^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

19 NOV 04: GENERAL DISCHARGE

The rumored change of command at the Government Center became official Thursday, as Columbus City Manager Carmen Cavezza announced he'll retire. Before you ask the obvious question - no, I don't think they're outsourcing his job to
China.

Carmen Cavezza told a meeting of city employees he'll retire January 7. He's been Commanding General at Fort Benning, then Columbus City Manager. Now all he has to do is move to Phenix City, run for Mayor and get the trifecta.

A statement from the Government Center says City Manager Carmen Cavezza promised to "sprint" on the job until he retires in January. So much for Verizon Wireless bidding on the city cellular phone contract....

Carmen Cavezza says he'll take another job somewhere in Columbus next year - but he wouldn't say exactly what it is. Maybe he'll join Guy Sims, and turn the United Way office into an unofficial museum of local leaders.

Carmen Cavezza told WRBL he's been offered a job with Columbus State University's business management center. You may recall word leaked last month that the City Manager applied to be center director [23 Oct] - but since he's 67, he might be hired merely to be a greeter at the door.

Carmen Cavezza admitted to WRBL if he had it to do over, he would NOT have taken the City Manager's job in 1997. He says he never realized the city had such a "fragmented chain of command." I'm not sure Columbus residents knew it, either - until Marshal Ken Suddeth said he wasn't answerable to the Council.

Carmen Cavezza apparently decided to leave the City Manager's office before the local option sales tax vote. When LOST, uh, lost, he says he thought about staying on the job. We thought Zimbabwe was the only place where a vote against the government was taken as an endorsement.

Carmen Cavezza started to use the word "crisis" in describing Columbus government's situation to WRBL. Then he corrected the wording to "situation." You almost wonder if he changed the word again off-camera - to the military abbreviation of "SNAFU."

Mayor Bob Poydasheff announced once Carmen Cavezza leaves office, Isaiah Hugley will serve as Interim City Manager. This could be a major step toward "One Columbus" - at least Edward DuBose's vision of One Columbus.

City Manager Carmen Cavezza isn't the only city employee heading out the door. A party was held Thursday night for 15 firefighters, who have retired since September 30. Either something's wrong with public safety pay - or Columbus is more of a retirement community than I realized.

A friend of mine pointed out after the January 7 retirement date, Carmen Cavezza likely will have TWO pensions - one from the Army, another from the city of Columbus. Apparently he knew about "multiple streams of income" long before those Internet get-rich-quick seminars knew it.

Now other thrills from the Thursday before Thanksgiving:

+ Marshall won the city middle school football title. This is good news for the school near where Bianca Walton was shot and killed last year - and they didn't have to form a marksmanship team to bring the students together.

+ Albany State's football team prepared for Saturday's opening playoff game - against the Arkansas Tech "Wonder Boys!" [True/Associated Press] Aw, c'mon! Since when did Wonder Bread buy the rights to college nicknames?

+ An Auburn University researcher took swab samples at several area restaurants, and found traces of the E-coli bacteria. We don't know which restaurants were tested - but next time you're at Waffle House, ask for hash browns that are "covered" with anti-bacterial soap.

(Dr. Jean Wiese of Auburn University suggests you keep germs away by washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, and timing it by singing the birthday song. How macabre is this? Singing "happy birthday" to kill bacteria....)

+ Convicted Birmingham church bomber Bobby Frank Cherry died in an Alabama prison. We grew up thinking a "Cherry bomb" was a chocolate candy - but then we moved south, and everything changed.

+ Instant Message to Alabama Governor Bob Riley: Am I hearing this right - you've offered satellite news feeds to TV stations three days in a row? Based on this, is it safe to predict you WILL run for re-election?

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.