By Jennifer Parker

It was 5 p.m. on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and our office on Candler Road was teeming with people.

Among them were friends, family, and se-niors from Southwest DeKalb High School; East Lake Terrace President Brenda Pace; commu-nity advocate Joe Ar-rington; retired state Rep. JoAnn McClinton and her daughter, former state

Sen. Steen Miles; and Chase Vice President Beverly Dabney.

Some were sitting at desks and tables, some in folding chairs, and all were folding circulars that were to be inserted into this paper – our 2010 Thanksgiving issue.

It was a heartfelt moment, and a day I will not forget.

Why is this a story of thankfulness?Because people cared enough to drop

what they were doing to come and help us in a moment of need. And the best part was, many came not because we asked, but because others called on our behalf.

Let me back up.In the 15 years that my husband, Curtis,

and I have been publishing CrossRoadsNews, none has been harder and more difficult than the last two.

When the bottom fell out of the economy in 2008, much of our local advertising base – our bread-and-butter, if you will – disap-peared, along with nearly 48 percent of our staff, whom we had to lay off.

Since then we have been putting in long hours every week, never knowing for sure if

www.crossroadsnews.comThanksgiving 2010Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COVER PAGETree of Love returnsHOLIDAY

Commis-sioner Larry Johnson’s an-nual Christmas toy collection drive kicks off Nov. 27 at the Gallery at South DeKalb mall. 9

Actress Keke Palmer is helping spread the word that a healthy break-fast can help give black girls the edge every day. 7

Way to start the dayWELLNESS

Christmas trees from the Great Tree atop Macy’s at Lenox Square to Main Street in Stone Mountain will be lighting up this week. 8

Flip the switchesHOLIDAY

Volume 16, Number 31

Jennifer Parker

Berean fits love into boxes of food

Outpouring of support resolves holiday dilemma

Alanna Gardner (second from right) and students from Southwest DeKalb High School help fold some of the 26,000 Wal-Mart circulars that are inserted in this week’s edition of CrossRoadsNews.

Our Thanksgiving story: Community answers the call

By Carla Parker

Kay Parks drove from Conyers to Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain to pick up a turkey and a box of food items. But the food was not for her. It was for an elderly member of Poplar Spring Baptist Church in Ellenwood.

“I’m giving the food to her because she needs it,” Parks said. “I’m here to help someone else just like a lot of people are here to help others.”

Parks stood in line with hundreds of people who got frozen turkeys and a Thanksgiving “Box of Love” laden with

cans of collard greens, corn, green beans and yams, and rolls, cake mixes, and tea bags. Parks said she was impressed at how Berean reaches out to the com-munity in different ways.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a mem-ber of the church or not,” she said.

She brought along her 14-year-old son Dré to get him in the spirit of giv-ing.

“It’s a good way for him to see how to help others in this economy,” Parks said.

For its 2010 Community Holiday Food Basket Giveaway, Berean part-nered with a number of churches, busi-

Carla Parker / CrossroadsNews

Mildred Sims carries a box full of food for Thanksgiving that she received at Berean Christian Church’s Community Holiday Food Basket Giveaway on Saturday.

nesses and organizations to distribute 1,200 boxes on Nov. 20 at its campus on Young Road.

This year’s partners include Caring Hands Inc., First Afrikan Presbyte-rian Church, DeKalb County Office of Neighborhood Empowerment, Goodwill of North Georgia, Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, Overcom-ers Cathedral Tabernacle of Prayer, Partnership for Community Action, Publix Grocery Stores, RBC Bank, Rain Outreach Ministries, Raising the Bar International, Shepherds House, and

we would be able to publish the next issue. But through the grace of God, we have

managed to keep going; we’ve only missed one issue during this trying period, in a week when there was just not enough advertising to cover the cost of publication.

Over the decade and a half that we have served this community, we have worked hard to attract advertising from the many large corporations that do business in our community.

Last year Macy’s, which has four stores in our coverage area, came on board as a regu-lar advertiser. Through relationships with third-party agencies, we’ve also garnered advertising from national companies like Chase and Wal-Mart.

This year, for the first time, Wal-Mart is inserting its Black Friday circular in all 26,000 copies of our newspaper. Ironically, that circular is at the center of our story of thankfulness.

When the circulars arrived at our printer last week, we got a call saying they were too big to be inserted and would have to be folded.

The cost of folding them was prohibitive – almost twice the amount Wal-Mart is pay-ing us to insert them into our newspapers. With the holiday deadline fast approaching, our attempts to rent or purchase a machine to fold the circulars came up empty.

On Friday, we got busy doing it by hand. To complete the task, the five of us at CrossRoadsNews would have to fold 5,200 circulars each. And that’s on top of reporting, writing, editing, designing and proofing the paper and getting it to the press three days earlier than usual because of the Thanksgiv-ing holiday.

By late Friday night – with the help of our daughter Jami, home from college for Thanksgiving; my best friend’s daughter Alanna; Lithonia City Council member

Deborah Jackson, a new acquaintance who has been unemployed for nine months and a homeless couple with two children, whom we were paying to help – we had completed 10,000.

With 16,000 circulars to go, Alanna start-ed calling classmates who needed volunteer hours for their college applications, and on Saturday morning, six kids showed up.

Brenda Pace from East Lake Terrace answered my call for help and showed up Saturday morning with a friend.

But at 2 p.m., there were still thousands of circulars to be folded.

At wit’s end, I began dialing more friends and family members, but most of the calls were going to voice-mail.

That’s when Joe Bembry – South DeKalb’s best-known perennial candidate – called to talk, as he is prone to do.

Curtis Parker / CrossroadsNews

Please see BEREAN, page 3

Please see THANKS, page 2

2State Rep. Stacey Abrams will lead the

House Democrats when the Georgia Gen-eral Assembly resumes in January.

House Democrats elected Abrams, a tax attorney, on Nov. 10.

The first African-American to lead a House caucus, she is one of three DeKalb Democrats who are assuming leadership positions in the next General Assembly. Rep. Billy Mitchell was elected deputy whip and Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, treasurer.

Abrams represents House District 84.

Community “Joe made the call, Jennifer, but people came because they love you and they love CrossRoadsNews.”

Two local races to be decided in Nov. 30 runoff

Friends, family and community pitch in to complete monumental task

Abrams to lead House Democrats

Some of the people who answered the call to help fold 26,000 circulars over the weekend. Here they pose for a photo after the task was finished late Saturday afternoon.

Stacey Abrams

Limited Signature Sponsorship Opportunities

Only 50 exhibitor spaces available. Book yours today.

Call 404-284-1888 for more information. CrossRoadsNews • 2346 Candler Road • Decatur, GA 30032 • 404-284-1888 • Fax: 404-284-5007 • expos@crossroadsnews.com

April 23, 2011

Best of East Metro/ Small Business Expo

Each year, CrossRoadsNews readers nominate and vote for the small businesses, places and people who exem-plify the best that East Metro Atlanta has to offer. We celebrate the winners of the Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards at this highly popular annual expo.

January 29, 2011

Health & Wellness Expo

Health care providers, insurance companies, fitness in-structors and others bring messages of good health to residents and help empower them to live healthier & more active lives. Exhibitors also offer health screenings, fit-ness demos and workshops.

August 13, 2011

Back to School & Family Expo

The focus returns to the family in August as children and their parents prepare to for the annual rites of fall, going back to school. The expo highlights services such as afterschool care, school supplies and fashions, adoption services and private school options.

March 19, 2011

Dance & Summer Camp Expo

Dance schools, churches and other summer activity providers offer options for forward-thinking parents who innovative and interesting programs for their children. Organizations offering services and resources to families are also invited.

at the Mall at Stonecrest

Educating and Empowering Our Community

Community Expos

“Joe,” I said, “I can only talk to you today if you come to my office and help me fold some circulars. Then you can talk to me while

you’re folding.”Joe said he was sick

and couldn’t come out, but he promised to call a friend.

Then the phone start-ed ringing. All the conver-sations started:

“Joe Bembry just called me and said you

needed some help. What do you need me to do?”

Within a couple of hours, a “folding party” of more than 20 people was in full swing. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

At 6:30 p.m., the task was completed.At about 5:30 p.m., I was in tears – tears

of joy that people cared enough to help us out in our time of need.

At that point Brenda Pace said to me, “Joe made the call, Jennifer, but people came because they love you and they love Cross-RoadsNews. They appreciate what you do for this community.”

So, please know that this issue of Cross-RoadsNews is brought to you with the love of a lot of people. As you head to the stores for your holiday shopping this week, know that the enclosed Wal-Mart circulars were folded by some of your neighbors.

Also know that we are deeply touched by this gesture from the community we’ve worked so hard to serve.

So, from our house to yours, this issue comes to you with hearts full of thanks.

Joe Bembry

THANKS, from pAge 1

Curtis Parker / CrossroadsNews

South DeKalb voters will return to the polls on Nov. 30 to pick a judge for DeKalb Superior Court and the District 7 representative on the DeKalb School Board.

All polling precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the runoff election.

Former senior assistant district attorney Courtney Johnson is fac-ing Decatur attorney Michael Rothenberg for the seat being vacated by Judge Robert Castellani, who retired on Dec. 31.

In the Nov. 2 general election, Johnson got 36.7 percent of the vote to Rothenberg’s 26.1 percent. In a weekend telephone calls to voters, Johnson encouraged voters to vote and said that her opponent is banking on South DeKalb voters not returning to

the polls.Johnson has secured the endorsements of

Yvonne Hawks and Denise Warner, who also competed in the Nov. 2 election. If elected, she will be the fifth woman and sixth African-American on the 10-member bench.

In the School Board race, accountant Donna Edler is seeking to unseat two-term incumbent Zepora Roberts, who was cap-

tured on tape threaten-ing to slug a television reporter trying to ques-tion her about her two daughters’ jobs with the school district.

In the four-person race on Nov. 2, Roberts received 37.4 percent of the vote and Edler got

30.7 percent. Also on the ballot are runoffs for the

Georgia Supreme Court and for the Court of Appeals. Attorney Tammy Lynn Adkins is seeking to unseat incumbent Supreme Court Judge David Nahmias. On the Court of Ap-peals, Antoinette “Toni” Davis and Chris McFadden are battling to succeed Edward H. Johnson.

M. Rothenberg Donna EdlerCourtney Johnson Zepora Roberts

CrossRoadsNews Thanksgiving 20102

3Yancey, who will not

be eligible for parole until he has served 60 years, showed no emotions as the verdict was handed down.

During his 18-year ca-reer with the Sheriff ’s Of-fice, Yancey was assigned to secure court rooms,

including the one in which he was sentenced.Linda Yancey also worked at the DeKalb Sheriff ’s Office, as a detention officer.

In handing down the sentence, Hunter said that she had known Yancey for a long time.

“June 9, 2008, an officer fell that day,” she said. “Ms. Yancey, she was an officer. Today an officer has fallen. You were a law enforcement officer entrusted with so many

Derrick Yancey is gone to prison for 65 years for the double murder of his wife, Linda Yancey, and day laborer Marcial Cax Puluc on June 9, 2008.

DeKalb Sup er ior Court Judge Linda War-ren Hunter sentenced the former DeKalb Sheriff ’s employee on Nov. 19 for the murders that took place in the basement of the couple’s Stone Mountain home.

During the trial, prosecutors told jurors that Yancey, 51, shot his wife several times in the chest and once in the neck before pump-ing a final shot into her chest that blew her heart apart.

The sentence followed a Nov. 3 guilty verdict against Yancey.

Former DeKalb Police Chief Louis Gra-ham was laid to rest on Nov. 20 at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Graham, 71, died from complications of multiple myeloma on Nov. 15 at a Riverdale hospice.

Before coming to DeKalb as Chief Deputy of the DeKalb Sheiff ’s Of-fice, Graham was Fulton’s County first black police chief in 1991. He joined

that county’s police force in 1964 at a time when black police officers could not arrest a white person. He served as Fulton County’s police chief for eight years before retiring.

In September 2004, he was tapped by then-CEO Vernon Jones to become acting

Community “You were a law enforcement officer entrusted with so many responsibilities, but we can’t go back and change the verdict.”

Christmas giveaway planned Dec. 18

Ex-sheriff ’s deputy sentenced to 65 years in killings of wife, laborer

Former chief Graham laid to rest

Holiday crackdown on seat belt useCarla Parker / CrossroadsNews

Hundreds of people lined up to receive a turkey and box of food during Berean Christian Church’s annual Thanksgiving giveaway on NOv. 20 at its Stone Mountain campus.

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Louis Graham

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Swift Transportation.The church plans a Christmas giveaway

for 800 families on Dec. 18.Monique Thomas, a Berean member

and team leader for the giveaway project, said the Community Outreach Ministry took in about 3,000 applications from people needing food for the holidays.

Mildred Sims, who is a member of Ham-ilton Community Center in Scottdale, said she was invited to get food for Thanksgiving from Berean even though she is not a mem-ber of the church.

“Berean members are always at the senior center volunteering,” said Sims, who said she will share the food with others.

“I’ll cook it and share it with family and strangers,” she said.

BereAN, from pAge 1

Motorists and passengers who don’t click it during the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period will be ticketed.

Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Bob Dallas said wearing seat belts is easy and can save lives.

“Buckling your safety belt takes two seconds, but the consequences of riding un-buckled can last a lifetime,” Dallas said. “This Thanksgiving, start a year-round family seat belt tradition to pass on for generations to come.”

When lap and shoulder belts are used properly, the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers is reduced by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent.

Because of low seat-belt use, the Thanks-

chief on Chief Eddie Moody’s retirement.He was later appointed to the position

and served 18 months before resigning in May 2006 following the release of a taped, profanity-laced conversation discussing plans to fire an officer who was a leader in the police union.

Thomas Brown, who was DeKalb’s Public Safety Director before he became DeKalb Sheriff, said the law enforcement community lost a giant when it lost Louis Graham.

“It was Louis Graham that helped me to navigate the treacherous waters of managing a large police department when I was first appointed public safety director,” he said. “In my opinion, he was a true professional and a valued friend who I will miss greatly.”

Graham was interred at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in College Park.

responsibilities, but we can’t go back and change the verdict.”

A DeKalb County jury deliberated for three days before returning four guilty ver-dicts – two counts of murder and two counts of weapon possession – against Yancey, who was accused of staging a robbery to explain away the murders.

During the investigation, Yancey told police that Cax Puluc killed his 44-year-old wife during a robbery and that he killed him, but prosecutors said he staged the scene to look like the 20-year-old day laborer from Guatemala had robbed his wife.

Yancey often picked up Hispanic day laborers to do work at his home in the South-land subdivision.

Prosecutors said he used two different guns for the killings and placed one of them near Cax Puluc’s left hand as he lay bleeding

on the floor.The laborer was right-handed.While on house arrest at his mother’s

Jonesboro home, Yancey cut his ankle moni-tor on April 4, 2009, and fled on a Greyhound bus. He was on the lam for five months before he was captured in Belize, South America, and returned to jail on Sept. 26, 2009.

Yancey and his wife were high school sweethearts. They were married for 17 years and had two sons, now 11 and 20 years old.

During the trial, there was little talk about a motive in the shootings other than that the Yanceys were having marital troubles. Prosecutors say the couple was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and Yancey had a $700,000 life insurance policy on his wife.

The couple’s 20-year-old son, Karron, testified that his parents argued a lot and that his father had talked of divorce.

giving holiday period is one of the deadliest driving times all year. In 2008, more than half of Georgians killed in car crashes were not wearing seat belts.

To encourage people to do the right thing, Georgia police officers will be cracking down on non-seat belt users during the Thanksgiv-ing holiday with a “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign.

Through Nov. 28, the state’s law en-forcement agencies will be engaged in high-visibility safety belt checkpoints and concentrated patrol activity.

During the Thanksgiving travel period, seatbelt violators will be ticketed on the first offense.

For more information, visit www.gahigh-waysafety.org.

CrossRoadsNewsThanksgiving 2010 3

4obtained from the Georg ia Department of Education.

In October 2010, the state DOE reported that DeKalb County School System’s gradu-

ation rate is 79.2 percent and the DeKalb County School System graduation rate for all blacks is 77.4 percent.

The graduation rate data re-ported in the AYP portal is not disaggregated by gender. As of Oc-tober 2010, the graduation rates of

By Dr. Morcease J. Beasley

The opinion expressed by Ron Gilliam in his Nov. 6, 2010 Forum letter “Droput rate is puzzling” highlighted data that conflicted with the graduation data as re-ported by the Georgia Department of Education.

While the DeKalb County School System is working to im-prove our graduation rate, we ask that you highlight the following graduation data for DeKalb County Schools.

The DeKalb County School System graduation and dropout rate statistics are reported by and

Forum

index to advertisers

Two local races to be decided in Nov. 30 runoff 2

South DeKalb voters will return to the polls on Nov. 30 to pick a judge for DeKalb Superior Court and the District 7 representa-tive on the DeKalb School Board.

Ex-sheriff’s deputy sentenced in killings of wife, laborer 3

Derrick Yancey is gone to prison for 65 years for the double murder of his wife, Linda Yancey, and day laborer Marcial Cax Puluc on June 9, 2008.

Holiday crackdown on seat belt use 3

Motorists and passengers who don’t click it during the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period will be ticketed.

Credit union opens Gallery branch 6

A new branch of the Atlanta Postal Credit Union has opened in the Gallery at South DeKalb.

School system to transfer case to federal court 6

A federal judge will hear the DeKalb County School System’s $100 million law-suit against construction manager Heery/Mitchell.

Tips for fighting crime offered 6

DeKalb business owners can learn crime prevention measures for the holiday season at a “Crime & Coffee” workshop on Dec. 2 in Atlanta.

Festivities highlight tree lightings 8

The holiday season gets into full swing this week with tree lightings in town squares across east metro Atlanta.

Macy’s tree lights up Thanksgiving 8

For many, the Christmas holiday does not officially begin until young Aflac Cancer Center patients flip the switch on Macy’s Great Christmas Tree atop Lenox Mall.

Tree of Love kicks off Nov. 27 9

DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson will be kicking off his 11th annual Tree of Love toy collection drive on Nov. 27 at the Gallery at South DeKalb.

Acts of Valor Salon.........................................8Agape Christian Counseling Center .............. 11All Bonding ................................................... 11American Hair Fashions, Inc. ........................ 11Best Friend Auto Repair ................................ 11Greenforest McCalep Christian Acad. Ctr. ... 10Gutbusters..................................................... 11

Heard & Heard Dental Associates .................. 7Home Free USA ............................................ 11Law Office of Trichelle Griggs Simmons ....... 11Macy’s ............................................................ 5Make Me Over Hair Lounge ........................ 10Malcolm Cunningham Auto Gallery..............12MARTA ...........................................................9

Mini Mall ....................................................... 11Mystery Valley Golf Club ................................ 3Sarah Fabrics Inc. .......................................... 11Scrupples Inc. .............................................. 10SWH Apparel ................................................ 11The Law Office of B.A. Thomas .................... 11

The Law Offices of Diann Moseley ................ 11The Samuel Group ........................................ 11The Spa at Stonecrest ................................... 11Wal-Mart .....................................................INSWright Vision Care .........................................6Zip2Save ........................................................ 3

QuiCk read

In 2001, commissioners increased the sanitation tax to $39 annually simply because it was the lowest in the metro area. What a brilliant justification!

CrossRoadsNews is pub-lished every Thursday by CrossRoads News, Inc.

We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers.

The concep t , de -sign and content of CrossRoads News are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the writ-ten permission of the publisher.

Advertisements are pub-lished upon the represen-tation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harm-less from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject mat-ter of such advertisments, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement.

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2346 Candler Rd.Decatur, GA 30032

404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007www.crossroadsnews.com

editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker

General Manager Curtis Parker

Staff WriterCarla Parker

Advertising Sales Patricia Walthour

Circulation Audited By

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LOCAL

SERVICES!LOCAL

GOODS!

Dropout assertions don’t match Dept. of Education data

Commissioners rolling out yet another water/sewer tax?

FDA shouldn’t wait to implement graphic cigarette labels

Morcease Beasley

The United States was the first nation to have warnings, but now other nations have had pictorial warnings for years.

A good example of delay is the reason we observed Nov. 11 as Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day. The politicians declared an armistice for 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 to end the First World War. Sources

By Bob Miles

It is most unfortunate for us that the insatiable tax appetite of our DeKalb County Commissioners is again raising taxes to upgrade our water and sewer system.

A c o u p l e days ago, I read that this illus-trious body of self-servants has authorized issuing water, sewer bonds in the amount of $28.4 million. We the taxpayers can expect to pay as much as 6.5 percent interest for these bonds.

This water and sewer upgrade tax scheme has been played over

and over by our self-proclaimed honest, truthful and frugal com-missioners during the past 12 years.n In 1999, our commissioners in-creased our taxes $58.20 annually per $150,000 home. This was to pay for infrastructure upgrades to include water/sewer systems. We were told that the new tax would generate an additional $26 million a year. The projects were estimated at a cost of $304 million and that it would take about 11.69 years to pay off the project. It has been 12 years; therefore the projects should have been completed and paid. The tax has not been rescinded.

So, where is the $26 million a year being spent? n In 2001, commissioners in-

creased the sanitation tax to $39 annually simply because it was the lowest in the metro area. What a brilliant justification!n In 2002, commissioners raised the water tax 16 percent and the sewer tax 29 percent. This was more tax to pay for infrastructure upgrades and maintenance includ-ing water/sewer.n In 2004, commissioners raised taxes to pay for infrastructure to include water/sewer.n In 2005, commissioners again created a scheme to add more water/sewer and infrastructure tax calling it a “Storm Water Utility Fee.” This slick tax is costing us a minimum of $48 annually. n In 2008, we were again hood-winked. Our commissioners raised

The FDA is kick-starting good efforts to control tobacco use, but the graphic cigarette label require-ment is delayed much too long.

The White House Blog an-nounced the great intentions of Secretary Sebelius with a beginning date of 2012. Putting this program into force in six months would have been a better deal for the health and wealth of Americans.

Blacks only for high schools located in South DeKalb are as follows: School Rate (%)Cedar Grove 77.8Columbia 85.7Lithonia 79.7M L King 79.9McNair 73.2Miller Grove 81.5Redan 87.8 Southwest DeKalb 83.5Stephenson 84.8Towers 69.0

Additionally, as of December 2009, the DeKalb County School System dropout rate for blacks is 5.4 percent and the dropout rate for all males of all races is 6.1 percent.

The dropout rates for blacks and all males of high schools in South DeKalb are as follows: Males Only Blacks (All Races)Cedar Grove 3.1 4.0 Columbia 3.9 5.4Lithonia 5.0 5.8 M L King 5.0 5.9McNair 3.9 4.8 Miller Grove 3.8 4.7Redan 2.8 3.5 SW DeKalb 3.6 5.0 Stephenson 2.0 2.7 Towers 6.0 7.7

Dr. Morcease J. Beasley is interim deputy superintendent for Teaching and Learning.

report that glory-hungry generals ordered attacks that morning and 10,000 more men died in the few hours before 11 a.m.

Every delay in tobacco control programs means more people will fall ill and thousands will die from their smoking and from other people’s smoke.

However, people can help save a life by encouraging others to quit

by using the free Georgia Tobacco Quit Line: 1-877-270-STOP (7867) or en Espanol: 1-877-2NO-FUME (266-3863).

D. Gordon Draves is president of GASP – Georgians Against Smoking Pollution, and the Tobacco Action Group Co-Chair with Live Healthy DeKalb Coalition, and Legislative Chair for HEART Coalition of Ful-ton County.

water/sewer tax $8 monthly to cover operating cost. Remember, the county borrowed millions before to build a new water plant and other facilities. At this time our water/sewer system and other infrastructure should have met the highest standard.

Now in 2010, these commis-sioners have the audacity to autho-rize issuing $28.4 million in federal bonds to pay for water system im-provements?

It appears to me that our Com-missioners view us as financial cow-ards. As a result, they continue to run behind us to take every penny they can as we cower down.

Bob Miles lives in Decatur. He has been a resident of DeKalb County for 31 years.

Bob Miles

CrossRoadsNews Thanksgiving 20104

5

Experience Macy’s any way you like!

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6100071A.indd 1 11/20/10 1:05:12 PM

CrossRoadsNewsThanksgiving 2010 5

6 FinanCe The lawsuit revolves around alleged cost overruns, fraud, and mismanagement in SPLOST I and SPLOST II projects.

Credit union opens Gallery branch

Classes focus on managing finances

School system elects to transfer construction case to federal court

Tips for fighting crime offered

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A federal judge will hear the DeKalb County School System’s $100 million law-suit against construction manager Heery/Mitchell.

The school board said Monday it will transfer the lawsuit it filed in 2007 from DeKalb County Superior Court to federal court.

School Board Chairman Thomas Bowen said that the lawsuit involves serious charges of fraud and mismanagement that need to be addressed.

“The school system has elected to move this case to a federal court in order to ex-pedite the proceedings and ensure that the taxpayers of DeKalb County will get their day in court,” he said.

The school district hired the joint venture of Heery International and E.R. Mitchell and Co. to manage 16 projects with budgets

of more than $5 million. It terminated the contract in 2007, alleging that the construc-tion firm mismanaged school construction projects and defrauded the school system by billing for work that was never performed, manipulating time sheets, and other im-proper accounting practices.

The lawsuit revolves around alleged cost overruns, fraud, and mismanagement in SPLOST I and SPLOST II projects, including Martin Luther King Jr. High School, Miller Grove High School and Southwest DeKalb High School, among other school system construction projects.

For example, the 240,000-square-foot Miller Grove High in Lithonia, which was projected to cost $22.7 million, came in at $29 million when it opened in January 2005. Construction at Southwest DeKalb High es-calated from $12.5 million to $19 million.

DeKalb business owners can learn crime prevention measures for the holiday season at a “Crime & Coffee” workshop on Dec. 2 at Northlake Doubletree Hotel in Tucker.

The free hour-long workshop includes presentations from public safety officials, a Q&A session and a continental breakfast.

Presenters at the 8:30 a.m. workshop include DeKalb Commissioners Lee May and Sharon Barnes Sutton, District Attorney Robert James, acting Solicitor General Nicole Marchand, DeKalb Police Chief William O’Brien, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce President Leonardo McClarty, and the DeKalb Police Alliance.

The workshop will educate and empower local business owners to combat crime espe-

cially during the holiday months and con-nect local business owners with key public safety officials; discuss crime and community policing initiatives; and provide business owners with an understanding of the roles, responsibilities and processes of local public safety officials.

McClarty said the chamber is excited to partner with public safety officials to provide valuable information and tools to business owners.

“The chamber is committed to providing resources to the entire business community through innovative partnerships and pro-grams,” he said.

Participants must register at www.coffee andcrime.eventbrite.com.

Adults and teens can learn to manage their finances in the Crown Biblical Financial Life Group Study at Saint Philip AME.

Registration is open for the 10-week program that begins in February. The course is free, but participants must pay for their workbook and course materials.

Registered participants will attend an orientation on Jan. 11.

Saint Philip AME Church is at 240 Candler Road at the intersection of Can-dler and Memorial Drive, Atlanta.

For adult registration, contact Ber-nice Tanker at btanker@bellsouth.net or call 770-493-7629 or 678-558-6618. For youth classes, contact LaTonya Jordan at ljorda53@bellsouth.net or call at 770-366-3410.

A new branch of the Atlanta Postal Credit Union has opened in the Gallery at South DeKalb.

Don DeCinque, president and CEO of APCU, said the branch that opened this month is its seventh.

“The number of members we have in and around DeKalb County has grown over the years, so we were thrilled when the opportunity to obtain another location in the community became available,” he said.

The Atlanta Postal Credit Union is the oldest credit union in Georgia and the largest postal credit union in the nation with assets in excess of $1.9 billion and more than 99,000 members. It also has a branch at 520 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. in Decatur.

The Gallery at South DeKalb branch is at 2801 Candler Road,

Suite 81. For more information, visit www .apcu.com.

Don DeCinque

CrossRoadsNews Thanksgiving 20106

7

to step up to improve their teens’ nutrition.

“Encouraging healthier eating habits is every parent’s responsibil-ity, and given the body of evidence supporting the benefits of breakfast – and breakfast cereal as a good choice – we’re clearly giving our girls a great advantage by reinforcing the importance of the first meal of the

day,” Watson said.

and help raise funds for Grace House, a foster home for girls in Birmingham, Ala .

Through Dec. 22, General Mills will donate 25 cents for ev-ery pledge made up to $10,000 to Grace House .

Karol Watson, vice president of the Association of Black Cardiolo-gists and an I<3 BKFST spokes-woman, said parents and guardians have

Wellness “We’re clearly giving our girls a great advantage by reinforcing the importance of the first meal of the day.”

10-year study says healthy breakfast particularly important for teen girls

Support for long-term caregivers

Free HIV testing, quilt panels to celebrate World AIDS DayEmory students will again be displaying hundreds of panels of the AIDS quilt to create awareness about the disease.

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Families and caregivers of patients at DeKalb Medical Long Term Acute Care can get answers to their questions and share their experiences through the LTAC Family Support Group,

The group meets 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. first Tuesdays monthly and 5:30 p.m..-7 p.m. on third Tuesdays at the Decatur hospital in downtown Decatur, and includes an edu-cational component and an open forum for participants to share their experiences.

LTAC staff members created the support group to help families and caregivers cope

with the burden of their loved one’s illness.Janet Jones, a DeKalb Medical occupa-

tional therapist, said it can be devastating to have a family member that requires the extended, specialized care of an LTAC.

“In many cases, the family is shell shocked,” she said. “Their loved one has been in the intensive care unit for a long time and may have even been close to death on more than one occasion.”

DeKalb Medical Long Term Acute Care is at 450 N. Candler Road. For more informa-tion call, 404-501-6462.

Eating a healthy breakfast each day is particularly important for African-American teenage girls, but 38 percent skip breakfast on any given day, a national study shows.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s 10-year Growth and Health Study followed the diets of 2,379 girls who, at the beginning of the study between 1987 and 1997, were between 9 and 10 years old.

The study was partly funded by General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition.General Mills is one of the nation’s largest producer of breakfast cereals.

Fifty-one percent or 1,213 of the girls were African-American and 1,166 were Caucasian. They lived in Berkeley, Calif., Cincinnati and Washington.

Based on analysis of the girls’ food dia-ries, breakfast cereal eaters tended to have lower waist-to-height ratios, an indicator of healthy body weight, lower total cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol.

One of the healthiest breakfast choices in the study was fortified ready-to-eat cereal, which helped boost the nutrient content in the girls’ diets.

Study results indicated that tweens and teen girls who regularly ate cereal for break-fast – relative to 24 other reported breakfast foods – were less likely to be overweight and had healthier body weights and lower cholesterol. A recent report indicates that 24 percent of African-American girls ages 12 to 17, are overweight, compared to 15 percent of white girls.

Susan Crockett, General Mills Bell Insti-tute of Health and Nutrition vice president and senior technology officer, said parents and guardians need to have a heart-to-heart discussion with girls about nutrition.

“As we look at the results of the study, it’s important to communicate three pri-mary points with girls and their parents or guardians,” Crockett said. “First, breakfast is a must for better health. Second, choose foods that will nourish your body and help jump-start your day. Third, fortified cereal is a convenient, wholesome choice.”

Actress Keke Palmer, a I <3 BKFST campaign spokeswoman, emphasized the need to communicate the message to black teenage girls.

“About half, or ap-proximately 51 percent, of girls followed in the study were African-American, so there is a real purpose for reaching out directly

to teen black girls to help them understand the benefits that come with having breakfast,” Palmer said.

I<3BKFST, translated I HEART BREAK-FAST, borrows its name from the popular text symbol for love – <3.

Palmer is encouraging youth ages 14 to 17 to visit www.facebook.com/IHEARTB-KFST. Teens who “like” the IHEARTBKFST Facebook page can pledge to eat breakfast

By Brenda Camp Yarbrough

Free HIV/AIDS testing, awareness pro-grams and Quilt on the Quad at Emory are part of metro Atlanta’s observance of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 and throughout the weekend.

Nationally, more than a million Ameri-cans and an estimated 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS.

Although minorities, including African-Americans, account for about 13 percent of the U.S. population, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they ac-count for 49 percent of the people who con-tract HIV/AIDS. Because of barriers to health care, they suffer the worst outcomes.

The DeKalb NAACP in collaboration with the DeKalb Board of Health is offering free rapid HIV testing on Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Board of Health’s T.O. Vinson Center, 440 Winn Way in Decatur. Lunch will be served.

For more information, call 404-626-8505 or contact Jacqueline Lee or Vickie Elisa at 404-294-3829.

STAND Inc. is offer free testing from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec.1 at 3423 Covington Drive in the Midway Plaza. Volunteers, will be helping administer the OraQuick Advance, a rapid oral swab test. For more information, call 404-284-9878.

This year, Emory University’s annual AIDS Day observance will take place on McDonough Field. More than 600 panels of AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display.

The opening ceremonies will start at 10:30 a.m., followed by the reading of the

names of the people who have died from AIDS at 4 p.m.

Ben Sperling, Quilt on the Quad co-chair and a member of Emory’s class of 2012, said two of the speakers – Dan Sperling and Ha-ley Rosengarten – are activists with Emory connections.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt is the world’s largest piece of ongoing community art. It began in San Francisco in 1987 with a single panel. Today, it has more than 47,000 indi-vidual 3-by-6-foot panels, each commemo-

rating the life of an AIDS victim. In the event of rain, the Quilt on the

Quad observance will be held inside and around the Dobbs University Center.

Emory University’s McDonough Field is at 600 Asbury Circle in Atlanta. For more information, contact Ben Sperling at bsperli@emory.edu.

On Dec. 3, the Stone Mountain-Lithonia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta is hosting a Family Fun Skate Night fund-raiser to benefit AID Atlanta and Doctors Without Borders.

It takes place 6 to 11 p.m. at the Golden Glide Skating Rink, 2750 Wesley Chapel Road. Participants arriving before 8 p.m. will get a $1 discount if they say “Delta Red.” For more information, call 404-288-7773.

The sorority also is hosting “Stop AIDS Keep the Promise: Bridging the Gap While Empowering Our Community” on Dec. 4 at Bethune Middle School in Decatur. It takes place 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Bethune Middle School is at 5200 Cov-ington Highway. For more information, visit www.smlacdst.org.

Studies have found that teenage girls who eat a fortified breakfast have better health outcomes.

Keke Palmer

Karol Watson

CrossRoadsNewsThanksgiving 2010 7

8 Holiday

Boulevard.For more information, call 770-

482-8136.

Avondale Estates Avondale Estates is lighting its

Christmas tree at the intersection of Clarendon Avenue and South Avondale Road on Nov. 29. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with Boy Scout Troop 6 serving

beef hot dog dinners. Avondale First Baptist Church members

will sing Christmas carols at 6:30 p.m., and the tree will be lit at 7 p.m.

Santa Claus will arrive in a fire engine to officially ring in the Christmas

season.For more information, call

404-294-5400.

DecaturSanta will light the city of Decatur’s Christmas tree on Dec. 2.

The tree-lighting cere-mony will include Christ-mas carolers, snacks and

hot chocolate. Santa will count

down and light the Christmas tree atop the roof of the Little Shop of Stories in East Court Square at 7 p.m.

For more information,

call 404-370-4100.

“The lighting of the Macy’s Great Tree has been a special part of Atlanta’s holiday celebrations for more than 60 years.”

Conyers party, parade mark holiday

Macy’s tree lights up Thanksgiving

Festivities highlight tree lightings The 62-foot white pine atop Macy’s at Lenox Square weighs in at about 12,000 pounds and will be bathed in light from 4,000 bulbs, 50 flashing strobe lights, and 400 internally lit ornaments.

Performers at the Macy’s Great Tree Lighting include (from top) Katharine McPhee, Bobby V, Chuck Wicks (left) and Austin Renfroe.

For many metro Atlantans, the Christmas holiday does not officially begin until young Aflac Cancer Center patients flip the switch on Macy’s Great Christmas Tree atop Lenox Square.

This year’s honorary tree lighters are Au-drey Arrowood and Pharaoh Halley. This is the sixth year that patients from Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Chil-dren’s Healthcare of Atlanta have served as the honorary tree-lighters.

The annual Thanksgiving tradition kicks off at 7 p.m. on Nov. 25. The stars headlining this year’s performances include “American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee, country singer-songwriter Chuck Wicks, platinum-selling R&B artist Bobby V, Atlanta native Austin Renfroe, and the Macy’s All Star Choir and All Star Cheer Squad.

The entertainers will perform before the evening’s biggest star – a 62-foot white pine tipping the scales at about 12,000 pounds – is bathed in light from 4,000 bulbs, 50 flashing strobe lights, 400 internally lit ornaments, and topped with a spectacular color-chang-ing Macy’s star.

The tree also will be adorned with 100 Macy’s stars, 100 white snowflakes and 1,200 multicolored, metallic basketball-sized orna-ments.

Michael Krauter, Macy’s president and re-gional director of stores, said the tree lighting is a perfect way to kick off the season.

“The lighting of the Macy’s Great Tree has been a special part of Atlanta’s holiday celebrations for more than 60 years,” he said. “This year’s event promises to be a spectacu-lar evening filled with great performances and the spirit of the holidays.”

McPhee, who wowed Season 5 “Idol” fans with her take on “Over the Rainbow,” released her third album, “Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You,” in October. It fea-tures classic Christmas songs as well as an original composition she wrote.

Delaware native Wicks, who quickly be-came a fan favorite with his Top 5 hit “Steal-ing Cinderella,” has been on the radio and video airwaves with “Hold That Thought.”

The song, which he co-wrote, is the first taste of new music from his upcoming sec-ond album, set for release next year.

Bobby V, who encourages people to value and pursue higher education through his Bobby V Foundation, has released his fourth album, “Fly on the Wall.” He has racked up No. 1 singles and platinum and gold albums.

Renfroe, a songwriter, performer and producer, has garnered critical and fan ac-claim as well as thousands of downloads on iTunes. He recently released the upbeat original tune “Brand New Christmas” and followed his 2008 debut album, “Stuck in

Your Head,” by producing the extended-play “Unexpected” this year.

The Macy’s All-Star Holiday Choir brings together siblings, couples and multi-gener-ations of families singing and sharing their favorite holiday songs.

The Macy’s All Star Cheer Squad is new to the lineup this year. It will kick off the evening with a high-energy dance routine.

The annual Thanksgiving night event, which is celebrating its 63rd year, will be broadcast live on WSB-TV with Channel 2 Action News anchor Monica Pearson and meteorologist David Chandley as hosts. The pre-show begins at 6:15 p.m.; the lighting will take place in front of Macy’s from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., capped off with a fireworks finale set to holiday music.

Limited parking will be available; using MARTA is encouraged. For more informa-tion, visit www.macys.com.

Christmas is com-ing to Conyers on Dec. 3 with the Olde Town Christmas Party and on Dec. 4 with the annual Hometown Holiday Pa-rade and Community Tree Lighting.

The Olde Town Christmas Party, spon-sored by the Conyers Main Street Program, takes place 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Families can visit and take photos with Santa in the Conyers Depot/Conyers Wel-come Center at 901 Railroad St. There will be complimentary refreshments and hot chocolate.

The Rockdale County Historical Society is hosting a Secret Santa Shop in the Depot’s warehouse for children up to 10 years of age. Gifts are priced from 50 cents to $5, including gift wrapping. After shopping and visiting with Santa, visitors can take a carriage or train ride through the streets of Olde Town and participate in other free activities. Restaurants and shops will be open for visitors.

On Dec. 4, more than 70 groups and organizations will parade from Rockdale County High School on Pine Log Road to Main Street in the annual parade that heralds

the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus.Conyers Mayor Randy Mills said they

are teaming up with Rockdale County to offer the parade and tree lighting.

“The Hometown Holiday Parade is the ideal way for families and neighbors to come together and celebrate the holiday season in our community,” he said.

The annual tree lighting celebration begins at 6 p.m. at the Rockdale County Courthouse, immediately following the parade.

Ice skating will be open in the Olde Town Pavilion on Dec. 4. Skating is $7 per person. Rental skates are available for $2.

For more information, call 770-602-2606 or visit www.conyersga.com.

The Hometown Holiday Parade will travel from Rockdale County High to Main Street to mark the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus.

The holiday season gets into full swing this week with tree lightings in town squares across east metro Atlanta.

Carolers will be singing yuletide cheer while kids and adults hug cups of hot chocolate and cider and welcome Santa’s arrival in the village of Stone Mountain and the cities of Lithonia, Avondale Estates and Decatur.

Stone MountainThe tree outside City Hall

on Main Street in Stone Moun-tain will be lit on Nov. 26. The festivities kick off at 5:15 p.m. with live music while visitors roast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate and cider. Santa will march in with the parade, then tell Christmas stories to kids at the courthouse.

Fireworks will top off the event at 7:30.

For more information, call Jocelyn Lewis at 770-498-7334.

LithoniaThe city of Lithonia

will light its Christmas tree in Kelly Park on Nov. 28, starting at 5 p.m.

Christmas caroling and light refreshments will be available at the Greater Heights Chris-tian Church, 7302 Conyers St., after the tree lighting.

Kelly Park is located between Main Street and Max Cleland

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CrossRoadsNews Thanksgiving 20108

9Holiday

Tree of Love kicks off Nov. 27

Glee clubs to perform in concert

Commissioner Larry Johnson’s annual Tree of Love campaign collects toys for children in foster care and those living in low-income, single-parent homes.

The Spelman-Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert will offer a mix of new selections and traditional favorites.

“The holiday season is a great time for people to give back to the community and help someone in need.”

DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson will be kicking off his 11th annual Tree of Love toy collection drive on Nov. 27 at the Gallery at South DeKalb.

The holiday campaign collects toys for children in foster care and those living in low-income, single-parent homes.

Johnson says the event is what Christ-mas is all about.

“The holiday season is a great time for people to give back to the community and help someone in need,” he said.

During the kickoff, which starts at noon, supporters can pick the names of children from the Tree of Love and purchase Christ-mas gifts for them. The wrapped gifts are due back at the mall on Dec. 18.

Individuals or groups who would like to perform at that event should contact John-son’s office at 404-371-2988.

The Gallery at South DeKalb is at I-20 and Candler Road.

For more information, call, 404-371-2988.

Urban Legends DJ Tron and recording art-ists Millie Pedersen and Winston Warrior will perform at Big Broth-ers Big Sisters’ “The Big Event” on Dec. 7.

The live music and silent auction at Ten Pin Alley in Atlantic Station features a red-carpet entrance, an open bar from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and hors d’oeuvres.

Advance tickets are $35 each and $65

per couple; they are $40 per person at the door and online.

Proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta programs.

Guests are encouraged to buy tickets early as space is limited. A limited number of bowling and billiards pack-

ages are available.Ten Pin Alley is at 261 19th St. N.W., Suite

1200. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.bbbsatl.org.

Letter drive benefits Make-a-Wish

‘Big Event’ aids mentoring programs

Agency for homeless seeks winter gear

Millie Pedersen Winston Warrior

seling and permanent housing.It also offers a 24-hour homeless as-

sistance hotline, Day Service Center, tran-sitional housing and Emergency Overflow Shelter.

The Task Force is at 477 Peachtree St. in Atlanta. The shelter hotline is 404-447-3678. For more information, call 404-230-5000 or visit www.homelesstaskforce.org.

Winter is fast approaching and the Task Force for the Homeless needs blankets, sleeping bags, warm coats, hats, gloves, and water and toiletries for the city’s homeless people.

The nonprofit agency says the need for donations is ongoing. It serves 800 to 1,000 people daily, helping them to secure shelter, transportation, health care, recovery coun-

Dear Santa letters that are mailed in Santa Mail boxes in Macy’s will help raise up to $1 million for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Through Dec. 24, Macy’s is donating $1 to the foundation for every letter stamped and addressed to San-ta at the North Pole that is dropped in the Santa Mail letterbox at any Macy’s store. The funds will be used to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

The letter-writing campaign is part of Ma-cy’s holiday “Believe” campaign, in its third year.

This year’s campaign kicked off Nov. 7. It is inspired by the New York Sun’s famous 1897 “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” editorial. It features letter-writing “Believe Stations” in Macy’s stores across the coun-try.

On Dec. 10, Macy’s celebrates the second annual National Believe Day to honor the spirit of the season and to inspire kindness and generosity. CBS will air the “Yes, Vir-ginia” animated holiday special on Dec. 17.

To support the campaign, fans can purchase “Yes, Virginia” holiday ornaments and a snow globe exclusively at Macy’s and Macys.com. Ten percent of the sale price for each item also will go to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Peter Sachse, Macy’s chief marketing officer, said the Macy’s Believe campaign continues to inspire people nationwide to

celebrate the season’s spirit of generosity and goodwill.

“Last year, we collected more than 1 million let-

ters and hit our $ 1 m i l l i o n goal for the Make-a-Wish Foundation,”

he said. “But more impor-tant, we saw an outpouring of support by schools and communities

coordinating letter drives to help support this

effort or to come out to meet Macy’s famous Santa on his whirlwind bus tour.”

David Williams, the Make-a-Wish Foun-dation’s president and CEO, said the Believe campaign ties in with the foundation’s mis-sion.

“It inspires people to embrace the gener-osity of the season and think hopefully about the future,” he said.

The campaign also comes with an activ-ity guide, a downloadable online toolkit at macys.com/believe. The toolkit can help teachers and schools who would like to use the Believe campaign as a writing lesson or activity during the holiday season.

To drop off letters, look for the Believe Stations in your local Macy’s, featuring a Believe Meter, letter-writing station and an official R.H. Macy’s Santa Mail letterbox.

The combined voices of Spelman Col-lege and Morehouse College Glee Clubs will be singing holiday favorites at their annual Christmas concerts Dec. 3-5.

The 84th annual Spelman-Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert will be at More-house College’s Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel on Dec. 3 and 5. On Dec. 4, it will move to the Sisters Chapel at Spelman.

The 100 singers will perform a mixture of new selections and traditional favorites. Two of the holiday favorites featured an-nually in the concert are “We Are Christ-mas” and “Betelemehu.”

The Spelman College Glee Club will perform “We Are Christmas,” which is written by Kevin Johnson, chair of Spelman’s music department, and Sarah Stephens.

The Morehouse College Glee Club

will perform “Betelemehu,” a rousing Nige-rian Christmas Carol, under the leadership of Morehouse music department director David Morrow.

The Spelman-Morehouse concert, recog-nized around the country as one of the fore-most Christmas performances, is attended annually by more than 6,500 supporters.

The Dec. 3 and 4 performances start at 8 p.m. and are free, but tickets are required for the Dec. 4 performance at Spelman. To reserve a free ticket, visit www.ticketalterna-tive.com/Venues/480.aspx. The concerts also will be webcast live at www.spelman.edu. The Dec. 5 performance takes place at 6 p.m.

Morehouse College is at 830 Westview Drive S.W., Atlanta. For more information, call 404-681-2800.

Spelman College is at 350 Spelman Lane S.W., Atlanta. For more information, call 404-681-3643.

CrossRoadsNewsThanksgiving 2010 9

10French Drainage System 770-593-1382.

SERVICESA-1 Fence Co. Free Estimates, Fence Installation and repair wood, chainlink, aluminum. Phone: 404-925-5309. E-mail: mydrum404@bellsouth.net

TRAVELDeluxe Casino Trip Christ-mas Party. Windcreek Casino. Saturday, December 18th. $45. Includes: Fare, Free Food and Entertainment. Reservations call 404-288-8381

ConTRACToRS/ConSTRuCTIon VENDOR FAIR ADVERTISEMENT

The Potts Company is holding a LSBE subcontractor’s Pre-Construction Meeting on Friday, December 3, 2010. We are looking for qualified subcontractors. If you are interested in bidding this project please plan to attend this all important bid meeting from 10 a.m.-12 Noon.

The meeting will be held at the DeKalb County Government Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive in the Annex Building. Parking will be in the off-white parking deck at the corner of Trin-ity and Commerce Drive. People who should attend are: DeKalb County Certified LSBEs, First Source Participants (for informa-tional purposes), Section 3 Residents or Business Concerns (for informational purposes).

DeKalb County Wade Walker Family YMCA Center. The new 60,000 +/- square foot DeKalb County YMCA Center will be located at the existing Wade Walker Park site in Stone Mountain.

This new facility will include an indoor and outdoor pool, exer-cise areas, gymnasium and other related functions. Anticipated trades and divisions including but not limited to: dumpsters, final cleaning, site demolition, soil treatment, fencing, grading, site utilities, erosion control, landscaping, irrigation, modular retaining walls, concrete material, concrete sub, reinforcement, masonry, structural steel, ornamental metals, trim and cabinets, cementi-tious panels, waterproofing, caulking, sealants, expansion joints, flat roofing and roof accessories, metal roofing and accessories, door-frame-hardware supplier, door-frame-hardware installer, overhead coiling doors, curtainwall and glazing, drywall/ACT, ceramic tile flooring, carpet & VCT, access flooring, sports floor-ing, painting, toilet partitions and accessories, signage, flag poles, metal lockers, residential appliances, sauna, fire extinguishers & cabinets, audio/visual systems, entry mats, window treatments, elevators, fire protection, plumbing, HVAC, electrical - including fire alarm system, rough-in provision for telephone system. The above trades are encouraged to attend in order to become familiar with the upcoming project between DeKalb County, Atlanta YMCA and The Potts Company.

The Vendor Fair will include a presentation by The Potts Company as well as information about the bidding process including when and where bid documents will be available. The Potts Company is firmly committed to DeKalb County’s Local Small Business Opportunity Program. Qualified businesses are encouraged to bid, joint venture or subcontract with registered Local Small Business Opportunity vendors.

For further information please contact: Estimating at The Potts Company, 981 East Freeway Drive, Conyers, GA 30094, Fax (770) 602-4455 or Email estimating@pottsco.com

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11

www.crossroadsnews.com

October 9, 2010

Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COVER PAGEFight the bite

WELLNESS

With bedbug infestations on the increase, the Environmental Protection Agency has released a database of ap-proved pesticides to battle the blood-sucking pests. 7

The chain-link fence around the former Wachovia Bank on Wesley Chapel, which violates overlay district ordinanc-es, is temporary, the building’s owner says. 3

Fence under fire

COMMUNITY

Fresh fruits and vegetables will find a home at the Mall at Stonecrest Plaza this fall when a Farmer’s Market opens there for six weeks. 5

Freshness at Stonecrest

FINANCE

Volume 16, Number 24

Great DeKalb Cleanup unDer Way

County launches cleanup of ugly, neglected areas

Ramp closures to cripple commute on I-20 east this weekend

P J f P / c r n

Same sidewalk, a week apart. Since Oct. 2, this stretch of sidewalk along Flat Shoals Parkway near Snapfinger Road has a new look. DeKalb

Sanitation workers mowed the weeds and trimmed back the kudzu, leaving a clean sidewalk for pedestrians and this happy cyclist.

The ramps from I-20 eastbound to I-285 will be closed this weekend as

crews continue work on the ongoing resurfacing project.

By Jennifer Ffrench ParkerGet ready South DeKalb. It’s cleanup

time.After years of litter and neglect of public

spaces, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis and the

Board of Commissioners have launched the

Great DeKalb Cleanup.The effort kicks off Oct. 9 at 7a.m. at the

DeKalb Community Achievement Center, on

Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur.The county says the cleanups will be held

every weekend through Oct. 31. “As part of a committed effort to stabilize

property values throughout the county, the

Great DeKalb Cleanup will address areas of

unincorporated DeKalb County that have

not been maintained,” the CEO’s office said

in a statement. “The cleanup is designed to

have the maximum level of impact on the

worst affected areas by encouraging the in-

volvement and investment of the community

in policing and maintaining these areas in

the future.” The Great DeKalb Cleanup comes on the

heels of a Sept. 25 CrossRoadsNews front

page article that documented longstanding

neglect of sidewalks and medians across

south DeKalb County, including its commer-

cial corridors and most travelled arteries.

In its Aug. 28 issue, the newspaper also

spotlighted an overgrown media on Turner

Hill Road leading to the entrance to the Mall

at Stonecrest. It was cut days later. The county’s Sanitation Department

began the cleanup on Oct. 2.Crews cleared the kudzu-covered side-

walk on Flat Shoals Parkway pictured on the

newspaper’s Sept. 25 front page, and picked

up trash along portions of Flat Shoals and

Wesley Chapel Road. Crews also mulched

portions of the median on Wesley Chapel

Road.South DeKalb Neighborhoods Coalition

president Gil Turman was on his way to a

football game Saturday morning when he

was pleasantly surprised to see people fanned

out along Wesley Chapel Road and Coving-

ton Highway picking up trash. “I saw trucks,” he said. “I saw people,

some looked like prisoners working off their

fines, trying to do something to beautify this

ugly situation. I saw people picking up trash

on these streets.”He said it was a beautiful thing to be-

hold.Turman said that he is working with an

organization of residents to put in place a

plan to ensure that going forward, the county

is better maintained.CEO spokesman Burke Brennan said

that cleanup effor was part of the Sanitation

Department’s scheduled cleanup.

On Oct. 9, county employees and com-

munity service workers will document and

remove illegally posted signs on the right-

of-ways, cut back overgrown weeds and

shrubs, pick up litter and place debris near

the roadway for sanitation pickup the fol-

lowing day. The Quality of Life Improvement (QOL)/

Great DeKalb Cleanup (GDC) Team will Please see CLEANUP, page 4

Interstate and local motorists will find their I-20 east

commute through south DeKalb County nightmarish

this weekend.Starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, weather permitting,

Georgia Department of Transportation said that the

ongoing I-20 resurfacing project will close ramps at

Columbia Drive, and Evans Mill and Turner Hill roads.

It will also cut off access from I-20 eastbound lanes to

I-285 north and south.Thomas Parker, DOT’s area engineer, said that there

will be significant delays throughout this corridor.

“We would ask the public to avoid the area if pos-

sible,” he said. “And if they must drive through it, allow

themselves extra time and be extremely careful.”

The $28.6 million resurfacing project has been

under way since June 18. It is resurfacing 9.8 miles of

I-20 between Columbia Drive and Turner Hill Road.

The project has snarled traffic and made the weekend

commute difficult for residents and interstate travelers.

Weekend work wraps up at 5 a.m. on Monday.

Motorists traveling eastbound on I-20 who wish

to access either north or southbound I-285 should

continue east on I-20; exit at Wesley Chapel Road

(Exit 68), and return westbound on I-20 to I-285.

The resurfacing will continue for two miles between

Evans Mill and Turner Hill roads.

The eastbound entrance ramp from Evans Mill to

I-20 and the eastbound exit ramp from I-20 to Turner

Hill will be closed throughout the weekend, as will the

outside lane of I-20 between the two interchanges.

The resurfacing project will continue on weeknights

and weekends until temperatures get too cool to pave.

It will be completed in the spring. Work hours are

weeknights from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. and on weekends

continuously from Friday night at 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.

on Monday.For more information, call 511 or visit www.511ga.

org.

care of the existing

problem,” she said.

“Here we are still sit-

ting with thousands

of foreclosures that

nothing can be done

about.”Gil Turman, pres-

ident of the South

DeKalb Neighbor-

hoods Coalition, said he too thought

the ordinance was to help deal with the

sociation, said that

fact was kept from

residents.

“That was not

how it was presented

to us,” said Pace, who

attended a number

of public hearings

about the ordinance

and was eagerly

awaiting its implementation to help

her neighborhood deal with more than

50 vacant foreclosed homes.

“We thought this was going to take

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

A plan to erect a 154-foot-high T-Mobile

cell phone tower on the Lincoln Funeral

Home property on Candler Road is facing

major opposition from residents who say it

would be located too close to their homes in

violation of existing county codes.

Three J Holdings LLC, which owns the

5.1-acre Lincoln Funeral Home property at

2321 Candler Road, wants DeKalb County

to reduce the distance for the telecommu-

nications tower from a residentially zoned

property to 70 and 85 feet from the required

200 feet. It also wants to waive the 10-foot

landscape buffer to allow

it to build the tower.

Judy Jackson, who will

see the tower from her

kitchen window and back-

yard on Ousley Court,

said there is a reason why

the county set the buffer

at 200 feet.

“It is to protect resi-

dents,” she said.

If the variance is approved, both the

property owner and T-Mobile say they will

lease space to more cell phone operators.

In a Sept. 1 letter accompanying the ap-

plication for the variance, Lannie Greene of

T-Mobile South LLC said T-Mobile plans to

locate two other providers on its tower for

a total of three users and that the property

owner intends to lease ground outside the

T-Mobile proposed fenced-in area to other

wireless providers.

Greene told the county that the purpose

of this facility is to provide safe, reliable,

uninterrupted in-building and in-car cover-

age in the area bounded by Second Avenue,

Candler Road, McAfee Road and I-20.

But residents of Ousley Manor and Toney

www.crossroadsnews.com

October 30, 2010

Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COVER PAGERice on RiceSCENE

Former

Secretary of

State Condo-

leezza Rice

will talk about

her and sign

memoir at

the Mall at

Stonecrest on

Nov. 3. 8MARTA

has dusted off

its proposal to

extend service

from the Mall

at Stonecrest

to downtown

Atlanta and is

gathering resi-

dents’ input. 3

Transit plan revisitedCOMMUNITY “Pride and

Passion: The

African-Amer-

ican Baseball

Experience”

will be on

exhibit at the

Decatur Library

from Nov. 6 to

Dec. 2. 8

The making of sports historySCENE

Volume 16, Number 27

Residents oppose plan for new cell tower

Variance sought

for a T-Mobile

facility on Candler

At least nine cell phone

towers are located on

or near Candler Road,

including a structure

at 1816 Candler, next

door to the DeKalb

Police South Precinct

(far left), and one at

202 Candler behind

the Exxon station at

Memorial Drive (left).

Above, signs at the

structure at 1816

Candler Road seem to

indicate that T-Mobile

already has a tower

in the area, and that

proximity to the towers

carries potential heatlh

risks.

Registry won’t affect 15,500 homes

DeKalb County’s new Foreclosure Registry does not apply to

properties foreclosed before Oct. 27, its effective date.

Brenda Pace

Judy Jackson

Valley subdivisions say that reducing the

distance will literally put the tower in their

backyards and be a detriment to them.

“We strongly oppose the construction

of such a tower in our backyard,” they said

in an Oct. 5 letter to the county’s Planning/

Development Department and to the Zon-

ing Board of Appeals. Through Thursday, 73

residents had signed a petition opposing the

construction of the tower.

“We believe that this project will ad-

versely affect the health of already physically

challenged residents, endanger the health of

our children and grandchildren, negatively

impact our property values, and encour-

age the flight of younger families from the

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Community groups and individuals

eagerly awaiting the implementation

of DeKalb’s new Foreclosure Registry

found out this week that it does not ap-

ply to the more than 15,500 properties

foreclosed before Oct. 27 – its effective

date.The law only requires owners of

properties foreclosed after Oct. 27 to

register them with the county.

Brenda Pace, president of the

East Lake Terrace Neighborhood As-

Please see REGISTRY, page 6

Please see TOWER, page 2

Gil Turman

MARKETPLACE RATESPlace your MarketPlace line ad here – up to 20 words for $25. Additional words are $3 per block of five words (maximum 45 words). Boxed Ads (with up to 3 lines bold headline): $35 plus cost of the classified ad. Send ad copy with check or credit card information and contact phone number (if different from ad) to Market-Place, CrossRoadsNews, 2346 Candler Road, Decatur, GA 30032, or e-mail to marketplace@crossroadsnews.com. Our deadlines are at noon on the Friday one week prior to publication, unless otherwise noted.

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$1000 down, 3 payments of $99, 69 payments of $187 at 7% apr plus, tax, tag and title. With approved credit.

auto, p/W, p/l, cd, nice ride, stk#a1342

$99Per Month

or Buy For only

$11,888

2008 Ford Fusion

$1,000 down, 3 payments of $99, 69 payments of $249at 7% apr plus, tax, tag and title. With approved credit.

auto, all power, sport Wheels, and More, stk#a1266

$99Per Month

or Buy For only

$12,958

2008 Ford Mustang

$1,000 down, 3 payments of $99, 69 payments of $259at 7% apr plus, tax, tag and title. With approved credit.

all power, cd, and More, stk#a1288

$99Per Month

or Buy For only

$12,973

2007 Honda Accord

$500 down, 3 payments of $99, 69 payments of $249at 7% apr plus, tag and title. With approved credit.

Feel the power, stk#a1268

$99Per Month

or Buy For only

$9858

2006 Ford F-150

Easy paymEntYou’ll GIVE THANKS For Our Low $99 Easy Payments!

$1000 down, 3 payments of $99, 69 payments of $279 at 4.5%apr plus tax, tag and title, with approved credit.

auto, p/W, chrome Wheels, cd, & More! stk#a1342

$99Per Month

or Buy For only

$13,888

2008 Dodge Charger

CrossRoadsNews Thanksgiving 201012