Bob Ott, Cobb County Commissioner, sits alone in hot seat during citizen's Town Hall

Ott (seated at left) listened while citizens discussed how to hold politicians accountable.

Bob Ott, one of four Cobb County commissioners who voted for the Atlanta Braves Stadium deal, answered questions from frustrated citizens who said his vote could negatively affect quality of life, taxes, security, traffic, and education in Cobb.

The meeting, sponsored by Citizens for Governmental Transparency (GCT), was held last night at Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church in Marietta. It was facilitated by Sabrina Smith of Gwinnett County, a member of the Atlanta Tea Party Patriots, and Sharon Hill, a public relations and logistics consultant from Powder Springs.

Some folks are wondering whether the group has just been established to vent or to really make positive changes in Cobb.

"We are not anti-Braves...what matters is the process...what happened to 'the people said?' " exclaimed Hill who asked attendees to Tweet their concerns to the media. Many in the audience seemed to be trying to figure out how they could benefit from the Braves move, either by business contracts or transportation improvements.


Two main discussion points: where is the money coming from, and how will Cobb handle Braves' game traffic.

According to the Cobb County government website, "The total budget for the new stadium is $672 million. This includes the stadium, parking and other related infrastructure. Atlanta Braves will be responsible for $372 million and the remaining $300 million will be contributed by Cobb County and the Cumberland Community Improvement District." Anyone who works in project management knows that projects often go over budget, and taxpayers may end up with additional bills.

The meeting was a fact-finding, emotional roller coaster that often turned heated.

Also in attendance were several candidates running for political office, including Nathan Wade, superior court judge candidate, Cindi Yeager, solicitor candidate, and Joseph Pond, District 3 commissioner candidate. "A lot of people don't have the money in this economy to donate, but we can use your sweat equity," Wade said.


Yeager said citizens should get involved in political campaigns and not just vote.

District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott, who is also a licensed pilot for Delta Airlines, said he did everything he could to responsibly represent voters in the area where the new stadium will be built. As far as transportation goes, Ott said it is unclear what will happen four years after the Braves move to Cobb County. As for now, Ott said major road projects on Windy Hill Road include "alignment of interchanges and divergent diamond" construction.

He said potential benefits of the Braves moving to Cobb will be construction of mixed use developments near the stadium and jobs. Attendees voiced concerns that job opportunities generated by the move will not include Cobb residents, and businesses that will benefit most will be operated by outsiders.

WingcomLtd. reached out to Populous, the architectural firm selected by the Braves to design the new sports facility, and the Atlanta Braves to ascertain what skills will be needed by potential employers, but they had not returned calls or emails before posting this article.

To learn more about Cobb County government's assessment of the Braves move, go to:
http://portal.cobbcountyga.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3220&Itemid=156

Census Bureau to release U.S. population estimates

 

There is a growing concern that the U.S. is losing population, and the Census Bureau is the clearinghouse for population estimates.

 

The Bureau will release population estimates for counties, metropolitan and micropolitan areas, and Puerto Rico later this month. The new statistics will be available in American FactFinder — one of the Census Bureau’s online data search tools — and the population estimates Web page and QuickFacts on Thursday, March 27.

 

 

Community groups demand government transparency in Cobb County, Ga.

Taxpayers in Cobb said they are tired of government officials not listening to them.

A coalition of 13 community groups ranging from Tea Party patriots to Sierra Club devotees will be meeting in full force to demand open communication with Cobb County government leaders on a host of topics.

Citizens for Governmental Transparency (CGT) will convene Tuesday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church, 492 N. Marietta Pkwy. in Marietta. Organizers are asking all members of the community to attend who are interested in legal challenges to government decisions and who may want to run to replace current political officials.

The organization held its first Town Hall in February in response to the Cobb County Board of Commissioners agreeing to use taxpayer money to construct a new Braves baseball stadium. The decision was made without seeking voter approval in an area already plagued with huge transportation problems.

Public financing is estimated to cost taxpayers over $500 million in additional taxes over a 30 year period, according to CGT.

"I don't understand what is motivating these politicians, but the way Tim Lee runs commission meetings bothers me," said Dave Browning at the last Town Hall held by the group. "As a professional, I had to fight traffic to even stay alive," said the now retired worker who stated that Braves traffic congestion in Cobb without a proper transportation plan will be a nightmare.

Ken Howell said Cobb needs to find a proactive solution to transportation issues.

Ken Howell said he has a problem with Commission votes on transportation, too. "They couldn't afford rapid transit until the Braves are coming to town. Now they will be spending $900k on a shuttle! We need to stay focused on the money," Howell said.

Other issues important to the group are cronyism in government, the power over commissioners held by the Chamber of Commerce, and the attempt to keep 17,000 Hispanics living in Cobb from becoming citizens with voting rights.

Carlos Garcia is organizing taxpayers to push for citizenship rights.

"I can't vote, but I pay taxes," said Carlos Garcia of the Cobb Immigrant Alliance, one of the groups in CGT. "I cannot vote now, but I do not make that an excuse not to get involved," he said.

For more information on this topic, call 404-573-1199 or 770-876-2070.

Thought for today...

"Prayer is the ardent wish that every way of life be light; that every act be crowned with good; that every living thing be prospered by our ministry. A noble deed, a helpful word is prayer; a fervent, an effectual prayer. The fount of prayer is in the heart; by thought, not words, the heart is carried up to God, where it is blest, Then let us pray."
---The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

 

LGE announces 2014 scholarship program

LGE Community Credit Union is continuing its college scholarship program this year and will be awarding five scholarships in the amount of $3,000 each to students entering college this Fall. The application will be available until April 30, and the drawing will take place on May 2, 2014.

How it works:
Applicants complete a brief application and answer a short quiz in order to be entered into the drawing. If you are currently a high school senior, download the application and quiz, then mail the completed forms to LGE or drop them off at your local LGE branch. Applications and completed quizzes must be received by 4:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. The drawing will occur on Friday, May 2, and the names of the winners will be posted on the LGE website by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 9. 

Each winner's check will be mailed directly to the college on the winner's behalf before the Fall tuition payment deadline.

For a complete list of rules and details, visit www.LGEccu.org/Scholarships.

Peace Corps volunteers back from Ukraine

I have it on good intelligence that some Peace Corps volunteers have been safely evacuated from Ukraine and are now in Washington, DC. Praise God!

I have been told that these volunteers underwent very violent circumstances and are happy to be back in the United States. Stay tuned for more information and possible interviews on this subject.

 

Black History Month Factoid

African American or Afro American? You decide.

Asking the question, where did the term "African American" originate, and can it be used by whites to identify themselves? If you are a "white" person living in the United States and from South Africa, aren't you African American? Maybe Malcolm X's "Afro American" is a better term to use for some blacks.

Here's a slideshow explaining who came up with the term "African American" and how it was promoted in the United States.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_did_the_term_African_American_originate#slide=1&article=Where_did_African-Americans_originate

Quote for today...

"If you will it, it is no dream."
Theodor Herzl, founder of the State of Israel

Cobb County, Ga. citizens wail against immoral government

Decided to put last night's call for government transparency Town Hall Meeting notes into a poem. Snow image effects added.

"Political Snowstorm Blues"

Michael Opitz and Ben Williams

Did my taxes today, paid more than last year,
what a horrible disgrace.
Went to a town hall meeting tonight, sat in a front row chair,
frustration in the air.

Seems like nothing else will work
except a revolution of the heart.

Politicians stare, only two were there,
but they don't want to be called leaders.
I sup-pose everybody knows
that these folks just want to be rulers.

Seems like nothing else will work
'cept a revolution of the heart.

Why do we pretend there will be an end to this political disgrace?
Why are we going round and round, in this "ground hog day" nightmare?



Thomas Carter

Sitting next to me is a friend of mine
a fighter for his community.
At his age he knows when his hearing goes
the message he needs to give will end up losing.

Seems like nothing else will work
except a revolution of the heart.

There are three men here with advanced degrees
what on earth could they be thinking?
Are they shrills you think, dressed up in mink,
Or just simply spies for the asking?

Why can't we go live off the grid,
pay a dollar for a house?
Why do we not use common sense
instead of being stuck in this snowstorm?



Kenneth Howell

Seems like nothing else will work
'cept a revolution of the heart.



Laurel Harmon

There's a woman here, emotion in her hair,
she's a member of some association.
There's a man over there, wants to get involved
guess he's got a gun cocked and ready.



Michael Watson

Seems like nothing else will work
except a revolution of the heart.

When I get home, talk to my old man
about the disrespect I'm feeling.
He says don't worry, you still have your opinions
although their worth is a little shaded.

Seems like nothing else will work
'cept a revolution of the heart.

We need a revolution of the heart.

For more information on this topic, go to: http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/24757614/cobb-watchdog-group-holds-first-town-hall-meeting-upset-over-braves-stadium-deal
and
http://deadspin.com/heres-how-cobb-county-will-pay-for-the-braves-ballpar-1464404976

State of Emergency could negatively affect employees in Right to Work state

Two weeks ago, some Atlanta motorists were stuck in their cars for 24 hours after a snow storm dumped less than three inches of hazardous precipitation on interstate highways. Two days ago, citizens were warned to stay off the roads after Gov. Nathan Deal ordered a State of Emergency in 91 counties.

But some employees are complaining that their bosses are telling them it's o.k. to come to work, although they don't have four wheel drive vehicles, tire chains, or bus service.

Since Georgia is a Right to Work state, should non-essential employees be more afraid of losing their jobs or risking their safety during this State of Emergency? I'm going to watch Deal's press conference now to see if he will address this issue:

https://esenetworks.com/live-event.aspx?id=590&live-event-id=1797

State of emergency has been extended until Sunday.

Please comment.

Are we just existing or are we committed to being awake?

Religious life after King: stay awake!

As I sit here looking out the window on an icy afternoon, I contemplate my own moral attitude and what I feel the religious community needs to be doing in light of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is Black History Month, and many folks are pulling King’s name out of their back pockets. It is a Dives/Lazarus moment.

I am reminded of a discussion recently with a European friend. We talked about whether I should give a dollar to a homeless beggar we encountered on the street. “Whenever I see these people, I tend to think they are in a better place than I am, with no mortgage or car payment. I’m the one who’s in debt," he advised me. "You yourself are living off your husband’s salary and have no cash in your pockets. We should be asking the beggar for a handout!”

Then I told him how selfish I think some religious folks are, especially those who know I don’t have a steady income but ask me to volunteer to help the church raise money to pay for icons. As if giving me something to do without being compensated would make me feel worthwhile. My friend just shook his head and ordered another cup of black coffee. Is this what MLK would want us to be doing, or would he want us to be waging a war on poverty?

I spend my days trying to network into a full-time job, watching old movies and the Weather Channel, reading old MLK speeches, typing up feelings, and napping. What has happened to King’s revolution while we’re sleeping? Did King die in vain? Is his dream becoming my nightmare?

Read this and make up your own mind.

http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/kingpapers/article/remaining_awake_through_a_great_revolution/

 

Birthdays time to reflect

My singing and hearing aren't what they used to be, but I can still remember and count my blessings!

I told my friends who wished me "Happy Birthday" yesterday that I've stopped counting years and am reflecting back on what I have done to chart my future. My husband is always reminding me that I am somebody, although the fact doesn't feel real as I sit here in my housecoat looking over old photographs and newspaper clippings.

Then I get to thinking about people of God of modest means looking to the hills for help. "God will be with you 'til the very end," my Aunt Virgie told me just before she died. She was persuaded, and I should not lose track of that idea.

All we can do is try our best and hope that history treats us well. Children, remember this lesson.

To God be the glory!

Facebook, Google hold deleted images/content without permission

Delete this!

With Facebook turning 10 the other day, they gave me a big surprise - a movie that looks real appealing which I included on my personal page. After waking up 15 minutes ago from a sound sleep, it came to me that pictures I had deleted were used in the video. How could they still be accessible on Facebook and to the world if I deleted them?

Also, I have noticed that pictures I uploaded to this blog and then deleted are still accessible through Google. What the???

Just goes to prove that whatever you put out there is still on some server. I bet deleted Gmail attachments are still "out there" too, which makes me fearful that anything I have posted or said in the privacy of my own emails has been stored by someone and can be used for or against me at anytime.

In a 2009 article by Jacqui Cheng re: Facebook deleted photos (http://arstechnica.com/business/2009/07/are-those-photos-really-deleted-from-facebook-think-twice/) this subject was discussed.

Cheng noted that Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, the governing document for the site,  states that "when you delete IP content, it is deleted in a manner similar to emptying the recycle bin on a computer. However, you understand that removed content may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time (but will not be available to others)..."

Cheng concluded that, "This looks obviously false—said 'backup copies' are indeed accessible to anyone on the Web...if you don't want to give your enemies blackmail material, don't upload questionable photos in the first place. If you already have, just hope that no one has a direct link... or be prepared to blame all your transgressions on an evil twin."

Guess nothing I have said and images I have posted and deleted are not vaporized at all, and guess if I delete this blog, it will still linger in outer space. Maybe they are still on my timeline...Roll with it!

St. Joseph's Mission and Black History

Here is a Black History factoid:

Leaving mass is Condredge Holloway, Jr. (1st black quarterback at Univ. of Tenn.), Joan Moses, Mary Beeble and Tomi Morris.

"St. Joseph parochial school, with Sr. Imelda, principal, and Sisters Yolanda and Gerard teaching, opened with a bang in September of 1963...But the biggest bang of all resulted when, for the first time in the State of Alabama, in any public, private, or parochial elementary school, 118 students - 106 black and twelve white - took their places together, constituting a historic school integration.  Accomplished two days BEFORE George Wallace 'stood in the schoolhouse door', the integration was 'reverse', but integration none the less, and was 'not just peaceful, but warm, welcoming and comfortable' according to the mother of one of the white children enrolled."

---from History of St. Joseph's Parish, 1950-73 by Isabelle Marrero, Huntsville, Ala.

 

Black History Month begins with challenge

Stop dreaming. Do something big!

ATL snowstorm: lessons learned

View of roads on way to Marta in ATL. Photo by Ayron Johnson

When snow is predicted in metro Atlanta, Ga., do not go to school or work because government will not have roadways cleared...some people still stranded in cars here...very unsafe. Seven hundred ninety one accidents in ATL alone. Many gas stations closed. OMG!!! It's all about the money. Governor blaming National Weather Service and Mother Nature. Al Roker blaming Gov. and Mayor. Bucks are passing around while folks are suffering.

Cars, snow and ice mixing on road during Jan 2014 snow event. Photo by Ayron Johnson

 

Quote for today...

To attendees at World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,

"...I ask you to ensure that humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it."
Pope Francis

Politics, law, and MLK: making it personal

King says "I need you!"

This year I witnessed the Atlanta Commemorative Celebration of the life and legacy of St. Martin Luther King, Jr. without taking notes for an article.  I listened to several speeches, litanies, musical interludes, and amens. How should we pay homage to King without acting from an entertained viewpoint but from an engaged/committed mindset?

What can I, a part-time worker, wife, and mother of adult children, do to advance King's goals? Where should my own footsteps lead? How can I make King's dream personal? I'm tired of crying while listening to his recorded words, and have to write about it!

First and foremost, I cannot be heartbroken by today's state of affairs. By putting carnal living aside, focusing on natural and Mosaic laws, adopting a Christ-like spirit of love for others, and never doubting God's power in the affairs of men, I can help move myself and others forward.

God is not mocked.  By being committed to God's commands, I can decide to live in truth. By using political force to bring humanity out of bondage, I can demand change without being afraid of professional retribution. I can maintain that war should become a historical topic not to be played on a neighborhood or international stage but superseded by conscious living.

Replace hate, envy, and superiority complexes with love. Love means more than just being kind and polite but actually transforms needs into action  If you know a child is having a hard time learning to count,  place a handful of beans on the table and help him sort them into small groups, starting with a group of two up to groups of twelve. Math is simple, as is living in MLK's shadow when you understand basics truths related to group action which are non-Einsteinium in application. 

 

You make a political statement when you live out the Beatitudes. When you use political will to make elected officials accountable for what you and your community needs. You have to be engaged to know what is needed and necessary.

Yes, King was a closet politician who never served a day in office but challenged those who were on every issue - from war, to poverty, to basic human rights. King was a holy prophet. He foretold violence would be a sad lesson learned around the world if ways were not mended. He abhorred violence yet was felled by it. He was hammered down with one bullet, but we can raise him up with Christ-like actions.

Simple, but not easy.

King is not an enigma, but he lives through our actions and dies with inaction.

 

When you teach a child life lessons -  allow him to learn how to earn a living wage, to be able to react to health issues, to save money, to stay out of jail - then you are fulfilling a "King"-dom-like dream.  But unlike slaves, that student will have to live in a world that gives incentives for his goodness, a job, a hospital room he can afford, a bank with limited fees, rehabilitation when he errs. We have to make that happen ourselves.

Then you will be doing more than regurgitating "pie in the sky" philosophy and participating in a real, 21st century, American revolution of the heart.

 

Amen, and amen.

Romeo, Wingcom Watchdog, dies at 14

Romeo going on vacation to Florida

As I am writing this, Romeo, our beloved Italian Greyhound, is being put to sleep. It's over.
May God accept his soul.

Romeo was adopted from PetSmart.

U.S. students poor in math, average in science and reading

According to a Census Bureau tip sheet, U.S. 15-year-old students scored below average in math and about average in science and reading when compared with their international peers. Over the last decade, U.S. scores have been mostly flat. Find out more on Dec. 20 at approximately 9:20 a.m. EST as Jack Buckley, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, discusses statistics from the Program for International Student Assessment.

Each Friday, C-SPAN’s “America by the Numbers” segment features information from the federal statistical system. The program highlights the trends and allows the public to call in or email their questions and views.

For more info., contact the Census Bureau's Public Information Office at 301-763-3030.
 

Christians bid to face fear with hope in ecumenical gathering

Orthodox/Catholic Ecumenical Gathering

“O Come, O come, Emmanuel...

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

While Pope Francis was setting an example of inclusion on his 77th birthday by inviting a homeless man and his dog into his residence, another gathering was occurring on Earth - a service where Roman Catholics prayed, sang, and celebrated the joys of Christmas inside a Greek orthodox church. Will wonders never cease!

For eight years, members of these two religious groups have gathered in Atlanta to promote Christian unity. December 17, 2013 was no exception, and the theme of the ecumenical service held at the Cathedral of the Annunciation during Advent gave guidance on overcoming fears of "others" with love and hope.

The processional looked like a scene from the Knights Templar, with holy men and women in black/white vestments and gold, red and silver crosses. The church was filled with mosaics of a dying yet triumphant Jesus, his followers, and Mary, the Theotokos, center stage. An adorned Christmas tree was to the left of the altar, while Catholic leaders sat separately from Orthodox Greek clergy in crowded pews.

Archbishop Gregory

Atlanta’s Most Reverend Catholic Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory said the birth of Jesus was heralded by angels who spoke to shepherds guarding flocks. The same message must go forth now to people of faith, he said.

“Don’t be afraid....God is about to do something spectacular and wonderful,” Gregory said. “Salvation is coming to an often cynical world.”

Gregory said he is praying for a single church, “a bond severed long ago by sins of disagreement, pride, and arrogance lodged in the heart...an outdated argument.”  He said this message should be heard throughout Rome and Constantinople. “Christmas is a time for transformation. Believe in what the angels sang about…in angelic truth.”



Metropolitan Alexios

Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Archbishop Alexios Panagiotopoulos said in order for Christians to be unified, they must befriend and "see one another in the eyes." He bid attendees to not watch and examine others, but to watch and examine themselves first, by concentrating on how they are sharing gifts God has bestowed on them.

In an interview after the service, Alexios said changing the world starts with the individual and radiates outward to the masses.

“It seems there were more people here last year,” said a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem from Decatur, Ga. Maybe her observation is a sign of the times.



Catholics gathered and listened to messages in ecumenical service.

Hymns were sung by the Holy Spirit Church Choir, the Annunciation Cathedral Chantors, St. John the Wonderworker Church Choir and Chantors; the Romanian Carolers from St. Mary Romanian, St. Mary of Egypt OCA, and Saint Constantine & Helen Romanian Church Choirs and Chantors.

It was a night to remember, a holy night filled with good intentions and prospects of peace. May God have mercy on us all.

Mandela tribute: a life well lived, rest with God

White House photo of Michelle Obama and Mandela

I must come out of the shadows to pay tribute to a man I never met: Madiba Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

Upon his death, I talked to whites from South Africa who had met him.  They said he was a towering figure who they revered because of his Christian qualities and his decision to not ostracize or retaliate against those who harmed him.  They said Mandela helped South Africa lessen the economic slavery of its indigenous population. Mandela was multi-faceted in his humanity, intelligence, and commitment to freedom. Synonymous with struggle, hard work, forgiveness, planning, and moral leadership, Mandela leaves a legacy of a tenacious, spirited elder.

Although praised in death, he was considered dangerous by the U.S. government which placed him on a terrorist watch list until he was 90 years old. Mandela, perhaps, was a 20/21st century Denmark Vesey who became a freedom fighter icon after his release from prison. His "hero" brand was fueled by the entertainment industry. His knowledge of the law, perhaps, and his savvy political posturing turned him into a modern-day saint. After spending 27 years as a prisoner, he spent five years as South Africa's president and another 14 years being remembered.

One wonders whether Osama bin Laden would have been deemed Mandela-like if he had lived another 40 years. One also wonders what will happened to Mandela's beloved motherland, rich in resources and poor people, invaded by China and other countries in the guise of future development. Ravaged by AIDS and poverty, his people are dancing in colorful garbs of remembrance now, but they are in need of a new protector.

The world has been preparing for Mandela's exit from his earthly body for months,  and his fatherly messianic status remains unabated, continuing through his many foundations. Some say that Mandela's manner of reconciliation was predicated on survival techniques while others say he forgave whites who profited with the adoption of a new constitution under his rule which gave them land rights and blacks few baubles other than political office. Too often blacks appear as figureheads while whites maintain all the power the land and natural resources bear. Mandela, however, raised the level of human consciousness in a world still divided by color, race, and class.

May Madiba now rest in peace while we continue the example he set.

No more blogging for a while...

Goodbye for now.

Dear Readers,

Since I began blogging 563 posts ago, I have received a lot of kudos for my efforts but no real monetary benefit from my hard work. I have even been informed that some of my remarks may have kept me from getting a full time job, and the government may be monitoring my posts.

Today I have decided to take a hiatus from blogging, but since my views in previous posts have already been documented, I will leave my blog up for historical purposes.

I hope that I have informed you on some matters and highlighted some accomplishments that you may not have known about, since most "news" is controlled by major news agencies at the discretion of assignment editors.

Thanks for your support. Now, on to my book writing...will get back to you later.

Tomi

And the monetary power couple is...

Official FRBSF photo

Janet Yellen is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve, making her next in line to succeed Ben Bernanke as Fed chairman in January 2014. In order for her to be granted this position, Yellen will have to be appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. According to her Federal Reserve bio,  "Dr. Yellen has written on a wide variety of macroeconomic issues, while specializing in the causes, mechanisms, and implications of unemployment."

FOLLOW THE MONEY! 
 
Her husband, George Akerlof, is an American economist and Nobel Prize winner.  Akerlof coauthor Efficiency Wage Models of the Labor Market with his wife. Their theories "propose rationales for the efficiency wage hypothesis in which employers pay above the market-clearing wage, in contradiction to the conclusions of neoclassical economic," according to Wikipedia.

Photo by Wyap91

Tribute to Earnest C. Smith, Sr., NASA's lunar rover, guidance systems scientist

Earnest C. Smith, Sr. (l) and Earnest C. Smith, Jr. in 1975

Through this blog, I have reconnected with one of my former classmates, Earnest Smith, Jr., from St. Joseph's Mission School in Huntsville, Ala. St. Joseph's was one of the first schools to be integrated in the South, and many of my classmates were children of employees at NASA and Redstone Arsenal.

As a consequence, I would like to honor a person who made major contributions at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a U.S. government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research.

Earnest C. Smith, Sr. 
Smith holds a BS degree in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (1956) and a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville (1964). He is a former high school Mathematics instructor at Coleman High School in Pine Bluff and a 1963 Fellow of the National Science Foundation. He joined the Marshal Space Flight Center in 1964 as a decorated colonel of the U.S. Army Reserves.

Smith and team view controls at NASA.

In the mid-1980's, Smith helped to develop the Flight Robotics Laboratory which studies issues involving orbital rendezvous and docking systems.

In 1989, Smith and NASA were issued patent #4,821,425 for a cylindrical surface profile and diameter measuring tool. This invention is basically a metric, tamper-proof, stainless steel mounting fastener. Only 3,774 patents have been issued to NASA in its history which began in 1958.

Smith is a scientist and inventor.

Smith retired from the Marshal Space Flight Center in 1999 as a Senior Executive Service (SES) Level II. While there, he excelled as a lunar rover expert. His technical paper, "Lunar Roving Vehicle Navigation System Performance Review," was co-authored with William C. Mastin.

NASA Partnership with Alabama A&M

Smith also was director of the Astrionics Laboratory. His most prestigious awards include two NASA Exceptional Service Awards and the coveted Astronaut's Snoopy Award, personally presented by NASA astronauts.

Smith on field at football game,  Alabama A&M University vs University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff

Smith also taught an adult Sunday School class at St. John AME Church. He still lives in Huntsville with his wife of 61 years, Bessie, and they are the parents of four sons (Earnest, Jr., Keith, Karnie, and Cydale) and have nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Bessie and Earnest Smith, Sr.

Wingcom Watchdog salutes this space pioneer who made major contributions to science.

(Photos provided by Earnest C. Smith, Jr.)