tony williamson / bringing unity to downtown’s next generation

It was a first for me: the task of conducting an actual interview for publication. When I received the assignment, my enthusiasm bordered on the fanatic.  The words played over and over in my head like some sort of mission statement, and gathering my thoughts, my checklist came rushing back to me; not enough coffee, check, more than enough cigarettes, check, pen and paper in hand, check.  And so I set forth on my first endeavor to a little shop that stands on a corner and, more importantly, to the man behind it, who stands on the edge of what might just be a new dawn for downtown Augusta.

When you first step into Eighth Street Tobacco, a barrage of sensory overload hits you.  From the scent of tobacco and incense, foreign and domestic, obscure and familiar, the blend is inviting, if not slightly intoxicating.  The walls are covered with anything you could ever want; from elaborate lighters and intricately decorated glass and wooden pipes to water pipes that brought to mind images of the Sahara or Middle Eastern markets.  I took a moment to soak it all in. I made my way toward the back and found my favorite room.  Adjacent to the cornucopia of merchandise is a lounge filled with multicolored couches and chairs.  Each is accompanied by its own coffee table beautifully decorated with a wealth of magazines.  To say the least, making myself comfortable was not a difficult task. [Read more]

rick wiggins

CADI Manager Gets to Know Downtown Block by Block

Downtown Augusta’s newest neighbor carries a broom and rides a segway. Rick Wiggins is the program manager for the Clean Augusta Downtown Initiative (CADI). While a member of the community since 1999, he is relatively unknown to downtown, inspiring us to make an introduction.

Mr. Wiggins undertakes the task of cleaning up downtown in hopes of drawing in new business while making the streets safer and cleaner for consumers to traverse. With twenty years experience as an Army drill instructor, Mr. Wiggins brings a strong sense of organization and dedication to this post. A family man who describes himself simply as a husband, father, and grandfather, Mr. Wiggins shows true excitement about the cleanup project and its potential impact on downtown.

During CADI�s inaugural phase, Mr. Wiggins says a cleaner and safer downtown district is his ultimate objective. Downtown Augusta can look forward to regular pressure washing of the sidewalks and crews of pan and broom walkers cleaning up the streets. He believes deterrence will be the result of the example and hard work of his clean and safe ambassadors.

Mr. Wiggins visibly warms to discussing his crew members. The Cleaning Ambassadors will run the equipment beautifying the area. These same crews are the pan and broom handlers working to revitalize the walking paths. The Safety Ambassadors can already be seen riding through downtown on segways offering directions, assistance, and protection to the citizens of the community and those who come downtown to shop and relax. CADI plans to add bike patrols canvassing the streets and providing door-to-car safe conduct for business owners opening or closing shops.

Though CADI is still a relatively fresh initiative, Mr. Wiggins is already tracking the work undertaken thus far with statistical data and diagrams. CADI covers the district from Sixth to Thirteenth Street; from Greene Street to the Riverwalk. In the first week, CADI has already completed an initial clean sweep of about half the area, and Mr. Wiggins expects the rest to be finished over the next few weeks. The initial block by block concentration will pave the way for easier maintenance in coming months.

Turning our conversation to the future, Mr. Wiggins explains his long-term goal is to see the program expand. While the initial area is large, it is only a portion of downtown. He foresees a day when all of downtown can be beautified and safe for commerce and residence. He also plans to extend the hours of coverage by his crew and hopes to have them on duty throughout the day and evening for the protection and care of the people downtown. Furthermore, he states that making the city more attractive to merchants and consumers is a powerful inspiration for economic development, and hopes to add Augusta to the list of the most clean and welcoming cities in the state.

By applying his organizational and discipline training to CADI, Mr. Wiggins seeks a smooth running environment for business and recreation downtown. He notes that the overall goal of CADI is to please his clientele, the merchants and consumers of downtown Augusta. The initiative is off to a fast start and Mr. Wiggins seems genuinely enthusiastic about the possibilities CADI holds for downtown.

by J. Edward Sumerau