Augusta shifts gears, moves forward

As a more-than-casual observer and sometimes critic of Augusta’s* politico-business establishment, I am comfortable making this statement: The city is moving forward.

In fact, I’d say Augusta’s leadership is about to shift into second gear**.

That’s an accomplishment, considering that it wasn’t all that long ago the city was stuck in neutral, with occasional shifts into reverse.

I don’t believe I’m the only one who feels this way. Many of the people I speak with about the affairs in the city are more bullish than bearish. More often than not, they attribute this feeling to what they perceive as a growing sense of “unity.”

Unity between races. Unity between neighborhoods. Unity between political and institutional factions.

There’s even a growing sense of unity across state lines, as seen by the more-than-willful participation by North Augusta – a city with a reputation for provinciality – in the latest Augusta Tomorrow downtown master plan.

For the first time in recent history, Augusta’s economic development (and quasi-economic development) organizations appear to be pulling in the same direction, rather than tending to their fiefdoms and undermining one another . I use the word “appear” because there are still some old-school knuckleheads entrenched in various organizations who are trying to put their self-interests ahead of the greater good.
You know who you are, and you know your days are numbered.

I credit Mayor Deke Copenhaver for doing the most to bring the city’s people, organizations and institutions together. At nearly every one of the 1,042 public appearances he has made during the past six months, he makes a point to mention the city’s residents are ready to “move past” the divisive politics that has hindered the city’s growth for so long.

I believe him when he says that. There’s a person I know (who, like me, gets paid to be a more-than-casual observer and sometimes critic of Augusta’s politico-business establishment) who would say I am under the spell of “hero worship.”

I don’t worship our mayor, and – though he is one of the best disciples of servant leadership I have ever seen – I wouldn’t call him a hero.

I believe him because I see the progress. I feel the forward movement. Maybe the less-than-casual observers do, too.

Third gear could be here sooner than you think.

ARE YOU DOWN WITH ADP? Yeah, you know me – I’m always interested in big business news. That’s why I’m eagerly awaiting Automatic Data Processing’s groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday.

Insiders say the company’s future office building at the intersection of Flowing Wells Road and Interstate Parkway will house more than the 1,000 workers ADP said it would hire when it announced in 2006 that it was coming to Augusta.

Some people, who obviously bristled at last week’s Scuttlebiz item on how job creation doesn’t always live up to job announcements, said the New Jersey-based payroll-processing firm will eventually employ up to 1,400 in Augusta.

The last time we received an official head count at the company’s temporary office on Stevens Creek Road, the number was around 250 to 300. Some have said that office is housing more than 400 and is bursting at the seams.

My attempts to speak with ADP executives before Tuesday’s hoohaw event (that’s what I call them; the event, not the executives) have been thwarted by the company’s honchos and its PR machine.

That makes me believe the insiders might be right on this one.

You’ll get the skinny as soon as we do. Go to www.augustachronicle.com on Tuesday for the latest news.

RANDOM E-MAIL OF THE WEEK: Here’s a news release I received promoting an IQ test for dogs. It was sent by a company in California (what a shocker).

“K9 Einstein or Doggy Dunce? Determining a Dog’s IQ.

Beverly Hills, CA — Everyone thinks their dog is bright. Now there’s a way to test whether your pooch is really a genius. The PoochIQ.com Dog Intelligence Kit is a first-of-it’s(sic)-kind testing system that quantifies a dog’s intelligence with proven accuracy. Using the latest techniques for evaluating dog intelligence, the PoochIQ.com Kit tests a dog’s memory, persistence, problem solving and reasoning skills. After completing 15 fun-to-perform exercises, dogs are …”

Sorry, dog lovers, I had to cut if off there before the cat lovers start asking for equal time.

ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACKS: I know what you’re going to be doing this weekend – the big game.

That’s right, The Gaming Cave’s Madden NFL Tournament on Saturday. The fun begins at 2 p.m. at the video game store, 106 Pleasant Home Road, Suite 2L. Call Jessie or Tina at (706) 373-5522 to register.

There’s also something big on TV happening Sunday. Jessie and Tina can probably give you the scoop on that, too.

FELIZ ANIVERSARIO DUODÉCIMO ! How should a 12th anniversary be celebrated?
If you’re married, it would be by giving a gift of silk or linen. If you’re the owner of Nacho Mama’s, you celebrate it with margarita specials.

Co-owner Matt Flynn, who also owns Blue Sky Kitchen and Still Water Tap Room, said the frivolity at the Broad Street Tex-Mex joint will go on all this weekend.

You know what the drink special will be for the 20th anniversary? Dos Equis, of course.



* For purposes of this discussion, the “Augusta” to which I refer is specifically Augusta-Richmond County, the 328-square- mile center of political and economic power in the two-state region that most people call the Central Savannah River Area.
** For purposes of this discussion, Augusta’s transmission is specifically a three-speed TorqueFlite 727.