The circus continues. Aren't we proud and hopeful that this time the results will be different. Insanity anyone?
Nose to nose and shouting threats and profanities, two Augusta Coliseum Authority members seemed on the verge of fisticuffs during a closed meeting Friday.
Richard Isdell told Willie Law that members like him are causing all the trouble with the authority and that "I'll bring you down!"
Mr. Isdell called him a profane slang for excrement. Mr. Law said that, no, he's the profane slang for excrement.
Afterward, the two shook hands and told each other it was nothing personal. The men also apologized to those who witnessed the spat.
"That's never happened before," Mr. Law said. "I've got nothing against Richard."
Mr. Isdell said he has nothing against Mr. Law, but he doesn't like what he stands for. Both men said they couldn't remember exactly what started the altercation, but their ensuing, less-belligerent debate involved the firing of Facilities Manager Julie Huggins in March, with Mr. Isdell blaming Mr. Law for kicking out an asset to the authority.
The ruckus happened after a meeting of the authority's management search committee, where bids by companies vying to operate James Brown Arena and Bell Auditorium were opened. The meeting adjourned, then Mr. Isdell, the committee chairman, asked an Augusta Chronicle reporter to leave so members could talk in private. Freddie Sanders, an attorney, said they could do so because they didn't have a quorum.
When the reporter questioned the legality of the move, the members left the meeting room and assembled in a conference room. The reporter went to the room to protest further and found Mr. Isdell and Mr. Law facing off at the head of the table.
As for the management bids, the committee rejected one of the five submitted outright because it was an individual applying for the general manager's job. Mr. Isdell said committee members will meet again in about a week.
"Hopefully, we'll narrow it down to two names," he said.
Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.
HUGGINS VS. LAW
Fired Facilities Manager Julie Huggins filed a lawsuit Friday accusing Coliseum Authority member Willie Law of libel, slander and costing her her job when he publicly accused her of lying on her resume.
In March, Ms. Huggins was let go by a 6-5 vote, one week after starting work. Before the vote, Mr. Law said she falsely stated she was the non-fraternal director of operations at the Morroco Shrine Auditorium in Jacksonville, Fla., when her title was actually rental manager. In a letter to the authority, the chairman of the Shrine board said Ms. Huggins functioned as operations director.
Ms. Huggins is demanding an unspecified sum for damages, punitive damages and attorney fees.
Comments
The circus continues. Aren't we proud and hopeful that this time the results will be different. Insanity anyone?
I hope Ms. Huggins gets a large sum and someone in power will
do away with the coliseum authority. My thoughts are to sell the
civic center to private concerns and get the government out of
the entertainment business. Afterall, we always have entertainment when the county commissioners' meet!
what's new
Hire Huggins, fire the Authority....all of them. While were are at it, fire the legislative delegation for failure to do anything significant to fix the problem.
Richard is a cool fella, it must be bad down there wfor him to lose his temper like that. BUT having been on an authority in Richmond County with folks who didn't have the entire community's best interest in mind I can say it is never far from coming to blows.
Again? Little children running their mouths and on one side their own agenda for perceived backlashes in the past. Tit for tat governing accomplishes nothing. Lets pack the James Brown Arena with spectators for the 1st Annual Agusta Colliseum Authority Smackdown! I'll but a ticket only if fans can throw beer cans at the contestants. Full ones!
Our tax money being put to good use. NOT!
Dang, 426Hemi you beat me to it. If they would promote a meeting, and the event was to take place on the arena floor. I bet it would be a sellout, what are they thinking? They've got the best show in Georgialina right under their noses.
All I can say is how soon can Columbia Co. build a new arena so these fools will be out of the news and out of business!Once again this shows why people are running away from Augusta. This displays the rot at the center of the area and the problems it causes for the area to grow.
I am not christian 134 and I agree with Pat!
Does anyone have an up date on the lawsuit filed by the manager they fired? I believe Law was one of the individual members named in the suit.
There is an old adage that says what starts wrong ends wrong. Her job was not properly advertised, they hired her based on personalities and not profession and you guessed it, the sideshows have been showing out every since.
Is it true that she is telling the authority that if she is not hired with back pay she is going to include them in a civil action? Can you say blackmail? What is the policy down there as to who hires and fires? Is it the authority, general manager, or commissioners? It sounds like these folk are managers and not policy makers and policy implementers. If the manager does not recommend her, how can she be hired and become a team player? If she is hired then what happens to her position when a management company comes in? Can you say put the cart before the horse?
I just went to a concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Great! Well organized beautiful facility. I will go back. I will not return to the Augusta Civic Center in protest to those who claim to operate the facility. I've said it before. Columbia County can build a fine coliseum and book acts for years to come before Augusta-Richmond County can even think about getting its act together at the civic center. I say go for it Columbia County and do what we've done for the past three decades -- make Richmond County look like hell.
Watch out for more fireworks on Tuesday. The new chairman will want to flex his tiny biceps and show he is in charge; and he will set up another courtroom loss for city taxpayers.
Why dont they rename it Barnum and Bailey civic center.You already have eleven clowns,now all we need is a few animals.Everybody loves a good circus so it could be a new way to generate income.
My goodness Little Lamb, you always have the inside scoop!
I hope she does not get a penny. Just because Austin says she was mistreated, does not make it a fact. Some of the same people supporting her, support Harbin as being innocent. yet have already convicted Law. Can we say HYPOCRITES.
I hope Ms. Huggins sues and gets title to the coliseum and all its parking lots. Then sells all of it for ten times its worth. But I don't suppose a hundred bucks would be much of a settlement.
Give the coliseum to Augusta State University and let them manage it.
What a surprise. They are both actually, most likely, much like the term they used to describe each other. I would only add "inept" to the term.
With all the silliness in Columbia county government, what makes anyone think they'd do any better?
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