The Courier4 16 18

The

Courier www.couriernews.org

S ERVING C OLUMBUS , F T. B ENNING , P HENIX C ITY & S URROUNDING A REAS

A CANDID CONVERSATION THE CANDIDATES

WITH...

The Voice Of The Community: Inspirational-Informative-Empowering

Vol. 13 Edition 9 Free Thursday April 26, 2018

A View From A Pew

Read This Weeks Commentary From Publisher Wane A. Hailes; “Meet The Candidates”

Page 3

Ledger Enquirer Publisher Receives Promotion

Rodney Mahone Becomes Publisher Of The Charlotte Observer Page 32

Please Welcome Dr. Paula Walker King

Dr. King Joins The Courier As A Contributing Columnist

Page 33

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April 26 2018

2018 Voting Information Active Voters In Muscogee County By Race And Gender As Of 11/8/2016

American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian/Pacific Islander Black Hispanic White Unknown Total Registered Voters

The Courier Eco Latino Newspaper

*Any editorial content are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper, publisher or staff�

The Courier Eco Latino Newspaper 1300 Wynnton Rd Suite 104 Columbus, Georgia 31906 Email: couriereconews@gmail.com Phone: 706.225.0106 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5747 Columbus, Ga 31906 Visit Us Online At: www.couriernews.org

Male 44 579 19,490 1011 19052 2532 43,234

Female 56 795 29,082 1258 23499 2784 58,242

Total 100 1,374 48,572 2,269 42,551 5,316 101,476

Voting Precinct Changes

Due to a petition, the Eddy and the National Infantry Museum voters will now vote at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 1953 Torch Hill Road.

Due to a graduation scheduled on May 22nd, Wynnton UMC voters will not vote in the big room, they will be directed to vote in a different part of the church.

A VIEW FROM A PEW

THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018

3

“Meet The Candidates”...At Least Those Who Chose To Meet With Us are writing from a point of fact not fiction, truth and not gossip or innuendo.

When it comes to exercising your right to vote we have always advocated that you know the issues and the people you are voting for. You do that by attending the various political forums that are held and asking the questions that are important to you.

It is not enough to depend on any one person or media source. No matter how unbiased they claim to be it is only human nature that their opinions or reporting reflect their personal views.

As a media source that serves the minority community we have a different struggle. We feel it is our responsibility to report the news from a Black and Hispanic perspective.

Because our staff and columnist are Black and Hispanic our life experiences are reflected in what is shared on theses pages.

The struggle for us becomes not writing from a point of anger and frustration. We have chosen instead, to combat the urge to do so by making sure we

That is important to us, because in spite of how much we suggest to our readers to research the candidates for themselves, many of you continue to rely on us when you cast your vote.

We assure you we do not take that responsibility for granted.

It is because of that responsibility this year, and for future elections, we decided to reach out to all of the candidates asking that they sit with us, the Black press.

Our goal in doing so was to get to know them, on a personal level. To sit in front of them face to face and ask real questions, questions that we, as a Black and Hispanic community care about.

Everyone in Muscogee County knows the major issues that we are faced with: crime, lack of police officers, lack of jobs, and problems with the judicial and educational systems.

Needless to say every candidate who interviewed with us came prepared to discuss their platform. You won’t find them here. What you will find are real questions such as the following: Mayoral candidate Skip Henderson: “You have been on City Council for over twenty years and as an At-Large

candidate the perception is you don’t care about the people in south Columbus. Why should the Black and Hispanic community expect you to care about them when you become mayor?”

Mayoral candidate Zeph Baker: The perception in the Black community is Zeph Baker only shows up when it’s time to run for office. They question: Where were you when they were talking about the freeze, the Liberty District and this past summer when the community was concerned about the killing of our youth?

Surely you can understand how they feel. How do you respond?

Mayoral candidate Beth Harris: “Although you are running for mayor it seems like you are spending more time intent on exposing the real residency of one of your opponents, Zeph Baker. Why?” At large candidate Judy Thomas: The perception is that the at-large candidates don’t care about south Columbus because they don’t show up on the south side of town until election time. As our at-large representative for the past seven years there are certain things we feel you should be concerned about and show up for but we haven’t seen you. How do you respond?”

Special At large candidate John House: In 2012 you ran against Congressman Sanford Bishop and at that time Tollie Strode and his wife were two of your staunchest supporters.

What happened? Did you have a falling out? Are you still friends?

And Muscogee County School board At large candidate Kia Chambers: “I understand you said you are your own person but again some of your recent actions, perception wise says differently. Case in point it’s no secret in this community that Mark

Cantrell talks. As my mother would say, he’s one of those people who can’t hold water.

What I know and what we reported in this publication is that the day before the school board elections board member Mark Cantrell sent Pat Hugley Green a text saying, “congratulations it looks like you are going to continue as our chairperson. By 7pm that evening Cantrell received another call from John Thomas telling him everything is ok Kia is on board now. Were you aware of that?”

Unfortunately not all of the candidates responded to our request to be interviewed. Some of the candidates we didn’t expect to hear from, like Frank Myers. Like most bully’s he talks loud but when you call him out he has nothing to say in person. Instead, when he reads this, he will no doubt choose to throw stones at us through social media. And then there are those he has recruited to run such as: Sheryl Hobbs McCrane, Anthony McCool and Toyia Tucker, another Black female candidate he has convinced to run against a Black female opponent.

Mark Cantrell is another candidate who didn’t respond.

Although he isn’t necessarily a Myers recruit, he is so scared of Frank he will do whatever he says in order to keep his seat on the board.

Charmaine Crabbe sent us an email stating: “Could you please send me the questions you plan to ask in order for me to prepare for the interview? Once I receive them, I will contact you to set up the interview.”

We sent her the following email: Sorry we don't provide questions in advance. Ms. Crabb although you are running unopposed, my readers would still like to get to know you because

some of them do live in your district and you will be representing them. By the way did you ask The Ledger Enquirer to send you their questions?”

Of course we never expect to hear from Jerry “Pops” Barnes.

He hasn’t spoken with us since we called him out for not having a problem with Frank Myers using the N-word around him.

And finally there’s Tollie Strode.

He sent us the following email: Hello Wane, Thank you for the invitation to interview with The Courier. I was overseas for a work project. Upon my return, my professional requirements preclude me from an interview at this time. In lieu of an interview, please refer to my campaign website for my positions and plans as the District 10 City Wide Council Representative. If you have any question, please contact my Campaign Manager, Gloria Strode, at 706.570.1306.

We did some research and yes he was out of the country, Germany, for one week. The problem with that is, to accommodate their busy schedules I offered interviews during a two week time period from March 26 – April 6. I also offered to be available from 8am-7pm. So I hate to call “BS” but none the less “BS”. I wonder if his wife told him not to interview with us? I guess a “cartoon” is worth a thousand words. I’m sure he and the others will be front and center when the Ledger Enquirer calls.

On the following pages you will find the conversations we had with the candidates that respected the Black press enough to interview with us. In our next issue we will provide our endorsements for the upcoming election.

Wane A. Hailes

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

A Candid Conversation With

2018 Mayoral Candidates

PAGE 4

Each of the mayoral candidates accepted our invitation to an interview with us. We have provided our candid conversation with the six candidates. You will notice that we did not ask the usual questions regarding their platforms because we are not concerned with the usual political responses. We instead asked questions that the Black and Hispanic community are concerned with. The interviews have been edited because of space however all of the of the interviews were taped in there entirety and will be used to hold the eventual winner accountable. Our candidate endorsements will appear in our next publication on May 10, 2018

Danny Arencibia

Zephaniah “Zeph” Baker

Danny Arencibia The Courier: Why are you running for mayor?

Danny Arencibia: The reason I’m running for mayor is because it has been pressed on my heart to lead our great city into the next chapter. For twenty years I have been serving my community and the reason people may not know who I am is because I have never looked for recognition. People who know me, know me as a person who will roll up his sleeves and do the work.

The Courier: What do you see as the main concerns of the community?

Danny Arencibia: 1. We need to promote a new unity message from the top beginning with uniting Columbus, Phenix City and Ft. Benning. 2. To promote a positive and a productive working relationship with our city council. 3. Adequately funding our law enforcement departments to better our public safety because people do not feel safe. 4. We need to reach out and better promote our city. Finally under my administration I will ensure that every one regardless of a persons color, ethnicity gender or sexual orientation will have a seat at the table.

The Courier: There are six candidates running for mayor, why should this commu-

Beth Harris

nity vote for Danny Arencibia?

Danny Arencibia: I am uniquely qualified to take our city to the next chapter. I have a proven track record of making things happen. I’m not one to sit around and wait for someone to do something that has to be done. As I said earlier I am one who will roll up his sleeves to get it done.

Zeph Baker The Courier: The perception in the Black community is Zeph Baker only shows up when it’s time to run for office. They question: Where were you when they were talking about the freeze, the Liberty District and this past summer when the community was concerned about the killing of our youth? Surely you can understand how they feel. How do you respond?

Zeph Baker: For one when they were talking about the freeze I was there right along the way. Just because I’m quiet does not mean that I’m not active. I’ve learned through my maturity that it’s not the loudest one in the room up front that gets the job done. I’ve learned to be effective in a quiet way. To talk about the freeze, I was right there. Let’s talk about the Liberty District. The Liberty District would have just passed right along had I not been in the position I held on

Berry “Skip” Henderson

the Planning and Advisory commission. When it comes to the youth killings in our community you did not see me marching in the streets with the various organizations because I don’t agree that the best way to handle the situation is through marching. It helped us is in the 60’s and the 70’s and it helps even now bring awareness but I am more concerned with after the march then what?

The Courier: What type of mayor will you be?

Zeph Baker: A visionary, a mayor who provides good management and a mayor that provides good leadership. With my election for the first time south Columbus will have a mayor who will include south Columbus in the overall growth plan in the city.

The Courier: Everyone can look at city government and complain about what they aren’t doing when they are on the outside looking in. It’s a different picture once you are part of city government and you have a better understanding why. What happens if you are elected and you realize you understand why the budget is the way it is and that it is not due to any individual’s neglect or incompetence?

Zeph Baker: In that case then you have to have someone

Charles Roberts

who has a heart for the community, someone who not only speaks up but someone who can find solutions within a short timeframe.

The Courier: Are you a Republican or a Democrat?

Zeph Baker: My voting history has been democrat. I have voted Democrat since 1996 with the exception of 2004 when I voted for Herman Caine who ran as a Republican. I voted for him because he would have been the first African American Senator from the state of Georgia in Washington and I believe in giving someone a chance who looks like me to lead.

The Courier: You have run against State Representative Calvin Smyre, Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and Jerry “Pops” Barnes and have lost each time. Why keep running?

Zeph Baker: I’ve been knocking on the door like Abe Lincoln knocked on the door. He ran for State Legislator, he ran for Congress, he ran for Speaker of the House but he did not allow that to stop him from exercising his God given talent of leadership. He sought the higher office of the Presidency.

Just think where this country would be if they said well he’s been defeated before there’s no use voting for Abe. He’s knocked on several doors he

Winfred Shipman

doesn’t know what he wants to run for. We don’t need to worry about Abe. Where would this country be if we had not made the decision to put Abraham Lincoln in office after his failed attempts at being elected? I have the same story. I ran for elected office three times, now I’m seeking the higher office.

Skip Henderson The Courier: You have been on City Council for over twenty years and as an At-Large candidate the perception is you don’t care about the people in south Columbus. Why should the Black and Hispanic community expect you to care about them when you become mayor?

Skip Henderson: It’s a reasonable question and a fair question. One of the reasons I’m running for mayor is because of how difficult it is to cover the city as a citywide councilor. I’m looking forward to doing it full time. Most Councilors have a difficult time balancing their council responsibilities in addition to meeting the needs of their families.

Admittedly I haven’t gotten to all of the events. I do try to spread them around to different parts of the community and most of them end up being reactive, and that’s a shame.

By its design, through the charter, the legislative offices of

See Page 5

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

council are part-time. People don’t like to hear that but that’s the way it was designed and there’s a good reason, because the job of council is to take the information that is provided by the mayor, the administration and department heads and make legislative decisions to decide the parameters and guidelines which the government is going to operate and try to improve the lives of the citizens. It doesn’t work that way as we do get invested and we do get involved in different activities in the community. And I understand that perspective that there are places we have not shown up not just for me for Judy and even some of the other districts councilors. I can tell you that’s going to be a primary focus for me. I believe there are parts of this community that are not keeping up with other parts. In my opinion government has one role; to create an atmosphere that everybody has access to opportunities. The governments job is not to grab everybody and drag them along towards prosperity or any particular target but it is the governments job to make sure people are aware of the opportunities and they are available and they empower other organizations that we leverage to help us make that happen. And that’s one of the things that excite me about running for mayor and serving as mayor. That’s getting in parts of the community and doing it full time.

The Courier: The mayor’s position has been made stronger and more important under Teresa Tomlinson do you see that changing if you are elected?

Skip Henderson: I think there

Mayoral Interviews Continued

has been an evolution of the mayors’ activities; I won’t say responsibilities because I’m not certain they haven’t always been there to some degree. I think the traditional means by which people served lended itself to mainly ribbon cuttings.

I think that suited this community for the time period that it was taking place. What this mayor has shown is that when we emerged on the other side of the deepest recession since the 1929 depression, and we’re still not back to pre-recession levels in terms of valuation properties and anticipated revenues from sales tax, we’re at a critical juncture in terms of our resources being stretched pretty thin. And I think right now, what this mayor has done, and I give her credit for, is focusing her energy on addressing some of those issues. Now I don’t think she and I would have addressed them in the same way. My style of leadership has always been a very inclusive style. I have focused on success through others instead of around them. I think there is an incredible amount of leverage sitting around that council table. It’s going to be interesting because there is going to be at least two new people and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’m really proud of my time on council and my philosophy is “you can get a lot more done if you don’t care who gets the credit.” You don’t serve as long as I have on council and then run for mayor if you’re climbing some kind of political ladder. This is not something I want to do in preparation for something else. I’m doing this for one very simple reason; I think I’m the best person for this time, for this job.

I’m not doing this for ego or

because I crave the title of mayor. I’m doing this because I genuinely believe I can make a difference. I want to use that leverage around the table. I want to use the depth of knowledge that our city manager Isaiah Hugley has. We’ve got several department heads that are so good at their jobs but they are so constrained by doing things the way we always have. I want to work on the culture within the community. I want to focus things back on people. Like I said government has one role that’s to make the lives of its citizens better.

Create an opportunity for them to have a better life. I think the mayor has to be more assertive and proactive in trying to seek those things out.

Charles Roberts The Courier: What do you see as the role of the mayor?

Charles Roberts: The role of the mayor, according to the city charter, is the Director of Public Safety. However, if you don’t have the public safety experience or the knowledge behind it you should defer any public safety action to the appropriate department head whether it be the Marshall, the Sheriff or the Police chief because they are the ones who have been there and they know what’s going on in their department.

The Courier: Why did you decide to run for mayor?

Charles Roberts: I didn’t really like the way it is headed.

The crime in the last several years has ramped up and I want to make the city safer for my kids as well as others.

The Courier: What do you see as the top two or three

major concerns for the city?

Charles Roberts: The top concern would have to be the crime and that’s widespread. It effects north, south, east and west it’s not just confined to a specific location. To combat that there needs to be obviously more police. Another major concern that most people don’t realize is Fire & EMS. I visited one of the stations and the condition of that station is unreal. Other issues would be slumlords not taking care of their tenants like they should.

Another concern is giving teenagers something to do.

The Courier: What has been your involvement with any minority organizations in the community?

Charles Roberts: I went to Justice Day with Walesiah Wilsons group, Second Chance New Life Outreach and also have worked a little bit with Tonza Thomas and the NAACP. I want to get more involved in stuff like that not just from a minority perspective but from a people perspective. It’s minority but they’re getting the short end of the stick.

The Courier: How diverse is your campaign?

Charles Roberts: At one point it was fairly diverse we’ve had one step away that decided she could not do it.

Winfred Shipman The Courier: In your opinion what is the role of the mayor?

Winfred Shipman: To keep the city safe from crime whether it be break-ins, destroying of personal or business property. To bring in good paying jobs so people can take care of their families without being stressed

PAGE 5

out because they are working two or three jobs to make ends meet.

The Courier: Why did you decide to run for mayor?

Winfred Shipman: I’ve been watching things that have been going on in different cities and I came here in December 2nd 1978 and I watched that for about forty years now and I said it’s time for me to “do the thang”. God brought me here by the military and I could have very easily went back to Whitesville, N.C. with about 5000 people but I said well I can run but I can’t hide.

Proverbs says: “When you know to do good and don’t do it, it’s evil”. So here I am. So I said God whatever you got for me I’m ready. So we had a little talk and so it’s time for me to run for mayor of Columbus, Ga. The Courier: What do you see as the main concerns of the city?

Winfred Shipman: A couple of things. The less fortunate and the poor.

The Courier: What organizations have you been involved in locally?

Winfred Shipman: Different churches The Courier: You are one of six individuals running for mayor, why should voters vote for you Winfred Shipman: I thought you’d never ask that. I tell you what I spent twenty years in the military and the reason why, is because Winfred Simpson gets good results. I get good results. Check my military record.

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

A Candid Conversation With

2018 Mayoral Candidate Beth Harris

PAGE 6

Because she was the individual who challenged mayoral candidate Zeph Baker regarding his residency, our interview with Beth Harris centered on her claims. It was an interesting interview. In addition to the documents she provided, she shared a surprising piece of information regarding her relationship with Zeph Baker that added insight into why we should take her claims seriously. Our candidate endorsements will appear in our next publication on May 10, 2018

The Courier: Although you are running for mayor it seems like you are spending more time intent on exposing the real residency of one of your opponents, Zeph Baker. Why? Beth Harris: I know Zeph very well.

A lot of people do not know that I worked on Zeph’s campaign when he ran against Calvin Smyre. As a matter of fact Josh McKoon is the person who introduced us and asked me to work on Zeph’s campaign

The Courier: Since you have known him politically from his first campaign, is Zeph a Democrat or a Republican?

Beth Harris: That is a good question.

I don’t know who knows that answer.

I don’t even know if Zephaniah knows that answer. I do know, however, he was going to run as a Republican and then when he decided to run against Calvin Smyre he decided to run as an Independent because he didn’t want to appear to be either a Republican or Democrat.

The Courier: It’s no secret that for his campaign he has surrounded himself with and sought the council of a number of staunch Republicans such as Dan Menefee and Nathaniel Sanderson. Even his political consultant, Vincent Watkins, who has spearheaded all if not most of his political campaigns, tends to consult Republican candidates.

Beth Harris: That’s true. I also know that Zeph came to Republican meet-

ings and in my opinion he wanted our Republican group to believe he was a Republican. When he ran for mayor I supported him. During two campaigns you become very close with a candidate and you get to know them very well. His campaign was no exception.

After his failed mayoral attempt we lost contact and I didn’t see him again until shortly after he remarried around 2015.

It was at that time he told me he was moving to Newnan, Georgia. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Fast forward to this year. As the qualifying deadline date approached it appeared that there would be five mayoral candidates and then on the last day his name appeared as a candidate. A couple of days after qualifying I began receiving phone calls from a number displaying it was from Newnan. It wasn’t a familiar number so I didn’t answer it. Finally I received a text message from the same number saying, “Please call me”. When I returned the call it was Zeph. He said, “We need to have breakfast”. I said, “We do, why is that?”

He said; “Are you wondering why I’m calling? What do you have to say to me? I said, “Zephaniah why are you calling me three days after you qualified instead of last week? You could have saved one of us $1950.” He started laughing and said, “Well all I know is we have got to get together. We’ve got to unify, we’ve got to get together and make sure the likes of Skip Henderson doesn’t get elected.” And I said, “We do? I don’t see it that way”.

And he said, “Yeah that’s what we need to do we have got to have breakfast before you get out there knocking on doors. And again I said, “I don’t know Zeph I don’t feel that way and besides that you told me you moved to Newnan”.

There was dead silence. When he finally spoke it was an entirely different subject. It was right then that I knew he was lying. After two campaigns I’ve seen enough to know that he was trying to play me that day he called. The phone call ended and I didn’t think anything else of it until I noticed a couple of days later that he put a video on facebook that looped a group of photos with me in them from his last

mayoral campaign. Both of us are running for mayor and you post a campaign video with photographs of me as if I’m supporting you? That’s not right.

At the very next forum, which was sponsored by the Muscogee County Republican Party I approached Vincent Watkins and asked him to please take any pictures of me out of the video.

Vincent said; “I thought you’d think it was funny”. I told him that I didn’t think it was funny. One day I was looking at financial disclosures of the candi-

dates and looked up Zeph’s address.

During my research I found none of the property he claims he owns that are listed in Columbus had Homestead Exemption. However a property located at 40 Lantana Way Newnan, Georgia in Coweta County, popped up that said it was owned by Zeph Baker and his wife and it did have Homestead exemption. It was at that time, and even though I knew it would probably do me more harm than good, I felt it was necessary to make sure that we do not

See Page 7

2018 Mayoral Candidate Beth Harris Continued

The Courier: So that was your sole reason for filing your complaint with the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration on May 22, that Zeph Baker is not a current resident of Columbus?

Beth Harris: Yes that was my sole reason because you don’t break the law and want to lead a city.

The Courier: According to the law how many years do you have to live here in order to run for mayor?

Beth Harris: You have to have lived here two years, twenty-four consecutive months prior to the election date.

a person when you are working that closely together. More importantly he told me he moved to Newnan. I have absolutely no reason to lie on him.

But more than that I have documents that are public record showing that his residence is in Newnan. One of the documents is a Petition For Temporary Protective Order, which was filed in the office of the clerk of Superior/Juvenile court in Coweta County, Georgia by his wife, Sharon Baker Cosby, on March 30, 2016.

Now even if you consider that the petition was from 2016 he could have moved back since then I have another document, a signed affidavit with his signature that was filed in the office of Clerk of Superior/Juvenile court on January 3, 2017 where he filed a suit

*Publishers note: The Petition for Temporary Protection Order specifically states that the Respondent (Zephaniah Baker) is a resident of Coweta County, Georgia and may be served at 40 Lantana Way, Newman, Georgia 30265.

Under petitioner and Respondent he is listed as Persons currently living in the same household. The petition reads it was filed as the result of the Respondent committing acts of family violence against the petitioner (his wife and minor children). The petition was signed by Sharon Baker Cosby and notarized as to the truthfulness of her statements. (See exhibit A). The second “Affidavit For Persons Filing Civil Case with No Attorney” lists his address as 40 Lantana Way, Newnan, Georgia. (See exhibit B).

The Courier: At his hearing the county elections board voted 3-1 in favor of Zeph allowing him to run and now you are appealing that decision to Superior Court. Why? Beth Harris: I’m sorry; there are just too many discrepancies I don’t think he provided enough information. Even board member U.D. Roberts wasn’t satisfied. If the law intended for the citizens to decide, then why have an Election Board.

The Courier: So why are you so sure he does not reside here in Columbus?

Beth Harris: As I said earlier I know Zeph Baker and he knows me. I’ve worked with him on two of his campaigns and everyone knows during a campaign you learn a great deal about

Exhibit A

elect somebody who actually lives in Newnan.

for divorce. The address he listed in his “Affidavit For Persons Filing Civil Case with No Attorney” lists his address as 40 Lantana Way, Newnan, Georgia.

The Courier: Regardless of the outcome you are still running for mayor. Why should the citizens of Columbus vote for you over your opponents?

Beth Harris: Because I’m like every other citizen in Columbus. I know and love my community. I have the intelligence and I have the stamina to serve. Every job experience I have had has prepared me to lead this city. If elected I will stand up for the people who can not speak up for themselves and I will stand for what is right.

Exhibit B

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

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THURSDAY April 26, 2018

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"I under understand rstand standd that the offerr orr acceptance of m money oney orr anyy other obj object ect of val value ue u to vote forr any par particular rtiicula cular candi candidate, date, lillist ist of candi candidates, dates, iissue, sssue, orr llist is ist of iissues sssues iincluded ncluuded iinn thi thiss el election ecti e on consti constitutes ttutes an act of voterr fr raud aud and iiss a fel ony o underr Geor rgi giaa llaw." aw." [O OCGA 212-284((e), 212-285(hh) and 212-383((a) a))]] fraud felony Georgia [OCGA 21-2-284(e), 21-2-285(h) 21-2-383(a)]

For Public P Serv Service ice Co ommissioner Commissioner

For Governor Governor (V (Vote ote for One) One)

STACEY ABRAMS

(To (T oS Succeed ucceed C Chuck huck E Eaton) aton) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

LINDY MILLER LI MILLER

STACEY ST ACEY EVANS

JOHN NOEL

(V (Vote ote for One) One)

SARAH RIGGS AMICO

TRIANA ARNOLD JAMES

For Public Serv Service ice Commissioner

(To (T o Succeed Succeed Tricia Tricia Pridemore) Pridemore) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

DAWN A. RANDOLPH

For F or Secretar Secretary rof Stat of State (Vote (V ote for One) On ne)

JOHN OHN BARROW W

DEE EE DAWKINS-HAIGLER DAWK WKINS-HAIGLER RAKEIM AKEIM "RJ" HADLEY AK

DOUG STONER

SANFORD BISHOP (Incumbent)

For Attorney Attorny Gene General ral (Vote (V ote for One) One)

CHARLIE HARLIE BAILEY

For St State te e Sena Senator tor FroFrom 29th Distri District

For Com Commissioner m issio oner of ofgAri Agriculture ultur (Vote (V ote for One) One)

FRED F RED SWANN

(Vote (V ote for One) One)

BEN ANDERSON

VALERIE HASKINS

For Com C Commissioner m issio oner of of IuInsurance rance (Vote (V ote for One) One)

DEMOCRATIC PAR PARTY ARTY QUESTIONS Q UESTIONS NS

CINDY C INDY ZELDIN

For

-1-1 1

Should the the sale and distribution d of bump stocks st prohibited in the he state of Georgia?

State Sta te School School SupSuperintendent rinte ndent be prohibited

(Vote (V ote for One) One)

SID ID CHAPMAN

OTHA THA E. THORNTON, JR.

For Com Commissioner m issione o r of of La bo Labor or (Vote (V ote for One) One)

RICHARD R ICHARD KEATLEY FRED FRE D QUINN

YES

-44-

Should Georgia alleviate traffic congestion, Should reduce carbon emissions, and better connect communities by investing a substantial amount of existing tax dollars in mass transit?

Y YES

AL ELECTION ELECTI GENERAL

For For Ju Justice, stice, Sup upre em m e Court of orgia Ge Supreme Georgia (To (T Succeed oS ucceed Michael P. P. Boggs) Boggs) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

MICHAEL P. BOGGS (Incumbent)

Write-in

For For Ju Justice, stice, Supre em e Court of orgia Ge Supreme Georgia (To Britt C.. Grant) (T o Succeed Succeed B ritt C Grant) (Vote (Vote for One One

BRITT CAGLE GRANT (Incumbent)

Write-in

For For Ju Justice, stice, Supre em e Court of orgia Ge Supreme Georgia

N NO

SAM SA AM MOST MOSTELLER ELLER

NO

NO O h For F or U.S. U.S. Rep Representative resen e tativ e in116tth in 116 N Congress Congre ss From From th the2nd2 Congressional Congre ssiona o l Dis District tri r t of of Georgia Ge orgia NONPA NONPARTISAN NONPA ARTISAN (Vote (V ote for One) One)

JANICE JA ANICE LAWS

Should Georgia allow voters to elect our Should own representatives by amending our Constitution to place the power of drawing district lines under the authority off an independent, non-partisan commission? ssion?

Y YES

JOHNNY C. WHITE

For Lie Lieutenant utenant Gov Governor ernor

-3-

(T (To o Succeed Succeed Carol Carol Hunstein) Hunstein) (Vote (V ote for One) One)

JOHN ELLINGTON

-2-

hould Georgia Georgia pull down our federal tax Should S dollars to save rural hospitals and create more than fifty thousand jobs by expanding M edicaid?

Medicaid?

Write-in

YES NO

TURN BALLOT BA LLOT OVER OVER TO TO CONTINUE VOTING

FRO FR O NT C Car ar rd 23 RptPct 210 "ST.A NDREW S/ /MIDL M A ND " OFR PROO F O NLY 04/10/ 04/10/18 15:03:58

OFFICIAL NONPA OFFICIAL NONPARTISAN ELECTION BALLOT BALLOT LOT R TISAN GENERAL GEN E RA L ELECTION STATE OF GEORGIA GEORGIA OF THE STA TE OF MAYY 22, MA 22, 2018 2018

To vote, blacken the Oval ( ) next to the candidate of your choice. To vote for a pers person on whose name me is not ot on the ballot, manually WRITE his or her to the the write-in write-in section. section. IfIf you desire to to vote vote YES or NO for for a PROPOSED QUESTION, QUESTION, blacken Oval name in the write-in section and blacken the Ov al ( ) next to the corresponding Oval ( ). Use only blue or black pen or pencil.

SA MP LE

SA MP LE

To vote, blacken the Oval ( ) next to the candidate of your choice. To vote for a pers person on whose name me is not on the ballot, manually WRITE his or her vote YES S or NO for for a PROPOSED QUESTION, QUESTION, blacken name in the write-in section and blacken the Ov al ( ) next to Oval to the the write-in write-in section. section. IfIf you desire to to vote the corresponding Oval ( ). Use only blue or black pen or pencil.

number make other marks on the he ballot Do not vote for more candidates than the numb er allowed for each specific specific office. Do not cross outt or erase. If you erase or make or tear the ballot, your vote may not count.

llot by writing “Spoiled” “Spoiled” across ac return envelope. You may ay then youu may return the ba ballot the face of the ballot and return If you change your mind or make a mistake, yo boardd of registrars, other official absentee ballot. Alternatively, Alternatively, you may surrender the mail the spoiled ballot back to your county boar registrars, and you will be issued another ballot to the poll manager of an early voting site within your county or the precinct to which hich you are assigned. You will then be permitted to vote a regular ballot.

"I under understand rstand standd that the offerr orr acceptance of m money oney orr anyy other obj object ect of val value ue u to vote forr any par particular rtiticculaar candi candidate, date, llist ist of candi candidates, ndidates, iissue, sssue, orr llist ist of iissues sssues iincluded ncluded iinn thi thiss el election ecti e on consti constitutes ttutes fraud felony Georgia [OCGA 21-2-285(h) 21-2-383(a)] an act of voterr fr raud audd and iiss a fel ony o underr Geor rgi rggiaa llaw." aw." [O CGA 212-285((h) h)) and 212-383((a) a)]

For For Ju Justice, stice, Supre pre em e Court of orgia Ge Supreme Georgia (To (To Succeed Succeed Michael P. P. Boggs) Boggs) (Vote (V ote for One) One)

MICHAEL P. BOGGS (Incumbent)

For Fo F or J Judge, udge, o als of of Ge orgia Court f ofAppe Appeals Georgia

For Mayor Mayor

(Vote (V ote for One) One)

DANNY ARENCIBIA

(To (T o Succeed Su ucceed John Ellington) Ellington) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

KEN HODGES

ZEPH BAKER Z

KEN SHIGLEY

Write-in

For For Ju Justice, stice, Supre pre em e Court of orgia Ge Supreme Georgia (To Succeed (To Britt Succeed B ritt C. C. Grant) Grant) (Vote (Vote for One One

BRITT CAGLE GRANT (Incumbent)

BETH HARRIS

SKIP HENDERSON

Write-in

CHARLES EDWIN ROBERTS

For J Judge, udge, o als of of Ge orgia i Court f ofAppe Appeals Georgia (To (T o Succeed Succeed Amanda Amanda Mercier) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

AMANDA H. MERCIER

WINFRED SHIPMAN, JR. W

Write-in

Write-in

(Incumbent)

Write-in

For For Ju Justice, stice, Supre pre em e Court Co Ge Supreme of orgia Georgia (To (T o Succeed Succee ed Carol Carol Hunstein) Hunstein) (Vote (V Vote for One) One)

JOHN OHN ELLINGTON

For J Judge, udge, o als of of Ge orgia o rgia Court f ofAppe Appeals Georgia

For Counc Council uncil A t-L Large At-Large

(To (T oS Succeed ucceed M.Y M.Yvette vette Miller) (Vote (V ote for One) One)

(Vote (V ote for One) One)

M.. Y M YVETTE VETTE MILLER MILLER

REGGIE E LIPAROTO

(Incumbent)

Write-in

For F or Ju Justice, stice, Supre pre em e Court of orgia Ge Supreme Georgia (To (T o Succeed Succeed H Harold arold D D.. Melton) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

HAROLD D. MELTON (Incumbent)

JUDY W. THOMAS (Incumbent)

Write-in

For J Judge, udge, o als of of Ge orgia Court f ofAppe Appeals Georgia

Write-in

(To (T oS Succeed ucceed C Clyde lyde L. R Reese, eese, III) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

CLYDE CL YDE L. L. REESE III III

Special Sp ecial Election Electio n For Council Council At-Large A t-Large

(Incumbent)

W Write-in

For F or Ju Justice, stice, Supre pre em e Court of orgia Ge Supreme Georgia (To (T oS Succeed ucceed N Nels els S S.D. .D. P Peterson) eterson) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

NELS N ELS PETERSON PETERSON (Incumbent) ncumbent)

Write-in

Unexpired (To Fill the Unex pired Term of Skip Henderson, Henderson, Resigned) Resigned) (Vote One) (V ote for O ne) AMY ASKEW BRYAN A

For J Judge, udge e, o als of of Ge orgia Court f ofAppe Appeals Georgia

JOHN HOUSE

(To (T o Succeed Succeed Brian Brian n M. Rickman) Rickman) (Vote (Vote for or One) One)

BRIAN RICKMAN MAN (Incumbent)

Write-in

For J Judge, udge, o als of of Ge orgia Court f ofAppe Appeals Georgia (To (T o Succeed Succeed Charlie Charlie Jones Bethel) Bethel) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

CHARLIE C HARLIE BETHEL (Incumbent) ncumbent)

TOLLIE S STRODE, TRODE, JR.

Write-in

For J Judge udge of of Sta State te Court Court Co olum bus-Muscogee County Columbus-Muscogee (To Andy Prather) (To Succeed Succeed A ndy P rather) (Vote (Vote for One) One)

ANDY PRATHER

Write-in

ation For Board Board of ofEduc Education A t-Large At-Large

(Incumbent)

Write-in

For J Judge, udge, rt f o als of of Ge orgia rgia Court ofAppe Appeals Georgia (To (T o Succeed Succeed Stephen Stephen Dillard) rd) (Vote (V ote for One) One)

Write-in

STEPHEN ST TEPHEN DILLARD DILLARD (Incumbent) ncumbent)

(Vote (Vote for One) One)

KIA L. CHAMBERS (Incumbent)

TONY MCCOOL

Write-in

Write-in Write-in

FRO FR O NT C Car ar rd 21 RptPct 200-10 "220-MOO N " OFR PROO F O NLY 04/10/18 15:03 03:5 :57

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

PAGE 9

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2nd Floor City Services Center 3111 Citizens Way Columbus, Georgia Phone: (706) 653-4392 Fax: (706) 225-4394 https://www.columbusga.gov/elections/

RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUALS/ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE PROVIDED DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC COMMUNITY

Nominations Are Now Being Accepted

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD NOMINATION FORM

Name of Nominee________________________________________________ Why They Deserve This Award

_________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Their Mailing Address

____________________________________________________

City____________________________State___________Zip__________ Business Phone________________Home Phone__________________

Deadline April 30, 2018

Please complete the nomination form and mail to the address below:

The Courier Eco Latino Newspaper P.O. Box 5747 Columbus, Georgia 31906 or Email to: couriereconews@gmail.com

SAVE THE

DATE

SATURDAY JULY 28, 2018

6:30 PM

COLUMBUS CONVENTION & TRADE CENTER COLUMBUS, GEORGIA 31901

April 26, 2018

PAGE 11

SKIPFORCOLUMBUS.COM ”Political promises are easy to make, but tough to deliver. I don’t need another politician making a lot of hollow promises. I want someone who understands what’s possible and has the vision and courage to follow through. I believe Skip is that kind of leader.“

– BOB WRIGHT, Former Member Columbus City Council ”I support Skip Henderson for Mayor because he’s the best candidate to bring our community together. And I don’t think any other issue is more important today.“

– ROY PLUMMER, Ret. (Col.), Pastor at Faith Tabernacle Community Church, Inc.

”Skip’s years of experience with city government make him the most qualified candidate for Mayor. We need experienced leadership to see Columbus grow.“

– LEAH BRAXTON, CCIM, Real Estate Associate Broker

MAY

EARLY VOTING APRIL 30

Columbus Technical College is Hiring!

We Are Looking For Qualified Candidates For The Following Positions

Automotive Collision Repair Instructional Aide

Part-time

Culinary Arts Degree Program Adjunct Instructor

Physical Therapy Assistant Instructor/Program Director

Dental Hygiene Adjunct Clinical Didactic Instructor

Esthetics Adjunct Instructor

Instructional Aide – Machine Tool Technology Program

(Part-time)

(Part-time)

Instructional Aide (Part-time) -

Cosmetology Program

Instructional Aide (Part-time) -

Esthetics Program

Instructional Aide (Part-time) –

Part Time Instructor (Adjunct) Part-Time Technical Instructor–

Dental Assisting Adjunct Didactic Instructor

Instructional Aide – Carpentry

Interpreter

Culinary Arts Program

(Part-time)

Cosmetology Program Barbering

Practical Nursing Technical Instructor-Adjunct Pre-Engineering Part-time Instructor

Service Industry Academy (SIA) Part-time Instructor Student Navigator Retention Specialist

(Part-Time)

Welding & Joining Adjunct Instructor

Part-time

Testing Specialist-

For more details and to apply for these positions, please go to www.columbustech.edu and click “CTC Careers.”

Columbus Technical College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Part-time

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

A Candid Conversation With

PAGE 12

2018 At-Large Candidates

There are two At-Large positions available; District 9 and District 10. The seat for District 10 is a special election to fill Skip Hendersons seat who is running for mayor. Each of the At-large candidates accepted our invitation to an interview with us except Tollie Strode. We have provided our candid conversation with the four candidates who chse to respond.

You will notice that we did not ask the usual questions regarding their platforms because we are not concerned with the usual political responses. We instead asked questions that the Black and Hispanic community are concerned with. The interviews have been edited because of space however all of the of the interviews were taped in there entirety and will be used to hold the eventual winner accountable. Our candidate endorsements will appear in our next publication on May 10, 2018

Council At-Large District 9

Regina “Reggie” Liparoto

Regina “Reggie” Liparato The Courier: You are from Columbus, left for two and a half years and now that you have returned why run for city council at-large?

“Reggie” Liparato: Actually that was put into motion in my youth. Both of my parents were community minded people and they involved my siblings and myself in any activity they were participating in. Anything that was for the betterment of the community they were involved in and as a result, as their kids we were also. When south Columbus started taking a downward trend my parents and the Ditchfield’s started the South Columbus Concerned Citizens group. It was about that time I went on about my career in radio and TV and taught broadcasting at Shaw High School. I was offered and accepted a position with the South Columbus Revitalization program.

During that time I learned so much about the community. I had a lot of enthusiasm and passion but it wasn’t enough. You also have to understand the intricacies of how development works, land ownership, and taxes.

Unfortunately the organization ran out of money but I continued on volunteering my time because I realized I had developed a passion for what I was doing. I realize I could do more work and make a greater impact if I were on the other side and that is why I decided to run. I’ve been a voice in radio and television for this community for many years and now I want to be their voice on city council. I am ready to take action. I feel like I bring a new energy and a new vision to that seat and I believe that’s what

Special - Council At-Large District 10

Judy Thomas

Columbus needs right now.

The Courier: What is your vision for Columbus?

“Reggie Liparato: I believe Columbus is changing and it is changing quickly. We really have kind of older sets of eyes on things and we’re not being progressive enough to understand what it is we need to do. We’re doing the “same ole, same ole” and it’s not always working. We make some progress here and we take a couple of steps back.

I don’t think there’s enough transparency as to where our money goes. You can talk to the people about raising our taxes and this is what we’re going to do with it then you get behind closed doors and distribute it differently. We need to speak about those things because it really upsets people. Then they start taking note where other monies that are spent might not becoming from. In their eyes they were told the increase of their taxes were for one reason and they want to see that progress. I believe mine is a vision of transparency and sticking to that is important

Judy Thomas The Courier: You’ve been on City Council for seven years now why do you want to continue serving and for you when will enough be enough?

Judy Thomas: I think there are still some things that need to be looked after particular as it relates to our city employees and our public safety folks.

We’ve been through some pretty tight budget years and I think we’re beginning to see a little light there.

See Page 9

Amy Askew Bryan

John House

Amy Askew Bryan The Courier: What made you decide to run for city council at-large?

Amy Bryan: This has always been a part of my 10-year plan. It’s funny, my mom found a little book from 7th grade where we had to write our goals and one of them was getting involved in public service. I have a family, a husband and a two-year-old daughter and we, as natives of Columbus, are very passionate about our community. I decided to run because I really want to make sure we are moving forward and continue to move forward. My daughter has really fueled my passion to run. I want to show her that you can have a family, be a working mom and you can give back to your community. I watched this race closely and those who qualified early. As the deadline approached I realized that no one else was going to throw their hat in the ring. I didn’t know either of these guys but I didn’t feel like they represented me, or where I wanted Columbus to go, so I decided that the timing was right to run. I also liked the idea that this was an at-large seat and not just representing a small segment of the community but representing all of the community.

The Courier: You stated you felt like the other candidates did not represent you as a millennial so what are those things?

Amy Bryan: I am very involved with the young professionals in the community so quality of life is very important to us. I’ve shared with my peers that we need to get involved in the process and if not then you have to

Tollie Strode, Jr.

settle for whatever you’ve got. So in addition to quality of life it’s having an environment where we feel safe. I think we need more energy on council and someone who is willing to work with others and I feel like I’m capable of that. Again I believe the timing is right and I have the energy, desire and the passion.

The Courier: As the result of a recent survey from the “On The Table” discussions that were held throughout the community this past November the major concerns that surfaced were public safety, the judicial system, and education and youth development. Are these the same issues you find are a concern for your circle of friends?

Amy Bryan: I was very fortunate to participate in several of the table discussions so when we received the results I wasn’t surprised. I do think there are concerns with public safety and that to me relates to the youth development piece. If we’re not taking care of our kids while they are young and letting them know that there are things beyond gangs, guns and drugs then we have real problems. I want to see us servicing these youth and giving them more opportunities.

The Courier: One of the complaints from the Black and Hispanic community is that the at-large candidates do a very poor job of representing our communities. What minority organizations have you been involved with as a part of your community involvement?

See Page 13

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

I want to make sure we do the right thing for all of our employees. When will enough be enough? I haven’t made an absolute decision but I’m not getting any younger and I think I want to do one more term at least.

The Courier: From the time

Amy Bryan: That’s a great question. I have served on the Mayors commission for Unity and Prosperity since the mayor redeveloped it. I have also been involved in the annual MLK Day event. It’s one of my favorite events that Columbus, Georgia hosts because you get there and there’s just this energy and this vibe. It’s all different groups coming together. I have really enjoyed being a part of that. With my job there are some diversity and inclusion initiatives that we’re looking at and of course as a m e m b e r o f t h e Yo u n g Professionals. YP is one of the most diverse groups in Columbus, Georgia. It is amazing what the organization can accomplish because we are all working together. My treasurer for my campaign is Norman Hardman and we are super close.

The Courier: Most Millenials complain that the current leaders have served too long and they need to move on.

How long do you plan to serve?

At-Large Candidates Interviews Continued

you were first elected to the city council do you think the concerns of the community have changed?

Judy Thomas: I don’t think the overall concerns have changed, for example public safety. When I went into office we had just passed the OLOST to help deal with our public safety issues of employment and salary. The issue that many of our citizens have in the public safety arena is the crime that’s going on in our community, which is very closely tied to our educational system, which is very closely tied to our economic system. Crime comes from a lot of different areas but par-

Amy Bryan: I did not make the decision to run thinking this was going to be a career thing for me. I don’t want to be a career politician. I want to go in, I want to make an impact and I want to move on. Like I said this was always part of my ten-year plan but I never wanted to expand it twenty years. This is me, right now, in this moment, where I feel like I can make a positive change in our community. I feel like I can represent a broader demographic. I feel like we don’t see a whole lot of women in leadership positions either and I want to change that perspective. So no I’m not in it for the long term. People may not like that but I believe at some point you become ineffective and I’m not here to hold a seat for popularity or career purposes.

John House The Courier: In 2012 you ran against Congressman Sanford Bishop and at that time Tollie Strode and his wife were two of your staunchest supporters. What

ticularly it is prevalent in poverty areas and places where people are not educated to the point where they can get a job and get out of poverty.

The Courier: The perception is that the at-large candidates don’t care about south Columbus because they don’t show up on the south side of town until election time. As our at-large representative for the past seven years there are certain things we feel you should be concerned about and show up for but we haven’t seen you. How do you respond?

happened? Did you have a falling out? Are you still friends?

John House: As far as I know we are. We haven’t encountered each other since the two of us declared. In my mind I’m not running against Tollie. I know we are competing for the same position, but I’m not running because I want to beat Tollie. I’m running because I feel like I have qualifications that will help the city and I’d like to have the opportunity to serve in that mode. I would like to serve in the city council and use the talents and experience that I have to help the city. I’m not running because I’m trying to stop Tollie.

The Courier: What is your background?

John House: I’m from Columbus, graduated from Columbus High, married my high school sweetheart forty four years ago, attended Auburn University and enlisted in the Army in 1975. I traveled all around the world and retired as a colonel after twenty-six years. During a portion of that time I served as a garrison commander in Korea so I’ve run a small city for the Army.

I had about 1200 people working for me, a position much like a city manager. I had to manage everything from fire to law enforcement, gymnasiums and restaurants. That gave me a taste of public service trying

Judy Thomas: One of the things, for example, I didn’t go to the Mayor’s Masked Ball because I don’t go to balls. And I’m going to be real honest with you here.

One of the reasons why I don’t do some of those kind of social things is because I’m a single woman and it’s not always easy for a single woman to participate in some of these social activities. I don’t have a husband, I don’t have a boyfriend, I don’t have a companion and I hate being #7 at a table for 8. I know that when I first ran and when I ran the second time there was talk that I didn’t go to the Black churches on Sunday

to run a city. Since I retired I have been teaching Public Administration at Columbus State since 2006 and I have also taught some Homeland Security courses on the college level. I’ve served on and continue to serve on a variety of committees and boards so I’ve been involved. There a number of things the city is doing I agree with and then there are some things I do not. I felt if I wanted to make a change then the best way to do that is from the inside so that is why I chose to run.

The Courier: It has always been a concern with the Black and Hispanic community, feeling neglected by their at-large candidates. How will you be different?

John House: I believe there is a divide in this community.

I am concerned about all of Columbus. I can’t tell you I will go to every event but I promise you I will do my best to attend as many as I can.

The Courier: One thing that I have heard recently is that the relationship between Ft. Benning and Columbus is not as strong as it once was.

With your military background how do you think that will serve you if you are elected to city council?

John House: I think we need to be more involved or at the very least communicate better

PAGE 13 morning and no I didn’t. The reason I didn’t do that is one, I’m not convinced that going to any church on Sunday morning for political purposes is what I ought to be doing. And the second thing is I am a member of the United Methodist Church and when I joined the United Methodist Church I promised that I would support that church with my presence as well as other kinds of things. I teach Sunday school and so I go to my church on Sunday morning. I will go to other things you may have at your church, but probably not on Sunday morning. with Ft. Benning. I was at a recent event on base where they made a very important announcement and I could be mistaken but I don’t recall seeing the mayor or any of the other city councilors there.

General Wesley shared with those in attendance that the Army was going to give the robotics lead to Ft. Benning.

Columbus State University has requested from the University System of Georgia to be allowed to set up an engineering program at CSU.

The Courier: Final question: Why should Columbus vote for you?

John House: Of the candidates running for this particular position, I think I have more experience, more training and more understanding of the process because all that I’ve gone through. I don’t have anything negative to say about my opponents, as far as I know they are all good people. I think because of my connection to Columbus, my leadership experience in the Army as a garrison commander, having taught Public Administration since 2006, and having served on a number of city boards I think my experience makes me the best qualified candidate.

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

A Candid Conversation With

City Council District 1

PAGE 15

City Council District 3

Each of the District 1 and District 3 candidates accepted our invitation to an interview with us except Jerry “Pops” Barnes. We have provided our candid conversation with the three candidates. You will notice that we did not ask the usual questions regarding their platforms because we are not concerned with the usual political responses. We instead asked questions that the Black and Hispanic community are concerned with. The interviews have been edited because of space however all of the of the interviews were taped in there entirety and will be used to hold the eventual winner accountable. Our candidate endorsements will appear in our next publication on May 10, 2018

Jerry “Pops” Barnes

Gregory Blue The Courier: Why have you decided to run for city council?

Gregory Blue: One of the reasons I’m running for city council is now I have time to involve myself in the community that I’ve lived in for the past twenty-six years. From a spiritual perspective I think I bring something to the table.

From a people perspective, having had to pastor people, as well as having heard the cry and the situations of young people, I think I bring something to the table. I think I have something to offer. My education says I have something to offer, my experience says I have something to offer and just being a father and a citizen says I have something to offer.

The Courier: In your twenty-six years in this community what do you see as the top three concerns of the city from your perspective?

Gregory Blue: The truth of the matter is we have to get back to prioritizing and what we really need is our community’s to get back to being community’s again. Everyone talks about how we need to provide programs for our youth but when it comes down to it I think we are putting monies in the wrong hands of people who may have ideas but don’t have a proven track record of accomplishment. Columbus is not an island by itself. All over the nation we have cities of a similar size with similar problems that are answering those same problems we have.

Most of the time all it takes is making a phone call and going and getting information, bringing it back and

Gregory Blue

finding a way to make it work here.

We don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. I think we make government too hard sometime because of the political system. Contrary to popular belief politics and government are the same thing. Government deals with people and people issues. Politics deals with politicians and political issues. In a city that is non-partisan everything doesn’t have to be political. It’s got to be of the people by the people and for the people. I don’t know how to be a politician but I’ve been a person all my life. So when I go to city council you will always see a person representing you, a person dealing with issues. You will have a representative with a family, a representative with children and grand children. You will have a representative that is a business owner and one who deals with his own inequities every day. I’ve got two things I will always consider when I have to vote on any issue concerning this community; is it good for Columbus and is it right for people.

The Courier: Finally what is your vision for Columbus?

Gregory Blue: I just believe that we need a new blue print for this city. The thing about a blue print is that it has to be crafted. It’s not just drawn by one person it’s a conglomeration of ideas. What do you want to see? What do you want this thing to look like?

It’s something that is specifically, crafted and I’m asking the citizens of District 1 to help me start crafting a new blue print for our community.

Bruce Huff

Bruce Huff The Courier: You’ve served on city council for going on 8 years now.

What can you say you have accomplished for District 3 since you’ve been there?

Bruce Huff: We have completed a number of projects in my district during my time on council that include: Fort Benning Gateway at I-185/Victory Drive, Brown Avenue Bridge (GDOT project), Follow Me Trail, Victory Drive Improvements, Victory Drive Walmart and Stormwater Improvements at Cusseta Road/Joy Road. That has been over $19.2 million dollars spent for improvements in the District. And we’re not finished. The following projects are either currently under design or construction: Fort Benning Road Streetscapes, Fort Benning Road/Brennan Road Roundabout, Buena Vista Spiderweb Improvements, I-185/Cusseta Road Interchange, I-185/Custer Road/US 27 Interchange, Ada Avenue/Wynnton Road Signal, Benning Drive Bridge, Follow Me Trail Bridge, Wynnton Road Streetscapes, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Streetscapes, Dragonfly Trail Connection and Resurfacing, Spencer High School (Muscogee County School District) and Stormwater Improvements at Lockwood Ave/Wynnton Road.

The Courier: It’s obvious, given the list you have shared; you’ve been hard at work for your District. Why do you want to continue as their representative?

Bruce Huff: Mainly because I’m not finished. There’s plenty more to do and

Juanita Upshaw

I have a proven track record that I can get it done. The time I have spent on city council I want the people to knowI haven’t taken it for granted. I’m sure they’ve been frustrated sometime trying to figure out why we don’t do things faster but once you get on the inside of the room you realize what it takes to work with others. It takes six votes to get anything approved. If it were just me it would have been done yesterday. I ask the citizens of District 3 to stay involved. I don’t have a problem with my constituents complaining about anything but stay involved. I see myself as a public servant first. The political piece I had to learn. It was a little rough for the first couple of years I had to learn how to create a bond with others in the room. Now that I have that experience, understanding and knowledge, if the voters will put me back in for a third term I’m in a position now to get a few more things done based on the relationships I’ve nurtured. So I’m looking forward to the future of District 3 and looking forward to continuing to be its representative.

Juanita Upshaw The Courier: Why did you decide to run for city council?

Juanita Upshaw: Because I see a change. It need to be a change in south Columbus and I feel like I am the person that can help that change come about.

The Courier: How can you make that change happen?

See Page 16

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

District 3 Interviews Continued Juanita Upshaw: I believe I can bring to the table the clergy’s in the city to cooperate with the police department and sheriff department and within their community because most of the clergy’s they only see their members on Sunday morning. Other than that unless they are sick or their seniors they’ll go see them at the hospital or if they are homebound they’ll go and see them.

The Courier: What other changes would you like to see in District 3?

Juanita Upshaw: I also would like to see cleanup, litter. Litter is terrible on the south side of Columbus. Old houses, people moved out, the grass is to your knees and there should be an ordinance on the books already. If you’re a landowner and you’re not living in your property or you’re passed on or whatever, whoever is paying your property taxes should be liable to at least keep the property in decent order. I would like to see the police department chief, their commander on every shift, before the policeman go out make sure that officers body cam is working.

Policeman are human just like you and they have problems. I would like to see every officer go through a mental health

PAGE 16

check every six months.

The Courier: Within the next two years the city charter will come up for review. What are your thoughts?

Juanita Upshaw: Great question.

Citizens of this community should be involved in that because they live there.

Their input would be greatly more so than somebody coming in here from California, New York or somewhere.

The Courier: Why should the citizens of District 3 vote for you over the incumbent?

Juanita Upshaw: Number one I am a woman, number two I do listen to people very carefully when they approach me with their concerns and number three I am better qualified than he is.

Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson Always Working With The Community

Who’s Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson

Columbus City Councilor Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson has faithfully represented the Citizens of District 7 for the past 16 years. Councilor Woodson’s political experience has led to thousands of new jobs to Columbus, including the TSYS, AFLC and Columbus South expansions. Councilor Woodson’s years of knowledge has also helped make Columbus a better place to live with New Housing, Recreation Facilities, Uptown Columbus Development, and the new National Infantry Museum.

After serving in the United States Army for 15 years, Councilor Woodson is a military veteran who has also been a strong supporter of soldiers and military families. Councilor Woodson served 15 years in the United States Army and her son is currently serving in the United States. Councilor Woodson’s children attended Spencer High School and she has continued to be a strong supporter of education.

Councilor Woodson has also been an active member of twenty civic and/or community based organizations involved in making Columbus a better place to live for all of its citizens. Some of those organizations include C.A.D or Columbus Against Drugs, Red Cross, South Columbus Revitalization, Georgia Municipal Association, National League of Cities, Community Advancement and past president of HELO or Hispanic Elected Officials, a national organization.

Councilor Woodson has been recognized for her hard work and dedication during her years of public. She has received the Keep Columbus Beautiful “Litter Prevention Award”, PERTY Award Favorite City Leader, Ernestine Aurelia Mack Service to Mankind (AKA), and the Rainbow Push Coalition Woman on the Rise Award. Councilor Woodson enjoys empowering people and showing them that if they believe in God and themselves, anything is possible.

Re-Elect Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson Council Post 7

Effective Leadership

Hands on leader, working with citizens, attacking problems to find solutions.

• Established Kids-N-Thinks. A community Outreach Center For Youths.

• Strong Commitment To Ft. Benning & Military Families.

• Active Member of Civic and community Based Organizations, Making Columbus a Better Community.

• Committed to Economic Development Bringing Jobs and Opportunity to District 7.

• Supported TSYS & Aflac Expansions.

• Enterprise Zone – Land Acquisition For Re-Development.

$298 Million in Current and Future Investments In District 7 Projects:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Dog Park in Oxbow.

Historic Westville-Relocation to South Columbus.

National Infantry Museum.

Broadway Streetscape.

Oxbow project phase I. Veterans Parkway Streetscape.

I-185 Interchange improvement & Victory Dr. Gateway.

Wynnton Rd. Streetscape.

River Walk expansion.

Sixth Ave. Flood Abatement/Streetscape.

Talbotton Rd. widening.

Various road projects.

Skateboard Park.

New fire station II. Jail Expansion.

Ice skating rinks.

• • • • • •

Brown Ave. bridge replacement.

Ft. Benning Rd. streetscape.

South Lumpkin Road multi-use trail.

South Lumpkin Road improvements.

Cusseta Rd. pedestrian bridge replacement.

Brown Ave. bridge replacement.

Future Projects

A Candid Conversation With

City Council District 7

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

MCSB District 2

PAGE 22

Each of the City Council District 7 and MSCB District 3 candidates accepted our invitation to an interview with us except Cheryl Hobbs McCrane. We have provided our candid conversation with the five candidates. You will notice that we did not ask the usual questions regarding their platforms because we are not concerned with the usual political responses. We instead asked questions that the Black and Hispanic community are concerned with. The interviews have been edited because of space however all of the of the interviews were taped in there entirety and will be used to hold the eventual winner accountable. Our candidate endorsements will appear in our next publication on May 10, 2018

Sia Etemadi

Jeremy Hobbs

Sia Etemadi The Courier: Why have you decided to run city council?

Sia Etemadi: I have lived in the Historical District for thirty-five years and over the years I have served as the vice president and president of the Historic District Preservation Society.

Because I have an architectural degree I’ve been involved with the Architectural Review Board, the Columbus Historical Foundation, and the Facade Board with Uptown Columbus

The Courier: Most of your concern and involvement has been with the Historic District and Uptown, the area where you currently live. District 7 encompasses more than those areas.

How can you represent the rest of the District?

Sia Etemadi: Many of the problems that exist in the rest of the District we had in the Historical district. We can do the same things we did like start a neighborhood watch.

The Courier: The area in front of South Commons, which was formally BTW Housing Projects, is now a prime area for development. How would you like to see it utilized?

Sia Etemadi: What the people in District 7 need in that area is a grocery store.

We also need a parking deck to accommodate the overflow of vehicles during concerts and football games so they won’t have to park in our neighborhoods. We need shops and restaurants and maybe even a movie theatre.

The District has a lot of potential.

The Courier: So why should the citizens of District 7 vote for you over your opponents?

Sia Etemadi: I am for the people. I don’t have an ego. The truth is I did-

Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson

n’t want to run for city council. I had two other friends who did want to run but they backed out at the last minute.

I said if ya’ll are going to back out then somebody has to run because the Historic District doesn’t get any help from that part of the government at all.

Jeremy Hobbs The Courier: You’ve run for city council twice now and lost why try again?

Jeremy Hobbs: I’ve always cared about this city. I grew up here. As you know I run the Better way Foundation here in Columbus, Georgia and I’ve been doing that for the last ten years. We’re actually in a good position because we are about to be merging with the Community Aids Network, which will finally be able to bring the people of Columbus real care. So I finally feel comfortable enough to be able to step down and give the city of Columbus my full time over the next four years.

They need that; they need a working councilor not just somebody who has a 9 to 5 job.

The Courier: As you meet the people of District 7 what are their two main concerns?

Jeremy Hobbs: Jobs and safety. I think the biggest problem in Oakland Park is that a lot of people that own their homes are dying off. Their kids don’t want them so they rent out the property. They don’t do any background checks or anything so they get people in there that don’t take care of the place. In terms of safety, you have kids hanging out in the neighborhoods all hours of the night. And then there’s gang activity. The community wants jobs, they want restaurants they want some growth.

See Page 23

Mike Edmondson

Sheryl Hobbs McCrane

Mike Edmonson The Courier: Why have you decided to run for the school board?

Mike Edmondson: I’ve taught in the Muscogee County School District for thirty-five years and because I’ve seen it from the “inside” if you will, I believe I have a lot of ideas I can try out or contribute. I know from a teacher’s vantage point about things that perhaps the greater public doesn’t know or might not understand. There’s not a Muscogee County teacher on the board and I think a teacher is needed. It’s like having a medical board and having teachers run the medical board. If you have board members with the insight of teachers you have a better understanding when dealing with the budget process. I have the administrative certification so I know financing and budgeting. That perspective I think would be valuable.

The Courier: What do you see as the role of the board member?

Mike Edmondson: I see the role of the board member, in so far as they have knowledge of the topics, to contribute their perspective, to contribute their opinion, to contribute their ideas, to contribute their experience. I’ve been told the board is a governance board and maybe it has that aspect to it but it should be more than that. It should be an opportunity for people to bring different perspectives; ideas and approaches in that the board might not otherwise had access to.

The Courier: But it isn’t. The law says the board only sets policy and procedure they are not to micromanage the Superintendent. That has been the problem, not everyone understands his or her role as a Muscogee County School Board

John “Bart” Steed

member. So do you see it like that or that you need to be more involved?

Mike Edmondson: Well I don’t think micromanaging is a good thing. But I do think it would be my responsibility, because I know approaches that work, to contribute my opinions. To contribute my opinions is essentially exercising freedom of speech and is not micromanagement. That is what I would want to do, contribute my perspective.

The Courier: So do you believe with the way Frank Myers and John Thomas Have conducted themselves?

Mike Edmondson: Let me answer it in this way; I don’t like berating people, I don’t like being pejorative towards people and I don’t like putting people down just because they are doing their job. If you disagree you can disagree without being disagreeable. I imagine there will be times I would disagree but I’m not going to spend my time shouting down people or insulting their abilities.

The Courier: Frank Myers has been vocal about getting people on the board that he can control and vote his way. Are you one of the people he has recruited?

Mike Edmondson: No sir. I can guarantee that I am always going to vote the way I think it needs to go. I think people who know me well will tell you in a flash that you can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do.

John “Bart” Steed The Courier: You ran for the District 2 seat last election and lost so why try again”

See Page 23

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

Council And MCSB District Interviews Continued

The Courier: Do you see any growth at all in south Columbus?

Jeremy Hobbs: Sure but we need something real. We need establishments where people can actually get a full-time paycheck with benefits and things like that. It’s got to be more than retail.

The Courier: Why should the residents District 7 vote for you?

Jeremy Hobbs: I want the voters to know they have a choice for the future.

I don’t want to be on city council for 20 something years I just want to be there for eight if that. I want to see what I have right now become fruition, you know the vision. I want to see people do better. They have to be the change. I hope they will believe in me because I have the energy, I’ve got the time and I have my health and I know I can do good. I want to give all my time to the city of Columbus to help move it forward.

Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson The Courier: You’ve been on city council for over twenty years.

Looking back what are you most proud of and where do you see the District still needs work?

Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson: What I am most proud of is that today in 2018, I can say District 7 is the most progressive District in the city. When I was elected to council twenty-four years ago we couldn’t say that. Yes we continue to struggle with the issue of crime in our community and we are working on that. However, when you drive around the District you cannot deny the growth that we have experienced over the years.

The Courier: Speaking of growth in south Columbus, what are some of the projects that you have been responsible for since you’ve been on council?

Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson: We’ve created 1000 jobs in the District and we can do more but we need to find and train people for the jobs when they become available. The list of completed projects District 7 includes: Dog park in Oxbow, Historic Westville-Relocation to South Columbus, National Infantry Museum, Broadway Streetscape, Oxbow project phase I, Veterans Parkway Streetscape, I-185 Interchange improvement & Victory Drive Gateway, Wynnton Rd. Streetscape, River Walk expansion, Sixth Ave. Flood Abatement/Streetscape, Talbotton Rd. widening, Various road projects, Skateboard Park, New fire station II, Jail Expansion the Follow Me Trail, Ice skating rinks Cussetta Road Pedestrian Bridge and the Brown Avenue Bridge Replacement.

The Courier: What about the Liberty District? We’ve been going back and forth on that. Any announcements you can make at this time?

Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson: I wish I could. I can’t give you specifics but what I can tell you is that there are three projects currently in the development phase concerning the Liberty District.

The Courier: Why should the voters in District 7 elect you for another term?

Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson: I hope the voters can see that I have been an effective representative for the District.

I know things aren’t perfect but I wake up everyday wanting to make south Columbus better. I think we’ve made great strides together over the years.

I continue to have a passion for the community and my constituents and God willing they will continue to support me as we have much more to accomplish together.

John “Bart” Steed: We didn’t miss by much the last time. Mainly to get rid of some of the craziness. Our kids are out there to learn and we need to provide the best services we can for our students. We need to keep them safe and we have to educate them. Now the craziness that we’ve had the past four years is not productive at all, it’s been more destructive.

The Courier: Some of the “craziness” that you speak of has a lot to do with some board members not understanding the role of the board as opposed to the administration.

What is your view regarding the different responsibilities?

John “Bart” Steed: I personally like David Lewis. I feel like he is a good man who can and will do a job if he has support from the board. I understand the board hires him. One of the responsibilities of the board member is that we are a liaison between the public and the administration. The administration should feed us enough information so we can explain it to the public. At the same time we should be able to bring the publics thoughts and concerns back to the administration so we can address them. I can understand the board wanting to know the credentials of applicants he hires but I would also like to say to Dr. Lewis let’s hire from within.

I understand we may not be able to find someone from within all the time but we need to make a concerted effort to try to hire our own. There is a lot of talent right here in our school system.

PAGE 23

The Courier: For years Frank Myers has openly stated that he is going to recruit board members who vote like him. Are you one of the people that have been recruited by him or John Thomas?

John “Bart” Steed: No, absolutely not.

Having one man dictate what happens to a whole board there’s no way that that can be right. We need to have spirited debate but I’m not one of those people. I’m not going to be a yes man and I’m not going to be one of the pawns. I’m probably not going to agree with everything Dr. Lewis says but I am going to support him if that is the overall consensus of the board.

The Courier: How do you feel about no-bid contracts?

John “Bart” Steed: I think everything that can be bid upon should be. If we want to change the services it doesn’t always have to be the lowest bid.

Take the space shuttle, you really don’t want it to be built by the lowest bidder.

PAGE 24

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THURSDAY April 26, 2018

A Candid Conversation With

MCSB District 4

MCSB District 6

PAGE 25

Only one candidate from Muscogee County School Board District 4 and one from District 6 accepted our invitation to an interview with us. Toyia Tucker and Mark Cantrell, did not respond. We have provided our candid conversation with the two candidates that did. You will notice that we did not ask the usual questions regarding their platforms because we are not concerned with the usual political responses. We instead asked questions that the Black and Hispanic community are concerned with. The interviews have been edited because of space however all of the of the interviews were taped in there entirety and will be used to hold the eventual winner accountable.

Our candidate endorsements will appear in our next publication on May 10, 2018

Naomi Buckner

Naomi Buckner The Courier: You’ve served as the representative for District 4 for the past fifteen years. Looking back had you planned on being there this long?

Naomi Buckner: I was hopeful. I believed if I were elected and did a good job the citizens of District 4 would continue to support me.

The Courier: Obviously, after fifteen years, you are in touch with the concerns of your constituents. What are they?

Naomi Buckner: In general most people want the same thing for their kids.

They expect for their children to come to school and be safe and they want them to learn skills that will project them into society in a way that they can become independent. While in school they want fairness, a chance to succeed, equity in academics and the facilities they utilize.

The Courier: What are some accomplishments that you can say you had a hand in during the time you’ve spent on the board?

Naomi Buckner: I’ve served on the board with three superintendents, Dr. John Phillips, Dr. Susan Andrews and now Dr. David Lewis. During that time our schools have continued to improve and progress academically. We’ve worked diligently to dispel the perception of the schools in north Columbus being better than those in south Columbus. The schools have more resources and several schools have been built during the past fifteen-year.

We have an excellent magnet school

Toyia Tucker

program, which has given parents choices that ultimately keeps students attending our public schools.

The Courier: Is there any one program that you are especially excited about that exists today but wasn’t here when you started?

Naomi Buckner: The Dual Enrollment program. Our students can have two years of college when they graduate.

Upon graduation, students in that particular program can go to any school in Georgia and have two years of college behind them. That of course saves parents financially.

The Courier: Do you feel the divisiveness that exists on the board hinders what you should be about, which is serving our kids?

Naomi Buckner: For the most part the board gets along but there is disruption on the board. Some people just disrupt. That’s their order, that’s what they do. It’s unfortunate because in the society that we live in sometimes they can influence people. When people don’t know the details or facts and someone keeps telling them something over and over and over again even though it is wrong they tend to think there may be some truth to it.

The Courier: Why should District 4 citizens send you back for another term?

Naomi: I believe my constituents trust my leadership. Over the years I have proven that I am accessible, effective and attentive to their needs. If reelected I will continue to serve them with honesty and integrity.

Mark Cantrell

Dr. Eddie Obleton The Courier: You have served as a principal and in the administration of the Muscogee County School system. Why run for the school board?

Dr. Eddie Obleton: I’m a global thinker and one reason I retired was to go to Columbus State to help prepare budding administrators because I know the influence they can have over students in schools. I still have the energy, I still have the passion for the work and I know the work. I believe as a member of the board I’ll be able to share my perspective and experiences. I think it is important to have a variety of perspectives. No one on the current board has the perspective I would bring to it. Because of my experiences I think it will be very important to be at the table when decisions are being made, with a voice that helps board members understand the thought pattern of an elementary, middle school or high school administrator. I would also hope my perspective and insight would keep people focused on “keeping the main thing the main thing”, our kids.

The Courier: Having been on the inside as an administrator and on the outside for a while what should the focus of the board be?

Dr. Eddie Obleton: Having served at

Eddie Obleton

a variety of levels with the school district specifically as a cabinet member I had to interact with board members from time to time. Board members have responsibilities and it is not to run the school system. Board members hire the superintendent in turn the superintendent hires the staff from teachers on down to cafeteria and custodial employees. The board member’s responsibility is in setting policy and making sure that finances are available to run the school system. Board members do not run the school system we evaluate. So I understand that perspective. I understand what it is like to have a board member over step.

Should we be aware of what goes on in our schools? Of course we do but that does not mean we micromanage.

The Courier: Why should the voters in District 6 vote for you?

Dr. Eddie Obleton: I’ve received a lot of support from everyone I’ve spoken with and what they are saying they want more than anything is what I believe I can bring to the board, a voice of reason. I also firmly believe the experience I posses can contribute greatly to a better understanding of how the administration thinks as we make decisions for our school system.

PAGE 26

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THURSDAY April 26, 2018

A Candid Conversation With

Muscogee County School Board District 8

PAGE 28

Only one of the District 8 candidates accepted our invitation to an interview with us. Frank Myers did not. We have provided our candid conversation with Dr. Phillip Schley. You will notice that we did not ask him the usual questions regarding his platform we instead asked him to respond to his opponents allegations Here is his interview in its entirety. Our candidate endorsements will appear in our next publication on May 10, 2018

Frank Myers

The Courier: Recently your opponent lashed out at you on social media stating: “Schley’s age cannot be ignored. He’s in his mid-eighties. I’m not going to unnecessarily beat up on the old man, but this is something to consider. If elected, could he really contribute to the work of rebuilding our broken school system?” How do you respond to that?

Dr. Philip Schley: I’d like to speak in terms of experience not age. My experience is such that I think I will be able to contribute to what’s going on at the school board. I don’t think my age will detract whatsoever. My mind is as about as sharp as it ever was.

The Courier: How would you respond to another allegation he levied against you attacking your previous service where he claims the following: “Schley had two previous stints on the school board. His record is not good. When he finally left the school board the last time, his legacy consisted of rusted out trailers masquerading as portable classrooms and furlough days for teachers. Schley presided during the decline of our once-proud local public school system?

Dr. Philip Schley: I think his statement about our once proud school system is outrageous. We still have a proud school system, an excellent school system. It’s well thought of around the state. We have increased graduation rates and our test scores are up. We had ten failing schools but have decreased that number to five.

Dr. Phillip Schley

The school district is doing fine. The problem is with the school district, which has fallen into dissension, and therefore they are unable to get much vision together to help the superintendent create an overall vision to where we want our school system to go. I want to change that.

The Courier: One of the allegations that your opponent makes is that “Dr. Schley is proud of and wanted to promote, celebrate, and brag about the fact that his house was built by slaves. Do you have a response?

Dr. Philip Schley: I don’t ever recall bragging that it was built by slaves.

The house was in fact built between 1828 and 1832 during which time slavery was in existence. We have a lot of problems in our history that being one of them. The discussion that I in some way supported slavery is again outrageous.

The Courier: Given the attacks from your opponent and his Facebook friends, why, after all these years would do you want to get back into serving on the school board?

Dr. Philip Schley: I think the main thing is I want to work to correct the divisiveness that is on the school board.

The school board spends all of its time primarily because of the efforts of my opponent scrapping instead of trying to work together cohesively to positively move forward. I want to change that.

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

Epsilon Eta Zeta Chapter-Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Community Pearls Scholarship Luncheon adults in how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

Michelle Nelson-Hawkins lives by the tenet to whom much is given much is required. This is evident through both her personal and professional service to others. In her current role with the National Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Michelle serves as the Director of Organizational Development-Southeast.

In observance of Finer Womanhood, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority recognized five outstanding ladies of the community for their extraordinary community service.

The number five is noteworthy of the five founders of our sorority. The 2018 honorees were recognized at the chapter’s luncheon which was held at the Columbus Country Club.

The 2018 Community Pearl honorees were as follows: Mrs. Cheryl Davis, Dr. Brett Murphy-Dawson, Mrs. Michelle Nelson-Hawkins, Professor Judy Ann Rutledge Purnell (Retired) and Mrs. Eva Smith.

Cheryl Denise Davis is the Operations Manager for Davis Broadcasting Inc. of Columbus, Georgia. While in Michigan, Cheryl began working at General Motors and during her 15-year tenure at the company, she became one of the first women in a lead managerial role in the Flint, MI operations.

Cheryl married Gregory A. Davis in 1976. They are the proud parents of three children, Geniece, Michelle and Greg Jr When God provided an opportunity for Gregory Davis to own a radio station in Columbus, Ga, both Cheryl and Greg were prepared.

Her hands-on care and generosity can be attested to by several young men

and women over generations in the city.

Whether it is listening to them prepare a speech, write an essay, apply for a job, or just being a soft ear, many children and young adults have found their way into Mrs. Davis’ office. Cheryl has guided many with her loving words in an honest and constructive way. When families in this city have been in need,

Dr. Murphy-Dawson is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She continued her education in New Orleans by attending Tulane University School of Medicine. After marrying her best friend, Gary Dawson, MD, she and her husband moved to Pittsburgh, PA where Dr. Murphy-Dawson completed her adult psychiatry residency and child psychiatry fellowship at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

Since residing in Columbus, GA as of 2004, Dr. Murphy-Dawson dutifully served this community through her time at New Horizons Behavioral Health (NHBH) for ten years as a Diplomate in the specialty of Psychiatry and subspecialty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. After retiring as medical director from NHBH in March of 2015 to spend more time with her family, she has become passionate about educating her community on the prevention of child sexual abuse. She has had the privilege of training over 340

With over 20 years of senior leadership experience in the nonprofit sector including past roles as the Southeast Regional Director for the Girls Inc. national organization and Executive Director of Junior Achievement of West Central GA, Michelle is recognized as a leader in youth programming, volunteer engagement, and social entrepreneurship.

A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Michelle serves as President of the Columbus Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter and was recognized as one of the 2018 60 Most Influential Black Leaders by the Courier Eco Latino Newspaper.

Judy Ann Rutledge Purnell graduated with a Bachelors of Art in English from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL. Judy continued her education by earning a Master’s of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Troy State University and Doctoral coursework at Clark Atlanta University.

Judy’s career in higher education began in 1980 as an Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Troy State University, Fort Benning, GA campus. She continued her career in higher education as an Instructor at Columbus State University, School of Education and in the Criminal Justice Department of Chattahoochee Valley Community College. After taking a short break to further her education in 1996, Judy began teaching as an Assistant Professor at Columbus State University in the College of Science, Interdisciplinary Studies – African and

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African American Studies in 1998 until her retirement in 2004. After retiring, she taught part-time as an Adjunct Instructor at University of Phoenix, Columbus, GA campus and Tuskegee University.

Throughout her career, Judy has worked on a number of research projects and donated educational contributions to a number of efforts. Research that she has been conducting since 2006 and that she is very passionate about is the Out of Africa Migration to Asia – The Saisiyat Aboriginals: Afro/Asian Connection, The Black Pygmies: “Who Were They and Where Did They Come From?”

Mrs. Eva Smith is a 1966 graduate of Albany State College, presently Albany State University, where she earned a B.S. degree in Elementary Education.

She graduated Summa Cum Laude and was also the highest-ranking student in elementary education. While at Albany State, Mrs. Smith became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Delta Rho Chapter. In 1974, Mrs. Smith earned a Master of Education degree from Georgia State University.

Mrs. Smith taught in the Muscogee County School System before traveling to Berlin, Germany where she taught Pre-School and fifth grade. While in Germany, she also worked in the Media Center and was able to set up a program called, Dial a Fairy Tale. After returning to the United States, Mrs. Smith continued teaching in Muscogee County School System, as a third and fourth grade teacher at Blanchard Elementary. Later, she joined the Faculty and Staff at Eddy Middle School. During her tenure at Eddy, she was named Teacher of the Year in 2000 and 2003.

She retired from Eddy Middle School in 2003 after 31 years of service.

School. Mrs. Smith is married to Charles L. Smith of Cleveland, Ohio. They have two lovely daughters: Natasha Smith Glab and Simone Evetta Smith, also a beautiful granddaughter, Taylor Simone Glab.

The guest speaker for the luncheon was Reverend Patricia Burns, a former civil service employee at Fort Benning Housing Division.

A Candid Conversation With

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

PAGE 30

Muscogee County School Board District At Large

Only one of the At-large candidates accepted our invitation to an interview with us. Anthony McCool did not. We have provided our candid conversation with Kia Chambers.

You will notice that we did not ask her the usual questions regarding her platform we instead asked her to respond to recent articles appearing in our publication regarding her relationship with Frank Myers. Here is her interview in its entirety. Our candidate endorsements will appear in our next publication on May 10, 2018

Kia Chambers

Anthony McCool

Kia Chambers The Courier: You’ve been serving on the school board for the past three years and honestly I don’t foresee your opponent beating you unless the Black community fails to support you. Right now there are some in the community who are questioning some of your actions. As the result of your recent election as chairman of the school board the perception is you were no more than a pawn in Frank Myers game to get rid of Pat Hugley Green as the chair.

How do you respond ?

Kia Chambers: My response to that is that anyone who knows me knows that I’m an independent thinker and I would never be a pawn for anyone.

When I make a decision it is always well thought out, it’s always something where I have already weighed the consequences and I’ve made the decision on my own. That is not what occurred and that is not what people who know me feel about it. The policy states that every single year there is an election and at that time the peers on the board choose who they want to lead them.

Every year, even before I got on the board I’ve been asked by at least one member on the board; “Kia why don’t you run for chair”. And several times I have not run for chair. Last year, although I did have votes and did have support from my peers to be chair, I was the one to reach out to Ms. Green and said, “Pat why don’t you be chair, I’ll be vice chair. So there was no pawn going on. Now a lot of things transpired this year that led me to say ok I’ll put my name up this time. So I’ll

leave it at that. Truly several times I’ve had the opportunity or the support and I have not chosen to and I felt like this was the right time. Even though some people may not think it was the right time it was the right time for me to step up and go ahead and serve.

The Courier: I agree that your peers select the chairman and whoever receives the most votes wins. But as you know in Columbus, Georgia it’s about perception.

a vote. In order for me to remain useful I have to make sure I’m independent, one but that I’ve weighed all of the sides for the entire community not a certain section or district. While everybody may look at the whole district I think it is important to distinguish that the at-large representative was put into office by the choice of 200,000 people, not that all 200,000 people showed up at the polls.

The Courier: Do you feel the at-large representative should always be the chairman of the board: Kia Chambers: It is like that in some cities. To be honest I feel like this is such a big responsibility that I feel like

“...I will tell you that there was a last minute decision and “on board” is the only thing I have a question about.

“So there was a plan that I wasn’t willing to go along with and we didn’t do that plan. So I was willing to go along with this, if that clears it up” “...there was also another plan for me not to be vice chair. I’ll put that out there. So then I had to make a decision. Do you sit and be no part of leadership or do you just step up and say “Ok if that’s how it’s going to be, I’m going to stand up for myself this time and put my name out there.”

Kia Chambers: I understand that but I want you and your readers to know that I am the only one on the board that has a different position. It’s the only at-large position. If I live in a district I’m going to make sure I check with the constituents in that district so I am making a decision the people in the district can live with. When you are the at-large representative it is very important that you don’t put yourself with this group or that group. I think you have to stand independently because there’s no way 200,000 citizens are going to agree on every single thing that you do. And while that may not be the perception, that’s how I look at it when I get ready to make

everyone on the board should have an opportunity to sit in this seat to see the responsibility and feel what’s it’s like to lead the board. It is a service it’s not “Oh look at me I’m in charge”, it is truly a service. It takes a lot of meetings, a lot of time and things of that nature. So I think we should share the love on that one.

The Courier: I understand you said you are your own person but again some of your recent actions, perception wise says differently. Case in point it’s no secret in this community that Mark Cantrell talks. As my mother would say, he’s one of those people who can’t hold water.

What I know and what we reported in this publication is that the day before the school board elections board member Mark Cantrell sent Pat Hugley Green a text saying, “congratulations it looks like you are going to continue as our chairperson. By 7pm that evening Cantrell received another call from John Thomas telling him everything is ok Kia is on board now. Were you aware of that?

Kia Chambers: I wasn’t aware of that but I will tell you that there was a last minute decision and “on board” is the only thing I have a question about.

There’s a lot of politics that happens behind the scene especially when it gets time to elect the chair. It has happened every single year that I’ve been on the board. Those last few months’ people really start acting differently. So there was a plan that I wasn’t willing to go along with and we didn’t do that plan. So I was willing to go along with this, if that clears it up. I don’t ever want to think run against because I would never want to sort of run against Pat but I did not want to choose someone else maybe over her maybe and I was going to vote for her. So that changed very close to the time for us to vote. But that was in reference to a whole other plan that did not manifest. At the same time I don’t know how this sheds light on me as a candidate but there was also another plan for me not to be vice chair. I’ll put that out there. So then I had to make a decision. Do you sit and be no part of leadership or do you just step up and say “Ok if that’s how it’s going to be, I’m going to stand up for myself this time and put my name out there”.

Those were hard decisions but those were the decisions I made.

The Courier: It appears, because of a decision you made against Frank Myers showing you were not “Frank Myers” puppet, he has recruited Anthony McCool to run against you.

Kia Chambers: Let me say this I don’t try to figure that out because I can only be responsible for myself. I try to

See Page 31

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

MCSB District At Large Interview Continued

be responsible for me. When something is right I try to do what is best for kids and what can move us as a district to the next level. So just as I can’t have every 200,000 citizens agree with every decision I make, boardmembers are not going to always agree.

But I won’t change who I am for anyone on the board. From my point I don’t know if anything changed but from my perspective I’ve always been the same Kia. I’m fair, I try to do what’s equitable and I try to do what’s right.

The Courier: If Frank Myers wins reelection you know he will continue to be a divisive figure, how, as the board chairman, will you be able to move forward?

Kia Chambers: We have to realize that we are a governance team and no one board member can do anything. It takes five of us and so the group dynamics of the board has to change to the point where I am not making anything personal but I want to be part of a governance that is able to make powerful decisions and leave a legacy for the children of the future. To do that you have to selflessly put yourself to the side. As the board chair, if you look back over the past three months that’s what I’ve tried to do. I’ve tried to be fair and I’ve tried to follow protocol but also realize that we are trying to move in a certain direction and we can do that in a professional and respectful manner.

The Courier: With four Black women on the school board one would think you would pull together as one for the sake of our kids especially given that the majority of the students are African American. Instead there is a perception there is a problem between you and board member Pat Hugley Green. Are we wrong? Why can’t you get along?

Kia Chambers: As the chair person I

think it is important that you value everyone’s opinion and if that is done I don’t have a problem getting along with anyone. But if I make a suggestion or if I say something on the board and it is shot down, you may not agree with my opinion but at least respect me enough to not try to make me look like I don’t know what I’m talking about in the general public. I think that’s just a mutual respect type of thing. If we can mutually respect each other, even if we don’t agree then we can all get along.

I think the group dynamics begins to change when people are personally attacked or every time you say something it’s “oh that ain’t right”, but then you check your facts and you know you were right?. So then it becomes, “Is this personal, that you don’t want it to appear like I know what I’m talking about?” In a round about way I’m trying to say mutual respect is important. So I have no problem respecting people who respect me. I do have an educational background, I do have three college degrees. I’m not just up here saying something just because I thought it up last night. I’ve lived it, I’ve walked it, I’ve studied it and I am currently in school now working on my Ph.D. I still know I don’t know everything but at the same time I do bring something to the table. Let’s acknowledge that. Let’s acknowledge that you bring something to the table but I also bring something to the table and then we can agree to disagree on those small issues we don’t agree on. We can definitely move forward if I can respect you enough to say ok you bring something to the table.

The Courier: Recently your opponent implied that as a school board member you are wrong for your child not attending a Muscogee county school.

Do you think children of board members should be enrolled in our school system?

Kia Chambers: I believe in a parents right to choose. I have three boys and they are very, very different. I have a son who graduated from Shaw. He was the drum major and it was the perfect environment for him. I never would have sent my middle son to Shaw. That’s why we have specializations in each of our high schools because there is no one size fits all when it comes to chil-

dren. My second son went to Columbus high. He was an honor student, he’s driven, the workload didn’t bother him he wasn’t stressed and he did well.

Today he is a finance major studying at Kennesaw State. That’s his thing.

Never would I have put my baby boy at Columbus High. All three of my children have gone to different schools.

Because I’m an educator and I know that one size does not fit all and each child needs something different my

PAGE 31

youngest child needs a very small environment in order for him to be successful. Because of state law and because of funding we don’t have that opportunity here so he’s at Paccelli. He would do well in one of our schools but I want him to have the best opportunity for him and Pacelli is a good fit for him. The third reason is there is a lot of politics in this position and I don’t ever want my child to be in the cross hairs of that.

Mosteller’s Strategy for Success

Tailor students’ educational trajectory to their future.

- Bring back recess and physical fitness recognition.

- Unite Title I students with Title I teachers.

- Improve student:teacher ratios.

- Improve resources for parents to help their stude - Raise the bar in student nutrition.

- Bring back the joy and fulfillment of teaching through teacher empowerment.

- Bring back the focus and emphasis on the three “Rs” : Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic.

- Remove the crippling effect of Federal, State & Local mandates.

- Create remediation for students not performing at grade level.

- Make education relevant to the life and future of our students.

- Improve workplace satisfaction and joy for our teachers.

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

Cover Story

PAGE 32

Rodney Mahone Promoted to President and Publisher of The Charlotte Observer and Four Local South Carolina News Sites Sara Glines, publisher of McClatchy's Carolina region. "We are very proud of her many accomplishments and most recently: Charlotte Will, a coalition of leaders from public, private and nonprofit organizations that developed solutions to help put low-income people on a path to prosperity, and the Charlotte Observer Summer Camp program, that raised more than $1.5 million to send low-income children to camp."

Rodney Mahone has been named as president and publisher of The Charlotte Observer, The State in Columbia, SC, The Herald, in Rock Hill, SC, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette in Hilton Head, SC. He will begin his new role at the beginning of June.

Mahone succeeds Ann Caulkins who is stepping down after 12 years as publisher of The Charlotte Observer and almost 35 years at McClatchy and its predecessor companies.

"We are so grateful for Ann's thoughtful and energetic leadership over the past three decades at McClatchy," said

Previously, Mahone led McClatchy's Columbus Ledger-Enquirer and The (Macon) Telegraph in the role of Georgia regional president and publisher.

"Rodney is a strong and creative leader who has driven innovation and digital transformation in challenging times for local journalism," said Glines. "He is also a catalyst, someone who has thoughtfully combined his entrepreneurial vision, energy and deep commitment to our communities to launch new initiatives and collaborations that have brought together diverse stakeholders and improved lives. The experience and insight he brings will make a significant impact on our business and communities."

A lifelong resident of Columbus, Georgia, and a 28-year veteran at McClatchy, Rodney is an engaged citizen and highly-effective leader. He was instrumental in the launch of Together Columbus, an innovative two-year public-private partnership that resulted in a $344,000 investment in the community. As a result of his leadership of this initiative, The Ledger-Enquirer was recognized by Editor & Publisher as one of the 10 newspapers in the United States "That Do It Right."

"I am excited and honored to lead The Charlotte Observer and continue its strong tradition of local journalism and service to the community," said Mahone.

"I will have big shoes to fill with Ann Caulkins' departure. Her leadership and vision has been a beacon to me and all of my colleagues from across McClatchy. Although Georgia will always be in my heart, I look forward to collaborating with our teams and partners in Charlotte, Columbia, Rock Hill and Hilton Head to continue to produce local journalism that is essential to the communities and business partners we serve."

Mahone began his career with The Ledger-Enquirer in 1990 in the circulation department. He advanced from outside sales to several leadership roles within the advertising division, including vice president of advertising in 2009.

As an advertising executive, he was an American Advertising Federation Silver Medal Award winner and served as president of the Ad Federation of Columbus.

Mahone is a 2012 alumni of Leadership Georgia, served on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus, the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation, and chaired the Board of Directors for United Way and New Birth Outreach Church. He also chaired the local United Way Campaign in 2012. Currently, he serves on the boards of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, United Way, Columbus Technical College Foundation, and is working with the implementation team for the Regional Prosperity Initiative. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the Rotary Club of Columbus.

News provided by McClatchy.

THURSDAY April 26, 2018

Cover Story

PAGE 33

Genes Do Not Equal Destiny. Here’s How to Activate Your Genes for Good Health Now.

Please welcome Paula Walker King, MD,MPH to our publication as a guest contributer. Dr. King is a physician, speaker, public health practitioner, associate professor

of health science and a nationally recognized Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). lined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; receiving recommended vaccinations; managing stress; wearing seatbelts and utilizing other safety precautions. Primary prevention, when practiced, has been shown to save lives and improve quality of life. So, why don’t we practice prevention more vigorously?

Paula Walker King, MD, MPH

Special Contributor To The Courier

For more than the last decade, heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, stroke, and diabetes have been the leading causes of death for Americans. The common denominator shared by these health conditions is that they are preventable. In fact, almost all chronic diseases are preventable, and the trajectory of such disease is even reversible if intervention is begun early enough.

For example, Type II diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs in both adults and sedentary children and teens, who are overweight. In the paradigm of prevention, the approach to addressing the signs and symptoms of pre-diabetes would include the introduction of healthier eating habits and an exercise prescription that facilitates at least a ten percent loss of body weight. These simple lifestyle modifications can make the difference in whether there’s full manifestation of the disease (diabetes) in those with risk factors alone, or whether the disease is treated with pharmaceutical therapy versus non-pharmaceutical interventions like daily exercise, stress mitigation and diet. In this prevention scenario, we would be less likely to see the effects of end-stage brittle diabetes, which claims so many lives and impairs quality of life with accompanying end organ damage e.g. eyes (blindness), heart (heart disease), kidneys (kidney failure) that affects millions. Therefore, prevention is key.

In Public Health, primary prevention of disease is the ideal goal. Healthy individuals are counseled and educated about: exercise; eating healthy as out-

In my professional experience as a physician, educator and Public Health practitioner, often apathy and discouragement are barriers to practicing effective health promotion and disease prevention. Too often, the mindset is: there’s nothing that can be done about a generational inheritance pattern of disease. After all, for decades, medical scientists believed (and told us) that genes determined our biological destiny. If heart disease or diabetes were part of a family’s history, developing those diseases seemed inevitable.

However, thanks to a growing body of epigenetics research, we now know that genes do not equal destiny. While we cannot alter the structure of our genes or the sequence of our DNA, we can influence the activity of our genes to create good health and well-being.

Through daily lifestyle choices, we can optimize how our genes behave, helping to “turn on” the genes that promote good health and “turn off” the genes that promote illness.

The lifestyle interventions that are scientifically proven to matter most when creating good health are:

1. Sleep Most adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night (preferably sleep that’s not induced by alcohol or pharmaceuticals). During deep sleep, the body releases accumulated stress and toxins while it self-regulates and repairs the cells of the body. If you’re sleep deprived, you are more likely to have a weakened immune system and chronic inflammation, which is associated with many diseases, including Alzheimer’s, obesity, fibromyalgia, and some forms of cancer.

2. Prayer/Meditation Prayer/meditation is a simple practice that takes us to a state of profound relaxation that dissolves fatigue and

stress. Research shows that people who pray/meditate regularly develop less high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, and other stress-related illnesses.

3. Physical Activity Your body is engineered for movement and regular exercise is a key to health and longevity.

The benefits of regular physical activity are numerous, including increased: muscle mass, bone density (healthier bones), improved heart health, and better glucose tolerance (decreased risk for diabetes). Not only does exercise keep the body young and strong, but it also releases stress, improves mood, and increases the brain’s ability to learn, adapt, and perform other cognitive tasks.

4. Optimal Nutrition The key to optimal nutrition is to favor a variety of fresh, whole foods (including plenty of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and herbs)—while eliminating refined, processed foods, which are stripped of vital nutrients and contain a lot of sugar, artificial ingredients, and other harmful chemicals.

Processed foods are a major source of chronic inflammation, which is an underlying cause of many serious diseases.

Alternatively, whole, fresh foods decrease inflammation and provide valuable vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

5. Healthy Emotions Author, Karol Truman said it best: “feelings buried alive never die”. Every emotion and thought you entertain affects your health. Research in psychoneuroimmunology provides evidence that the body is deeply affected by moods and negative emotions. Scientists now know for sure that chemical messages tell every cell how you feel and ultimately genes are impacted by behaviors (daily choices); experiences and thoughts. When a person feels fear or anxiety, the body responds with the fight-or-flight response, which raises heart rate, blood pressure and increases the production of cortisol, adrenaline, and other so-called stress hormones. If the fight-or-flight axis is activated often enough, high blood pressure and diabetes can result as chronic health conditions over time. Moreover, living in a state of chronic stress can lead to increased inflammation in the

body and the development of other states of imbalance or disease.

Conversely, when you cultivate healthy emotions, you promote self-healing, selfregulation and balance in the body.

These advancements in our scientific awareness and understanding are transformational. I share these insights with the hope that they’ll be a catalyst to interrupt generational inheritance patterns of disease. As I work with various communities of people, often afflicted with chronic illnesses, it is my personal mission to disseminate a message of hope, love and empowerment.

Therefore, beloveds, take charge of your health! Genetics only represents 30 percent of the health equation. The other 70 percent, that determines how healthy you are, is determined by lifestyle—the choices you make each and every single day.

No longer do you have to accept the notion that just because Big Mama had diabetes; and Mama and Daddy had diabetes that eventually you, too, will have diabetes. That thought process and premise is outdated and couldn’t be further from the truth.

We get to choose health or dis-ease (a lack of ease) as our way of being.

Each day, each choice exerts a compound effect on overall health. So, why not choose life? Why not choose health?

Genes do not equal destiny. Disease and disability are not inevitable. Activate your genes now for good health by implementing these simple lifestyle measures and practicing them consistently on a daily basis. Take back your health and live your best life yet! ***********************************************

Dr. Paula Walker King is a physician, speaker, public health practitioner, associate professor of health science and a nationally recognized Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). In addition to acute medicine, Dr. King is passionate about health promotion and evidencebased methods to prevent disease and to stay healthy naturally. Consequently, Dr. King has presented extensively on disease prevention and health and wellness issues. She is a regular medical contributor on WTVM, an ABC television affiliate in Columbus, GA.

26 de abril 2018

Pagina 2

By Kathy Rosado, Service Line Manager, NeighborWorks® Columbus Special To The Courier Educación y consejería para el comprador de vivienda

El proceso de comprar una vivienda puede ser complicado, desde decidir si está listo para comprar una casa o no, hasta seleccionar y preservar el hogar, a veces las personas se sienten confundidas y frustradas porque no comprenden el proceso general involucrado. En ocasiones, la matemática mental de las personas puede generar costos de estimación imprecisos, como centrarse solo en la asequibilidad de los gastos mensuales de vivienda sin considerar los otros costos, como los puntos o las tarifas.

A veces, se confunden con la terminología de la hipoteca, como la diferencia entre las tasas de interés contractuales y las tasas porcentuales anuales. Otras veces, pueden sobreestimar su capacidad para cumplir un plan financiero.

Estos son solo algunos de los retos que muchos dueños potenciales están dispuestos a enfrentar. Muchos futuro dueños de vivienda no buscan financiamiento para la vivienda, aunque tener acceso a más opciones puede reducir sus costos. Otro hecho, una vez que compran una casa, pueden enfrentar gastos inesperados y dificultades para mantener sus planes de pago iniciales.

Casi la mitad de todos los dueños de viviendas de bajos ingresos; por primera vez pueden experimentar reparaciones inesperadas en el hogar. Aquellos que se atrasan, pueden verse abrumados por su situación y luchar para manejar sus deudas o negociar opciones con sus proveedores hipotecarios.

La educación y consejería sobre la compra de una vivienda pueden abordar estos retos. Los participantes que trabajan con una agencia de consejería de vivienda aprobada por HUD (Vivienda Federal), como NeighborWorks® Columbus, reciben asesoramiento independiente, experto e imparcial de un consejero cuyo deber último es para el cliente. Las personas pueden comprender mejor sus opciones, evitar fraudes y tomar decisiones más informadas. La educación y consejería pueden complementar las nuevas protecciones del consumidor para dueños de vivienda, y con algunos programas, se requiere que ciertos compradores potenciales reciban educación y consejería.

La educación y consejería pueden apoyar al dueño con vivienda sostenible en cada etapa del proceso al ayudar a las personas a diferenciar entre las opciones de financiamiento, mantenerse al día con sus pagos o evitar la ejecución hipotecaria si no cumplen con los pagos. Un creciente cuerpo de evidencia sobre agencias individuales, demuestra que la educación y la consejería sobre la compra de vivienda pueden ayudar sustancialmente a los participantes de muchas maneras.

La educación y consejería sobre la compra de vivienda incluyen muchos tipos de apoyo que varían en cuanto a los plazos, el método de entrega, la intensidad y el enfoque. Estas sesiones informativas pueden ayudar a las personas que están considerando comprar una casa ("pre-compra") y después de convertirse en propietarios ("post-compra"). La educación previa a la compra y consejería cubren temas tales como la administración del dinero; seleccionando una casa; opciones de financiamiento; y evitar fraudes, discriminación y préstamos inapropiados.

NeighborWorks® Columbus es una agencia de consejería de vivienda aprobada por HUD y parte de la red NeighborWorks® America. Como empresa enfocada en el cliente, ofrecemos programas y servicios únicos que permiten a nuestros clientes cumplir sus sueños. Llámenos al 706-324-4663 o visite nuestro sitio web en www.nwcolumbus.org para obtener información adicional.

ENGLISH Homeownership education and counseling

The homeownership process can be complicated, from deciding whether to buy a home at all, to the selecting and preserving the home, at times, people feel confused and frustrated because they do not understand the overall process involved. At times, people’s own mental math can lead to inaccurately estimate costs, like focusing only on the affordability of monthly housing expenses without considering others costs such as points or fees.

At times, they are confused by the mortgage terminology, such as the difference between contract interest rates and annual percentage rates. Other times, they can overestimated they’re ability to stick to a financial plan.

These are just some of the challenges that many prospect homeowners are willing to face. Many future homeowners do not shop around for home financing, even though having access to more options might lower their costs. Another fact, once homeowners buy a home, they can encounter unexpected costs and struggle to maintain their initial payment plans. Nearly half of all first-time, low-income homeowners may experience significant unexpected home repairs. Those who fall behind, may be overwhelmed by their situation and struggle to manage their debts or negotiate workout options with their mortgage servicers.

Homeownership education and counseling can address these challenges.

Participants working with a HUDapproved housing counseling agency, such as NeighborWorks® Columbus, receive independent, expert and unbiased advice from a counselor whose ultimate duty is to the customer. People can better understand their options, avoid frauds, and make more informed d e c i s i o n s .

Homeownership education and counseling can complement new consumer protections for homebuyers — and with some programs, it

is required that certain prospective homebuyers receive the education and counseling.

Education and counseling can support sustainable homeownership at each stage of the process by helping people differentiate between financing options, stay current on their payments, or avoid foreclosure if they fall delinquent on their payments. A growing body of evidence on individual agencies, demonstrates that homeownership education and counseling can substantially help participants in many ways.

Homeownership education and counseling includes many types of support that vary in timing, method of delivery, intensity, and focus. These informative sessions can help people who are considering a home purchase (“prepurchase”) and after they become homeowners (“postpurchase”).

Prepurchase education and counseling covers topics such as money management; selecting a home; options for financing; and avoiding frauds, discrimination, and inappropriate loans.

NeighborWorks® Columbus is a HUDApproved Housing Counseling agency and part of the NeighborWorks® America network. As a customer focused enterprise, we provide unique programs and services that empower our customers to achieve their dreams. Give us a call at 706-324-4663 or visit our website at www.nwcolumbus.org for additional information.

Eco Latino SU

couriernews.org

S ERVING C OLUMBUS , F T. B ENNING , P HENIX C ITY & S URROUNDING A REAS

Vol. 13

Edición 9 Gratis

La voz de la comunidad hispana

jueves 26 de abril 2018

VOTO CUENTA See

Educación y consejería para el comprador de vivienda

Pagina 2

Courier

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