I, along with others, was deeply disturbed by the recent news of a homework assignment using slaves as an example that was given to a third-grade classroom in Gwinnett County. I found the questions absurd and horrendous. I started expressing my thoughts on the Internet at Cascade Patch and Huffington Post and I received a lot of interesting responses. Here is a caption of one conversation. I will address the young lady I was corresponding with as Reader A and myself as Yolande  in our exchange of this important dialogue. Please read and grow: Reader A:  For the woman who said I'm doing my 8…

  The true colors of APS will be revealed through the redistricting process, some ask will APS have the courage to do what is right by way of students and communities? Atlanta Public Schools is in the process of redistricting, starting in the fall 2010 and continuing through the spring of 2011, APS held Demographic Study finding meetings in each SRT (School Reform Team).  The study revealed a huge decline of projected growth population in certain areas of town while others would experience an influx of families all tapering off in 10-20 years. Recently, parents & community members were …

  Several years ago I wrote a piece about the sounds of Christmas. Not musical sounds, but the sounds that those of us who are now senior citizens grew up with. The sound of children playing outside on Christmas Day and on the days following Christmas. You knew that Christmas had come by the noise of children playing on the streets. I don't know when the sounds ceased. It could have been when computers became prevalent or when X-boxes, video games, and computerized toys came along. When those of us who are 55 or older were young, everyone knew that Christmas Day had arrived. The noise of …

It looks like 1998 has made a comeback in South Fulton. What is so unique about 1998 and South Fulton?  If you recall, we lost several major businesses in our community.  Macy’s pulled out of Shannon Mall. Service Merchandise and Target closed along Old National Highway.  Unfortunately, we never obtained replacements for these businesses. Both the Target and Macy’s have remained empty since their closures. The departure of Macy’s began the path to death of Shannon Mall as other businesses followed such as JCPenney and other major outlets.  We have seen two malls die out in our area; …

At a recent Atlanta Board of Education meeting, my inner alarm bell rang as I listened to a school board member ask Karen Waldon, Deputy Superintendent for Instruction, and Steve Smith, Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff, questions regarding how to handle public schools that fail to meet AYP.  The school board member stated that we need to take drastic measures to correct our problems and asked if APS would be willing to work with lawmakers to hand over control of Atlanta Public Schools to some sort of charter/privatization/voucher organization. I consider this request both un-American …

When rock bands on Jimmy Kimmel Live are screaming “I need a job” during the final musical act, you know it has gotten bad. Chicken Foot, a band that performed on the late night comedy show on Thursday, read aloud hand-written letters from unemployed veterans, a homeless nine year-old child, and a 51-year old father who recently lost his job—in between the measures of their “I need a job” chorus. In the never ending cycle of art-life imitation, Chicken Foot doesn’t have to rely on the creative wiles of artists to be heard; Screaming “I need a job” over and over again goes over like a Picasso…

The shock and awe over the sudden closing of The Tavern at J.R. Crickets at the Camp Creek Marketplace that was first reported in Cascade Patch last month has a happy ending. The Tavern reopened for business this past Friday. CEO Ronnie Cotton told Cascade Patch that all issues have been resolved and that "this location is back in action." Competitors beware. All the same specials and speciality days are back... including the crab legs, which patron Kevin was glad to hear this week. "It's (just) in time for the Vick vs falcons game" on Sunday, said Kevin. Regular Denise she's looking forward…

The popular Tavern @ JR Crickets , 3560 Camp Creek Pkwy., closed Aug. 8 and many patrons of the restaraunt and sports bar were shocked and upset. To get a better understanding of the situation at the Tavern, I sought the owner of the Tavern. After talking to Ronnie Cotton, CEO of the Tavern @ JR Crickets, and owner of a few others in the Atlanta area, he mentioned that the Camp Creek location is temporarily closed. Cotton declined to go into details, but was optimistic about it re-opening. For all the patrons of his establishment and the readers of the Cascade Patch, he had this to say: "We …

I am one of thousands of filmgoers who recently traveled to the movie  theater to see the film "The Help." The film stars Academy Award nominee Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, along with scene-stealing performances from Sissy Spacek and Cicely Tyson, (who will forever be remembered for her role as  'Miss Jane Pittman'). The movie has generated mixed reaction from black and white film  audiences and, especially, black critics. The book has as well. Some have criticized both the film and the book as stereotyping African-American women in general and maids, or the "help," in particular…

We are all responsible and accountable for the education of our children and their education must be at the foerfront of all of our thinking. We should accept praise when it is due but also shoulder responsibility when things do not work as we had expected.  Contributing to a child’s academic success requires commitment, honesty, openness and an environment which fosters mutual respect and teamwork.  Solid support systems must be in place in order for urban youth to succeed. Research consistently shows the importance of parents being actively involved in their child’s education.  When parents…

Hi Everyone: Should all the educators involved in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal be prosecuted? As a regular contributor to Cascade Patch, I'd like to know what you think about this "hot topic." I also think we should let all the educators know, so we can find the “soul”ution. For me the question is "Why did this happen?" Was this scandal based on pressure from the people in authority? Was it educators thinking they might respond to our image of being underachievers on standardized tests? Or, is the true issue the test itself does not have any relevance to our African-American …

Despite the current controversy surrounding the Atlanta Public School's accreditation, the board's in-fighting amongst the school board and the cheating scandal, Philander Smith College President Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough said his matriculation at Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta fully prepared him for college. Kimbrough—known as the "Hip Hop President" because he is one of the youngest college presidents in the country—graduated from Mays in 1985. He gives credit to the dedicated teachers and counselors he had at the public school. “Part of it was being in southwest Atlanta …

The JR Crickets on Cascade has a new owner and now will do business as JR Crickets Lounge. Meet licensee and businessman, Kashaka "KK" Scott, an Atlanta area native and 1988 graduate of Columbia High School in Decatur and a graduate of Georgia State University. Scott remembers with fondness how Atlanta locals and business professionals use to network and socialize at the old Paschals restaurant. He wants to bring that feel to the JR Crickets Lounge combined with a new (neo) vibe. In agreement with his vision is his business partner Dennis Mason, a businessman from Cleveland, Ohio. Mason saw …

I’ve watched with more than casual interest as the fallout continues from the comments made by former NBA star Jalen Rose in a recently released ESPN documentary about “The Fab Five,” the University of Michigan’s former assemblage of great college basketball talent. In the piece, Rose ignited a firestorm of controversy with his charges from roughly 20 years ago that black players who played for Duke University were “Uncle Toms.” Predictably, much of the dustup has centered on Rose’s misguided comments and Grant Hill’s strong reaction in a follow-up op-ed piece in the New York Times.  But the …

There aren't many places for kids to go to just be kids and yet still be supervised in a safe environment. Cascade Family Skating, 3335 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., is one place in the community that serves the needs of both kids and adults. Many celebrities, such as recording artist T.I., are connected to the business. The movie ATL, starring T.I. and other stars, was filmed there in 2006. There are many other reasons to love this great asset of the Cascade community other than the celebrity connection, though. Skating can be great exercise, immense fun, or sometimes it can be both. America …

Last month, the Federal Communications Commission issued a framework for rules intended to define and regulate the relationship between broadband access providers, such as AT&T and Comcast, and consumers and content providers. Specifically, the rules would require broadband access providers to share information with consumers regarding how the network is being managed.  Broadband access providers would be prohibited from restricting consumer access to websites of their choice and allow all content providers, from Google to a website for a mom  and pop shop, to transmit their data at the same …

As the Atlanta Public Schools forge a new path towards academic improvement under its new probation status, the focus on Monday's Martin Luther King celebration shifts. Instead of viewing MLK day solely as a celebration of one mighty man's achievement, we should also consider it as a reminder of what remains undone in manifesting the dream of true equality for all. Called, by some, "The Last Civil Rights Frontier," the academic achievement gap is the next big generator of inequality to bump off our collective to-do list. But much like the original U.S. Civil Rights Movement, this challenge …

Christmas is in the air and it is a wonderful day. Diana Ross is singing, "Baby love, my baby love..." in the background, it is not crowded. I am sitting here, sun shining on my back, online, relaxing, drinking a cup of mint tea. Uh ohh, Al Green is "thinking about" me. Funny, after living and visiting a couple of places on the planet from time to time, locations visited tend to cross my mind. Usually a smile crosses my face, as something good is part of the memory. Like the time I walked into the Starbucks here in Cascade was talking with a friend of mine, and this sister joined us. As the …

Silver bells and red kettles bring cheer to the Cascade community during the holidays. It is nothing new. For 119 years, the Salvation Army red kettles have brought a familiar ring to the bustle of holiday shopping. From the Kroger on Cascade Road to Greenbriar Mall, members of the community drop coins, dollar bills and even checks into the kettles that remind us to help our less fortunate neighbors with good cheer. "Some people can't buy food. Some people can't pay the light bill and water bill. Some can't even buy their kids things for Christmas," says Donald, a Salvation Army Bellringer at…

You are planning a big holiday feast at your home. Ten guests are coming to indulge. The menu is perfect but you are clueless about the wine. Cascade Patch took this dilemma to WineStyles-Cascade Sommelier George Gore. "The most important thing to consider is the taste of the individuals who will be attending your dinner party," said Gore, an award-winning wine expert. "Consider that everyone doesn't have the same taste. With 10 guests or less you should try to simplify the cost factor and have no more than three wines." An average bottle starts to decline in four to five days, Gore explained…