Aman’s heart stopped on national television. For a moment, the world stopped as well.
The circumstances were far different, but as I thought about the response to the fate of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, I also thought about George Floyd.
Prior to Floyd’s death, people had become desensitized to the threat of police violence, and disillusioned by the realities of the pandemic. Hamlin, who at the time of writing this, remains in critical condition after a collision with Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, is part of a league with a dangerous and exploitative nature.
Sadly, it seems that the visual-
ization of Black pain and trauma – so vivid, so violent – is what cuts through the fog of disillusionment. Even if for a moment, we saw the calls for change, not just lobbying to professional sports leagues, but to a higher power.
The hours and days which followed the scary scene on Monday Night Football lent themselves to outrage. Some asked, why did the NFL initially take a five-minute break before proposing a return to action?
Others noted, why be mad at the NFL when corporations essentially harbor the same disregard for human life?
Humanity is the word to remember. We heard it in Floyd’s cries to
his mother as he pleaded for his life. We saw it with Hamlin’s family as they rushed to the hospital. We can’t just pick up and place down humanity in the most dire of circumstances, though. We should not only wear it daily, but wield it.
Humanity demands that corporations uphold their end of the social contract. Everyday people have worn the burden of COVID-19, not just in terms of sickness, but in how we have spent our money. The term we hear on the news is “inflation,” but a more correct term would be “corporate greed.” Corporate greed treats human beings like capital; further, cattle. We are far more – caretakers, children, creators.
As we enter a new year, we don’t need a resolution to treat each other more civilly. We need a revolution that not only challenges the human spirit, but cultivates it. Further, we must create a society that doesn’t prioritize the obscenely rich, but pushes for the dignity of all.
Ken Makin is the host of Makin’ A Difference and a freelance writer for ESPN and The Christian Science Monitor, among other outlets. Look him up on Facebook at Makin’ A Difference, and you can also send him an email with your thoughts at makinadifferenceshow@gmail. com.
Join Augusta, Georgia and the Augusta branch of the NAACP in celebrating the life and legacy of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade.
WHEN: Saturday, January 14, 2023, starting at 1pm
WHERE: The event will start at Dyess Park Community Center, located at 902 James Brown Blvd. The parade will proceed south on James Brown Blvd., then west onto Wrightsboro Road, north onto Augusta Ave., east onto Laney Walker Blvd., and then north onto 11th Street to Johnson Motors. For more information on this event, call 706-724-0390.
PUBLISHER
Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, & Agency LLC http://www.growingaugusta.co/UPW
+1 (706) 751-2537
URBAN PRO WEEKLY SALES & MARKETING
http://www.growingaugusta.co/UPW
+1 (762) 233-5299
CONTRIBUTORS
• K.L. Gordon • Ken Makin • Vincent Hobbs • Menia L. Chester • Frederick Benjamin Sr. Layout/Design : UrbanProMedia
This Dr. Martin Luther King Day, I’d like to write about civil rights within a context that we don’t hear about very often: agriculture. One hundred years ago there were nearly 1 million Black farmers in the US, comprising over 10 percent of total farmers at the time. Today there are less than 50,000, comprising around 1.4 percent. There are many causes for this, and one of them has to do with the USDA’s long history of racial discrimination against Black farmers. This culminated in the largest class-action civil rights suit in US history: the Pigford Case, where the
federal government in 1999 admitted to racial discrimination and settled over one billion dollars to Black farmers who were denied farm loans and assistance (unlike White farmers) due to the color of their skin.
While the history of Black farming is tragic and unjust, from slavery, to neo-slavery in the form of restrictive sharecropping during reconstruction, to the New Deal’s Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 inadvertently driving Black farmers from the land, to the more modern-day, conscious discriminatory farm lending practices of the USDA, it is also rich and hugely influential: George Washington Carver developed and popularized
crop rotation practices to prevent soil depletion; Booker T Whatley not only was one of the earliest developers in the United States of the CSA and pick-your-own models, but he also authored a book in 1987 entitled How To Make $100,000 Farming 25 Acres. This book directly inspired contemporary “Rockstar farmers” (as we call them) J. M. Fortier and Ben Hartman to write similar books, which in turn inspired an entire new generation of young farmers, including myself. Finally, the 1965 Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery would never have been possible were it not for Black farmers who owned farms along Highway 80
and who allowed marchers to sleep on their land, something that would never have been permitted by White farmers along the route. These same farmers also led fund raising efforts for racial justice for years leading up to Dr. King’s movement.
Racial discrimination pervades countless other segments of our lives, many of which remain hidden or not well known, similar to agriculture. Dr. Martin Luther King Day reminds us to unearth these injustices, to remember how members of marginalized groups have contributed immensely to the strength of our nation, and to use such knowledge to become better citizens.
The 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. public celebration will be held Jan. 13 at noon at Paine College’s Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel.
“For many years, Augusta Technical College, Augusta University and Paine College have joined together to co-host the celebration of this ‘warrior for justice’ who dedicated his life toward nonviolence, freedom, equality, and justice,” said Paine College President Cheryl Evans Jones.
The three colleges have announced that this year’s speaker will be an Alabama native, Dr. Lewis Baldwin, a historian, author, and professor specializing in the history of black churches in the United States.
“The epic figure of Martin Luther King,
Jr. looms large over our nation, reminding us that we cannot continue to prosper and survive in a culture in which objective truths and scientific facts seem to no longer matter,” Baldwin said.
The topic for Baldwin’s address will be “The Forgotten Legacy: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. in a Post-Truth Age.”
Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel said: “Dr. Baldwin has shown his dedication to civil rights through a long career of ministerial work and scholarship as he honors Dr. King’s legacy. We are proud to co-host this event to encourage the spirit of service upheld by Dr. King and inspire future generations to engage our community.”
The topic for Dr. Lewis Baldwin’s address will be “The Forgotten Legacy: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. in a Post-Truth Age.”
Despite some progress in diversity and racial justice in the U.S. as a whole, a professor argues that farming remains deeply segregated
By Megan Horst Portland State UniversityFarming in the United States is enmeshed with both racism and capitalism in a way that has had a profound impact on who owns, accesses, and benefits from farmland. Recently, I published research with Portland State University student Amy Marion examining data on non-farming landowners, farmers who own and lease land, and farmworkers. We found significant racial/ethnic disparities when it comes to representation, land, and money.
Perhaps not surprisingly to those familiar with structural racism in the food system, we found that white Americans are most likely to own land and benefit from the wealth it generates. From 2012 to 2014, white people comprised over 97 percent of non-farming landowners, 96 percent of owner-operators, and 86 percent of tenant operators. They also generated 98 percent of all farm-related income from land ownership and 97 percent of the income that comes from operating farms.
On the other hand, farmers of color (Black, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and those reporting more than one race) comprised less than 3 percent of non-farming landowners and less than 4 percent of owner-operators. They were more likely to be tenants than owners; they also owned less land and smaller farms, and generated less
wealth from farming than their white counterparts.
Meanwhile, Latinx farmers comprised about 2 percent of non-farming landowners and about 6 percent of owner-operators and tenant operators, well below their 17 percent representation in the U.S. population. They also comprised over 80 percent of farm laborers, a notoriously under-compensated, difficult, and vulnerable position in U.S. farming.
In other words, despite greater diversity in the U.S. population overall and seeming progress in other areas of racial equity, farming in this country appears to be as segregated as it was a century ago. Inequity is part of American farming history, with few exceptions.
One exceptional moment occurred in the decades after the Civil War, when freed slaves and their descendants accumulated 19 million acres of land. In 1910, 14 percent of all farm owner-operators were Black or African Americans. By 2012, however, they comprised only 1.5 percent.
The causes of that decline, and today’s disparities, are rooted in the structural racism that has been part and parcel of the development of modern U.S. agriculture. Not only were Native Americans often violently removed from their homelands (which were further segmented by federal laws), but a series of federal Homestead Acts gave mainly white male settlers and corporations hugely subsidized land.
Discriminatory laws, such as the
California Alien Land Law of 1913, prohibited various people of color from owning land. They were also denied reparations after the abolition of slavery, as well as labor protections like minimum wage, union rights, and social security when they worked on farms. The government gave unequal funding to land-grant universities that served Black and white students, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) discriminated against Black, Native American, Latinx, and women farmers in its lending and other forms of support for decades.
Together, this legacy has had profound and lasting impacts to the U.S. food system. As farmer Leah Penniman pointed out recently, “If AfricanAmerican people [had been] paid $20 per week for our agricultural labor rather than being enslaved, we would have trillions in the bank today.”
But that obviously didn’t happen. Nor were Native Americans appropriately compensated for their land. Instead, the Homestead Acts, which scholar Keri Leigh Merrit calls “unquestionably the most extensive, radical, redistributive governmental policy in U.S. history,” had lasting benefits for white people. The National Park Service esti-
mates that about 93 million people, or more than a quarter of the U.S. adult population, are descendants of people who received land through the Homestead Acts. That number likely includes a number of today’s white farmers and landowners.
More recently, U.S. policy supporting industrialization and consolidation in food production has perpetuated racial and ethnic inequities in more subtle ways. Hundreds of millions in commodity subsidies set aside in the farm bill, technology advances, trademarked plant and animal varieties, and access to international markets has accrued to the largest farms (which are much more likely to be white-owned).
Meanwhile, farmers of color, immigrant farmers, and female farmers, who typically have smaller farms and grow higher-value, labor-intensive products such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables have received less government support. The 2018 Farm Bill continues past trends by offering some important support for diverse farmers, but falling short of structurally transforming the U.S. food system.
Farmers of color (Black, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and those reporting more than one race) comprised less than 3 percent of non-farming landowners and less than 4 percent of owner-operators. They were more likely to be tenants than owners; they also owned less land and smaller farms, and generated less wealth from farming than their white count erparts.
Farmers of color face other challenges as well, from challenges in succession planning and a lack of capital to pay taxes and liens, to resistance to farming rooted in the historical trauma associated with slavery. And while interest by young and beginning farmers of diverse races and ethnicities seems to be growing, they start out from a disadvantage, often lacking access to family land or wealth.
This doesn’t mean all white farmers have had it easy, either. Many have been pushed out of farming in recent decades due to increasing industrialization and consolidation, which has made American agriculture extremely efficient in some ways, and entirely inhumane and ecologically irresponsible in others. At the same time, agri-businesses get bigger and richer.
Most farmers in America today are struggling. Farmers comprise around 1.5 percent of the population, a percentage that continues to trend downward as young people see little opportunity to make a living. Farmers with differing approaches, farm sizes, and markets are facing stagnant prices, rising costs, difficulties finding labor, and mounting debts. In desperation, farmers are dying by suicide at an alarming rate. And while some food movement activities point to local, direct-to-market farming and organic, sustainable food production as more profitable, plenty of those farmers face hardships, too.
Meanwhile, in a market where the price of land often far exceeds the value that can be made from it for ecological food production, land owners face mounting pressure to sell to developers, oil and gas extraction companies, larger corporate farms, and investment companies. Now, an unprecedented generational transfer of land looms. Over two-thirds of farmland owners are nearing retirement age, and many of them lack clear succession plans. Without a change in direction, the future of farming as a profession held by a diverse group of people is looking pretty bleak.
There are plenty of inspiring efforts to prioritize diversity and equity in farming. Across the United States, organizations such as Soul Fire Farm in New York state, Mudbone Grown Farm in Portland, Oregon, and the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) in Salinas, California, provide culturally relevant training and mentoring for new generations of diverse farmers and food cultivators. In the Southeast, Family Agriculture Resource Management Services (FARMS) is providing legal assistance to Black farmers, and all farmers from historically disadvantaged groups, to retain ownership of their land.
But there is still much to be done, and many ways for people and institutions to work for progress in farming equity. White landowners can engage in person-to-person reparations, for example, by paying a land tax to indigenous groups, such as the Shuumi Land Tax that supports returning Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone lands in the San Francisco Bay Area to indigenous stewardship.
Other options for white landowners and beneficiaries of white supremacy are to donate land, vehicles, farm equipment, or houses, or share their expertise with farmers of color (see this reparations map as one approach to identifying the needs of some farmers of color). Individual actions are not a replacement for a more systematic nation-wide approach, but they can be a step to building a practice and the potential for positive change.
White-led and white-dominated food organizations, from food policy councils to incubator farms, can also reflect on how their practices perpetuate racial privilege. They can go beyond asking how to bring more diverse people to their tables, and instead figure out how to amplify and act in solidarity with existing efforts.
Agricultural institutions, including land grant universities, can confront their racist legacies and build thoughtful and long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with diverse community partners. Grant makers can apply a racial equity lens to their funding decisions. Public agencies and land managers, such as parks departments, can permanently protect land for food cultivation by POC-led organizations.
Today’s food system is complex. Building on the example of the Portland Metro, they can also collaborate with Native Americans to make land accessible to hunting, gathering and reclaiming Native foodways.
Activists and organizers can continue to call for racial justice to be acknowledged in the federal farm bill, to combat the massive consolidation and industrialization in farming, to include land and food justice in the Green New Deal, and to call on the federal government to develop proposals for reparations to Native Americans and African Americans.
As researchers, we also call for more attention to the demographics of farmland ownership, farming, and farm labor, and for activist scholarship to help identify emerging best practices in a more equitable U.S. food system.
Ultimately, equitable land access is just part of the vision. Farmers and food producers of all races also need to be able to sustain themselves and their communities. What’s needed is no less than a radical transformation of the entire U.S. food system to one that values the people who tend the land and cultivate the food we eat.
Megan Horst is an assistant professor of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University and chair of the department’s Diversity & Equity Committee.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $5,000.
Eligibility Requirements:
Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien
Be 10 years to 20 years of age
Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements
Be unable to get a loan from other sources
Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above
Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision.
For help preparing the application forms, contact your Banks, Jackson, Madison Counties USDA Service Center at 706-3358111 EXT. 4 or visit fsa. usda.gov.
In the decades after the Civil War, freed slaves and their descendants accumulated 19 million acres of land. In 1910, 14 percent of all farm owner-operators were Black or African Americans. By 2012, however, they comprised only 1.5 percent.
The City Gallery, which is located in the lobby of the Augusta Richmond County Municipal Building, is managed by the Greater Augusta Arts Council. Each year, the Mayor’s Office, the GAAC and Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History hosts a black history exhibition which features images from the Mayoral Collection that include portraits of the Honorable Edward M. McIntyre, Augusta’s first African American mayor and photos of the Lenox Theater, the once the premiere movie and entertainment center for African Americans.
This year, the Arts Council has connected with the Golden Blocks Legends Comic book team to incorporate prints from their work on their first feature comic alongside the Mayoral Collection in the City Gallery from January 4th – March 1st. Titled POW! People of Wonder, this showcase will be a colorful and informative display of Augusta history as well as extending this annual Black History Month exhibition by several weeks to highlight the collaborative efforts of the team of writers and artists who made this Golden Blocks comic possible.
Showcasing Augusta’s African American history in a visible, central location such as the City Gallery, is incredibly important to our community as a whole. It is the Greater Augusta Arts Council’s mission to enrich the quality of life for citizens and visitors to the Augusta River Region by advancing vibrant, local cultural arts.
As part of this mission, the Arts Council continues to work closely with the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. In 2022, Historian Corey Rogers was invited to host tours of the Mayoral Black History exhibit in the City Gallery, which received many positive reviews. Corey works closely with the Arts Council in the Golden Blocks Project.
The Golden Blocks Project is an effort spearheaded by the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History and the Greater Augusta Arts Council. Named the Golden Blocks Project, in reference to the historic nickname of the corridor of business and industry located on or near Campbell and Gwinnett Streets, this project will create new public art that references the historical and cultural significance of these areas. Today, Campbell and Gwinnett Streets are James Brown and Laney-Walker Boulevards.
The newest initiative centered around the Golden Blocks has been taken by several local agencies including the Lucy Craft Laney Museum, Richmond County School System,
The Augusta University Literacy Center, AU’s Department of Art, Teaching and Leading, and The Dean’s Office, and The Hub. Their plans include a comic book illustrated by father-daughter-duo: Art the Artist Abdon and A’Shaela Abdon.
Individuals involved closely with the development of this new project came to the realization that there was a need for a literacy activity that celebrated the Golden Blocks for students in Augusta. Augusta University Professors Dr. Juan Walker and Dr. Kim Barker were originally planning create a curriculum around the Golden Blocks.
The mission of the Golden Blocks Legends Comics is to serve school-aged children, university students, schools, and
multi-generations of Augustans in the understanding and appreciation of the impact and influence of the rich history that includes the Golden Blocks era. In addition, they will serve as a model for others – regionally, nationally, and internationally. They will also empower the community through education in a variety of settings. This project will foster pride and a deeper appreciation for the history and influence of GBL legends and of their era. The innovative texts and research-based teaching will lead to increased literacy engagement and positive academic outcomes. Ultimately, their work will forge enduring, impactful partnerships that continue to enrich the greater community.
The first in this series of comics will feature a story centralized around Lucy Craft Laney, titled “Mother of the Children of the People.” This will be followed by comics based off of the lives of John Tutt and T.W. Josey.
On February 24th from 10AM – 11AM, join us for a FREE tour lead by Dr. Juan Walker and Corey Rogers in the City Gallery for the People of Wonder Exhibition in the City Gallery.
POW! Will be featured from Jan 6th – March 1st as a perfect blending of historic images through the Mayoral Collection alongside the GBL Comic’s illustrative prints that highlight black history in Augusta, GA. You can find the announcement of these tour dates on the Arts Council’s gallery page when available.
Award-winning filmmaker Tequoia Urbina (Magnolia Tree Pictures) partners with Executive Producers Lynnette Doby (Write Way Consulting) and Anthony R. Page (Blue Bistro Creative) on the short film Loren’s Chimera. The film is about the escape of a young woman who was held captive in a basement.
Brittany Mayti, known for Irv Gotti’s Tales on BET and Katt Williams’ American Bad Boy, leads the film and is flanked by a supporting cast that includes Dexter Matthews, Tinesha Lynn, and Shawn Polite-Bledsoe.
The project was inspired after Tequoia read an article where a Black woman was held captive in the basement of an Ohio home. The woman escaped and went to the authorities and told of her experience. Initially, they did not take her seriously. It was later discovered that her assailant had several dead bodies buried on his property.
This story points to the unfortunate disparity and lack of mainstream priority for missing Black women. As the writer, director, and cinematographer for the film, Urbina decided to use the power of cinema to call attention to this issue. “I created this film to honor the women who have suffered from media apathy; those missing and murdered women of color and trans women who didn’t get the attention that they needed. Countless names will go unknown, unspoken, and only remembered by their loved ones. This film is for them and for the women fortunate enough to be alive to tell their stories. Our voices must be heard.”
Doby shared sentiments behind her support for this film. “I joined Tequoia in producing this film because society at large does not care about the safety of black women in the media or otherwise. Our abductions, domestic abuse, and random acts of violence garner no awareness unless, unfortunately, they result in a fatality. And even then it’s not publicized as it should. That needs to change.”
The film also received support from Page’s team at Blue Bistro Creative and his newly established Studio Blue Acting Conservatory. The conservatory focuses on innovation, prioritizes community, and encourages a 360 approach to building a creative career. Some of the students worked in front of the camera, while others took opportunities to support this project behind the scenes.
The team has completed principal photography and is seeking support to complete the post-production of the film. They have launched an IndieGoGo fundraising campaign to seek support. To donate follow the link below https://igg.me/at/8OI9RhTqFmo/x/31115535#/ or go to IndieGoGo.com and search Loren’s Chimera.
Live your best life! That is my motto. My name is Menia L. Chester, I am a chef and owner of Desserts by Latrell and Southern Jazz and Sweets. My goal is to teach you about food, finance, anything about the home, gardening, and healthy living.
Happy New Year! After all of the deliciously rich holiday food we just enjoyed, everyone could use a light but hearty meal. Soup is the perfect filler. Homemade tomato soup is one of my favorites but for the winter, stews are also an excellent choice. Potato soup is not a stew but with additions, it can be just as satisfying. Here my version of Chicken and Potato Soup with a few shortcuts to help the busy home cook. Make it your own by adding vegetables that your family likes!
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
¾ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrots
2 tsp fresh parsley
½ tsp Cajun seasoning
¾ cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 c. chicken stock
2 cups chopped potatoes
1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup half and half
3 green onions, chopped Bacon bits (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a Dutch oven (large pot), add onion, celery, carrots and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes, add garlic
cook for 1 minute. Add flour to the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually pour in the chicken broth. Add the potatoes, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper then bring to a simmer. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Add corn, chicken, and half and half; return to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes more, then add parsley. To
serve, top with the bacon (optional) and chopped green onions (optional). Serve with garlic toast. Enjoy!
If you have questions, would like to see other recipes, or learn about events by Latrell, please visit my website and send an email via the contact form.
Website: www.southernjazzandsweets.com
Join The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History on its out of town day-trip to Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday, April 22nd.
Enjoy the featured destination of the newly opened International African American Museum! Also shop and enjoy lunch in the Charleston City Market. Bus leaves from and returns to the Laney Museum of Black History.
Early Bird Cost is $85
Cost AFTER February 1st is $100 Register by calling 706-724-3576.
Deadline to register and pay is April 11th.
If you have questions please email cynthia@ lucycraftlaneymuseum.com
1116 Phillips Street, Augusta, GA 30901 706-724-3576 www.lucycraftlaneymuseum.com
The City of Augusta and The Greater Augusta Arts Council are pleased to announce that a new group of ten sculptures are being installed next week (January 9-13, 2023) as part of the Sculpture Trail. The Augusta Sculpture Trail is a walkable and promotable art trail to attract local and regional visitors to the Downtown Augusta area, supporting Augusta’s economic and cultural prosperity.
The public works of art are being placed at intervals that make for a fun and easy outdoor walking trail. The top ten sculptures were selected from submissions and the pieces will remain a part of the Sculpture Trail for two years.
2023 Augusta Sculpture Trail Sculptures locations are: (NEW) Duet’s Dance Herons in Conversation by Lee Bell - at Augusta Common & Broad Street (NEW) Endeavour by Chris Plaisted - at Augusta Common & Broad Street (NEW) What’s in the Queue by Gregory Johnson - at Augusta Common & Reynolds Street
Popsicles by Craig Gray - at Augusta Common & Reynolds Street (NEW) Without Limits by Gus & Lina Ocamposilva - at Eighth St. & Riverwalk
Unstoppable by Gus & Lina Ocamposilva - at Eighth St. & Riverwalk Maestro and Forever Young - at Founder’s Overlook on upper level of Riverwalk (temporary location)
(NEW) Rise by James E. Weitzel - on lower level of Riverwalk (NEW) Oraiste agus Liath by Aisling McDonald - on lower level of Riverwalk (NEW) Hurrying Home by Charles Brouwer - on upper level of Riverwalk
(NEW) Book Bench - A Novel Idea by Craig Gray- at Sixth St. & Riverwalk
Sun Lion - at 5th Street Pedestrian Bridge entrance to the Marina (NEW) Soccer Dude by Gonz Jove - on Fifth Street Bridge (NEW) Ruthless by Flaminio Antonio - on Fifth Street Bridge
Four of the sculptures from the initial Sculpture Trail have been donated to the City’s Public Art Collection and included as a permanent addition to the Trail. Those are Maestro and Forever Young by Larry Schueckler, Unstoppable by Gus and Lina Ocamposilva, Popsicles by Craig Berube Gray and Sun Lion by D’jean Jawrunner. Sculptures that have been purchased from the just completed cycle of the Augusta Sculpture Trail that were located on Broad Street have been temporarily relocated in expectation of road redevelopment along Broad Street in the next two years.
An update to the Augusta Sculpture Trail digital walking tour is being produced by Otocast. It can be accessed from any mobile device. This tool will help visitors learn specifics about each work of art while they explore the Augusta Sculpture Trail, and includes audio of each artist, talking about their works of art.
A Sculpture Trail Ribbon Cutting Celebration will be held in the Spring, when weather conditions are more favorable.
Find out more about the sculpture trail on www.AugustaSculptureTrail.com.
Sin is not interpreted by the natural man; but by God. Apostle Paul realized naturally that he was a sinner. God delayed his judgement on sin. What is sin?
Sin is simply anything that opposes God. God’s word is so strong that it convicts the believer. In fact, no one is exempt from sin. According to God’s word; we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23,KJV). It is so difficult to become obedient to God and his word because of sin.
We are human beings;and there is no good in us because we are merely flesh.
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” “Now then it is no more I that do it,but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7:15,17, KJV). So, even when we desire to do right; we instead do wrong. The caveat to this is that sin is everywhere we are. One is capable of committing sin; and not be aware that they are doing so. However; when one does sin, his/her sins will be forgiven, but they must confess their sins to God and repent.
There is a dire need for sacrifice, remorse, and repentance. Are we too caught up with those things of the world? One mistake we make in life is not accepting and understanding those things of God. We are living in a sin-sick, secular society. Our blessings come from the hands of God in many shapes and forms. It’s okay to stumble and fall. Just repent and stay in alignment with God.
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Miller Theater | Brian J. Marks Hall
Doors Open 6:30 p.m. | Concert 7:30 p.m. | Black Tie
An evening of emotional fire, elegance and Latin American music, food, and dance awaits you at the Augusta Symphony! Join our biggest party and sole fundraiser of the year as the sun burns low in the Cuban sky, setting the stage for one glamorous evening of Havana Nights!
www.augustasymphony.com/gala
RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION B-22-047-0422 Bond Issue Program CENTRAL OFFICE – HR RELOCATION
Sealed proposals from Contractors will be received by The Richmond County Board of Education for the Central Office – HR Relocation project until 3:00 PM local time, Thursday, February 9, 2023 This will be a public bid opening, read aloud in the Richmond County Board of Education Conference Room located at 864 Broad Street, Augusta, Ga. 30901. No extension of the bidding period will be made.
A Pre-Bid Conference will be held Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 1:00 PM local time at the Richmond County Board of Education Conference Room on the 1st Floor, 864 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901
Drawings and project manual on this work may be examined at the Department of Maintenance and Facilities, Richmond County Board of Education, 2956 Mike Padgett Hwy, Augusta, Georgia 30906, Tel: (706)737-7189
ELECTRONIC BIDDING DOCUMENTS MAY BE OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM THE ARCHITECT. REQUESTS MAY BE MADE BY PHONE OR EMAIL BY CONTACTING JACKIE PARISH AT 706-722-7488 OR JPARISH@DICKINSONARCHITECTS.COM . A LINK WILL BE PROVIDED FOR IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD OF PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS. ONLY REGISTERED PLAN HOLDERS REQUESTING THE DOCUMENTS FROM THE ARCHITECT WILL BE NOTIFI ED OF PUBLISHED ADDENDA.
Applications for documents together with refundable deposit of $50.00 per set should be filed promptly with the Architect. Bidding material will be forwarded (shipping charges collect) as soon as possible. The full amount of deposit for one set will be refunded to each prime contractor who submits a bona fide bid upon return of such set in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bids.
Contract, if awarded, will be on a lump sum basis. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of 35 days after time has been called on the date of opening.
Bid must be accompanied by a bid bond in an amount not less tha n 5% of the base bid. Personal checks, certified checks, letters of credit, etc., are not acceptable. The successful bidd er will be required to furnish performance and payment bonds in an amount equal to 100% of the contract price.
The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities.
To promote local participation, a database of Sub-contractors, Suppliers, and Vendors has been developed by the Program Manager, GMK Associates. Contact Jeanine Usry with GMK Associates at (706) 826-1127 for location to review and obtain this database.
Bids shall be submitted:
Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw County Board of Education of Richmond County Administrative Office
864 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia 30901
c/o: Mr. Bobby Smith, CPA
The Richmond County School has created a policy and legal compliance office to support requests related to Board of Education policies, grievance processes, and records requests.
Superintendent Bradshaw quote, “As we continue to strategically align with new state and federal regulations, the Policy and Legal Compliance Office will be essential to support our families and employees. This office will serve to help conduct compliance training for staff, process Open Records Requests, and manage formal complaints and grievances.”
Kim Fletcher-Bowden will lead the office and will serve as the Policy and Legal Compliance Officer. Fletcher-Bowden obtained her Bachelor of Science in Education and her Master of Education from the University of Georgia. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia School of Law. FletcherBowden’s career experience includes being a special education teacher as well as an attorney in securities, real estate, education, and government law.
Lynthia R. Ross will transition from Chief Communications Officer to Communications and Policy Specialist. Ross is a graduate of Augusta University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Public Relations and Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration. Ross’ career experience includes district director for Congressman John Barrow, chief of staff for the Office of the Mayor of Augusta, director of communications and public relations at Doctor’s Hospital and adjunct political science instructor at Augusta University.
With Ross’ transition to the Policy and Legal Compliance Office, Keisa Gunby will serve as the interim Chief Communications Officer until a permanent replacement is hired.
UrbanProWeeklyJANUARY 1629, 2023
