ANNOUNCEMENTS from Jan. 8, 2008:
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Next week at the Forum: Joan Redfern on feeding the hungry homeless.
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Aretha Blake announced the 14th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast at 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at the Westin Hotel, 501 S. College St. Tickets, available at YMCAs, are $35. Speaker is Kweisi Mfume, former president and CEO of the NAACP. Music by Sounds of Blackness. Proceeds benefit the McCrorey Branch YMCA. Web info: www.ymcacharlotte.org/mccrorey/programs/special/prayer_breakfast.aspx
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Dr. Vernon Herron announced a six-week series on genealogical research, from 6-8:30 p.m. on Mondays, Jan. 28-Feb. 25, at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 3400 Beatties Ford Rd. Registration deadline is Friday, Jan. 25. For information or to register, call 704-503-1701 or 704-583-0560. A sixth session will be held Saturday, March 1 at 9 a.m. with genealogist Helen Leary. "All of you should learn how to write your family history. Say amen," said Herron.
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County Commissioner Valerie Woodard urged people to stay in touch with commissioners about the sheriff confirmation issue. "My whole issue with regard to this is the process. What I don't want to happen in our community is that other folks other than our community end up making the decision as to who our leaders are.... A lot of you may have some concern with the person involved. But the person is not the priority here. It's that process that is the priority. We may or many not like Nick Mackey. It doesn't matter, because the people have spoken as to who they wanted to be their choice. And I don't think we as commissioners are to tamper with that."
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Jackie Walton announced that the Web site referenced earlier by Malachi Greene, about change sparked by technology, and about how U.S. children are performing compared with their international peers, can be found by googling "shift haappens." The current version of the slide show with electronic music is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U. An earlier slideshow version without sound is at www.slideshare.net/jbrenman/shift-happens-33834.
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School board member Vilma Leake urged people to attend school board meetings, including tonight's regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. at the Government Center. "We need you there. We need to see you," Leake said.
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Thomas Moore announced a celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of the Church in the Round service at Myers Park Methodist Church, 1501 Queens Road, on Sunday, March 2.
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Dianna Davis announced that her group is preparing for the second annual Miss Queen City Beauty Pageant, proceeds from which support scholarships to Girls' World 2008 Summer Camp, a day camp founded in 1997 for girls 5-14 that operates at Hickory Grove Presbyterian Church, 5735 W.T. Harris Blvd. Info: www.missqueencity.com and www.girlsworldnc.com or Dianna Davis at 704-713-2280.
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Forum messages reach 364 addressees.
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The Forum opens at 8 a.m. at the West Charlotte Recreation Center, 2400 Kendall Drive, just down the hill from West Charlotte High School. The phone number is 704-393-1560.


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ANNOUNCEMENTS from Jan. 15, 2008:
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N.C. Rep. Becky Carney announced that the state Transportation Policy Committee that she chairs would meet at the Charlotte Convention Center on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in a public meeting to continue discussion of a statewide transportation plan. She also said she was serving once again on a Home Foreclosure Committee and would invite people to make suggestions on resolving the foreclosure crisis by calling her at 919-733-5827 or e-mailing [email protected].
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George Dunlap announced the "Communities Sharing the Dream" summit between African-Americans and Latinos for this Saturday, Jan. 19, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 3400 Beatties Ford Rd. (Free registration closed Monday, but call 704-941-6730 or 704-568-3602.
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Carlenia Ivory announced the 14th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast at 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at the Westin Hotel, 501 S. College St. Tickets, available at YMCAs, are $35. Speaker is Kweisi Mfume, former president and CEO of the NAACP. Music by Sounds of Blackness. Proceeds benefit the McCrorey Branch YMCA. Web info: www.ymcacharlotte.org/mccrorey/programs/special/prayer_breakfast.aspx. Sarah Stevenson is to be honored at the event.
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Beatrice Cox announced a six-week series on genealogical research, from 6-8:30 p.m. on Mondays, Jan. 28-Feb. 25, at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 3400 Beatties Ford Rd. Registration deadline is Friday, Jan. 25. For information or to register, call 704-503-1701 or 704-583-0560. A sixth session will be held Saturday, March 1 at 9 a.m. with genealogist Helen Leary.
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Cynthia Neagle Maxwell announced that she would have flyers next week about a Legal Aid program to assist low-income residents with income tax preparation.
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John Barnett announced a March on York for Sunday, Jan. 20, sponsored by the National Action Network as a "stand against violence, gangs and drugs," beginning at 2 p.m. at Clinton Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church, marching to the York County Courthouse and back for a 4 p.m. rally. More info: [email protected] and www.myspace.com/sharptonsidekick.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS from Jan. 22, 2008: