This started out as a response to a blog comment, but I figured it'd make a better full entry.
I'm not raising kids in Bulloch County (unless you count the Great Dane and chilhuahua/terrier mix), not supporting a family (see dogs, above) or planning to spend my golden years here.
So, according to some, I shouldn't vote. Dang, already did yesterday.
The "Old Statesboro" way of thinking worked great when we were in a rural community with a li'l ol' teachers' college.
But it doesn't work now. Like it or not, Statesboro is a college town, and we've got to take the good parts of that with the drawbacks.
But the drawbacks aren't as severe as anyone thinks. Athens hasn't crumbled into the bedrock by embracing its college town roots. Neither has Valdosta, Auburn, Tuscaloosa or any of a litany of towns who have experienced the same kind of growth.
I read a well-written comment that raised the spectre of increased DUIs, increased underage drinking, and package stores on every corner.
The DUIs are an enforcement concern for the local constabulary. They already do a good job, and I'm sure no one (not even the fabled drunkard students) would object to increased patrols.
You could make the argument that underage drinking might actually *drop* with some changes to the local ordinances. Get rid of 50-50 , and all of a sudden you can have straight-up bars that can kick out the kids under 21. As I read the current ordinances, bouncers can check IDs but can't keep an 18 year old from coming into a place that serves alcohol (since they're all restaurants). Gary Lewis seems to be the only candidate who's outright articulated that position on 50-50, though I feel others might be sympathetic.
I'd imagine that lots of managers and owners who have had to deal with the city busting them for underage drinking violations wouldn't mind being able to hang a big "21 and up" sign over their front door.
As for package sales, that's a bit of hyperbole. No one wants this place to be Statesvegas. There's no way the local economy could support one on every corner. Of course, anyone concerned about DUIs would be wise to allow package sales in Statesboro - after Register enacts them (pending the almost-forgone results of their upcoming ordinance vote), that'll be a longer drive over more dangerous, high-speed streets than a nice, safe, local place to buy a fifth.
Tongue planted firmly in cheek, you can blame Bruce Grube for all the strife. If he weren't such a good university president, GSU wouldn't be attracting so many folks and such a big influence on transforming the culture of the surrounding area.
Seriously, however, even though *individual* students aren't always here for the long haul (12+ years and counting for me), you're missing a key point - there will always *be* students.
Even if the group's only staying for four to six years, they're going to be replaced by new students with similar concerns and needs. More of 'em, in fact, at the rate GSU's growing.
Let's take the arguments against students as "short term" residents and put them in a different light.
"Why should we worry about how the elderly are going to vote? They're just going to die soon, anyway."
Time marches on, and it makes more of us old. It also makes more of us 18 and ready to go to one of the best universities in the entire Southeast.
It's an exciting time to live in Statesboro, and it's interesting to see that the slumbering giant of student representation was brought to life with a stiff drink.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Clarification on "Jake's Take" of Oct. 25
Sometimes, an editor can go just a little too far. My editorial style tends more towards the sledgehammer than the scalpel.
I took a wrong swing in my “Jake’s Take” of Oct. 25. There are several good men in the Statesboro City Council election this year, several people who I have known for years, and some that I am just getting to know.
In the Oct. 25 column, I outright said that John Morris looked like he was intimidating young voters.
After speaking with Morris, however, I don’t think that’s the case. He got some information last week about how registering to vote could affect students’ and their parents’ taxes and financial aid status, and wanted to get that out to the voters as an FYI.
According to GSU’s financial aid office and IRS officials, voter registration doesn’t affect either. When told about that, Morris did the right thing, and didn’t put the erroneous information out there.
Let me emphasize that — he did the right thing. And I, in a misstep, made him look bad for doing it. After speaking further with the candidate, I believe that he wasn’t trying to scare anyone from the polls.
I got too close, I used poor judgment, and I shouldn’t have pulled the candidate’s name into it.
So John Morris, I apologize for my remarks last week. As contentious as this election is, we can all agree on one thing — all of the voters need timely, accurate information so they can make good decisions.
I took a wrong swing in my “Jake’s Take” of Oct. 25. There are several good men in the Statesboro City Council election this year, several people who I have known for years, and some that I am just getting to know.
In the Oct. 25 column, I outright said that John Morris looked like he was intimidating young voters.
After speaking with Morris, however, I don’t think that’s the case. He got some information last week about how registering to vote could affect students’ and their parents’ taxes and financial aid status, and wanted to get that out to the voters as an FYI.
According to GSU’s financial aid office and IRS officials, voter registration doesn’t affect either. When told about that, Morris did the right thing, and didn’t put the erroneous information out there.
Let me emphasize that — he did the right thing. And I, in a misstep, made him look bad for doing it. After speaking further with the candidate, I believe that he wasn’t trying to scare anyone from the polls.
I got too close, I used poor judgment, and I shouldn’t have pulled the candidate’s name into it.
So John Morris, I apologize for my remarks last week. As contentious as this election is, we can all agree on one thing — all of the voters need timely, accurate information so they can make good decisions.
Soldiers shouldn't vote, either.
Glad I got your attention with the title. I don't believe it, but other people sure sound like they do. Here's something my best friend and I were talking about tonight - what if Statesboro were Hinesville?
I mean, they've both got large populations of transient folks. Students are here for a few years to get an education, soliders are in Hinesville for a few years (or months) to defend the country. Students move away when they transfer, flunk out, graduate and get a job, or stay in Statesboro. Soldiers move away when they're deployed, or leave service, or stay in Hinesville.
Students live in dormitories and apartments and houses. Soldiers live in barracks and apartments and houses.
There are a whole lot of students from 18-24. There are a whole lot of soldiers from 18-24.
(Forgive me for blanket generalizations) Students sometimes like to drink and raise hell. Soldiers like to drink and raise hell.
So, Nancy Waters - going by your arguments to keep students from voting, would you be willing to also concede that soldiers don't have the right to vote?
Keeping students from exercising their democratic rights where they live sounds pretty unpatriotic on its own, but if you extend your arguments to their logical conclusion, it's downright un-American.
I mean, they've both got large populations of transient folks. Students are here for a few years to get an education, soliders are in Hinesville for a few years (or months) to defend the country. Students move away when they transfer, flunk out, graduate and get a job, or stay in Statesboro. Soldiers move away when they're deployed, or leave service, or stay in Hinesville.
Students live in dormitories and apartments and houses. Soldiers live in barracks and apartments and houses.
There are a whole lot of students from 18-24. There are a whole lot of soldiers from 18-24.
(Forgive me for blanket generalizations) Students sometimes like to drink and raise hell. Soldiers like to drink and raise hell.
So, Nancy Waters - going by your arguments to keep students from voting, would you be willing to also concede that soldiers don't have the right to vote?
Keeping students from exercising their democratic rights where they live sounds pretty unpatriotic on its own, but if you extend your arguments to their logical conclusion, it's downright un-American.
Buy war bonds!
The president's asked for more money for the war in Iraq. Congressional Democrats have vowed a showdown over the cash. The war is probably the most divisive issue in American politics today.
I've got a thought - let the people who support the war pay for it. War bonds worked 60 years ago to finance military action. Heck, it'd cut out the taxation middleman.
But that'd require sacrifice, something no one's asking Americans to do. Heck, Atlanta can't even bring itself to take up serious water restrictions.
So, Herald bloggers - would you buy a bond to support the undeclared War on Terror?
I've got a thought - let the people who support the war pay for it. War bonds worked 60 years ago to finance military action. Heck, it'd cut out the taxation middleman.
But that'd require sacrifice, something no one's asking Americans to do. Heck, Atlanta can't even bring itself to take up serious water restrictions.
So, Herald bloggers - would you buy a bond to support the undeclared War on Terror?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
2007 Statesboro City Council candidates' forum
Georgia Southern's Student Government Association held a forum for the Statesboro City Council candidates on Tuesday, Oct. 9. I sat in, and here are my thoughts on the affair (in almost chronological order, no less).
Statesboro Mayor William Hatcher started the night. He began his remarks with positive words about Statesboro's growth and Georgia Southern's huge role in that.
Then, things got interesting. I (and many observers, it seems) expected him to stop there, with the usual "Happy to be here, Statesboro's great, good to see you students involved."
He didn't. Instead, he launched into a defense of the city's actions that were direct causes of such a contentious election. By doing so, he effectively endorsed the incumbents.
Hatcher emphasized that when the city cracked down on alcohol sales nearly two years ago, it was in response to GSU students and faculty that came to a City Council meeting demanding action. Those students and faculty had taken pictures at a "Ladies' Lockup" night at the Woodin Nikel (owned at the time by District 2 councilman Will Britt), and blown the damning evidence up to poster size.
His implication was that the council was responding to students' concerns. That's a little disingenous. Even if the events going on at the Nikel were appalling — women having alcohol sprayed down their open throats like so many baby birds looking for a handout come to mind — to say that the city passed its Draconian measures on behalf of the students is a stretch. That'd be like saying that since the Daughters of the American Revolution came to a meeting and didn't like the Confederate memorial on the courthouse lawn, that they're speaking for all of Statesboro.
Hatcher also defended the front yard parking ordinance (aesthetic reasons and property values) and touted moves the city has made to crack down on towing abuses. In the best "bring 'em on" tradition of George Bush, he said that two local towing companies are threatening to bring the city before the state's Public Service Commission for a hearing.
Hatcher stressed that the city isn't anti-business, and dropped hints about big stores coming soon (no Target, at least not for two or three years). He's only partially right. The city's not anti-business unless your business sells alcohol or does anything else that might upset the quiet morals of the Bible Belt.
Next came the candidates' opening statements. Will Britt started it off, apologizing for some comments he made on WVGS 91.9fm about students being targeted by police, and suggesting that the Statesboro "powers that be" don't want students to register or vote.
He's probably right in that regard. There's no doubt that the City Council enacted age limits for council and mayoral candidates after the last time a student ran. Students have never been a strong voting bloc in Statesboro, however, until this election - and that's because of quiet business efforts and overt student efforts to turn out a major portion to the polls.
Britt said he's been after the city about towing concerns for three years, and they've just now started to listen. I can vouch for that. He's had several conversations with me about towing concerns that stretch back to shortly after he was elected.
Britt's message (and the message of the other two challenger candidates) was that "punishment is not nearly as important as safety and education." He stuck doggedly to that message all night.
He also made a passing refence that "the market should dictate policy." I have a sneaking suspicion that several thousand members of the student "market" are going to do just that in early November.
District 2 councilman Gary Lewis delivered his remarks like a firey preacher. He was by far the most passionate speaker during the opening remarks. He seemed geniunely hurt that he's facing opposition in the race, and delivered the most pointed comments to that end.
He suggested that his opponent, Nathan Queen, was put up to running against him. He reiterated that any sweeping changes to alcohol laws would require a referendum, not city council votes. In the most dramatic moment of the night, he listed bars that he said had "problems" in the past.
"Will Britt, I was there for you," he said. "Retriever's, Jason Franklin, I was there for you. Rude Rudy's, John Starkey, I was there for you."
Lewis was partially right. Out of the "Old Statesboro" (to use my own turn of phrase) mambers of the City Council, he's been the most friendly to restaurant/bars aside from Britt. Still, he hasn't seen things their way every time.
Lewis said he didn't want to contribute to students' downfall, and wanted to be able to answer to their parents. That may have been a misstep, and here's why.
The students are, by vast majority, 18 and up. They live here and are constituents, their parents don't and aren't. Perhaps most importantly, fresh-faced college students taking steps into the harsh, real world don't want to hear that somebody's trying to parent them legislatively.
I was also surprised to see Lewis play the race card while trying not to play the race card. He started with "It's not a black thing, it's the right thing," but then flat-out said that the council needs a black member to reflect Statesboro's diversity.
He may be right, but that's up to the voters to decide.
District 5 councilman John Morris made a good appeal to challenge students to see more of Statesboro. He pushed the city's pro-business agenda during his speech (just so long as that pro-business agenda doesn't include Sunday alcohol sales).
Morris delivered the most technical speech of the candidates. He brought up work towards citywide wireless Internet access, and talked about infrastructure improvements toward 301 and I-16.
It was meaty stuff, but it made me wonder how much of it would have happened whether he was on the council or not — expanding communications and economic development along the 301 corridor are practically no-brainers. I can't see any council member voting against either.
Morris' big mistake may have been speaking about how he spearheaded a public smoking ban in Statesboro. In some college circles, that was none too popular.
Harry "Bubba" Propes, who's challenging Britt for the District 3 seat, gave the story of his moving to Statesboro to go to college, getting a great job in business and moving away, then coming back (and incidentally moving into a awesome house that I've wanted to buy since I was about ten years old).
He portrayed himself as someone who understands sutdents and can appreciate the city, and said he wants to pay back Statesboro for all it's done for him.
He tried to make the students feel like he was one of them, which seemed odd. When you're 21 and working on finishing your degree, it's hard to feel a kinship with a older businessman in a suit in front of you.
Propes took a couple of shots at Britt in his remarks. He said he has no conflicts of interest — Britt has had to recuse himself from some council votes — and also doesn't own a business or rental properties in Statesboro.
"I'm not here to capitalize off of you as students," he told them, a thinly-veiled jab at Britt, the former-bar-owner-turned-rental-tycoon.
One of his shots was a dud, though. He said Britt propsed "drastic" changes in his opening statement. I didn't hear any. On top of that, Propes asked "why haven't they been addressed before now?" If he was referring to towing, that's been on Britt's mind for a while.
District 2 challenger Nathan Queen looked nervous when he stepped up to the podium, but soon his his stride. Queen at times seemed to be quietly seething, and he told the students what they wanted to hear — that laws were being selectively enforced, that police could spend their time going after malicious crimes, and that the city is against them, as evidenced by the age limits for Council and Mayor.
He's mostly right, though Morris later brought up the point that the police are going to patrol near campus on the weekends, where the most action is.
Queen accused the city of passing a yard parking ordinance when the students were out for summer break, and said he was ready for a good bit of change. Judging from the voter registrations in his district, he may get his wish.
Travis Chance, who is going up against Morris for the District 5 seat, had a prior business obligation and couldn't make the debate. He sent his girlfriend, Shannon Edwards, to read a letter in his stead.
Note to Chance and Edwards: It's a little undignified to introduce yourself as a "girlfriend," especially when she's also your campaign manager. Use the campaign manager title so you seem like you're running a serious campaign.
Chance's remarks were understated. He used the standard boilerplate about Statesboro being a city that's on the move, changing and growing, and that everyone needs to have a voice in the process. He suggested that the city welcomes students on GSU Eagle game days, but isn't thrilled with them on the other six.
I haven't heard Chance speak, but Edwards had poise. I may just end up writing in a vote for her.
I can't decide if Chance's absence helped or hurt him. It makes him look like he might not despereately want the council seat, and his letter was far short of inspiring.
At the same time, if we can assume the traditional "whatever he's for, I'm a'gin it!" model of politics, he may have picked up points by letting Morris speak unopposed (more on that later).
The question-and-answer period for the candidates yielded few surprises.
Britt kept stressing "safety and education over punishment." He wants GSU to offer alcohol education classes (ironic, since he used to own two bars that were literally across the street from capus), and for students to be educated on their rights and responsiblities.
He's in favor of Sunday alcohol sales with strict limits on the time (like 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.). "It shouldn't be another night to go out," he said. He also wants to see a standardized "last call" time of 1 a.m., even on Saturdays. Alcohol promotes industry, he said.
If Las Vegas is any indication, he's right. But so does gambling. How far should the city be willing to go? Nobody wants "Statesvegas" (a great Web site, by the way).
Britt also fielded a question on why he voted against dropping towing fines. His answer was weak — he said he wanted to keep things simple, and since the state mandates a $125 towing fine, there was no need to complicate laws further.
Britt also lent his voice to a call for City Council or town hall meetings to be held on campus. He also wants to see more parks, and have the old Bulloch Memorial Hospital turned into a park.
He feels that some businesses in Statesboro operate "under duress," and that the city is missing a friendly business environment.
Lewis kept his answers to the questions pretty brief. He wants to have council meetins on campus periodically, and also reiterated that changes to alcohol laws should be handled by a referendum in the hands of the voters — putting the ball in their court.
Lewis also said that bartenders and restaurant/bar owners are responsible for not letting vulnerable patrons walk home intoxicated. Police could offer rides, but bartenders should be responsible for finding patrons a way home, he said.
As for business concerns, Lewis said that demographics determine if businesses want to come, and believes that Statesboro will see more arriving soon.
When asked about the council's move to raise the age requirements for running for council and mayor, Lewis didn't seem to understand the question. "It's always been 21," he said. When it comes to parking, he suggested that students just park in a "decent, respectable way."
As a former law enforcement officer, Lewis said that ticket fines should be consistent throughout Statesboro, though he noted that speeding fines are often determined by speed zones. Lewis said he wasn't aware that students felt like they were being targeted by the police, and suggested that they take their concerns to Police Chief Stan York or file a formal complaint (something that I've never heard of a student, even one complaining loudly and long, doing).
He also indicated a willingness to sacrifice some of Statesboro's green space in the name of development.
Lewis' biggest stumble may have been telling the students that Statesboro's becoming a popular retirement community. When the major issues that are driving them to the polls are based on "young" topics, they don't want to hear that.
He made a strong point, however, when he told the audience "We're not Atlanta. We can't do some of the things Atlanta does." Very true — I've personally had it with whiny suburban kids from Atlanta who think that every South Georgian is a drooling retard.
Morris didn't mince words about the relationship between students and the city. He said it's traditionally been good, but accused a "small group" of using alcohol and parking as a wedge.
He's right — but it's a pretty popular wedge issue, and the group isn't all that small.
Morris defended the revised alcohol ordinance, telling the students "I think we have your best interests at heart." Looking around the room, I saw several faces meeting him with a sarcastic look best characterized as "Yeah, thanks, Dad."
He also registered strong opposition to Sunday alcohol sales. "You have six days a week to buy it, to drink it, and do what you will with it," he said. "Sunday should be a day of rest."
That's injecting religion in politics. I wonder if the local Seventh Day Adventists are up in arms about Saturday sales.
He may be out of touch with the electorate as a whole, as well. He told the audience he didn't think that the community would approve of such sales — what? Business leaders don't seem to have a huge issue with it, students surely want it, and if the vote on the last big alcohol referndum (liquor by the drink) is any indication, it'd pass easily. Morris made a good point, however, by bringing up the specter of increased DUIs and accidents.
Morris said he and the city have worked hard to bring in industry, but that it's a process that involves several entities. That industry can keep highly qualified graduates from GSU in the community, he said. He also revealed that the mayor is working on an IT task force to bring high-tech industry to Statesboro, and said that Statesboro requires a certain amount of green space in every new development.
Morris made several principled stands throughout the night, which may just cost him the race if there's a big student turnout in his district.
He defended the age requirements for council and mayor. "We feel like this is a responsible age to be in a position of this magnitude," he said. He defended the front yard parking ordinance on aesthetic grounds, saying "We'll stand firm on that."
Morris was willing to listen on one major issue, however. Both Britt and Queen had strong words about people being arrested when they're trying to do the right thing — namely, underage passengers being arrested for being in possession of alcohol (in their bloodstream, no joke) when they're getting a ride home; and people being arrested for walking under the influence when they've made the decision not to drive home.
Law enforcement officials I've spoken to say that someone only gets pulled in for being a pedestrian under the influence when they're obviously a potential danger to either themselves or others, but the arrests do happen.
Morris said he was troubled by hearing that, and said that officers should perhaps offer rides home to drunk walkers.
Students aren't unduly targeted by police, he added, but it can seem that way since "police go to where the people are."
After being asked how the city and students can improve their relationship, Propes came out and gave the entire theme of the election: "Statesboro is a college town, y'all." At the same time, he said there has been "miscommunication from small groups on campus with self-serving agendas."
Again, those small groups aren't that small, but there do seem to be a lot of students who think that by voting Statesboro's suddenly going to turn into Athens after the first council meeting. The wheels simply don't turn that fast — this election may be just the first step in a longer transformation of Statesboro from rural farming community with a small teachers' college to a bona fide college town with a few farms around the periphery (that keep being bought up by developers).
Propes feels the alcohol laws are reasonable, but he doesn't have a problem with either the idea of Sunday sales or a referendum on the matter, so long as he can be assured there are advantages to having all-week sales.
Propes congratulated the council for dropping towing fines, but said he was in favor of the front yard parking ordinance, wanting rented homes to look just like owned homes. "I want things to be clean, I want things to be orderly," he said.
He may have done himself a disservice when he said he wouldn't comment on the age requiements for council and mayor, since he wasn't a part of that decision-making process.
Note to candidate: at least say "that's something I'm willing to take another look at." Safe, non-committal, and doesn't sound like you're disengaged in front of a room full of 21 year olds who've just been told by another candidate that they're not mentally qualified to run sheerly based on their age.
If students feel they've been targeted by law enforcement, Propes said he's willing to listen, and that laws should be applied consistently.
As far as business development, Propes said he agrees with Britt that the old Bulloch Memorial should be a park, and that he wants Statesboro's downtown to have improved aethetics.
He wants to "go the extra mile" to encourage business to come, which (like Morris) he said would help keep students around after they graduate (which, incidentally, is how he ended up in Statesboro).
Queen said that council members need to walk on-campus and talk to students to know what's affecting them, and that city government needs to understand that young people are going to make mistakes from time to time.
He presented a measured approach to alcohol in Statesboro. Queen likes that bars can't give away alcohol and that ladies' nights are forbidden, but agreed that a consistent 1 a.m. last call is a good move. As far as Sunday sales, he, like Lewis, put the ball in the voters' court. "It's your decision to get out and vote for that," he said. "If y'all want to see change, vote in change."
Non-consensual towing brought out Queen's passion. He called it "a license to steal," and said he wants to see fines dropped to $25 to discourage towing companies from taking advantage of students.
The age requirements for council and mayor are close to Queen's heart, since he fought a legal battle with the city after he wasn't allowed to run for mayor because of his age. He said a councilman gave a sworn statement that the move was designed specifically to keep students out of government — but he left everyone hanging when he never named which councilman it was.
Students' becoming involved in local politics is starting to change, but long overdue, he said.
As for front yard parking, Queen said it was a private property issue that could be handled by neighborhood covenants.
Queen suggested that students need set ticket fines, not discretionary ones to prevent their being victimized. He also said that selective enforcement of laws results in "maybe the college kids are picked on a little more." That targeting is tacitly allowed by the council, he said later, though "not all officers are doing this."
One thing to consider: there are a lot of college students here, so by the sheer force of proportion they're going to pick up more police attention.
One of Queen's pet issues is Luetta Moore Park, which is in his district. Its pool is closed, and he's not happy about that. He said that as property is annexed into Statesboro, people living on the city's Westside need more recreational opportunities.
Morris later took some of the wind from Queen's sails, even though the two aren't facing each other. The city owns Luetta Moore Park, but the county is responsible for its development. "We don't have a say in what happens there," he said.
Like other candidates, Queen wants to keep college students around after they graduate via increased business opportunities — he's a student himself, with plans to stay in Statesboro.
By the way, in the interest of full disclosure, I've had personal and business relationships with some of the candidates. I've performed with Gary Lewis as part of the Statesboro Blues Band. I've known Will Britt for 13 years and performed several times in clubs he's owned. Similarly, I've known Nathan Queen for several years and performed a number of times at Retriever's, which he manages.
Statesboro Mayor William Hatcher started the night. He began his remarks with positive words about Statesboro's growth and Georgia Southern's huge role in that.
Then, things got interesting. I (and many observers, it seems) expected him to stop there, with the usual "Happy to be here, Statesboro's great, good to see you students involved."
He didn't. Instead, he launched into a defense of the city's actions that were direct causes of such a contentious election. By doing so, he effectively endorsed the incumbents.
Hatcher emphasized that when the city cracked down on alcohol sales nearly two years ago, it was in response to GSU students and faculty that came to a City Council meeting demanding action. Those students and faculty had taken pictures at a "Ladies' Lockup" night at the Woodin Nikel (owned at the time by District 2 councilman Will Britt), and blown the damning evidence up to poster size.
His implication was that the council was responding to students' concerns. That's a little disingenous. Even if the events going on at the Nikel were appalling — women having alcohol sprayed down their open throats like so many baby birds looking for a handout come to mind — to say that the city passed its Draconian measures on behalf of the students is a stretch. That'd be like saying that since the Daughters of the American Revolution came to a meeting and didn't like the Confederate memorial on the courthouse lawn, that they're speaking for all of Statesboro.
Hatcher also defended the front yard parking ordinance (aesthetic reasons and property values) and touted moves the city has made to crack down on towing abuses. In the best "bring 'em on" tradition of George Bush, he said that two local towing companies are threatening to bring the city before the state's Public Service Commission for a hearing.
Hatcher stressed that the city isn't anti-business, and dropped hints about big stores coming soon (no Target, at least not for two or three years). He's only partially right. The city's not anti-business unless your business sells alcohol or does anything else that might upset the quiet morals of the Bible Belt.
Next came the candidates' opening statements. Will Britt started it off, apologizing for some comments he made on WVGS 91.9fm about students being targeted by police, and suggesting that the Statesboro "powers that be" don't want students to register or vote.
He's probably right in that regard. There's no doubt that the City Council enacted age limits for council and mayoral candidates after the last time a student ran. Students have never been a strong voting bloc in Statesboro, however, until this election - and that's because of quiet business efforts and overt student efforts to turn out a major portion to the polls.
Britt said he's been after the city about towing concerns for three years, and they've just now started to listen. I can vouch for that. He's had several conversations with me about towing concerns that stretch back to shortly after he was elected.
Britt's message (and the message of the other two challenger candidates) was that "punishment is not nearly as important as safety and education." He stuck doggedly to that message all night.
He also made a passing refence that "the market should dictate policy." I have a sneaking suspicion that several thousand members of the student "market" are going to do just that in early November.
District 2 councilman Gary Lewis delivered his remarks like a firey preacher. He was by far the most passionate speaker during the opening remarks. He seemed geniunely hurt that he's facing opposition in the race, and delivered the most pointed comments to that end.
He suggested that his opponent, Nathan Queen, was put up to running against him. He reiterated that any sweeping changes to alcohol laws would require a referendum, not city council votes. In the most dramatic moment of the night, he listed bars that he said had "problems" in the past.
"Will Britt, I was there for you," he said. "Retriever's, Jason Franklin, I was there for you. Rude Rudy's, John Starkey, I was there for you."
Lewis was partially right. Out of the "Old Statesboro" (to use my own turn of phrase) mambers of the City Council, he's been the most friendly to restaurant/bars aside from Britt. Still, he hasn't seen things their way every time.
Lewis said he didn't want to contribute to students' downfall, and wanted to be able to answer to their parents. That may have been a misstep, and here's why.
The students are, by vast majority, 18 and up. They live here and are constituents, their parents don't and aren't. Perhaps most importantly, fresh-faced college students taking steps into the harsh, real world don't want to hear that somebody's trying to parent them legislatively.
I was also surprised to see Lewis play the race card while trying not to play the race card. He started with "It's not a black thing, it's the right thing," but then flat-out said that the council needs a black member to reflect Statesboro's diversity.
He may be right, but that's up to the voters to decide.
District 5 councilman John Morris made a good appeal to challenge students to see more of Statesboro. He pushed the city's pro-business agenda during his speech (just so long as that pro-business agenda doesn't include Sunday alcohol sales).
Morris delivered the most technical speech of the candidates. He brought up work towards citywide wireless Internet access, and talked about infrastructure improvements toward 301 and I-16.
It was meaty stuff, but it made me wonder how much of it would have happened whether he was on the council or not — expanding communications and economic development along the 301 corridor are practically no-brainers. I can't see any council member voting against either.
Morris' big mistake may have been speaking about how he spearheaded a public smoking ban in Statesboro. In some college circles, that was none too popular.
Harry "Bubba" Propes, who's challenging Britt for the District 3 seat, gave the story of his moving to Statesboro to go to college, getting a great job in business and moving away, then coming back (and incidentally moving into a awesome house that I've wanted to buy since I was about ten years old).
He portrayed himself as someone who understands sutdents and can appreciate the city, and said he wants to pay back Statesboro for all it's done for him.
He tried to make the students feel like he was one of them, which seemed odd. When you're 21 and working on finishing your degree, it's hard to feel a kinship with a older businessman in a suit in front of you.
Propes took a couple of shots at Britt in his remarks. He said he has no conflicts of interest — Britt has had to recuse himself from some council votes — and also doesn't own a business or rental properties in Statesboro.
"I'm not here to capitalize off of you as students," he told them, a thinly-veiled jab at Britt, the former-bar-owner-turned-rental-tycoon.
One of his shots was a dud, though. He said Britt propsed "drastic" changes in his opening statement. I didn't hear any. On top of that, Propes asked "why haven't they been addressed before now?" If he was referring to towing, that's been on Britt's mind for a while.
District 2 challenger Nathan Queen looked nervous when he stepped up to the podium, but soon his his stride. Queen at times seemed to be quietly seething, and he told the students what they wanted to hear — that laws were being selectively enforced, that police could spend their time going after malicious crimes, and that the city is against them, as evidenced by the age limits for Council and Mayor.
He's mostly right, though Morris later brought up the point that the police are going to patrol near campus on the weekends, where the most action is.
Queen accused the city of passing a yard parking ordinance when the students were out for summer break, and said he was ready for a good bit of change. Judging from the voter registrations in his district, he may get his wish.
Travis Chance, who is going up against Morris for the District 5 seat, had a prior business obligation and couldn't make the debate. He sent his girlfriend, Shannon Edwards, to read a letter in his stead.
Note to Chance and Edwards: It's a little undignified to introduce yourself as a "girlfriend," especially when she's also your campaign manager. Use the campaign manager title so you seem like you're running a serious campaign.
Chance's remarks were understated. He used the standard boilerplate about Statesboro being a city that's on the move, changing and growing, and that everyone needs to have a voice in the process. He suggested that the city welcomes students on GSU Eagle game days, but isn't thrilled with them on the other six.
I haven't heard Chance speak, but Edwards had poise. I may just end up writing in a vote for her.
I can't decide if Chance's absence helped or hurt him. It makes him look like he might not despereately want the council seat, and his letter was far short of inspiring.
At the same time, if we can assume the traditional "whatever he's for, I'm a'gin it!" model of politics, he may have picked up points by letting Morris speak unopposed (more on that later).
The question-and-answer period for the candidates yielded few surprises.
Britt kept stressing "safety and education over punishment." He wants GSU to offer alcohol education classes (ironic, since he used to own two bars that were literally across the street from capus), and for students to be educated on their rights and responsiblities.
He's in favor of Sunday alcohol sales with strict limits on the time (like 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.). "It shouldn't be another night to go out," he said. He also wants to see a standardized "last call" time of 1 a.m., even on Saturdays. Alcohol promotes industry, he said.
If Las Vegas is any indication, he's right. But so does gambling. How far should the city be willing to go? Nobody wants "Statesvegas" (a great Web site, by the way).
Britt also fielded a question on why he voted against dropping towing fines. His answer was weak — he said he wanted to keep things simple, and since the state mandates a $125 towing fine, there was no need to complicate laws further.
Britt also lent his voice to a call for City Council or town hall meetings to be held on campus. He also wants to see more parks, and have the old Bulloch Memorial Hospital turned into a park.
He feels that some businesses in Statesboro operate "under duress," and that the city is missing a friendly business environment.
Lewis kept his answers to the questions pretty brief. He wants to have council meetins on campus periodically, and also reiterated that changes to alcohol laws should be handled by a referendum in the hands of the voters — putting the ball in their court.
Lewis also said that bartenders and restaurant/bar owners are responsible for not letting vulnerable patrons walk home intoxicated. Police could offer rides, but bartenders should be responsible for finding patrons a way home, he said.
As for business concerns, Lewis said that demographics determine if businesses want to come, and believes that Statesboro will see more arriving soon.
When asked about the council's move to raise the age requirements for running for council and mayor, Lewis didn't seem to understand the question. "It's always been 21," he said. When it comes to parking, he suggested that students just park in a "decent, respectable way."
As a former law enforcement officer, Lewis said that ticket fines should be consistent throughout Statesboro, though he noted that speeding fines are often determined by speed zones. Lewis said he wasn't aware that students felt like they were being targeted by the police, and suggested that they take their concerns to Police Chief Stan York or file a formal complaint (something that I've never heard of a student, even one complaining loudly and long, doing).
He also indicated a willingness to sacrifice some of Statesboro's green space in the name of development.
Lewis' biggest stumble may have been telling the students that Statesboro's becoming a popular retirement community. When the major issues that are driving them to the polls are based on "young" topics, they don't want to hear that.
He made a strong point, however, when he told the audience "We're not Atlanta. We can't do some of the things Atlanta does." Very true — I've personally had it with whiny suburban kids from Atlanta who think that every South Georgian is a drooling retard.
Morris didn't mince words about the relationship between students and the city. He said it's traditionally been good, but accused a "small group" of using alcohol and parking as a wedge.
He's right — but it's a pretty popular wedge issue, and the group isn't all that small.
Morris defended the revised alcohol ordinance, telling the students "I think we have your best interests at heart." Looking around the room, I saw several faces meeting him with a sarcastic look best characterized as "Yeah, thanks, Dad."
He also registered strong opposition to Sunday alcohol sales. "You have six days a week to buy it, to drink it, and do what you will with it," he said. "Sunday should be a day of rest."
That's injecting religion in politics. I wonder if the local Seventh Day Adventists are up in arms about Saturday sales.
He may be out of touch with the electorate as a whole, as well. He told the audience he didn't think that the community would approve of such sales — what? Business leaders don't seem to have a huge issue with it, students surely want it, and if the vote on the last big alcohol referndum (liquor by the drink) is any indication, it'd pass easily. Morris made a good point, however, by bringing up the specter of increased DUIs and accidents.
Morris said he and the city have worked hard to bring in industry, but that it's a process that involves several entities. That industry can keep highly qualified graduates from GSU in the community, he said. He also revealed that the mayor is working on an IT task force to bring high-tech industry to Statesboro, and said that Statesboro requires a certain amount of green space in every new development.
Morris made several principled stands throughout the night, which may just cost him the race if there's a big student turnout in his district.
He defended the age requirements for council and mayor. "We feel like this is a responsible age to be in a position of this magnitude," he said. He defended the front yard parking ordinance on aesthetic grounds, saying "We'll stand firm on that."
Morris was willing to listen on one major issue, however. Both Britt and Queen had strong words about people being arrested when they're trying to do the right thing — namely, underage passengers being arrested for being in possession of alcohol (in their bloodstream, no joke) when they're getting a ride home; and people being arrested for walking under the influence when they've made the decision not to drive home.
Law enforcement officials I've spoken to say that someone only gets pulled in for being a pedestrian under the influence when they're obviously a potential danger to either themselves or others, but the arrests do happen.
Morris said he was troubled by hearing that, and said that officers should perhaps offer rides home to drunk walkers.
Students aren't unduly targeted by police, he added, but it can seem that way since "police go to where the people are."
After being asked how the city and students can improve their relationship, Propes came out and gave the entire theme of the election: "Statesboro is a college town, y'all." At the same time, he said there has been "miscommunication from small groups on campus with self-serving agendas."
Again, those small groups aren't that small, but there do seem to be a lot of students who think that by voting Statesboro's suddenly going to turn into Athens after the first council meeting. The wheels simply don't turn that fast — this election may be just the first step in a longer transformation of Statesboro from rural farming community with a small teachers' college to a bona fide college town with a few farms around the periphery (that keep being bought up by developers).
Propes feels the alcohol laws are reasonable, but he doesn't have a problem with either the idea of Sunday sales or a referendum on the matter, so long as he can be assured there are advantages to having all-week sales.
Propes congratulated the council for dropping towing fines, but said he was in favor of the front yard parking ordinance, wanting rented homes to look just like owned homes. "I want things to be clean, I want things to be orderly," he said.
He may have done himself a disservice when he said he wouldn't comment on the age requiements for council and mayor, since he wasn't a part of that decision-making process.
Note to candidate: at least say "that's something I'm willing to take another look at." Safe, non-committal, and doesn't sound like you're disengaged in front of a room full of 21 year olds who've just been told by another candidate that they're not mentally qualified to run sheerly based on their age.
If students feel they've been targeted by law enforcement, Propes said he's willing to listen, and that laws should be applied consistently.
As far as business development, Propes said he agrees with Britt that the old Bulloch Memorial should be a park, and that he wants Statesboro's downtown to have improved aethetics.
He wants to "go the extra mile" to encourage business to come, which (like Morris) he said would help keep students around after they graduate (which, incidentally, is how he ended up in Statesboro).
Queen said that council members need to walk on-campus and talk to students to know what's affecting them, and that city government needs to understand that young people are going to make mistakes from time to time.
He presented a measured approach to alcohol in Statesboro. Queen likes that bars can't give away alcohol and that ladies' nights are forbidden, but agreed that a consistent 1 a.m. last call is a good move. As far as Sunday sales, he, like Lewis, put the ball in the voters' court. "It's your decision to get out and vote for that," he said. "If y'all want to see change, vote in change."
Non-consensual towing brought out Queen's passion. He called it "a license to steal," and said he wants to see fines dropped to $25 to discourage towing companies from taking advantage of students.
The age requirements for council and mayor are close to Queen's heart, since he fought a legal battle with the city after he wasn't allowed to run for mayor because of his age. He said a councilman gave a sworn statement that the move was designed specifically to keep students out of government — but he left everyone hanging when he never named which councilman it was.
Students' becoming involved in local politics is starting to change, but long overdue, he said.
As for front yard parking, Queen said it was a private property issue that could be handled by neighborhood covenants.
Queen suggested that students need set ticket fines, not discretionary ones to prevent their being victimized. He also said that selective enforcement of laws results in "maybe the college kids are picked on a little more." That targeting is tacitly allowed by the council, he said later, though "not all officers are doing this."
One thing to consider: there are a lot of college students here, so by the sheer force of proportion they're going to pick up more police attention.
One of Queen's pet issues is Luetta Moore Park, which is in his district. Its pool is closed, and he's not happy about that. He said that as property is annexed into Statesboro, people living on the city's Westside need more recreational opportunities.
Morris later took some of the wind from Queen's sails, even though the two aren't facing each other. The city owns Luetta Moore Park, but the county is responsible for its development. "We don't have a say in what happens there," he said.
Like other candidates, Queen wants to keep college students around after they graduate via increased business opportunities — he's a student himself, with plans to stay in Statesboro.
By the way, in the interest of full disclosure, I've had personal and business relationships with some of the candidates. I've performed with Gary Lewis as part of the Statesboro Blues Band. I've known Will Britt for 13 years and performed several times in clubs he's owned. Similarly, I've known Nathan Queen for several years and performed a number of times at Retriever's, which he manages.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
I got robbed!
Sometimes, you just learn stuff the hard way.
Case in point: my house was broken into last week. In a stunning display of targeted thievery, the perpetrator(s) pried open a door and took my computer. Not the laptop I'm writing this on, but my desktop computer.
Otherwise known as the one that I do all my musical work on, all my photography with, and generally has most of my life on it.
They also took the hard drives out of two other "project" computers that were inoperative. Strange stuff, I know.
A lot of my data was backed up, but not all of it. In their infinite wisdom, the burglars left the external hard drive with my photo archive on it dating back about five years. That's good. If I'd lost that, I'd have cried. A lot.
Didn't touch any of the expensive musical or photo equipment, left all my other stuff untouched (save for some beer in the fridge that they removed, but didn't even drink).
Anyway, I've learned a couple of important lessons. First, back up EVERYTHING. Second, I'm now securing all my computers so that if they're stolen folks not only can't get to my data, but also will get tracked.
Here's how to do it. There's a free program out there called The Laptop Lock. It's wonderful. It's free, and sets you up with an online account that gives you all kinds of goodies. If your computer is stolen (name notwithstanding, it works on desktop computers, too), you simply log in and tag your computer as stolen.
The next time the purloined system connects to the Internet, it not only broadcasts an IP address which can help police track down your computer, but also will automatically do a number of things of your choosing. These can range from deleting certain files to encrypting some of them (like bank data), flashing warnings on the screen that the computer is stolen, or even running another program of your choosing.
I've got mine set to encrypt some personal stuff, then to run a particularly insidious little program called Perfect Keylogger. This one isn't free, but it's also useful. Should my laptop get stolen, and should I trigger The Laptop Lock, then the keylogger starts running.
What it does is capture every key typed on the computer and e-mail it to me. Not only that, but it also takes pictures of the computer's screen every few seconds and e-mails those, too.
I feel a lot more secure now about my computers. Now if I could only feel safe in my own home...
Case in point: my house was broken into last week. In a stunning display of targeted thievery, the perpetrator(s) pried open a door and took my computer. Not the laptop I'm writing this on, but my desktop computer.
Otherwise known as the one that I do all my musical work on, all my photography with, and generally has most of my life on it.
They also took the hard drives out of two other "project" computers that were inoperative. Strange stuff, I know.
A lot of my data was backed up, but not all of it. In their infinite wisdom, the burglars left the external hard drive with my photo archive on it dating back about five years. That's good. If I'd lost that, I'd have cried. A lot.
Didn't touch any of the expensive musical or photo equipment, left all my other stuff untouched (save for some beer in the fridge that they removed, but didn't even drink).
Anyway, I've learned a couple of important lessons. First, back up EVERYTHING. Second, I'm now securing all my computers so that if they're stolen folks not only can't get to my data, but also will get tracked.
Here's how to do it. There's a free program out there called The Laptop Lock. It's wonderful. It's free, and sets you up with an online account that gives you all kinds of goodies. If your computer is stolen (name notwithstanding, it works on desktop computers, too), you simply log in and tag your computer as stolen.
The next time the purloined system connects to the Internet, it not only broadcasts an IP address which can help police track down your computer, but also will automatically do a number of things of your choosing. These can range from deleting certain files to encrypting some of them (like bank data), flashing warnings on the screen that the computer is stolen, or even running another program of your choosing.
I've got mine set to encrypt some personal stuff, then to run a particularly insidious little program called Perfect Keylogger. This one isn't free, but it's also useful. Should my laptop get stolen, and should I trigger The Laptop Lock, then the keylogger starts running.
What it does is capture every key typed on the computer and e-mail it to me. Not only that, but it also takes pictures of the computer's screen every few seconds and e-mails those, too.
I feel a lot more secure now about my computers. Now if I could only feel safe in my own home...
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Inside the factory.
First, I'm quite aware that I don't blog all that often on this site. That's one of the perks of having a weekly column - I get it all out in the pages of Connect Statesboro. My blogging idol, Jim Morekis (who's incidentally my counterpart over at Connect Savannah) does it right, and I have no idea how he finds the time.
I want to give some insight into this week's issue of Connect Statesboro, and why (and how) we covered the tragedy at Virginia Tech like we did. I'm guessing that I'm going to get some feedback, and I want to have one nice, convenient spot to point critics at to clarify the way we work.
Primarily, we're an entertainment publication. However, I have a higher responsibility than that. As the alt-weekly vanguard of Statesboro, I want Connect Statesboro to be much more than just a bar magazine every week. Our readership demographic is vastly different than the Statesboro Herald's, so when news comes out that directly affects the younger set, it's my duty to present it to them.
What happened in Blacksburg is the big story of the week, month, maybe the year. It has a special resonance with Statesboro. We're both smaller southern cities, we both have sizable universities.
When the news started pouring in Monday, I knew that we had to do something for our readers. The biggest question was "What if it happened here?" I think that Marcy E. Thornton answered that question well in her story on page 5. She did an incredible job, incidentally, considering that she was hospitalized briefly Monday night (unrelated), yet still managed to get the story in under deadline.
We also wanted to give Statesboro a voice. Connect doesn't operate in a vacuum, so I sent out Ashe Tuck to speak with people and get their thoughts on the tragedy. Ashe also went above and beyond on her part.
I also had a personal connection to the story. Josh Eckstein, who hosts jakehallman.com for me, is on staff at VT. I e-mailed him that day to make sure he was okay, and he told me what was going on. With his permission, I printed it.
One of the most important considerations in my mind was how we were going to treat the story visually. There was talking. Lots of talking. We didn't want to sensationalize (I caught "Inside Edition" today, and it nearly made me sick), we didn't want to "cash in" on the killings, and we damned sure didn't want to go with cheap scares to make people pick up the magazine ("Could you be shot in class? Find out inside!)
I'm going to do something unorthodox here, but the picture there is the original cover for the magazine, our working model from Monday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.
The picture is graphic. It's shocking, and it's something that people would definitely pick up and want to read more about - that's a primary concern, seeing as I think the story inside is a good one with valuable information that serves the public trust.
At the same time, the picture is, well, graphic and shocking. That's someone who has what appears to be a visible gunshot wound. There's a lot of blood. In the news business, context is everything, and there are special considerations. I discussed it with editors for other in-house publications. I discussed it with our publisher, Randy Morton.
And in the end, we decided to go with another photo - one that also had police carrying out a wounded student, but wasn't as blood-soaked. Compelling arguments were made both for using the original photo and not using it, but, honestly, the concern that tipped the scales was that Connect Statesboro is distributed for free in restaurants. We didn't want someone with a weak stomach glancing over at the cover and not being able to finish their meal.
The verbiage on the front was another source of concern. Though the question on everyone's mind was "could it happen here," I thought that was sensationalistic and a bit of a stretch. Of course it could happen here. That's the nature of random crazy people and the things that they do. Last year we had a nationally-televised hostage crisis. Weird, often terrible things happen, and they happen at random. It's one of the prices we pay for living in a free society.
Or for just living, for that matter.
On the other hand, "what if it happened here" was a much better question. Are local police equipped to handle it? How do they view the situation? There's been a lot of talk in the national media about whether Virginia Tech made mistakes in their handling of the crisis, but did they follow a standard procedure that we'd follow here?
Another cover idea that was discussed (briefly) was the barrel of a gun pointing toward the reader. It's a strong graphical idea, but I felt that it hit far too close to home considering Monday's events. See the picture on the left? That hit the media tonight (Wednesday). We had no idea, and it's pretty close to the aforementioned cover through, so I'm doubly glad we went with the photo from the scene.
And in the end, we ended up with the cover you see on stands today (and on Connectstatesboro.com).
Did I make the right decision? I think so. Connect doesn't always indulge in hard-hitting, "real" journalism, but we certainly have the skillset to do it, and do it right. I'm proud of the work my staff put in this week - not only on the handling of the big story, but also how we put out our largest issue ever, at 40 pages. I'd love to know what you all think. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
I want to give some insight into this week's issue of Connect Statesboro, and why (and how) we covered the tragedy at Virginia Tech like we did. I'm guessing that I'm going to get some feedback, and I want to have one nice, convenient spot to point critics at to clarify the way we work.
Primarily, we're an entertainment publication. However, I have a higher responsibility than that. As the alt-weekly vanguard of Statesboro, I want Connect Statesboro to be much more than just a bar magazine every week. Our readership demographic is vastly different than the Statesboro Herald's, so when news comes out that directly affects the younger set, it's my duty to present it to them.
What happened in Blacksburg is the big story of the week, month, maybe the year. It has a special resonance with Statesboro. We're both smaller southern cities, we both have sizable universities.
When the news started pouring in Monday, I knew that we had to do something for our readers. The biggest question was "What if it happened here?" I think that Marcy E. Thornton answered that question well in her story on page 5. She did an incredible job, incidentally, considering that she was hospitalized briefly Monday night (unrelated), yet still managed to get the story in under deadline.
We also wanted to give Statesboro a voice. Connect doesn't operate in a vacuum, so I sent out Ashe Tuck to speak with people and get their thoughts on the tragedy. Ashe also went above and beyond on her part.
I also had a personal connection to the story. Josh Eckstein, who hosts jakehallman.com for me, is on staff at VT. I e-mailed him that day to make sure he was okay, and he told me what was going on. With his permission, I printed it.
One of the most important considerations in my mind was how we were going to treat the story visually. There was talking. Lots of talking. We didn't want to sensationalize (I caught "Inside Edition" today, and it nearly made me sick), we didn't want to "cash in" on the killings, and we damned sure didn't want to go with cheap scares to make people pick up the magazine ("Could you be shot in class? Find out inside!)
I'm going to do something unorthodox here, but the picture there is the original cover for the magazine, our working model from Monday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.The picture is graphic. It's shocking, and it's something that people would definitely pick up and want to read more about - that's a primary concern, seeing as I think the story inside is a good one with valuable information that serves the public trust.
At the same time, the picture is, well, graphic and shocking. That's someone who has what appears to be a visible gunshot wound. There's a lot of blood. In the news business, context is everything, and there are special considerations. I discussed it with editors for other in-house publications. I discussed it with our publisher, Randy Morton.
And in the end, we decided to go with another photo - one that also had police carrying out a wounded student, but wasn't as blood-soaked. Compelling arguments were made both for using the original photo and not using it, but, honestly, the concern that tipped the scales was that Connect Statesboro is distributed for free in restaurants. We didn't want someone with a weak stomach glancing over at the cover and not being able to finish their meal.
The verbiage on the front was another source of concern. Though the question on everyone's mind was "could it happen here," I thought that was sensationalistic and a bit of a stretch. Of course it could happen here. That's the nature of random crazy people and the things that they do. Last year we had a nationally-televised hostage crisis. Weird, often terrible things happen, and they happen at random. It's one of the prices we pay for living in a free society.
Or for just living, for that matter.
On the other hand, "what if it happened here" was a much better question. Are local police equipped to handle it? How do they view the situation? There's been a lot of talk in the national media about whether Virginia Tech made mistakes in their handling of the crisis, but did they follow a standard procedure that we'd follow here?
Another cover idea that was discussed (briefly) was the barrel of a gun pointing toward the reader. It's a strong graphical idea, but I felt that it hit far too close to home considering Monday's events. See the picture on the left? That hit the media tonight (Wednesday). We had no idea, and it's pretty close to the aforementioned cover through, so I'm doubly glad we went with the photo from the scene.And in the end, we ended up with the cover you see on stands today (and on Connectstatesboro.com).
Did I make the right decision? I think so. Connect doesn't always indulge in hard-hitting, "real" journalism, but we certainly have the skillset to do it, and do it right. I'm proud of the work my staff put in this week - not only on the handling of the big story, but also how we put out our largest issue ever, at 40 pages. I'd love to know what you all think. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
(Shamelessly cross-posted from The Nerduary, another joint I blog at.)
So Lucasfilm and Atomfilms launched the 2007 Star Wars fan film contest today. Ol' George himself will be judging again, which makes me fear for the quality of the winner. Not much to say on that.
But I did find something worth sharing with the wide world of Nerduary, courtesy of the Slashdot discussion on the contest.
It's Ryan vs. Dorkman 2. Click that link for the Google version, see the bottom of this post for Youtubiness. Don't let the name fool you. It's seven minutes of the frickin' best lightsaber fighting I've seen since... well, it actually beats the pants off of just about every Lucasfilm saber fight.
They did it on the cheap, but they did it right. If you like Star Wars (and who the hell don't?), check this one out.
SPECIAL BONUS SABERING!
Here's their first video. It's not quite as polished, and not quite as long, but the ending makes it all worthwhile.
So Lucasfilm and Atomfilms launched the 2007 Star Wars fan film contest today. Ol' George himself will be judging again, which makes me fear for the quality of the winner. Not much to say on that.
But I did find something worth sharing with the wide world of Nerduary, courtesy of the Slashdot discussion on the contest.
It's Ryan vs. Dorkman 2. Click that link for the Google version, see the bottom of this post for Youtubiness. Don't let the name fool you. It's seven minutes of the frickin' best lightsaber fighting I've seen since... well, it actually beats the pants off of just about every Lucasfilm saber fight.
They did it on the cheap, but they did it right. If you like Star Wars (and who the hell don't?), check this one out.
SPECIAL BONUS SABERING!
Here's their first video. It's not quite as polished, and not quite as long, but the ending makes it all worthwhile.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Slavery?
Oh, God... someone brought up the spectre of slavery apologies in the Herald.
Okay, the Associated Press brought it up. After the NAACP did. I can just see the Soundoff lines catching fire. The Herald blogs already have.
I'm just going to go ahead and put myself on the line here. The "South Park" guys had it right this past week.
I'm a white dude. My ancestors no doubt were into some unsavory stuff, and others of my ancestors may have had some unsavory stuff done to 'em.
None of that is a defining part of who I am, though. There aren't still visible reminders in daily life of any badness done to "my people" in the past.
To quote George Carlin, "White people give the blues! They don't sing 'em!"
As such, I can't hope to understand what a rebel flag on a rednecked-out pickup truck may feel like to a black person. I'll never know what it's like to grow up in a place knowing that 160 years ago I would have been owned by someone.
With that in mind, I don't see what's wrong with an apology. Personally, I don't think it would change much. But then, I don't get it, do I? Maybe it would have a good effect.
Here's how to word it to make everybody happy. Imagine Sonny Perdue's voice saying these lines.
"Hey, y'all, slavery was a bad thing. It's a damned shame that Georgia was involved in it. None of us up here in Atlanta could ever properly apologize for it, and that's another shame. The people who should talk to you are dead and gone, and the people they should be on their knees to begging for forgiveness are gone, too. It's taken too long, but I'm here to say that as a state we collectively realize that slavery was a crime against humanity and a sin against God. We can't change the past, but we can say that we're sorry for some of the things that happened in it."
But it'll never happen.
Okay, the Associated Press brought it up. After the NAACP did. I can just see the Soundoff lines catching fire. The Herald blogs already have.
I'm just going to go ahead and put myself on the line here. The "South Park" guys had it right this past week.
I'm a white dude. My ancestors no doubt were into some unsavory stuff, and others of my ancestors may have had some unsavory stuff done to 'em.
None of that is a defining part of who I am, though. There aren't still visible reminders in daily life of any badness done to "my people" in the past.
To quote George Carlin, "White people give the blues! They don't sing 'em!"
As such, I can't hope to understand what a rebel flag on a rednecked-out pickup truck may feel like to a black person. I'll never know what it's like to grow up in a place knowing that 160 years ago I would have been owned by someone.
With that in mind, I don't see what's wrong with an apology. Personally, I don't think it would change much. But then, I don't get it, do I? Maybe it would have a good effect.
Here's how to word it to make everybody happy. Imagine Sonny Perdue's voice saying these lines.
"Hey, y'all, slavery was a bad thing. It's a damned shame that Georgia was involved in it. None of us up here in Atlanta could ever properly apologize for it, and that's another shame. The people who should talk to you are dead and gone, and the people they should be on their knees to begging for forgiveness are gone, too. It's taken too long, but I'm here to say that as a state we collectively realize that slavery was a crime against humanity and a sin against God. We can't change the past, but we can say that we're sorry for some of the things that happened in it."
But it'll never happen.
Connecting with Savannah
I had the chance last week to speak for a little while with Jim Morekis, editor of Connect Savannah. Jim and I have spoken on the phone and via e-mail a little bit, but I think it was our first face-to-face meeting.
He's a heck of a guy. He' s been at Connect Savannah since before it was Connect Savannah, and has a fierce, well-deserved pride for the publication and what it's become during his tenure.
I talked with him about the differences between our two publications, most of which stem from the different places they're published. Jim's a little older than I am, and Connect Savannah focuses a lot on being an honest-to-God newsweekly.
Connect Statesboro, on the other hand, is run by a mostly young crew, and we're in a college town. Not only that, but I share office space with a daily newspaper. As much as I love straight-up news journalism, Connect's mandate is entertainment, not covering school board meetings. In effect, if we tried to run lots of news we'd be competing with ourselves.
Connect Savannah's also been around for five times as long as we have. Though they continually evolve, they've figured out what works. We're still at a stage where we can make dramatic changes on a dime (like the redesign that hit in January).
One of my concerns has been in the vastly different tones of the two publications. We share a logo, the occasional story, and not much else. I told Jim that I pictured one of my college freshman readers going to Savannah, seeing a copy of Connect Savannah, and picking it up.
They flip through it and put it down quickly. "I don't want to know about somebody dumping toxic waste in the river! I wanna see pictures of hot chicks at the club!" they say.
One of Jim's readers comes to Statesboro, sees the logo, and picks up a copy of Connect Statesboro. "Damn, who let the frat boys have a magazine?" they think before tossing it.
Jim laughed, and told me he didn't think that would happen. Diversity is strong for a brand, he said.
I respect Jim's opinion highly. He's bar-none one of the best bloggers out there, and he knows how to run a magazine. If that's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.
He's a heck of a guy. He' s been at Connect Savannah since before it was Connect Savannah, and has a fierce, well-deserved pride for the publication and what it's become during his tenure.
I talked with him about the differences between our two publications, most of which stem from the different places they're published. Jim's a little older than I am, and Connect Savannah focuses a lot on being an honest-to-God newsweekly.
Connect Statesboro, on the other hand, is run by a mostly young crew, and we're in a college town. Not only that, but I share office space with a daily newspaper. As much as I love straight-up news journalism, Connect's mandate is entertainment, not covering school board meetings. In effect, if we tried to run lots of news we'd be competing with ourselves.
Connect Savannah's also been around for five times as long as we have. Though they continually evolve, they've figured out what works. We're still at a stage where we can make dramatic changes on a dime (like the redesign that hit in January).
One of my concerns has been in the vastly different tones of the two publications. We share a logo, the occasional story, and not much else. I told Jim that I pictured one of my college freshman readers going to Savannah, seeing a copy of Connect Savannah, and picking it up.
They flip through it and put it down quickly. "I don't want to know about somebody dumping toxic waste in the river! I wanna see pictures of hot chicks at the club!" they say.
One of Jim's readers comes to Statesboro, sees the logo, and picks up a copy of Connect Statesboro. "Damn, who let the frat boys have a magazine?" they think before tossing it.
Jim laughed, and told me he didn't think that would happen. Diversity is strong for a brand, he said.
I respect Jim's opinion highly. He's bar-none one of the best bloggers out there, and he knows how to run a magazine. If that's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
And he didn't even know why.
A woman came to see me yesterday at my office. That's not unheard of in itself, but she had a bone to pick with me.
I wish I could have spent more time with her, but since it was deadline day, I didn't have the time. I invited her to return today or Friday, but she refused.
She took issue with a couple of lines in a previous issue of Connect Statesboro that referenced her husband in a rather oblique way. The gentleman's been referenced before, and some pretty stinging criticism was leveled at him a while back.
I guess she didn't read those issues.
Apparently she and her sons had picked up a copy of Connect at a local restaurant, and she was dismayed to see some of the thoughts - written in an opinion column, mind you - about her hubby.
That's fine. I don't blame her for disagreeing, and she did have a point that her sons might not like reading negative stuff about their dad. Nonetheless, he's a very public figure. Others have said far worse things about him. None of that should affect their love for their father - if my dad was on the front page of the New York Times as a pedophile, I'd still love him.
Would'nt necessarily endorse his behavior, but he's dad. Gotta love the dad. And that's how it is for public figures - the fame (and huge paycheck) means that you've got to put up with some crap that Joe Sixpack won't ever have to face.
Still, I'm here to extend the olive branch. I spoke with the writer of the piece in question, and told him to pursue an interview with the gentleman, and even with he and his wife if they're so inclined.
If the two want to set the record straight, here's their chance, especially noting how recalcitrant they've been to respond to media requests. I'll let them sit down, have their say, and answer some of the questions that have been swirling around.
Should they take me up on it, it'll be in next week's Connect.
I wish I could have spent more time with her, but since it was deadline day, I didn't have the time. I invited her to return today or Friday, but she refused.
She took issue with a couple of lines in a previous issue of Connect Statesboro that referenced her husband in a rather oblique way. The gentleman's been referenced before, and some pretty stinging criticism was leveled at him a while back.
I guess she didn't read those issues.
Apparently she and her sons had picked up a copy of Connect at a local restaurant, and she was dismayed to see some of the thoughts - written in an opinion column, mind you - about her hubby.
That's fine. I don't blame her for disagreeing, and she did have a point that her sons might not like reading negative stuff about their dad. Nonetheless, he's a very public figure. Others have said far worse things about him. None of that should affect their love for their father - if my dad was on the front page of the New York Times as a pedophile, I'd still love him.
Would'nt necessarily endorse his behavior, but he's dad. Gotta love the dad. And that's how it is for public figures - the fame (and huge paycheck) means that you've got to put up with some crap that Joe Sixpack won't ever have to face.
Still, I'm here to extend the olive branch. I spoke with the writer of the piece in question, and told him to pursue an interview with the gentleman, and even with he and his wife if they're so inclined.
If the two want to set the record straight, here's their chance, especially noting how recalcitrant they've been to respond to media requests. I'll let them sit down, have their say, and answer some of the questions that have been swirling around.
Should they take me up on it, it'll be in next week's Connect.
Monday, February 19, 2007
(humming) Stir it up...
My column of two weeks ago about WVGS 91.9 fm, GSU's campus radio station, seems to have ruffled some feathers.
If you haven't read the column, click on the link above. It's okay, we'll wait for you to come back here.
A small war of words started, centered around Facebook.com, of all places. Never one to shrink from a challenge, I've been clarifying my thoughts for folks.
Check here. Or here. Maybe here, too. I also heard that the kids on their morning show were talking smack about me. It'd be great if they'd write honest-to-God letters to the editor (or even straight-up e-mails) that we could publish, but I guess this latest generation doesn't do that kind of thing.
I got a Facebook message from a former WVGS staffer. With her permission, here's her message and my response:
And my response:
Let me know your thoughts. As soon as I find out what the morning DJs were saying about me, I plan to make an unannounced visit to one of their shows.
If you haven't read the column, click on the link above. It's okay, we'll wait for you to come back here.
A small war of words started, centered around Facebook.com, of all places. Never one to shrink from a challenge, I've been clarifying my thoughts for folks.
Check here. Or here. Maybe here, too. I also heard that the kids on their morning show were talking smack about me. It'd be great if they'd write honest-to-God letters to the editor (or even straight-up e-mails) that we could publish, but I guess this latest generation doesn't do that kind of thing.
I got a Facebook message from a former WVGS staffer. With her permission, here's her message and my response:
| From: | Cortney Johns |
| To: | Jake Hallman |
| Subject: | WVGS |
| Message: | seriously do you have to hate wvgs so much? Im not even there anymore and it drives me crazy that you care so much to write as much negative stuff as you possibly can about it. Just to let you know, ive had a bad taste in my mouth about you the first time i met you at the hostage thing and you acted all nice to my face then wrote such horrible things about what i was doing there inthe next paper. That wasnt cool. Advice to you, give it up, GSU is not going to have a station like the 1970's anymore. This is what the professors want and thats what goes. Open your own station and play what YOU want to hear please so we dont have to hear you bitchin anymore! Oh, even it is negative your still giving us publicity so thanks for that. thanks, Cortney X Buzz employee :) and this is only my opinion not anyone elses. |
And my response:
| 02.12.07 11:36am | Jake: |
Let me know your thoughts. As soon as I find out what the morning DJs were saying about me, I plan to make an unannounced visit to one of their shows.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Lovin' the job...
Some days I'm glad that I work where I work. There are some damned interesting folks running around this building.
Here's one of the soda machines out back - it's a little finicky, and usually covered with notes from folks who've lost money in it. I don't know if they ever get the refunds they crave. (click to enlarge the photo)
Today, when I got my customary Diet Coke, I noticed an entirely new note on it. (Again, click for the bigger version)
There's a killer nickel named "Bob" running around out there. Be careful, y'all.
Here's one of the soda machines out back - it's a little finicky, and usually covered with notes from folks who've lost money in it. I don't know if they ever get the refunds they crave. (click to enlarge the photo)
Today, when I got my customary Diet Coke, I noticed an entirely new note on it. (Again, click for the bigger version)
There's a killer nickel named "Bob" running around out there. Be careful, y'all.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Make sure it's popular
I'm a huge fan of Aqua Teen Hunger Force on Adult Swim. Been watching it for years. Laugh out loud at it.
However, I recognize that even though the show's pretty popular among a small, nerdlike demographic, it's not crossed over like, say, The Simpsons or Family Guy.
You've probably heard about this by now. A couple of guerilla marketers put up small lighted billboards featuring an ATHF character throughout Boston, effectively shutting down the town over terrorism fears. Why?
1) Because though the Mooninites are hilarious, they're definitely not mainstream. Nobody knows who the little guy giving them the finger is.
and more importantly,
2) Because we Americans have been completely wussified (not my original choice of words, but hey, this is an "official" blog). Ooooh, something that looks like a Lite Brite on a wall! IT MIGHT BE A BOMB! EVERYBODY PANIC! TERRORISM!
Get a grip people, seriously. Take a lesson from the Israelis, who live with things blowing up all the time, but refuse to lose their collective heads over it.
I've been wanting to write this paragraph for the longest time:
I grew up during the last throes of the Cold War. Even at 8 years old I and all of my friends knew the Russians had enough nukes pointed at us to wipe out everybody in the nation. We, likewise, did the same to them. But y'know what? This country never showed the collective fear that we have since Sept. 11. If this country suddenly is more scared of a few ill-educated religious fanatics who might cause some minor damage (in the grand scheme of things) than we were over the Soviets who could have frackin' killed us all, then we all need to start dressing in pink and sipping lattes.
And when Ignignot flipping the bird makes Boston freak out, I think that we may just be the wussiest nation of all.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Under... what?
This wouldn't fit in "Jake's Take" this week, so you blog-readin' folks get it first.
There's a rumor that Carrie Underwood might also be appearing at the Brad Paisley show. It's highly unconfirmed, very suspect, and may in fact be a complete fabrication. I'm in the process of checking up on it, though, and I'll let all of you know as soon as I find something out.
Still, if she does end up coming, I don't know if ol' Brad will be the main attraction anymore. He's a phenomenal guitarist, and all, but she's just... Heck, I don't care what kind of music she sings.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
We're back!
The Connect blog's back. Don't ask why, just accept it. Some of the more community-minded posts will be dual-posted over at the Herald's blog site, but for now, only you die-hard Connect readers get the good stuff.
Not much to write about today, but I figured I'd at least share pictures of the new hotness:
My new camera lens came in yesterday. It's frickin' sweet. Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG. Now I just need a better camera body to attach it to.
Not much to write about today, but I figured I'd at least share pictures of the new hotness:
My new camera lens came in yesterday. It's frickin' sweet. Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG. Now I just need a better camera body to attach it to.
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