19 APR 09: Progressing Back to Go
"FOR RENT" says a sign on Third Avenue this weekend, outside the Columbus NAACP headquarters. Such a nice gesture - offering inexpensive housing in a tight economy.
But that sign actually as an indicator of tough times for the civil rights organization. The Columbus NAACP is moving out of its Third Avenue headquarters, only 14 months after its grand opening. Apparently there's no wrongdoing involved here, because the leadership would be walking around with picket signs by now.
Remember when the Columbus NAACP opened its new Third Avenue office last year? President Bill Madison had to assure midday TV viewers he was smiling about it [13 Feb 08]. I'm not sure I even saw Madison smile after Barack Obama was elected President....
But Bill Madison announced his resignation as Columbus NAACP President 1 April, citing an ailing wife. Now the chapter is moving back to its old office, in an old duplex the Historic District on First Avenue. I'm not sure if there's a connection there - but they didn't even stay in the new office long enough to name it in Madison's honor.
The Columbus NAACP is trying hard to put the move back to First Avenue in a positive light. Call the chapter office and a message says, "Pardon our progress." Skeptics might say it's NOT progress to return to where you started. I assume none of those skeptics are urging Columbus Councilor Glenn Davis to run for the state legislature.
Your blog has seen a clue as to why the Columbus NAACP is moving back to First Avenue. An e-mail from the branch office says: "Due to the current economic hardships, our branch has experienced a dramatic drop in donations." This could change in the months ahead - as African-American people discover President Obama can't end discrimination all by himself.
Is there a connection between the drop in donations and the move away from Third Avenue? We called the Columbus NAACP office Friday, but our voice mail message was NOT returned. Compare that with the Phenix City NAACP President, who openly talked when we called him at home. Of course, he probably had no idea what this blog is....
New Columbus NAACP President Marcus Hunter plans to meet the news media on moving day 1 May, to explain where the chapter goes from here. Is it a mere coincidence that this is occurring on May Day?!
The big fund-raising event for the Columbus NAACP is the annual banquet in February. This year it marked the national organization's centennial, so you'd think interest would have been strong -- but 100 dollars a plate is even higher than a dinner at Bludau's.
By the way, the message at the Columbus NAACP branch office phone invited us to a statewide job fair in Atlanta this Wednesday. It mentioned nothing about an evening on the branch's calendar for this weekend -- the naming of "100 People of Status." Oh well, they'll probably all be at upcoming fund-raisers for Rainbow/PUSH and the Urban League.
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E-MAIL UPDATE: There's more today on the recent "synergy" between newspapers and cable television in east Alabama:
"Sir" Richard:
I may not be doin' much 'Writin' but I am Readin' your BLOG every day.The writers comments on CTVEA & THE CITIZEN were especially interesting to me..And your "visit" with Craig Howard jarred old memories!
It's true that both the cable system and the "newspaper" are co-owned by Mr. Roy Greene.Mr. Greene has long been an enterprising individual in this area and for my part - I like the man!
My first association with Mr. Greene was in the sporting dog area. I carried the elderly gentleman on several quail hunting trips; and he offered me employment (as a dog trainer) more than once. That was several years ago, and I have had little contact since then..
It's my feeling that although he does own both the TV cable company and the Newspaper - he no longer has his hand on the throttle.
Craig Howard and Amy Overton (the editor of the citizen) are employed by Mr. Greene because of Mr. Greene's loyalties to past associates.They are both losers!
I've dealt with both, and it hasn't been easy.Overton once told me "Don't come in here with any more bad news about "Hurt'sboro." And, Craig Howard was afraid I would overshadow him because of the promotions I created were getting attention.
He does run a series of shows with local "celebrities" that go hardly noticed. I was on one of these programs when I ran for County Commissioner - it was a call-in show, but the phone never rang - and as far as I could determine no one was watching!
Good ol' Craig claims that he has 20,000 subscribers, But as far as I can tell I'm the only one time paying ($20.00) subscriber in "Hurt'sboro He and Overton do "stuff" the post office boxes here in town.. And the citizens "stuff" The waste paper basket in the lobby before they leave the building.
Its been my long standing belief; that the reason East Alabama has not flourished is because we have to rely on the media in Georgia to cover our news events. We have no radio stations. We have no TV stations. We have no daily newspaper. So we are left to the designs of people like Craig Howard and Amy Overton
.It's too bad that Mr. Roy Greene is no longer the man I once knew. I'm sure he wouldn't condone what is going on at CTVEA or The Citizen!
Constable R.J. Schweiger????
Memo to self: Call Robert Schweiger before contacting anyone in east Alabama. That way, you can add a question about when they became a loser and why.
Apparently we didn't make clear last Wednesday that Craig Howard is NOT with Cable TV of East Alabama anymore. If he's such a loser, how did he get a new job in such a tough economy -- and NOT preparing tax returns?
Simply because TV and radio stations have "call-in" talk shows does NOT mean they take calls. For instance, Rush Limbaugh and Jim Rome sometimes have 90-minute monologues to finish first....
Now for a quick check at other weekend items:
+ Our best wishes to Juvenile Court Judge Aaron Cohn, whom we understand now requires a pacemaker. Yet he's still behind the bench at age 92 - waiting for that phone call from New York to succeed Judge Judy on TV.
+ WRBL reported Columbus city crews tracked down the source of the recent Teak Drive flooding. Fishing line apparently clogged a drain. Those of you who went fishing at that watershed now know those were beavers you were chasing in the water.
+ The Hughston Clinic marked its 60th anniversary, with a celebration along Veterans Parkway. Dozens of employees were relieved when no one announced Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital in Phenix City would be downsized, to remove the word "hospital."
+ More than 30,000 country music fans attended the inaugural Sticks festival near Auburn, which featured Trace Adkins and Julianne Hough. By comparison, the Columbus Civic Center presented a George Jones concert - which made South Commons REALLY look like the "sticks."
+ The Columbus Lions kept rolling, demolishing the D.C. Armor 76-6. It was Military Appreciation Night at the Civic Center - and Fort Benning soldiers probably felt strange, rooting against a lot of Armor.
+ Alabama and Auburn held "A-Day" spring college football games. Auburn's offense scored six touchdowns, and won 57-31. Alabama's Crimson team defeated the White team 14-7. And the most important score for planning fall ticket sales was Alabama 84,000 fans to Auburn's 45,000.
+ Instant Message to the new Shark's Fish and Chicken downtown: Your chicken tenders put Zaxby's to shame - but you're right when you say it's "not a fast food restaurant." When the lowest-priced item for adults on the menu is five dollars, that's not fast-food at all.
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