19 AUG 08: TOWN ON TRIAL
So it was yet another Hurtsboro Monday - but this time the stage was far above this blog, and the stakes were a lot higher. Court hearings involving the town took place Monday in both Phenix City and Union Springs. Hurtsboro probably hasn't made this much news in one day since the last time a resident had twins.
The big hearing was the long-awaited proceeding on whether Hurtsboro's city charter should be dissolved, with Russell County taking over control. From what I saw on TV, Hurtsboro residents seemed to fill the courtroom. But was any county official there with visitors' guides, promoting how much better their service would be?
Tommy Worthy has become the attorney for Hurtsboro residents who want the town dissolved. You know, people like Robert Schweiger -- who has been conspicuously absent from our e-mail InBox in recent months. Do you think Worthy has told Schweiger to learn a lesson from his horses, and wear a muzzle for awhile?
But anyway: Tommy Worthy told reporters Hurtsboro's city government is incapable of providing services for its residents. For instance, have you noticed the city limits signs on TV? Hurtsboro should have marked its 150th anniversary last year - but people were too busy staring down the road for garbage trucks to plan a parade.
The Hurtsboro city attorney demanded the petition-signers prove that claim. But Tommy Worthy said his group has been denied access to city records. And I guess Constable Robert Schweiger can only monitor events outside the town bank - not peering over people's shoulders at the teller windows.
Hurtsboro Mayor Sandra Tarver-Yoba attended Monday's hearing, but she admitted not bringing any city financial records with her. So did the judge resort to Plan B, and ask to review her personal checkbook?
As usual, the Hurtsboro Mayor refused to talk on-camera outside the courtroom. C'mon, Ms. Tarver-Yoba - President Bush is about to leave office, and he's still talking with reporters....
The Hurtsboro City Attorney wound up doing the talking in the hallway. He's Armando Wesley Pitters - and any lawyer who goes by three names without a hyphen risks someone doing a background check on him.
Armando Wesley Pitters called the petition drive to dissolve the city of Hurtsboro an attempted "coup d'etat." This may have marked the first time Robert Schweiger has been compared to the Russian army.
"That is not what American democracy is all about," the Hurtsboro city attorney declared. Well, unless you're in Florida trying to win a Presidential election....
Armando Wesley Pitters even suggested there might be a racial motive in the drive to dissolve Hurtsboro. That's an interesting accusation - but don't you have to prove garbage was collected only in the white part of town?
A Macon County, Alabama judge assigned the case says he might have a decision in one to two weeks. WRBL noted that means Hurtsboro will go ahead with upcoming city elections - with Mayor Sandra Tarver-Yoba NOT on the ballot. If she's scouting for retirement property in Mexico, that could be a sign of trouble.
While that hearing took place, the former interim police chief of Hurtsboro was in a Bullock County courtroom. Marvin Christian is charged with kidnapping - and based on some of the language he apparently said outside the courthouse, he will NOT be charged with being a Christian.
But this court case had an unusual twist Monday. The former girlfriend who claimed in July she was kidnapped by Marvin Christian admitted she was "intoxicated" when she was questioned by police. As if the Hurtsboro saga wasn't down-home enough, now we may have an appearance by moonshiners.
Marvin Christian's case was continued until mid-September, and he did NOT enter a plea on the kidnapping charge. Who knows? By the time he makes his next court appearance, Armando Wesley Pitters may have time to represent him -- as a former city attorney.
>> If you'd like to take a "halftime break" in this entry, we invite you to visit our new blog about poker and more -- "On the Flop!" <<
E-MAIL UPDATE: From baseball to Bigfoot, a blog reader is covering a lot of ground in one message....
Rural residents around Newnan,GA have reported sightings of what they think is a big foot relative. These sightings have taken place over several recent years..
Glenn Davis is a good decent guy. Why do certain people keep ragging him? I wonder if these people are jealous of his money..Well,he started out as a kid who needed help.He worked himself up to being a super star baseball player. Now he comes to Columbus to help kids and invest his money..Glenn,I'm proud to have you as an active citizen of Columbus.Why don't you run for mayor?
A TV station went looking for that Coweta County creature a couple of years ago. But really now - shouldn't someone have flushed out "Bigfoot" by building all those big-box stores along Interstate 85 in Newnan?
This reader may consider Councilor Glenn Davis good and decent, but others seem to think he's made a "conflict of interest" violation. One critic tried to refute a Sunday e-mail about the Hilton Garden Inn with no less than five separate replies. With former baseball players, I'd think you still need only three strikes.
The replies about Glenn Davis's investment company included some legal documents and a bit of redundancy. We're summarizing them by combining three of those messages:
> Columbus City CouncilMan Glenn Davis, Voted to Change the Zoning, directly up to the back fences of the homes on NUTMEG DR., on August 16, 2005. Cascade Group Inc., of which CouncilMan Glenn Davis is CEO, Purchased the Property September 25, 2005. Forty Days after He voted to Change the Zoning from Residential Office to General Commercial, his Corporation purchased the property. April 25, 2006, Prestige Hospitality Group, with Columbus City CouncilMan Glenn Davis as the Secretary of Prestige Hospitality Group, purchased the land from Cascade Group, with Columbus City CouncilMan Glenn Davis as CEO.
> CouncilMan Glenn Davis
Is CEO of Cascade Group.
Cascade Group Purchased the Hotel Site
9/25/05
CouncilMan Glenn Davis
Voted
On the Hotel Site's
Rezoning
To Commercial Business, From
Residential Office on
8/16/05.
> The Hotel Site was purchased by the Cascade Group 9/25/05, and recorded 10/5/05
> http://clerk-web.columbusga.org/oncoreweb/showdetails.aspx?Book=8114&Page=116&BookType=DE
And to think this all started last week with sprinklers running on Whittlesey Road. Now it may have washed away a Councilor's good image....
The Superior Court Clerk's records at that link above are a part of the city government I never knew existed. A little curious browsing led me to a 1988 land sale in the Clover Hill subdivision, between then-Police Chief Jim Wetherington and the Daugherty family.
By the way - what's all this "CouncilMan" stuff? Is there a campaign underway to remove gender-neutral titles in Columbus? Will female bloggers at the Ledger-Enquirer such as Sonya Sorich have to start calling themselves blogettes?
TODAY'S BLOG OLYMPIC MOMENT: Albany's Angelo Taylor won the men's 400-meter hurdles at the Olympics Monday. In all my years of running, I've only hurdled things a few times -- most notably a briefcase resting upright in the transportation mall at the Atlanta airport. This was when it was still OK to run inside the airport - and copy O.J. Simpson's commercials.
So what else happened Monday? We found a few things....
+ Which local journalist was given a pop quiz on naming Georgia's two U.S. Senators - and could only remember one of them? If Johnny Isakson's term was up this year, he'd clearly have some name recognition problems.
+ Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge toured the National Infantry Museum site, as a member of its board. Ridge was unsure whether he'll be chosen as John McCain's running mate. I can hear the first debate question now - why did you change the national terrorism alert level so many times, while your successors never have?
+ A city candidate forum was held at a church in south Phenix City. Some residents wonder what the city plans to do for their part of town. Apparently that fancy large sign for Chattahoochee Valley Community College along U.S. 431 isn't quite enough.
+ The Eufaula Tribune reported a man tried to disguise himself during a series of thefts by shaving his head, then sticking the hair on his face with school glue. As if having "sticky fingers" wasn't enough for this guy?!
+ Instant Message to the Muscogee County School Board: You disappointed some people I know Monday night. You approved that new online method of paying for school lunches. Those other people complain they won't be able to rough up any children on the playground anymore.
In the first half of 2008, our number of unique visitors jumped 23 percent from last year. To advertise to our readers, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.
BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1131 (+ 31, 2.8%)
The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.
© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.
