1 SEP 06: ACQUIRED IMMUNITY

Talk about an amazing case of timing! The new "Ma Rainey Blues Museum" was opened to the public Thursday morning - and only hours later, civil rights groups had reason to sing the blues all over again.

Federal Judge Clay "Law of the" Land ruled Thursday the city of Columbus CANNOT be sued for damages, by the three men who rode with Kenneth Walker on the night he was killed. The Muscogee County Sheriff's Department cannot be sued, either. So suddenly, we don't need a one-cent sales tax increase as badly as we thought.

The 62-page decision from Judge Clay Land said Kenneth Walker's family and his three buddies still can sue former Sheriff's Deputy David Glisson and current officers Jim Price and Rick Stinson. We haven't heard about those other officers much in this case - so we still don't know if the Price was right.

Judge Clay Land drew a complex line in his opinion - saying the current and former Sheriff's officers cannot be sued in their "official capacity," but can be sued individually. Does this mean the defendants can't wear badges into the courtroom, during their trial?

Once the ruling was issued, the spinning by attorneys began. Walker family attorney Bill Mitchell told WRBL he was pleased with the decision, because "all Mrs. Walker wanted was her day in court." Of course, this could have been said about the motion hearing at the federal courthouse in mid-July.

Plaintiff's attorney Joseph Wiley admitted he was disappointed that not all the claims he requested will go to trial. But at least, he said, the lawsuit remains alive. Privately, Wiley must be stunned by this - that a white Republican judge appointed by President Bush is giving Kenneth Walker's family more of a chance than a mixed-ethnically grand jury did.

On the other side, the attorney for David Glisson didn't seem stunned by the ruling. Richard Hagler noted further appeals of the decision could delay a civil trial for another year. That means Columbus voters will have a chance to vote out everyone associated with the Kenneth Walker case. Well, except for Councilor Mimi Woodson - there's no write-in candidate against her.

Richard Hagler said any lawsuit against former Deputy David Glisson won't wind up with much in damages. He explained that's partly because Glisson is practically broke. I guess Summit Hospital decided not to hire any security guards....

Richard Hagler insists the shooting of Kenneth Walker was "not about race," and he says he resents civil rights groups continually trying to paint it that way. Well OK, let's look at it in the more appropriate way - a way I hadn't really thought about until the other day. Why wasn't David Glisson at home with HIS family on the night of the shooting?

The Columbus City Attorney said he was pleased with Judge Clay Land's decision - but otherwise, city officials didn't say much. Maybe they already spent the potential damages, on that big welcome-home party for the Little Leaguers.

One big leftover question from Thursday's ruling is whether Columbus Council now will approve a "settlement" payment to Kenneth Walker's family. If Judge Clay Land says the city is immune from lawsuits in this case, there may not be anything to settle -- well, other than the emotions of Walker's mother.

The first thing which crossed my mind when I heard about Judge Clay Land's ruling was the timing of it. If the Northern Little League team hadn't won the World Series, would we have seen this decision last week?

BLOG UPDATE: Perhaps there's a fringe benefit to the Northern Little League winning the World Series. It's helped me heal a bit from a rough start to my new sport, Power Frisbee of Georgia. After last Thursday's opening night in Augusta, I can understand why many Broadway shows open in New Haven....

3:50 p.m.: I arrive at the high school football stadium we've booked for Premiere Night. A touch of rain is falling, but it's worse in other parts of the Augusta area. And I'm treating this like a football game, playing it rain or shine -- unless you can't see from one goal post to the other.

A side gate is open near the football team clubhouse, so I walk through it and begin setting up the field. With a starting time of 6:00, a custodian from the school district is supposed to be there at the planned opening time of 4:00. Two police cars were at the main school entrance minutes before - so maybe I'm getting an extra security guard instead.

4:05 p.m.: I happen to spot two people in the clubhouse equipment room, and tell them about what's planned that evening. One of the two reveals he doesn't have a key to the press box. How are we supposed to play James Brown songs on my newly-purchased boombox without a public address system?

The couple in the clubhouse load up some items, and leave. It turns out they don't come back, and they didn't open the football stadium's main gates for me. They ARE on the school staff, aren't they?!

4:15 p.m.: With no custodian on hand yet, I take a question mark-shaped long walk around the high school to the front entrance. An assistant principal is still inside, and I ask about a press box key - but he doesn't seem to know Power Frisbee is scheduled there. I left posters to put on the bulletin boards weeks before, but maybe warnings about handguns covered them up.

The assistant principal calls the school district athletic director's office for me - but winds up leaving voice mail. I can understand this. It took me about two months' worth of calls and e-mails simply to get the reservation approved -- not to mention a three-week Independence Day break.

4:30 p.m.: I make the long walk back to the football stadium, and do so warily. I left three bags of items under a table on the field. Anywhere else, I feared they could be stolen -- but so many high school students can be unobservant, they might not be.

Then comes a moment of concern, as a team full of high school football players heads for the clubhouse. I stand outside nearby, to ask a coach if they're planning a practice session or something -- except no one who looks like a coach ever appears. And those linemen are even beefier than I am, should an argument break out.

5:00 p.m.: With no football coach and still no custodian to open the gates, the first support personnel arrive to help with Premiere Night. They're volunteers recruited from a Seventh-Day Adventist Church. We stand, chat and wait for a LONG time - but stop short of starting a prayer meeting.

5:30 p.m.: The man who's throwing for Augusta in the season opener arrives right on time. He's supposed to play against someone a female thrower is bringing with her from Savannah. But there's still no custodian, and a football team putting on pads and uniforms -- and I was not about to ask each player for a five-dollar admission fee.

A few fans have started arriving for Premiere Night as well. The dad in one family is told we're starting at 6:00, so he decides to go get a sandwich. He even offers to buy me one. Some people find creative ways to get discounts to big events.

6:00 p.m.: It's the scheduled starting time for Premiere Night, and still no custodian has arrived to open the main gates. On top of that, the woman recommended to sing the national anthem has just arrived -- 30 minutes late. The rain has stopped at our stadium, but maybe God put a bubble around it while dumping a monsoon everywhere else.

Oh yes, someone else has not shown up - the woman from Savannah who's providing our challengers for the night. I even offered to play the woman in an
exhibition, to start the evening. But the later it gets, the less I feel like Bobby Riggs.

6:10 p.m.: With a wait now underway for several people, a school district bus rolls up to the football clubhouse. It's not our custodian, but the driver taking the football team to a pre-season scrimmage in another part of Augusta. If all the bulky players breathe in and out at the same time, they just might fit.

6:25 p.m.: The national anthem singer has to get to work, so she and her husband leave. Did the Chattahoochee Valley Vipers ever have this sort of problem?

6:30 p.m.: The crowded football bus rolls away - and the woman from Savannah calls my answering machine to admit she got lost, and couldn't find any Power Frisbee match now that she's in Augusta. There are only two problems with this. My answering machine is in Columbus, and I don't have a cell phone.

6:40 p.m.: The woman from Savannah finally finds our group in the parking lot. "I got lost," she explained. I'm happy merely to have competitors for a real match -- although frisbees probably would skip really well in a wet parking lot.

Trouble is, the Savannah woman couldn't find a man to join her on the trip to throw. Since no woman tried out from Augusta for Power Frisbee (that's why I was substituting, to play the woman), we had a strange case of mixed singles. Well, check that - the man from Augusta brought his wife.

At last we have throwers to go on the field to play. And if the custodian's not going to show up, at least we have the side gate to.... well, check that as well. While I was chatting with the guests, the football game locked up the side gate when they left for the scrimmage.

"This is getting ridiculous!" I exclaim as I begin walking around the stadium in search of ANY other open gate. Three bags and four corner posts now were locked inside. And if I had to wait in the parking lot until the football team returned from its scrimmage, a police officer might arrest me for loitering.

Amazingly, I find an opening to get into the football stadium - on the opposite side from the parking lot, thanks to a hole in a fence you can crawl through. I walk across the field and tell the group what I found. The throwers have mercy on me, and decide to walk around. Some of the fans actually are thin enough to fit inside a gap in a locked gate to reach the field - but they pay me admission, anyway.

7:00 p.m.: I serve as umpire for the first real (?) game of Power Frisbee. The woman from Savannah and the man from Augusta decide to play in the wet grass barefoot. Well, I promised not to damage the field with cleats....

The man from Augusta wins the one-game exhibition 5-2. As I present thank-you Premiere Night gifts and we gather ourselves to leave for the evening, suddenly I notice the stadium lights are coming on. The school district's custodian has arrived - three-and-a-half hours late.

At least a main gate is now open, to make it easier to reload my car. As I do, the custodian gets a cell phone call from the district athletic director. Yes, the school custodian has a cell phone - but I had to spend money on radio and TV time, or else the stands would have been even emptier than they were.

"I apologize to you," the athletic director tells me on the cell phone. "I didn't know if you were still on, because of the rain." Well, I never called him to cancel the match - and only the assistant principal back at the school entrance seemed to have his phone number.

"I got stuck in a meeting, and I forgot to tell a custodian to head out there," the athletic director adds. Perhaps now you understand the blog entry we posted last weekend on commitment....

The athletic director promises to refund my money, and I accepted that. I'm still waiting for the check in the mail, as I write this. In fact, I'm still waiting for a copy of the stadium contract I signed in his office on the last day of July.

I leave apologizing to practically everyone who showed up for the occasion. Power Frisbee's Premiere Night turned out to be a lot like that old children's game Mystery Date -- only I didn't get a dream, but a dud.

E-MAIL UPDATE: One of Wednesday's e-mails about the late Columbus doctor Eric Buffong brought a quick response from North Carolina:

I would like to make a comment about the "eye for an eye"...Did anyone who made that insensitive comment even know Dr. B? No this was a man of great intergrity who was accused of something that really changed our lives. Regardless of the outcome Alisha was a great person and so was Mr. B!!! This is a family that would bend over backwards to help any and everyone. The whole Buffong family from his wife to his daughters and Mr.B were very special to our community of Jacksonville. They took in kids of all ages and encouraged, pushed and even financially backed, and we are not saying one or two but maybe fifty kids. Never did they settle for less and it was unfortunate that Mr. Buffong pleaded to lesser charges and did not stand his ground like he had wanted to. A greatly missed man, who left this earth way to soon but not alone because he went with his "Angel" Alisha!!!

Alisha is Dr. Buffong's daughter, who died with him in a car crash in Clayton County last Saturday morning. I'm left wondering if the doctor was giving in his death -- like a "living will," donating those dreadlocks to Locks of Love.

Now a quick wrap-up of other Thursday news:

+ It was the first anniversary of the great Columbus "gas panic" - and prices ended the day about 50 cents lower than they were a year ago [1 Sep 05]. It looks like school is still on in Muscogee County for next Tuesday.

+ The Little League world champions finally went back to middle school. Some of them had a "V.I.P. Table" in the lunchroom, with their favorite foods - not from the cafeteria, but places such as Ruby Tuesday and B. Merrill's. Does this put the players' amateur status at risk?

+ The Columbus Catfish honored the Northern All-Stars on the final night of the home schedule. But WRBL didn't show any of the players in the stands or skyboxes - so maybe the Little Leaguers have moved on already, and they watched the Atlanta Falcons game on TV.

+ Instant Message to Edgar Champagne: What's this I'm reading about WAGH-FM "Magic 98.3" adding Steve Harvey in the morning? What's going to happen to your morning show? Are you moving to afternoons, and serving beer instead?

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