Beautification Edition - 1736 Magazine, Summer 2019

FINAL WORDS
Appearance issues can’t
be swept under the rug
I
heard a lot of “buts” while working
on this edition of 1736.
“I don’t want this to sound negative,
but...”
“Don’t quote me on this, but...”
“I don’t want to upset anybody,
but...”
“I’d rather not name names, but...”
When it comes to talking about downtown
Augusta’s appearance, it appears many people
are hesitant to actually speak their mind. They
are afraid to point out glaring and obvious
problems. They are timid about rubbing the
right people the wrong way.
Fortunately, I’m unburdened by such fears
and I possess a fairly thick hide tanned by a
quarter century of reporting on public affairs.
The downside, of course, is that I often get
cast as the “bad guy.”
It’s a role I would accept more gleefully
if I earned as much as silver-screen bad
guys, such as Christopher Walken and Gary
Oldman. Heck, I’d even be happy with Danny
Trejo’s scale.
But (there’s that word again) I at least get
the satisfaction of helping start a dialogue that
can lead to positive change in this community
– particularly its downtown where change
is needed most.
Yes, downtown Augusta has improved
immensely in just the past several years, and
optimism about the central business district’s
future hasn’t been this high in nearly 50
years. However, past success and optimism
alone will not give Augusta the city center it
deserves.
It takes action. And sometimes action
requires the pointing of fingers, the naming of
names and having uncomfortable discussions.
How can we combat the city’s litter problem
if we pretend it doesn’t exist? How can we
improve public infrastructure maintenance
if we don’t acknowledge the sidewalks are
cracked and weeds are growing in the medians?
How can we get the owners of eyesore
properties to do something – anything – if
we’re afraid to “call them out?”
The mission behind this magazine is to not
only report on important downtown issues; it
is to serve as a community conduit for action –
to push the needle on downtown progress and
advocate for solutions.
There would be no reason for this publication
to exist if Augusta’s urban core was
barreling toward progress with all hands on
the steering wheel and the gas pedal floored.
Clearly, that is not the case.
This publication’s point-of-view coverage
should not be mistaken as a repository
for civic negativity – there is plenty of that on
social media if that’s what you seek – nor as a
government-sanctioned visitor brochure.
Think of 1736 as downtown’s equal-opportunity
public-address system.
If this city’s urban core is progressing, we
will happily cheer it on. If it is stagnating,
we will prod it with a stick. If it is regressing,
we will demand those responsible be held
accountable.
That’s what we do.
And if that makes you a little uneasy, you
can at least take comfort in knowing you’re
not the one who sometimes has to wear the
black hat.
DAMON CLINE, EDITOR
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