8 MAR 06: MACE OUT OF PLACE?

The timing certainly threw some people - as a protest line formed Tuesday afternoon outside Carver High School. A few thought students had walked out of class. A few wondered if it had anything to do with the deadly shooting of a student. And a few probably figured the Carver-Spencer football game promotions were starting already.

But what happened outside Carver High School actually was none of the above. Six adults from a group called MACE came to Columbus from suburban Atlanta, to call for the firing of the school principal. But they were so orderly, police didn't need to use mace against them.

Most people in Columbus probably aren't familiar with MACE, but people in Atlanta might be. It's the "Metro Association of Classroom Educators" - and it is to schools a bit like what People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is to restaurants. Well, except MACE members don't wear bikinis....

MACE Chair John Trotter claims several Carver High School teachers have complained to his group about Principal Chris Lindsey. Who knows how long the picket line might have been, if the student complaints had been counted....

It's not clear to me exactly why Carver High School teachers are complaining about their principal. One protest sign shown on TV said, "Stop the Violence" - but c'mon now. Do they really expect Chris Lindsey to follow students to tire stores after school?

It's also not clear whether the MACE protest was in response to the shooting death of Carver High School student Taquan Pace last week. The demonstration didn't go on to Kendrick and Spencer High Schools -- so it couldn't have anything to do with the basketball playoffs.

I heard two different opinions Tuesday night about the MACE protest. One woman agreed that it's time for Principal Chris Lindsey to go, claiming he suspends students without any input from parents. The boy who brings brass knuckles to school might simply need them for metalworking class.

But a man told me Carver High School's Principal used to be an assistant principal at Shaw, and had no problems there. "Shouldn't we trust the school board to know the people it's promoting?" he asked. After the reassignment of Russell County High School's principal the other day, maybe not....

This man also was annoyed that an organization based in the Atlanta suburb of Fayetteville came down to Columbus to protest a principal. He likened it to Jesse Jackson's appearance last year at the big civil rights rally downtown. And come to think of it, does Fort Benning REALLY need all those extra soldiers?

A check of the MACE web site revealed it has concerns about other principals in Muscogee County schools. Two of them are listed as "administrators who need improvement," including Wynnton Elementary's Nancy Johnson. I thought she was keeping those historic artifacts very well....

(WARNING: the MACE site admittedly also uses some rough language, in describing one metro Atlanta school superintendent. Apparently the phrase which starts with "candy" is the opposite of "bootylicious")

MACE accepts the label "radical teachers' union," and seems ready to accuse any administrator who does something improper. In fact, principals are BARRED from joining the group. How can this union have long-term office space, without any principal - and negative interest on top of that?

E-MAIL UPDATE: We don't often get advance notice that a joke is coming, but this is an exception:

I know you enjoy a good laugh now and then, especially at my expense. So this should give you a good chuckle. Check out our noon newscast tomorrow. Particularly the weather segments.

Hope all is well!

Blaine

Yes, that was Blaine Stewart you might have seen Tuesday presenting the weather on WRBL. Instead of a "First Alert," this was a fourth option....

From what I saw, Blaine Stewart didn't do that badly with the weather maps and forecast. Who knows, he might be WRBL's next Mitzi Oxford - someone who's a meteorologist in name only.

Instant Message to another e-mailer who claims we "piggyback" a lot of our blog items from WRBL: Well, we find our material anywhere we can. Some days it comes from phone calls, some days from TV newscasts - and who knows, we may have a big expose coming on "Southern Views" magazine.

Now for other little piggies that ate roast beef on Tuesday - or at least I think that's how it goes:

+ Columbus Mayor Bob Poydasheff appeared on WDAK radio's "Viewpoint" talk show, and declared drivers who run red lights are "stupid." How many male voters can this man afford to lose, in an election year?

(Mayor Poydasheff was in a tough-talking mood, because he also declared S.O.A. Watch protesters "silly, and academically dishonest." Maybe he's trying to get his own talk show, in case he doesn't get reelected.)

+ Viewpoint host/Chamber of Commerce President Mike Gaymon declared last weekend's James Taylor concert "great." But Gaymon asked Mayor Poydasheff what he might do about people who bought large blocks of dozens of tickets. I'd suggest making them do the same thing for Columbus Catfish baseball games.

+ Port Columbus officials admitted they're going to add something they didn't want to have -- electronic "touch screens." Executive Director Bruce Smith explained today's museum visitors want to be entertained as they learn. That could explain why Big Bird never stands at a chalkboard on "Sesame Street."

(The Historic Chattahoochee Commission reports attendance at Port Columbus dropped 14 percent last year. But West Point Lake had more visitors - which must mean boaters no longer fear attacks by Union warships.)

+ WXTX "News at Ten" revealed the Landings Shopping Center on Airport Thruway soon will have a Fuddruckers restaurant. I've eaten at this chain in metro Atlanta and Myrtle Beach, and it's a fun place to eat gourmet hamburgers. But this is one time I hope the sign company spells the name right....

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