About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 26, 2018)
LOCA^STATE The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Wednesday, December 26, 2018 7A Food stamps cut for thousands with new system BY CHRIS JOYNER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution The Trump administration last week announced plans to increase enforcement of a 22-year-old law withdrawing food stamps from cer tain adults who are not working. But state data shows Georgia is way ahead of Washington. In 2018, the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, the state admin isters of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, dra matically increased the number of people removed from the program because of the work requirement. In the six months from October 2017 through March 2018, the state removed an average of 356 people a month from food stamps for failure to meet the work requirement. From April through October of this year, the average increased 20-fold — to nearly 8,000 a month. One of those who lost his food stamp benefit was 25-year-old Cov ington resident Miraco Belcher. Belcher worked warehouse jobs until he was injured in an auto acci dent, fracturing his spine. Since then, he said he suffers seizures, making it hard for him to work. Belcher applied for disability payments through Social Security, but the adjudication process for those benefits can take years. In August, he was tagged as “able bod ied” and unemployed, so the state removed him from the program. Belcher worked it out, getting his primary care physician to vouch for him while he awaits his final disabil ity decision. His benefits resumed last month. He’s lucky. Many low- income people do not have a doctor to call on for such a note. The work requirements were passed in 1996 and require adults between the ages of 18 and 49, who are not disabled and who have no dependents, to work at least 20 hours a week or be engaged in some sort of education or work training. The law gives them three months to meet the work requirement or lose the benefit. During the Great Recession, the federal government relaxed those rules, waiving the time limit for states or parts of states hard hit by higher unemployment. Georgia was one of the states with a statewide waiver, but over the past couple of years, the state has removed them as the economy has improved and unemployment has fallen. But another factor driv ing the increase in removals of able-bodied adults is the state’s new social benefits data management system, “Georgia Gateway”, which has given officials a clearer picture of food stamp recipients. Advocates for low-income Geor gians worry that the state’s rush to remove people from the food stamp program ignores the difficulty some adults have in finding stable work. “People who use SNAP who can work, do work,” said Alex Car- mardelle, a policy analyst at the Georgia Budget and Policy Insti tute. “If you are not working and you are receiving SNAP it’s because of a serious reason.” Murals near Super Bowl stadium depict Atlanta’s civil rights legacy JOHN BAZEMORE I Associated Press Shanequa Gay paints mural on a MARTA station wall, Dec. 14, near the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. BY KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA — As Atlanta pre pares to host the Super Bowl, art ists there are painting murals that highlight the city’s civil rights and social justice legacy. The artwork adorning neighbor hoods near the downtown stadium where the game will be played is part of an initiative called “Off The Wall: Atlanta’s Civil Rights and Social Justice Journey.” The project is a collaboration between arts advocacy group WonderRoot and the Super Bowl host commit tee. While the murals’ installation was timed to coincide with the Feb. 3 sports extravaganza, they are meant to be lasting public works of art for Atlantans to enjoy long after football fans have left. The idea was to celebrate Atlan ta’s role in the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s and con nect that rich legacy with more contemporary struggles for justice and equality, WonderRoot execu tive director Chris Appleton said. “We definitely have works that, for good reason, make Atlanta proud of its role in the civil rights movement... and we have murals that invite and challenge us in Atlanta to continue striving for that be loved community,” Apple- ton said. The term “beloved community” was made popular by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., an Atlanta native, to describe a society cen tered on equal opportunity and jus tice and rooted in the philosophy of nonviolence. Several dozen “community con versations” brought out untold sto ries about the struggle for justice that needed to be elevated, Apple ton said. The artists sat in on those conversations and used them to inform their mural designs, which then went through two rounds of community feedback. “I really believe the artists have done a great job of amplify ing and complexifying narratives around justice issues in Atlanta and beyond,” Appleton said. “The murals, as a collection, are cel ebratory in some cases, are aspi- rational in some cases and are rooted in truth-telling.” A nomination and selection committee invited artists from around the country to apply, and the panel chose 10 applicants. An 11th spot, dubbed “Atlanta’s choice,” was open only to Atlanta area artists and was voted on by the public. In total, they plan to install roughly 30 murals. Muhammad Yungai, the mural- ist selected by public vote, drew inspiration from a community con versation held at Spelman College, where he learned about students who volunteered at a nearby com munity farm. His mural, “Community Roots,” is on a wall in Atlanta’s Castle berry Hill neighborhood. It show cases actual students from four historically black colleges and universities in Atlanta — Spel man, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta and Morris Brown — and the pro duce they help grow. He wanted to shine a light on the four schools, which sit a stone’s throw from Mercedes Benz Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played, and on urban farming and community gardening. The 44-year-old middle school art teacher and professional muralist said his work often focuses on education. “I believe education is the big gest thing that we can do as a cul ture to ensure that everyone can achieve the life they want,” Yun gai said. ‘I went and took photographs of these young people making kissy faces to kind of humanize homelessness because we don’t attribute kissing with being homeless — or joy or laughter or young people.’ Shanequa Gay Muralist, Off The Wall initiative Shanequa Gay, 40, was inspired by a community conversation at Covenant House, which provides housing and support for homeless young people. Her mural, “Excuse me while I kiss the sky,” adorns the walls of the Vine City tran sit station, across the street the stadium. Gay said she wanted to repre sent people who sleep under the trees and bushes. Dark outlines of leaves and flowers that she said are inspired by Georgia’s abun dant vegetation are layered over brightly colored profiles of young people she met at Covenant House. “I went and took photographs of these young people making kissy faces to kind of humanize home lessness because we don’t attribute kissing with being homeless — or joy or laughter or young people,” she said. OBITUARIES Patricia Ann Gilleland July 17, 1943-Dec. 22, 2018 Patricia Ann Gilleland, 75, of Milled- geville, formerly of Lula, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, following an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in the chapel of Memorial Park Funeral Home. The Rev. Grady Saxon, the Rev. Shane Turner and the Rev. Charles Grant will offici ate. Interment will follow in Alta Vista Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Born on July 17,1943, in Homer, GA, she was the daughter of the late John Henry and Myrtice Hubbard Robinson. She worked at McGraw Laboratories for over 20 years. Mrs. Gilleland was retired from Walmart, where she was manager of the sporting good department. She was a member of Lula Wor ship Center. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Gilleland is preceded in death by her husband, Hugh Dillard Gilleland; son, Jack Randy Gilleland, sister, Maxine Gilleland; brothers, Roudeze Hubbard, C.W. Robinson, Johnny Robinson and Jerry Robinson. Mrs. Gilleland is survived by her daugh ter, Donna Ann (Gilleland) Howell of Milled- geville; grandsons, Mack Howell, Charlie Howell, both of Milledgeville; Cory Wag oner of Lula, John Wagoner of Flowery Branch; great-granddaughter, Chloe How ell; great-grandson, Emmeitt Howell; great- granddaughters, Skyla Wagoner, McKaylin Wagoner, Reese Wagoner, Lanie Wagoner, Lorelei Wagoner, London Wagoner; daugh- ter-in-law, Opal Gilleland of Lula; sisters, Jewell Holtzclaw of Gainesville, Linda Hub bard of Cumming, Janet Clark of Homer; brothers, Donald Robinson of Murrayville, Rudolph Hubbard of Lula; and a number of nieces and nephews. Memorial Park Funeral Home, 2030 Memorial Park Road, Gainesville, GA 30504 is in charge of arrangements. Send online condolences to www.memori- alparkfuneralhomes.com. Memorial Park Funeral Home, Gainesville Sign the online guest book at gainesvilletimes.com. The Times, Gainesville, Ga. Dec. 24, 2018 Bevis Simmons Jan. 26. 1935-Dec. 12, 2018 Bevis Simmons, age 83, a 43-year resident of Winder, GA, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018. He was a native of Baldwin, GA, and a member of Mountain View Baptist Church. Bevis spent his life proudly serving his country, first in the Air Force and later retir ing as a Sergeant First Class with the Army National Guard after 31 years of service. He completed tours of duty in both Korea and Vietnam. Bevis was a Mason and a member of The American Legion. A proud father and loving husband, he was known to all as a humble, courageous and strong man. Bevis was preceded in death by his father, Silvia Bradford Simmons, and his mother, Estelle Brock Simmons. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Elizabeth Harris Simmons of Winder; two sons, Ken Simmons (Nancy) of Baldwin and Brad Simmons (Patti) of Brandon, FL; two daughters, Kay Holden (Mark) of Jefferson and Hollie Fol som of Dallas; a brother, Mack Simmons (Donna) of Flowery Branch; two sisters, Jean Miller and Brenda Boling of Baldwin; eight grandchildren, Matt Marchbanks, Mel anie Martin, Kevin Marchbanks, Brian Sim mons SSG, Sam Simmons, Merritt Simmons, Emma Folsom, and Kate Folsom; as well as 14 great-grandchildren and one great-great- grandchild. Several nieces and nephews also survive. A celebration of Bevis’s life will be held Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in the chapel of Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. Jamie Harvey officiating. The family will receive friends from noon until 2 p.m. the day of the service. Following visitation, an interment service with full military honors will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28, 2018, at Yonah Memorial Gardens in Demorest, Ga. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to The Fisher House Foundation, an organization that helps provide assistance to military families needing medical care. Donations can be made in memory of Bevis Simmons on their website at fisherhouse. org. Smith Funeral Home, Winder Sign the online guest book at gainesvilletimes.com. The Times, Gainesville, Ga. Dec. 24, 2018 Nesta Eileen DeGruchy Hine Taylor Died Dec. 20, 2018 Nesta Eileen DeGruchy Hine Taylor, 86 years of age, passed away Dec. 20, 2018, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Nesta was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. J. Verlon Taylor, and her eldest daughter, Robin Taylor. She is survived by her sister Audrey Tomasak; son, Dr. John Taylor and spouse Tracy; daughter, Jane Taylor; and son, Scott Taylor and spouse Andrea. Grandchildren: Shauna McCelvey, Susan nah Prestridge, Jessica Walters, Clint Cerin, Justin Taylor, Margaret Taylor, Christie Taylor, and Jayden Taylor. Great-grandchildren: Madysen Walters, Karis Walters, Bo Walters, Asher Pre stridge, Jonathan Taylor, Kinsley Taylor, Braxton Taylor, Adylene Taylor, and Kaia Cerin. Mrs. Taylor was born in 1932 in Balti more, Maryland. She graduated from East ern High School and worked for the Federal Reserve. Nesta later graduated from nurs ing school at the University of Maryland, earning her master’s degree. She worked in thoracic surgery in Maryland, where she met, and in 1954 married, her sweetheart, Dr. J. Verlon Taylor, who was a graduate of Emory dental school in Atlanta. Following her husband being drafted into the Korean War, they moved to Japan, where Dr. Taylor was in charge of a dental clinic and Mrs. Taylor worked as a nurse at Tokyo Army Hospital. Upon returning to Georgia, Dr. Taylor opened a dental office in Gainesville, Georgia, and Mrs. Taylor became very involved with many civic orga nizations, such as the Junior League. She later became an entrepreneur, opening her own clothing store in Gainesville, Georgia, called “Threads.” Mrs. Taylor eventually sold Threads and worked as a nurse for a private physician for a number of years. She later retired with her husband in Clermont, GA, where they enjoyed a beautiful life. In lieu of flowers please donate to the National Brain Tumor Society, www.defeat- gbn.org, in memory of Dr. J. Verlon Taylor. Memorial Park North Riverside Chapel, Gainesville Sign the online guest book at gainesvilletimes.com. The Times, Gainesville, Ga. Dec. 26, 2018 DEATH NOTICES John William Barnett Died Dec. 23, 2018 John William Barnett, 60, of Winder died Sunday. Funeral service, 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, funeral home chapel. Lawson Funeral Home, Hoschton. Obituary information Death notices are printed free as a public service by The Times. More information can be provided in paid obituaries. The rate is $50 per 100 words (or any part thereof). There is an additional mandatory $40 fee for online services, which includes a guest book that allows family and friends to post condolences. Deadline for publication is 6:30 p.m. seven days a week. Death notices and obituaries are accepted only from funeral homes. They should be emailed to obits@ gainesvilletimes.com. All submissions will appear in The Times and online at gainesvilletimes.com. For additional information, please call 770-718-3419 or 800-395-5005, extension 3419, between 3 and 6 p.m. weekdays. INTRODUCING eto' t/yt Little & Davenport Funeral Home To inquire about pricing packages available to memorialize a pet in print, please contact Megan Lewis at 770-535-6371 or mlewis@gainesvilletimes.com Pets at Peace will appear in The Times the last Sunday of each month.
