13 NOV 08: CHANGE AT THE TOP

The incoming Muscogee County District Attorney made her first major decision since the election Wednesday. It was a bold step, that I'm not sure anyone really expected. And it's something Gray Conger never would have done - because he's probably never had long enough hair to do it.

Did you see the dramatic video on WRBL -- as District Attorney-Elect Julia Slater had her hair cut? This admittedly shocked me. Slater styled her hair a bit like Sarah Palin to get elected, and now wants nothing to do with her....

Julia Slater probably went to the salon with an "up-do." She left with her hair entirely above the shoulders. I think that style is called a "bob" - although I didn't see former mayor Poydasheff anywhere in the video clip.

So you're probably asking why Julia Slater did this. Why make such a big cut, only days after the election? And is this a sign that she'll make big staff cuts, after she takes office?

There actually are other reasons why the District Attorney-Elect went to the salon. Julia Slater donated several inches of hair to Locks of Love, which provides hairpieces to children with a medical hair loss. I assume this program is aimed exclusively at girls - since baldheaded boys can pretend to be basketball players or professional wrestlers.

Julia Slater said she's watched a mother-in-law and personal hairstylist die of cancer in the last two years. That prompted her to make a hair donation to Locks of Love. This could become very popular in the next few weeks - as hair donations don't require you to realign your budget.

Julia Slater actually is the second local official to make a Locks of Love donation this year. Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley did it in May, several months before winning re-election. Once Slater becomes District Attorney, they can compare notes on stylists as well as criminal cases.

Julia Slater admitted there's a bit of symbolism in her big haircut -- that it symbolizes the change she plans to bring to the District Attorney's office. Can you imagine what could happen if all Democrats used this sort of symbolism? By this time next year, our President could have an Afro.

It's probably best that Julia Slater went ahead with the haircut now, before taking the oath as District Attorney. Remember how prosecutor Marcia Clark changed hairstyles, in the middle of the O.J. Simpson trial in 1995? The jury quickly decided her presentation simply wasn't consistent.

Julia Slater may be following the example of other female prosecutors. When I worked in radio news in Oklahoma during the early 1980s, the local District Attorney was female and had a shorter style. That woman still holds the position today - so short hair may succeed in a long run.

But let's face it - if Julia Slater had lost the election last week, would this haircut have been a news story? Would a TV station have bothered showing up to record it? Wouldn't some guys compare her to a stressed-out woman who learned her boyfriend dumped her through a text message?

Julia Slater's name made news for a very different reason Wednesday. She's the defense attorney for a woman awaiting trial for a series of home invasions. Soon Slater will switch to the other side of the courtroom aisle - and I'm wondering if that suspect is entitled to get at least some of her legal fees back.

BLOG UPDATE: Since we sort-of promised it Monday, we now have a picture of the new Columbus Walk of Fame. For now, it has three stars - so tourists from Canada might be forgiven if they think they stumbled onto a hockey tribute.

The Chair of the Columbus Walk of Fame committee assured us Sunday it would NOT operate like the Hollywood Walk of Fame - where celebrities sometimes can "buy" a star for thousands of dollars. Yet the Columbus stars have "sponsorship bricks" around them, including several with names of relatives. Maybe those bricks cost less than a family reunion T-shirt....

The new Columbus Walk of Fame reminded me of a similar walkway, about six blocks away. The Chamber of Commerce has a Business Walk on Sixth Avenue, yet you never hear anyone promote it as a "tourist attraction." Maybe it's because of the big Bill Heard Chevrolet logo in the middle of it.

On the other hand, maybe the Business Walk isn't promoted to tourists because you can pay for a spot on it. A little sign to the left of the walkway invites you to "Ad your name...." Yes, it's spelled like "advertisement." Give the Chamber of Commerce enough money, and people can walk over your name just like they do Tom Buck's.

Let's cool down after our walkabout, and check other Wednesday news....

+ Georgia State Senator Emanuel Jones announced he has the signed papers to take over Bill Heard Chevrolet. If he hires Zeph Baker as his general manager, Rep. Calvin Smyre may get nervous all over again.

(There's one Opelika business which could be disappointed by this news. Glynn-Smith Chevrolet probably has been packed on Mondays, due to Jimmie Johnson winning all those Sunday NASCAR races.)

+ Officials from Columbus, Mississippi visited town on a fact-finding trip. The cities have more in common than you might think. Columbus, Mississippi has a town named Hamilton to the north, a city named West Point nearby - and since it's down the road from Mississippi State University, we both want to pull out hair over college football teams.

+ The new Russell County commissioners were sworn into office. Tillman Pugh and Ronnie Reed returned to seats they used to have. And newcomer Larry Screws may have been disappointed - because principal's offices tend to have larger desks than his space in the meeting room.

+ Instant Message to the Country Music Association: First of all, why isn't it called the "Horizon Award" anymore? And how could you overlook Macon's Jason Aldean for that Best New Artist prize, and give it to a group named Lady Antebellum -- when two of its three singers are male?

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