4 JUN 08: THE BIG DIG

Tuesday brought a major step toward political reconciliation and healing. It was potentially risky in terms of an upcoming election, yet probably had to happen anyway. And here's the amazing thing -- hours after Mayor Jim Wetherington did it, Hillary Rodham Clinton did somewhat the same thing.

Mayor Jim Wetherington joined the dignitaries, at the groundbreaking for the new Muscogee County Schools administration building. The official name of the building is the "Educational Services Center" - and it now seems there's no ESC-ape from building it.

Mayor Wetherington told WLTZ if Columbus is going to become a high-caliber city, it needs to improve its public education system. He apparently believes a new administration building will help accomplish that. And who knows - maybe some students will watch the construction, and be inspired to become architects.

But Mayor Jim Wetherington took a bit of a chance, by showing up at this groundbreaking. Some people in Columbus are arguing for the city sales tax proposal, and against a similar proposal for Muscogee County schools. If the mayor backs the latter, could it cost him the former? But I was hoping to save the "LOST" jokes for July....

Plenty of other officials attended Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony on Rigdon Road. Former School Board President Mary Sue Polleys noted the Educational Services Center "always was going to be controversial." That's true, of course - since any suspension of a student can lead to a school board tribunal.

State Senator Ed Harbison and Rep. Calvin Smyre attended the groundbreaking. In fact, it looked a bit like a Democratic party convention - because Muscogee County Republican Party chair Josh McKoon had to e-mail a news release against the building, to get any attention.

The news release from Josh McKoon called the Educational Services Center a "monument to excesses." Of course, Republicans said the same thing about the Georgia state Capitol for decades - and now they run the place.

Josh McKoon says the new Educational Services Center will cost $240 per square foot to build. This is the man who's opposed "greenspace" around the central library - and now he's against spending a lot of green, for a little space.

But Superintendent John Phillips says the new Educational Services Center has been "needed for decades." Then why didn't predecessor Guy Sims talk about it very much? He seemed to be satisfied with communications by telephone....

Muscogee County School District officials note administrative buildings are scattered over several locations now. This new building presumably will save on fuel expenses, as staff members won't have to drive back and forth. But the district could go one extra step - and park all the school buses in that big parking lot, instead of miles away on Whitesville Road.

Skeptics may have found it ironic that the groundbreaking came only hours after the Muscogee County School Board approved a tentative budget - a record- breaking budget of almost $289 million. The bulk of that money is for salaries. So when August comes, find the teachers you think have the biggest paychecks - and ask if they'll buy your children breakfast.

The pay must be good in Muscogee County schools, based on Tuesday night's sportscasts. Pacelli baseball coach Chris Leak is moving to Northside High School, and essentially admitting it's for the money. The Pacelli board apparently needs to schedule more spaghetti dinners next school year.

(Pacelli High School decided in late April it would NOT rehire Chris Leak. Then all he did was coach the Vikings to a state baseball title -- as if he was trying to work his way out of purgatory.)

But anyway: it turns out the Muscogee County schools are hiring 156 teachers for the summer, to help students pass make-up CRCT exams. If this will help some students on the English section - remember, you can't spell "correct" without CRCT.

BLOG UPDATE: The numbers left me shocked - SHOCKED! Hurtsboro Constable Robert Schweiger did NOT come in first Tuesday night, for Russell County Commission. In fact, he was third - even behind school principal Larry Screws. And Screws's arrest received much more news media attention.

Numbers posted online by WRBL at our deadline showed R.J. Schweiger with 23 percent of the vote for Commission District 4. Surprisingly, Larry Screws came in first - and apparently is heading for a runoff with incumbent J.D. Upshaw. Maybe Screws is promising to dissolve Pittsview, as well as Hurtsboro.

So Robert Schweiger potentially is in a position to play "kingmaker" in a Russell County Commission race. Which man will he support in a Democratic runoff? The minister who was the subject of rumors by Schweiger's friends? The school principal who was acquitted in court of misconduct? Or the choice which seems more up Schweiger's alley - none of the above?

The online numbers also indicate Ronnie Reed will return to the Russell County Commission seat he had to vacate two years ago. He led a four-way race, with incumbent Johnnie Robinson finishing third. I don't dare say Robinson was as weak as his recent health problems....

The statewide voting in Alabama found Senator Jeff Sessions winning the Republican nomination by a wide margin. His only challenger was Smiths Station native Earl Mack Gavin, who's a retired postal worker. If Gavin promised to freeze his salary like a "forever" stamp, he might have done better.

Incumbent Jeff Sessions will face State Senator Vivian Figures in the fall. Figures is a female African-American candidate - which means she doesn't have to worry about bringing Alabama Democrats together. Barack Obama can only wish it was that easy....

Let's see what else made news on a steamy June evening:

+ The Washington Post had a front-page story about Fort Benning, where several soldiers complained the Warrior Transition Barracks are too close to live-fire ranges. The soldiers said the gunnery practice aggravates their post-traumatic stress disorder. Come to think of it, how many overweight Columbus residents live downwind from barbecue restaurants?

(A Fort Benning commander defended the Warrior Transition Barracks, telling WRBL they're new and top-quality. That's nice -- but he didn't mention anything about them being soundproof.)

+ WLTZ reported Muscogee County Marshal Greg Countryman recently renovated his department's offices with inmate labor. I'd better not hear any opponents of the one-percent public safety sales tax suggest that as an alternative....

(Greg Countryman explained when Columbus Council approved renovations for the Marshal's Department offices, it included NO money for labor. Maybe the Council thought that's what the Junior Marshal's program is for.)

+ Instant Message to Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones: Did I read it correctly - you want to get rid of the Constable's position? You could do what Russell County's Tommy Boswell has done with that man in Hurtsboro. Ignore him, and he might go away.

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