By now many of you are aware of the new sidewalk construction on North Hughes Street. The east side of the street is nearing completion. BlackAmarillo.com would like for you to voice your opinions on the sidewalk project.
Please take time to complete our survey.
by Fransetta Crow
I WISH I COULD FIND somebody that can make me believe that we don’t need SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. I along with others agree on the issue and the importance of representation from the entire city of Amarillo. TAXSATION WITHOUT REPERSENTATION is unconstitutional and this unfair visible display speaks for it’s self. I am talking about the PICTURES THAT ARE POSTED ON BLACKAMARILLO.COM , on the Poorly planned SIDEWALKS THAT HAS BEEN LAID ON NORTH HUGHES STREET . This is showing the Past and Present Quality of work and service that is enforced upon TAX PAYERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS in NORTH HEIGHTS AMARILLO TX. The people have been victimized and oppressed for over 50 years by our CITY GOVERNMENT. Our FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE VERY TYPE SITUATION THAT WE ARE BEING CONFRONTED WITH NOW. It has been over 100 years and North Hughes did not have a pedestrian safe, Handicapped accessiable sidewalk in place on the main THURFARE INTO THE BLACK COMMUNITY. HUGHES Street is not only a Residential street but also a Commercial street and has heavy traffic flow of over 1000 to 8000 vehicles daily on a TWO LANED STREET. The City of Amarillo Did Not Want SIDEWALKS ON NORTH HUGHES AND DID EVERYTHING TO PREVENT OR DENY the PROJECT PURPOSAL THAT WAS presented for funding approval. After The application was submitted a second time the EAST Side was approved for funding to put side walks down. In order to get the funding for the WEST SIDE another project narrative was updated and presented , and The City of Amarillo agreed to pay for it with the STIMILUS MONEY The CITY OF AMARILLO IS VIOLATING THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF THE NORTH HEIGHTS TAX PAYER AND PROPERTY OWNER by refusing to live up to their own city ordinances to keep all communities safe and clean , and to keep our neighborhood clean and put the right and safe Infrastructure in place . The North Height residents are also being DISCRIMINATED against and not treated fairly as the citizens on the SOUTH SIDE OF AMARILLO. The work being done on the SIDEWALKS is not only disgusting and an INSULT, but our MAYOR spoke to me over the phone last week and I appealed to her to please ” COME SEE WHAT I SEE”, again and to help in making sure the work was done right and also to help improve the community and the property that is City property. Many properties are out of conformity with the overall landscape of the street in several places and need to be addressed , and easily could with stimulus funding but OUR MAYOR SAID NO , and that she would uphold what ever the CITY Engineers decided to do. Well what we see in the Pictures tells us that their intentions are to ignore the PROPERTY OWNERS / TAXPAYER in North Amarillo. I know that if you drive all over Amarillo and look at the other sidewalks that have been put in other communities they have not been put down like this and this would not have been accepted . Why is the City allowing this travesty here in NORTH AMARILLO ? What A SHAME ! NOW I ASK AGAIN ” WHO KILLED NORTH HEIGHTS AMARILLO TX” ?
I will be writting a weekly update on the NORTH HUGHES STREET SITUATION.
OPPRESSED IN THE WEST!
Frankly Fran
North Hughes Sidewalks: A layman’s perspective
comments by L. Arthalia Cravin
What do the many black churches in North Heights have to say about the ongoing decay in the community? That is my question. I am fed up to here with the various and sundry non-scriptural, self-indulgent, self-promoting, lookee-me, gimme-me money, so-call church leaders who have relinquished what used to be a voice for community change. What we have now are a bunch of air-headed, “Furst-Lay-dees,” “I can sang and wave my hand high in the sky,” American Idol in the pulpit wanna bees, who are content to watch their own personal wealth increase to the detriment of folks who can least afford it—black women. Hey, folks, the latest data said that a black woman’s average wealth is $100, compared to $41,500 for white women. But look at who is filing these church pews–a lot of older black women, in bondage to pulpits who are having a field day with their social security and SSI checks. Take a look at the preacher’s houses, car, and glad rags. Yet these same so-call “cream of the crop” church folks aren’t saying a word about the sidewalks and the general community decline.
Click to read more … Comments » North Hughes Sidewalks: A layman’s perspective
Friday April 9, 2010
Come and Share and
Let us say thank you for your
Business and Professional support
Public Reception
5:00 – 6:30
Door is locked at 6:50 p.m.
The Business Program
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Theme: Business Ethics & Image
“Returning the Hand Shake Integrity to Business”
**RSVP: (817-469-9229) or jclewismoss@sbcglobal.net
N. L. Robinson Family Life Center
Mount Olive Baptist Church
301 West Sanford Street
Arlington, Texas 76011
For Pastor Darrel D. Fincher and Wife Sister Jessie M. Fincher
by Dexter Harper
Jenkins Chapel Missionary Baptist Church closed out their 5th Annual Celebration for Pastor Darrel D. Fincher and First Lady Jessie M. Fincher with a celebratory service at 3:05 pm Sunday evening March 28, 2010.
The theme for the celebration “Laboring For Christ” was taken from the book of Ephesians.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians 4: 11-12
God’s messenger for the service was Reverend A. T. Jordon, pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church Texarkana, Texas.
Participating churches were Evergreen Baptist - Texarkana, Texas, Greater Mount Olive Baptist, Langston Memorial C.O.G.I.C., New Birth Bible Fellowship, New Covenant Missionary Baptist, and Shiloh Cathedral of Praise.
Guest Churches were Anderson Chapel, Antioch Baptist - Dalhart, Bethel Baptist - Borger, Carter Chapel Primitive Baptist, Carter Chapel CME, Church of the Living God, Emmanuel C.O.G.I.C., Galilee C.O.G.I.C., Greater Faith Tabernacle, Holy Trinity C.O.G.I.C., Johnson Chapel AME, Macedonia Baptist, Mount Olive Missionary Baptist, New Hope Baptist, New Hope Baptist - Pampa, New Jerusalem Baptist, New Light Ministries, New Zion Baptist - Borger, New Zion Primitive Baptist, North Heights Church of Christ, Pentecostal C.O.G.I.C., Payer Temple C.O.G.I.C., True Vine C.O.G.I.C and Victory Temple.
Two Major Reforms on Health Care & Higher Ed
by The White House
The President looks back on a week that saw the passage of two major sets of reforms: one putting Americans in control of their own health care, and one ensuring student loans work for students and families, not as subsidies for bankers and middlemen.
Watch the address below:
North Hughes Sidewalks: A layman’s perspective
comments by Kami Ashley
Well well well……. Where shall I start? As a young Black person my first thought was, ‘ Somebody didn’t know what they were doing and they are getting paid to waste time, cement, sod, cheap metal mail boxes (look good right now but wait til the water hit em’), Black and Mexican talent, and money’. You know compared to the rich and classy White side of town when they built and rebuilt sidewalks and wheelchair ramps, what they have done on the Black side of town is very (excuse the expression) half assed. How in the world is a wheel chair about to fit on that one of several ramps without endangering the occupant and causing a potential mess? And not only that. I noticed that the new sidewalks slant at a very unhealthy angle in which if you get distracted and happen to be looking at something while walking, your body will go with the angle and you will find yourself out in the street possibly and more than likely putting you in danger. And yes I am a rather large person and when I was looking at the photos and the actual side walks, I was stuck thinking that if I wanted to go walking as exercise and I had invited a friend, how would we both FIT on that SMALL, NARROW, CROOKED, LUMPY, and ROUGH sidewalk? There is enough room to walk toe-to-heel but not the normal way of walking which is with your feet side by side at an even distance apart. I don’t understand. And what is up with the gaps and spaces between the new sidewalks and property? Is that supposed to be saying that whomever lives at the residence does not own the portion of sidewalk that crosses in front of their home and therefore cannot get happy and possibly be able to brag ” Hey check out my new jacked up sidewalk! Them cracks is nice, huh?” to whomever comes to visit?
Click to read more … Comments » North Hughes Sidewalks: A layman’s perspective
By Dexter Harper
The construction of sidewalks on North Hughes Street started recently and is nearing completion on the east side of the roadway. If you are like me, your primary view of the project comes from your vehicle as you go about your busy day. With that in mind, BlackAmarillo.com compiled a photo essay of the project.
Keep in mind that this is only one layman’s perspective as documented by his camera. Not having any construction background or equipped with mandatory city, state or federal guidelines I will only display the photos and comment on a few things that seemed odd to this layman.
Sidewalks starting at the curb with small retaining wall.
Sidewalk butted against fence, no retaining wall.
Newly poured driveway cracked and broken.
New mailboxes installed …
… but not everywhere.
New sidewalk cracked.
South side of NW 14th and Hughes, without a measuring tape I can’t tell you the exact measurements. But I can tell you that these are my size 14 shoes and this is a newly poured wheelchair ramp. But will a wheelchair fit in this space?
North side of NW 14th and Hughes, once again my ugly size 14’s. Newly poured wheelchair ramp but notice the width difference compared to the previous photo.
No, it wasn’t as green as Forest Lawn, but it was in better shape before construction began
Kept my shoes on for this one, but really is this enough room for a wheelchair to navigate?
New meets the old, words serve no purpose here.
As I stated above, this is just one layman’s perspective as documented with his camera.
Your comments and opinions on this project are greatly needed.
Jimmie Ray Hopson, 52, of Amarillo died Monday, March 22, 2010.
Services were at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27, 2010 in Central Church of Christ with the Rev. Dan Bouchelle, pastor, officiating. Burial in Llano Cemetery by Warford-Walker Mortuary, 509 N. Hughes St.
Jimmie was born April 10, 1957, in Amarillo to Ray and Florida Hood Hopson. He was reared in Amarillo and graduated in 1976 from Palo Duro High School. He was a Christian and enjoyed meeting and socializing with people. He worked for San Jacinto Baptist Church for several years and was most recently employed by Central Church of Christ, where he enjoyed his work.
He was preceded in death by his father, Ray Hopkins; his wife, Gerita Hollings; two sisters, Melba Johnson and Velinda Hood; and two brothers, Lawrence Hopson and Jerry Hopson.
Survivors include a son, Jimmie Ray Hopson Jr. and wife Krystal of Amarillo; a daughter, Thais Hopson of Amarillo; his mother, Florida Hopson of Amarillo; a brother, Perry Hopson of Amarillo; and numerous grandchildren, nephews, nieces and other relatives. He also raised Roshanda Grady, the daughter of a special friend, Demetria Grady.
Zola Mae Harris, 82, of Amarillo died Thursday, March 18, 2010.
Services were at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 27, 2010 in Jenkins Chapel Baptist Church with Darrel D. Fincher, pastor, officiating. Burial in Llano Cemetery by Warford-Walker Mortuary, 509 N. Hughes St.
Zola Mae was born April 10, 1927, in Tatum, Rusk County, to Jessie and Cellie Bell Glaspie. She was the fifth of eight children. She moved to Amarillo in 1946 and was united in marriage to the late Burka Lee Harris Sr.
Zola Mae united with Jenkins Chapel Baptist Church on October 2, 1960, and was a loyal and faithful member until her death. Through the years, she served under the pastorates of four pastors as a longtime member of the church choir and Women’s Missionary Society.
Zola Mae never gave up on attending church services. After suffering infirmities of health, she always managed to acquire a ride to and from church services. She loved the Lord and her church, and she showed a constant spirit of love toward her pastors and fellow church members.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years on June 21, 2003; her parents; three sisters; and three brothers.
Survivors include two sons, Charles Glasper of Houston and Burka Lee Harris Jr. and wife Janis of Austin; a daughter, Shirley Ann Harper and husband Jerry of Dallas; a brother, John Waldron and wife Lou of Houston; 13 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; four brothers-in-law; and three sisters-in-law.