Do you pay for access to your online local newspaper?

Pay $6.95 to access the Augusta Chronicle online content? No thanks. The Augusta Chronicle allows "passers by" to visit what they deem as "Premium Content" up to 15 pages before seeing one of the prompts displayed in the image below.

I gave up the printed version of the Augusta Chronicle years ago. I use the online version to check out some local headlines but gave up reading it online after my last move in and out of Augusta because the comments demonstrated the need for commenting workshops, from the negativity of the commenters to those who type as they speak. The Augusta Chronicle is mentioned in PEJ's State of the News Media 2012 as they initially offered 100 page views at no cost to today's count of 15 free page views.

I will stick with WRDW, WJBF, and WAGT for my free local and Alltop for surrounding news feeds. I will occasionally view the Augusta Chronicle reporters on Google+ or Twitter but I will not pay $6.95 per month or $83.40 per year for what the AC deems as premium content. In addition to the price, notice the warning, "This page has insecure content".

Call me spoiled, but if I pay I do not expect to see the page has "insecure content" nor do I want to see ads. But as one commenter posted in the AC Publisher's article: Chronicle offers new ways to serve you in January 2011, "Only the ignorant will fail to see the value in the minimal charges" is yet another reason the holier than thou attitude will get you nowhere in Augusta. It is why people continue to get their Masters Tournament coverage from the national sources, vice the local premium content managers.

Augusta Chronicle did their research, but I opted for Pew's State of the News Media 2010, State of the Newpapers 2012, Pew's Project for Excellence in Journalism Summary of Newspapers and Charts and Tables that Internet users can access with no additional fees.

If the Augusta Chronicle offered content that mattered to me, provided relevant information for my educational journey, presented content that was secure, and displayed no advertisements, I might contemplate a fee based access. But I pay for my education and my Internet service, where I can access information from sources more credible, plausible, and verisimilar.

The Augusta Chronicle offers an app for Android, iPad, and iPhone/iPod Touch currently, "Free for a limited time". Do you pay for access to your local newspaper online information?
Comments, recommendations +1s, and reaction check boxes are always appreciated.

What do you recommend if you were visiting Augusta, GA?

SCCC (Signal Captains Career Course) Students come from diverse backgrounds and for our international students and branch transfer students, attending SCCC may be their first visit to Augusta, GA. Our Signal Officers may be assigned here or may not have visited Fort Gordon in a few years.

Two of the student officer positions that have to be filled in each class is the Social Officer and the Volunteer Officer positions. Today's students have many tools available because so many organizations have virtual social media connections but the lessons learned from these activities aren't shared except within classes and between peers. I started a post on milBook (CAC access required) for people who aren't used to sharing beyond the DoD firewalls, but this post is general visitor information that can be accessed publicly and provide an opportunity for people who have visited Augusta, GA to share what worked, what didn't work, and recommendations.

If you have visited Augusta, GA or passed through Fort Gordon, GA what are some of your favorite spots that you would recommend if friends and family passing through?

A few recommended sites:
Off limits establishments 
Fort Gordon MWR (Morale Welfare & Recreation)
Fort Gordon ACS (Army Community Service)
Fort Gordon's The Signal online newspaper
Augusta's government Visitor site 
Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau 
Visit Augusta Twitter 
Visit Augusta Facebook 
Augusta Chronicle Things to do 
Augusta Chronicle Events Calendar
Garden City Jazz 
Metro Spirit Dining
Splash in the Boro Family Waterpark & Aquatic Center Statesboro, GA 
Graystone Ranch & Wildlife Center - Recently added Zipline & Zorb activities
Phinizy Swamp

What recommendations do you have for visiting Augusta, GA?

Camp Data no cost summer sessions

Registration forms for Camp Data should be available April 9, 2012 and submitted between April 16-30, 2012. This camp is a community outreach effort offered by Augusta's City IT department. Submit registration forms early as this is a no cost session and based on a first come first served basis. Transportation is not provided so start the car pool coordinating now.

Children ages 6-8 and 9-11 are invited to come and explore the exciting world of technology. If you have additional questions please contact the Information Technology department at 706-821-2522. 

How to become a poll worker in Augusta, GA

So you want to be a poll worker in Augusta, GA?
The Richmond County Board of Elections is currently looking for persons to work at the polls on Election Day. Beginning pay is $100 per day, with an opportunity for advancement.

• You will be required to attend a training session.
• You must report to your assigned polling location at 6:00 am on the day of the election and work until the polls close and all paper work and machine close out is completed.
• You will complete your assignment by 8:00 pm, but there are times when your day could be longer.

Requirements to be Poll Worker - Augusta, GA
You must meet the following criteria:

• Be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Richmond County.
• Be at least 16 years of age.
• Be able to read, write, and speak the English language.
• No person holding public office or Candidate for Office may serve as a poll worker.
• An immediate relative of an elected official cannot serve in an election where the relative is a candidate.

Find your polling location

If you are interested, please contact our office at (706) 821-2341.

Absentee Ballot information

Congrats to the Butler HS Bulldogs!

After 41 consecutive losses, the Butler Bulldogs football team has finally won a game with a victory (42-0) over Westside. This has been a long rut and I hope they continue to demonstrate improvement in all areas.


From the Augusta Chronicle 8/27/2010:  Bulldogs end long skid
After the game, Butler huddled up in victory for the first time since Oct. 21, 2005, when it beat Richmond Academy.


From Augusta Chronicle 8/24/2010: Butler's coach remains optimistic
Five consecutive losing seasons and a school-record 41-game losing streak would be enough to cripple the confidence of just about any coach.


Congrats Butler Bulldogs...I hope this is the first of many improvements seen this school year.

From Past to Present

I came across the first blog I started in support of Butler High School. It is titled, Part of the Solution and allowed me to share information with others about things anyone could do to help out this school, the students, and to help eradicate the "Disgusta" mentality that so many of our students associate with Augusta, GA.

My last post on that blog is associated with a written response to 15 questions we presented to the school board after 90 days of submitting the written request to them and after they attended a "Meet and Greet" event at the school. To this day, responses to some of those questions have not been answered. It doesn't mean I gave up, I just redirected my efforts to support the students who will one day replace those making the decisions.

I was looking at the blog post in reference to encourage people to register their Target cards in support of their school of choice.

GEORGE P BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL AUGUSTA, GA 30906
Target’s most recent donation(September 2006): $136.97
Total of all of Target’s donations through September 2006: $2422.34
Amount accumulated so far toward Target’s next donation* 0.0
Number of Target® Visa® and Target® Card holders who have designated this school: 213

Here is the latest information:

Butler High School Augusta, GA 30906-3547

The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $84.45

Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $3223.83

Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation: *$57.45

Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 33

So if you have a Target card, support a school you never know how far a few extra cents will go if you designate a school you used to attend, a school your children or grandchildren attend, or a school in your community.

More information on Target's Take Charge of Education

When people discover the blog they question why I have not deactivated the blog or deleted any information...I remind them that many of the posts support my own educational pursuit in the field of Educational Technology Management and they provide an audit trail which can be used for personal and professional references.

Gentleman's Agreement - Does your administration have one?

The local school board met to elect the President and Vice President of the board on Saturday 1/3/2009. The local newpaper article is titled, "Barnes elected President" and subtitled "Members protest role of race in vote".

The Augusta Chronicle article, written by Mr. Greg Gelpi, states, "Since the early 1990s, the board has alternated between electing a black president and a white president. The "gentleman's agreement" also dictates the board select a vice president of a different race than the president.
Joe Scott proposed ending the agreement Saturday".

Does your school board, local administration, or any other group have a "gentleman's agreement" that the people are not aware of? What message does this send to our students?

Gentleman's agreement issues came up in July 2005 when the Mayor of Augusta resigned to take a position with the Housing and Urban Development.

So how many of you are aware that your local school boards, city and/or county commissions have "gentleman's agreements"?

If other people are aware, does it prevent them from moving to Augusta, GA unless you are a part of the "gentleman's agreement? Do these agreements factor into the community apathy?

Not growing up here and not being aware of the "Who's Who" except during Masters Week , I can see why Augusta, GA continues to have issues, has a nickname like "Disgusta", and a school system that continues to teach with Passive Acceptance as a guideline.

Some of the above questions are rhetorical, but I cannot put into words how this issue irritates me on many levels. I was raised to believe that we are all part of the human race. If we are cut open, we all bleed red. As a female veteran, as a successful single parent of a multiracial child, and as a nontraditional student I have battled "good old boy" systems and a variety of biases and stereotypes.

So now what?