9 MAY 08: BUBBLE UP AGAIN

We knew the watering restrictions in Columbus were ending. We knew people could start running their sprinklers next week. But one big question regarding the drought was still unsettled - until Thursday. Thank you WRBL, for resolving what sort of plastic jugs we can use to catch water from our neighbor's sprinklers.

No wait -- there was an even bigger issue on my mind. Would the change to "level two" watering rules mean the fountains could come back on? Columbus is still the "Fountain City," after all. And losing that title even faster than we did the "mill town" label would be an even bigger shock.

But there's good news about this question. Columbus Water Works Vice President Jim Patterson said Thursday fountains CAN come back on Monday, when drought restrictions for Muscogee County are eased. So please do NOT throw in your pennies for a few days - not until the water is refilled.

Fountains across Columbus were turned off last October, because of the severe "level four" drought restrictions. Some familiar local landmarks suddenly looked very different. The empty pools at Heritage Park on Broadway could have been mistaken for the new skate park.

A new pastime quickly sprang up developed in Columbus, to spot the watering violators. We noted one or two here -- as Cheddars restaurant kept its fountain on for several weeks, and even on holidays when it was closed. I don't recall any staff member ever declaring it a public drinking fountain.

In fact, there's one Columbus fountain that I don't think ever was turned off at all. It's inside a homeowner's courtyard, in the 600 block of Broadway. And I'm still not sure which Columbus Water Works employee lives there....

But enough rain fell across Columbus during the winter that the watering rules could change. In fact, another line of storms moved across the area Thursday night -- with high winds drying off the grass first, as if to make it need the rain that much more.

If Columbus Water Works is planning some kind of big ceremony next week to mark the return of flowing fountains, I'm not aware of it. Perhaps some small signal is planned instead. If you see water running outside the facility on River Road, it's a bit like seeing white smoke at the Vatican to proclaim a new pope.

You'd think this return to running fountains would call for a big celebration. Take the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, which has a dry fountain outside its office on Sixth Avenue. Have Mike Gaymon step outside, with a ceremonial magic cup....

(Of course, the Chamber of Commerce forgot to turn off its fountain last fall for several days. So after Mike Gaymon pours that cup, someone should arrest him -- to do a "jail and bail" fundraiser for a low-income assistance program.)

A map posted on the Columbus Water Works web site shows Harris County also will be on "level two" watering rules next week. But Troup County is still at the toughest "level four," even though it's the county with West Point Lake. It's as if people in LaGrange have giant swimming pools in their backyards, for fishing practice.

Yet here's the thing: a federal report released Thursday shows Muscogee County still is in a "moderate drought," and most of Harris County is considered in a "severe drought." So why is the watering restriction really changing? Did Georgia state officials get tired of Columbus executives calling them and lobbying -- a sort of Water Works torture?

E-MAIL UPDATE: Someone else wants to take on the questions a reader asked here Thursday....

Hi, Richard --

I just read your blog today with the e-mail from "John" who has such a long list of complaints. I'd like to address only two of them and try to clear up some of the misinformation he put out there.

The City Council, Mayor and City Manager have absolutely no control over the School Board, the Superintendent nor any function of the Muscogee County School District, and vice versa. The Council, Mayor and School Board are all elected officials, and the Council and School Board each has its autonomy. City Manager Isaiah Hugley (in an appointed position) might be able to talk with his sister Pat Hugley Green, and might be able to convince her to do whatever it is he may want her to do, but I doubt it. If you've ever had a sister or a brother who has some power (even if it's just the power of being the oldest kid or the youngest kid), you know that it's mighty difficult to get him or her to do anything they don't want to do!

And just one other piece of misinformation: If the voters approve a SPLOST, the proceeds cannot be used to pay salaries. The only way you can hire the police officers the Mayor is proposing is to have a LOST. As for the sunset provision called for by John: Do you also want the employment of these officers to have a sunset? Without the money from the LOST to pay salaries, you'd have to lay them off. That's even if the state law allowed a sunset date for LOST, which it doesn't. The LOST is adopted by referendum of the voters and can be removed by referendum of the voters.

Thanks, Richard. I didn't mean to "run on".

Columbus Council and the Muscogee County School District tried to have some "unity meetings" a few months ago. I don't know whatever happened to those. Maybe someone with the Council threatened to declare war, and stage a takeover of the new school administration building.

I have an older brother - and yes, he had some clout over me when I was young. But I'd better not say much more than that right now. I'm going to a family wedding in two weeks - and he might make me sleep on a couch in his home, instead of a bed.

Now let's see if other Thursday news inspires any questions or answers....

+ Columbus Police were called to a reported break-in at the new skate park in South Commons. C'mon, folks - I really don't think the rails on the stairs will be made of solid copper.

+ Mayor Jim Wetherington called a Friday morning news conference, to provide an update on the Zachary Allen investigation. This police probe was supposed to take 30 days - back in December. Even the Georgia Legislature could squeeze in a 40-day session in that time.

+ Alabama's state school board voted to change the rules for high school graduation. Students no longer will have to pass all five sections of a graduation test. They now can get a diploma merely by passing three. This is what happens when you have a string of Alabama college football coaches named Dubose, Franchione, Price and Shula.

+ WRBL reported the Russell County High School baseball team is being put on probation, because it played too many games. Yeah, right. Something tells me other coaches complained in recent years, because this team was scoring too many runs.

+ Australian Christian singing star Rebecca St. James performed at Cascade Hills Church. It was billed as a concert for "mothers, daughters and friends" - which is a pretty clever way of getting around the city rules on Ladies' Night promotions.

+ Instant Message to Arnold Middle School student Jack Hooper: Congratulations on being named this year's "Georgia Reader of the Year!" Some of your classmates probably even you, and couldn't even finish a "Weekly Reader."

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