Greetings Members of Adland, springtime is all most upon us and so is a time change, you sense that feeling? Our feature guest this time around is none other than our own Jan Green, a networker, a friend, a mother, and a fan of Adlanpro lol. She hails from Decatur, Georgia.
In 1823 Decatur, Georgia was founded at the intersection of two Native American trails: the Sandtown which led east from the Chattahoochee River at Utoy Creek and the Shallowford which follows today's Clairmont Road and eventually crossed near Roswell, Georgia. The town was named for naval hero Stephen Decatur and its early roads were named logically but soon after were renamed in a curious manner:
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Shallowford Road, which led to the Shallow Ford, has been renamed Clairmont Avenue, probably because it does not go to, from or past any place called Clairmont. Covington Road is now Sycamore Street, probably because it leads to Covington and has no Sycamores on it. Nelson's Ferry Road, named after the local family which ran the ferry at the Chattahoochee end of the road, has been named Ponce de Leon after a family prominent, before Castro, in Havana, Cuba.— Mitchell, Stephens, "A Tentative Reconstruction of the Decatur Town Map of 1823", Atlanta Historical Bulletin, No.30, p.8, 1965. |
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In the 1830s, the Western and Atlantic Railroad wanted to make Decatur the southernmost stop on its railroad. The citizens of Decatur did not want the noise, pollution and growth that would come with such a major terminal, so they rejected the proposal. In response, the railroad founded a new city to the west-southwest of Decatur for the terminal. This town would later become known as Atlanta, Georgia.
During the American Civil War, Decatur became a strategic site in Sherman's campaign against Atlanta. In July 1864 Union general James B. McPherson occupied Decatur to cut off the Confederate's supply line from Augusta, Georgia. During the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, Confederate cavalry under Major General Joseph Wheeler attacked McPherson's supply wagons and the Union troops left to defend the wagons. A marker at the Decatur courthouse marks the site of this skirmish.
In the last half of the twentieth century the metropolitan area of Atlanta expanded into unincorporated DeKalb County, eventually surrounding two sides of the incorporated town of Decatur. Concurrently many well-to-do and middle class White Americans fled the area to more distant suburbs. The 1960s and 1970s witnessed dramatic drops in property values. However more recently the city has regained economic vigor, partially thanks to several long-term downtown development plans that have come to fruition, making Decatur a trendy small mixed-use district with easy transit to downtown Atlanta. Over the past twenty years, Decatur has gained a local and national reputation as a diverse, progressive city with a high level of citizen involvement that retains a small town feel despite its proximity to Atlanta. 
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,147 people, 8,051 households, and 3,856 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,343.2 people per square mile (1,676.2/km²). There were 8,497 housing units at an average density of 2,033.6/sq mi (784.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.6% White, 30.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.
There were 8,051 households out of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.1% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 37.0% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 73.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.0 males. ZIP code 30030 (which includes Decatur) has one of the highest percentages of households with same sex couples in Georgia, 9.20% as of 2000.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,395, and the median income for a family was $65,064. Males had a median income of $46,817 versus $38,381 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,363. About 7.0% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over. 
Education levels for Decatur are above average for the Atlanta area, with 56% of residents having obtained a bachelor's degree or higher, and 27% having obtained a graduate degree or higher.
Decatur has a Commission - Manager form of government. A five member City Commission is elected for four year terms on two year cycles. Two members are elected from the south side of the City, two from the north side and one is elected at-large. At their organizational meeting each January, the Commissioners elect a mayor and mayor-pro-tem from among their own membership for a one year term. The mayor is not a separate elected office. The current mayor is William F. Floyd. Previous mayors have included Leslie Jasper Steele (1915), Jack Hamilton, Walter Drake, Mike Mears, Elizabeth Wilson, and Scott Candler, Sr. (known as Mr. DeKalb). 
The Commission appoints a professional City Manager to carry out the policies, directives and day-to-day business of the City. There are also several citizen volunteer Boards and Commissions appointed by the City Commission including the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Historic Preservation Commission, and others. 
Decatur's downtown area and residential neighborhoods are filled with historic structures. This listed primarily consists of structures on the National Register of Historic Places, but many remain privately-owned and may only be viewed from the exterior. WE LOVE YOU JAN :) 
I was born on Veterans Day, November 11 in 1956, in Laurens County, Georgia. This was the same year the state changed its flag to "incorporate the Confederate Battle Flag" which was change in 2001 to display the state seal along with controversy graphics refused by the business sector as well a citizens; thus, caused another flag change in 2003 which is still current.
Mother (Essie) had two children when I arrived, my elder siblings (Linda Knight, current Pastor of Jordan Redeem, House of Deliverance in downtown Dublin, Ga.) and Larry. Their father surmised in a car accident while on military leave. Mother left them in the care of her mother (Linnie Spikes) to stay with her sister (Zenola Clemmons) and take up studies in nursing. My mother and father met at social sponsored by my aunt.
Mother followed my dad to Ohio; three more siblings (Curtis, Christopher and Valencia) were born in Barberton, Ohio. My father (L.C. Johnson) was an industrial wielder at Wadsworth Foundry. I attended Kindergarten and 1st grade at Firestone Elementary, my parents separated in 1965.
Mother returned to Georgia, where she initially started running several businesses (restaurant, cafe, adult social club) until she landed a position in Food and Nutrition at the Carl Vinson Medical Center in Dublin, GA.
I earned enough credits to graduate with the Seniors in 1974 and am recognized in "Whose Who Among American High School Students" ~ my parents would not sign for me to go into the military, after graduating from high school so I was awarded a visit my Aunt Zenola for my graduation gift.
During my visit at Aunt Zenola's, I was offered employment at a local fast food place called Genos. I accepted a cashier's position and several months later, I was offered a part-time clerical support position at a Pedrickstown Army Reserve and Recruitment Office in New Jersey. A friend of Aunt Zenola helped me get this position. This was one of the most exciting times of my life. I got to ride to work with Captain James Poitier who is Actor Sidney Poitier's cousin. Captain Poitier taught me the correct annunciation of their family name, which sounds more like "po' teer". Soon after my 18th birthday, I joined the military.
First Army Reserve; then the regular Army. I was 3rd Squad Leader in basic at Fort Jackson, SC and the only female in a class of 24 for my 2nd MOS training at Fort Monmouth, NJ. Life was good until I missed clearing a jump in physical training. Initial medical treatment was mishandled which caused conflict that ended in being Honorably Discharge with an award of disability compensation. Prior to the injury, I dreamed of becoming a dancer - spoiled dream transcended to business acumen.
I married; my spouse and I purchased a building that use to be a pharmacy and transformed it into a recreation hall (pin ball machines, a pool table and walk-up sandwich shop). I attended Peirce Jr. College in Philadelphia, became President of Beta Lambda Khi Sorority. In 1977, my grandmother (Linnie Spikes, late 90s) surmised. Mother was not well after that and wanted me to stay with her. I transferred to Middle Georgia College, in Cochran, GA to be close to my mom; however, the back and forth traveling; birth of my son and daughter caused problems between my spouse and I that lead to divorce. I suffered deep depression for several years and bounced back in 1986, when I became one of the first graduates from Heart of Georgia Vo-Tech, in Dublin, Ga.
In 1987, I decided to relocate to Atlanta, GA, leaving my two children in the care of my mother. I worked for Kelly Temporary Services until I landed a clerical position at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center within months. I also met the "love of my life" Herbert, in October 1987. We have a son, who is a rising senior at Martin Luther King, Jur High School and marching band member - Marching Lions and we have blended our children from previous marraiges (three sons {Kevin, Eric, Jermaine} and two daughers {Kimberly and Valencia} who has given us a total of 11 grands and two great-grands). In addition to working full-time, I attended DeVry Institute of Technology; earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Operation (1994). Resigning from the VA Medical Center in December 2004, I began my first on-line business in February 2005.
2005 was a very good year, two products (AA Turbo and Ethos Fuel Reformulator was a success); I won the Editor's Choice Award for a short poem (LOVE); and my grandson was chosen to be a prodigy for one of his elementary school teachers. The teacher successfully completed a degree to instruct gifted children.
The two products went bust; however, I am okay thanks to local networking. My on-line activities are still works in progress, a social network community in Flux (JazLive); a TrafficEra Surf Team (JazJets) in addition to publishing several blogs and participating in numerous communities (Diggs, Facebook ...)
I encourage AdlandPro Community Members to explore everything this community has to offer.
View Jaz Live Cash Culture's web site http://community.adlandpro.com/go/JJGreen/default.aspx