Richard Hyatt at-large

There's no fool like an April fool

2008-04-01T12:16:00.003-04:00

If you have visited here recently, you know I've been remiss keeping up this blog. Excuses are many. I write columns for the Ledger-Enquirer twice a week. My website, Richard Hyatt's Columbus, is up and running. Starting next week (April 9) I'll be sitting in with Scott Miller and Chris Weber on WDAK's morning show every Wednesday and Thursday.

And they say I'm retired!!

I'll be back to blogging soon, though it may be at a new address. I'll keep you informed. And if anybody hears about any part-time jobs, DON'T call me.

The challenge of news

2008-03-06T00:01:00.002-05:00

Operating a website that regularly updates the news is a challenge. I'm up to the challenges of the news but technology baffles me. That's why I have help, and help is on the way for Richard Hyatt's Columbus. The mystery of PayPal has been solved and by Monday we'll be accepting subscribers. Until then, keep dropping by, and keep sending news tips to richardhyatt@richardhyattcolumbus.com

Coming soon is news about the Muscogee County School Board's search for a new superintendent and how the future of the neighborhood around Cross Country Plaza depends on the future of the shopping center.

Branson could be more comfortable

2008-02-28T02:01:00.002-05:00

Did Columbus State University men's basketball coach Doug Branson save his job Wednesday night?

The Cougars, fresh from four straight loses on the road, returned to the Lumpkin Center and upset No. 8 Augusta State in a thriller.

Branson, in his third year directing CSU, has been in an uncomfortable position with a multitude of close losses, internal turmoil on the team and a shortage of fannies in the seats. His victory over nationally ranked Augusta could make life more comfortable.

Technology be damned

2008-02-26T20:00:00.005-05:00

News comes relatively easy. Technology is another matter.

Richard Hyatt's Columbus still has its problems on the technical side but my computer geek promises those issues will soon be solved. There is a problem for people wanting to subscribe and there are glitches on some of the links. Again, solutions are said to be near.

You are getting broad hints of what is to come on the news side. You're already getting reports as they happen from the Muscogee County School Board and Columbus Council. There is more to come, rest assured.

So keep coming back. You won't be sorry.

In another shameless plug, that address on the web is www.richardhyattcolumbus.com

Up and running

2008-02-21T23:25:00.013-05:00

Take good care of your knees, my wife advises. She had knee-replacement surgery 17 days ago and recovery is painful. Kaye calls her physical therapists at the Hughston Clinic physical terrorists. Taking care of her has been my priority but as of this week Richard Hyatt's Columbus is up and running.

We're repairing the glitches and working out the kinks and by Monday most problems should be worked out. Right now, it is a free site but soon a $49 a year fee will be collected. For anyone interested in what's going on around our town, Richard Hyatt's Columbus will be the place to go.

I'm joined by Mirabeau B. Lamar, (above) a name as old as Columbus journalism. His regular columns on the site promise to keep an eye and ear on local newsmakers. You won't know what he's going to say or write. His first column is already posted.

This blog will give you the back-story — the stories behind the story. It will contain information that doesn't make the website. There's more to come on the site as I offer views about the future of Cross Country Plaza and Macon Road as well as insight into the need for a new school administration building. Keep reading and you'll keep knowing.

Again, the address is www.richardhyattcolumbus.com

Got a job?

2008-02-01T10:05:00.000-05:00

If you know anyone who needs a slightly worn newspaperman, call me.

As of last night I am unemployed for the first time in 40 years. The old rocking chair has almost got me for I am now retired. You'll still find me at this blog address and in a couple of weeks I kick off my local news/opinion Website, www.richardhyattcolumbus.com

Having my story told by someone else as it was this morning made me proud and made me uncomfortable. Chuck Williams did the deed. You can find it at www.ledger-enquirer.com

A new adventure begins as an old journey ends. Can the Ralston be far away?

Sister Sledge

2008-01-26T11:36:00.001-05:00

James Walker and Pat Hugley Green should read Kaffie Sledge's Saturday column in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer and so should you. It certainly gives a different view of Muscogee County's new school administration building than the one you received at the board meeting Thursday night. Go to www.ledger-enquirer.com and check it out.

Duck soup

2008-01-25T17:25:00.000-05:00

Impress your friends by being the first on your block to make your cell phone quack instead of ring. I did, and boy are people impressed with me. And it's not just any duck. It's the AFLAC duck. Or even that silly goat that helped sell insurance in a recent commercial. Go to www.aflac.com. But be careful. People are liable to throw food when your phone goes off in a crowded restaurant.

No kidding

2008-01-24T10:10:00.000-05:00

I made jokes on Wednesday about the president's chair opening up at Columbus State University. Then I made a wisecrack about John Phillips leaving as school superintendent in Muscogee County.

Today I'm serious.

I have two words for the school board search committee: FRANK BROWN.

Seeking Position

2008-01-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

Columbus State University is seeking a new president and I'm retiring from the newspaper on Feb. 1. Sounds like a match to me. Dr. George Stanton and the search committee must not realize that I spent portions of 48 quarters on two college campuses. Guess I should hire Two Men and a Truck and have them haul my transcript and resume to CSU.

Make the write choice

2008-01-18T17:06:00.001-05:00

Want to learn about writing? Want to talk about writing? Join me Monday Jan. 28 at CSU's Elizabeth Bradley Turner Center. I'll be teaching "Knowing Write from Wrong," a five-week course on writing.

Classes are from 6:45 pm to 8:45 pm and the cost is $79. For information call 706-568-2023 or check the Continuing Ed website www.conted.colstate.edu

And don't worry. I won't make you write on a typewriter.

Tennis, anyone?

2008-01-18T13:09:00.000-05:00

Pete Sampras is coming to Columbus to play tennis, Troy Johnson informed us in an article in today's Ledger-Enquirer.

That's big news but Sampras definitely isn't the first nationally ranked player to play in town. The story said Chris Evert played here, and that's correct. She started playing on local courts when she was a teen. But the list doesn't end with Evert.

Right after World War II, Chuck Evert — Chris' uncle — was tennis pro at Fort Benning. He brought big names such as Don Budge, Pancho Gonzalez and Jack Kramer to the post.

Later, in the 1970s, international stars such as Vic Seizas, Ham Richardson, Roscoe Tanner and Cliff Bucholz competed in the Southeastern Invitational at the Country Club of Columbus.

That event evolved into a stop on the Virginia Slims tour. The top women players in the world played at the CCC. That list included Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court and Rosie Casals. At one time, five of the top females in the world were on the courts at the same time.

Later on, Green Island Country Club was the site of the Perrier Classic, bringing more nationally ranked male players to town. Jimmy Connors played. So did Vitas Gerulaitis, a former Australian Open champion. The untimely death of Gerulaitis in 1994 deeply affected Sampras who was a close friend of the playboy player.

The S-word

2008-01-16T13:01:00.000-05:00

Snow!! There I've said it, for the first time in 2008. I discounted it Tuesday when someone mentioned the possibility of a snow day. Then I saw something solid on my windshield around noon today. Could it be?

If it is, let's rush to the grocery store and clear all the bread and bottled water off the shelves. Let's buy mass quantities of batteries and be sure we have radios we don't have to plug into the wall. Anybody know where the flashlight is? Where can we buy snow tires and chains? When will schools close?

It could be snow. So let's act like fools.

In case you missed it ...

2008-01-15T10:35:00.000-05:00

If you missed Monday's school board meeting, TV Guide highlights let you know when you can catch a replay on the tube. Critics say this episode will make you want to buy Tivo.

Muscogee County School Board Meeting (Check your local cable listings for times) — Members of that wacky board are at it again. Just when you thought they were behaving like grownups, the Crown Prince (played by Philip Schley) reads from a prescription pad and tells the Turtle (played by Fife Whiteside) and the HomeBuilder (played by newcomer Cathy Williams) that he doesn't want to play with them anymore. They hurt his feelings when they said things they shouldn't have to the evil and wicked Wican of 12th Street (Kaffie Sledge). Before retreating into his shell, the redfaced Turtle says he's from Mississippi and he knows how to settle matters like this. The HomeBuilder, surprising everyone, suggests the old Firestone store on Macon Road as a site for a new administration building. "You can get your oil changed during board meetings," she says. The Prez (James Walker), who apparently wasn't listening, reopens the meeting in prayer, welcomes visitors and offers a free portable classroom to the first 25 people who can spell the word of the week: SPLOST. Finally, in an emotional moment, The Pope of Bartow (John Phillips) disregards the entire situation and reminds everyone that Columbus High's test scores are the best in town, that only players are allowed on the school's baseball field and closes by asking members if they have noticed his new suit.

Counting down

2008-01-11T10:29:00.000-05:00

Twenty-one ... including weekends.

Somebody shoot Daddy Warbucks

2008-01-10T10:11:00.000-05:00

Say it ain't so. Another stage presentation of "Annie" is coming to town. How many times, oh Lord? How many times? I believe hell will be spending eternity listening to some loud-mouthed little girl with a bad wig singing "Tomorrow."

Fast forward

2008-01-04T12:12:00.000-05:00

Next time I get caught going faster than 100 mph, I think I'll call the State Patrolman who stopped me before we go to court. No, I guess I shouldn't do that unless I happen to be a police officer myself.

Amateur hour

2007-12-31T10:41:00.000-05:00

All you party-poopers out there ... this is our night. We can leave our cocoons, put on our fancy duds and drink all we want to drink. It's New Years Eve, the night for us to frolic. We wear funny cardboard hats and we kiss anybody we want to kiss at midnight. We sip champagne ... bad champagne. We cheer the talents of Dick Clark and Ryan Secreast (That doesn't take long, does it?) We act goofy when the ball drops. We make resolutions none of us intend to keep.

You partiers look out. We'll be out there tonight, trying to look like we belong. Be kind. And if we nod off, wake us in time to celebrate.

Checking out and checking in

2007-12-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

Working got a little wispy on Christmas Eve. On duty in the newsroom were people who had gone to war together and survived, people who had watched their children grow together and taken their lumps as colleagues. We had mourned over lost friends and cried when we buried them. We had fun, and during bad times we stuck together. Colleagues become your friends and finally your family. You suffer when they suffer and celebrate when they're joyous.

We've done that at the Ledger-Enquirer for the 35 years I've been there. Now my clock is ticking. At a luncheon where we met our new publisher we also welcomed Kaffie Sledge into the 30 Year Club. While we ate something alleged to be chicken kiev, we looked over old issues of an inhouse newsletter, noticing how many of the faces in those pictures were gone.

Someone asked how many days I had until retirement. I had to tally them. As I write, there are 38 days, and that counts the holiday for New Years and the weekends. It is time I sorted through the collection of important junk on my desk, putting most of it in the trash and hording the rest, wondering where I'll put it if I take it home.

Holidays make us look back and look ahead. Retiring helps you accept the fact that there is less ahead than there is behind. I'll still write my column twice a week, but as Mark Rice pointed out I'll write from a different position. I won't be in the newsroom, a place I've spent two-thirds of my life. I've found a new place to perch that I call Richard Hyatt's Columbus, a Website where I'll take you behind the news and tell you why the stories occured.

I'm excited, scared and sad. This is the first time I've ever retired and nobody said it was easy. I felt excited, scared and sad when I arrived at the Ledger-Enquirer in 1972 and I feel the same way now.

Circles never stop, do they?

That's not Fair

2007-12-15T10:46:00.000-05:00

Sounds like the SOA Watch has replaced the old Chattahoochee Valley Fair as public safety's annual cash cow.

For years, police officers collected overtime pay or saved their vacation time so they could rack up extra money during the week of the Fair. Now we hear that the cost of security at the SOA Watch protest cost the city $147,302 this year with most of it going to pay for personnel.

Taxpayers may not like it and the duty can't be called fun. But for some of the police officers, sheriff's deputies and deputy marshalls, the extra money must come in handy around this time of the year.

Wonder if the Exchange Club has considered selling footlong hot dogs at the protest?

Who's counting?

2007-12-12T10:25:00.000-05:00

My eyes did a doubletake Tuesday night when the message board at Philips Arena celebrated the Hawks 40 years in Atlanta. That hit me hard because in another life I was the PR director of the city's new NBA club.

Then I saw John Darnall report to the scorer's table.

Darnall was one of my first hires on the stat crew way back when. And he is still there as the official scorer. He has missed only a couple of seasons since 1968. As for me, my regular season career in the NBA consisted of one game. I was the first Atlantan hired and the first to leave. I worked for the club in its early stages, including the pre-season. I set up press row for the first game against the Cincinnati Royals then, in a grand gesture, resigned to owner Tom Cousins the following afternoon — without another job.

My old friend has survived a multitude of administrations. Maybe that's why his hair is much more gray now. He's an accountant and the basketball job keeps him around a game we both learned to love at the Capitol View Baptist Church gymnasium — a building that was recently leveled.

Darnall introduced me to current PR Director Arthur Triche and told him I used to be him. And 480 months ago, that would have been correct.

Coach Sam, not Uncle Sam

2007-12-12T10:19:00.000-05:00

A contingent of Georgians weren't cheering for the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night. They were at Philips Arena to watch Sam Mitchell coach his Toronto Raptors to victory. Mitchell and former Columbus High teammate Marc Upshaw invited a bus load of people to the game to tell them more about the foundation they founded to help Columbus youth. It started with a summer basketball camp. Now it is spreading to a learning center at Wilson/Chase Apartments headed by former basketball coach and school administrator James Patrick. The final step will be a scholarship program. Mitchell, the NBA's Coach of the Year last season, played 13 years in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers.

Signing and learning

2007-12-11T11:02:00.000-05:00

Two book signings for "Home of the Infantry" made impressions on me.

At Barnes & Noble in Columbus, the table was shared with Ralph Puckett, an Army Ranger who has never really retired. He's considered an honorary colonel of the unit. As we were signing the Fort Benning book, young soldiers lined up to meet Puckett. One of them was studying for a test and he showed Puckett one of the questions. The answer to it was "Ralph Puckett." The soldier said he'd be sure to get that one right. To most of the young men, Puckett said "I'll be at your graduation on Dec. 20. See to it that you are there." It was as if these soldiers were his sons and they were family.

At a book club in Auburn on Monday, the hostess included three selections by a retired professor of piano at Auburn University. As she welcomed the guests and introduced the musician, she said music was appropriate to include at a book signing. Art, music and literature, she said, leads to peace.

Thanks to everyone who came and everyone who bought.

Own your own school

2007-12-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

Want to own your own school? This is your chance, though teachers aren't included. Neither are corn dogs to serve in your cafeteria.

You have a choice of two buildings. Both are in Columbus, Ga.

One is at 96 40th St. There are two buildings and the main one has three floors and 21,617 square feet. It includes a comfortable auditorium. The annex has 1,930 square feet. Take Second Avenue to Comer. Go right on 40th St. If you worked at the old Bibb Mill, you probably recognize this as the former Bibb Elementary School, where children in the mill village used to learn to read and write.

The second site includes four buildings on 11 acres on Benning Drive, in sight of Victory Drive. You will have 150,447 square feet, a gymnasium, an auditorium and a cafeteria. Rats come with the property. Maybe even a few vagrants. People who've been around the southside of Columbus know this is historic Baker High School — Newt Gingrich's alma mater.

The Muscogee County School District has put both properties on the market. Trey Carmack of Coldwell Banker Commercial is the agent. Better hurry. Offers are sure to come.

Buy both schools and you can build your own administration building.

Tickets at Carmike

2007-12-04T17:24:00.000-05:00

Read Brad Barnes' column in Tuesday's Ledger-Enquirer. He says Carmike Theaters is raising the price of its movie tickets in Columbus. The base-line price of $8.25 will go up to $9 a pop.

Maybe that means Carmike will be able to hire some people to clean up its theaters and more people to man their concession stands. If they don't do something, owner Mike Patrick ought to be forced to sleep on the sticky floors of his theaters.

Top Gun

2007-12-03T17:25:00.000-05:00

When some World War II planes stopped off at the airport in Columbus, Philip Wartena took this shot of me behind a machine gun. Getting in and out of the plane wasn't easy — because of size, not age. I assume the Air Force didn't issue any size 54 uniform jackets.

A gift everyone can use

2007-12-03T17:16:00.000-05:00

I will be signing my latest book — Home of the Infantry — Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Columbus. I'm not sure where the table will be set up but you should buy the book before getting it signed. Action begins at 2 p.m.

See you there.

A diet of egg and crow

2007-12-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit isn't the first reporter to find himself out on a limb that's ready to break.

Saturday morning, the member of the Game Day crew told the world that LSU head coach Les Miles was going to Michigan and that he was taking Georgia Tech assistant John Tenuta with him as defensive coordinator.

Two hours before the LSU-Tennessee SEC championship game, Miles said no, he was staying with the Tigers. Where that leaves Tenuta, currently Tech's interim coach, isn't clear. Miles is likely to need a defensive coordinator in Baton Rouge since Bo Pelini is said to be Nebraska's next head coach but that remains to be announced.

Confused? I've been confused this whole football season. But I do know how Herbstreit feels. I once reported that Johnny Majors was the new head coach at Georgia Tech — only he wasn't. To use a couple of old cliches, I had egg on my face and had to eat some crow.

Hope Kirk Herbstreit is ready for some egg and crow for that appears to be on his menu.

Thanksgiving Weekend Leftovers

2007-11-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

Down the hall, Georgia Tech's football team was putting away its gear after suffering their seventh straight loss to Georgia. The room was buzzing Saturday as reporters waited on Chan Gailey, the Yellow Jacket coach. As he walked in, someone turned down the volume. It was like we were paying our final respects, and as we learned Monday, we were.

Tech pulled the plug on Gailey Monday afternoon, and it will cost them more than $4 million. So now the search begins for a new coach — one that can beat Georgia and put fannies in the seats at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The UConn coach was supposed to be a prospect but the former Tech assistant got embarrassed down the stretch. Navy's Paul Johnson, former coach at Georgia Southern, is interesting but his offensive system might not be attractive to big-time prospects. The name of Hawaii's June Jones may come up since the former Falcon head coach still has connections in Atlanta. His offensive schemes are attractive, but can he win without a locker room filled with Samoans? Ken Whisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals would have been high on their list but the former Tech star probably won't be interested since he became a head coach in the NFL.

Because the Tech AD worked at LSU until two years ago, keep an eye on Bengal Tiger defensive coordinator Bo Pelini or former LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, now at FSU? Question is, would these guys come to Tech? If LSU's Les Myles goes to Michigan, Pelini might be a candidate there. He's already been mentioned for the Nebraska job. As for Fisher, surely he went to Florida State with some type of promise that he will succeed Bobby Bowden — if Papa Bowden ever retires. Fisher's successor at FSU, Gary Crowton, is the former head coach at BYU and a former Tech assistant. His name will also make the long list.

With jobs already open at Michigan, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Duke and Baylor, the weeks ahead will be lively. And the final dominoes haven't even fell.

For old times sake, I spent last Saturday in the press box for the Georgia Tech-Georgia clash. I first went to the press box at Tech when I was 21 years old with a head full of hair. Last time I was there I 45 years old, had less hair and had the title of sports editor.

Things had changed, as these scenes indicate:

Saw Larry Munson shuffle from the rest room back to the Bulldog broadcast booth. He was more feeble than I imagined.

Saw Furman Bisher of the AJC. I've read him since I was 6 or 7 years old. He's pushing 90 and still looked dapper and vital. Hard to believe I'm retiring and Bisher is still at it.

It's a computer world, all right. The press box at Tech has wi-fi, just like Publix and Starbucks.

Tech's pre-game cuisine has certainly improved. From cold pre-packaged sandwiches to Old Hickory House sandwiches to a barbecue buffet. For the sportswriter who is watching his weight — there must have been one or two of them — there was even a green salad. That was topped off with pizza at halftime. Two slices per writer, please.

Missed Kim King. When I was last there, the old quarterback, who still was known as the young lefthander, was assisting Al Ciraldo on the Tech radio team. Now both have passed away.

Vince Dooley seems to be recovering nicely from cancer surgery. He was in the press box with nothing to do but visit.

Memo to the Tech scoreboard operator: you spell it Pittsburgh, not Pittsburg. A reminder that they teach calculus at Tech, not spelling. (Wait a minute. Did I spell calculus right?)

Jack Wilkinson of the AJC, one of the nice guys in the press box, now writes for a Tech web site. He was one of the people who took a buyout last summer and was a talent the newspaper truly wasted.

Causey and effect

2007-11-20T11:49:00.000-05:00

What a finish in the Georgia Tech-Notre Dame basketball game on Monday. A long 3-pointer by Matt Causey with 2 seconds to play sealed the deal for the Yellow Jackets. What a great story it is to realize that two years ago Matt Causey was at Lumpkin Coliseum playing against Columbus State University. He and his brother had transferred to Dahlonega so they could play together at North Georgia. Matt was hyper and driven. He was all the court, talking to teammates, talking to referees, talking to opponents. And if nobody else would listen, he talked to himself. He was a talent though and fun to watch. Now, after sitting out a year as a walk-on, he is the point-guard by elimination. Others went to the NBA or got hurt, so Matt Causey is out there in a Tech uniform. Somebody finally listened to all his talking, I guess.

What about a sales tax?

2007-11-19T09:58:00.000-05:00

It appears Mayor Jim Wetherington is going to postpone a call for a new sales tax until May or June. This will put some time between the failure of the TAD in Columbus and the vote on the new 1 percent tax. This tax will go toward raises for public safety as well as road improvements. Public safety workers are expected to hit the streets in support the tax but only if it comes from the Mayor. They don't want council or the city manager to be out front — just Wetherington.

Hey Lee

2007-11-01T10:03:00.000-04:00

WRBL-TV is advertising a news segment that includes letters from Carlton Gary.

As I gather it, the convicted Stocking Strangler has become the station's pen pal. I'm surprised Carlton didn't write WTVM-TV and respond to one of those mesmerizing commentaries by Lee Brantley.

Candy didn't stand a ghost of a chance

2007-10-31T21:11:00.000-04:00

Columbus schools celebrated Halloween on Wednesday and one third grader was concerned.

"I don't do Halloween," she said after the teacher gave an assignment to look up words connected to the celebration.

Given something else to do, the child went back to her desk. It wasn't long before she pointed out the same thing to the teacher.

"I don't do Halloween," she repeated.

Then came time to hand out candy. And this time the little girl did Halloween.

Like Father, Like Son

2007-10-26T10:50:00.000-04:00

Check out the news on www.ledger-enquirer.com and read about a father and son in Phenix City, Ala., who showed up in court on the same day. A judge sent each of them to jail on sex charges. Guess this isn't what people mean when they talk about family values.

Buy Books — Not Bonds

2007-10-25T16:48:00.000-04:00

Proud to say that Home of the Infantry is now available in most fine book stores. It is a history of Fort Benning, the world's largest infantry training center and a piece of history near Columbus, Ga.

This is a book I'm very proud of. I was the co-author, joined by Peggy Stelplug, a teacher and dutiful researcher who devoted nearly 15 years to this project. The book, nearly 600 pages in length, tells a story and records the facts of history. It should be in your nearest Barnes & Noble.

Copies are also available at http://www.amazon.com

Good Old Rudy

2007-10-25T12:14:00.000-04:00

Reports claim former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was once a target of the mob.

I cant speak to that, but I do remember being at a pre 9-11 game at Yankee Stadium. It was Old Timers Day and the crowd was large and lively on a Saturday afternoon. Posted around the top of the stadium were armed members of the riot squad and waking through the stands were an unusually large number of police.

Then we found out why.

Down below us was the mayor — the same Giuliani who wants to be President.

As he went to his seat, fans booed and yelled at his honor. One boisterous fellow was given an escorted exit. People around us said it was because Giuliani was a confessed fan of he New York Mets.

Now I wonder.

Blogging and writing

2007-10-24T12:12:00.000-04:00

If you want to discuss writing and storytelling, visit my new blog at http://knowingwritefromwrong.blogspot.com

Boren is up in the air

2007-10-24T12:09:00.000-04:00

Saw where law enforcement in Columbus has a helicopter now. Couldn't help thinking of WKRP's Les Nessman and the way he pretended the radio station has a news copter by beating on his chest while he talked so it would sound like he was up in the air. Has Ricky Boren been doing this until now?

Autographs at the post office

2007-10-23T10:24:00.000-04:00

When the Milgen Road Post Office in Columbus, Ga., was renamed for the late Frank Lumpkin Jr. on Monday morning people were seeking autographs.

Of an 8-year-old.

Frank Lumpkin IV was asked to sign cancelled letters and he was very willing to apply his signature.

His grandfather was a generous but eccentric character who quietly supported good causes all over Columbus — especially if the people were Georgia Bulldog fans.

Sad Reminder

2007-10-17T10:39:00.000-04:00

Ken Burns' series on PBS made strong statements about World War II. It educated us and it reminded us. But Wednesday's obituary page in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer was its own sad reminder.

Side by side in unrelated deaths were two more veterans of that era and that war. One was an officer and one was a non-com. One was white and one was black. Both will receive full military honors more than 60 years after they served. Lt. Col. Gordon "Mac" McGough, 85, will be buried Friday at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery. SFC Jesse "Big Hawk" Hawkins, 84, will be laid to rest Thursday at Fort Benning's Main Post Cemetery.

Buddy Holley in Columbus....That'll be the day

2007-10-03T16:49:00.000-04:00

On my way to look up something else, I discovered that Buddy Holley and the Crickets once played in Columbus. The note said they came here on Sept. 23, 1957 and that they played at the new Municipal Auditorium. Hard to believe that old dump was ever new, isn't it? Wonder who else performed here?

Who was that unmasked man?

2007-09-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

If you happen to be at the Columbus Museum, check out the display on your way into the World War II section. Inside the display is a movie poster from "The Phenix City Story." A scene from the movie is depicted and in that photo is a smiling soldier in the middle of a crowd. The soldier is a very young Bill Bowick, now a retired Columbus broadcaster. Bill can also be seen in the very campy film, portraying a GI sitting around the bar as Meg Myles laments her case of "The Phenix City Blues."

Hey fellows, there's a game going on

2007-09-15T09:54:00.000-04:00

If those announcers at Troy's impressive victory over Oklahoma State Friday night didn't want to be in Troy, ESPN should have sent them somebody else.

By the time I tuned in, the Trojans had the game under control and Sean McDonough and Chris Spielman had ESPN analyst Todd Blackledge on the phone talking about a game he was calling on Saturday. A football game was being played on the field below them and they could have cared less.

When they resorted to discussing Curt Schilling's bloody sock for 3 or 4 minutes I almost went through the screen. Guess being in Troy, Ala. was beneath them for they searched for anything to talk about instead of the football game they were being paid to cover.

Zzzzzzz

2007-09-12T15:27:00.001-04:00

Somebody was asleep at the switch. The Muscogee County School Board should have thought about asking for legal fees in the library/park suit. Their snoring is costing taxpayers a lot of cash.

Where's Emily Post?

2007-08-30T12:48:00.000-04:00

Emily Post used to tell us what fork to use and when to say excuse me. Now, when we need her to tell us the proper ettiquite for cell phones, she's not to be heard. Guess it's up to you and me. So tell me what is proper and what is not when it comes to our wireless connections?

Should we talk in public places?

Should we use Bluetooth and make people think we're talking to ourselves?

Should we use the Walkie-Talkie mode when we're around others?

What about those personalized ring tones? Do they annoy you as much as they annoy me?

What do you think about people who take a call in the middle of your conversation with them?

Tell me what you think. You may see your comments in a future column in the Ledger-Enquirer — once I get back from vacation anyway.

Vicktimized

2007-08-21T22:19:00.001-04:00

You gotta love those New York tabloids. Their headlines on Michael Vick's fall were priceless. "Con Vick" was one. Michael has received a "Dog Pounding" another said.

Well Groomed

2007-08-20T23:12:00.000-04:00

Maybe the rest of you already knew this but nobody told me that Groome Transportation has started leaving for the Atlanta Airport at 15 minutes before the hour instead of the top of the hour. I almost missed my ride because I got there at what I thought was 10 minutes early only to have some old fellow who still thought he was an Army sergeant inform me that he was three minutes late already. Course, he made up for it by flying low on his way to Atlanta. That's why it is best to take a nap on the way so you don't see how fast those drivers are going.

Frankly speaking

2007-08-13T16:03:00.000-04:00

Frank Brown is retiring. He's been president of Columbus State University since 1988 and under his calm leadership so much has happened. As a member of the Class of 1988, I wish him well.

And whatever became of Francis Brooke?

What Theater?

2007-08-10T20:17:00.000-04:00

Checking on tickets for a movie tonight I found that the Fandango site still lists a theater at Columbus Square. First, there is no Columbus Square. Second, the theater is boarded up, though the inside is probably no worse today than it was when it was opened.

Mexican Meals

2007-08-10T15:36:00.000-04:00

Mexican food was once a novelty in these parts. Back in the day, Pancho's Little Mexico was the only known spot. Asian restaurants were in short supply too. There was Madame Butterfly's and litle else Now there are almost as many Mexican restaurants in the Columbus area as there are barbecue joints. And those Chinese buffets are on every corner where there isn't an Eckerd's, Wallgreen's or CVS.

Despite the newfound diversity, we still don't have a place where we can get some good Egyptian cooking.

Crime Coverage

2007-08-08T14:03:00.000-04:00

There have been times over the years that the Chamber of Commerce has wished the Ledger-Enquirer would shut up about crime. Now people hint that the newspaper doesn't provide enough crime news. What do you think? Do you want more or do you want less?

Lettuce hope for more

2007-07-24T11:26:00.000-04:00

A salad bar without lettuce is like a day without sunshine, or something like that.

Went to Jason's Deli on Monday night. Wanted chicken pot pie and their usually outstanding salad bar. Oooops. They're out of chicken pot pie. Switched to red beans & rice with their usually outstanding salad bar. Paid our bill, picked up our salad bowls and walked to their usually outstanding salad bar.

Soggy lettuce was on the salad bar so I put some in my bowl. The woman behind me asked a worker about more lettuce. The attendent, who spoke little English, said no more lettuce. Mentioned the problem to someone behind the counter and he didn't give a damn. Started down the row and other containers were empty. Got to the other side and Kaye told me the attendent said no more raisins and no more cheese. Course if you asked that woman if she was an alien she would have said no more alien.

Told the manager of the problem and he seemed to care less. Suggested to him that if they were going to be open they ought to have food. Added that they ought to employ people that speak English since most of his customers speak that language. Asked for my $17.05 back and left my half-full bowl of salad sitting by the register. Felt good on the way out.

Went to Smokey Bones. Enjoyed the food. They had everything as advertised on the menu. The bill, including tip, was about $19.00 more than that place with the usually outstanding salad bar. But it was worth it to have a waitress who spoke the same language I did and to be able to eat what I ordered.

2007-07-23T18:13:00.000-04:00

The grandfather of Columbus State University pitcher Bryan Kilgore also died a tragic death.

Guy Kilgore was manager of the Columbus Airport in 1973. He piloted a plane that took Mayor J.R. Allen and his bodyguard Jack Boone to Rome, Ga. for a speaking engagement. On their way back, the plane crashed and all three men were killed. Guy Kilgore was the brother of Don Kilgore, later the coroner of Muscogee County.

Julio down in the schoolyard

2007-07-20T10:38:00.000-04:00

Glad Julio Franco's back with the Atlanta Braves.

It's good to see someone as old as I am playing ball.

Housecleaning at the Movies

2007-07-19T22:37:00.000-04:00

Does Carmike Theaters own a mop or a broom?

Their theaters are so filthy and slimy they make you want to hose down after leaving a movie. Peachtree is following the same direction as Columbus Square and the one next to the Sheraton. They're both shabby, but the showplace at Columbus Park Crossing isn't much better.

Too bad we have a monopoly. If there was some competition in town this wouldn't happen.

To the Extreme

2007-07-16T14:23:00.000-04:00

After seeing Cindy Sheehan and her crowd bicker with the anti-Cindy folks on Saturday, I'm not sure which side I'd choose if I was shopping around for a group to join. Both live on the edge, and both extremes are rude and single-minded. Most of us are more comfortable somewhere in the middle.

library site

2007-07-11T10:26:00.000-04:00

If you've followed the soap opera that is the library site in Columbus, I'll have a column on Friday that will throw another idea into the pile.

The Line

2007-07-09T11:37:00.000-04:00

Mendoza wasn't supposed to hit. Andruw is. He's creeped above the magic mark but we still should start thinking of .200 as the Andruw Line.

A Chipper off the old block

2007-07-06T11:25:00.000-04:00

Watching the Braves on Thursday, I saw Jeff Francoeur come back to the dugout after hitting a home run. As usual, he was beaming. He sat down on the bench next to this older player that I realized was Chipper Jones.

When did Chipper get so old?

He didn't look that way when he played for the Macon Braves.

Library Cards

2007-06-19T11:43:00.000-04:00

So Columbus Council has kicked the SPLOST issue back to the Library Board for a third time. I wonder how often anyone on either of those panels uses the library. Same for the Muscogee County School Board. Come to think of it, I wonder if they all have library cards. They're not worried about whether we have a first class public library. They're worried about their own agendas.

Just checking. . . .

2007-06-18T10:40:00.000-04:00

Visiting the main library in Columbus I went to the window to see how things outside looked. As I suspected. It looks worse out there than last time. I'll buy the dynamite if someone will just do away with the Sears building. Oh, and don't forget those theaters that Carmike allowed to get dilapidated while they were pretending to show films there.

Nick's Deal

2007-06-14T09:37:00.000-04:00

Nick Saban and Alabama have finally finalized his contract. I didn't know football coaches had contracts. What's really confusing is the idea that day before yesterday they could have reached a stalemate and Saban would have gone back to the Miami Dolphins. There's about as much chance of that happening as there is me growing hair.

YAWN!!!!

2007-06-14T09:35:00.000-04:00

Did I sleep through something important? You mean Dale Earnhardt is dead? So how's Cale Yarborough doing this year?

A pat on the back for me

2007-05-22T11:23:00.001-04:00

I'm getting better. I'm able to make it past Golden's or Krispy Kreme without stopping — even when the HOT sign is flashing. Pretty soon, I won't even slow down.

Memories of Mortar

2007-05-18T23:25:00.000-04:00

Atlanta is planning to tear down its Civic Center, just like it tore down Atlanta Stadium, The Omni, the City Auditorium and Ponce de Leon Ballpark. It's the same everywhere. Since I've lived in Columbus we've demolished the Municipal Auditorium and the Three Arts Theater while building the Civic Center and the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.

These venues represent our past. I graduated from high school in Atlanta's auditorium and saw my first live music there. I was an usher for the first game at Atlanta Stadium, saw the Beatles perform on a stage near second base and watched them blow it up 10 years ago. I went to a press conference on the floor of the Omni while the building was just a shell and watched the Atlanta Flames play their first hockey game there. I cut my teeth on sports at Poncey with the Atlanta Crackers and still get nostalgic when I drive past the site and see that old Magnolia tree that used to stand in centerfield. At Atlanta's Civic Center, I sat on the front row (next to Ted Turner) while Richard Harris performed in "Camelot."

I have memories of the old venues in Columbus too. I spent my first night in Columbus watching Columbus State play basketball at the Municipal Auditorium and I heard everyone from Willie Nelson to Greg Allman to Hank Jr. sing their songs there. I enjoyed the Righteous Brothers and Tony Bennett among others at the Three Arts.

I enjoyed these places when I was young and I made lots of memories in them. But I don't miss them.

Questions about gas

2007-05-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

Driving home from work on Thursday was an adventure. I was low on gas and looking for service. First it was $3.03 a gallon. Then $2.99. Finally I was able to fill up for $2.89 a gallon. How long, oh Lord?

Simon or Vince?

2007-05-17T18:30:00.000-04:00

Who's calling the shots at American Idol, Simon Cowell or Vince McMahon?

Watching the travesty that is American Idol on Wednesday, we found that Melinda Doolittle, the most acclaimed singer all season long, was going home. The giant with the curls and the human beatbox were going to the finals.

Looks like the WWE is real and American Idol is fake.

No habla

2007-05-15T09:20:00.000-04:00

Sitting in a Mexican restaurant Monday evening, I saw several minutes of "Univision," the Hispanic cable station.

I left with this question: What is the Spanish word for cleavage?

Sonny Day

2007-05-14T14:21:00.000-04:00

Despite a message that came across the Columbus police scanner, Sonny Perdue is in Atlanta and he's okay.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

2007-05-14T14:02:00.000-04:00

Woke up Saturday morning in Macon to a smoky haze that just arrived from Waycross. Eyes hurt. Noses dripped. It wasn't pleasant, even that far away. Those fires burning near the swamps of Ware County are affecting more than the alligators.

Interstates are closed and highways are clogged. Smoke is creating havoc. So when Kaye left Columbus Monday for an emergency trip to Jacksonville, I was concerned. I checked the Georgia DOT website and it was helpful and up to date, telling us about I-75 in Georgia. Problem is, after Lake City, you're in Florida on I-10. We needed to check road closings there.

My logic was that Florida, a state that depends on tourists, tourism and the Wonderful World of Disney, would be more helpful than Georgia's. Truth is, Florida's sites were strictly Mickey Mouse. If you wanted to know about Orlando and Disneyworld, there's info. About the northern part of the state, it was nil.

When you clicked the Florida-Georgia link on the Florida site, it sent you to the Georgia listing. If you clicked on the Florida-Alabama link, it took you to the Alabama site. The State of Florida is behind the times. Looks to me like Tallahassee ought to be having a fire sale.

A Different Night

2007-05-10T10:26:00.000-04:00

(To learn more about Carson Hand, read my Friday column at www.ledger-enquirer.com)

Two years ago, Carson Hand was on the stage of the RiverCenter with the Northside High School Orchestra for the Ledger-Enquirer's Page One Awards. He was in pain, sometimes doubled over between songs. By the next day, he was hospitalized. The diagnosis eventually was a cancerous tumor.

For a prolonged period, he underwent treatment. His floppy hair fell out so Phil, his Dad, shaved his head too. I did an article on Carson and came away uplifted rather than sad. He was that kind of young man. Since then, he has been a busy fellow, even speaking to the school board asking grownups to build Northside an auditorium they deserved.

Wednesday, Carson Hand was again on the stage of the RiverCenter. It was time for the 2007 Page One Awards. This time, he stood tall as a nominee in the category of Citizenship. He had a nice head of hair. There was no pain, just smiles.

Carson Hand didn't take home an award, but seeing him there rewarded the rest of us.

Forum on race

2007-05-09T15:49:00.000-04:00

Mark your calendar and come to the Ledger-Enquirer's forum on race on May 16 from 8:30 am to 11 am. We'll have the coffee going by 8 am. It will be at Columbus State University's Cunningham Center. Bring your opinions and feelings with you when you come.

Just Do It!!!

2007-05-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

Memo to all sides in the library-park issue: Do something!!! Now!!!

The more I visit the main library in Columbus, the sicker I am of seeing that dump that used to be Sears, the weeds in the parking lot and the rundown theaters in the back. While all of you are enjoying the sound of your voice, the area around our public library is a public eyesore.

Tuxedo Junction

2007-05-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

Time for another Page One Award ceremony, No. 32 I am told. A night that is memorable for the high school seniors who earn the awards and profitable for the shop that rents the Ledger-Enquirer all those tuxedoes.

I am the ringmaster. During the portion of the program where the nominees introduce themselves, I keep things moving. This has been my assignment for about 29 of the 32 ceremonies. I'm the fool standing behind the podium at the corner of the stage while everyone watches the young people at the microphone. Most of the nominees are nervous. They just mumble their name and school then line up at the edge of the stage. But watch for the kids in art. There is usually a wild card here that does something a bit outrageous.

The Page One Awards have a history. Some of the early winners have returned as judges. Some of the winners have passed away. Some of the people on stage have outgrown their tuxedoes. I miss Jack Swift, a former colleague and editor. The two of us enjoyed surprising folks by showing up in unusual shirts or ties. I usually won. Jack's been dead for 17 years but tonight I'll keep alive our game by with a hot-pink tie and cumberbund.

Come to the RiverCenter Wednesday at 7:30 pm. Not for the hot-pink bowtie but because of the 184 talented students that make us proud.

Don't cross me, I warn you

2007-05-07T13:54:00.000-04:00

If I appear cranky, it's because I am. This is the first day of a diet and I lust for food.

A Rose is a Rose

2007-05-04T11:11:00.000-04:00

Those who remember the years of the Stocking Strangler in Columbus would be surprised at the academic atomosphere of author David Rose's presentation Thursday night at the library. Those were the years we put up burglar bars, outside lights and deadbolt locks. Those were the years we shivered when we heard a siren.

Rose, a British journalist, has written "The Big Eddy Club," a book about the stranglings and convicted killer Carlton Gary. Whatever your point of view, it's an interesting read. And it will make you think. When I heard Rose and local historian Billy Winn were speaking, I smelled fireworks. I thought the Q&A would be full of landmines. But it wasn't. It was a civil, attentive crowd. Rose talked his book. Billy talked about local lynchings and the slaying of Dr. Thomas Brewer downtown. It was not a night the Chamber of Commerce would enjoy.

You'll hear opinions of Rose's book and his conclusions around town. But read the book for yourself. You'll get a new snapshot of our town.

What's Up?

2007-05-02T07:29:00.000-04:00

What's up when the only magazine that comes in the mail and the only membership card in your wallet is AARP?

What's up when you gather for a reunion with old friends and you talk about your latest colonostomy?

What's up when friends call you to update you on being cancer free?

What's up when you no longer have to tell barbers what to do with the hair on the top?

What's up when you know the words to the songs on the oldies station?

What's up.....you tell me.

Shamless Promotion

2007-04-30T09:38:00.000-04:00

And now, a word from our sponsor.

Yes, this promotion is shameless. But for those of you interested in reading (and owning) a copy of my book on the history of the Country Club of Columbus, it will be available in a few weeks. "Reflections on the Past," covers more than just the country club or golf. In many ways, it is a look at Columbus and its people. More details later, but if you're interested, you can e-mail me here. And for those of you looking ahead, my history of Fort Benning hits the bookstores in September.

We return to our regular programming.

Feedback

2007-04-29T23:51:00.000-04:00

If you read my series on race relations in the Ledger-Enquirer, let me know what you think and what you feel.

Mel Overdose

2007-04-29T12:12:00.000-04:00

If the Ten Commandments were rewritten and the "Thou shall not kill" law was repealed, I would have to put Mel Kiper Jr. first on my list.

Watch the NFL draft. You'll agree.

Late assignments

2007-04-27T09:43:00.000-04:00

You don't have to tell me. I haven't been keeping up my blog or my columns. For several months, I've been consummed by the researching and writing of a monumental series on race relations in Columbus. It starts Sunday and runs for eight days. I'm breaking a rule I was taught years and years ago. The series is starting and I'm still finishing. The idea is, you don't publish what isn't finished because something could happen. I could be hit by a truck or something and the conclusion would be like a dangling particple. This time, the real danger is that I will be totally burned out. In two months, I have written the equivalent of a book.

Read it. You'll see. That is if I finish it.

Was it lunch or dinner?

2007-04-24T21:40:00.000-04:00

What an adventure Sunday was. It seemed so simple. Pick our favorite spot for lunch then eat. We started downtown at a regular stop. Only they closed at 1:30 pm for a private party — and it wasn't us.

From there, we went to Midtown, ready to enjoy some soulful veggies. We got our drinks then gave our orders. A few minutes later, the waiter informed both of us that they were out of our entrees. We made alternate selections then waited.

And waited.

Finally a server brought two plates to our table. One looked like mine but the other one didn't look like Kaye's. We sent them back. And waited.

And waited.

By this time, we were out of tea and lemonade. Hopefully they'll bring a refill. So we waited.

And waited.

That's when we said our goodbyes and left.

On to Country's where we ordered fried chicken. And got it.

Oh well. At least we weren't very hungry at dinner time.

How Sweet

2007-04-19T09:41:00.000-04:00

Since Larry Birkhead says he has no hard feelings toward Howard K. Stern, maybe Larry can ask Howie to babysit for Anna Nicole's little one sometime. (Just don't let him give her her meds)

Question!!!

2007-04-18T20:16:00.000-04:00

Should NBC have aired the video and other materials from the Virginia Tech shooter?

A Tough Job But Someone Has To Do It

2007-04-18T10:04:00.000-04:00

Memorial services and funerals are not a reporter's favorite assignment. In a hundred years on the job, I have had more than my share.

The most recent one was Tuesday night in Pine Mountain. The memorial was for Jamie Bishop, a bright kid from Harris County who ended up dead in the German class he was teaching at Virginia Tech. He was one of 32.

Parking near the church in Pine Mountain, I remembered one of the things I like least about such moments. Taking up some of the choice parking places at First Methodist were a horde of live TV trucks from Columbus and Atlanta. Local people, some of them elderly, had to park and walk to their own church. Rude cameramen and reporters blocked the sidewalk and the street trying to grab people for interviews. A cadre of news people set up camp across the street from the church, waiting to be fed.

I did what I always do. I took off my press badge and pretended I didn't know any of the reporters. That wasn't a ploy. At that moment, I wish I hadn't known them. I went inside. I sang along on "Amazing Grace" and was reverent when they prayed. I listened to the minister make light of the reporters outside. I didn't have to make an ass of myself to do my job.

I could be a real person. Because I am.

Another strange day

2007-04-16T18:50:00.000-04:00

Back in the day, horrific events like the one Monday at Virginia Tech were novelties. I'm afraid they are chalked up as routine by today's generation. Why shouldn't young people feel that way? Look at all they have survived in their short lives.

Death ain't no big deal, to steal the title of a gospel song. And until it's a big deal again, God help us.

A Day for Pacman

2007-04-15T13:34:00.000-04:00

Older commentators are honoring Jackie Robinson today.

But who do you think is a bigger hero to our youth...Jackie Robinson or Pacman Jones.

I think we know the answer, don't we?

What if the light is flashing at Krispy-Kreme?

2007-04-14T11:09:00.000-04:00

My car is worse than I am. If I am out for a drive and we pass Krispy-Kreme or Golden's Donut shop and that HOT light is flashing, my Honda turns into the lot whether I want it to or not.

You know what's next. Before I know it I am gorging on glazed donuts. My chest is covered with sparkles of sugar. I am reaching for my wallet to see if I can afford some more.

What can I do?

Can someone offer me some advice before I overdose?

Snoop in the Morning

2007-04-12T20:32:00.000-04:00

What's the difference between Snoop Dog and Don Imus?

They use the same kind of language, don't they?

A Moment of Silent Confusion

2007-04-12T20:27:00.000-04:00

I'm confused.

Officials decided students in school could have a moment of silence every morning instead of saying the Lord's Prayer.

Now officials have decided to create a high school course in Bible Studies so students will be able to study King James.

Did I miss something?

Help me if you can

2007-04-05T12:44:00.000-04:00

I'm still seeking anecdotes or opinions regarding race relations in Columbus, Ga.

Please share your experiences or memories with me at rhyatt@ledger-enquirer.com

My series begins in the newspaper on April 22. It will continue for 6-8 days.

Do they come with Air Conditioning?

2007-04-04T20:19:00.000-04:00

Folks in Peachtree City are right.

With the price of gasoline up to $2.62 a gallon, the idea of using a golf cart for transportation seems better every day.

A Penny for Your Burger

2007-03-31T13:15:00.000-04:00

Call me a hard-hearted person who left my compassion at home, but I am tired of being panhandled.

It happened this week at a gas pump on Veterans Parkway. My mind was somewhere else while I was putting gas in my Honda. My back was turned to the road when I was brought back to reality by the sound of a man's voice behind me, begging for money. When I said not today, he mumbled something under his breath and walked away. I checked over my shoulder to be sure he kept walking.

Was he homeless and down on his luck? Was he a junkie or a drunk? Was he mentally ill? I don't know. He didn't tell me his story and I didn't come to the Spectrum to hear it either. I am not one of those people who would tell him to go get a job. I know circumstances in our lives sometimes alter the course we've planned to follow. I know there are people out there on the street who never intended to be there.

And yes, I know it could be you or me.

It's callous, but I did not pull into that service station looking for someone to help. I was in my space and I don't appreciate it being invaded. Sometimes it's even intimidating. I feel the same way when someone forces me to participate in a conversation on their cell phone.

Just as it was during the years of the Great Depression, pandhandling is something we face, just as soup kitchens and flop houses are part of our daily lives. But while some call me their token liberal friend, I am not so liberal that I think I can save the world with a single dollar bill. I can hardly buy a guy a hamburger for a buck. The stakes are up to a 99 cent burger plus tax.

Streets around Georgia's State Capitol are prime territory for people bumming money. You run a maze of them to get to the Gold Dome. Two or three years ago, one of the more inventive ones had staked out his own personal corner in the area. He wasn't pushy. He was courteous and upbeat when he smiled and said good morning. One day, he caught me off guard. He said his good morning, then explained that it was his birthday and that he wasn't going to be able to celebrate out there on the streets without some help.

Ah, it's birthday, I thought.

I pushed a $5 dollar bill into his hand and wished him a happy birthday. You would have thought I had made a friend for life. He thanked me and offered me his hand. He told me I had made it a happy birthday for him then he asked God to bless me. I felt like I had done my good deed for the day. I felt good.

Next morning. Same corner. Same fellow. Same smile.

Apparently I wasn't such a close friend after all. He told me good morning. Then he said it was his birthday.

Abe Lincoln never left my pocket.

A Mark for Vince

2007-03-29T17:10:00.000-04:00

Wrestling's real. It's NASCAR that's fake.

How could I not talk about wrestling this week. The Final Four is this weekend but so is Wrestlemania 23, the biggest night in sports entertainment. The pay-for-view event is Sunday and, for those of you who aren't informed, Vince McMahon is putting his hair on the line against Donald Trump's mane. How could you pass up such an event?

For several years a group of us got together every year for Wrestlemania. We started in Columbus but as some folks scattered we convened in Washington, DC, Nashville and Lexington, Ky. It was a time to eat, to drink and to smell what the Rock was cooking. Mainly it was fun.

Sometimes, when I'm in a social setting, I am quiet about my attraction to wrestling. I hide it, just like I avoid admitting I watch American Idol. Then I see something like this week's ratings of Cable TV. Monday Night Raw, the WWE flagship show, is both No. 1 and No. 6 among the most watched shows on Cable. The 10 pm hour of Raw is No. 1 and the opening hour is No. 6. More than 3 million people tune in for each hour.

So I am not alone. There are others who love a good promo, a creative catch phrase or a good angle between the wrestlers. There are others that like a twist on the old hair match by pitting a couple of billionaires like Mr. McMahon and The Donald. There are others that remember when Rick Flair was young.

So bring on the wrestlers. And you can keep Dale Jr.

Chicken Soup for an Aging Patient

2007-03-26T23:33:00.000-04:00

I can't speak for the rest of you, but being sick doesn't bring out the best in me.

For much of the weekend, I was too ill to get out of bed for NCAA basketball. My March wasn't mad, just squemish. I won't go into the details but you've been there yourself. Sort of a morning-after without any booze.

I revert back to childhood, when a sick stomach meant "soda crackers" (that's Saltines in modern language), ginger ale and chicken noodle soup (Campbell's in a can, preferably).

No other time in the year do I think about such a diet. But there I was Saturday and Sunday, sipping and chewing. And I can't stand substitutes either. Don't bring me a Sprite and expect me to be happy.

As I lay there with a cool cloth on my brow, I remembered days gone by. Oh, for the chance to miss just one more day of school. Especially if there was a test!!

Dreaming of Dreamland

2007-03-23T13:27:00.000-04:00

Why did it take so long for me to get to Dreamland?

For years, I heard about the ribs served at this barbecue joint near the campus of the University of Alabama. As a person who holds a Ph.d in Barbecue Science, I was skeptical. Were they really that good? Back in the day, Chuck Williams -- a colleague at the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer who sweared by Dreamland -- said he was going to bring back a rack so I could sample them.

Those poor ribs never made it to Georgia. Chuck probably finished the entire rack by the time he got to the Tuscaloosa city limits. There were bones all over his backseat.

Dreamland has expanded to Birmingham and Huntsville so recently I stopped in at the one in Huntsville. Let me tell you, those ribs are better than advertised. So good they need to hose you down on the way out to remove all the sauce on your body.

No wonder Bear Bryant stayed in Tuscaloosa so long.

Radio Daze

2007-03-21T11:26:00.000-04:00

A newspaper column I wrote Wednesday (www.ledger-enquirer.com) about the death of radio old-timer Ben Parsons, inspired Nolan Murrah of Columbus to respond with a memory of Columbus Past:

I must say that you omitted one personality who entered the music scene my senior year at Columbus High School - Daddy Jule on WPNX. The number one records on the Hit Parade that year - 1952 - were "Cry" by Johnny Ray and "Harbor Lights" as I recall but Daddy Jule introduced us to a new kind of music on a black and red label - Atlantic Records. The lyrics to the love songs were not "If your sweetheart sends a letter of goodbye, it's no secret you'll feel better if you cry." They now became "Lookahere Saphronia, Have you got a dollar onya in the state of Califawnya, This I wanna know - I wanna little girl to be all mine in the winter time." And we loved it. And Daddy Jule mixed in a little off color humor like, "I believe in real estate - you ought to get a lot while you're young" - and we snickered and wondered how he could stay on the air with that obscenity - little did we know in the 50's what we were in for.

Nolan Murrah was remembering Columbus radio when he was in high school but most folks over a certain age remember their own special places on the dial.

My stations - AM, of course - were in Atlanta. They covered various genres and various generations. From gospel music at WCON to standards at WGST to rock at WQXI. We remember more than the stations. More than that, we remember the DJs that were on the air while we were growing up.

I remembered a host of them the other day when the brand new Georgia Radio Hall of Fame announced its first inductees. You can access the hall of fame at www.garhof.com

* There was Hank Morgan, "Hank the Prank," a crazy jock on WQXI and later the voice of the Atlanta Crackers. ("I'll tell you one thing: WOW!" was his catch phrase for home runs.)

* There was Patrick Aloysius Hughes, a WQXI personality that introduced me to bands like Ronnie Milsap and Mac Davis & the Zots.

* There was Bob McKee of WAOK, who had a teen club called "McKee's Beat" that was our first brush with nightlife.

* Then there was Skinny Bobby Harper. He moved around the dial because of off-color remarks that we loved. Skinny Bobby used to make early-morning phone calls to people in the news. When I wrote a front-page story in the Atlanta Constitution that said Johnny Majors WAS the new football coach at Georgia Tech, Harper called Mrs. Majors in Iowa and said he was with an Atlanta moving company that wanted their business. She hung up on him. Majors never came to Tech and Harper said the guy who wrote the story wouldn't be around long.

In 365 days, Harper laughed and wondered whatever happened to Richard Hyatt. I called him from Columbus and said I was the sports editor there. Next morning, he said that I had proved his point. After writing that incorrect story I had been banished to Columbus, Ga.

Will today's listeners have memories of radio when they get older? I wonder.

Losing an Old Friend

2007-03-20T00:24:00.000-04:00

I learned to read so I could read the sports pages of the Atlanta Constitution and find out what the Atlanta Crackers had done the night before.

That's where I discovered Furman Bisher. Early on, I decided he had a great job and even then I knew he could write better than the other guys. I'd see him climb to the press box at Ponce de Leon Park in Atlanta and I knew then that one day I'd be up there too. When Bisher moved to the afternoon Journal, I begged my family to take both papers so I wouldn't miss his columns. I knew all the writers' names. I'd see them on a Sunday TV show where reporters talked about the games they had seen on Saturday afternoon and wished I had been there too. I didn't have to be. Those reporters were my eyes and ears.

That was a long time ago. More than half a century has passed. Eventually I did climb up to that press box at Ponce de Leon Park. I covered a semi-pro football game for the Atlanta Times just so I could sit up there. Later on, I was a member of the Constitution sports staff, working with the guys I used to read.

Through it all, I've read the Atlanta newspapers. They been part of my day, even after moving to Columbus 34 years ago. Bisher is still there too, in his late 80s and still turning out prose. He's a hero of mine. When I grow up I want to be like Furman.

It feels strange that this is the last week I'll be able to put coins in a slot and buy a copy of the AJC. Modern realities have made them rethink the trucks that deliver papers to Muscogee County and other parts of Georgia. It's a fact of life, but one that hits me in the gut. Another newspaper pays my bills, but the AJC has always been there, like an old friend.

I sat in Barnes & Noble Sunday reading the Sunday AJC. In 50 years, we haven't missed many Sundays together. I remember the first time I had a story on the front page of that Sunday sports section. I remember my first byline on a college football game: Memphis State at Ole Miss with Archie Manning at quarterback. I remember many things that were important in my life.

This Sunday, I'll enjoy a cup of coffee with the AJC for the final time here at home. I'll think about Furman Bisher, Jim Minter, Mickey McCarthy, Hal Hayes, Jesse Outlar, Charlie Roberts, Terry Kay, Bill Clark, Lee Walburn, Bill Robinson, John Logue and all the bylines that became friends and colleagues.

I'm gonna miss them.

Voices from the Past

2007-03-18T12:31:00.000-04:00

As much as I look forward to the NCAA Basketball Tournament each March, I despise two of its voices.

Billy Packer and Bill Rafferty just plain get on my nerves.

Packer, who was a basketball player before sneakers were invented, offers constant opinions. Mainly he talks. And talks. And talks. Rafferty is almost as bad but it is that growl of his I have come to loathe. (By the way, who is Bill Rafferty?)

With all of the contemporary commentators there are, why do we have to hear those two fossils on the most of the big games? Give us Jay Bilas or Mike Griminski or Larry Conley. Give the other two their gold watches and let them boar old folks in a Home for Outdated Announcers.

Al McGuire, we still miss you!

Why can't we ferget?

2007-03-16T09:09:00.000-04:00

I'm southern.

I talk like one. I eat like one, even grits. I was born like one. I know all the words to "Dixie." And by the time I was 12 I had read "Gone With the Wind" more than once.

But I still don't understand all this Confederate stuff.

A Georgia State Senator has introduced legislation that would set aside a month to honor the Confederacy. He wants it taught in our public schools and I suppose he wants us send a birthday card to Jefferson Davis. No, make that Robert E. Lee.

Sen. Jeff Mullis makes it sound as if this is history for the sake of history. It is a sheer coincidence that the General Assembly is sitting on a bill that calls for an apology for slavery.

To quote that noted Civil War historian Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?

Look at the Barnes & Noble shelves. Notice all the books on Civil War history. Every skirmish is replayed in print. Every general is profiled. There are books that wonder what it would have been like if the South had won the war and others that explain why it didn't.

We have a museum here in Columbus that honors the Confederate navy. Pretty soon we'll have one for the old gray quartermasters. In bars, people stand with lighters held high and hands over their hearts while the band plays "Dixie." The Stars and Bars sometimes seem more important than the Stars & Stripes. It is a war that won't quit and after nearly 150 years, won't go away.

Lee and Grant shook hands. Why can't we?

This episode playing out in at the state capitol is a throwback to 1956 when Georgia legislators created a state flag that was supposed to be an answer to the Supreme Court and its decision to desegregate our schools. It was anger, not history. That also created an undying issue. Just look at our flag today.

I really don't understand the theory of apology either. Whose soul is going to be cleansed by an "I'm sorry." Several years ago, I was there at the White House when Bill Clinton apologized to the survivors of the Tuskegee Syphillis project. I watched the faces of these old men as the president talked with them. I saw their tears. I saw their relief. But that apology was more than symbolism. It was face to face, heart to heart.

We can't do that with the Civil War. That war is over. Or is it?