The National Conference of Christians and Jews held its seventh annual Good Neighbor of the Year awards ceremony in City Hall this week with Mayor Sam Massell reading the Proclamation of Brotherhood Week.

Massell, who is also a member of the organization’s executive board, presented citations to each Good Neighbor, citing the recipient’s particular area of service.

Mrs. Maria Andreu, Cathedral parishioner, was cited for her work in recognizing a need, seeking students, and organizing volunteers to teach English to Cubans living in the metro area. In accepting her award, Mrs. Andreu insisted that without her volunteers there could have been no program.

Most surprising of the awards, made on the basis of nominations by area individuals and organizations, was to Detective Ray Pate, nominated by the Mid-Town Alliance. MTA is the Community Council of Atlanta’s longhairs. Pate’s citation was for bridging the gap, the cultural gap, and the dress gap, and for absolute integrity and never violating the confidence of a longhair.

Described as “straight, over 30, well-dressed, and a policeman to boot,” Pate was available on a 24-hour basis to keep peace between the longhairs and the total community. He is cited by longhairs for his work as liaison between hippies and area businessmen. In presenting the award, Massell questioned the conflict of interest in his presentation, since Pate has been reassigned as the mayor’s night driver.

Massell acknowledged that he has received many letters informing him that Pate is needed in the longhair community and promised he was looking into the assignment of officers in that area.

Other awards were to: Mrs. William S. Chapman, for work in her “changing neighborhood” which eventually led to the founding of South DeKalb Neighbors, an organization dedicated to fighting block busting and to making the area beautiful. Sidney Feldman for his work as president of Atlanta’s Jewish Community Center, working with people of all faiths, colors, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Dr. Irving H. Goldstein for long years of service to indigents through the Ben Massell Dental Clinic in addition to other community service. Nathan Heard, Jr., a blind veteran, for acting as liaison between his community and city hall departments. Street lights, garbage collection, and sidewalks for school children in the area were all attributed to his persistence with city hall officials responsible for those services. Norah McNiven, for her work as nurse and friend to foreign students at Atlanta University. Herman and Mary Popkin, for their work in Camps Unlimited, a new concept in summer camping developed through their camp in North Carolina to which they award scholarships to needy youth, who then camp as equals with affluent youth. Dr. Louis V. Reese, for promoting justice through application in many dialogue groups in which black and white, and especially black and white professionals, have come to know each other as individuals without regard to color.