10 JAN 08: COME SOUTH, YOUNG MAN

The year was 1987. I was on a writing team at a well-known cable news channel - and in one script I quoted the old phrase: "Go west, young man." The copy editor over me was baffled by it, had no idea where it came from, and challenged my using it. The woman had a New England college education, and is now a law professor - so perhaps she's more likely to suggest people go to court.

Recent Census reports show people not only are going west, they're moving south. But maybe they're not moving far enough south - because the Columbus Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday it plans a new effort to recruit young adults to the city. So much for including public shuffleboard courts in that upcoming sales tax question....

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce especially wants to bring 25 to 40-year-olds to town. A generation ago, these would have been called Yuppies: "young urban professionals." But Columbus is an intermediate-sized city - so is it OK to say they're after Yippies?

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce was urged to start this recruitment drive by Aflac - because the insurance company is having trouble motivating young adults to move here for work. Maybe the problem isn't the city. Maybe those young adults are concerned about being required to clean the duck pen.

Chamber of Commerce Chair Stella Shulman says the recruitment drive will include plenty of opportunities for young adult professionals to "network." At least that's they'll do at the Trade Center or RiverCenter - before going north on Broadway, to just plain drink and gossip.

WRBL found a young adult professional who actually moved back home to work in Columbus. Reynolds Bickerstaff used to live in New York, and says he's now only interested in going there "for a weekend." Yup, he's a Yuppie - since most Columbus natives would only think of going there for a vacation, or a flight change on the way to Europe.

(Hey, wait a minute - young adult professional! That's it! The Chamber of Commerce can say: "Yappies are happy in Columbus.")

Reynolds Bickerstaff offered several reasons why he prefers living in Columbus, instead of New York. For one thing, he says there's "no traffic" - which tells me he must not use Interstate 185 for his commute.

Reynolds Bickerstaff also explained people in Columbus are "15 minutes from anywhere." Of course, young adults who are more attracted to Atlanta say we're 100 miles down the road to nowhere....

But Reynolds Bickerstaff admits the pace is slower in Columbus, compared with New York. He says some young adult professionals become "overstimulated," and want to do all sorts of things. There's another selling point for Columbus - we can help cure adult attention deficit disorder.

Yet a couple of things puzzle me about this new recruiting drive. Columbus sits only 40 minutes down the highway from a large recruiting pool for young adults. Auburn is filled with them, primarily because of the university. Maybe if the Chamber of Commerce gives them free rolls of toilet paper to move here....

I've mentioned here before that the Columbus Sports Council should propose hosting an Auburn basketball game or two at the Civic Center. That could attract young adults down U.S. 280 to our city. And if you've seen the empty seats at Beard-Eaves Coliseum, the Tigers probably would draw a bigger crowd here.

Keep in mind also that the Columbus area has plenty of young adults now. They're called Fort Benning soldiers. Why can't Aflac and other employers draw on them for staffing? Simply teach them to soften their voices a little, and hold out a pen instead of a machine gun.

BLOG UPDATE: WRCG Radio remained off the air Wednesday night, while transmitter vandalism is repaired. That meant the Georgia Tech-Georgia basketball game could not be heard - and unlike football season, Archway Broadcasting didn't move the Georgia broadcast to an FM station. WSB in Atlanta might as well stand for "We're Solo for Bulldogs."

Now turn down your radio, to pay close attention to our other Wednesday news....

+ WRBL showed demolition underway at the Baker Village Apartments. Where is the outrage about this, from the Historic Columbus Foundation? There could be decades-old graffiti on some walls, needing to be preserved.

+ Roanoke, Alabama Mayor Henry Bonner was indicted on 26 counts, after the entire City Council was called before a grand jury. Shiloh may have had a boxing match in December, but Roanoke can stage a "battle royal" wrestling meet.

+ Russell County High School baseball coach Tony Rasmus told WLTZ while he used steroids years ago, his players don't need to do it. Hmmmm - what are they adding to the cafeteria food at lunch?

+ Instant Message to Ki Hoon Han: Welcome to Columbus. Congratulations on being the first Cottonmouths player from South Korea. But I can't resist asking - will you be working in the off-season for Kia?

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