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4 JUN 04: UP THE AVENUE
Two big events unfolded Thursday a few blocks away from my First Avenue home, and at about the same time. So of course, I was too busy to attend either one of them. One of these days, someone will buy my movie script of this blog and I'll be independently wealthy.
The first big event came at about 11:20 a.m., when a historic house at 537 First Avenue caught fire. Police cars and fire equipment wound up blocking the street for several hours. We don't know how many attorneys rushed over from nearby offices, hoping to find someone injured.
One witness said the First Avenue fire started in a clothes dryer. Then shouldn't this have been easy to stop? Simply turn on the washer next to it, then tip the washer over....
The house at 537 First Avenue has extensive damage, and a house next door has minor damage. An abundance of fire crews made sure things didn't get any worse - so the Historic District didn't become history completely.
A few minutes later at 11:30, another event occurred about three blocks away at the Government Center. Robert Taylor formally launched his campaign for Muscogee County Sheriff. The first pressing questions were obvious - how old are Taylor's children, and has he checked their vehicles for drugs?
Robert Taylor handed out fliers at a news conference, declaring himself "Taylor-made to be Sheriff." I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this - but I've received e-mail spam for months asking about the size of my "Johnson." Were those campaign ads I've been deleting?
Robert Taylor says he's running for Muscogee County Sheriff because incumbent Ralph Johnson didn't respond properly last December to the shooting of Kenneth Walker. So apparently the big issue in this race is NOT crime prevention - it's who shows compassion for crime victims better.
Sheriff Ralph Johnson declined to comment on the announcement ceremony by opponent Robert Taylor. Perhaps he doesn't have to comment. Mr. Johnson had his campaign kickoff event weeks before filing for office as an independent - and Mr. Taylor waited a month after filing to hold one.
(But then again, maybe Sheriff Johnson is too busy to comment right now - because he's overseeing the grounding of his 17-year-old son.)
I watched TV coverage of the kickoff events for both Sheriff candidates carefully. Did you notice almost all the people at Robert Taylor's event were African-American, and almost all the people at Ralph Johnson's event were Euro-American? This race may come down to which man "Ritmo Latino Radio" endorses.
Robert Taylor's kickoff announcement came one day after Federal Judge Clay Land dismissed part of the big lawsuit filed by Kenneth Walker's family. The Muscogee County Sheriff's Department is immune from suits, under Georgia law. In fact, it seems Sheriff Ralph Johnson is the only one who ever wears a suit.
The attorneys for Kenneth Walker's family plan to refile their $100 million suit, naming other parties in addition to Sheriff Ralph Johnson and former Deputy David Glisson. Come to think of it, which company makes the weapons for those deputies? This may qualify as a gun crime....
COMING THIS WEEKEND: Those "little things" we hinted at Thursday.... the hockey playoff game was too good for us to write more Thursday night....
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