15 JUN 05: STATUE-ASK

Columbus Councilors offered their opinions Tuesday on a proposed three-story-tall statue, to stand in front of the public library. The officials were very diplomatic in their words - with none suggesting it really belonged in front of the city landfill.

Councilor Red McDaniel came the closest to verbally chopping down the proposed statue, saying it looked like a 30-foot-tall "piece of scrap." We're assuming he never attends any model rocket festivals....

Mayor Pro Tem Jack "I'm not the TV sports guy" Rodgers said it's nice to have art in the new Columbus Public Library. But he added, "discretion is the better part of valor." So if the statue was only 20 feet tall, he'd be for it?!

Skip Henderson spoke for several Columbus Councilors when he said public money should NOT be spent on the $250,000 statue without public input. But there's one big problem with this idea -- how to show a giant statue on talk radio stations.

Several Columbus Councilors suggested if the Library Board wants the giant statue that badly, it should obtain private funding for it. But hold on -- didn't we hear complaints about corporate sponsorships when the new library opened in January? The statue might wind up with a giant rotating Spectrum logo on top.

At least one local artist had a different complaint - that the library statue is the work of someone from outside Columbus. Don't you wonder if the complainer has been INSIDE the library? At least three or four of the CD's have music from other countries....

The proposed 30-foot-tall statue actually had supporters at Columbus Council Tuesday. Margaret Sullivan said it would succeed in "pulling people in like a motherly figure." Then let's put it at a more appropriate spot - in front of Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Library Board Chair Tom Wade heard the suggestions of Columbus Council, and said he'll ask the board to reconsider its plans. If the members revise the statue to 60 feet tall, I suppose the fight officially will be on.

In case you're confused, the library statue came before Columbus Council because the library was built with city sales tax money. City Manager Isaiah Hugley let the Council consider it, because he serves on the library board. But the library normally is overseen by the school board - and somewhere in all this, Sheriff Ralph Johnson MUST be to blame.

Someone gave me a unique suggestion for the Columbus Public Library Tuesday. He said residents should donate their own scrap items, and pile them up outside to build our own statue. But I think there's already a place in Columbus using that approach -- Golden Foundry downtown.

(Why didn't this man come up with that idea five years ago? We could have made one nice big statue from the remains of Columbus Square Mall.)

Several things may be overlooked in all this debate about a library statue -- such as the old Bradley Library. A stunning report last week showed its conversion into school district office space is costing at least four times over the estimated budget. Which "world-renowned artist" is designing those cubicles?

And while the library statue gained all the Columbus Council headlines Tuesday, a city budget quietly was approved for fiscal 2006. It leaves several police positions unfunded come July. But then again, most residents apparently won't mind if someone decides to steal that new statue....

E-MAIL UPDATE: The proposed library statue ignited a major investigation by the "City Columbus" web site. In recent days, Deborah Owens has sent us several messages about it - so many, in fact, that "IsOurCitySafe" seems to have been shocked into complete silence.

Deborah Owens started the latest run of e-mails with this one last week:

Richard;

Here is the legal opinion on the potential Conflict of Interest with Isaiah Hugely's Multi-faceted positions in the City government as City Manager, Library Board Member and Library Finance Board Member.

He is a stand up kind of guy. A real man, I'd say, because he just keeps on answering our questions...unlike the lily livered school board that is always on the run when you have a question. BTW, I have sent them many questions- many times and had ONE response. What total irresponsibility.

The voters will remember this.

Someone MUST run for School Board in every district...are you listening FOP?

Deb O

FOP? Now we need police officers on the Muscogee County School Board, too? I think I'd rather see them outside the schools, checking for weapons and drugs.

I'm going to assume it is NOT a good thing to be "lily livered" - although I suppose it might be a nice contrast to a cast-iron stomach.

And wait a minute -- what do you mean City Manager Isaiah Hugley is "a stand-up guy?" I've never seen him on stage on comedy night at The Loft....

Then Deborah Owens e-mailed local officials, with still more questions about the Muscogee County Library Board. We'll note only some of them:

Hello;

It has been very difficult to obtain information on the Library Board. Can you please help us understand what it is you do and how you do it?....

May I have the meeting schedule? Where are your meetings held? May I obtain minutes from your meetings?....

Would you be in favor of the Library Board being ADVISORY only?

Would you be in favor of the Library Board being ELECTED?

Thanking you in advance for your answers.

These questions are quite detailed, and could be quite revealing. If the Library Board is holding meetings at Barnes and Noble instead of a library, it would be troubling.

Imagine the thrill Columbus voters would have if Library Board positions were elected. It would be a lot like the races for Constable in Russell County - where I imagine the standard is first to vote for a name you know, and second to take a wild guess.

Oh yes, the "legal opinion" on City Manager Isaiah Hugley - Deborah Owens sent that to us later:

Isaiah and Jaimie,

I see no conflict with Isaiah serving on the library board and the City conducting the procurement process.

Isaiah has no financial interest in this sculpture, I assume.

Clifton

That's from City Attorney Clifton Fay - and I suppose the City Manager would have to avoid being an "investor" in the statue. But then, if wife Carolyn Hugley is writing an insurance policy for it....

Deborah Owens also e-mailed us the Muscogee County Library Board bylaws. Since they're posted at her web site, I'll let you read them there. Let's just say this -- you won't find them in the "page-turners" section of the public library's first floor.

Another e-mail listed nine Library Board members whose terms expire at the end of the year. One of them is City Manager Isaiah Hugley - and since we now know board members appoint replacements among themselves, Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin's resume may grow only longer.

Here's our most recent library letter -- not really addressed to us:

Hello, Library Board Members;....

Will you please provide me with the artist's rendering of the Sculpture, with rights to publish? Can you provide a statement on the true colors of the sculpture and the materials that will be used?....

Will you open up the Library Board Member Selection Process for public purview? Will you have public meetings to discuss the public's suggestions for new Library Board members? Will you accept resumes from interested parties?

The Muscogee County School Board has discussed possible future plans to develop the lands surrounding the Library as a "profit center" for the School Board. What is your position on the development of the Library's surrounding properties, owned by the Muscogee County School Board? Do you want to see residential and commercial developement, or do you prefer to see it used as a Community Services area, maintained for public use? I understand you have sent the School Board a position statement on the potential residential and commercial development of the property around the Library. Can you please provide me with your position letter to the School Board? Was your expressed position unanimous?

Thank You,

Deborah Owens

OK, I'm stumped by this one. Why does Deborah want to know the "true colors" of the proposed sculpture? Is she suspicious the artist has sex issues, and parts of it might be pink?

The land around the Columbus Public Library has been the topic of discussion, and not only because of the proposed statue. Should it have homes? Should it have shops? Shouldn't at least the Firestone shop on Macon Road open a gate for library visitors to drive in for repairs?

After all these questions about "accepting resumes from interested parties," it seems to me Deborah Owens needs to stop sounding like a telemarketer. Come on now - tell me why you want me to vote you onto the library board....

Enough of all these questions - let's look around for other issues and answers:

+ Ed DuBose of the NAACP presented the Talbot County School Board with a 400-name petition, calling for the firing of Superintendent Robert Patrick. Isn't this amazing? In only a few weeks in a small county, he almost matched the Rainbow/PUSH petition drive against Sheriff Ralph Johnson.

+ AFLAC executives went to Wall Street, and rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Only duck dolls were on the balcony - which could mean the duck of commercial fame was having a secret rendezvous with Donald Trump's wife.

+ Ken Carter of the movie "Coach Carter" spoke at the annual "Celebration of Sports Excellence." The event was held at the RiverCenter's Bill Heard Theatre - where the only "sports" event of the year might occur when visiting performers play poker in a dressing room.

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