Newspaper Page Text
8A
April 22, 2004
Upinion
Investigate
the CSRA
Regional
Development
Center
The question has been asked. Why?
Why has the CSRA Regional Develop
ment Center (RDC), under the leader
ship of Andy Crossen, thrown away 31
fulr time jobs by awarding its Meals-on-
Wheels contract to an out-of-state com
- pany? |
The contract, which previously had
been awarded to The gcnior Citizens
Council (TSCC), generated $600,000 in
- revenue for not only the nutrition pro-
Eram and payroll, but also supplemental
unds for other senior services.
By stripping the council of these funds,
RDC, with tie urging of Bob Young, has
poked its thumb in tic eye of every sen
ior citizen in Richmonc{ County. Why
have they elected to construct barriers to
_the care and well being of our seniors?
The answer is obvious. El'hv: RDC appar
ently has an ax to grind. The question is
why? The senior council needs to obtain
legal counsel immediately. An injunction
should be sought and a thorough.investi
gation by the Department for the Aging
should be _sofi‘ghf.P % n (et
There is no reason for a Florida-based
company to take over the funding of the
Senior Citizens Council. We cannot
fathom why Bob Young is constantly try
ing to take money away from the citizens
- of Augusta. The county commission
should call Andy Crossen on the carpet.
- Perhaps they can find out what’s really
going on.
The county commission can cut off the
- funds for the CSRA Regional Develop
ment Center at any time. We suggest
they do so now.
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. Publisher
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What is in your CD player?
I grew up under a big
brother who loved music. My
big brother, Victor Watkins,
was and is my idle. He always
had the latest music and he
taught me to appreciate
music. As a result of his love
for music, and my wanting to
be like him I too feel in love
with music. When I present
to groups, teach class or Bible
Study I always incorporate
music, I thought I would
share with you what I am lis
tening to these days. Now
before the holy rollers judge
me let it be known that I lis
ten to a variety of music.
There are just some-things
that Kirk Franklin and the
Canton Spirituals can’t do for
me, even though I love their
music.
In the area of smooth love
music you can’t beat Gerald
Levert's Stroke of Genius. This
CD reminds you of some
thing Barry White, and Ger
ald’s daddy would have done
Genesis Christian Academy builds a foundation
From time to time, life
puts us in situations that
restore our faith in human
beings, reminding us that
there are many good
hearted people left in the
world after all. Such was
the case last Saturday
when I spoke at a 10th
anniversary fund-raising
dinner for Genesis Christ
ian Academy, a Christ
centered, Afro-centric
school in Ypsilanti, Michi
gan.
I was picked up at the
Detroit airport by Roslyn
Verdun, secretary of the
school’s board of educa
tion. Roslyn is an inces
sant talker, the kind that
doesn’t often come up for
air. In fact, Board Vice
President Janice Gilyard
told me that she and
Board President Kim
Bradshaw had given
Roslyn specific instruc
tions not to talk my ears
off on the ride from the
airport. They could have
saved their breath.
All Roslyn talked about
was Genesis, how the
small black school had
impacted the lives of
numerous kids, many of
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in the good old days. AsTom
Joyner put it, “That boy done
been in his Daddy’s stuff.” It
will put you in the mood.
If you want some trae old
school soul R&B then I have
to inform you that the Queen
of Soul is still on the top.
With her CD So Damn
Happy she has shown us that
she is still the queen. \lt is a
feel good CD with nothing
but hits. The lyrics are strong
and arranged perfectly for the
queen’s voice. You can't
wrong with the queen.
If you need some funk then
we got to go with Prince.
Musicology is a master funk
CD. Prince has returned on
whom would have been
lost in the rigidity and
inflexibility of public
schools. Genesis Christian
Academy says it is laying
the foundation for the stu
dents’ lives just as the first
book of the Bible provides
the foundation for the rest
of the Word. The school
serves students from age
two through the sixth
grade and practically all
are above grade-level in
reading, math, science and
social science.
At my request, Roslyn
took me to the school,
which is located on the site
of a former bomb manu
facturing company in a
neighbor that looks like it
had been hit by one of
those bombs. It is adjacent
to the Christian Love Fel
lowship Ministries Inter
national, pastored by rev
erends Barbara and Robert
Hill. T was greeted by a
half-dozen staffers and
parents, but one of the
students, “Leve” Brad
shaw, captured my atten
tion. I asked what he
wants to be when he grows
up, and he replied without
hesitation, “A pediatri-
fie. When I purchased this
CD I was a litde skeptical, but
then I put it in the CD player
immediately I started bump
ing and I haven't stooped.
On a political conscious rap
tip you have to turn to Dead
Prez rbg:Revolusionary but
Gangsta and Immortal Tech
nique Revolutionary Volume 2.
These artists critique of the
present political crisis in
America is anpoint. Theyare,
precise, insightful, intelligent,
and creative while being
entertaining. These CDs are
a must for the conscious.
When it comes to gospel
music I am presently caught
up with Lisa Maclendon’s
Soul Music. This sista is a
Christian artist that has a fla
vor like Jill Scott and Lauryn
Hill.
Even though it is not Chris
tian it is definitely soul music
and you got to know I am
talking about Cee-lo Green.
Cee-lo has done it again with
&
"l
y o
George Curry
cian.”
The engaging young
man offered to show me
around the school and I
took him up on his offer.
As we entered each class
room, Leve recited the
name of the teacher and
pointed out various fea
tures in the room. When
we got to his classroom, he
showed me his desk near
the door, the “birthday”
chair that students sit in
on their special day, and a
stack of games. Leve
pointed to one, “Clue,”
and said it was his favorite.
Strolling down the hall,
Leve said, “We're are now
cntcr‘ig the church.” He
pointed to the various
offices and showed me
instruments in one section
Cee-lo Green the Soul
Machine. This is a smooth
CD with old school and new
school perfectly meshed
together. Cee-lo ain't nothin’
but a soul machine.
My favorite young artists
are Musiq and Ruben.
Musiq’s Soulstar is a continua
tion of the great work he did
on his two previous CDs.
This CD is smooth with
t s 0
Bl e B -
singing about without the
video. Now when it comes to
Ruben if don't get no better
than his Sowlful. Ruben
sounds as sweet as Luther, as
strong as Teddy, and as mes
merizing as Marvin Gaye. He
is my African American Idol.
Well thats what is in my
CD player. What is in yours?
Dr. Watkins is a sociology
professor and the president of
Unity Council Inc.. He can be
reached via his website:
www.ralphwatkins.org
that come alive with music
on Sundays. He intro
duced me to Greg Brad
shaw, a church deacon
otherwise known as his
father.
After my tour was over,
I kept thinking about how
confident, respectful and
engaging Leve had been.
He clearly wasn’t afraid of
assuming a leadership role
and someone had evident
ly taught him that it was
okay to express himself,
even when dealing with
adults. Roslyn told me
that that Leve hardly
spoke when he was first
enrolled in Genesis, but I
saw no signs of that.
When I arrived at the
reception and dinner, the
irrepressible enthusiasm
that Roslyn had expressed
in the car was in the air. I
heard numerous stories
about passion and com
passion for Genesis. Cyn
thia Wallace, who is mov
ing to Pittsburgh after
serving as principal for 10
years, told of how at the
time she was hired to head
the school, she had been
" See Genesis page 10A