Deacon John Cotton Sr. has, by the accounts of his family and longtime neighbors, turned a neighborhood barber shop into a decades‑long sanctuary of counsel, mentorship and practical help — and petitioners asked the City Committee to name a street corner in his honor.

John Cotton, who identified himself as "brother John Cotton, pastor of New Hope" and the eldest son of Deacon Cotton Sr., opened the public comment period with memories of his father’s work at Worthies Barber Shop and said the shop "built the community one person at a time." He urged the committee to designate a corner as a reminder of "quiet heroes who shape our neighborhoods."

In supporting testimony, Danielle Cotton, a daughter‑in‑law, told the committee the shop at Orchard and Edgewood was more than a business: "It was a safe place where men and boys and women come not only for a haircut, but for counsel, hope, and prayer." Neighbors and former customers also described free haircuts, daily counsel and acts of care that they said helped children feel safe walking to school.

Committee members asked witnesses to state their names and addresses for the record and heard multiple anecdotes about the Cotton family's local role. After public testimony, a motion was made and seconded to move the item to the board for the next stage of consideration.

The committee closed the public portion by voice vote and moved item 1 (the Cotton naming) forward for the required readings. No formal ordinance text or street‑sign design was recorded in the public testimony; the committee’s action at the meeting was to advance the proposal to the next procedural step.