Ledger-Enquirer from Columbus, Georgia • 9

Ledger Enquirer BUSINESSB3 DEATH N0TICESB6 wwwl ocomnews KAIESLEDGE Twisted trysting The title of the book about them is Seul Crime Amour One Crime But I want to know what love had to do with Mary dysfunctional desire for Vili ualaau She was 34 he was 13 and in her sixth grade class when he impregnanted her After the birth of their first child Letourneau pleaded guilty to second degree child rape The majority of her sentence was suspended Within days of her release from jail in January however she violated a court order not to have contact with ualaau After Letourneau admitted having sex with him again she was arrested and her sentence of seven years and five months was reinstated On riday Letourneau gave birth to their second daughter and was immediately returned to jail Meanwhile the 15 year old father of two is in Paris promoting the book he and Letourneau wrote Each chapter in the book is written from the perspective of Letourneau ualaau or his mother according to wire reports Bob Graham an Irish writer wrote the book after interviewing the three When the book is released in this country I wait to read the responses would you do if I were seeing your 13 year a friend asked or after I slapped your I responded known to teach our daughters to tell us when men try to touch or entice them Today we tell boys the same about older women Were Letourneau a man she have gotten the break she initially did The community would have cried foul Even the men who acknowledge Letourneau is a pedophile smile and say they wish a 34 year old woman had shown that kind of interest in them when they were 13 took I know a road different from others the road less traveled but no longer in the Middle Ages when they burned women the unfaithful the witches who dared to love outside their The Associated Press reports Letourneau as saying Daring to love outside marriage could be the case if Letourneau were involved with another adult What she has dared to do is molest a child and give birth to children that could be his siblings What she has done is potentially ruin the lives of the four children she and her now ex husband had certain that as devastated as her ex might have been had she left him for another man it would be easier to explain to his children No something wrong with this love story break with reality also has resulted in strange family dynamics for three other children her two babies and their father love You feel it all and you know what it ualaau says of his feelings for Letourneau No son It was a crush It was hormones You were abused Now in way beyond your years Kaffie Sledge writes Tuesday Thursday Saturday and Sunday Contact her at (70S) 571 8585 or ksledgea leoJnfLnet Local SECTION II Tuesday October 20 1998 Victims share tearful memories Candlelight vigil remembers victims of domestic abuse By Norval Edwards Staff Writer About 30 people gathered at the Phenix City Amphitheater Monday eve ning for a tearful remembrance of the victims of domestic abuse At the candlelight vigil sponsored by Russell County Tri Aid Inc attendees heard the painful stories of those who have lost loved ones or have first hand experience with abuse Rebecca Harris a Columbus musi cian told the story of her sister Tina who was killed by her husband Danny Her husband shot Tina and their daughter before killing himself with the gun Through her tears Harris said that the hardest thing she ever had to do was to tell her mother that her daughter had been killed got on my knees in front of her and looked into her wounded Harris said while audience members sniffled and wiped away tears said me just tell I said Danny hurt Tina Martha Hutto a domestic violence victim told the audience about her failed marriage which she is ending after 24 years of abuse I survived working and I have a Hutto said child she was abused but dealing with that going to be fine in the Hutto said important for victims to have someone to talk to need to show a little bit more sympathy toward people in abusive relationships than just saying or See VICTIMS B2 (MT Robin Trimarchi Ledger Enquirer Nick Day looks skyward as he and Blake Polk listen to the stories of domestic abuse victims during a candlelight vigil Monday in Phenix City Stop: Railroad crossing ahead La Shinda ClarkIedner Enquirer Warning bells may be placed at railroad crossing at 28th and South Railroad streets in Phenix City Bixt vH WWra A ACjw 'AfV I 7 1 PC Council to vote on installation of railroad warning bells lights and crossbars By Patsy Thomas Staff Writer Clay Huguley has operated a gro cery store and automotive business on South Railroad Street in Phenix City since 1949 During that time Huguley has seen motorists and pedestrians look twice before crossing the railroad tracks near 28th Street across from his business gone and got my truck to push the vehicles off the tracks and out of the way of a said Huguley a 67 year old grandfather of 12 Better warning of oncoming trains for the people who use that section of 28th Street could be on the way Today the city council is expected to approve a contract with the Ala bama Department of Transportation to install warning bells lights and cross bars at the 28th Street location welcomed news to Huguley and his wife Margaret going to keep people from getting run over is a good Margaret Huguley said Monday morning as the ear splitting blast of a horn and vibrating roar announced the approach of a west bound Norfolk Southern Corp train ederal funds and the state of Alabama are picking up the tab for the project which is expected to cost $100000 said Ken Cush an department of transportation engineer Construction start for at least 90 days if the council approves the resolution today said City Manager Bobby Gaylor Norfolk Southern Railroad will pro vide engineering services after the city council votes on it said Susan Terpay of the Atlanta office railroad company de cide where to put automatic protec Terpay said city or state can request it The requests are ranked based on priority number of trains in the area the number of cars and number of Gaylor and Police Chief Preston Robinson said they are unaware of any accidents or fatalities at the 28th Street railroad crossing site Once the council deals with this issue the city will evaluate other railroad crossing sites Galor said 1 I i I vxAa I A i 4 cos li i i I US 80 I Don Coker x'dger nquirvr Police officer pleads guilty in statutory rape case Attorney Bruce Harvey of Atlanta told Allen that Rayford has been a police officer for more than 20 years and was pleading guilty only as a plea without admitting he committed the offense rank A Rayford sentenced to 10 years probation for sex with 14 year old girl and granted first offender status By Jim Houston Staff Writer A Columbus police officer pleaded guilty Monday to statutory rape of a 14 year old girl rank A Rayford 45 faced trial on child molestation charges before Muscogee Superior Court Judge John Allen when Rayford stopped the jury selection process and pleaded guilty to the reduced charge Rayford had balked earlier Monday morning at accepting the plea bargain declaring like this at all not going to plead guilty to something I Assistant District Attorney George Lipscomb said the child molestation occurred on three occasions when the po lice officer had sex with the minor daughter of his girl friend Police became aware of it when the daughter ran away from home and was questioned by officers investigating the runaway incident he said told police about the sexual said Lips comb The prosecutor said the girl did not want to testify about the events which began in June 1996 when she was be tween the eighth and ninth grades in school In fact the girl recanted her testimony before the grand jury and her mother also did not want to testify said Lipscomb Attorney Bruce Harvey of Atlanta told Allen that Rayford has been a police officer for more than 20 years and was pleading guilty only as a plea without admitting he commit ted the offense Allen sentenced Rayford to 10 years on probation He also granted the policeman first offender status which allows his record to be cleared upon completion of probation Rayford has been suspended without pay from the Columbus Police Department since he was charged with the sex offense Columbus Assistant Police Chief Willie Dozier said Rayford will remain on suspension until Columbus Police Chief Luther Miller decides otherwise Miller is in Salt Lake City Utah for the week A decision on Rayford could be made next week Dozier said IN THE LOOP Irish author tells secret of dramatic storytelling at CSU By Mick Walsh Stall Writer Genevieve Lyons a sharp witted Irish born author with a Celtic flair for the dramatic hesitate when asked what tricks of the trade she had for would be storytellers be afraid to embellish your she chuckled sometimes helpful to be rather good at lying you journalists are fond of saying never allow facts to get in the way of a decent Lyons spoke Monday at a Columbus State University symposium at the invitation of her son in law Dr Neal McCrillis director of Center for International Education is a wonderful storyteller even if she is my mother in said McCrillis whose roots extend back to Northern Ireland Lyons shared the podium with CSU English professor David Johnson a published poet and historian of Southern literature Their topic: influence on the writings of the South Lyons a former actress who shared billings with Peter and Richard Harris on the London stage said all successful stories have the same ingredient she said who will listen to While she admits her tips may be somewhat exaggerated importance in Irish life is not is an essential part of our lives dating back to medieval she said aspect of Irish life is touched by storytelling be it oral or Lyons and Johnson talked about' the influence Irish storytelling has had on Southern literature over the years the Irish migrated to the States in the last century and began to move from New York and Boston through Appalachia into the South they brought their love of storytelling with said Johnson a two time CSU Educator See IN THE LOOP B2 Mike Haskey Ledger Enquirer Genevieve Lyons left and David Johnson spoke at Columbus State lunch time symposium Monday New railroad crossing guard i.