25 APR 07: HEARD BUT NOT SEEN

The list of finalists has been announced for Southeast "Green Eyeshade Awards" in investigative journalism. A familiar Columbus name is on it, but you'd never guess which one. Sorry, Tim Chitwood - your shift to city government reporting at the Ledger-Enquirer didn't quite do it.

A Nashville TV station is nominated for a Green Eyeshade Award, for a series of investigative reports on Bill Heard Chevrolet. Bill Heard has a dealership there, as it does in Columbus and other cities - but in Nashville, there seems to be a large number of complaints. So "Mr. Big Volume" seems to be more like Mr. Big Trouble.

Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville has several pages all to itself on WTVF's web site. And to the delight of everyone, they do NOT include one of those annoying "brought to you by" sponsor ads....

WTVF's first report on Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville aired last July. It focused on a man who signed a contract to buy a used pickup truck, paid $8,100 for it - then discovered the dealership repossessed his truck in the middle of the night, and put it back on sale. The customer's check didn't bounce. The salesman apparently feared he would be -- as in fired.

A salesperson from Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville apparently decided something was wrong, and the customer needed to pay $10,000 extra for his pickup. They warn customers about reading the fine print of contracts - but you'd think the dealership would do the same thing.

Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville blamed what happened with the pickup on a rookie salesperson's mistake -- and it told WTVF the customer should have realized the $8,100 sale price was wrong. Based on the deals offered on "Super Shows," I probably would never have guessed that. I would have guessed the truck had a hidden engine leak of some sort.

That report by WTVF apparently led to other complaints, because a second close-up on Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville aired in November. A woman claimed a salesperson left her an answering machine message after buying a car, telling her the dealership ripped her off. That's the sort of up-front honesty the Better Business Bureau likes to see....

Former managers at Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville admitted customers were given blank sales contracts to sign - and bosses filled in the price lines later, sometimes for thousands of dollars more than promised. If the salesperson winks more than once during the sales process, be skeptical.

Another tactic by Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville involved letting people drive unfinanced cars. The customers thought they had car loans, but learned weeks later they didn't. At times like that, I could understand repossessing a car in the middle of the night - when the customer is at home, and can get a ride to work with a neighbor.

Then there were the customers who claimed Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville inflated their income on car loan applications, to get them qualified for vehicles they couldn't afford. One unemployed woman was listed as having an $80,000 job - as if the sales staff doubles as a team of faith preachers.

Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville admitted to WTVF in November it was "working very hard to correct any problems of the past." That's nice to know - and from the stack of complaints at the Better Business Bureau's Nashville office, the company attorneys aren't missing any paychecks.

WTVF recently won a national "Headliner" award for its probe of Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville. And the Tennessee Consumer Affairs Office is conducting its own investigation. It would only be fair if managers engaged in fraud were arrested around 3:30 in the morning.

Bill Heard Chevrolet has its world headquarters in Columbus - so why haven't you heard much about all these troubles in Tennessee? Actually, I have heard hints about them in recent months. But plenty of people have complaints concerning car dealers. Take the Phenix City Council, which is running them off 14^th Street....

Since WTVF is a CBS station, WRBL would be the most likely Columbus TV station to show the reports on Bill Heard Chevrolet. Perhaps the staff never has known about the story. And now that the Country Music Association Awards has changed networks, there's little need for them to go to Nashville anymore.

An archive search Tuesday night at the Ledger-Enquirer's web site found no mention of the complaints or investigation of Bill Heard Chevrolet of Nashville. But I found a lot of sports stories with "Bill Heard" and "Tennessee" in them - so when are they renaming the Nashville football stadium after him?

But there may be another reason why Columbus news outlets have been quiet regarding Bill Heard's troubles in Tennessee. The car dealer spends a lot of money on advertising. Would you risk bringing up something that could cost you a sizeable percentage of your income? But then again, how much business would Bill Heard have by only advertising in the Phenix Citizen-News....

E-MAIL UPDATE: On Sunday we posted one e-mail from Deb Owens about the Muscogee County Library Board. Since then, she's e-mailed us several more times about the topic. E-mail addiction can be dangerous, you know....

Some of her items are repetitious, so we're trimming the e-mails a bit for that reason. But Ms. Owens begins by looking ahead to next Tuesday:

Dear Richard, On Tues, May 1, a council vote will be taken for what to do with the SPLOST 6 MILLION. We cannot get phone numbers and here are some problems we cannot address without speaking with the Library Board members. Committees are not listed-minutes are not provided. The Library board meets this Thurs. if anyone would like to attend.

We feel that the Library Board and Directors are acting irresponsibly and we would like to see the Library Board/Directors disbanded. The Library Board is operating outside of the law.

The Library Board operates in secret- without accountability- without the public being able to find out who the members/committee members are, with contact info. The board apparently feels completely comfortable- by avoiding all responsibility of interaction with the public or providing the public the public's record. They operate like a bunch of NAZIS.

The only viable option is to have the Library Board disbanded and to replace it with someone who is elected, either the School Board or an elected Library Board. Considering the Library Board's abysmal failure to provide open government and the sculpture debacle with secret unannounced meetings in private offices, with unauthorized contractual agreements for the people's money, and all the while for about 8-9 months the newspaper not reporting it. NO ONE SPOKE UP.

Now, the loss of Mr. Rothschild, with his recent resignation, proves the unworthiness of the group to act in a responsible manner.

The Board is acting outside of the law:

1. Library Board Members, Directors, Committees, and the members contact information are not available to the public, are not on the website, nor are proper-working emails, and phone numbers are NOT made available upon request to the Library Director, Ms Claudya Muller. (Does it sound like a foreign country?)

2. Meeting times, agendas, and most importantly Meeting Minutes are not on the website.

3. The many Committees, and the Committee members, with meeting times, agendas, and Meeting Minutes are not available on the website.

4. Ms. Muller will not comply with the Sunshine Laws and even state the names of the committees, nor the times they meet, nor the members of the committees.

5. Ms. Muller will not send them in email-though they have been requested numerous times. (you can see her responses on my group

6. Ms. Muller will not email any MINUTES AT ALL. She has steadfastly refused dozens of requests, with written refusals. She is in direct violation of the Sunshine Law and since i have now requested them of the entire board i know they are also in direct violation of the Sunshine law.

7. All members ignore emails.

If I printed all of the emails I have sent requesting minutes, I would endanger the world's supply of paper.

Ms. Muller's excuses for not placing the members info, meeting minutes and budget on the website have been:

1. They cannot email minutes because the minutes are not digitized (they are in longhand?)

2. They cannot put members names, contact info, MINUTES, and list committees, with relevant info on the website because:

a) they do not have time

b) they do not have man power

c) they do not have trained personnel

d) the library is operated by volunteers and they do not have technical expertise

e) they cannot pay more for the server- for extra pages-(untrue)

f) no one visited the members page before so they took them down

g) why should she send them when I can make an appointment and sit in her office and read them (they are her responsibility and she must protect them)

Has the woman ever thought of strolling to the computer section of the books (she is in a library-right) and educating herself?

May I request that the Library Board/Directors comply with the law and provide minutes via email, as the minutes are in a digitized format the second they are composed on a computer, and not only has Ms. McGreggor said she uses a computer to compose minutes, in the past, but she has emailed minutes to me. Again, they are digitized the minute they are put in a computer---The Sunshine Law, which i have sent to you states:

Please see section 7 B of the Sunshine Laws, It states:

"Records maintained by computer shall be made available where practicable by electronic means, including Internet access, subject to reasonable security restrictions preventing access to nonrequested or
nonavailable records."

The minutes are available and should be provided to anyone who asks for them. If they were placed on the website there would be no need to provide them to anyone because then anyone could print them in the Library from the Library website, or at their home from the Library website. That would be the most efficient method of providing minutes to the public- as the only time ever spent in providing minutes would be the few minutes it takes to place them on the website.

The website is a universal source of information. All other local governing bodies have superb websites. The City has one of the finest websites in the world, and they and the Board of Education have their meeting minutes on their websites. Both the City Council and the Board of Education are elected. The Library Board is not elected and there feel no accountability to the public.

Again, outside the law:

1. refusal to send member contact-phone and accurate emails

2. refusal to send names of committees

3. refusal to send committee meeting times & agendas

4. refusal to send committee member names and contacts

5. refusal to send committee meeting minutes

6. refusal to send meeting minutes

Ethics violations-the entire board-directors.

Library Board- Until the determination of how to best have the Library Board accountable to the public through elections or disbandment- please comply with the law.

Thank You,

Deborah Owens

AboutColumbusGA Yahoo Group

First things first - how did Ms. Owens find out the Library Board is meeting Thursday, considering it's not posted online? (And at what time and location?) Oh yeah, I forgot. Most libraries still have reference desks.

Comparing a Library Board to "a bunch of Nazis" is quite a statement. Last time I checked, most librarians were still against banning books....

If I remember correctly, Ms. Owens asked all sorts of questions about the Library Board committees a couple of years ago, during the Albert Paley statue debate. Then all of a sudden, the names of committee members showed up on the central library's stairway walls - in the form of several giant plaques.

People deeply concerned about the Library Board and its committees would have used the 2005 mess to note all the committees and their memberships (I recall the City Manager was on at least one of them), and then started attending the meetings to keep track of what happens. If Ms. Owens has been unable to do it, maybe the two or three others who attended those meetings could help her out.

Shortly after that e-mail, along came this one:

Dear Richard,

City Council will decide on MAY 1, what to do with the $7 Million in LIBRARY SPLOST MONEY. THE LIBRARY HAS SUGGESTED BURNING IT ALL OFF WITH some things that can only be considered maintenance-that way a park cannot be built-there will be no money for it and the School Board members who are developers can have a field day developing the property. Pls see my group for specific laws that might be used to account for such abuse of office

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AboutColumbusGA/

One of the things they want to spend it on is $1 Million in Genealogy. Please see my group for details on that duplication of local resources and Genealogy scams.

So far the paper is not reporting this. A Library Board member is the wife of the former publisher of the paper. You may remember that the paper did not report on the sculpture purchase for months, though the reporter was in the meetings for months, reporting was not done until after the contract was signed and the former publisher of the paper's wife is the ONE who was pushing for the purchase of that sculpture. Your blog is therefore vital to the public's right to know.

We feel that the Library Board and Directors are acting irresponsibly and we would like to see the Library Board/Directors disbanded. The Library Board is operating outside of the law and is not accountable to the people as they are not elected and will not interact with the pubic or release full contact info.

The Library Board operates in secret- without accountability-without the public being able to find out who the members/committee members are, with contact info. The committees are not even listed on the website and it is like pulling teeth to get them to tell you who they even are. They refused to tell me. The board apparently feels completely comfortable- by avoiding all responsibility of interaction with the public or providing the public the public's record. They operate like a bunch of NAZIS. Contact with them and the record-MINUTES- ARE VITAL TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT THEY ARE DOING NOW....

To the Library Board- Until the determination of how to best have the Library Board accountable to the public through elections or disbandment-Please comply with the law, please provide minutes to citizens when requested.

Thank You,

Deborah Owens

MY CONTACT INFO:

deborahowens2000@aol.com

AboutColumbusGA Yahoo Group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AboutColumbusGA/

Anyone can join, one must join to post. Posts cannot be altered. Anyone can read archives. Contact me for more info.

(if you publish this can you please leave my entire signature block as is so that people can contact me? thx-d)

From the top: one million dollars is a lot of money to spend on genealogy. I'd think a membership in Ancestry.com would cost a bit less than that.

Perhaps the Ledger-Enquirer waited to mention the Albert Paley sculpture not because a former publisher's wife was involved, but because there was no signed contract. Or perhaps the reporter was as certain as the Library Board that everyone actually would like that art work....

But stop right here: this blog is "vital to the public's right to know"?! If you're looking for this blog to be a news alternative to the TV stations and newspaper, you're asking for more than I'm able to do (see point 2, subpoints a, b and d in the second list above) -- and you're misunderstanding what this blog is all about. I don't have income from this blog even to pay for my prescriptions, much less have reporters at all the committee meetings you want watched.

Check the top right corner of this blog again: "One man's often-humorous views." While we sometimes break news stories here, the emphasis is on humor. I'm not sure some people in Hurtsboro or in Columbus city government would agree with that, but that's what we try to do....

If you're pleading for this blog to become the successor to WRCG's Talkline and a "Crusader Rabbit" for small groups by investigating wide-ranging causes, then I give you two choices. Either I surrender this blog and walk away, since I can't satisfy your need. Or you start your own blog and go for it yourself. Blogs are free to create -- and I think sometimes the library even offers classes in making them.

I know from personal experience that I will upset Ms. Owens if I touch her "signature block." So it's there - even though prior posts have included links to her group, and we normally keep e-mail addresses off this blog as a courtesy to shield against unwanted spam. If she suddenly receives 100 offers of look-alike Rolex watches, don't blame me.

A third e-mail followed this one, requested by someone visiting that "All About Columbus" group:

Dear Richard;

Directors link- clarification-Board & Directors & Committees

My Funny Blogger- said this....

Well, not so fast here. I searched around the Columbus Library web site Saturday night, and found a list of Library Board members rather easily. Wouldn't a truly loyal library patron open a phone book from there, to get some of the other details?

First of all, some of them have unlisted phone numbers. At any rate their contact info should be posted. They are government officials as Library Directors and their contact info is subject to open records laws....

The link you cited is one which lists The Directors.

You will note that they have no contact info. The Library will not provide phone numbers for them either. If you do happen to get one of them on the phone they most likely will not provide info on the others-at least the ones i have asked would not. Most will slam the phone down when you call. If the library gives out emails you will be lucky if you get one half that work. They refuse to provide phone numbers....So that handles the Directors...but what about the Board--you know The Infamous Library Board?

They are not listed. Their names ARE NOT LISTED>

THE COMMITTEES ARE NOT LISTED>

THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE EXPENDITURES USING THE $7 Million ($6 million and almost $1 Million in interest which the city is holding and which the city refuses to admit belongs to the Library money (pls see my group for the Attorney General's Opinion on SPLOST INTERST-use- INTEREST FOLLOWS PRINCIPLE) and oh, btw, the city refuses open records requests on the dollar amounts and use and placement of the interest)- so the Library Board's all important committees are secret. We don't even have the names of the Board members.

Unless someone has an old newspaper, they are out of luck on finding out who the Library Board members are. They don't want anyone to know who they are.

The Library Director will not send Committee members and names of the different Committees to me.

You will remember that the sculpture purchase was accomplished in a committee. We had two basic dissenters Rothschild and Hyles, who wrote that superb piece in the paper.

So, Committee minutes are vital and they will not provide any info leading to opening up the secret workings of the Library and its surrounds.

We need to know which committees selected which expenditures and with what rationale. That is why we need minutes of the meetings. Without the official record we can do nothing and they can do anything and that is precisely why they are not releasing records.

Thank You,

Deborah Owens

deborahowens2000@aol.com

AboutColumbusGA Yahoo Group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AboutColumbusGA/

Thank you first for clearing up my confusion, between a "Board of Directors" and the Library Board. I recall from a couple of years ago that First Baptist Church Pastor Jimmy Elder was on the Library Board - so are we daring to say a Baptist preacher is a pseudo-Nazi?

You can microscopically analyze committee minutes and budget lines to your heart's desire. But one lesson from the Albert Paley fiasco is that if enough people in Columbus grumble and complain about a decision, top officials listen and the decision can be undone. That seems to make this city a bit different from the current U.S. Department of Justice.

BIG PREDICTION UPDATE: Well, I was almost right. The judges praised Melissa R. in every way, but they declared a New York "Knick City Dancer" named Asia the next Pussycat Doll. I guess this will make her Siamese....

Now to some less distracting stuff, which we learned on Tuesday:

+ The Russell County Sheriff's Office told WRBL it will open a substation in a travel trailer, parked in Pittsview. Huh - Pittsview, but not Hurtsboro?! Is this because Pittsview is a more dangerous place? Or is Sheriff Tommy Boswell concerned those roaming Hurtsboro thugs will hook up the trailer to a truck, and haul it away?

+ Russell County opened the Alabama High School baseball playoffs by conquering Montgomery Lee 9-1. One thing stood out to me as I watched the highlights on the 11:00 news -- I don't think a player named Rasmus was mentioned even once.

+ Montevallo mauled Columbus State in college baseball 19-6. The game was shortened to seven innings, by the "mercy rule." They don't have this sort of thing in soccer - and then critics say soccer is a wimpy sport.

+ Columbus native Sam Mitchell was named N.B.A. Coach of the Year, for winning a division title with the Toronto Raptors. I admit I had my doubts about his future last summer. But Toronto made the playoffs while Boston, New York and Philadelphia did not - showing why old-timers say pro basketball is in serious trouble.

+ Instant Message to Eckerd Drugs on Wynnton Road: Your prescription medicines are helping me heal, so thank you for that. But I hope you take my suggestion to heart - and please move the back pain items off the bottom shelf next to the floor. Not all of us shop for those things with grandchildren.

SCHEDULED THURSDAY: Another blog reader asking plenty of questions....

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for 24 APR 07: A FLUID SITUATION

"How are you today?" the doctor asked as he entered the examination room Monday. If I'm the only other person in the room and it's an "Urgent Care" center, you'd think the answer to that question would be obvious....

I spent all morning Monday at an Urgent Care center, after developing what might be called "Version 3.0" of an illness which has lingered in my body for a month. I can thoroughly relate to that "P.C." guy in the Apple computer commercial - but I wasn't sure which person should be handed my peripherals.

The latest version came upon me Friday afternoon, as pain began building around my rib cage. It reached the point over the weekend where I was breathing heavily simply to stand up or sit down - and "heavy" seemed to be only about 30 percent of lung capacity. So it was a Columbus election sort of "heavy."

It also reached the point where I couldn't sleep in my waterbed the last three nights. Every point of contact between my aching back and the bed seemed to cry out for personal negotiations.

I slept as best I could two nights in a computer room lounge chair. But early Sunday a "last resort" attempt to sleep worked only when I sat straight up on the floor next to my bed, with bedding piled on a corner of the bed for resting my head. This situation was dangerously close to yoga.

A fever started coming and going with the pain. In fact, as of Monday night my temperature had returned to 101 degrees F. But then again, it was right after I got off the phone with a telemarketer....

After checking my vital conditions Monday, the Urgent Care doctor told me to get a chest X-ray. He wanted to see if anything unusual might be in my lungs. isions of second-hand smoke from my late mother's Salem cigarettes went dancing through my head.

I was escorted to the X-ray room - but we opened the door to find an exasperated-looking patient inside. He apparently had waited an hour before HIS X-ray, and didn't want to be delayed again. Maybe his urgent problem is similar to Garfield the cat's - being allergic to Mondays.

"You might want to move your beverage," said the X-ray assistant with a very British accent as she noticed a cup in my hand.

"No, that's no beverage. That's everything I coughed up since I walked in the door." For some reason, the staff decided against putting that gunk under a microscope for examination.

(Smart comedians learn to tailor their material to their audience. So I told the British X-ray assistant a bit later: "I'd call it the F.A. Cup - except you don't spell phlegm with an F.")

I wound up undergoing two rounds of chest X-rays instead of one - because the plate of the side view came out blank the first time around. I couldn't resist asking the assistant: "Time to change the batteries in that camera?"

The second round of X-rays came out OK - and then the doctor returned with the best diagnosis he could give. I have "bilateral pleural diffusion." I think this was how U.S.-Soviet relations were handled when Richard Nixon was President....

(It was in the Urgent Care waiting room that I heard on Fox News Channel about the death of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The doctors ought to think about their patients, and turn the TV to a channel that's more encouraging and uplifting -- you know, like C-SPAN.)

But I digress: the doctor explained I have some kind of fluid at the bottom of my lungs. So he issued three different prescriptions - an antibiotic which hopefully will take care of that, a big-league syrup for my cough, and a blue-and-orange pill to stop runny noses. These Auburn fans always give themselves away....

I wound up spending a bit more than three hours in the Urgent Care center. I may have been to blame for part of that, because I didn't realize I was supposed to return completed forms to the reception desk. But all in all, the sign outside saying "You're sick, we're quick" may need to be changed on Mondays.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Enough about me - someone has noticed our recent comments about Cascade Hills Church and its pastor:

have you noticed that not only does dr. Purvis have a nice new television program that furthers the separation of himself from Cascade Hills...He also has himself some nice new hair plugs and a shiny new Lexus to go with his Hummer.

Many former members have had to stop going to his church for several reasons... One being the fact that it is HIS church and not a house of worship inhabited by the Holy Spirit. In fact I suspect, the Holy Spirit is not allowed an opinion there... unless of course He can pen a large enough check and present a convincing tithing testimony.

If people had any idea how many lies were told from that stage they would be amazed. Some of us old and former memebers do. Maybe we should ask some of the old members that have been run off from "Cascade Hills Formally Baptist Church" to start making a list of the lies they are aware of. I suspect the list would be a long one.

Ya know if one didn't know better they might think Doc P had hired Jim Baker as a consultant...what's next an air conditioned dog house?

Thanks,

Mark

Aw, c'mon - hair plugs?! I know the Bible talks about God numbering the hairs on your head, but really....

It's been a long time since I visited Cascade Hills Church, so I have no idea what sort of car Bill Purvis drives. But if it's a Lexus, apparently they did NOT let keep the $100,000 "fully-loaded Porsche" he showed on the platform one weekend.

But one thing concerned me the last time I went to Cascade Hills Church. The in-house "bookstore" seemed to consist entirely of Bill Purvis's sermon series. It didn't look like you could buy a Bible - which means you'd better like the one they give you as a new member.

Yes, I can envision lies are being told from the stage of Cascade Hills Church. For instance, there's the popular one about Jesus being born on December 25^th....

By the way, was that simply a misspelling: Cascade Hills FORMALLY Baptist?! About the only time that church is formal is when it hosts high school proms.

This e-mailer wrote us a second time Monday, after apparently seeing something we posted 15 April:

"+ To Cascade Hills Church: If you can prove I'm wrong, I'll admit it -- but it sounds to me like you're adding a laugh track to Bill Purvis' "Real Time" sermons. If he's going to preach "the truth," I sort of expect the audience to be the same way."

Hello,

I have no idea if they use a laugh track for real time and don't really care...because the other questionable things that take place involving this organization would pale in comparison to the use of a fake laugh track Interesting piece of information however... a friend of mine once volunteered for Real Time and he says that under no circumstances are they allowed to shoot from an angle that shows Billy's BALD spot. Maybe this would explain why Mr. Bill has more hair in his recent photo on his website than he had a year ago. Reminds me of a song..."You're so vain...you probably think this song (blog) is about you".

P.S. I hope you get well soon.

Thanks,

MH

Oh dear - Bill Purvis isn't running for office, and people may be doing to him what they did to Bob Poydasheff's campaign photos last year.

Bill Purvis admitted one personal liability on his telecast a couple of weeks ago. He's now using a giant-print Bible, as opposed to a large-print one. It may not be long before he breaks down and buys "Daddy's little helpers" - what I've heard some ministers call glasses.

We're going to save some "thoughts for the day" which Mark submitted for a Saturday religious discussion. Now let's catch up on some news we've missed over the last couple of days:

+ Columbus Police officer Larry Lightning was fired from the force, after he was arrested on federal counts which include possessing crack cocaine. You may recall he was arrested in 2004, only to have charges dropped - so a man named Lightning may have believed that "not striking twice" stuff.

+ The Muscogee County School District voted to make the New King James Bible the official version for its "Bible literature" courses. Hopefully Joyce Meyer can handle the fact that the Bible with her names on it did not prevail.

(United Methodists tend to use the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, and school board member Joseph Roberson is a United Methodist Pastor. If this is a sign of how much clout he has, Owen Ditchfield might campaign against him a second time.)

+ The CBS Evening News reported the Food and Drug Administration was tipped off last year to salmonella at a Peter Pan peanut butter plant in Sylvester. So why did intervention only occur earlier THIS year? Did someone convince the F.D.A. that green spots in the spread were added vitamins?

+ The Columbus State women's softball team topped Augusta State 2-0, to win the Peach Belt Conference tournament. Congratulations to Coach Tiffany Tootle - and may she never think about moving out of town, and saying "Tootle-oo."

+ A New York Mets fan pleaded NOT guilty to charges that he used a high-powered flashlight at a Friday game, to blind the eyes of Atlanta pitcher Tim Hudson. It's already bad enough at a baseball game to have blind umpires....

+ Instant Message to the fans of Hurtsboro Mondays: Because of our illness, comments submitted for this week will be held until next Monday. Think of it as our way of marking Confederate Memorial Day in Alabama.

BIG PREDICTION: I probably should keep my mouth shut about this, because people might misunderstand and take it the wrong way. But tonight.... uh, er.... I think Melissa R. will be named the next Pussycat Doll.

SCHEDULED WEDNESDAY (health permitting): More on one woman's drive to eliminate the Library Board....

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22 APR 07: CURIOUS GEORGE

A big celebration was held at the RiverCenter Saturday night, as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra marked 20 years under George Del Gobbo. An anniversary cake was served at intermission, and hopefully the audience was refined in how it ate -- instead of engaging in a Gorge Del Gobble.

George Del Gobbo actually has two titles with the Columbus Symphony: music director and conductor. I think that means he actually chooses what the symphony plays - as opposed to many radio stations, where it's all in a computer.

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra marked the 20^th anniversary of George Del Gobbo's direction with a Russian-theme program called "Shostakovich and the Struggle for Freedom." Many people would feel free if they never had to spell the name Shostakovich....

The C.S.O. web site notes George Del Gobbo came to Columbus 20 years ago from Fort Worth, Texas. He's certainly lost the Texas twang - but I don't recall him saying a Southern-style "hey" even once.

In many cities the size of Columbus, the name of a symphony conductor might be a trivia question. But to George Del Gobbo's credit, he's made himself a familiar face in the community. He appears in commercials, and isn't afraid to look a little silly. The late Robert Shaw in Atlanta might have made a joke about "mezzo-forte" in a rehearsal.

Most of my memories of George Del Gobbo don't really involve concerts, but his promotional appearances. He went on a diet one season, and did regular weigh-ins on the old WLTZ show "Coffee Break." I assume his baton speed increased by at least ten percent.

Then there was the commercial promoting the children's work "Peter and the Wolf," which featured George Del Gobbo as a prosecutor - and a wolf. His symphony concertmasters must not like to play along....

But there's a method to this sort of madness. George Del Gobbo seems to realize it takes unique promotions to put people in the seats at classical concert halls these days. That's especially true in a city like Columbus, which seems to have trouble supporting a classic rock radio station.

George Del Gobbo notes on the C.S.O. web site that NO member of the symphony makes a living simply from playing in Columbus. Many play in other cities, as "freelance" musicians. You'd think the violin players would have travel stickers on their cases to prove it....

(This may be true for George Del Gobbo as well. He's a guest conductor with two orchestras in Chile - where it appears THEY don't have any problem with outside immigrants taking jobs.)

So congratulations, George Del Gobbo -- and if there's any justice, someday the concert hall at the RiverCenter should be named after you. But of course, there's not much justice these days. And your family would have to outspend Bill Heard Chevrolet for the naming rights.

E-MAIL UPDATE: First she went after a fired radio talk show host - and now she wants more heads to roll:

The LIBRARY BOARD-DIRECTORS and all Committees

1. After two years of requests the Library Director, Claudya Muller, refuses to place members, their emails and phone numbers on line.

2. After two years of requests the Library Director, Claudya Muller, refuses to place meeting places, times, minutes and committees on the website. SHE WILL NOT PLACE MINUTES ON LINE. MINUTES ARE CRITICAL TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

3. The Library Director, Claudya Muller, will not email digitized minutes as she is required by law to do.

4. The members, if you can find a contact number or email for them (many are not valid), will not answer email, or even acknowledge it, nor will most of them speak with you on the phone. Meredith Jarrell just slammed the phone down on me when I found her phone number and called her and said " I have sent you many emails." She said 'No comment." and slammed the phone down. The same thing happened with several others. They feel no responsibility to the public.

5. They have had illegal meetings in private offices, that were unannounced and therefore illegal, they have taken illegal votes and done illegal business with the people's money. They will not supply the minutes for a reason.

6. They have taken city money and committed it without authority, Paley sculpture.

7. They have almost 6 million dollars now and they will not answer to the public about it now or later.

8. They are not elected but are appointed by the Board of Education.

9. The Board of Education has control over ONLY three things:

1. The Board of Education approves the total dollar amount of the budget-not what the Library Board does with the money

2. The Board of Education does procurement for the Library Board

3. The Board of Education handles the Library Board bookkeeping- payroll

10. In summary, the Library Board is autonomous and has operated illegally, and has refused to open up the workings of the Library Board records by placing them on line for all to see. The Director steadfastly refuses to send the minutes in email as required to do by law. SHE IS SUEABLE! The Board is part of government, but they operate outside the law and in the shadows with your money. They have millions for which they are responsible and they ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

A School Board member has promised to present the petition to have the Library Board disbanded, to the School Board.

THEY NEED TO BE DISBANDED>

WE WILL START A PETITION TO DISBAND THE LIBRARY BOARD AND WE WILL PRESENT IT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.

Please contact me about this with ideas and support.

Thank You,

Deborah Owens

AboutColumbusGA Yahoo Group

Well, not so fast here. I searched around the Columbus Library web site Saturday night, and found a list of Library Board members rather easily. Wouldn't a truly loyal library patron open a phone book from there, to get some of the other details?

But Ms. Owens makes a point, about upcoming meetings NOT being posted on the library web site. Nothing was listed at the central library for April or May - but I did find a graphic with dice rolling, so that could be the same thing.

While this e-mail says Library Director Claudya Muller is "sueable," Ms. Owens does NOT say if she actually has filed a lawsuit for all the information she wants. But then again, announcing a petition drive is a lot cheaper - and may scare Ms. Muller into the same result.

Do you think a petition drive to disband the Muscogee County Library Board will be successful? I'm not that sure it will - in part because most people aren't familiar with it, and in part because the library scoffers avoid the system as if it doesn't exist already.

Let's take one more e-mail, about a trip down Manchester Expressway:

I took a trip to Waverly Hall for a delicious steak at Luke's...Well,by the time I got there I was seasick from the awful paving job on the highway...Muscogee County really got ripped off by a fly by night paving company..It had more waves and dips than the surf at Panama City...

Here's hoping you get well soon - but look on the bright side. Fewer people are speeding on that part of the expressway than ever before.

Now to save paper and trees on this Earth Day, let's send some Instant Messages....

+ To Paul Voorhees of Ranger Joe's: I never knew that! I never knew you were an ordained Baptist minister. Maybe you should have gone to Iraq with the Third Brigade, and offer the Muslims a free haircut with every sermon.

+ To Doug and Brandon Greenway: You're certainly impressing people. A father and son making it to the final day of the Best Ranger competition - and for once, the father doesn't mind if his son has him climbing the walls.

+ To the Columbus Police Department: Interesting - very interesting. You crack down on interstate speeders, as a TV station openly asks for locations where speeding is a problem. But of course, you're ALSO innocent until proven guilty....

+ To Alabama head football coach Nick Saban: Wow - 92,138 fans for the spring game?! You'd better not let that go to your head. Especially since the game became a fundraiser for tornado survivors in Enterprise....

+ To the Auburn University defensive line: I've been aching around my rib cage for more than 24 hours, struggling at times to breathe. When did you sneak into my house and sack me?

+ To WRBL's Bruce Frazier: Excuse me for saying this, but NASCAR did NOT race "on the west coast" Saturday night. The last time I checked, Phoenix was still in Arizona - and California still hasn't fallen into the ocean.

+ To Tommy Bassett, wherever you are: Congratulations on winning the St. Jude Dream Home! You need a roommate to help pay the property taxes - right?!

+ To Church's Chicken on Hamilton Road: About that line on the receipt that says "$10-QuikTender" - I thought I gave you cash. Or is this your version of the Wendy's "100,000 Frosties" commercials?

+ To the toddler who wore a nice dress to church this weekend, and then proceeded to turn toward me and raise it up to expose her underwear: I don't know who your parents are - but if I find out, I'm going to suggest they severely limit how much MTV you watch.

BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $2.65 a gallon at Big Cat, 30^th Avenue and North Lumpkin.... FREE flourescent light bulbs for Earth Day at Home Depot.... and please be careful not to hug a bush of poison ivy....

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: The jokes for today have concluded, but you're welcome to keep reading for some thoughts about recent news.)

BUT SERIOUSLY: Monday was Virginia Tech. Thursday marked the anniversaries of Oklahoma City, and the Branch Davidians in Waco. Friday marked the anniversary of Columbine - complete with a gun scare at Valley High School. Is the third week of April doomed to become the unofficial week of death in this country?

There's been a lot of talk in the last few days about what might have led to the Virginia Tech shooting spree. I think there might be a parallel with the big national story of the week before - the words of Don Imus. What Imus said hurt, but the words are common in our society and media. What the gunman did obviously hurt even more - but sadly, this sort of violence is common in U.S. society and media as well.

It's true that Don Imus and the Virginia Tech gunman are ultimately responsible for their own actions - whether with words or weapons. But each of us needs to be careful not to promote those actions, even indirectly. That could mean choosing to avoid TV shows and movies filled with violence. The right choices might just bring more righteous items from Hollywood.

Is the concern about a national "culture of violence" a new phenomenon? No, it's not. An old Bob Luman song came to mind Saturday -- one you probably hear only on "classic country" radio stations anymore. It begins: "In all the songs I've listened to lately, somebody gets shot." Amazingly, this song came out in 1960.

Luman's tune was concerned about "death lyrics" in songs such as Marty Robbins's "El Paso" and the Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love." He took a humorous spin on the songs with this line: "If we keep on losing our singers like that, I'll be the only one you can buy."

The title of this Bob Luman song was "Let's Think About Living" - and the refrain could work just as well for us today as it did long ago, especially in light of this past week:

Let's think about living - let's think about loving.

Let's think about the hoopin' and the hoppin' and the boppin' and the lovey-lovey dove-in'.

Let's forget about the sighing and the crying and the shooting and the dying

And the fella with a switchblade knife.

Let's think about living - let's think about life.

P.S. A couple of years ago, VistaCare began offering armbands with the word "REMEMBER" on it -- to use to remember loved ones, or whatever else you see fit. As it happens, the bands have a Virginia Tech maroon color. If you'd like to have one to remember the victims of the Blacksburg bloodbath, contact VistaCare for assistance.

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, 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.

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20 APR 07: THE VOYAGE HOME

A long wait ended Thursday for Lanny Davis - a very long wait. He finally picked up the remains of his son, murdered Fort Benning soldier Richard Davis. Based on another story which made news Thursday, he was wise NOT to bury his son at Porterdale Cemetery....

As your blog first reported last Sunday, District Attorney Gray Conger decided the time was finally right to turn over the body of Spec. Richard Davis. He held the body as evidence for more than three years. But the D.A. may have decided it was politically smart to release one carcass to save his own.

Appeals are pending for some of the Fort Benning soldiers convicted of killing Richard Davis along Milgen Road. The District Attorney held on to the murdered body, in case it might be needed as evidence. This shows how times have changed in criminal justice between "Perry Mason" and "Boston Legal."

Gray Conger explained to the evening news one of the defense attorneys told him the remains of Richard Davis would NOT be necessary in an appeal. So he made this decision based on ONE lawyer, in a case with multiple defendants?! A case that weak wouldn't have convicted any of them in the first place.

Gray Conger cleared up one online claim about Spec. Richard Davis, explaining the remains were kept in a "vault" inside the Government Center. That's a bit different from keeping the soldier's body in an office closet. I mean, a vault at a bank tends to have a combination lock....

The District Attorney added it's not really that unusual for bodies needed as evidence to be kept in vaults at the Government Center. Of course, some people are more concerned by the bodies merely taking up space in city departments.

As for the victim's family: Lanny Davis flew his son's body back to southern California Thursday, for a Saturday military burial. I can't imagine how anyone would check a dead body at the airport luggage area. You certainly wouldn't want to carry it on board the plane - because those overhead storage doors sometimes can open, you know.

I'm told Lanny Davis kept a strong demeanor as he recovered the body of his son, and didn't seem to cry at all. Maybe it's the military background of the family. Or maybe he kept the last three years in mind -- and he's preparing to appear in "attack ads" for one of Gray Conger's opponents in the next election.

Lanny Davis said when his son went to Iraq four years ago, he made a promise - "that I'd bring him home." Thursday's turnover of the body finally allows him to do that. Perhaps now his son's "foundation for peace" will have some - toward the Government Center, at least.

The online petition drive for Spec. Richard Davis had NOT been updated as of Thursday night, with the news of the handover. More than 320 people signed the petition set up by the Richard Davis Foundation for Peace. Others may have stayed away, out of fear they'd start receiving e-mails from Cindy Sheehan.

In another sad case involving Fort Benning soldiers, the Ledger-Enquirer reported Thursday a grand jury decided NOT to indict anyone for an alleged gang rape at the Super 8 Motel. The alleged victim claimed the soldiers shouted "Hooah!" during the act -- but the grand jury apparently shouted by shouting "Hooey!"

E-MAIL UPDATE: If you simply can't wait for "Rise-N-Shine" on Monday morning to vent, an alternative may be developing....

Richard, WRCG's Talkline may be off the air but the loyal long-time listeners and callers will not be silenced. Many of us have talked with each other this week and we are planning to have "Talkline" meetings. These meetings will not only be social gatherings but we will also discuss the various ways we can continue our activism. Those who want to receive notice of our meetings please call my cell phone (706) 593-7075 and leave either your phone number or e-mail address so I can get in touch with you. Thanks

Barbara

We'll see what happens with this approach, but I'll dare to make a prediction to Barbara -- if Robbie Watson shows up, Deborah Owens won't.

If TalkLine's listeners and callers all gathered together, what would happen? Would you need a room with extra padding, to limit the noise? Would you need police on hand, as the liberals and conservatives finally came face-to-face?

In the Internet age, I suppose anyone could pick up the gap and do a local talk show online. But it would be challenging to build an audience - unless the host posted a video on YouTube, where he or she did a silly dance step.

(Before you suggest I become the one to fill the gap - sorry. I only have one line for telephone and Internet. So the usual "six-second tape delay" for radio talk shows might be more like six minutes.)

Now let's check more headlines you might have been tempted to call TalkLine about today:

+ Gasoline prices dropped five cents a gallon across Columbus, to a low of $2.67 downtown. Is this some sort of weird Earth Day "global warming" special?

+ A seminar called "Teach Me Foreclosure" was held at the Four Points Sheraton hotel. I received an invitation to this, and it promised to reveal how to make big money in housing foreclosures. It probably did NOT tell you how to avoid the crying families losing their homes to you.

+ Georgia State University economist Donald Ratacjzak visited Columbus State University, and predicted the Dow Jones Industrial Average will hit 13,000 by the end of the year. Considering it's within 200 points of that milestone now, this economist must be conservative with his investments.

(Dr. Donald Ratacjzak told WRBL the Columbus area is NOT ready yet for Fort Benning base realignment. Maybe if we had soldiers build that proposed new "dorm housing" complex on South Lumpkin Road....)

+ Renovation workers revealed they unearthed a bomb shelter, while improving the sanctuary of Opelika First Baptist Church. Those old pastors didn't preach much about the rapture, did they?

+ State Rep. Carolyn Hugley spoke up in the Georgia House against a bill making it a felony to drive without a license. She's against this?! Didn't she read the news about the city of Columbus being short on prison labor?

+ "Disney on Ice" began its annual appearance at the Columbus Civic Center. This year's performance includes "The Incredibles" - whom I presume recruit one or two tough guys from the Cottonmouths to beat up the villains.

+ Instant Message to Columbus Catfish designated hitter Brett Grandstrand: With a name like that, what are you doing here? Why aren't you playing in Myrtle Beach?

COMING SOON: My afternoon with four queens (ahhhh)....

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, 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.

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19 APR 07: YOU FUELED ME AGAIN

As of Wednesday evening, the price of unleaded gasoline in my neighborhood was $2.72 a gallon. In mid-June last year, the lowest price in Columbus was $2.61. Would the Third Brigade in Iraq please surge a little harder?

If gas prices are busting your budget, consider what the Muscogee County School District faces. It runs dozens of school buses around the city every weekday - although come to think of it, making more students walk might reduce the concerns about child obesity.

The Wednesday evening news had an interesting statistic on how much Muscogee County Schools pay for bus diesel fuel. In 2004, the going rate was $1.19 a gallon. Now the district pays $2.45 a gallon. About the only other thing which has doubled in price in three years is the land around Columbus Park Crossing.

Muscogee County School Treasurer Del Parker says you shouldn't worry too much about the district's budget. He explains the current budget allowed extra money for fuel, because staff members "had the feeling that prices would increase." Which is a bit like "having a feeling" Columbus will be hot in July....

But school district officials admit a meeting is planned next week, on possible changes for the final weeks of the term. There's actually talk of adjusting some school bus routes - maybe by asking students to get running starts at bus stops, so fuel isn't wasted while in neutral.

The Muscogee County Schools also may cut the number of buses used for extracurricular activities from two to one. I saw this done in Augusta last summer, to take a high school team to a pre-season scrimmage [1 Sep 06]. With a golf or soccer team, this should be fine. With a football team wearing pads and carrying helmets, it's enough to make players long for an eight-man league.

If the cost of gasoline is irritating enough, wait until you read what Alabama's Governor suggested Wednesday. Bob Riley says it's time to consider creating some toll roads in his state. If the fare schedule is similar to other states, some truckers may feel like they have the "axles of evil."

Governor Bob Riley said Alabama's fuel taxes aren't keeping up with the costs of highway materials. This is curious, because I thought Alabama had higher fuel taxes than Georgia did and .... oh wait. The one Georgia toll road is Georgia 400 in Atlanta, and it only seems like half the state uses it.

In the late 1990's a developer went to a different Alabama Governor, and proposed a set of toll bridges around the state. One bridge would have crossed the Chattahoochee River, between Phenix City and Columbus. But nothing came of the idea - so the only money made on a bridge right now occurs when a panhandler stops someone on the 14^th Street Bridge.

If a toll road was created in east Alabama, would you use it? Or would you drive a bit out of the way, to avoid it and save money? I did mostly side trips for years, dodging the Kansas Turnpike while commuting between my home in Kansas City and nearby cities. But when you're a college student, most people tend to understand that.

I can hear the critics now -- complaining once a toll road is created in Alabama, the charge will never come off. But a couple of years ago, St. Simons Island actually ended tolls on the bridge to and from Brunswick. The island residents wanted it that way. Now if the Alabama truck drivers will become just as organized....

E-MAIL UPDATE: Aren't we all sad to see WRCG drop its longtime live and local talk show? Well, maybe not all....

My Funny Blogger;

Talkline is off air, it was a great concept that lasted for three decades-keeping government more honest. Robbie Watson is another matter.

Without listening to tapes or reviewing my extensive notes on the show dialogue, several big blunders come to mind about her recent conduct on air:

1. She called Sanford Bishop "a peanut BOY"

2. She said Saxby Chambliss did not care about vet health care

3. She attacked Seth Harp for sponsoring the idea that each jurisdiction can choose blue law application or not

4. She spent two weeks wrongfully characterizing Talbot County-and harming the county's chances to attract new subdivisions as well as the corresponding ability to improve the schools

5. She made Threats on my person

Robbie Watson spent 30 minutes berating me-calling me demon, the anti-christ, etc. and that i should be vanquished from the earth/society/the public. She said she wanted to kill me and strangle me until my eyes popped out of my head. She said she wanted to see me take my last breath. I live in a very isolated and remote location without 911 service, and i am disabled from cancer. She said she wanted to take care of me and she said that "this is my chance to get back at her." Her friend called, who goes by the name of Captain Dave, and he said he wanted to meet my husband and teach him how to shut me up. He is her normal tag team for threats. She spent 30 minutes attacking my character and threatening me-saying i do not deserve to live. She is a street fighter and i would not know how to fight if my life depended on it. I had dozens of phone calls from places far away with concerns for my safety.

6. She advocated for death for some crimes without trial

7. She advocated for torture, and discussed her sadistic desire to torture

8. She shamelessly advocated for Poydasheff and Suber when her family was involved with Poydasheff (both of whom i like)-with no semblance of fair or balanced approach

9. She spent three years berating, ridiculing and attacking the very moral fiber of Paul Olson, till even he had to boycott her show, and who was the first person she called when she was fired?

10. She built her reputation of contrived controversy-with racial-and social daily dust ups that caused shock waves to go through the city

11. She attacked in a feeding frenzy with obsession and the misguided credo that bad attention is better than no attention. And she did anything for attention much to her discredit.

The First Amendment allows freedom of speech, however the FCC regulates radio speech to be in the public interest-good.

Deborah Owens

AboutColumbusGA Yahoo Group

All righty, then - but what did you think of Robbie Watson when she was a sportscaster, and rooted for Georgia?

Ms. Owens should realize Robbie Watson reads this blog. And I think I know Watson well enough to predict she'll respond to this message without any help from me. But when it comes to supporting "death for some crimes without trial" - isn't that in part what the Third Brigade is doing, in the Iraqi troop surge?

I was not as fervent a TalkLine listener as Ms. Owens apparently was, so I can't confirm all 11 points she makes here. And I certainly don't understand point 8, about being "involved" with former Mayor Bob Poydasheff. I mean, Robbie Watson strikes me as a very loyal wife and mother....

Former TalkLine host Richard Hyatt commented on the program's cancellation (still unconfirmed by WRCG), with a column in Wednesday's Ledger-Enquirer. He said it will leave no place for "angry white males" to vent their opinions. I'm not so sure about that - as long as veterans' chapters and senior centers remain open.

Let's see if the Wednesday news gives you any reason to vent in this direction....

+ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a breakdown of how much homeowners would receive, under a proposed one-time tax break in the Georgia Legislature. Muscogee County residents would get about 91 dollars, while Chattahoochee County residents would get about 55 dollars. And then people wonder why the old Chattahoochee County Police Chief commuted from Columbus.

+ The Northern All-Stars Little League team was presented with rings, to mark their world championship. So which jeweler has bought the official refitting rights, for two to four years from now?

+ The New York Rangers rolled Atlanta out of the hockey playoffs, 4-2. The Thrashers were swept away 4-0 in their first-ever playoff series - which only figures, because the only birds many Manhattan residents tend to see and appreciate are pigeons.

(The Thrasher-Ranger series had a battle of "brother against brother." Marian Hossa plays right wing for Atlanta, while brother Marcel Hossa plays for New York. I guess we know which one will be buying dinner at family gatherings this summer -- even though he won't have the playoff bonus check.)

+ Instant Message to GroundFloor Stocks: Thanks for mailing me that hot gold stock tip, which declared "Columbia is THE most business friendly country in all of South America." But when you misspell the country "Columbia" throughout your letter instead of Colombia, I'm not sure I should trust you - and it won't be business-friendly very long.

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, 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: 3677 (+ 128, 3.6%)

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18 APR 07: THE DAY THE MIKE DIED

"I THOUGHT YOU HAD THE SCOOP ON EVERYTHING.... BUT....!!!" When this is the title of an e-mail to the blog (well, leaving out a few exclamation points), I feel like I've let a reader down. But then again, I know I can't "have the scoop on everything." Ben and Jerry's never even told me about their free ice cream cones Tuesday.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: So what has this e-mailer stunned by my silence? The news we're apparently breaking here (so is it still technically a scoop?) -- thanks to tips from a couple of people:

Robbie Watson was terminated Friday(THE 13th......Just as Antonio Carter and Doug Kellett was last October Friday THE 13th) and TALKLINE(A show that has been on for more than 30 years)has been cancelled!!!!! A lot of folks in the area ....including myself are to going miss the program.ARCHWAY BROADCASTING EXECUTIVES need to back north where they came from.

Thanks Richard!

OH......by the way ....I did not enjoy the documentary of your bathroom escapades...

nuff said!!!!!!!

Stephen King

My apologies all around, Stephen. But the way Monday's news events played out, it was either talk about my illness or try to joke about what happened at Virginia Tech - and that other option probably would have been even more disgusting.

Yes, your blog confirmed late Tuesday that WRCG AM-1420 has pulled the proverbial plug on "TalkLine" - the only news-centered daily local talk show in Columbus. We're now waiting to see if the station will change its slogan to "ONE-Way Radio."

"I want to thank the people for being so receptive to me, " former TalkLine host Robbie Watson told the blog by phone Tuesday night. Watson noted she moved to WRCG radio from TV sportscasting, and "I didn't know jack about politics." She quickly learned, of course, who Councilor Jack Rodgers was.

(By the way, Robbie Watson told me politics is a "step below sports," and "sanitation workers" place above politicians in her view. That's despite the fact that both of those areas have "trash talk" in common....)

Robbie Watson didn't know Friday would be her last day at WRCG until TalkLine was off the air. But she had a sense of timing - because she knew co-host Antonio Carter was fired exactly six months before, which was also a Friday the 13^th. So who knows? Maybe on Friday, July 13, WRCG will sign off completely.

But Robbie Watson could see the end was coming at WRCG. She compared the last few months to being aboard the Titanic -- "and they finally pushed me overboard." Watson isn't sure where she'll find work next, so she apparently suspects the managers missed the lifeboat.

Robbie Watson is looking at her old job with a cutting sense of humor. She told me she was lucky to have a job where "I was paid to talk to myself for several minutes a day." After that, of course, WRCG switched to a full-power daytime signal.

Yet Robbie Watson is disappointed at the direction WRCG seems to be going. She noted TalkLine had a history of well-known local hosts, ranging from the Ledger-Enquirer's Richard Hyatt to former mayoral aide Ed Wilson. I'm not sure the short stint of Doug Graham really counts in there.

But Robbie Watson also feels calm and at peace about leaving WRCG. She says she's had a lot of calls at home in recent days, and "feels the prayers lifting me up." But to be fair, she ended our conversation a few minutes later by joking about having to go harm her children....

I've personally watched Robbie Watson undergo quite a transformation in the last decade - from a flirty, sometimes foul-mouthed sports anchor to a mother with a growing Christian faith. In fact, she says her last segment on WRCG last Friday dealt with "the Golden Rule." So did anyone call, to remind her that Phenix City barbecue restaurant is closed?

Even with the end of TalkLine, there still will be a local talk show on WRCG. Robbie Watson told me "Takin' It to the Streets" on Saturday morning will continue, because Columbus NAACP President Bill Madison "works for free." So at least the usual TalkLine callers will have several days to compile notes, and prepare their rants.

"I was extremely surprised," Antonio Carter told me Tuesday night when we talked about the cancellation. Carter indeed was cut from the WRCG lineup last October - but when you're trying to start a civil rights organization, at least you have a second gig.

But Antonio Carter admitted from a business standpoint, he doesn't know what WRCG's managers faced in making its decision about TalkLine. Perhaps the advertising income was down, he speculated. Or perhaps the managers counted up all the "Sound Off" comments in the newspaper, for and against the host.

What does Archway Broadcasting have to say about the end of TalkLine? I called the Columbus office Tuesday afternoon, but a manager did NOT return my message. Avoid the media, and they might go away - just like the WRCG audience has done.

So how did I miss the big change at WRCG? I tried to hear the start of TalkLine Monday morning at 7:05 - but I heard nothing after Your Weather Channel Forecast. I didn't consider that very unusual. I presumed I couldn't hear the station, because its predawn signal was as wimpy as usual.

A change of routine Tuesday meant no early-morning AM radio for me - so I only found out something had changed when I checked blog e-mails Tuesday afternoon. Quickly I jumped to the WRCG web site - only to find the site is down. You'll recall it took the staff months to remove Bill O'Reilly's picture, after his show was canceled.

The cancellation of TalkLine leaves Columbus radio with only one local daily talk show - and it's Mike Vee and Rachel Bearbeau's sports talk show in the afternoons on WEAM-AM/WIOL-FM. If Paul Olson wants to vent about city government, he'd better have some good football analogies ready.

A couple of options remain, if you want to talk about local news in Columbus. The biggest winner in WRCG's change seems to be Calvin Floyd, who takes calls on WLTZ's "Rise-N-Shine." Of course, callers will have to struggle to wake up an hour or two earlier - and remember to avoid the days when they're focusing on gardening.

I heard a bit of another radio talk option Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday is the day State Senator Ed Harbison and Gloria Strobel appear with Edgar Champagne on WAGH "Magic 98.3." Harbison was on the phone from the final days of the Georgia General Assembly session - making it the perfect time for Republicans to bring up bills he doesn't like.

Ed Harbison ended his three-hour program on WAGH with a short "moment of meditation" on the power of forgiving others. It left me wondering if he's done that with Reginald Pugh, in the wake of last year's election.

Tuesday could become the "talk radio" day for Columbus listeners. Before Ed Harbison appears in the afternoon on WAGH, Mike Gaymon from the Columbus Chamber of Commerce has his morning "Viewpoint" program on WDAK. The day Gaymon has Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Director William Howell as a guest, I'll truly know we're approaching One Columbus.

I mentioned a couple of people had sent us e-mails about the end of TalkLine. Here's the other one:

Richard, I'm surprised that yesterday's blog had no mention of WRCG's cancellation of the "Talkline" show.

Monday morning us regular listeners had to listen to Dr. Bill Bennett's syndicated show.

So what's up WRCG? This local program has been on for many years. The hosts through the years (since 1980) have included J. Edward Wilson, Richard Hyatt, Doug Kellett, Doug Graham, Russ Hollenbeck, Robbie Watson, Robbie Watson & Antonio Carter, and Robbie Watson & Friends.

Not one word from WRCG to the station's faithful listeners. Not one word about it in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, although they did have front page stories when Antonio Carter (a black man) was added as co-host about two years ago. Then another story about a year ago when he was let go.

Was it because of the ratings? If so, you would think that before canceling such a long-running program the station management would have polled their longtime listeners and advertisers about suggestions to improve the program.

As I recall when Doug Kellett hosted the program for years it was the number 1 rated local program in Columbus.

Since the new ownership purchased the station from the McClure family it seems they have done just about everything possible to get rid of their listeners. Moving Braves baseball to one of their other stations is another example of their poor judgment. Why don't they just sell the station? Maybe another owner would improve the station (including erecting a better tower).

The Columbus area (in my humble opinion) does not need yet another syndicated talk show but a show where real local people can ask questions and express their opinions about local issues.

What do you think Richard?

A member of the Talkline Family

Let me tell you first what Robbie Watson thought, when she heard Bill Bennett's "Morning in America" on WRCG in her place: "I can't believe he costs less than I do."

Even if I had heard Bill Bennett on WRCG Monday, I might not have concluded TalkLine was canceled. WRCG expanded Neal Boortz's talk show for a few weeks several years ago, when Russ Hollenbeck had to leave the air for a family emergency. And remember, the station couldn't do this time what it did twice before - and fall back to airing Don Imus.

To be fair to the newspaper, Robbie Watson HAS talked with a reporter there -- but she believes the TalkLine story was put on the shelf Tuesday, for extended coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings. If that disaster can change the President's schedule, why not a news item about a little talk show?

It's interesting that this e-mail suggests selling WRCG, because rumors are floating around that Archway Broadcasting might do exactly that. One story has AM-1420 being sold to Beacon University -- and then the talk shows might be more conservative than ever.

Maybe it's time the talk radio fans put a little pressure on the Clear Channel stations, to have a local talk show for "real local people." As if Chamber of Commerce executives aren't....

(Trouble is, I'm hearing Clear Channel laid off several afternoon personalities several months ago. Edgar Champagne somehow kept his job - so you wonder if he's now limited to sparkling water.)

There was one other radio item Tuesday, which also involved Archway Broadcasting. Former WRBL news anchor Blaine Stewart gave a live report from Virginia Tech to WCGQ. It apparently happened because Stewart is a good friend of Q-07.3's "Spikey Mike." But if I start hearing the Norfolk morning news headlines in Columbus, I'll know this friendship is too close.

So what happened away from the radio Tuesday? Let's dial around and see....

+ Speaking of Antonio Carter, he told me his National Joshua Generation had several meetings Tuesday. Carter admits the group had a slow start after announcing its launch last August, but he expects bigger and better things this year. Even two news conferences would be an improvement....

+ The Phenix City Council passed a resolution opposing Russell County's proposed five-cent beverage tax. Mayor Jeff Hardin explained he's concerned people will drive to Columbus for their soft drinks, the way some already do to save on grocery sales taxes. If only Phenix City could add extra Sundays to the month, for more beer sales.

+ Aflac executive John Amos was inducted in the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. He truly was an amazing man - selling all those insurance policies for years without a duck.

+ Columbus State University decided Doug Branson should be the permanent men's basketball coach. Branson was interim coach this past season, but then
C.S.U. did a lengthy outside search. Perhaps all the other candidates decided to apply at Arkansas instead.

+ The New York Rangers trashed the Thrashers 7-0, and can eliminate Atlanta from the N.H.L. playoffs in four straight games tonight. The outlook looks grim for Atlanta hockey fans - great for the league's TV ratings, but grim for area fans.

+ Instant Message to St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Phenix City: About your sign asking for the Lord's mercy on our world - was that put up because of what happened at Virginia Tech? Or are you tired of Sanjaya's singing on "American Idol," too?

Today's entry is the result of blog readers' tips. To offer a story tip, advertise to our readers or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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UPDATE 1....

17 APR 07: BUGGED TOO MUCH

"How are you today?" asked the man at the car repair shop Monday, as I walked in for an oil change.

"Saddened," I admitted -- saddened by the news of the killing spree at Virginia Tech. While Fort Benning soldiers fight for freedom overseas, I'm afraid the words of the old comic strip "Pogo" remain all too true. We have met the enemy - and he is us.

I probably should have been in a better mood Monday, because I seem to have recovered from my second round of sickness in three weeks. Late Thursday afternoon, my internal temperature stood at 101.4 degrees F. Only one fraction lower, and it would have been "101.3 - I"M Beat."

For all I know, this second round actually may have been a "new surge" by the old sickness. I've had an occasional lingering cough since that 103-degree weekend a few weeks ago [25 Mar]. For awhile I blamed it on pollen -- but I can't blame it on my neighbor two doors down, because he's given up smoking. Being frail and on an oxygen tank will do that to you. [True!]

But last Thursday, my body began rebelling again -- only in different ways from the first attack. This time, there were occasional pains in my stomach. When something is eating inside you after breakfast, and you didn't have any sushi....

The more noticeable health problem involved -- well, uh -- my sitting-down. You know, the trips to what some Texans used to call in TV commercials "that little room...."

I'd (ahem) go to that room, sit down - and the result was 99 percent liquid, and not very solid. It was as if someone had snuck into my refrigerator, and sprinkled my food with the first ingredients for a sex-change operation.

Thursday night's dinner should have been leftover lasagna - but even though my temperature was dropping, my body couldn't handle what I ate. A little was coughed up. The rest was - wellll - in the Internet age, you might call it a high-speed download.

My temperature was about normal Friday morning, so I went to work as usual. Well, not quite as usual - because I took a washcloth for use as a "cool-down rag" for my neck if necessary. I also took an old can of Lysol disinfectant spray, and sprayed my work area. The person in the cubicle before me then claimed she "only had allergies."

The workday was relatively peaceful, and so were the Friday afternoon errands which followed. So I decided to test my body, and try a 7:00 p.m. jog. After only four-tenths of a mile, I slowed to a walk - because I felt a small twitch in my (ahem) derriere. I didn't want to trade one kind of "running" for another.

I cooked spaghetti Friday evening, and it seemed to go down OK - until I woke up Saturday morning, and "dumped" most of that in the restroom first thing. At least my body wasn't so far out of control that I needed to make an emergency run for Depends.

Saturday afternoon brought not only a church service, but a potluck meal afterward. With my temperature still normal, I went as usual - but armed with a trial two-pack of Pepto-Bismol chewable tablets. No, I did NOT do that dance from the TV commercial about "upset stomach, diarrhea" as I did....

A fair amount of the potluck dinner unfairly gushed out at home, so I decided it was time to get serious. On Sunday, I'd go to a drugstore and buy Kaopectate - the medicine my mother made me take as a boy for problems like this. And the stuff which tastes about as drab as old grits, without cheese or sugar.

After actually enjoying a turkey sausage breakfast and taking care of Sunday morning tasks, it was time to go to a pharmacy and settle this stomach bug once and for all. Well, one other important item came before that trip - and the "National Heads-Up Poker Championship" on TV is proving to be quite surprising....

A small bottle of cherry-flavored Kaopectate costs almost six dollars these days. I decided NOT to save money, and buy a pharmacy store brand. This time, I shopped like control of my Individual Retirement Account might be at stake.

But then the strangest thing happened. I drove home, and had the Kaopectate ready if I one more case of the runs - but that case never came. And my "sitting down" has been just fine since Sunday midday. I may have scared the stomach bug out of my body, merely by purchasing the medicine.

Another acid-test moment came, when I decided to go running in a T-shirt and shorts at 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Only afterward did I realize the temperature was only 48 degrees, with a wind chill probably approaching 35. I thought it would be warmer than that - proving my brain may not have been working well through all of this, either.

An occasional cough remains Monday night, as I write this - and I still have a "spitting cup" alongside for right after I cough. I don't want to swallow the grunge. I want to do what I did to grunge rock bands in the 1990's, and keep it far from me.

But thankfully, the churning stomach and the "liquid downloads" in the restroom are gone. It would seem my body is almost back to normal, except for two key things. If I take the unopened Kaopectate bottle back to the pharmacy today, will they give me a refund? And will the health bug suddenly return - like the days years ago when the TV cured itself when the repairman showed up?

You know, this makes at least three times I've blogged about health problems so far this year - a number probably far higher than in the four previous years we've done this. Those of you who use MySpace should learn a lesson from this. In a few decades, you might be calling up RxSpace.

OVERHEARD OVER HERE: A dad is standing around some young children in a church dinner line, so he decides to have a teaching moment.

"Triskaidekaphobia. That means you're afraid of the number 13. TRIS-ka-DEK-a-PHO-bee-a."

Then another man in the line speaks up. "Unless you're afraid of the crackers over there. Then it's Triscuit-dekaphobia."

Now for other things which I hope will help you cheer up, after an admittedly difficult Monday:

+ Russell County High School admitted the weekend storms left some water damage in hallways, while the ceiling of the Principal's office collapsed. Thankfully, no dirty little secrets from the old Principal fell down on her desk....

+ The owner of Tate Furniture told the Phenix City Council he's adding a Broyhill distribution center with about 40 new jobs - so he deserves the same sales tax incentives that Turner Furniture is getting. If the council gives Billy Tate this, before long Phenix City will be bustling with 24-hour workplaces. But there won't be any money for police to watch over them.

+ GPB Radio presented highlights of a "Master Class" at the RiverCenter, which Frederica von Stade and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa conducted for aspiring singers last fall. I only listened to the first singer, but I was a bit surprised - because the "opera divas" didn't cut her down like Simon Cowell at all.

+ Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary. This should inspire a commentary from WLTZ's Al Fleming - probably in opposition to it....

+ The Georgia Legislature gave final approval to a bill allowing the arrest of minors, if they even attempt to buy tobacco products. I'm surprised they didn't go all the way, and add a "don't even THINK about it" clause.

+ Instant Message to the Georgia legislator who talked in a hearing Monday about "vehicle extrication equipment": Is that what the rest of us call a tow truck?

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, 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.

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