UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY
Smith set to run for NAACP presidency
Dr. Charles Smith
NOVEMBER 5 - 11, 2015 VOL. 5 NO. 9
Augusta Carpet Cleaning:
Douglas Jackson (C) of Augusta Carpet Cleaning along with part of his cleaning crew and service fleet. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
Eddie Bussey 706-772-9800
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Smith ready to run for old job at NAACP By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Staff Writer AUGUSTA Citing the need to restore the effectiveness and combat “dysfunction” at the Augusta Branch of the NAACP former branch president Dr. Charles J. Smith Sr. told UPW on Wednesday that he will be running for president at the November 17 special election. Smith who decided to break his yearlong self-imposed silence in the wake of his being “banned” from the organization is ready to challenge all comers at the upcoming election. In an unprecedented move, the NAACP National Headquarters, will be on hand to help conduct the election. Smith’s appeal of his removal from office was successful. “The process does work,” Smith said. A year ago, in the wake of an orchestrated “coup” conducted by disgruntled members of the local branch, and with the assistance of
the NAACP State President Francys Johnson, along with a well-funded advertising campaign designed to compromise any defense, Smith was removed from his post. The move was timed shortly before Smith was to run for reelection. “I didn’t have to step down,” Smith said. “I knew I could get it overturned. I knew that I had a chance to win if the constitution [NAACP] was followed. The last election was not sanctioned by the national office. The public needs to know that the election was not proper. Everything that has been done to me has been done for the wrong reasons — power and control of the organization.” Johnson has since admitted that he had no authority to ban Smith from the Augusta NAACP or to prevent him from running in 2014. Since his departure, Smith said, the branch has become dysfunctional. On at least two occasion, the phones had been shut off for failure to pay bills, he said.
NAACP Augusta President Dr. Charles J. Smith, Sr. discusses the Zimmerman verdict at a “Justice For Trayvon” rally in front of the John H. Ruffin, Jr. Courthouse in 2013. Smith has challenged his removal as president of the Augusta branch and has been granted the right to appear on the ballot of a Special Election to be conducted by the NAACP National Office on November 17. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
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UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 5 - 11, 2015
THE CITY NEWS
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BusinessProFILE
AUGUSTA CARPET CLEANING
Douglas Jackson of Augusta Carpet Cleaning Photo by Vincent Hobbs
Douglas Jackson: From educator to entrepreneur By Vincent Hobbs Imagine thirty-six 55-gallon drums, filled to the brim with water, stacked in rows. That’s a lot of water, almost 2000 gallons. Now imagine that you have been tasked with the job of removing this same 2000 gallons of water from a flooded home - from wet carpeting. This is where professionals like Douglas Jackson and his crew come into play – a team of professional carpet cleaners and restorers who can take on the most challenging cleaning jobs with strike-force accuracy. “This was one of our most difficult jobs,” Jackson explained. “A homeowner’s toilet had overflowed for three days, while she was out of town. We had to extract 2000 gallons of water from the home. The process took us four days, including furniture removal, carpet removal and padding removal. We were able to replace the padding and restore the carpet from the water damage to its original luster.” Jackson is owner of Augusta Carpet Cleaning, a multi-service cleaning business that has thrived for the past nine years. He started the company as a means to provide jobs in the community, but he also wanted to leave a profitable legacy for his children. “My children can’t take my college degree and get a job anywhere - but a family business provides future income for them and their families.” Jackson participated in a Q & A with UPW to help us learn more about his business and the services he offers to clients.
How did you become involved in the carpet cleaning industry? As an educator, each day I work hard to uplift our community. Yet, in 2006, I found myself asking - how can I make an impact on lives outside of the school walls? That same year, I was approached by a carpet cleaning company and they asked me to make an investment and purchase their equipment. Their company was relocating to Hilton Head. I had been searching for an opportunity where I could create a company and hire individuals who desired to uplift themselves. I also wanted to provide customers with excellent quality at a fair rate. Carpet cleaning involves low overhead and high profitability. I saw this as a way to help those in need of employment. I purchased the equipment and I started cleaning carpets in family homes ever y afternoon. I would get off from my regular job as an educator and go clean carpets. Within six month, the business had grown and I had to hire individuals to help clean carpets during the daytime hours. Continued on next page
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Douglas Jackson and his Augusta Carpet Cleaning crew check cleaning equipment in a company van. Photo by Vincent Hobbs How long have been in business and where are you located? Augusta Carpet Cleaning has been in business for nine years. We are located on Deans Bridge Road, directly across from the Augusta Mini Theater. What are some of the services that Augusta Carpet Cleaning provides for its customers? We offer upholstery cleaning, hardwood floor cleaning, tile and grout, pressure washing, and maid services. We can also eliminate pet odors and clean pet urine from furniture and carpets. What are the advantages of using a carpet cleaning service, rather than just renting equipment like a Rug Doctor? Our truck-mounted carpet cleaning engines clean with up to 250° degrees of steam. The dirt is extracted from your carpet and travels through our hoses directly to our vans. We clean most carpets around 350psi which provides a deep cleaning that is far superior to anything that can be rented at a store. In addition, utilizing our truck-mounted carpet cleaning equipment increases the dry time on all carpets because the machine extracts over 95% of the moisture left in a carpet, unlike a portable or rental which can leave carpets wet for over 9 ½ hours. Are your cleaning solutions environmentally-friendly or Certified Green? Yes, all of our chemical are environmentally-friendly and will not harm children or pets. Why is it important to maintain a carpet with regular professional cleanings?
Scheduling a regular carpet cleaning is very important. One reason it is important to clean your carpet is that it reduces the amount of bacteria and allergens in your carpet. Also, it minimizes stretching and discoloration because if your carpets are not professional cleaned at least twice a year, the dirt will eventual attach to your carpet fibers and lock in as permanent stains. Do you provide emergency carpet cleaning services for customers? Yes, we offer emergency flood extraction for any residential or commercial property that has experienced a flood or water damage. Tell us about your upholstery cleaning service. We specialize in cleaning sofas, love seats, sectionals, and bed mattresses. We extract the heavy soil and remove surface soil and stains, leaving the furniture looking brand-new. We also get rid of pet odor and cigarette smoke. With mattresses, we remove urine, dust mites and body waste. What are some carpet care tips for customers between cleanings? After a proper cleaning, it is very important not to walk on carpets without socks. Our bodies release fluids such as sweat and those fluids are oily and often dirt attaches on to oily surfaces. In addition, when the carpet cleaning technician arrives in your home, ask him about carpet protection to protect your home from permanent stains.
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(Above) Augusta University cheerleaders dance during Jaguar Madness held at Christenberry Fieldhouse on the Summerville campus. The event introduced the men’s and women’s basketball teams and cheerleaders for the new season. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
(Left) Lady Jaguars’ Tyren Ward (center) land her teammates share a laugh during Jaguar Madness held at Christenberry Fieldhouse on the Summerville campus. The event introduced the men’s and women’s basketball teams and cheerleaders for the new season. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
(Left) Augusta University basketball players Tre Maloney (L), Aaron Byrd (center) and Tyvez Monroe (R) use their smartphones to record coach Dip Metress dancing during Jaguar Madness held at Christenberry Fieldhouse on the Summerville campus. The event introduced the men’s and women’s basketball teams and cheerleaders for the new season. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
A Jaguar by any other name is still a bad cat!
UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 5 - 11, 2015
Jaguars rock!
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MAKIN’ A DIFFERENCE COMMENTARY by Ken Makin
Spring Valley’s police brutality exposes ugly truth about the souls of some Black folk “If you can control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.” — Carter G. Woodson, The MisEducation of the Negro, 1933 I believe it is accurate to say that most people are familiar with the incident of police brutality at Spring Valley High School last month. Likewise, a significant number of people familiar with said incident have seen the video where Deputy Ben Fields, he of the ignominious nickname “Officer Slam,” throws a “disruptive” child out of a classroom
like a trash bag. The scariest thing about this incident is not that it happened in a classroom. Believe it or not, the scariest thing about this incident doesn’t have to do with the recurring problem of white police officers treating people of color like animals. No, the scariest thing about this incident is how many people – and a significant number of AfricanAmericans – justify and juxtapose the violently shameful actions of a police officer with those of a disobedient child. “If only the child had been respectful, none of this would have happened!” “Kids these days have no respect for authority!” “Where are this girls’ parents to teach her about respect?” I can almost hear Aretha Franklin spelling out the refrain from her classic song. Imagine if Black folk were more respectful! Police officers might not beat us down in the streets like
dogs! Maybe a “respect for authority” would have changed the hearts of the Jim Crow South or even the slave master? And now y’all understand the danger of the “respect” narrative in place of demanding responsibility and accountability from government subsidiaries such as the police. Make no mistake about it, I understand the teenager in this situation isn’t perfect. But neither were you as a teenager. And I wasn’t either. But here’s the issue – the child’s actions disrupted the ecosystem of a classroom. When “Officer Slam” threw that little girl – our little girl – around that classroom, he disrupted the ecosystem of an entire community and country. There is an ugly truth, a miseducation, that exists in the hearts and minds of some folks. It’s the idea that since we can’t do anything about the power structure that currently exists, we must instead focus our frustrations on our peers. It is this failed logic
that turns Black folk against each other, and it is a dangerous and hellish reasoning. Our community has to stand up against forces of supremacy, whether they exist in law enforcement, education, or in political leadership. We have to stand boldly, if for no other reason, to teach our children that while we must respect authority, if authority doesn’t respect us, then we should absolutely and unapologetically challenge it. If we don’t, we give place to a police state and the absence of decorum. In other words, class dismissed.
Ken J. Makin is the host of “Makin’ A Difference,” an online radio program available on iTunes and Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/makinadifference). Updates on the show are available at facebook.com/ makinadifferenceshow. You can also reach Ken by email at makinadifferenceshow@gmail.com, or via Twitter @differencemakin.
LETTERS
Teen was wrong, she should have obeyed officer According to three witnesses, the student was wrong, the officer was right. The first witness, Law, is a system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its member. The second witness, Obey, means comply
UPW
with command, direction, or request by (person or law); submit to authority. The third witness, Enforcement, is the act of compelling observance of, or compliance with, a law, rule, or obligation. Therefore, based on the testimony
of the three witnesses, the student’s willful disobedience of rules and authority triggered the enforcement event. Unfortunately, the officer was judged by a jury of hypocrites and was unjustly terminated. The event was not about race or
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use of force. It was about the consequences of disobeying authority. Teenagers, of any race, are not above the law! Well done, Officer Fields. Kevin Palmer, Martinez, GA,
Contributors VINCENT HOBBS Photography & New Media KEN MAKIN contributing columnist
ATC receives $25,000 grant to establish program for veteran and military students
Aiken Technical College announced this week that it is the recipient of a $25,000 Fluor Military Support Coalition Grant from the Fluor Foundation to create a Veteran d Scholarship and Support Program. A portion of the grant funds will be used to award Veteran Success Grants to eligible veteran and military students to assist with cost of living expenses not covered by federal o education benefits. Grant funds will also be used to help establish Veteran’s Ambassadors to provide peer mentoring; conduct career information sessions for vet.
f
Gospel Explosion
Emmanuel Temple Fellowship of Faith presents a Gospel Explosion on Sat Nov 14, 2015 @ 4:00 PM. It ’will be held at Victorious Ministries o705 Richland Ave. East, Aiken, dSouth Carolina. There will be performances by Yaskia Brooks, Zaire Lil’Zing Matthews, Brandon Hart, William Tyler IV, Lashonda Dunbar, Gospel Warriors, Deron Gee, Agw Stage rPlays, Flyaway Record and more. Special guest RL Sheppard, Master Of Ceremony Laron Evans For information please call Theo Tyler at 803-480-4080 or Pastor Annette Dickerson at 803-6466841.
. t r
eran and military students with prospective employers, including Savannah River Nuclear Solutions; and to provide upgrades to the Veterans’ Lounge located in the ATC Student Activities Center. The Veteran Scholarship and Support Program will be implemented in the Spring 2016 semester. For more information, contact Nikasha Dicks at 803-508-7477.
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4th Annual Women Empowerment Conference Sponsored by
AB Beverage of Augusta Presented by
Tuesday, 10 November 2015 4:00 - 7:30 pm Augusta - Richmond County Public Library 823 Telfair Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 Please contact Ms. Shirmaine Ivey at 706 722-0994 for Additional Information
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COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS
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Jennifer Norman-Dixon Independent Cruise & Vacation Specialist
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Hephzibah, GA 30815 Phone 706-925-2929 Toll Free (877-790-6082 Fax 404-601-4492
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Designers • Builders Planners
Sanctuary Multi-Purpose Buildings Renovations P.O. Box 211886 Augusta, Ga 30917 1.800.546.2685 Fax 706.738.6328 email: tbamakedreams@aol.com
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMONDCOUNTY
INVITATION TOBID
Sealed proposals from Contractors will be received for the A. Brian Merry Elementary School Renovation, Project B-14-030-2058 by the County Board of Education of Richmond County at the address below until 3:00PM local time, December 2, 2015 at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read. No extension of the bidding period will bemade. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 11:00am local time in the Media Center, 415 Boy Scout Road Augusta, Georgia30909 Drawings and project manual on this work may be examined at the Department of Maintenance andFacilities, Richmond County Board of Education, 1781 15th Street, Augusta, Georgia30901. Bidding documents may be obtained through the Office of the Architect: Studio 3 Design Group, 1617 Walton Way, Augusta, Georgia 30904. In order to obtain plans and specs, Contractors and Sub-contractors MUST first contact Studio 3 Design Group, P.C. attn: Jennifer Powell 706-667-9784 with the following information: Company name, contact, mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address. This information is required in order for plans and specs to be purchased. Upon receiving the above information, plans may be purchased from ARC AUGUSTA, 1281 Broad Street Augusta, GA 30901 706-821-0405. Any shipping will be at the purchasers cost or by use of a mailingaccount. Contractors note that this project will be awarded based on base bid plus the Owner selected additive alternates referenced in the contract documents forAlternates. 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 ofopening. Bid must be accompanied by a bid bond in an amount not less than 5% of the base bid. Personal checks, certified checks, letters of credit, etc., are not acceptable. The successful bidder will be required to furnish performance and payment bonds in an amount equal to 100% of the contractprice. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities andinformalities. BID LIST: The Richmond County Board of Education maintains a bid list for many categories that are let for bid each year. If your company wishes to remain on our bid list, we must receive a response either through a bid or by a no bid response. If we do not receive a response, your company’s name will be removed from our bid list. Please call the bid office at 706-826-1298 if you fail to receive a postcard. To promote local participation, a database of Sub-contractors, Suppliers, and Vendors has been developed by the Program Manager, GMK Associates Inc. Contact Jeanine Usry with GMK Associates Inc. at (706) 826- 1127 for location to review and obtain thisdatabase. Bids shall be submitted and addressed to: Dr. Angela D. Pringle, Superintendent Richmond County School System 864 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 Attention: Mr. C. Gene Spires, Controller
Stress Physical Inactivity Family History of Cardiovascular disease Obesity Diabetes High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol Cigarette Smoking HEART ATTACK • BRAIN ATTACK • PREVENT ATTACK East Central Health District Hypertension Management Outreach Program
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