January 16, 2007 - Volume 16, No. 3

a Winkler Company publication

Also featuring photos from our monthly supplement...

American Foursquare on East Schantz Avenue

2007 MLK Art Contest: Winning Students

Student, Grade Group: 1-5 Media: Art

1st Prize

Sarah Geehan, Grade 5, Harman Elementary

2nd Prize

Grace Deal, Grade 4, Harman Elementary

Kettering-Oakwood MLK Breakfast a success

By Kristen Motlagh

The mother of Martin Luther King, Jr. always told her son that “you are as good as anyone.” As a result of this and many other positive emotional factors provided by his family at a young age, King grew up to be a great man that had a major and positive impact on the world.

Program cover by Trevor Cuzner, Grade 11, Kettering Fairmont High School.

On Monday, Jan. 15, the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., what shaped King’s early years was the primary focus of speaker Reverand Vanessa Oliver Ward’s speech to participants of the fourth annual Kettering-Oakwood Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast held at Christ United Methodist Church. Rev. Ward is the co-pastor of the Omega Baptist Church in Dayton. She described Martin’s younger years as a “moral incubator”- a place where family and extended family loved and cared for him, and lead his way.

Rev. Ward submitted to the audience that it is also the responsibility of each person to be that “moral incubator” for the children and youth of today. She stated that many of the younger generation are being raised without a “moral incubator.” Her suggestion was that we should not only be required to provide the love, guidance, protection, and continuous care to our own children that this would require, but also to those who have not had such privileges.

The breakfast was made possible by generous contributions from many sources, in particular: Kettering Medical Center and Limited Brands of Columbus. Final numbers are not yet in, but it is estimated that well over 425 people attended the breakfast. Breakfast was prepared by Kettering firefighters and served by council members of each city. The vibrant and upbeat Mary, Queen of Peace children’s choir performed several selections after the conclusion of the breakfast, and the majority of participants stayed to enjoy their performance. Decorations were derived from a selection of the art submitted to the annual student art contest, and helped to set the tone of the day.

Youth volunteers from Kettering and Oakwood High Schools also generously provided their help throughout the entire breakfast. To read more about this years breakfast, and learn about the winning art and essay entries, please visit: http: //komlk.org. Response to the breakfast was overwhelmingly positive and work on next years’ breakfast has already begun.

Dispatch presentation Jan. 22 at council meeting

The Oakwood City Council will meet on Monday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the council chamber. On the agenda will be a presentation by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office concerning the proposed Unified Regional Dispatch Center. The public is invited to attend.

Sugar Camp Development decision expected Jan. 17

After a two-and-a-half hour presentation and public input session on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the Oakwood Community Center, the Oakwood Planning Commission tabled any decisions made concerning the Master Plan for the Sugar Camp Development Project pending further review. A second zoning meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 17, 4:30 p.m. at the Oakwood Community Center. The public is invited.

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