Dream a little dream

Recently, The Augusta Chronicle's City Ink columnist Sylvia Cooper showed some real restraint and called a moratorium on writing about the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority and its continuing shenanigans.

I don't have that kind of restraint. Instead, I'm going to indulge in a little speculation, a little, to paraphrase The Monkees, daydream believing.

Let us imagine that, by hook, crook or congressional action, we have been able to divest ourselves of the current board. Yay. The problem now is replacing the Fabulous Feuders with a group that might get something done and perhaps even elevate the stature of both Bell Auditorium and James Brown Arena. Here are a few of my picks:

JOE STEVENSON AND EMILY CARDER: The duo behind Gluestick, the promotion company responsible to varying degrees for Rock Fore! Dough, Payback and the 12 Bands of Christmas, is adept at booking entertainment and at dealing with complex infrastructure and finance issues.

TYRONE BUTLER: Given the 30 years the venues in question have spent hemorrhaging funds, there's little question that a new board will have to run things on a pretty taut shoestring. Mr. Butler knows about shoestrings. His Augusta Mini Theatre is one of the area's great success stories, and he has managed to run it with little, and often no, money coming in.

DONNIE THOMPSON: I know Mr. Thompson is already on the board, but in all fairness, he did just get there. It seems unlikely that he could have become tainted by ill will and anxiety just yet. Besides, I'm great admirer of the way he has built and developed the Windsor Jewelry brand and business. That sort of business acumen could certainly come in handy.

DEANNA BROWN THOMAS: The Godfather of Soul's daughter would bring a family connection to the facility named for her famous dad, and she would also bring a wealth of radio, television, business and, most important, Augusta experience to the job. She's one of the sharpest women you're ever likely to meet.

LARA PLOCHA: Although she left her post as executive director for the Imperial Theatre under something of a black cloud -- which never, ever happens at James Brown Arena -- Ms. Plocha did a great deal to improve the theater, its performances and profile in the community. Since leaving, she has focused that same enthusiasm into downtown development. I say snap her up.

Those are my picks. Whom would you ask to be part of a new and improved Coliseum Authority? E-mail your suggestions to steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.

In reference to last week's query about the architects of rock 'n' roll, here are some of the submissions I received: Red Foley, Bill Haley and the Comets (that one came up a couple of times), Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley (of course), Johnny and Dorsey Burnette, Louis Jordan, and Glenn Miller, although I still don't buy the assertion there that In the Mood is a rock song.