By Rich Flowers
rflowers@athensreview.com Jan 31, 2021 1 of 2
Athens lost two men this month, eight days apart, who grew up in different directions from the city but became Athens community leaders for decades and forces in their chosen professions.
Friends and colleagues remember Melvin Bateman and Harold Smitson for their extraordinary gifts which they used for the betterment of the home they each adopted in the early 1970s.
Bateman
Melvin Gray Bateman, Jr. was born in Texarkana, Texas on May 14, 1946 and died on Jan. 13 at age 74. He graduated from Texas High School in Texarkana in 1964 then headed west to Texas Tech University where he majored in political science.
CNY Jazz gathers heavyweight talent for New Year’s Eve special
Updated Dec 21, 2020;
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Syracuse NY – While nesting safely at home, area music fans who usually go out won’t be deprived of local music to ring in the New Year. To alleviate their isolation and provide a dose of family-friendly excitement, CNY Jazz will present a celebration by the region’s top jazz and cabaret talent with a virtual New Year’s Eve Special featuring a lineup of major artists known across upstate New York. The show is scheduled to go live at 7 p.m. December 31 and will stay accessible through the next day, for those who may have to work the night before. Tickets are available now at tix.com for $19.95. Purchasers will receive a private link one hour before showtime.