UPW - Urban Pro Weekly

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A DIFFERENCE COMMENTARY by Ken Makin

RCSS problems are louder than the sound of guns

I’m always wary when I hear about shootings near schools. America made me this way, from Columbine to Sandy Hook to Uvalde. The shoot ings last weekend off-campus near Laney and Josey high schools were NOT comparable to those types of incidents. Still, I anticipated the tenor of the response from the media and the masses.

I figured that local media would cover Richmond County schools dif ferently than their Columbia County counterparts. When adversity strikes in the predominantly white school district, it is treated as an individual failure. When challenges arise in the predominantly Black school district, they are treated as indictments of Black people.

It would be easy for me to say I don’t give a damn about what white folks think, because I don’t. That’s only part of our collective perspective, though. There are some

folks who have bought into the racist undertones (and overtones) of that infamous radio host and the editori als from the dollar paper.

Allow me to refocus. The issue is gun violence in schools, right? Actually, no. The issue is that society ignores the problems outside of school that might affect the way education operates, and more impor tantly, negatively affects the lives of students.Gunviolence is certainly a part of that, and because the idea of it grips us with fear, we respond to it more hurriedly than we might, say, homelessness among RCSS students.

What we have is a complex prob lem, one that won’t be solved by canceling tailgates or homecoming parades. What we must do is have the vision to outline a complex solution and the courage to follow through with said Richardsolution.Roundtree arriving at the

podium with blaxploitation themes from the 70s won’t save us. Hardie Davis lame-duck walking to nearby news cameras won’t save us. What WILL save us is vigilance. We need people at school board meetings as if they’re Friday night football games. Perhaps we can sell concessions at said meetings to get people to attend. Certainly, the ramifications of those meetings are infinitely more important than a game, particularly with school fund ing and “critical race theory” discus sions on the horizon. School board elections are coming up in a couple of months; we should approach them with a more critical eye based on the current state of affairs. We need to run toward the problem of gun vio lence in schools by teaching armed self-defense – not for the purpose of killing your neighbor, but protect ing yourself and the community. If it’s good enough for the Panthers

City has new online portal for open records

Augusta, Georgia has launched a web-based system as Augusta’s preferred first choice for submitting and tracking open records requests to Augusta, Georgia. The Open Records Request portal provides citizens a way to request public records while enabling Augusta to demonstrate a high degree of transparency as it meets its obligations to the public and the Georgia Open Records Act. Augusta, Georgia has also designated an Open Records Officer to implement the web-based system and to manage Augusta’s open records request process.“Augusta is committed to being transparent with the community, and this new online system is helping us provide the public with the information they need more efficiently than ever before,” said Augusta, Georgia’s

Interim Administrator Takiyah A. Douse.

Augusta’s Open Records Request portal allows the requester to create a profile to submit their requests, monitor the status of their requests, as well as access any responsive records provided by Augusta. The portal also allows the requester to communicate directly with the Open Records Officer, which the system records and stores for additional transparency. Augusta, Georgia strongly encourages all requesters to utilize the Open Records Request portal as the most efficient and effec tive way to submit requests and receive responsive records. Click here to submit an open records request and view answers to frequently asked questions about available records. For additional information, call 706821-4899 or email openrecords@augustaga.gov.

and NAACP Presidents like Robert Williams, it’s good enough for us.

That type of revolutionary think ing doesn’t just require fearlessness, though. It requires an understand ing of history. More than that, it requires people to have a vested interest in all Black lives, to have a passion for preservation.

Schools are a great place to instill such culture, but success in educa tion requires each of us to take a con scientious look at what is happen ing to society around us. Expecting schools to thrive while everything around us crumbles is not realistic. We can and we must do more.

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

School Safety Update: No Halt in Activities

Richmond County School System Safety and Security are working close ly with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that our students, families and fans continue to enjoy football games

Homecomingsafely.activities will contin ue with enhanced safety measures and plans to enforce RCBOE policy regarding items permissible on school property. We ask the community to support safe celebrations by making sure they report any suspicious activ ities and conduct themselves accord ingly.

Festival crowd surpasses 100,000, organizers say

Photo by Rhian Swain

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

HobbsVincentbyPhoto

Q& A LynnDIRECTORGladney Motor Vehicle Augusta-RichmondRegistrationCounty

As the Director of Motor Vehicle Registration, LYNN GLADNEYis responsible for the largest division within the organization of the Tax Commissioner’s Office. Her staff of 21 employees provides service to 200K (+) residents of Richmond County pursuant to the authority of the Tax Commissioner and the guidelines of the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) regarding commercial vehicle titles, fleet inventory management, private motor vehicle registration requirements, insurance compliance, mobile home ownership, electronic titling and ad valorem tax collection.

UPW: Are you a CSRA native or did your work or family bring you to the

GLADNEY:area?

I was born on the West Coast, where my parents lived while my father served in the Army during the time of the War in Vietnam. At the end of my father’s tour of service, my parents relocat ed back to Arkansas where I was raised with the rest of our family and they still reside. After gradu ating from High School, I joined the military in 1989 and became the first woman in my family to serve - continuing the legacy for a 3rd generation. My career in the military gave me opportunities to serve all over the world and I ulti mately chose Georgia as my home. I’ve been a resident of the CSRA since early 2000.

UPW: Your resume for public ser vice and organizational leadership is impressive, but tell us briefly your philosophy regarding civic service and responsibilities of government workers to the public.

GLADNEY: Leadership for me is anchored in my faith and a phi losophy that I am obligated to use my life experiences, as a tool to advocate for and improve the lives of others. As a public servant I can’t advocate for you if I don’t have an authentic awareness or a vested involvement in the things that mat ter for your everyday quality of life needs. In government it’s important to be able to relate to the people we serve.

UPW: How long have you been Director of Motor Vehicle

Registration in Augusta?

GLADNEY: I’ve been the Motor Vehicle Registration Director since 2016

UPW: How did you rise to that position? Were you an employee of the office at some point?

GLADNEY: Over the course of my 10 yr tenure in the organization I’ve served in several departmental roles such as the departmental designee for Procurement, Budgeting, Human Resources, Payroll and the Project Manager. As the Project Manager my role was vital for the entire organi zational move into three “state of the art” locations for operations in the Municipal Building, the West Augusta Tag Office relocation to Washington Rd and the South Augusta Office that currently includes joint services with the Augusta Utilities Department on Peach Orchard Rd.

UPW: How many workers do you supervise and how many vehicle registrations do you need to man age each GLADNEY:year?

The Motor Vehicle Division is made up of 21 employees plus myself that provide service to the 206 thousand residents in Richmond County. As the only female Divisional Director within our organization, I am responsible for the largest divi sion within our organization. The Motor Vehicle Division processes over 190 thousand transactions annually that include; processing commercial vehicle registrations, fleet inventory management, motor vehicle registra tions, insurance compliance matters, ad valorem tax collection, and elec tronic titling.

UPW: How much money does your office account for each year?

GLADNEY: The Motor Vehicle Division collects over $28 Million annually in taxes and fees that sup port local roadways and statewide highway transportation projects.

UPW: Motor Vehicle Registration sounds self explanatory, but I am sure most of our readers have no idea of the scope of your office’s activities. What are some of the things with which your office deals that the public may find unfamiliar?

GLADNEY: When it comes to affairs relating to personal property like a vehicle, often times there are legal matters that may have initiated the need for a visit to our office. A matter concerning the unfortunate death of a loved one could result in the necessity to transfer ownership of a vehicle using a will. A marriage or a divorce could result in changing a name on a registration or changing the ownership all together. All of these transactions require our staff to have a skill-set that equips them to efficiently review such documents so that the customer leaves our office with the assurance that it is absolute ly Also,correct.the CSRA has an abundance of military retiree and active duty personnel in our community. It is extremely important for our organi zation to honor their service by mak ing sure that we carefully review cus toms forms from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense Military Transfer Orders. We are additionally required to interpret military documents like ERB’S (Enlisted Record Brief), ORB’s (Officer Record Brief), DD 214’s & Department of Veterans Affairs docu ments to make sure that the veterans in our community receive every benefit that state law has afforded them.

UPW: Many county residents can remember those days when you had to wait on line for hours once a year to renew vehicle registrations, but now the process is so painless.

How has your office improved public service over the time that you have been

GLADNEY:director?

The customer service philosophy of “Faster, Friendlier, Better” has been a guiding principal of how we do the business of serving the residents of Richmond County. The improve ments over time are a display of our organizational commitment to continuous improvement and customer service. The enhancements of the drive-thru window accessibility, E-Services online and the self-service kiosks increased efficiency and reduced customer wait times creating a better overall experi ence for customers.

UPW: What are some common misconceptions that the public has

Continued on next page

about the whole vehicle reg istration and renewal pro cess?GLADNEY:

Misconception

#1: Driver License Services & Motor Vehicle Registration is one in the same entity.

Fact: The Georgia Department of Revenue is the govern ing body for Georgia Driver’s License/ID and Motor Vehicle Registration but locally in all 159 counties the offices do not share roles.Misconception

#2: When you sale/purchase a vehicle to/from an individual that is NOT a dealer, you have 30 days to come into our office to get it registered.Fact:The purchase or sale of a vehicle from an individual that is NOT a registered deal er in the state of Georgia is called a “Casual Sale” and the law requires that vehicle be insured immediately & regis tered within 7 days of the sales/ transaction date.

UPW: Earlier this year there was a statewide computer upgrade for the motor vehicle division. Explain the impor tance of that upgrade and any part you played in its imple mentation.

GLADNEY: The Georgia DRIVES upgrade actually occurred for MVD in 2018 and it is one of the most successful team highlights of my tenure. It was not only a big deal for us but for the entire state of Georgia it was considered to be the most significant invest ments in the state department history. With the support of our Executive Leadership team, our organization was one of the first to procure resources and equipment for early testing to prepare our employees for the upgrade. Additionally, we part nered with the Department of Revenue and the City of Augusta IT Department and assembled a training team from my immediate managerial staff that was trained at the state level, deployed and recognized

throughout the state for their subject matter expertise in their field. The state wide tech nology upgrade was very suc cessful for Richmond County and the other 158 counties in the state of Georgia.

UPW: You are quite active in local nonprofit organiza tions and initiatives. Tell us briefly about some of your activities outside of the office.GLADNEY:

As a community leader I have a passionate desire to make sure that everyone in our community has access to the basic quality of life resourc es that make us all proud to call Augusta home. Along with my organizational team I have supported the efforts of Child Enrichment, Coats for Kids, Farmers to Families and many others. In the past I have served on the boards of Golden Harvest Food Bank & Communities in School before it was renamed RISE Augusta. I’ve also estab lished great relationships with other service organizations that. Serve our community like Walton Options for Independent Living & Forces United.

Currently, I serve as Commissioner on the Augusta Aviation Commission chairing a newly created committee called the Opportunity Zone/Ad hoc Subcommittee. The subcommittee members will work together to develop strategies that could potentially stimulate develop ment surrounding the airport area in South Augusta.

UPW: Many folks may not realize that you will be on the ballot in November. Tell us why you think responsible political involvement is criti cal to the growth and devel opment of our community.

GLADNEY: Augusta is a microcosm of a national dilem ma where our most vulnerable communities are still struggling to reach their full potential. I want to use what I’ve learned about government as well as my life experience to represent

a voice of advocacy. It is important to find a way to work with others to find solutions to improve the socio-economic conditions in our community that are affecting work ing class families, seniors and children. If it is not addressed with intentionality and an understanding of how government works, there are pockets of our communi

ty (more particularly South Augusta & East Augusta) that will continue to be excluded from the progressive development expe rienced in other surrounding communi ties. The bottom line is that I understand what’s at stake for Augustans and given the opportunity I’m willing to do the work to make it better!

LYNN GLADNEY is the Director of Motor Vehicle Registration in the Richmond County Tax Commissioner’s office. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Dr. Jermaine Whirl

AugustaPRESIDENTTechnicalCollege

Dr. Jermaine Whirl is a nationally sought-after, award winning, authority in workforce and community college education. Dr. Whirl is a graduate of Furman University’s Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI), the SC Economic Development Institute, the American Association of Community College (AACC) Future President’s Institute, Leadership Greenville Class 44, and Leadership Gwinnett Class of 2016.

Over the years Dr. Whirl has served on regional and national boards, taskforces, and committees for orga nizations such as TD Bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and Community Works, while serving as a thought leader on national media outlets such as Inside Higher Ed, AACC 21st Century Center, ACCT Perspectives Now, and Insights into Diversity Magazine.

His work has been acknowledged through multiple awards and recognitions given by GSA Business Review Magazine, Greenville Business Magazine, The League of Innovation in Community College Association, and alum ni awards from Charleston Southern University, Georgia Southern University, and Winthrop University.

Within the CSRA he serves on the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Board, United Way of the CSRA Board, holds an honorary board membership with the Morris Museum of Art, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Augusta.

A Charleston, South Carolina native and second-gener ation technical college graduate, he earned his associate of arts degree at Trident Technical College, a bachelor’s degree in economics at Winthrop University, a master of business administration degree at Charleston Southern University, a second master’s degree in adult education & community leadership at Armstrong State University (now, Georgia Southern University), and a doctorate in organizational leadership at Valdosta State University.

Dr. Jermaine Whirl, president of Augusta Technical College, at the Augusta campus. Dr. Whirl is the 5th president at the college, which also has campuses in Grovetown, Thomson/McDuffie, and Waynesboro. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

UPW: Where were you born and where did you attend high school?

Dr. Whirl: I was born in Charleston, South Carolina; specifically, James Island which is 10 minutes from Folly Beach. I attended public schools and graduated from Gordon H. Academy of Technology (the first vocational-technical magnet) high school in Charleston County. At the time all trade programs were only offered there, but recently they shut the school down and began offering programs throughout the county. While I was there, I majored in marketing and hospitality & tourism man agement, which led to an internship with

Rick Hendrick BWM and a job at Kiawah Island Resorts.

UPW: Early on, did you aspire to a career in education or did that just

happen?Dr.Whirl:

Uniquely at the age of 5, I was prophesied by a minister that my calling in life was to be a teacher, but my initial goal out of college was to be a practicing economist with the Federal Reserve and do monetary policy. With no job offers out of college, I obtained a job with a DSS group

home helping teenagers matriculate to college, military, or career, and this is where I found my passion for education.

UPW: Time goes by quickly. It seems like yesterday that the college was named Augusta Technical Institute. How do you see that the role of your institution has changed over the past 35

Dr.years?Whirl:

The college is vastly different than what it was even a decade ago. Our role and mission is the same, but our goal is to be comprehensive in providing shortterm training for those who want to change careers, providing GED/ ESL programs for those who need it, providing corporate training for our business and industry partners, offering certificates, diplomas, and associates degrees in high demand fields, and now we’re looking for ward to expanding opportunities for students to transfer into a fouryear institution seamlessly with a general studies associates degree while recommitting to bringing back an array of community continuing education offerings.

UPW: This must be a really exciting time to be in the field of technical education. How have the training needs of industry, business and government changed over the past decade and how has Augusta Technical College adapt ed to meet those needs?

Dr. Whirl: The training needs of industry have become more technology-driven. Automation, computer programming, healthcare electron ic medical records, and a variety of areas require advanced upskill ing to do entry to mid-level jobs. Individuals can no longer walk into organizations and have no skills and be employable. Companies are

expecting baseline skills to build from, and the college is positioned to meet this need.

UPW: Have your student demo graphics changed over the past 15 years? If so, how has Augusta Technical College adapted to meet their changing needs?

Dr. Whirl: Our student body has been very reflective of Richmond County. Over 45% of our students are African American, and 60% of our students are women. The Department of Education designates our institution a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) and we obtain additional funds to ensure Black students are academically suc cessful. We’ve also seen an increase in the number of dual enrollment (high school) students who are attending the college which brings the average age of our population to 26. In the past two years COVID has not shifted our demographics per se, but we’ve seen a larger increase in student needs, especially our students who are parents and caregivers.

UPW: It is amazing how you can offer cosmetology, early childhood learning and nuclear engineering technology at the same institution while at the same time maintaining your core industry subjects. How are you, personal ly, able to keep up with managing all of this?

Dr. Whirl: We’re fortunate to have the best faculty and staff members at Augusta Tech. Our faculty, department heads, deans, directors, vice presidents and staff members are working professionals and personal ly try to stay out of their way! They keep the institution running like a well-oiled machine.

UPW: Have the technical col-

leges undergone mergers similar to what has happening with ASU and the former MCG?

Dr. Whirl: Yes, mergers did occur within the Technical College System of Georgia several years ago. Augusta Tech was not impacted. No addition al mergers have occurred since the mid-2010s. I do not anticipate any others happening at this time.

UPW: Many can recall when the campuses in Waynesboro and Thomson were started. How have the addition of those campuses impacted the mission of Augusta Tech?Dr.

Whirl: Both the Waynesboro and Thomson campuses occurred in 2000 and 1997 respectively. They were established to address access for our rural communities. They’ve both been tremendous assets to the region and their local communi ties. More importantly, it positively impacted our mission as the system wanted individuals to access techni cal education within a 30 miles radi us, and these campuses including our Columbia County Center have fulfilled these criteria.

UPW: Are the plans for further expansion in the next five years?

Dr. Whirl: Yes, we’ve had sev eral major announcements over the past year the include a new School of Health Science Campus at Piedmont Augusta’s Summerville Campus. Establishment of the Jim Hudson Automotive Institute at the former Johnson Motor Dealership on Walton Way, a new small business incubator in Downtown in partner ship with the DDA, a CDL Truck Driving Range at our Thomson Campus, and an advanced manufac turing campus in Columbia County.

UPW: There must be areas of instruction that have to be classi-

fied as “best kept secrets.” What might you include in that list.

Dr. Whirl: There are so many to name, but here are a few… We have the only ABET Accredited Engineering Technology programs in the region… Architectural Electrical, Mechanical, and Nuclear. We have the only Cloud Computing Associates Degree in the State of Georgia, the only Accounting Cyber Security Program in the State of Georgia, a world class Golf Management Program, a Basic Law Enforcement Program, Social Media Marketing Program, and an Aviation Program.

UPW: What are some of the more underutilized courses of study that our readers should check out?

Dr. Whirl: I would encourage readers to check out our Hope Career Grant programs. These are tuition free programs for Georgia Residents who don’t have a bache lor’s degree and are Hope Eligible. They are in high demand fields and all programs are one-year or less to dual-enrollment-section.cmsming:includeswhilecollegetheenrollmentstudentslow-cost-tuition.cmsprograms:whichcmsing-for-college/hope-career-grant.complete.https://www.augustatech.edu/payWealsohavetheWORCGrantprovidesfundingSTEMbasedhttps://www.augustatech.edu/Iwouldencouragehighschooltotakeadvantageofdualofferingsprovidedbycollege.Thesearetuitionfreeclassestheycancompleteinhighschool.WhichalsotheOptionBprogramhttps://www.augustatech.edu/

“Individuals can no longer walk into organizations and have no skills and be employable. Companies are expecting baseline skills to build from, and the college is positioned to meet this need.”

Latrell’s Easy Carrot Souffle

Latrell’sRECIPESEasy Carrot Souffle

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.

The fall brings about a change in the air, what we plant and what we eat in middle Georgia. Gardeners also begin to plant leafy green vegetables, carrots, and herbs such as parsley and mint. Summer squash gives its space to all things pumpkin and sweet potatoes.

When I think of these two root vegetables, I immediately think of two of my favorite spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. One of my favorite side dishes to make is carrot souffle. It’s slightly sweet buttery deliciousness uses these spices and pairs well with chicken or turkey. Enjoy!

LATRELL’S EASY CARROT SOUFFLE

2INGREDIENTS16ozbagsofraw

1 cup sugar

& peeled baby carrots

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ tsp of nutmeg

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

½ cup melted butter

1 tsp powdered sugar (optional)

PreheatDIRECTIONSoven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the carrots until very tender. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. While carrots are warm, use an elec tric mixer to mash carrots. Mix in sugar and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients, eggs, and butter mix until smooth. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Serve

warm.Ifyou have questions, would like to see other rec ipes, or learn about events by Latrell, please visit my website and send an email via the contact form.

Website: www.southernjazzandsweets.com

ACT!VATE BROAD

ACTIVATE, A COLLABORATIVE ARTISTIC CELEBRATION held at the 600 building on Broad Street. The 3-day events were sponsored by Fusic365. (Above) Jamilah Dukes of SOUL Market leads Silent Headphone Yoga + Soundbath. (At Right) AfterHours: Salsa Party

Photo VincentbyHobbs

Take

Health Department here offering new Covid-19 boosters

ATLANTA

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has begun offering the new bivalent COVID-19 booster this week, as shipments of the vac cine arrived in the state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recom mend the bivalent booster manufac tured by Pfizer for individuals aged 12 and older; and they recommend the bivalent booster by Moderna for adults aged 18 and older.

The current COVID booster doses contain the genetic recipe for the original strain of COVID-19. The bivalent vaccine contains the genetic rec ipes for two versions of COVID-19; the original strain, plus the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, offering better protection against the currently circulating COVID-19 variants. People should wait at least two months after completing their initial vaccination or their last booster shot before getting the bivalent booster.

At this time, the bivalent vaccine is considered only a booster. It is not to be used as the initial twodose COVID vaccine. The monovalent mRNA CVOID-19 vaccines will still be administered for the primary series of vaccine and as a booster for children under the age of 12.

Georgia is currently seeing an aver age of 3,000 cases of COVID report ed a week. More than 89% of newly reported COVID cases are caused by the BA.5 variant. Hospitalizations and deaths from COVID continue to decrease in the state.

In addition to vaccination and boost ers, basic prevention measures should also be followed to help prevent fur ther spread of COVID and mitigate outbreaks of infection, especially in public settings: wear a mask, physically distance, and wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

For updates on COVID-19 follow @ GaDPH and @GovKemp on Twitter and @GaDPH and @GovKemp on Facebook. For more information on vaccination and boosters, visit https:// itsthatsimplega.ga.gov/.

The Augusta Housing Authority announces applications being accept ed for conventional public housing for three, four, and five bedroom hous ing. This wait list is open indefinitely or until further notice. Apps also accepted for the Project-Base Voucher program for one and two bedrooms at The Legacy at Walton Oaks, for seniors 55 and older. This wait list is open until Dec. 30, 2022. Submit prelimi nary online applications for either pro gram on www.augustapha.org or call 706-312-3173 if you need assistance.

The CSRA Business League, Inc. Marketing Strategies 101 featur ing Ms. Shanita Newton, owner, Creative Director of Newton

Creative Consulting will take place on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, via ZOOM Webinar at 6:00 PM.

During the seminar Ms. Newton will speak to how you market your business in the age of social media, branding, promotions and graph ics for your events, Press Releases and Kits, Content creation and Logo Development, all services that her business supplies.

Ms. Newton will provide you with the information needed to ensure that your business is noticed.Toregister, contact the CSRA Business League at StrategiesMarketing706-722-0994.101 seminarsOnline