The State from Columbia, South Carolina • 5

The A State Columbia, South Carolina Tuesday, August 3, 1993 Judge allows Sidney Park dev development to continue Staff DAWN HINSHAW referendum. By Writer That wouldn't be in the public could decide," he said. A judge refused Monday to stop a contro- the ruling, because it could Last week, contractors began interest, he said in his versial housing development that open Columbia Development Corp. to a the site for construction. Sidney Park, overlooks significant financial loss.

Robbie but the project's Azar, McClam, director of the vowed to keep fighting for a public vote merchant and Development an arm of the opponents Joseph a Five Points on head of the citizen effort to the construction. stop construction "Obviously, we're relieved that "It's of 30 expensive homes on what used to be a agrees with not over yet," Walter Smith, the law- us there's no grounds yer for the Save ruling a set- stop and their claims appear to parking lot, didn't consider the Sidney Park Coalition, said. back. He is still counting on a referendum on little merit." Judge Thomas L. Hughston Jr.

ruled after the site's future. an hourlong hearing that the project shouldn't "We Key to the arguments against have to halt while wanted to do this to keep the city were deed restrictions that the group tries to call a from spending more until the Smith money public kept the property from being Sharon Ring, left, cries tears of relief after the Renee homestead, which was on the group she founded, Heron Point Wildlife Rescue, auction block. Behind her are Kathy Galloway, center, and Lisa Refuge rescued Group outbids bank for orphaned animals' home near By CHARLES POPE Staff Writer Sharon Ring lost her house Monday at a courthouse auction then wept for joy. The nearly bankrupt organization Ring founded three years ago to save orphaned and injured animals outbid a bank by $750 for her property, which is both home and hospital to Lady the crippled cougar, Aurora the neutered Arctic fox and Ollie the blind barn owl. Over the years, it has saved hundreds of other wild animals raccoon, foxes, hawks, deer that would have been left to die.

The $78,000 bid by Heron Point Wildlife Rescue was an exclamation point to two weeks of desperate planning and fund raising for the refuge that is the only one of its How to help If you want to help, call Heron Point Wildlife Rescue at (803) 892-5341 or write: P.O. Box 378, Lexington, 29071. The organization needs money, volunteers, food, office supplies, medicine and a range of other items. kind in South Carolina. Monday's emotional saga was just the latest narrow miss in the past two years for Ring, who has nurtured and maintained the refuge by herself.

"There's a glimmer there we haven't had before now," Ring said. Last year, Ring weathered a Agriculture secretary to survey state's drought-withered fields WASHINGTON Mike Espy is set parched corn fields Sunday. here, I know he'll desperate situation Espy SCHULTE Agriculture Carolina's soybean crops he leaves picture of the in," said Hollings, D- visit the secretary has about going said AgriTom secrego down firsthand and that the our radar the Mid- has dried up an estimated $200 of crops in just about every county except along the coast. turning brown. Ears are half and speckled with only a few didn't germinate in the 100- some farmers are beginning their dying fields.

areas are pretty well scat- preparing Columbia city, said: the judge for us to have very the site maintained developed for Ittner-McManus purchased her Russell. Gilbert homes. But City Attorney Jim Meggs present- election officials, however. ed 20-year-old documents that he said showed the city had always planned to Also at Monday's hearing, Jonathan Leadthree-acre site for residential use. develop er, deputy state archaeologist, said the site the has historical significance and should be Azar said he's anxious to find out whether combed for artifacts before it is developed.

the city will validate his petitions for a referendum. At least 15 percent, or 5,223, of the "The area is quite serious. It's extremely registered voters in important," Leader said. "It has never been the city must call for the tested." referendum. More than 13,000 signatures have been collected, Smith said.

He said the Arsenal Academy, a military Their school, was at the site before and during the validity has been questioned by city Civil War. Police carve Columbia into 6 Chief: Move will even workload By CLIF LeBLANC Staff Writer The Columbia has realigned its created a crime can pinpoint trends After reviewing crime reports in P. Austin established a sixth district along the southern portion of the city and shrank most of the five older districts. The new program uses the same number of police officers. but redirects them to where crime is Police Department police districts and analysis team that and attack them.

the number of 1992, Chief Charles Austin team, run by Capt. Randy Tate, will See Police, 5B Questions surround Sumter shooting deaths By Camden MICHELLE Bureau R. DAVIS noon, were both killed by gunshot wounds after they argued, officials SUMTER said. A second Sumter man, Linwood Theresa Lyon sat in the living Baxley 24, was killed Friday in room of her Sumter home Monday the same incident, which took place at dabbing her tears as a music tape her the mobile home where Glazier had son planned to give his girlfriend lived with Baxley's sister for about a played in the background. month.

Tonya Glazier, 18, never received Monday, Lyon's father, James, the tape of Bad English singing said he identified the I See You Smile" or a letter tol found in the mobile home as his, begging forgiveness and love from normally kept in a household drawer. boyfriend John Lyon, 23, printed neat- The gun was loaded the last time he ly on two sheets of notebook paper saw it, he said. stuck in a blank card with teddy bears The investigation is continuing, alon the front. though police believe one of the three Glazier, who died about 2 p.m. victims shot the others.

Sunday at Richland Memorial Hospital, and Lyon, who died Friday after- See Shooting, 5B worse, Austin said. It also helps even workloads that were vastly different among the old districts. Some answered about 300 calls monthly while others had nearly 2,000. The redistribution of resources is supported with the creation of an eight- to 12-member Crime Analysis and Prosecution (CAP) team. The zones identify and concentrate on major crime trends and will include three prosecutors from the 5th Circuit Solicitor's office.

The goal is to dramatically cut the time it takes to prosecute cases. Solicitor Dick Harpootlian has pledged to give those cases priority and dispose of them within 90 days instead of the usual 12 to 18 months Austin said disposition usually takes. of The CAP team will get daily crime reports from the Police Department, match that to intelligence coming from each district and target a crime trend in its early stages. They would work with the district to set up stings and undercover operations, Austin said at a news conference Monday to announce the program. The chief said the Police Department is not spending more or money adding new personnel.

Austin said the sixth district was carved largely from the fourth district, which used to encompass Shandon and the eastern and southern parts of the city. Here are the general boundaries of the new districts: District 1 is largely the Colonial Heights, Eau Claire and Greenview is areas. It extends south to S.C. 277 and an Richland Memorial Hospital. District 2 is downtown Columbia, The State 5-acre messy divorce, was laid off from her job and was diagnosed with cancer, all of which contributed to the financial problems Heron Point was confronting Monday at Lexington County court.

For now, however, things look better, and Ring can continue living in the two-story log cabin near Gilbert. Outside courtroom No. 3 at the Lexington County courthouse, the 33-year-old Ring was engulfed by supporters and trembling with emotion after coming so close to losing all that she had worked for. "I'm feeling absolute joy, the relief is unbelievable," Ring said as tears welled in her eyes and supporters hugged her. "All that matters is this organization will survive and the animals will be cared for.

tered all over the state," said Barney Page, a program director with the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service. "In the Piedmont area, the loss is extensive. And we've got some real bad areas in the Upstate hay losses, peach losses, corn, soybean, sorghum, apples. It's hard to single one area out." Hollings has asked ASCS head Laurie Lawson to organize the visit. Espy's visit, announced Monday morning, comes after weeks of entreaties from the South Carolina delegation and Gov.

Carroll Campbell all of whom want to make sure the Clinton administration does not forget the farmers whose crops were seared by drought in the Southeast because of the farmland drowned in the Midwest flooding. In a 20-minute meeting with President Clinton on Friday, Hollings invited the president to tour the state. "I told him whether a man's field of corn is burnt up by the sun or drowned I by water, it's a man's field of corn gone," Hollings told reporters. As a result, Clinton assured Hollings that he would mention farmers hurt by the drought more in his public statements. Espy already has decided that South Carolina's drought-ravaged farmers are entitled a portion of the same $1 billion emergency relief fund that the Clinton administration made available to farmers in the flooded Midwest.

We're going to save this organization, continue educating the children and save the animals of South Carolina." Despite Monday's victory, which was sealed with a $3,900 downpayment, the future is far from certain. Ring and Heron Point Animal Rescue have 21 days to come up with the $74,100 balance or arrange financing. "Twenty days to raise $70,000 isn't much time," Ring said. "We'll probably have a five-minute party then, Even go back so, the to work." chances of Ring getting this far were remote two weeks ago when Heron Point's plight became well-known. Since her story was publicized in newspa- See Animals, 5B By BRIGID Washington Bureau Secretary of to tour South and wilted "By the time have a full our farmers are Sen.

Fritz S.C., who will fields with Espy. "The been talking for a while," culture spokesman Amontree. "The tary wants to and see it reassure farmers drought is on screen, just like west flooding." The drought million worth South Carolina Corn fields are their normal size kernels. Soybeans degree heat. And to plow under "The disaster Built to glory of God, church lies in ruins By JEFF MILLER Staff Writer You didn't have to go inside Black Mingo Baptist Church to find God's words.

Someone probably the artisans who assembled the cypress, pine and handblown glass that made Black Mingo an entry in the National Register of Historic Places painted verses of scripture in black on the frieze above the entrance. "Come unto me: all ye that labour and are heavy laden: I will give your rest" and "He that believeth and is baptized shall be Saved." Scripture spoke from the walls inside, too, with admonishments against adultery and idolatry, praise for forgiveness, a commandment to love thy neighbor. And this one: "The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." devoured Unjustly, a fire set deliberately about 5 a.m. Sunday Black Mingo Baptist Church, which had stood for 150 years in graceful isolation along a swamp near A 1951 photo of Black Mingo Baptist of Hemingway. Tombstones from the 1800s the town Church, also called Belin's church, which was destroyed by fire.

See Fire, 5B.