The Publix that opened no more than two and a half months ago is now closed. The neighborhood association and many others are wondering when it will reopen.
“We had been waiting for years for the Publix to open up so it’s disappointing for this to have happened,” Organized Neighbors of Summerville (ONS) President John Helton said.
On Saturday, Sept. 4 a crane truck fell through the parking lot of the Publix supermarket at 572 Hank Aaron DrSE in the heart of the Summerhill neighborhood. The only person injured during the collapse was the crane operator. There have not been any updates on his condition as of the publication of this story.
The Publix has been more than just a supermarket to Summerhill residents, says Helton, who has been allowed to host ONS meetings in the upstairs lounge area.
“In the short time it’s been here it is amazing how accustomed we’ve gotten to it being here,” Helton said.
The supermarket remains the only one in the neighborhood and surrounding neighborhood for miles. Its closure will once again keep Summerhill’s residents, some of whom have been there for generations and attend-
ed the opening ceremony in June.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released a statement on the parking lot collapse. In the statement, which was released Monday, Dickens stated, “Our administration is concerned about the impact this incident will have on the safety and the access to food and pharmacy services in the community.”
He continued, “While there is no exact timeline for full resolution, I have been told several options for full or partial re-opening of the store and parking garage are under re-
view by the companies involved and relevant government agencies.”
Summerhill, a historically Black neighborhood downtown, was considered a food desert prior to the Publix opening June 21. The recent influx of high-end apartment buildings within the neighborhood is changing the demographic of the neighborhood and brought companies like Publix and Piedmont Urgent Care, which opened a clinic on the grounds of the supermarket in June.
Assessments and inspections by multiple companies are “underway with more to come over the coming days,” according to the mayor’s statement.
The 48,000-square-foot store is the first major supermarket chain to come to Summerhill in generations. This particular Publix employs 125-150 associates of all levels, according to Publix media relations manager Nicole Krauss.
Publix has 150 stores in metro Atlanta.
District 1 councilman Jason Winston also
released a statement on the parking lot collapse. Winston said, “The recent incident at the new Summerhill Publix understandably alarmed our community. This location has quickly become an important resource for the surrounding neighborhoods, especially since it was without a nearby grocery store for so long.”
In front of the Pubix there are signs that say, “Publix Closed reopening to be determined”. Early Tuesday morning a delivery truck backed into one of the freight bays to the right of the entrance and parking garage on Fraser Street. Deliveries are expected to continue so maybe the store will reopen sooner than later.
The monthly ONS community meeting will take place via Zoom at 7 p.m. Thursday and Publix officials have been invited to join in order to update the public on plans to reopen, according to Helton. “They have been good neighbors,” he says of the national supermarket chain.
This Wednesday, many of the co-defendants currently embroiled in a sweeping indictment under the Georgia RICO Statute will enter their pleas. Each defendant will be ushered into the Fulton County Courthouse in a 15-minute-increment procession until 3:15 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break at noon.
Sidney Powell, Former campaign lawyer Ray Stallings Smith III, and publicist Trevian Kutti each have entered their pleas of not guilty in the case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee decided to allow a livestream of the court proceedings beginning this week.
“I agree with Judge McAfee’s decision,” said Georgia State Rep. Tanya R. Miller Esq. “Courtrooms in Fulton County are where the people’s business is handled. We have open courtrooms as a measure of accountability for what occurs in our criminal justice system. In a courtroom where truth should reign supreme, there is no good reason to keep the people in the dark. Plus, a televised trial leaves no doubt about facts and the evidence in this case. Facts and truth are things we sorely need at this critical time in our nation’s history. We should not shrink away from that.”
Former President Donald J. Trump entered his plea of not guilty last week and his waiver to not appear in court was granted. In an email to his supporters, Trump expressed his displeasure at the idea of this trial in Georgia being televised, despite Trump’s overarching desire to dominate headlines and television screens.
“Why would I fly down to Atlanta just to hear over a dozen FALSE CHARGES brought against me on live TV?,” Trump said. “A judge ruled that all of my court proceedings in Atlanta will be TELEVISED for the entire country to watch. The Communist Democrats would love nothing more than for me to be stuck in court in a televised spectacle as a way to keep me off the campaign trail. But I refuse to play into the Left’s hands. That’s why I have waived my in-person formal arraignment and simply pleaded ‘NOT GUILTY’ to the indictment in the Georgia witch hunt.”
Trump is facing thirteen felony charges in Fulton County. Willis’s investigation stems from the January 2, 2021 call Trump had with Georgia Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger, in which he stressed the need to “find 11,780 votes.” Additionally, Trump has requested his case be severed from Ken Chesebro who has requested his trial to begin October 23rd. Trump attorneys claim the speedy trial Chesebro requested “would violate President Trump’s federal and state constitutional rights to a fair trial and due process of law.”
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows requested to move his case from state court to federal court in the hopes of a wider, more sympathetic jury pool. Plus, if Meadows were to be successful, it would be possible for Trump and the remainder of the co-defendants to get their cases moved to federal court. During court proceedings on August 29th, Meadows admitted he did the work that Trump did not. Whether or not Meadows violated the Hatch Act would be questioned. Meadows, like Trump, would love the idea of no cameras, laptops, phones or recordings would not be permissible in federal court.
However, State Rep. Miller believes Meadows’s case should be tried in Fulton County Superior Court because the alleged crimes took place in Fulton County.
“I can certainly understand the idea behind Meadows’s desire to move his case from Fulton County to federal court,” said Miller. “No cameras, an arguably more favorable venue for him with jurors being drawn from counties other than Fulton County—northern suburbs that may be more sympathetic to him due to their political leanings. But Meadows chose Fulton County as the forum to allegedly conspire to disenfranchise voters. Fulton County is where election workers were harassed and defamed all in the name of giving the president a win he did not earn.
The people of Fulton County brought this case, through their duly elected District Attorney and this is the forum he and his co-conspirators should answer for their alleged crimes. I trust the citizens of Fulton County to do what they do day in and
day out—administer justice as jurors sworn to uphold the law. It’s a shame he does not. The argument that he was engaging in legitimate duties as a federal employee, arguably doesn’t pass the smell test, but it is one he can make right here in Fulton County.”
Chesebro and Powell have requested speedy trials in hopes of catching Willis unprepared. However, State Rep. Miller, who was once a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York to a supervisory prosecutor in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, believes Willis when she says she’s ready to go to trial. Wills took more than two years before she handed down the indictment.
“I guarantee you that when the office brought this indictment, they did so expecting the contingency that each and every one of the 19 defendants charged could request a speedy trial,” said Miller. “DA Willis is trained to be ready for this contingency and I expect that she is.”
BY TAMIEKA ATKINS
Sixty years ago, more than 200,000 people descended upon the National Mall for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, making a stand for freedom and equality. Black people, women, and poor people had been treated like second-class citizens for too long, and it was time to demand justice.
The March led to unprecedented federal legislation addressing the systemic racism and economic injustices that had plagued Black people through slavery and the Jim Crow era. Within a year, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed, followed by the National Voting Rights Act of 1965 a year later. Sit-ins, protests, and other demonstrations set the stage for change, but the March on Washington set a new standard for civic engagement and exemplified the impact that could be accomplished when we organize broad coalitions toward a common goal. Those lessons will stand the test of time. The march remains a call to action for social justice advocates to continue the fight against discrimination, voter suppression, police brutality, and wage disparity. It is also a platform to elevate the greater narrative on racial injustice.
Now, as we commemorate August 28, 1963, we understand that while progress has been made, we have so much more work to do. Our democracy is fragile, and we face new threats each day.
In Georgia, threats against democracy linger around every corner. Over the past five years alone, potential voters have faced a new wave of voter purges, the elimination of polling places, reductions in early voting options, limitations on the use of mail-in/absentee ballots, efforts to undermine poll workers and legislation that would subject citizens to a criminal investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for claimed suspicion of voting irregularity. We’ve always been a hotbed for civil rights and social justice, but recent years have shown just how far some people will go to suppress the will of the people. The needs of real people too often take a backseat to partisan jockeying, rampant misand disinformation, and wholesale agendas reversing decades of legal precedent promoting equity. At this moment, we cannot afford to view the March as a thing of the past. The fight for our most basic civil rights never ended. We need urgent action and consistent civic engagement.
That’s why for more than a decade, ProGeorgia has worked to help uphold the legacy of community organizing, civic engagement, and viable policy change set forth by the trailblaz-
Hours before any speakers took the stage to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom the National Mall was quiet. Thousands of people would attend, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
ers behind the March on Washington. Alongside our 61 partner organizations, we continue to employ smart, robust, and innovative strategies to rebuild democracy and magnify civic engagement. While we organize for equity in our state, we also try to provide a framework for creating people-centered, positive change nationwide.
What we’ve found most effective is centering our work around three major premises: relational, rather than transactional engagement; elevating the values, views, voices and leadership
of women of color; and embracing, amplifying, and mobilizing young people.
“Change happens at the speed of trust,” said Stephen M.R. Covey, and the Rev. Jennifer Bailey added that “relationships are built at the speed of trust, and social change happens at the speed of relationships.” Thus, longstanding, systemic, and generational change is built over time by creating meaningful relationships. It’s not enough to rally folks for a single election or campaign. You must give people a real reason to believe that their voice and vote matters. Even more, you must show them how to engage in the democratic process regularly, beyond election cycles, and remind them that our systems are only as strong as the people who run them. We must hold those elected and appointed officials accountable to the will of the people.
Beyond non-transactional relationships, it’s important to center and elevate the voices, values, and leadership of people guiding this work every day, many of whom are Black women and women of color. The face of civic engagement must reflect the communities being served. We need more brown, black, queer, and differently-abled people as activists, organizers, candidates, policymakers, judges, district attorneys, and lawmakers. Even as we strive toward greater inclusivity, we must also embrace and elevate the ideals and actions of young people. At the time of the March on Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr. was 34 years old, and Georgia’s own senior statesman, John Lewis, was just 23 and a fierce advocate for justice. Young people have always been at the heart of movements for civil rights and social justice, and real progress requires that we continue to amplify their efforts. Engaging them today means speaking their language and empowering them to engage on their own terms.
So, the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington represents a commemoration and a continuation of the work that’s already been done to make America live up to her promise. As Anna Hedgeman wrote in her memoir The Trumpet Sounds: A Memoir of Negro Leadership, “We will not rest until there is justice in our beloved country, and we know that as justice comes to all Americans, it will come in increasing measure to the rest of the world.”
Tamieka Atkins is the executive director of ProGeorgia, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening democracy in the state. To learn more about our effort to protect Georgians’ voter rights, visit http://www.govotega.org.
FOUNDED
May 11, 1966
FOUNDER/EDITOR
Ed Clayton Immortalis Memoria
PUBLISHER/EDITOR
J. Lowell Ware Immortalis Memoria
The Atlanta Voice honors the life of J. Lowell Ware.
PUBLISHER
Janis Ware jlware@theatlantavoice.com
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James A. Washington jaws@theatlantavoice.com
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Donnell Suggs editor@theatlantavoice.com
GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER
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MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL Itoro Umontuen iumontuen@theatlantavoice.com
& CIRCULATION
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I knew then and I know now, when it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it.”
—Claudette ColvinTHE ATLANTA
Sometimes words alone cannot convey meaning and feelings the way we’d like them to. Trust for example. Remember, Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all things acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
BY JAMES A. WASHINGTON
Atlanta Voice
Trust is such a complex thing. Have you ever been betrayed by someone in whom you had total trust? Have you been able to totally trust another person since?
See how easy misplaced trust puts you in a terribly vulnerable place? It’s uncomfortable. It’s abnormal. It ain’t fun.
Yet, in this passage we are instructed to put our trust in the Lord. The question is can you do it? Are you able to put trust in your heart after you experience devastating betrayal?
And we’ve all been betrayed in one way or another; either by having our beliefs proven false or maybe your heart has been broken.
Everyone knows someone who has
been crippled by a lover or spouse gone crazy, or watched someone stumble up on the truth about a situation that everybody but them knew the real deal.
In the real world that kind of stuff hurts.
In a real sense, once destroyed, trust “don’t” come round here anymore.
But now, wait a minute. Go out and trust in the Lord implicitly. You get my meaning?
Extreme caution usually follows crippling betrayal. New relationships are founded largely on mistrust and “prove it to me;” not, blind faith and unconditional trust.
Life teaches us that only a fool would allow themselves to be misused again. Therein lies my question about trust and what it means to you.
Can you deal with this concept ev-
eryday? How much of a struggle are you having trying to trust people who have taught you not to give them the time of day?
Do you treat all people this way or just the one(s) who betrayed you?
Can you forgive? Can you ever forget? Do you really want to? And what does all of this have to do with God?
How are you treating Him in the trust area?
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2)
Now exactly, who’s proving what to whom? Are you requiring God to prove something to you before you trust Him?
Are you demanding from God those same things you demand from someone, anyone before you would even consider giving him or her your love?
You see, it is so easy to succumb to a lifestyle which requires proof before love is given.
It’s so easy to demand the impossible from people who are incapable of giving it to you.
But how can you base your relationship with God on worldly principles grounded in betrayal and disappointment? Are you requiring God to prove His love to you before you give yours to Him?
The key to this trust thing lies deep within each and every one of us. We first have to confront those demons which have plagued us for years. And yes, that means all the pain that goes with them.
Then and only then can we begin to even accept the concept of trust and loyalty, total and without equivocation. Because then trust means knowing. Trust means truth. Trust means no matter what, I know that regardless of conditions and circumstances, I am God’s child, made in His image and the recipient of His love.
May God bless and keep you always.
“There should not be an age limit before you retire from public office, especially in the political arena. I believe there should be a competency test because even at age 62, one might not be competent enough to continue to lead a legislature. But at age 75, someone might be competent enough to lead and make decisions for the general public here. It’s perfectly okay.”
“I believe that there should be an age limit on presidents once they reach a certain age when they feel like they should retire. I believe as we all get older, there’s wear and tear on our bodies and minds. So their ability to perform their presidential functions may get impaired as they age.”
“My response to the question of politicians having a mandatory retirement, I think, yes, but not because I don’t feel like older people are incapable of doing their jobs. I think it’s more so to allow a fresh perspective to come in. So I think putting like an eight year or so cap on how long you can serve in a role is helpful because at some point there may be somebody who has a different way of doing something. I mean, a perspective that can change up the office. And I think that that’s important.”
“I think it should be a [mandatory] retirement age for the elected officials, at least around 60. I don’t think they could give us ... what we need as taxpayers. I think, for them to fully give us what we need,you know, after a certain age. I think it should be a little bit over 60 or something.”
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
(1 Corinthians 4:2)Compiled by Vincent Christie
Deborah Arnold waited patiently in the back of a meeting room inside the Dunbar Neighborhood Center Wednesday night. She and a couple of dozen of her Mechanicsville neighbors were there for what was supposed to be an information session on a proposed housing project hosted by City of Atlanta District 4 councilman Jason Dozier. The session quickly turned into a hour-and-a-half long listening session with the citizens of Mechanicsville playing host to Dozier and a trio of City of Atlanta staffers.
Dressed in a white Tennessee State University t-shirt and wearing red eyeglasses, Arnold proceeded to share her thoughts on a new development being built for the unhoused near where she lives at 405 Cooper Street. After sharing a story of a homeless woman standing outside of her apartment threatening to burn down the door with a lighter and what looked like a bottle of lighter fluid, Arnold said. “We don’t need any more stress in our community.”
This meeting was less about what the project is, a collection of tiny home-like structures that will be used to house homeless people at what is now a vacant lot on Cooper Street in the heart of one of Atlanta’s oldest historic Black neighborhoods, and more about what the people of Mechanicsville want. Mechanicsville has been without economic and major residential development for decades and residents attending the meeting Wednesday night don’t want what the City of Atlanta wants for that site.
“You need to listen to what the people want instead of telling us what you want,” said Jasper Grissett, who along with his wife attended the meeting.
This was the first of a series of meetings where discussions will take place in order to get the community’s feedback,” said Dozer, who admitted it was planned very well.
“We whipped this up very quickly,” he said. “This will be the first of many we will have about this issue. We want to make sure we hear from as many people as possible.”
The land at 405 Cooper St. is owned by Atlanta Public Schools and will be a part of a land swap if approved by the Executive Finance Committee which will vote Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 1:30 p.m. inside committee room one inside City Hall.
The consensus, at least inside the meeting
room Wednesday night, is that the community does not want to discuss how to best use the vacant lot at 405 Cooper Street if that plan includes housing for the homeless population of Mechanicsville.
“We want to have the ability to grow our community,” said Jason Staten, a Mechanicsville homeowner. “I don’t feel like there’s a real context in how it affects the person right next to you.”
Several people echoed Staten’s statements, including some that said Mechanicsville re -
mains a food desert while Summerhill, for example, has seen plenty of economic development, including the opening of a Publix supermarket.
“We are not looking forward to having them in our community,” Sharon Cook, a resident of Mechanicsville for over 60 years, said.
Despite several cries that this project would not be a homeless shelter, but instead will be housing for people that are experiencing homelessness, the Mechanicsville residents in attendance believe they will not
truly have a say in what is built when it does get built. “We can’t see what’s going on behind the iron curtain,” Staten said.
Dozier remained positive throughout the meeting despite negative comments from some people at the meeting. “This is something we have never done in the city before,” he said of the Rapid Housing Initiative, which is also set to take place on land at 184 Forsyth Street
ONLINE
The murders of several LGBTQ+ people and allies in recent weeks are raising alarms across the U.S. Recently, O’Shae Sibley was stabbed to death in Brooklyn after he was confronted by a group who made homophobic slurs and Laura Ann Carleton was killed in California for refusing to remove a Pride flag from her store.
The untimely death of the victims is symbolic of the hate still faced by the LGBTQ+ community, particularly against queer Black people.
According to GLAAD, a non-profit organization focused on LGBTQ advocacy and cultural change, nine out of 10 heterosexual Americans (91%) think that LGBTQ people should live without facing discrimination; 84% support equal rights for the LGBTQ community.”
However, according to CEO of GLADD Sarah Kate Ellis in a PBS NewsHour interview, GLADD documented a “more-than-300 percent increase in anti-LBTQ incidents during this past Pride Month over last year.”
The Atlanta Voice spoke with Charles Stephens, CEO of the Counter Narrative Project (CNP), about the safety of the Atlanta LGBTQ+ community.
The Atlanta Voice: Considering O’Shae’s death and other recent queer violence, what are some topics CNP are discussing regarding LGBTQ+ safety in Atlanta?
Charles Stephens: Safety for the Black LGBTQ+ community has always been a programmatic and advocacy priority for the Counter Narrative Project (CNP). We are currently working with our network of media partners and content creators, to raise awareness around violence, and safety for our community.
AV: What are your thoughts on everything that has been happening lately involving the LGBTQ+ community?
CS: I have a number of concerns about the lack of safety and continued vulnerability of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the Black LGBTQ+ community. My hope is that: (1) There is more support and resources available for Black LGBTQ+ organizations and efforts to advocate for our safety and combat violence. (2) More spaces will emerge to facilitate movement building across communities. Marginalized communities are under attack at this moment. We must find ways to stand in solidarity and support each other. (3) Build and strengthen coalitions,
especially in Atlanta, to advance the safety of our community. Coalition building is the practice of intersectional politics. (4) More resources and support from the philanthropic community to strengthen rapid response anti-violence work, and also, community healing to repair the harm that was done.
AV: O'Shae's passing made it very clear that just expressing yourself can be dangerous. What kinds of tips can people use to stay safe?
CS: Though I do care very much about safety and being safe, I also want to be careful that engaging in conversations around personal safety does not suggest we are letting the people and institutions who hurt us, harm us, and murder us, off the hook. The solutions, I don't believe, exist only in attempts at personal safety. We must address institutional and societal failure. The utter lack of value placed on the lives of Black people, and Black LGBTQ+ people specifically, is a societal failure. Until we change the systems and institutions we live in, I'm not sure
if any of us will ever really be safe.
AV: What are some tips to diffuse a situation where you are in a situation where you feel unsafe or in danger?
CS: My hope is that, in the short-term, as a community we create safety systems and networks available for us when we are in need. I'm more interested in collective community protection and healing, than individual safety. But I can't express enough that as long as we experience structural violence, we will experience physical violence, even death.
AV: What is the importance of staying unified as a community in such a hateful period?
CS: We must not only remain unified, but practice compassion for each other. Compassion is what sustains unity. It’s difficult to fight a system without absorbing some of its poisons. We must be careful not to reproduce, or even become, the systems that we are hoping to transform.
AV: There's a silent, yet loud battle against
the LGBTQ+ community, what could be done to help educate people and shed light on these issues?
CS: The role of journalists, content creators and storytellers has never been more important. The silent but loud battle you describe concerns policy, but I would argue, and just as critically, is a battle of narrative, and we must shape it. My hope is that more media organizations will create community journalism programs to encourage activists, organizers, and other community members, to document what's happening to us. Organizations must also convene activists and storytellers together, because successful advocacy, issue education, and political mobilization, requires effective storytelling.
AV: Do you have anything else to add?
CS: Even in my moments of greatest despair, I take inspiration from the words of the Black gay poet Essex Hemphill, “Let us not accept partial justice. If we believe our lives are priceless we can’t be conquered.”
‘Little Richard’ filmmaker found a lesson in the late singer’s spirited rock and roll life. Read more at www.theatlantavoice.com
BY STAN WASHINGTON
The beverages produced by the Simplicity Beverage Company of Atlanta may be the only teas and lemonade that are officially approved by a medical doctor. That stamp of approval comes from Dr. Bianca Kiovanni, the creator and owner of Simplicity Beverage Company. Kiovanni is a stakeholder in the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (R.I.C.E), an institution designed to aid entrepreneurs.
Obviously, Dr. Kiovanni loves a challenge because she chose one of the most highly competitive industries in the U.S. - the beverage industry to launch her new business.
According to industry statistics compiled by Zippia, the non-alcoholic beverage industry is valued at an astounding $760 billion. In 2022, revenue from non-alcoholic beverage sales was around $447 billion.
The company sitting at the top of the non-alcoholic beverage mountain for more than a century is - you guessed it - Atlanta’s own The Coca-Cola Company with 42 percent of the market.
In breaking down the top five beverages sold in the U.S. Teas come in at number five with seven percent of the market, preceded by milk (7%), soft drinks (10%), coffee (14%) and the beverage we all don’t drink enough of - water (bottled and unbottled) at the top.
Dr. Kiovanni's first line-up of “healthy” teas and lemonades (more flavors are planned to be released later this year) are not the traditional flavors you will find on your supermarket shelves.
Her “complex” flavors are: Fulfill-Mint, a blend of green tea, mint and honey; Guava Goodness, a blend of guava and lemonade; Basil Breeze, a combination of lemon and basil; and Island Time, a fusion of pineapple, lime, lemon and a secret spice.
The recipes for the teas and lemonades went through several variations and were tested repeatedly, Dr. Kiovanni said of the beverages which have no artificial flavors or preservatives.
The beverages are in limited retail distribution but can be ordered from the website at: www.simplicitybeverage.com.
The following is an edited version of the interview for space purposes.
Atlanta Voice: You know you pick one of the most competitive industries to start a business in. Did you think about any other industry dealing with the health industry in order to go into instead of the beverage or you were locked in on the beverage and you knew that's what you wanted to do?
Dr. Bianca Kiovanni: I was locked in on the beverage and knew what I needed to do. You know everything if you think these days, everything is super competitive. What doctor (with 20 years of experience) do you know is out here making drinks? What company do
you know that's actually genuine and honest about creating a product that's actually decent for people? It's a lot of competitiveness. But when you look at who's adding chemicals, who's cutting corners, who's lying on their labels, I really don't have that much competition. And I'll tell you what, somebody may have tons of decades of experience in sales and marketing. But I know for a fact nobody has the credentials I have.
AV: From the time you settled on the idea to start a beverage company to actually starting it, how long was that?
BK: More than 10 years.
AV: Was it a start and stop process?
BK: It was a start and stop process, because I was building my practice at the same time. So I would dabble in it. You know, I wrote the recipes for S\implicity. It's been more than a decade ago. I would write the recipes. And then I would tinker with them. And I don't like this and I don't like that. But I had to teach myself how to write a recipe. How do you scale a recipe? Because making a pitcher of something at the house is totally different than the hundreds of gallons we make now. So I had to learn all of that. I had to do research on bottles. What kind of bottles do I want? What kind of size do I want? You know, what kind of caps do I want? What colors? There was a lot of nuance. The good thing was I was pretty clear about what I didn't want and so it just became a matter of finding what I was looking for.
A native of Detroit, Dr. Kiovanni said she received invaluable inside information from her first co-packer that decided to close its
doors just as she was preparing to launch her brand in 2018. Fortunately, a friend told her of another co-packer in Georgia. The first shipment of 1000 bottles went out in November 2021.
BK: In the state of Georgia, you can't produce a retail beverage for sale out of your home. So I have a co-packer. A co-packer is a facility where you provide your recipes and then they mass produce your products for you. So I'm fortunate to have a black co-packer ( Pure Delights) in Tucker, GA. It's one of the greatest companies you'll never know about.
Our businesses fit hand in hand together. The facility is big enough where I could scale my business probably five to 10 times over. No problem. It's been an amazing experience. And a lot of people I talk to in the food and beverage industry, they can't stand their co-packer. I love my co-packer. It's been a game changer for my business.
AV: So was it like when those first bottles rolled off the assembly line?
BK: It was exhilarating. It was exhausting. It was annoying. It was like giving birth to an inanimate baby. It really was Because they produce beverages where they do the actual production. It is literally freezing in there. He had bottles from other companies, like on pallets, stacked up to the rafters and I said one day, he's going to order my bottles in pallets like he does these other ones. I remember when it was finally time to bottle the drinks. And I actually have footage on my website and I have it in my phone of when the first drinks rolled off of the production assembly line. I would have cried but it was so cold and I was so tired. I didn't have
the energy to do it.
AV: When did you decide to go into medicine? How many years ago?
BK: Oh, gosh, that was more than 20 years ago, I've always had a passion for healthcare, I've always had a passion for helping people. It was more like a calling than anything else. It was just something that has always been inherently in me. And I knew going in, it was gonna be a lot of work. And I just met that challenge, you know, head on. And it was working in healthcare that led me to my beverage company. So for me, the two are inextricably linked. And the reason why is because in practice, and working with people, you know, talking about lifestyle and health and wellness and things like that, no one takes into consideration what they drink. You know, you've got over the road truck drivers, going into some of these gas stations getting 96 ounces of high fructose corn syrup, yellow dye number five, red number eight, blue 72 and everything else, and they think that it doesn't count. Well, it's like, Well, sir, where do you think your diabetes came from? Right. You know, same thing with coffee. Just a lot of you know, a lot of different things. And I'm like, I'm not saying we all have to drink water all day, because that's definitely not realistic. But why all the chemicals while the dye is why all the garbage? Why?
AV: Where did you attend college?
BK: I went to undergrad in Alabama. So I went to Alabama A&M University. So I am an HBCU grad. I did my graduate studies in Atlanta. And I finished my graduate program in St. Louis, Missouri. So I split my program up between two different states at two different institutions in two different parts of the country.
AV: There was a generation of women probably before you that were encouraged to marry a doctor, not become a doctor. Was that ever in your circle back in Detroit or your parents or someone who encouraged you to go that route instead of trying to go the route of becoming a doctor?
BK: No. My parents, thank goodness I was a product of married parents. My parents pushed education. My parents stressed excellence. They stressed for all of us, you know, my siblings included write your own ticket. Because if you write your own ticket, you don't have to do just anything. That's funny that you bring that up because I have two brothers and a sister. And you would have thought my father raised four boys. Because my father was like, well, we're not going to do the damsel in distress thing. We're not doing that. So he made sure before I left his house, I knew how to cut grass, change a tire, I could change oil, like he was for equal opportunity in the skills arena, if you will.
Education
ConstructReach, an industry workforce development initiative and consultancy, hosted their signature community engagement event “I Built This!” (IBT) Aug. 29-30 at Greenbriar Mall to provide a platform for construction companies, educators, students, household brand names, and the surrounding community to gather for a day filled with learning, fun, and promise.
IBT Atlanta invited hundreds of high school students from neighboring school districts to learn more about the industry and participate in hands-on activities relating to construction design and development.
Each day over 100 high school students, aged 16-18 years, from neighboring school districts are invited to learn more about the construction industry and participate in hands-on activities related to carpentry, fixturing, design and technology, mechanical, and plumbing. Students also were able to connect with general contractors and other industry professionals to discuss internships, career opportunities, and scholarships.
ConstructReach, founded by CEO Paul Robinson, was created to address the construction and manufacturing workforce shortage. Additionally, the IBT initiative was created in 2019 for the same reason also by promoting collaboration between the education and construction sectors.
IBT events introduce the industry and career opportunities to the next generation, in turn building a diverse and talented pipeline to keep the industry moving forward.
Now in its fifth year, ConstructReach’s IBT initiative has been hosted in cities across the country, including Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Detroit. Through these innovative events and a variety of services offered to its members, ConstructReach aims to transform the construction industry within the next decade.
Some industry partners at the event included Fulcrum Construction, International Code Council, and Target Corporation. Also, school district partners included Fulton County School District, Dekalb County School District, Atlanta Public School District, Henry County School District, and Cobb County School District.
Robinson said this year’s IBT event is a “full circle moment”.
“We started our first IBT event in Atlanta
back in 2019, so it feels so good to be back and we got a lot of great feedback, so that let us know that we really had something going on with this initiative,” he said.
Additionally, Robinson said their mission at ConstructReach is to increase the visi-
bility of the construction industry by “educating students about career opportunities, connecting general contractors to interns with innovative internship curriculums, creating content, experiences, and a ConstructReach Community to expose diverse
populations to construction careers.”
“Over half of the construction workforce is over the age of 46 and will be retiring. ‘I built this!’ introduces diverse students to construction opportunities to work toward changing those statistics,” Robinson said.
Aubrey Hunt from Booker T. Washington High School said she really enjoyed the program and loved being there.
“I really enjoyed the program and I learned a lot about coding, building houses, and I’m excited to learn more. The importance of an event like this, to me, is having students come and learn from professionals in the business. It’s amazing,” she said.
Devon Richardson from Campbell High School said he didn’t expect the event to be so fun and engaging.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I’m happy it's engaging and I’m learning hands-on material. This helps a lot when it comes to deciding what I want to do in life”, he said.
From students sleeping on floors at home to wearing shoes to school that are worn beyond repair, Chatelah Brown has seen it all.
A social worker with more than 20 years of experience, she works closely with the students of East Atlanta’s Phoenix Academy, a nontraditional high school that prepares teenagers and young adults for college and life after graduation.
In an attempt to nurture the whole child through emphasis placed on social and academic development, Brown and the entire team of faculty and staff at Phoenix Academy work to offer a comprehensive learning experience to their student body of roughly 300 pupils.
Brown said her role specifically involves looking after the students who regularly lack the basic necessities of life that many take for granted.
“When I turned to the district, we had students that were homeless. We had students that were living in extreme poverty. We had students whose grandparents or great-grandparents, who are on fixed incomes, living in senior housing, are raising their grandchildren or their great-great grandchildren,” Brown said. “If you can dream it, if you can think of it, I had (to handle) those situations.”
The hardships kids face in their personal lives can take a toll on their academics as well. Brown said that being without the quintessential supplies that promote personal hygiene and cleanliness may discourage students from coming to school on a regular basis and potentially lead to poor performance in the classroom. Similarly, lacking access to the resources necessary to ensure proper nutrition and adequate sleep can prohibit students from focusing on their studies.
Brown said that many of her pupils also struggle with their mental health, struggles that are often fueled by systemic inequality and communal unrest.
“I can’t imagine being 16 and have witnessed three of my friends get murdered. I can’t imagine losing my mother at the age of 12, violently. I can’t imagine my father being incarcerated and my mother working two jobs and (having) to take care of my younger siblings — I can’t imagine that,” Brown said. “(As a social worker) I empathize with my students, and I try to build support for my students.”
These obstacles can make finishing high school a difficult feat for many of Atlanta’s youth, a feat that district-appointed social workers struggle to manage alone. With a limited number of resources at their disposal and a seemingly never-ending need for new supplies, social workers’ hands are often tied when the time comes to administer goods to their students.
However, Purposity, a nonprofit intended to make community service efforts easier across the country, partners with social workers to help resolve the needs of students accustomed to seeing broken promises.
“Purposity is God-sent. I tell them that all the time,” Brown said. “Just to create a concept like that and to make it so accessible for everybody — I can’t explain it.”
and young adults for college and life after graduation. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
Purposity is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating simple ways for ordinary people to help those around them. Accessible through an app designed for smartphones and other mobile devices, the organization allows everyday civilians to allocate money to people and causes they're passionate about within their respective communities.
“The beauty of Purposity is that (supporters) are directly helping this person in need with something specific that (they) fully did (themselves),” said Blake Canterbury, co-founder and CEO of the company.
Based in Atlanta, Purposity began as an attempt to solve the impending hunger and poverty crises affecting youth attending public schools in the city. With a background in tech, Canterbury wanted to develop a product that would dismantle the boundaries separating schools, nonprofits and families in need from the helping hand of the general populace.
“Almost every school in the country is facing this problem, and almost every nonprofit is, as well,” he said. “And we knew we didn’t solve the problem (in making Purposity), but we felt like we found a filled need.”
Once downloading the app, users can select the causes, aptly referred to as “needs”, that they want to satisfy, all of which Purposity receives through partnering school systems and nonprofit organizations that regularly engage with the individuals and families needing aid most.
After meeting a preselected need, users will be alerted when their purchase is shipped and reaches its rightful owner. Purposity also covers shipping and handling fees, so supporters are only responsible for the cost of the physical product.
“Our belief we started with was the idea that you would help your neighbor if you knew they were in need,” Canterbury said. “And so, our thought was, ‘If school districts are great at setting local needs, these local nonprofits in the community have the long-term infrastructure for moving people from
poverty to sustainability or putting systems around special needs children.’ So, let’s partner with great organizations already doing great work, and let’s drive people to support the individuals that they’re serving.”
While case managers and social workers like Chatelah can request users donate funding for school supplies and other academic materials, Canterbury said the premise of Purposity is to supply beneficiaries with essentials like food, shoes, clothing and furnishings for a permanent or temporary home, ensuring families have access to basic necessities before meeting other needs. Canterbury said this approach helps assisted students think less about struggling to make ends meet and more about their academic performance in general.
“If two kids are sitting side-by-side in the same classroom, but one child doesn’t know if they have food to eat when they get home, or they’re self-conscious in the classroom about the holes in their shoes, they’re still not getting the same education as kids sitting right beside them, whether they’ve got the access to books or technology or not,” Canterbury said. “And so, we’re focusing on making sure kids have food to eat and clothes to wear — the essentials.”
Purposity has now grown to serve communities across 27 U.S. states and aims to expand its outreach even more in the coming years.
Brown said that her student’s lives have been greatly impacted since Purposity began collaborating with the school and Atlanta Public Schools at large, a partnership that she said predates her time working at Phoenix Academy.
With donations from Purposity users, kids are able to take home the items they need to help alleviate their everyday struggles. Thanks to supporters’ generosity and Blake’s leadership, Brown said students at Phoenix have access to snacks, coats and umbrellas for inclement weather days, personal hygiene products and other fundamentals that often go unnoticed by those who haven’t been forced to do without.
Brown also said that Purposity makes donating easy for those who want to make a difference in children’s lives but may not have had convenient ways to do so in the past.
“A lot of people want to help, but they don’t know how to help,” Brown said. “And Purposity shows them the way that they can help.”
In contrast to events like back-to-school drives that are only hosted once each year, Purposity gives school districts and nonprofits a platform to submit needs all year round, serving as a consistent resource that students like Brown’s can rely on when experiencing hardship.
Brown said that poverty can be an isolating experience, especially for K-12 students who are known to feel greater pressure to fit in with their peers. Assistance from organizations like Purposity helps students improve their academic performance while raising their self-esteem at the same time.
“Some of the things that I hear (from my students) will make the average person just tear up and cry and sympathize,” Brown said. “I don’t sympathize with my children because I don’t feel sorry for them. I empathize with them because I love them.”
Read more at www.theatlantavoice.com
Marsai Martin, an actress and producer, held "Sai's Summer Cookout," over the weekend. Martin likes to call the event, "a party with a purpose". The purpose of this event was not just about having a good time but also highlighting and supporting Black-owned businesses.
Marsai's Way, Martin’s philanthropic organization, put out a call for submissions via social media, inviting Black-owned businesses to participate in their vendor marketplace during the celebration.
One of the businesses featured in this diverse vendor marketplace was Armani Posh Candles, owned by Ramona Swift, a candle maker based in Atlanta. Ramona's journey into the world of candle making was sparked by her desire to explore a creative outlet.
“My kids are all gone to college, it’s just me at home, and my husband, Ramone, travels for work. I needed something else to do, so my husband paid for me to take a candle making class, and I fell in love with it,” said Swift.
Swift’s candles range from food-based designs to incredibly detailed animals, complete with scents reminiscent of food-based products, with each candle taking approximately an hour to make each which Swift personally creates. "I get lost with the craft. I find myself working late into the night, 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning, just being creative," said Swift.
But also embracing the culinary theme is hairstylist Jasmin Cook, the founder of Brunch Haircare, a natural hair care company with products and ingredients taken directly from a menu, with each product being named after a brunch item.
“There are so many products out in the world, and with so much research coming out about how companies use toxic products for Black women, I wanted to combat that as a hairstylist of more than 15 years,” said Cook.
Cook's motivation for starting her company came from a deep commitment to providing healthy haircare options for Black women and empowering them to feel confident about their hair.
“If you look good, you feel good, and I am all about empowerment and female empowerment. I just want to help people; I can’t get away from it; I can’t run from it,” Cook said.
The vendor marketplace showcased different businesses with diverse stories and backgrounds. This included, the founder and executive director respectively of Blacklan-
ta, a lifestyle brand and directory for Blackowned businesses in Atlanta. Happily married, their business began with a simple idea in 2018 and grew into a resource for locating Black-owned businesses in the city.
“Back in 2018, the idea popped into my head and just came to me. I called Akkissia, and I had this idea of Blacklanta, but I didn’t know what it would be at that moment,” said Raven Strode. “As we progressed and grew on the idea, we realized that this could be a directory that helps find Black-owned businesses easier in Atlanta.”
Now happily married, the two met during college while separately attending Clark At-
lanta University and Fort Valley State. They were both members of Delta Sigma Theta and attended a party of a mutual friend, who was also a Delta.
“Whenever you are married to an entrepreneur, you are automatically an assistant, and being business partners comes naturally,” said Akkissia Strode.
While many local businesses were present, there were submissions from all around the country. N'spired Creations, owned by Tamara Mann from Greenville, North Carolina, represented the creative world of home decor and stationery designed for African-American women. Mann's business was born out
of her desire to create products that reflected her identity, and her determination to be part of Marsai's event was evident in her 8-hour drive from North Carolina to Atlanta.
“There was a point in my life when I was looking for items that represented me via notepads, bookmarks, and greeting cards. I couldn’t find them, so I decided, why not create them, and the business was born,” said Mann.
But the furthest traveler came from Toronto, Canada with Aux God, a music battle card game. Aux God was founded in 2015 and was conceived when owner Michael Rousseau was attending a party and a fellow party-goer challenged Rousseau to a sound-clash, where the chosen duelists go back and forth with their songs.
“I got kinda lucky; Aux God is one of Martin’s favorite games, and we received an email asking to take part,” said Rousseau.
Traveling was not easy for Rosseau who flew into Atlanta after receiving the invite via email the week prior.
"I almost missed my flight, I was running through the airport trying to find my gate sweating buckets," said Rousseau.
Initially not knowing how to shape the weekend, Martin’s initial thought was made into a reality.
“It was always the idea to bring this out to the public; I didn’t know how. I wrote it down, and we had an amazing team execute it,” Martin told The Atlanta Voice.
Senior Advisor to President Biden Mitch Landrieu stopped in Peachtree Corners Tuesday afternoon to deliver remarks on the transportation infrastructure projects taking shape around metro Atlanta — byproducts of the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Investing in America agenda.
Joined by Rep. Lucy McBath and other local economic leaders representing greater Atlanta, the White House Infrastructure Coordinator spoke about the president’s historic advances in strengthening the national economy, particularly focusing on the millions of dollars that the Biden Administration is allocating to fund growth and positive change across the metropolitan area.
Landrieu said President Biden has dedicated billions of dollars toward Georgia’s upward mobility, manifesting in the form of hundreds of projects set in motion to improve public infrastructure in metro Atlanta and beyond.
“The president loves the state. Senators Warnock and Ossoff have been incredibly helpful. Congresswoman McBath has helped lead the effort for the passage of all these bills,” Landrieu said. “But, our great representatives, it’s not enough just to pass the bill, you’ve got to get the money to the ground.”
Landrieu said improving the nation’s infrastructure is a collaborative effort, one that requires input from leaders governing at the local, statewide and national levels. So far, the Department of Transportation has awarded Gwinnett County a RAISE grant worth $20 million that McBath says will be used to erect a two-story transit facility. The county will receive two additional grants to improve pedestrian safety along the Singleton Road corridor and look into eliminating potentially unsafe CSX rail crossings.
McBath said in her own remarks that these federal grants represent an investment in the future of metro Atlanta and a collective attempt by lawmakers to generate a better quality of life for their constituents.
“None of these government investments would have been possible without the bipartisan infrastructure wall,” McBath said. “And that is why I fought so hard for this passage. Not
just myself, but many of my colleagues, because I know how important it is to support our communities…”
Landrieu said that the president’s Investing in America agenda has led to the creation of 13.4 million jobs and the funding of approximately 37,000 infrastructure projects currently underway across the country, valued at approximately $300 billion. He also said that through the agenda, the Biden
Administration is ultimately aiming to build a stronger economy by uplifting the middle class, reshoring jobs from overseas and helping constituents build generational wealth.
“(This agenda is) going to make people’s lives easier, it’s going to save them money and it’s going to make sure that we have economic growth and development in ways that we have not had in a very long time,” Landrieu said.
While mortgage rates nationwide climb to 20-year highs, Atlanta’s rental scene appears to see consistent (and in some cases, decreasing) prices, seeing little change over the past year.
According to a recent national report from Zumper, the city ranks 24th out of the 100 most expensive rental markets in the country when examining median cost, one of roughly 30 cities to keep the same ranking on Zumper’s list since the company’s July analysis.
The study attributes the cooling rental market to continued recovery from the pandemic, an event that led to rental prices reaching unprecedented heights from coast to coast. As residents scrambled to find cheaper housing in smaller markets in 2020, prices increased to compensate for the rise in renter demand. Now that migration patterns are leveling out and contractors have more
opportunities to build multifamily housing, landlords in general are less inclined to impose substantial price hikes on tenants.
According to the report, the median price for a one-bedroom rental in Atlanta measured $1,710, decreasing 2.3% from the month before and 3.4% since 12 months ago. The median rental payment for a two-bedroom unit measured $2,290 and saw slight increases both month-over-month and year-over-year, rising by 0.4% and 3.2%, respectively.
While the median prices for both oneand two-bedroom units exceed the corresponding national median rents, Atlanta’s prices remain affordable when compared to rental markets similar in size. The 16 highest-ranking cities on Zumper’s list all feature one- and two-bedroom median rental prices reaching or exceeding $2,000 a month.
Atlanta is home to the sixth most expensive rental market in the Southeast, falling behind Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Arlington, Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee.
Read more at www.theatlantavoice.com
Touching down to a beautiful city with vibrant murals on every corner, fresh and flavorful food, amazing live music, stunning fashion, and scenery from a long morning of travel felt like a dream come true.
That dream is in Cali, Colombia.
For some background, 20 Black entrepreneurs along with officials from The Russell Innovative Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), the Atlanta Mayor’s Office, and the Atlanta Black Chambers, journeyed to South America to embark on the first-ever trade mission connecting Afro-American entrepreneurs from Atlanta with Afro-Colombian businesses and leaders.
The Atlanta Voice was invited on the trip to get an inside look at the trade mission, explore the beauty of Colombia, and more.
Cali, Colombia: The Experience of a Lifetime
First off, this was my first time traveling outside the country post-pandemic, and leading up to this trip, I was extremely nervous. However, once I landed in Cali, it instantly felt like home.
The weather wasn’t as hot as I imagined but it was humid. After the second day, I got used to it.
Some of my favorite moments from the trip were meeting some of the most amazing people in Cali, flying on a private plane to go to Colombia’s Ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo’s hometown Choćo, whale watching,
salsa dancing at the “El Mulato Cabaret”, the food and exploring the streets of Cali. We also flew to Quibdó and Nuquí, which were both breathtaking moments.
Also, I know I mentioned food, but I need
The summer season has granted us an overwhelming relief from the previous years of rampant infections and mask mandates. But with the oncoming cold front of the fall season, health experts warn that the latest mutations of the omicron COVID-19 variant are gradually trickling back in increasing cases across the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), roughly 21% of new cases within the last few weeks are of the EG.5 subvariant, currently the dominant strain in effect. However, a second omicron variant labeled as FL 1.5.1, is simultaneously increasing throughout the country and is responsible for 13.3% of the latest cases.
The reported amount of infections is almost double the number of cases recorded roughly a week ago, however, time will tell how severe of a health crisis the latest mutations may or may not cause in infected persons.
Dr. Tara Palmore, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the George Washington University, suggested the latest mutations are mostly following suit to the clinical symptoms of previous omicron strands.
“There’s no evidence that EG.5 or the XBB sub-variants cause any different or more severe clinical disease than any of the other sub-variants that we’ve seen since omicron emerged in November 2021,” Palmore told George Washington Today. “They all behave the same clinically, but each subsequent subvariant that emerges is just a bit more infectious than the last.”
The primary concern regarding the two strands is their rapid speed in spread due to a mutation increasing the potency of each subvariant.
The CDC reports that most subvariant symptoms are almost identical to former omicron strains, often displaying as colds or the flu, but including a runny nose, muscle aches,
to emphasize how good and fresh the food was in Cali. First off, I have never eaten so much food in my life, however, now that I’m back home, I miss those empanadas and Lulada, which is a traditional Colombian beverage made from a fruit called Lulo (some say it tastes like a mixture of kiwi, citrus, and pineapple) from Cali, in the Valle Del Cauca Department of Colombia. AMAZING!!
I’m a big foodie and also very allergic to shellfish, so navigating through it was challenging, but the dishes I did eat were phenomenal. I did not want to go back to eating American food after my experience. My favorite meals were from the “Platillos Voladores” restaurant where I ordered the Guava Chicken, which were chicken rolls with ricotta cheese and guava jam in blue cheese sauce served with yellow potato purée. Another place I enjoyed was dinner at the “Hacienda del Bosque” restaurant, not only was the food amazing, but the atmosphere was stunning and a perfect way to end the night.
Although I was sent to Cali on an assignment, this turned into a personal journey for me. I will hold all of the memories I made close to my heart for years to come.
Thank you to The Atlanta Voice, RICE, and ProColombia for allowing me to experience such a beautiful city and country.
Muchas gracias Cali, Colombia, ¡volveré!
In some cases, those infected may experience a loss of smell and taste as with earlier strains, but this symptom is less prevalent in the current sub-variants.
How To Protect Against the Latest Variants
While COVID cases remain below peak levels, Axios reported that incidents of viral infection and hospitalizations are consistently rising as health officials continue to monitor the new variants.
According to the CDC, previous vaccines continue to hold some level of efficacy against the new strains, however, updated versions of the previous COVID-19 vaccine formulas are expected to be available across the U.S. for enhanced protection against the current mutations in the upcoming weeks.
The CDC advisory committee is reportedly scheduled to meet on Sept. 12 to discuss whether they will confirm recommendations of updated vaccination shots, with the expectation of making the vaccines available soon after.
Earlier this summer, the FDA directed vaccine manufacturers Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax to formulate updated shots targeting the XBB.1.5 variant.
Activists furious Democratic leaders haven’t denounced the plan to check signatures.
The greatest player in the world will make his Mercedes-Benz Stadium debut Sat., Sept. 16 when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami come to town for the final regular season match between the teams this season. That’s just a week from now and Atlanta United, coming off of a 2-2 draw at Dallas, Sat., Sept. 2, have an extra week to prepare for what will more than likely be the best attended, most hyped and important match of the season.
The city of Atlanta has hosted all of the major sporting events, including the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and several Super Bowls. Within the next three years there will be a
college football national championship game and World Cup semifinals taking place downtown. This is a big game city, and as of the past few years it has also become a soccer city. And nothing says soccer city like having a match that includes Messi. During his short time with Inter Miami Messi has provided several viral moments. There’s no doubt the match in Atlanta, which regularly leads Major League Soccer in overall attendance, will be prime for a few celebrity sightings and goal celebrations.
Almada may be league’s best player
There will be more than one star on the field when Messi and Miami arrive. Atlanta
United midfielder Thiago Almada has taken his game, already at a high level since winning a World Cup with Messi and Argentia a summer ago, to the next level. During the match at Dallas he set the team single season assist record with a pair that gave him 14 for the campaign. Almada also leads Major League Soccer in assists as of Sept. 4. For the season Almada has nine goals (second to Giorgos Giakoumakis’ 13 goals) to go with 14 assists and leads the league in goals outside of the 18-yard box with six.
Don’t forget About Me
Josef Martinez, the former Atlanta Unit-
ed star and anchor of one of the city’s few title winners, will also be returning to Mercedes-Benz Stadium this month. Martinez signed with Inter Miami before the start of the 2023 season and despite a slow start, has become a solid contributor at forward.
Martinez currently has six goals and an assist in 21 games this season. Two of those six goals came against Atlanta during a May 6 match that Miami won 2-1. Both of Martinez’s shots found the back of the net after subbing into the match during the second half. A former league Most Valuable Player award winner. Martinez has both started and been a substitute for Inter Miami this season.
Sealed bids for 23ITB138833C-GS - Uniforms and Related Accessories for the Fulton County Real Estate & Asset Management Department, will be accepted by the Fulton County Department of Purchasing & Contract Compliance electronically through BidNet Direct at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/georgia/fultoncounty, on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
All bids submitted must be received no later than 11:00 a.m. local (Eastern) time on the stated date. Bids will be publicly opened and read at 11:05 a.m. on the stated due date via zoom: Web Conference Link: Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/97895648438
Meeting ID: 978 9564 8438
Bid Bond: N/A
Scope of Work: Fulton County is seeking bids from qualified bidders to provide Uniforms and Related Accessories.
The detailed scope of work and technical specifications is outlined in the Scope of Work, Section 4 of this bid document.
In order to obtain complete information about this solicitation, please click the link below where this document and supporting documents can be downloaded, https://www.bidnetdirect.com/georgia/fultoncounty
Fee: N/A
Term of Contract: 1 Year with 2 Renewal Options.
A Pre-Bid Conference, will be held via zoom on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 10:00 a.m., local time, to provide bidders with information regarding the project and to address any questions.
Link: Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/92851918030
Meeting ID: 928 5191 8030
If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Gertis Strozier, APA, at Email: gertis.strozier@fultoncountyga.gov.
Fulton County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities.
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION, CARE AND PROTECTION, TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, DOCKET NUMBER 23CP0025BO, Trial Court of Massachusetts, Juvenile Court Department, COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, Suffolk County Juvenile Court, 24 New Chardon St., Boston, MA 02114. (617) 788-8525. To: Any unknown/unnamed father: A petition has
been presented to this court by DCF – Hyde Park, seeking, as to the following children: Tavion I Tate, Kavion E Tate, that said children be found in need of care and protection and committed to the Department of Children and Families. The court may dispense the rights of the person(s) named herein to receive notice of or to consent to any legal proceeding affecting
Sealed proposals for 23RFP139745B-EC - Armed and Unarmed Security Services for the Fulton County Police Department, will be accepted by the Fulton County Department of Purchasing & Contract Compliance, electronically through Bidnet Direct at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/ georgia/fultoncounty, on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, no later than 11:00 a.m. local (Eastern) time on the stated date.
Proposers names will be publicly read at 11:05 a.m. on the stated due date via zoom.
Proposal Bond: N/A
Scope of Work: Fulton County, Georgia (“County”) is seeking proposals from qualified proposers to provide armed and unarmed security services for the Fulton County PoliceDepartment.
In order to obtain complete information about this solicitation, please go to the link below where this document and supporting documents can be downloaded, https://www.bidnetdirect.com/georgia/fultoncounty.
Fee: N/A
Term of Contract: The contract will commence on January 1, 2024 and shall continue until December 31, 2024 with 2 one-year renewal options.
A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., local time, via Zoom to provide bidders with information regarding the project and to address any questions. Web Conference Link: https://zoom.us/s/96741991952
Or One tap mobile: +14702509358,,96741991952# US (Atlanta) +14703812552,,96741991952# US (Atlanta)
If you have any questions regarding this project please contact Elsa D. Castro, Chief Assistant Purchasing Agent at Email: elsa.castro@fultoncountyga.gov or phone 404612-4216.
Fulton County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive technicalities.
the adoption, custody, or guardianship or any other disposition of the children named herein, if it finds that the children are in need of care and protection and that the best interests of the children would be served by said disposition.
You are hereby ORDERED to appear in this court, at the court address set forth above,
on the following date and time: 09/27/2023 at 09:00 AM Pre Trial Conference (CR/CV)
You may bring an attorney with you. If you have a right to an attorney and if the court determines that you are indigent, the court will appoint an attorney to represent you.
If you fail to appear, the court may proceed on that date and any date thereafter to a trial
on the merits and adjudication of this matter. For further information call the Office of the Clerk-Magistrate at (617) 788-8525.
WITNESS: Hon. Helen A. Brown Bryant, FIRST JUSTICE, DATE ISSUED: 08/16/2023, Donna M. Ciampoli, Clerk-Magistrate
