DEEMER PARK Volunteers prepare park for festival

Organizers hope the festival becomes an annual event.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A group of volunteer laborers is gathering to ready Deemer Park for a family festival Labor Day weekend.
The Marcus Garvey Institute of Awareness and the newly formed Mary Bell Williams Foundation are organizing the beautification effort beginning at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 16.
"We're trying to clean it up and establish some pride back in the community as far as parks [are concerned]," said Maurice Williams, president of the foundation that he named in honor of his late mother.
"And to get some use out of them," added Abdu Awolowo, chairman of the Marcus Garvey Institute.
School will soon resume, and children walk through Deemer.
"We want to trim up the trees and get it looking nice," Williams said.
Mayor Hank Angelo said the city will provide trash receptacles and paint. Volunteers will paint a fence at the park. The city also plans to re-stripe the tennis and basketball courts.
"Hopefully, we'll have it all done by noon, and then everyone can enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers," Angelo said.
The cleanup is in preparation for Summer Family Festival, which the two groups hope becomes an annual event. It's set for Aug. 30-31 at the park and will include the Roland Dukes Memorial Tennis Tournament, a three-on-three basketball tournament, style show, live jazz entertainment and a worship service.
The two groups are looking for donations, which may be sent to the Williams foundation at P.O. Box 3586, Warren 44485.
Higher education
Williams, who recently returned to the city from Columbus, said the foundation's aim is to provide educational and career opportunities for children and families.
Williams and Awolowo refer to a recent Case Western Reserve University study which showed that only 41 percent of Ohio students pursue college after high school graduation.
"This has always been an area that's been very steel oriented with the idea to graduate from high school and get a job," Williams said. Although his mother, who died in February 2002, didn't attend college, she encouraged her children and those around her to pursue higher education, he said.
Awolowo said the two groups are working together to encourage local youths to pursue higher education. The Garvey Institute takes high school students for tours of college campuses.
"We're also doing recruitment for historically black colleges," he added.
The organizations also hope to establish relationships between colleges and churches so that students have a support system when they go away to school.