our Past, Preparing
for our Future”, West told of
the greatness that came before
today's youth in people like Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., and
Malcolm X, and the greatness
that lies before them.
“What kind of indi
vidual will you be from
Momma's womb to the
tomb?” he asked. West
also discussed his disap
pointment in the present
state of some of our young
people. “Freedom has
been reduced to bling-
bling, so it is for this rea
son that we have the free
dom to be dumb, and the
freedom to be dooped”, he
said.
West came to SSU as
a part of the Miss
Savannah State University
Scholarship, which was
established in 2008 by
Miss SSU 2008-2009,
Tirrany Thurmond.
The scholarship is
awarded annually to
deserving students matric
ulating at the university.
In addition to being
an electrifying speaker,
West is also an acclaimed
author and professor, cur
rently serving as Class of
1943 University Professor
in the Center for African
American Studies at
Princeton University.
He offers weekly
commentary on The Tavis
Smiley Show, which airs
on Public Radio
International.
Brown
to
Resign
as City
Manager
Michael Brown
City Manager Michael
Brown has announced that he
will resign his position May 3.
Brown is leaving to accept a
position in Arlington Va.
In his letter of resigna
tion, Brown wrote, “For the
past fifteen years, I have dili
gently strived to work with
you to make Savannah a bet
ter community and to make
the City of Savannah a more
efficient, effective, and equi
table organization. This work
is not complete (and will
never be completed), but we
have achieved fundamental,
intergenerational progress in
the quality of life of our resi
dents and visitors.
As I reflect on
Savannah's progress, I am
pleased about improvements
in Council Priorities including
public safety, neighborhood
vitality, affordable housing,
blight eradication, water
resources, drainage and eco
nomic development. The City
now communicates and
engages much more fully and
productively with citizens,
stakeholders and employees.
The City's fiscal health is
sound, our budget is balanced
and we can, with effort, con
tinue to stay fiscally strong
into the future.”
Brown helped the city
pass a $890 million special
sales tax, but also worked to
sustain a 27 percent property
tax reduction over 10 years.
A Prince William
County native, Brown grad
uated Phi Beta Kappa from
the University of Virginia.
The Council will meet
on Thursday to decide on an
interim city manager.
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