From humble beginnings

Well, we made it through another issue, and I have to admit, even after working here for more than 2 years, it still amazes me how much work goes into creating the paper. The paper starts out as a blank slate. And with just words, pictures, a little elbow grease, some creativity and whole lot of perseverance, we create this thing we call On Common Ground News.

In just 2 weeks, we’ll be celebrating a very special anniversary around the office. The April 1^st issue marks 13 years of Glenn and Valerie publishing On Common Ground News.  It still amazes me that Glenn and Valerie are not daunted by the task of creating a newspaper. Every 2 weeks, the Morgans tell us, “Hey team, we CAN make a newspaper” and we actually do it. When you really sit and think about it, it’s quite amazing.

I’m not sure if you know the history of our beloved community paper so let me share what I know.

The paper started as a newsletter that the Morgans distributed only around their subdivision. It had information about things to do on the weekend with family. It started building a following and by the second anniversary, the newsletter graduated to a magazine. The Morgans branched out and started delivering the magazine to surrounding neighborhoods. I still have people tell me they remember when Glenn used to get in his car and throw the paper in their front yards.

In 2003, with a new location outside the Mall At Stonecrest, On Common Ground News took on a new form – the paper that’s on news stands now.

It’s Friday, It’s Friday

I can’t believe it’s Friday. I can’t believe it’s Friday at 6 p.m. and I’m still at work. Well, there is work that needs to be done. I think I’ll scoop my babies up and head on out to the auction.  I haven’t been in a while and there might be some good finds. If I find anything exciting, I’ll let you know.

Kissi almost lost it

We’re still caught up in the excitement of this year’s race to the White House. I must say thank you to our readers who called, e-mailed or just stopped by to say they enjoyed the picture page we created in the last issue. We hit the streets to ask people whom they are supporting and we got great responses. Regardless of the candidate, supporters were very passionate about their choice for President.

While the page came out great, the road to that greatness was a very rocky one. You see laying out the paper is not like putting together a newsletter in a user-friendly program. There is no template with boxes that read, “put text here” or “click here to place photo.” We do this thing from scratch. Every word, column, graphic, line, and box is created by one of our designers. So to get 19 photos, the accompanying quotes and some text on the page in an easy-to-read and eye-pleasing format is no simple task.  I have to be honest: I thought this was going to be the thing that pushed Kissi over the edge. She had the page laid out one way, and then came Val. After the dust settled, we were left with what you got. If our lives were a movie, where the music would start playing to alert you of something to come, the soundtrack for that night would have been “don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge, I’m trying not to lose my head, ah huh huh huh!”

Want to know more about what goes on behind the scenes at On Common Ground News? To stay on top of what’s happening in the office and in the community, remember to check our web site often for breaking news, stories updates, contests, videos, photos and information you can only find at www.ocgnews.com.

It’s a new year!

Things picked up pretty quickly around On Common Ground News after the New Year. We’re all getting back into the swing of things and sticking with our resolutions. I read somewhere that people give up on their resolutions before the end of January. We are definitely trying to stay out of that category.

In the weight department, our editor, Valerie, has everyone beat. She has lost 25 pounds and has kept if off for about a year. Our goal is to catch up with her. I finally got Richard, our advertising manager, to take our “before” picture. 

 Richard is taking charge of our walking routine. He said we’re going to start going over to the Mall at Stonecrest on our lunch break and walk. Our next-door neighbor Rita said she wants to join us. Glenn, our publisher, says he can’t wait. In the last six months, he has lost 25 pounds. The more people, the better to keep us motivated. Plus, multi-tasking is great. We can shop and get our workout on at the same time.

My secret weight loss weapon is Weight Watchers. I signed up last week and it hasn’t been as hard as I expected. I say that now, but the true test is when I weigh in on Saturday. Every time I even think about putting something in my mouth, Richard yells out “How many points is that?”  It’s all about sticking with it.

Speaking of sticking with something, the award goes to Valerie. She has been a real trooper. Her little toe has been bothering her, so she went to see her podiatrist, Dr. Naim Shaheed, at Ankle and Foot. Dr. Shaheed said she’s going to have to get different shoes—wider and flatter. It couldn’t have happened to a worse person because Valerie loves shoes. She loves heels, pumps and boots and owns about 100 pairs.

 

But being the hard worker that she is, after she hobbled back to the office with a shoe on one foot and a brown paper bag on the other, Valerie headed to the City of Lithonia to cover the new mayor’s installation. At least the bag matched her outfit.

This month, we celebrated another birthday around here. Our photograph, David, is one year wiser. We’ll wish Val a happy birthday on Jan. 29. It has become the office tradition to get a card and a cake for the honoree’s special day. So we all got a piece of cheesecake for David’s birthday. It was one of the variety pack cheesecakes. It had strawberry, New York style, chocolate swirl and turtle crunch. It was delicious. I know, I know, “How many points was that?”

      

All I want for Christmas

In the spirit of the season, I asked everyone in the office what things top their wish lists this year. Here’ what they said.

 Valerie wants her whole family to ride the Pig Pink at Lenox Mall. She’s still trying to convince her son, who is 6 feet 2 inches tall, to sit in the seat with her.

Glenn would like to unwrap an iPod on Christmas morning.

Emmanuel would be happy with a PS3 until the tree

 Kissi wants a leather motorcycle outfit to wear when she’s riding her bike.

 Sharlene wishes for a trip to Paris

 Debra wants to spend a day at Chateau Elan being pampered

 Fran would enjoy a trip to Hawaii.

  Me, I would like a big purse in burnt orange leather. I got a red one last year and if you ever see me around the Mall At Stonecrest or out covering an event, you know I wear it with everything. It’s a little pop of color that makes me happy.

U.S. President Cynthia McKinney?

DeKalb County’s Cynthia McKinney is trying to make a political comeback since losing to Congressman Hank Johnson in 2006. The six-term Congresswoman now wants to be President of the United States. She has officially announced her candidacy and is running under the Green Party.On her website, www.runcynthiarun.org, McKinney has a seven-minute video outlining her bid for the office. McKinney makes the second African American running for the position.In recent months, McKinney has been traveling across the nation to muster up the support needed to get her name on the ballot. She must raise $5,000 in at least 20 states to meet the threshold requirements to run.McKinney will face candidates Jared Ball, Jesse Johnson, Kent Mesplay, and Kat Swift and draft candidates Elaine Brown and Ralph Nader for the Green Party nomination. Share your thoughts.

Obama being sued?

A politician in Georgia is suing the Obama campaign for defamtion. Angela Moore planned a fundraiser for Obama that was going to be held on Dec. 21.  She said she was in constant contact with the campaign this whole time. She’s spent $25,000 planning the event.  At some point, the campaign decided they didn’t want to have anything to do with the event. Apparently, Moore and her partner could be considered a PAC, and Obama doesn’t accept contributions from PACs. So they shut her down.

This is where the story makes a turn. Instead of the Atlanta campaign washing their hands of the situation, one member took it upon herself to call other people involved with the fundraising event, telling them that Moore is a fraud and is engaging in illegal activities (this according to Moore). The problem is that Moore is herself a politician. So now, her reputation has been changed from community activist to crook. Personally, I think she’s been wronged, but hey I’m no lawyer.

It’s funny that this situation has happened and it’s being kept on the hush, and this morning I read on the wire Clinton apologized to Obama about comments made from her camp. Huh! sounds like the same situation to me.

Now, if Moore wasn’t following the rules, then yes, shut her down. But to start making calls and comments, that crossed the line. Even Obama knows how important a politician’s reputation is. Especially in local elections.

Mega deadline for mega churches under investigation is here

Today is the deadline for the mega churches under investigation to turn over their financial statements in accordance with the investigation by Sen. Grassley. The two churches headed by African Americans – World Changers Church and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church – both in metro Atlanta, have said they won’t turn over the information with a subpoena. They said the request violates the protection offered to churches under the Constitution. Joyce Meyers has turned over the requested documents Benny Hinn said he needs until Jan. 31 to respond. Kenneth Copeland and Randy and Paula White have yet to respond.

It will be interesting to see what will happen from here.  I still have  problem with these Pastors being singled out. There are many others that live the same “lifestyle” as these, yet they are not under investigation. Why is that?

Dr. Dollar and Bishop Long have all right to request a subpoena. Can the senate just “request” to see the books of any business and get it? Can they send you a letter in the mail “requesting” to see how your money is spent? So why is it different with these churches. 

Is Grady on life support?

Grady Memorial hospital in Atlanta just got a new board, which is supposed to help save the ailing county hospital. It’s the largest provider of care to the poor and uninsured in the state, yet it is not state supported. Only two counties- DeKalb and Fulton- contribute tax dollars to keep the facility open.  There is something about this that just doesn’t seem right.

The hospital has the best burn unit and trauma center in the region (not just the state). Which means, if you live in Cobb and your house burns down with you in it, guess where they’re taking you? If you live in Henry and you run your car into a ditch, guess where you’re going? That’s right folks, straight to Grady! But when it’s time to pay the bills, guess who’s paying? Not Cobb and Henry. Only Fulton and DeKalb.

This year, the two counties contributed $125 million to the hospital. The numbers show that $44 million of service is given to people who live outside of the two counties every year. So if the hospital in on the hole, why is it so hard to see these counties need to start coughing up money for the service they use?

I’m no politician, but it just makes sense. Since the entire State utlizes the hospital, some contributions should come from the state level.

Pastors under investigation – Are mega churches cheating the system?

 

 With Atlanta quickly becoming a megachurch Mecca, it’s not surprising that two of the six preachers under Senate investigation are from Atlanta. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa wants to look into their finances because of the extravagant lifestyles they lead. The lifestyle alone couldn’t possibly be the only basis for this type of investigation. The real issue is tax evasion. Are pastors using the tax protection given to churches by the government to finance their personal lifestyles?

When you look at pastors such as Bishop Long, who was a successful businessman before he took over leadership at New Birth, how do you determine where his lifestyle crosses the line? A Bentley and a private jet may seem “extravagant” to someone working a regular job, but to say Donald Trump, maybe not. Extravagance is relative.

I remember reading an article on Bishop Long about a year ago, where again, his lifestyle was under the microscope. The article had a negative spin and talked about the money he was making, the car he was driving, the home in which he lived. At the bottom of the article (the part that most people don’t read), it explained how most of the money he made was from speaking engagements outside of the church, the car he drove was on loan from a Bentley dealership and the house he lived in didn’t belong to him. So while on the surface people equated his lifestyle with the money he was getting directly from the church, it wasn’t so.

My issue with the investigation is who determines how much is enough? We don’t have a problem with actors making $1 million dollars per episode for what they do. We don’t have a problem with rappers raking in $1 million for a concert. So is it necessarily wrong for a pastor to make that kind of money? I say no. If a church with 1,000 members can afford to pay their pastor a nice salary, what would you expect from a congregation of 25,000?

Preachers under investigation

What in the world is going on? A senator in Iowa is calling for an investigation into the finances of six pastors, one of which is Bishop Eddie L. Long, senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist church in Lithonia.

Although I don’t attend New Birth, I often times find myself defending the church. New Birth is VERY active in the community, and much of the work is never printed in major newspapers or broadcast on the television. People are unaware of the resources available at the church to anyone who is interested. You don’t have to be a member. They are also unaware of the support the church gives to those in need. But whenever the issue of money in church comes up, people think something unethical is going on.

Let’s be honest people, ministry is not free. It takes money to run a ministry, and even more to run a successful one. I’m sure New Birth has to write a check to Georgia Power every month, just like the rest of us. And I’m sure its a tidy sum.

My big question is why do so many people have a problem with megachurches and the men who lead them? What is the issue? Why these six? All pastors should be watching this case closely, because whatever happens, the results are going to affect alot of other ministries.

Hair-raising Information

This issue we featured hair salon owner Marion Summers, who is one of only a few black hair distributors in Georgia. This story led to us watching Black Hair; The Korean Takeover of the Black Haircare Industry. It’s a documentary by white filmmaker Aron Ranen. It turns out that Koreans dominate the black hair industry. And when I say dominate, It’s a ridiculously high number like 98 percent.

Now I have no problem with someone having an entrepreneurial spirit and being successful at whatever they do, but this is not the case. Koreans have systematically blocked Blacks out of the industry. The Korean distributors won’t even sell to Black-Owned Beauty supply stores. Some even ask if you’re Korean or Black before they will do business with you.

But where does the responsibility lie? Is it with the Koreans for pushing blacks out of the business? Is it with the black salon owners? consumers? No matter which side of the debate you fall, it’s still a very interesting phenomenon. Here’s a clip to give you an example of what’s really going on.

And you thought it was over

I’ve come to believe that we here at OCG News operate in two states – we’re either on deadline or we’re about to be on deadline. Well today, my theory was debunked. We’re in this new “not-quite-done-with-deadline” state. I know we put the paper to rest yesterday, but today has been hectic. You hear me?

Valerie wasn’t in the office today, but you  would have never known. If you think physically being in the another location is a reason to stop working,  you thought wrong. She was cracking the whip through time and space. Somehow, Valerie has found a way to defy the Laws of Physics and be in two places at the same time. If I didn’t KNOW she wasn’t in the office, I would swear she was right here.  

A great co-worker

I have to send this shout out to Emmanuel. My daughter had a 3rd birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Well, she is in LOVE with Dora the explorer. I had the great idea of renting a Dora costume on the internet. But my big problem was, who was going to get IN the costume. Mr. Emmanuel saved the day. He got “dora-fied” with no problem. I was so excited, that was until Dora actually showed up at the house and scared the gibbies out of my little girl. She cried the entire time Dora was there. I guess it didn’t help that Emmanuel is 6’2″.

We have grammy winners stopping by

I don’t know if you believed me when I said we don’t know who will drop by, but it is definitely true. Grammy winning producer Kevin Bond just stopped by the office. It’s crazy. You really never know who it’s going to be.  I have to be honest,  he stopped by to see Glenn, who wasn’t in the office, so he only stayed a hot second. But I did get a little tid bit of information. He’s got a book coming out. It’s about ministry. I’m not sure when it will hit the streets though. I’ll keep you posted.