WELLNESS
YOUTH
SCENE
These biking buddies are racking up the miles on the Arabia Mountain trails, cycling their way to fitness and honoring an old friend. 6
First they walked the halls of Southwest DeKalb High School. Then off to college. These days, they are in law school in North Carolina. 8
Dozens of eager volunteers answered the call this week to be ambassadors for the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center. 9
Pedaling to fitness
Copyright © 2011 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
Legal eagles
April 2, 2011
Outpouring of volunteers
Volume 16, Number 49
www.crossroadsnews.com
Superintendent finalists impressive despite small districts By Carla Parker
Parents, teachers, school employees, business leaders and other stakeholders got a good look at the three finalists seeking to be DeKalb’s next School Superintendent and seemed impressed with the pool. Dr. Gloria Davis, superintendent of Decatur, Ill., Public Schools; Dr. Lillie Cox, superintendent of Hickory, N.C., Public Schools; and Arthur Culver, superintendent of Champaign, Ill., fielded the same 20 questions from the audience and left firm impressions of who could grapple successfully with DeKalb’s myriad problems. Ernest Brown, who has three children in the school system, said he felt better about the pool of candidates
felt a lot better when I heard from them.” Brown said all had strengths and weaknesses. “This is a challenging opportunity for any superintendent,” he said, ticking off DeKalb’s issues with SACs, the Heery Mitcheel law suit, redistricting and schools not making AYP. “This will not be an easy job.” Brown said he was impressed the most by Cox. “She had some large school district experience and has worked in a lot of functional areas,” he said. “She came across as teacherLillie Cox Arthur Culver Gloria Davis friendly in terms of winning back the rank and file.” after hearing directly from them. David Shutten, president of the Organization of DeKalb Educa“I felt more comfortable,” he said. “I went from being tors, said he would be comfortable if the board picks Culver. underwhelmed when I first heard they were from small districts, to feeling better when I read their resumes. I Please see FINALISTS, page 6
Illegal Road Is ‘A Total Travesty’ Residents of Snapfinger Lake subdivision off Snapfinger Road are upset that an access road to be used by tractor-trailers is being built into their subdivision.
Snapfinger Lake dispute attracts federal attention By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
In 2001 when the Georgia DOT proposed widening Snapfinger Road between Wesley Chapel Road and Flat Shoals Parkway, residents of the quiet Snapfinger Lake subdivision were never for it. They turned out in droves at public hearings to tell state and DeKalb County officials that the $10.1 million road-widening project would encourage speeding and that the proposed divided highway with a grassy median would not be properly maintained, just like the median on Flat Shoals Parkway. Today, that’s the least of their problems. The four-lane highway that has been under construction since February 2009 now threatens their property values, their safety and the curb appeal of their neighborhood because of an illegal access road that is being built to connect the neighboring Wilson Welding factory through their subdivision. The road, which was not part of the original project that went through the public hearing process, violates DeKalb’s codes by eliminating the required 50-foot buffer between industrial and residential properties and contravenes state and federal operating procedures that require public input. Larry Anderson, a 22year resident of the subdivision, said that over and above everything, the access road that was “sneaked in” on residents is illegal. “It was done in violation of county ordinance Larry Anderson and in violation of Georgia policy,” said Anderson, a retired IRS attorney. “County ordinance requires a buffer between residential and business properties. This road takes that away.” P.J. Lemuel, who bought her threebedroom/two-bath house on Wesley Way six P.J. Lemuel
Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews
Realignment of the entrance to Snapfinger Lake and the Wilson Welding access road violate the required buffer between manufacturing and residential zones.
Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews
years ago, said the county has violated the rights of the subdivision’s 105 homeowners. “Somehow they had a handshake deal in five days to do this,” she said, pointing to the road and tractors on Tuesday. “They have treated us less
than you treat chattel.” Her neighbor Beverly Martin, who has lived in Snapfinger Lake for 10 years, calls the access road “an injustice.” “It is going to bring down our property values and it’s going to be very dangerous,” Martin said. “Whenever you have 18-wheelers on a residential street, there is no way you are going to be safe. Our lives will be in danger.”
How the road came about Transcripts of e-mails between the Department of Transportation and DeKalb County officials – obtained by the residents in an Open Records request – show how the access road was created within a five-day period in September 2007 to get Jack Wilson, Please see SNAPFINGER, page 2