CrossRoadsNews, April 21, 2012 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

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ROTC cadets from Arabia Mountain High School got a history lesson while cataloging soldiers’ graves in Lithonia’s historic cemetery. A10

The readers have spoken, and on April 28 the winners of the 2012 Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards will be honored at the Mall at Stonecrest.

Mapping soldiers’ graves

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April 21, 2012

Volume 17, Number 51

www.crossroadsnews.com

Stonecrest residents pushing hard for grocery store By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Stonecrest residents want a grocery store and they are ready to fight for it. At an April 16 meeting hosted by the Parks at Stonecrest Homeowners Association, more than 50 residents packed the Fairfield Garden Inn to urge county officials to help them get a grocery store for the area anchored by the 1.3 million square-foot Mall at Stonecrest. Dwayne Williams, the Parks at Stonecrest president, said residents want to get a grocery store into the footprints of the Stonecrest Overlay District and the meeting was to begin the conversation with county officials. They told Commissioners Stan Watson and Lee May and the county’s Economic Development Director Charles Whatley and other county officials in attendance that they have thousands of rooftops and available land for a grocery store. While income is high in the area, Whatley

More than 50 said the area still lacks the type of density that residents in the grocery store developers look for and that Stonecrest area can sustain the business. attended an April He said that the last thing residents need 16 meeting at is for a grocery store to open and be unsucFairfield Garden cessful. Inn to urge “You don’t want to county officials to incentivise a bad deal,” help them get a he said. “When a grocery grocery store. store goes dark, other grocers won’t come.” Whatley said that the grocery business is a rough one with a thin profit margin. He also Charles Whatley said that the decision to locate a store is not always rational. Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews “You have got to be prepared to fight that, just like you fight the data,” he said, “Not all velopers and retailers. munities with 1,700 units on Turner Hill the decisions [are] logical or reasonable.” “You have got to keep telling them,” he and Klondike roads near the mall, said that Whatley encouraged the residents to keep said. a grocery store is one of the assets that the telling their story accurately and effectively, Jethna Wagner from Euramex Manageand if it changes or improves, to update de- ment, which operates three apartment com- Please see STONECREST, page A5

From Trash to Gas to Cash DeKalb’s new renewable energy facility gearing up By Carla Parker

DeKalb County is now turning “trash to gas and gas to cash.” CEO Burrell Ellis and county officials cut the ribbon on April 16 on its new renewable energy facility at the Seminole Road Landfill in Ellenwood. The ribbon-cutting comes six months after an Oct. 27 ground breaking on the $9 million facility and makes DeKalb the first county in the United States to build a facility that converts landfill gas to fuel. Officials were joined by representatives of Energy Systems Group and the Clean Cities Atlanta Petroleum Reduction Program, who partnered with the county on the project. The 10,961-square-foot facility, which is expected to save the county $3 million in fuel over the next eight years, will turn landfill gas into renewable fuel and reduce diesel and gasoline fuel consumption and related emissions in the metro Atlanta area. Through the program, the DeKalb Sanitation Department is converting 70 vehicles to run on renewable natural gas produced by the facility. The county says that fuel is cleaner and less expensive than diesel fuel. Ellis said renewable energy is the energy of the future. “There may be a time when we will run out of oil, but we are not going to be running out of renewable energy,” he said. “Renewable energy will create jobs and a green, sustainable infrastructure.” Ellis said the county is expecting to make $1 million each year from energy sales to

Carla Parker / CrossRoadsNews

State Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams and Clarkston Mayor Emanuel Ransom stroll through the renewable energy facility in Ellenwood on April 16.

private users of compressed natural gas vehicles. “Diesel fuel – much like the fuel most of us put in our cars – is now running at over $4 a gallon,” he said. “But compressed natural gas is currently running between $2.25 and $2.37 a gallon. So that is significant savings along with the revenue we’ll be producing from this plant.” The county’s goal is to eventually replace or adapt its entire fleet of 306 sanitation vehicles with natural gas vehicles over the

next eight years. Ted Photakis, senior account executive of Energy Systems Group, said the facility also will have a positive environmental impact by reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions to the equivalent of 17 million gallons of gasoline consumed annually. “Instead of that flare that’s destructing that gas, it’s going to be directed here to this plant, which has near zero emissions,” Photakis said. The test phase of the facility’s machinery

began on April 16. The on-site fueling station, which will be open to the public, will be completed this fall. The renewable energy facility is funded by DeKalb and a U.S. Department of Energy grant made to Clean Cities Atlanta through President Barack Obama’s 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The county’s Sanitation Department Please see TRASH, page A2

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Carter running for wife’s former job John Carter, husband of former DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court Linda Carter, is seeking his wife’s former job. Carter announced last week that he will be a candidate for DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court. He is the third candidate seeking to unseat incumbent John Carter Debra DeBerry, who was appointed March 2011 to finish the two years left on Linda Carter’s term of office. Oretha Brown-Johnson, a Case Management administrative coordinator for the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office, and Frank Swindle, a former DeKalb Superior Court senior case manager, previously announced for the office. Carter, a businessman, earned his law degree from the University of California at Davis in 1975. In 1986, he began to focus on his own businesses. He owned and operated a number of McDonald’s franchises in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Community

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

“Unless you convince the citizens, you just have done another study that you’ve paid for. Show me what you can do.”

Lithonia Blueprints ready for feedback By Carla Parker

A bike trail, pop-up café, storytelling bench and community garden are among the recommendations to help revitalize downtown Lithonia. They come from Lithonia’s Blueprints for Successful Communities project, which wrapped up an April 2 City Council meeting. Graduate students from Georgia Tech began working on the Lithonia Blueprints – a Georgia Conservancy growth management program – in July 2011 and focused their expertise on short-term as well as long-range plans that the city can undertake to revitalize its sleepy downtown. Katherine Moore, Blueprints manager, told council members that the recommendations centered on ideas that would bring more businesses and residents to Lithonia. “All of the categories are aimed at redeveloping downtown with an eye toward longevity of Lithonia in ways that respect the small-town character, which citizens have told us they love and want to keep,” Moore said. “But we also heard that the community understands that we need more people here.” Moore said that more customers and clients are a must if the city is to grow. The recommendations included providing small-scale, low-cost strategies that can be implemented immediately by the community, among them a Project Lithonia event, a Bike Lithonia campaign,

Blueprints manager Katherine Moore and Georgia Tech graduate student Jacob Davis present recommendations for revitalizing Lithonia at a City Council meeting.

installation of a pop-up café that provides seating and tables on Main Street, a storytelling bench, and markers at historic sites. The second recommendation focused on revitalizing the Lithonia Plaza, the aging rambling structure in the middle of town. Blueprints recommends demolishing the city-owned portion, reconnecting Stone Mountain Street through the Plaza, creating a community garden and farmers market, and connecting the PATH trail to downtown. In its place could be more retail, more housing options, a new grocery store, and a new City Hall. The final recommendation focused on creating a long-term redevelopment strategy to address future growth. Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson said she is excited about both the short-term ideas and long-term opportunities. “The short-term ideas are very manageable. We will meet with the community to get

some feedback about the proposal.” Former city councilwoman and lifelong Lithonia resident Barbara Lester said Blueprints had some good ideas that she would like to see come to fruition. “Unless you can convince the citizens, you just have done another study that you’ve paid for,” she said. “Show me what you can do.” Jackson said she can see the community getting on board because residents were involved in the process all the way. “We’ve worked with the community to come up with some of these plans,” she said. The meeting with citizens on the recommendations will be held April 22, the start of City Week. “We want to hear all information from the citizens,” she said. For more information about Blueprints, visit www.georgiaconservancy.org/growth /blueprints/blueprints-communities.

Training session for voter drives Landfill gas converted to fuel for county use, sale TRASH,

Community and civic groups that want to organize voter registration drives can attend a training session on April 24 at the DeKalb Voter Registration & Election Office. During the 6:30-to-8 p.m. training session, participants will get an overview of the rules and procedures for registering voters. A voting booth also will be set up during the training to familiarize them with its usage. Training materials will be provided. The Voter Registration & Election Office is at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, in Decatur. For more information, visit www.web .co.dekalb.ga.us/voter/default.html.

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partnered with the Clean Cities Atlanta Petroleum Reduction Program, a $40 million initiative that is seeking to increase the supply and availability of renewable fuels and decrease the demand for petroleum fuels in the metro Atlanta region. The renewable energy facility is located at the Seminole Road Landfill, 4203 Clevemont Road in Ellenwood. For more information, visit www.co.dekalb.ga.us.

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DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis and other local officials cut the ribbon on the renewable energy facility at the Seminole Road Landfill in Ellenwood on April 16.

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Community

For the projects to move forward, voters must approve the penny sales tax Regional Transportation Referendum on July 31. Voters in South DeKalb and critics of the referendum want rail to the Stonecrest area, but only $225 million is earmarked in the referendum for the I-20 East corridor.

MARTA board takes ‘first step’ on I-20 rail By Carla Parker

Heavy rail along I-20 to Lithonia is still on MARTA’s radar, and board members voted April 7 to move forward with plans on a $3.5 billion rail project that would expand heavy rail to the Mall at Stonecrest. The board voted to seek federal money for a heavy rail extension from the Indian Creek station to the mall. The I-20 East “Locally Preferred Alternative” plan includes nine new stations – four bus rapid transit and five heavy rail transit – with an optional station at Turner Field; 12-mile HRT and 12.8-mile BRT; a 40-minute travel time from Stonecrest to Five Points; and a 48-minute travel time from Stonecrest to the Arts Center. Daily boarding is estimated to be 28,700 by 2030, an increase of 6,400 new riders. The project’s capital cost would be $2 billion and its annual operating cost would be $18 million. The board also approved a plan to

seek $1.6 billion in federal funds to build the Clifton Corridor light rail from the Lindbergh Center station in North Atlanta to the Avondale station and to create an all-day express bus service from South DeKalb to job centers in the metro area. For the projects to move forward, voters must approve the penny sales tax Regional Transportation Referendum on July 31. But voters in South DeKalb and critics of the referendum – who include a majority of DeKalb commissioners – say DeKalb’s share doesn’t go far enough. They want rail to the Stonecrest area, but only $225 million is earmarked in the referendum for the I-20 East corridor. MARTA says the $225 million will be used to build park-and-ride transit centers in South DeKalb. To build rail, the corridor needs $500 million. After the meeting, Commissioner Larry Johnson said the MARTA board’s approval is a “great first step,” but the project still has to be funded.

“That’s where we have to find the right people to make sure that it is funded,” Johnson said. “Because South DeKalb/I-20 folks been waiting a long time and we deserve a rail right now.” Johnson said South DeKalb needs rail service. “We’re still focused on trying to get rail for I-20 now, which is in 10 years as opposed to having something 30 years from now.” The board’s vote allows MARTA officials to start environmental and engineering studies, which could take several years, to enable the system to make bids for federal grants to build the rail projects. Doreen Carter, president of the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce, said she is concerned that the I-20 rail project will not be a high priority if funding becomes available. “Yes, they have passed the resolution, but where is it on the priority list of readied projects? And I think that’s what is going to make a difference when the funding becomes available.”

Lithonia, Pine Lake get ARC assistance Lithonia and Pine Lake are among five communities selected by the Atlanta Regional Commission to receive planning and technical assistance to help them grow. Each year, through its Community Choices program, ARC provides cities and counties with resources and strategies to implement plans they have for the communities. ARC will assist Lithonia in an in-depth review of the Main Street Overlay District to check for implementation of the adopted Livable Centers Initiative study and Blueprints process, including revisions to the overlay as needed. Pine Lake will receive a quality growth audit, comparing its comprehensive plan and other planning documents to its adopted ordinances and policies. Lithonia Mayor Deborah A. Jackson called the assistance “a great complement to the work we have done with the Georgia Conservancy’s Blueprints Project.” Visit www.atlantaregional.com/communitychoices.

Johnson joins CBC foundation board U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson has been elected to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation board of directors. The nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy foundation helps improve the socioeconomic circumstances of African-Americans and other under-served communities. Johnson, who represents the 4th District that includes portions of DeKalb, Rockdale and Gwinnett counties, said he is honored to have been elected to help lead the group. His term is for three years. “I am especially humbled to have been nominated by the late Rep. Donald Payne, our immediate past chair,” he said. Payne died of cancer in March. In addition to awarding millions of dollars in scholarships, internships and fellowships, the CBCF also supports research and policy initiatives to help lawmakers be more effective. Its Legislative Caucus is its signature event.

Congressman Hank Johnson Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District Proudly serving DeKalb, Rockdale, and Gwinnett Counties

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Fighting Foreclosures Helping homeowners avoid foreclosures – Apply for the HomeSafe Georgia program and loan modifications

Saturday, April 28 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Salem Bible Church Fellowship Hall 5460 Hillandale Drive Lithonia, 30058

MARTA: Bus 111 to Panola Road and Hillandale Drive

Held in conjunction with D&E, HomeSafe Georgia and DeKalb County. To pre-qualify and register, visit D&E at depower.org or call 770-961-6900 or 1-877-790-1831 toll-free

For more information, visit hankjohnson.house.gov/services/foreclosure.shtml

Forum 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007

www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Graphic Design Curtis Parker Staff Writers Carla Parker Jennifer Ffrench Parker Advertising Sales Kathy E. Warner Alison White

CrossRoadsNews is published every Saturday by CrossRoadsNews, 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 concept, design and content of CrossRoadsN ews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

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CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m tired of spending my money while others ride for free.

Transportation plan is expensive ride to nowhere By Deborah Robinson

I have begun seeing the ads for the July 2012 transportation referendum on television and thinking, “And so it begins.” Here’s my issue with this campaign and the reasons why we should not vote for it. Thirty-plus years ago, the Atlanta Regional Commission came to us with a “field of dreams” story. They told us that if we voted an increase to pay for a rail system, then all of the downtown congestion would magically go away – it didn’t. To make matters worse, they lied to citizens who live on the outskirts of the city of Atlanta, stating that we would gain a mode of transportation with far-reaching implications. For anyone living in the southwestern and eastern areas of the city, it was a pipe dream. In the end, we paid our penny tax increase, or whatever it was, but the promise came up short. The only area of town that benefited fully was North Fulton and Atlanta proper.

Adding insult to injury The rest of us were left driving to the nearest station, which for some was three miles or more. Adding insult to injury we were made to pay for parking, and here’s how counties outside the system worked their treachery. Although they wanted no part of paying the bill, they happily jumped in their cars, drove to the nearest station and climbed on board. Someone finally decided to come up with the express bus so that those who initially welcomed the idea could enjoy the hardfought tax dollars they were paying; however, since these buses only run at certain times of the day, if one has an emergency, they’re stuck. We were sold a proverbial bill of goods and left to pay for it.

county basis. Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it?

Proponents say that passage of the 2012 Transportation Referendum will untie knots of traffic congestion in metro Atlanta.

When MARTA initially proposed the rail system, there was a plan to have it service the area, much like the New York system, but as usual, those with underlying motives used the fear tactic of an alleged elevated crime rate. That’s right, the first thing a burglar is going to do is take your flat screen on a train. The whole point is to get away with it and utilizing a public system is not a smart choice. Their next move was to develop inter-county bus routes. The problem is that they have limited service and rumor has it that some of them use MARTA to maintain their buses. Ironic, isn’t it? Fast forward to 2012 and now they are proposing light rail into Clayton, Cobb, etc., the very areas that didn’t want it in the first place. But ARC decided that, while they wanted our money, the list of proposed additions and improvements to South DeKalb were unimportant and were taken off before anyone sat down to talk. Oh wait, they offered us more buses to

which those in the county stated, “We have buses.” These people who have never been concerned with anything except what they want feel that they are entitled yet again, and the kicker is that they plan to control that portion of the system that does not tie into MARTA, thus creating revenue for their areas only. Understanding that this referendum will not pass without DeKalb, they (you know who you are) are trying to fix it so that it will not be determined on a county-by-

Vote ‘no’ on referendum The last time we were in this predicament was with Grady Hospital, the only Level One facility in the area that everyone wants to use but nobody wants to help maintain. So two lone counties end up carrying the bill. But that’s not the half of it. The very counties who refuse to assist Grady are the same ones who receive indigent funding from the government while not being forced to report how many they serve. What does this mean? They are collecting funds for care they may or may not give and no one, including legislators and the governor’s office, is holding them accountable. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m tired of spending my money while others ride for free. If they want to ease their burden, let them pay for it. First they moved to the suburbs and when they tired of it, they moved into the city and displaced millions of people who had lived there for years. I urge everyone living in DeKalb County to vote NO on this issue or else we will end up where we always do, paying for someone else’s meal at double the cost. Deborah Robinson lives in Decatur.

Early release makes sense People who object to the early release day for planning and training time proposed by the DeKalb School System are shortsighted. Ask yourself these two questions: How much information do you retain after working eight hours in a high stress environment and can you teach

individual students a new subject matter weekly with extensive planning? I was totally puzzled when I came into the school system to find out that almost all training was held after the workday! Cheryl Miller-Holmes has two children attending DeKalb schools. She lives in Stone Mountain.

Occupy your fork to save yourself and our planet By the Rev. Byron L. Merritt

A generation ago, Frances Moore Lappe in “Diet for a Small Planet” penned these prescient words: “The world’s problems appear so closely interwoven that there is no point of entry. Where do we begin when everything seems to touch everything else? Food I discovered was just the tool I needed … what do we eat?” What we eat is within our control, yet the act ties us to the economic, political and ecological order of our whole planet. Severe weather, shrinking county budgets, school closings, double digit unemployment, home fore-

closures, an airpolluting gasification plant, a big box store encroaching on our neighborhoods, cell phone towers hovering over Byron L. Merritt our school playgrounds, rising sickness and sinking health insurance are issues so complex and so big and coming at us so fast it is overwhelming. How do we get our arms around these problems? Where do we begin to gain control over these events affecting our lives? According to Lappe, we occupy our forks!

What we are putting in our mouths is the linchpin holding us to a reality that no longer works. Who controls our food choices – do we or do the food conglomerates and their Washington, D.C., lobbyists? There is a large and growing body of scientific and medical research telling us that our animalbased diet is killing 2.5 million of us every year, killing 62 billion intelligent and sentient animals a year in the most horrific manner imaginable and killing Mother Earth. Just imagine what happens when we occupy our forks by switching to a plant-based diet. We take back control over the most basic function of life. When we bypass

the meat counter and dairy case, immediately we understand that our decision to change our diet has significant economic implications. When we purchase organic fruits and vegetables, we vote for sustainable farming practices and make a powerful political statement about the new kind of world we intend to create. This one simple act helps us to heal our bodies, stop the unbelievably cruel treatment of industrial animals and saves the planet from overheating. Occupy your fork and join the global movement to save ourselves and our planet. The Rev. Byron L. Merritt is a Decatur minister.

index to advertisers Circulation Audited By

BJH Attorneys & Counselors at Law.............A11 Boss’s Bar-B-Que.......................................... A1 Claxton Law Group......................................A11 Congressman Hank Johnson........................A3 Creative Keystrokes......................................A11 Final Expense Insurance & Planning............A11 Georgia Perimeter College...........................A6 Kool Smiles P.C.............................................A9 Living Healthy DeKalb...................................A7 Macy’s......................................................... A12 Mini Mall......................................................A11 National Kidney Foundation.........................A2

Padgett Business Services.............................A2 Quenon Smith.............................................A11 Seafood On The Crest...................................A6 Skyline Records............................................A11 Smokerise Summer Day Camp.....................A9 Soul Discount Fabrics...................................A11 Sugar Creek / SydMar Golf Mgmt., Inc.........A5 Tees of Power..............................................A11 Wells Automotive Services ..........................A11 A Kids Affair..................................................B4 AAA Auto Club South...................................B6 After School Sports Academy.......................B6

Brinkley Realty Group...................................B6 Chick-fil-A / Turner Hill Road...................... B10 Chick-fil-A / The Mall at Stonecrest...............B4 Commissioner Stan Watson.........................B11 Congressman Hank Johnson........................B9 DeKalb Community Development Dept. ...... B7 Delta Sigma Theta - Decatur Alumni...........B11 Eugene Walker, DeKalb School Board.........B11 Friends of Larry Johnson............................ B10 Gwinnett Federal Credit Union..................... B3 In Home Connections...................................B4

Mable’s BBQ & Smoked Meats....................B11 New Life Baptist Church................................B8 Reliant Income Managers.............................B4 Saint Philip AME Church...............................B5 State Rep. Billy Mitchell.............................. B10 Wells Fargo................................................... B3 INSERTS Ethnic Print Media Group................................. Holistic Health Management Inc. Walgreens Best Buy Co. Inc.

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Community

“We’ve got to roll up our sleeves. We have got to pound the pavements, but we have to have the data.”

Parade kicks off Earth Day Ecology-minded families and activists can celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 at the Oakhurst Community Garden. The free 12:30-to-4 p.m. event kicks off with an Earth Friendly Parade beginning at Harmony Park in the center of the Oakhurst Business District. The Black Sheep Ensemble will lead the procession and the community is asked to decorate their bikes, wagons or strollers and march along as the parade winds it way to the garden, at the corner of Oakview Road and South McDonough Street. The annual Cake Contest, raptors, sheep, food vendors, a community pavilion and live music will take place at the garden. Free children’s crafts will be provided by organizations and artists including Camp Scene Environmental Adven-

tures, Wonderroot and Pam Daresta. Two bands will entertain: The TAASK from Alpharetta will perform a wide range of rock music beginning at 1:45 p.m. and the Wonder Nerds, hailing from Decatur, will offer an eclectic mix starting at 2:40 p.m. More than 30 earth-friendly vendors and nonprofits will be featured in the Community Pavilion, including the City of Decatur Recycling Trailer. Community Phone Book Recycling sponsored by PitStop returns this year. Bring your old phone books. The winner of the Earth Day T-shirt design contest will be announced and the shirt will be on sale. The Sally Wylde Cultivating Life Award recipient also will be announced. Event sponsors include the Oakhurst Garden Project, Decatur Active Living and Decatur Environmental Sustainability Board. Visit www.oakhurstgarden.org.

Clarkston to clean streets, stream Volunteers will clean up litter in Clarkston on April 28 as part of Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup. Clarkston is teaming up with Keep DeKalb Beautiful as part of the county’s Earth Day activities. Volunteers will meet at the Woman’s Club, 3913 Church St., and may choose to clean up the streets of Clarkston or head over to Wildcreek Apartments, 100 Wild Circle, where volunteers will enter the stream near the bridge.

Keep DeKalb Beautiful is providing garbage bags, plastic gloves, pickup sticks, safety vests, bottled water and T-shirts for the first 30 volunteers. Volunteers also are invited to install curb markers on storm drains as a reminder to homeowners and residents in the community not to dump waste in storm drains, which are direct links for pollution to streams and rivers. The cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. For more information, call 404-296-6489.

Park to receive fruit tree orchard DeKalb Memorial Park in Atlanta is one of three organizations picked to receive fruit tree orchards as part of the Fruitful Neighborhoods Program. As a recipient, the park will be provided with resources to beautify and heal the environment by cleaning the air, improving soil quality, preventing erosion, creating an animal habitat, sustaining valuable water sources, and providing healthy nutrition for the community to enjoy. DeKalb Recreation, Parks & Cultural Af-

fairs and the Natural Resource Management Office will be recognized by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation on April 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the park. The Fruitful Neighborhoods Program is sponsored by the United Parcel Service Foundation and presented by the Earth Day Network and the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. The park is at 353 Wilkinson Drive. For more information, contact Revonda Moody, project manager, at 404-294-2890.

Developers called shortsighted STONECREST,

from page

community needs. She said that they have tried for years to lure a grocery store and that Kroger and Publix have turned them down. Now she says a lot of attention is being given to the area. “One of the things that is going to make it happen is the community coming together,” she said. “There is power in numbers and there [are] a lot of numbers in this room tonight.” May, who has facilitated and encouraged area business owners and residents to organize and work together to improve the area, said that developers won’t come just because it is a cool place to be. He said that residents will have to roll up their sleeves and do the work. “There a lot of exciting things going on in this area,” he said, pointing to the $100,000 Livable Communities Initiatives grant that was recently awarded to the area by the Atlanta Regional Commission to study transportation issues. Plans are also under way to widen the two-lane portion of Turner Hill Road between Mall Parkway and McDaniel Mills Road and install sidewalks, a multi-use trail and street and pedestrian lighting. “Stay fully engaged,” Lee urged the residents. “When this meeting is called again, please come back. Your activity is going to be the difference for the long term.” Doreen Carter, president of the Greater

Lithonia Chamber of Commerce, said that residents and businesses won’t take no for an answer and that nearby density shouldn’t be the only factor for a grocery store. “We want a grocery store,” she said, leading the crowd in a call and response. “We need what?” “A grocery store,” was the response. “We deserve a grocery store, and you know what, together we are going to get a grocery store,” she said. Carter said developers are being shortsighted by Doreen Carter not counting rooftops in Lithonia. “They are not counting the residents of the city of Lithonia because they believe they won’t cross the interstate to go to the grocery store,” she said. “We cross the interstate to come to the mall.” Residents said that they didn’t want a Walmart in the area and asked Whatley what they can do to stop one. He told them that the county doesn’t recruit Walmart and that the presence of Walmart could delay a grocery store coming in. Watley said that the retail giant’s interest is usually a good leading indicator that a market can support retail. He told residents that there is no magic bullet to get what they want. “We’ve got to roll up our sleeves,” he said. “We have got to pound the pavements, but we have to have the data.”

Habitat playhouses go on display Fun, colorful playhouses created by volunteer teams for Habitat for HumanityDeKalb go on display on April 21 on the MARTA Plaza in the Decatur Square in time for Earth Day. Ten teams of volunteers built and decorated the playhouses with guidance from Habitat construction leaders. Executive Director Jayne Watson called the event, which raises funds, a crowdPlayhouses on display on the MARTA Plaza in Decatur Square pleaser. are available for purchase through online bidding. “The Decatur Square venue is a perfect location for families to stop Storytime on the Square with Little by and enjoy the playhouses,” Watson said. Shop of Stories will begin at 11 a.m. on “While everyone has a great time building the April 24, and a playhouse viewing recepplayhouses, the most rewarding experience tion will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. is seeing children playing in and around the The playhouses will be on display little houses. Last year they were a big hit!” through April 29. This year’s Playhouse Playhouses are available for purchase Build & Auction is sponsored by Arlene through online bidding. Proceeds benefit Dean Quality Homes and supported by Habitat’s mission of building, renovating and United Healthcare and Lowe’s. revitalizing affordable housing in DeKalb For more information, visit www County. .DekalbHabitat.org.

Training for National Night Out DeKalb residents interested in organizing a National Night Out event for their community can attend the 2012 National Night Out Training on April 26 in Tucker. At the 6:30-to-8 p.m. training session, participants will learn about the history of National Night Out and what it takes to organize an event. More than 12,000 communities nationwide celebrate National Night Out, a crime

and drug prevention event that encourages residents to leave their lights on and hold community social events. The 29th annual Night Out will be celebrated on Aug. 7. The training session will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Atlanta N.W./ Northlake, 4156 LaVista Road in Tucker. For more information, call A. Fowler at the North Precinct at 404-294-2858.

Finance

CrossRoadsNews

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will share with them our story of how we have positively impacted the lives of over 5,000 kids.â&#x20AC;? Some participants waited in line for up to two hours to attend the DeKalb County Jobs Fair in Decatur on April 14.

Attorneys offer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Free Law Clinicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; People with legal problems from family law to foreclosure can get advice at a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Free Law Clinicâ&#x20AC;? on April 28 at the Community Achievement Center in Decatur. Decatur attorneys Kimberly Blackwell, Muna H. Claxton and Tegra Watkins, who founded the Free Law Clinic in March 2009, will offer sessions between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. They will answer questions about bankruptcy, home loan modifications, employment and criminal law, wills and probate matters. Participants will receive consultation with an attorney who specializes in the area of law they need. The Community Achievement Center is at 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway. Registration is required â&#x20AC;&#x201C; e-mail freelawclinic@gmail.com or call 678-667-3818.

Expo offers help for homeowners Struggling homeowners seeking help to avoid foreclosure can attend the HomeSafe Expo on April 28 at the Sanford Event Center in Decatur. The 9 a.m.-to-3 p.m. expo is sponsored by 4th District U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson in conjunction with D&E, HomeSafe Georgia and DeKalb County. Homeowners can get help applying for the HomeSafe Georgia program and loan modifications. The Sanford Event Center is at 4185 Snapfinger Woods Drive. To register and for more information and requirements, visit hankjohnson.house.gov/foreclosure.shtml.

April 21, 2012

1,300 queue up for jobs fair More than 1,300 job seekers showed up at the DeKalb County Jobs Fair on April 14. The draw â&#x20AC;&#x201C; more than 1,600 vacant positions from companies like Allstate, MARTA, TJ Maxx, and Walmart. There were also self-help workshops. Some participants waited in line for up to two hours to get inside the fair at

the Manuel Maloof Building in downtown Decatur. The event was co-hosted by DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis and the Department of Workforce Development as part of National County Government Month. Ellis said it was important to host the jobs fair because many citizens are still struggling to find employment.

Seminars focus on building wealth DeKalb residents can attend a series of free seminars on housing, real estate, retirement planning and insurance, and other financial issues beginning April 28. The seminars are part of the DeKalb 100 Black Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Sisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keeperâ&#x20AC;? Financial Series. Chapter President Norma Johnson said residents will learn how to overcome the challenges to building wealth. She said research shows that the aver-

age net worth of African-American women in 2010 was $5. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This must be changed,â&#x20AC;? said Johnson, who is also president and CEO of Norma Jâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Signature Collection. The April 28 event begins at 1 p.m. at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road in Decatur. Seating is limited and registration is required by e-mailing cbsmith2010@msn.com or calling 770-981-8775.

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Businessman takes helm of 100 Black Men Longtime DeKalb businessman Matthew Ware is the new president of 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. Ware, who is president and CEO of Lithonia-based Padgett Business Services on Panola Road, was sworn in as the chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 12th president on April 10. Ware said that he will focus his presidency on expanding the activities and programs of the chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leadership Academy that Matthew Ware mentors young men into leadership and academic excellence. Each year, its Youth Summit attracts more than 550 young people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In order to do so, we are going to have to focus on growing our membership and increasing our sponsorships, both of which have suffered the past couple of years due to the tough economy we have been in,â&#x20AC;? he said in an April 11 statement. Ware said the chapter will launch a membership campaign called â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Few Good Menâ&#x20AC;? to aggressively solicit corporate sponsors and individual donors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will share with them our story of how we have positively impacted the lives of over 5,000 kids in DeKalb County since our inception,â&#x20AC;? he said. The DeKalb 100 Black Men chapter has been active in the community for 21 years. For more information, visit www.dekalb 100blackmen.org or call 404-288 2772.

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Wellness

PALA requires youth participants to engage in physical activity for 60 minutes, five days per week, for six out of eight weeks. Preschoolers 3 to 5 will compete in five main events, including the 20-yard dash, in the sixth annual Kiddie Olympics on May 3 at Hallford Stadium in Decatur.

Thousands for Kiddie Olympics Thousands of preschoolers are expected to converge on Hallford Stadium in Decatur for the sixth annual Kiddie Olympics on May 3. The event bills itself as the county’s largest children’s obesity awareness activity. More than 40 child care facilities with more than 3,000 metro pre-k students, teachers and parents will engage in healthy competition to earn prizes and learn the importance of exercise and good physical fitness. At the 9 a.m.-to-2 p.m. games, children ages 3 to 5 will compete in five main events: the 20-yard dash, pogo ball race, sack race, tricycle race and tug of war. The Kiddie Olympics offer preschool children the opportunity to start early in life understanding that good fitness will lead to a higher quality of life. In support of first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation, the Kiddie Olympics and one of its partners – the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition – are challenging Americans of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to achieve their PALA – the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. PALA requires youth participants to engage in physical activity for 60 minutes, five days per week, for six out of eight weeks. All participants who complete the requirements

Senior Olympics return in May Sports enthusiasts and fitness buffs 50 and older can compete in the DeKalb Senior Olympic Games May 1-11 at venues across the county. The 26th annual sports festival, which is hosted by DeKalb Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs, provides senior adults the opportunity to compete in their favorite sports and meet other residents in DeKalb and from neighboring counties. Participants ages 50 and up compete in a variety of sports, including free-throw and three-on-three basketball, bowling, golf, track and field, billiards, swimming, tennis, and water volleyball. Other sports and activities available include horseshoes, a line dancing competition, talent show, Wii bowling, and a health expo. Registration for DeKalb residents is $15. There are also special fees for bowling, golf, and the closing ceremony. Participants can compete as a team or enter individual events. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each event. The DeKalb Senior Olympics began in 1986 as a program for seniors attending the Mason Mill Recreation Center. Applications are available at www .dekalbcountyga.gov/parks or at all DeKalb recreation centers, libraries and select senior centers. For more information, contact Jackie Swain at 404-687-2751.

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

will receive a PALA certificate of achievement signed by the co-chairs of the President’s Council, NFL quarterback Drew Brees and U.S. Olympian Dominique Dawes. For more information, contact founder Derrick McLendon at Kiddieolympics@aol .com or call 770-377-5585.

5K, walk benefit Rape Crisis Center Walkers and runners can help raise awareness about sexual assault and prevention in the 21st Take Back the Night 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk on April 28 in Decatur. The 5K, which benefits the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center, starts at 5:30 p.m. It begins and ends at historic Agnes Scott College at 141 E. College Ave. and winds The Take Back the Night 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk on through the beautiful Oakhurst April 28 begins at Agnes Scott College in Decatur. and East Lake communities. in conjunction with Sexual Assault AwareThe fun run/walk begins at 5 p.m. After the race, there will be a pizza ness Month. Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. party, children’s activities and awards. Decatur band JoyScout, a collective The DeKalb Rape Crisis Center provides of musicians focused around Emily Kate counseling to hundreds of survivors of sexual Boyd, Nicki Thrailkill and Jesse Tyler, will assault annually, support to their loved ones, play a blend of folk, rock and alternative and prevention education. Take Back the Night is a qualifying run/ country. Registration is available online at www. walk event for Decatur’s Grand Slam Fitness active.com or in person at any Phidip- Challenge. For more information, visit www pides location. Adult registration is $30 .decaturga.com/teamdecatur. Volunteers also are needed to assist with and youth registration for ages 12 and the race. For more information, e-mail under is $20. beth@dekalbrapecrisiscenter.org or visit The race will be held rain or shine. Take Back the Night is held in April www.dekalbrapecrisicenter.org.

Picture DeKalb Healthy: Seniors Live Well in 2012 Friday, April 20, 2012 • 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 7:30 a.m. Registration • 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Program and Health Screenings

Lou Walker Senior Center 2538 Panola Road • Lithonia, Ga. 30058 The event will feature: • DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis • DeKalb County Commissioner Lee May • Discussion panel with health experts • Healthy “soul food” cooking demonstration • Health screenings • Breakfast and lunch • Raffle This event is co-sponsored by Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis, DeKalb County Government, and District Health Director S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A., DeKalb County Board of Health. Burrell Ellis Chief Executive Officer

S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A. District Health Director

To register, call 404-294-3700.

Scene

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

“It highlights our collective commitment to legal excellence in service to our community.”

Exhibit chronicles black state legislators Decatur lawyer History buffs can view the contributions of African-American legislators at the “Georgia Legislative Black Caucus: Remembering Our Legends and Honoring Our Torchbearers” exhibit at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. The Black Caucus chairman, state Sen. Emanuel Jones, hosted the ribboncutting ceremony on April 15. He said he was humbled to take part in such an eloquent celebration of the trailblazers. Henry McNeal Turner “Looking ahead, we will continue to draw on our forefathers’ strength and fortitude as we work to increase the economic, political and electoral power of the families in Georgia,” he said. The exhibit, which runs through May 31, is spearheaded by the Azalea City Chapter of the Links Inc. It recalls the contributions of the men and women who have been a part of the GLBC and honors 33 black men expelled from the Georgia Legislature in 1868. The men, who were Republicans, were elected in the bloody and violent 1868 election, the first election after the Civil War. About 500 Georgians were killed during the elections in which blacks for the first time were allowed to vote, a right guaranteed by the 13th Amendment. They were promptly expelled from the Legislature by the Democrats. While ex-slaves could now cast ballots, there was no law that permitted black representatives to actually hold office. It would be another two years before the Supreme Court ruled that blacks could not only vote, but that they could hold political office. “Remembering Our Legends and Honoring Our Torchbearers” also pays tribute to former Sen. Leroy Johnson, who was the first African-American to serve in the Georgia Assembly since Reconstruction. Johnson was elected in 1962 from the 38th District, Fulton County, and served until 1975. His portrait hangs in the State Capitol in recognition of his service. Dr. Lucretia R. Payton-Stewart, a Georgia State University associate professor emeritus,

When Sen. Leroy Johnson was elected back in 1962, he became the first AfricanAmerican to serve in the Georgia State Senate since Reconstruction.

Monument honors 33 expelled from House The 33 African-Americans who were the first black people elected to the Georgia House in 1868, in the first election following the Civil War, were promptly expelled from the House. The monument “Expelled Because of Their Color” listing their names was erected in 1976 by the Georgia Black Caucus of the Georgia General Assembly at the State Capitol. They are: J.T. Costin Madison Davis Monday Floyd F.H. Fyall R.B. Hall G. Gardner Alexander Stone Henry McNeal Turner John Warren Samuel Williams Bradley E. Belcher

W.A. Golden W.H. Harrison N.S. Houston Philip Joiner George Linder Robert Lumpkin George Wallace T.M. Allen Eli Barnes T.P. Beard Tunis G. Campbell Sr.

said the Azalea City Chapter of the Links discovered the absence of information about black Georgia legislators while collecting material for the chapter’s archives and wanted to do something about the oversight. “The momentum of this project escalated,” she said. The chapter partnered with the Georgia

Romulus Moore Peter O’Neal James Porter Alfred Richardson James Sims Abraham Smith M. Claiborne G.H. Clower Abraham Colby Aaron Alpeoria Tunis G. Campbell Jr.

Humanities Council, Georgia Power, Auburn Avenue Research Library, and the caucus. The exhibit is open during library hours – Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday from noon to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. The library is at 101 Auburn Ave. N.E. in Atlanta.

Free BookMyne app for DeKalb Library patrons DeKalb Library patrons can now use library services on their tablets. They can download the free BookMyne app on Android or Apple devices and search the catalog, check account details, renew items, place and cancel holds, find recom-

mended reading lists and more. Automation Services coordinator Tamika Strong says the app is a service patrons want and need. The new service kicked off in early April. “The library is providing this service to

our patrons because we realized that many of them are using their mobile devices to access our catalog and we wanted to improve that experience,” she said. “BookMyne is a mobile device-friendly service which provides easy-to-use access.”

a ‘Rising Star’

D e c a t u r a t to r n e y Mawuli Mel Davis has been selected as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyer Magazine. Davis, a partner in the Davis Bozeman Law Firm on Flat Shoals Parkway, was recognized for his success as a trial attorney Mawuli Davis and community activist. He leads his firm’s criminal defense and trial divisions. The Rising Star honor, which recognizes lawyers under 40 or with less than 10 years in practice, is awarded to less than 3 percent of lawyers in Georgia. Each year, Super Lawyer’s research team undertakes a rigorous multi-phase selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by the attorney-led research staff, and a peer review. Davis credits his success to his firm’s staff of 15. “It highlights our collective commitment to legal excellence in service to our community,” he said. Last year, the Gate City Bar Association named him the Civil Rights Attorney of the Year. Among his accomplishments, Davis provided pro bono representation to the mother who was charged because her baby cried in a Decatur library. He also organized more than 20 attorneys to provide legal support to Occupy Atlanta protesters who were arrested. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Georgia State University’s College of Law. In 2007, he co-founded the Davis Bozeman Law Firm with friend and law school classmate Robert Bozeman, who leads the firm’s personal injury practice. For more information, visit www.davis bozeman.com.

Book revisits 1930s Peking Historian and China expert Paul French will talk about his new book, “Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishman Haunted the Last Days of Old China,” on April 24 at the Toco HillAvis G. Williams Library in Decatur. The book explores the end of the old city of Peking in the 1930s and the desperate search for a Paul French murderer. It takes place in 1937, with Japanese armies surrounding the city and the discovery of a young woman’s body. Chinese and British detectives must race against the clock to find the killer before the Japanese close in and capture the city. The event begins at 7 p.m. The library is at 1282 McConnell Drive. For more information, call 404-679-4404.

College help for students, families High school students looking for financial and academic information about Georgia public colleges can attend the “College Help for Families and Students” event on April 23 at the Stonecrest Library in Lithonia. From 6:30 to 8 p.m., Gregory Smarr, president of Smarr Financial Services, will outline strategies for meeting both short- and longterm financial objectives and goals. To register, visit the library at 3123 Klondike Road or call 770-482-3828.

April 21, 2012

Youth

CrossRoadsNews

“We have to stop thinking in terms of dollars and we have to start thinking about completion of the project.”

District restores 35 school projects previously in jeopardy By Carla Parker

School construction projects that were on the chopping block because of a $41.35 million shortfall in the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds will be saved. School Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson told the April 9 district board meeting that the district will move forward with all 35 projects that were in jeopardy. Thirty-two of them, including fully funding the Chamblee High School project, will remain in SPLOST III. Three projects totaling $25 million – the $22.31 million Southwest DeKalb High School classroom addition project; the $2.05 million Montgomery Elementary School heating, ventilation, and air conditioning project; and the $0.65 million Warren Tech heating, ventilation, and air conditioning project – will be shifted to SPLOST IV funding. “We have evaluated very thoroughly the budget and made some adjustments,” Atkinson said. She had previously proposed a plan to halt 35 building projects, including 23 in South DeKalb, to eliminate a $36.52 million projected shortfall in the SPLOST program funds. The decision to save the projects came after the School Board voted unanimously March 12 to accept a motion that allowed Atkinson and her staff time to find out which projects could be legally relocated from SPLOST III to SPLOST IV funding. The Southwest DeKalb High project is expected to start in November. District 5 board member Jay Cunningham, who was awaiting projects at MLK, Southwest DeKalb and Miller Grove high schools to get started and completed, said Wednesday that he was happy with the direction that the district is going in.

School Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson (left) was among officials breaking ground on April 16 at Chamblee High School. Atkinson said her staff evaluated the budget and made adjustments.

“We are on point to get those projects started this year,” he said. “By January 2014 we should have all three projects completed.” New Chief Operating Officer Stephen Wilkins said the district will “cash-flow” the SPLOST IV program. “That means we’re going to pay as we go,” Wilkins said. Wilkins said this will allow the district to reallocate $11 million that was previously scheduled for debt services. “We’re going to move that money to projects since we will not be floating a bond for SPLOST IV,” he said. The district also will save $4.8 million by using standard school design for seven new elementary schools. Another $4.2 million

13 nominated for military academy

From left, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, Service Academy board member Sean Simmons, Westley Williams, Tra’Mese Byrd, Christina Lanier, Daniel Gartrell, Thomas Penland, Service Academy board member Lt. Col. Rosalind Wallace and Service Academy board member Judeena Thibault.

Thirteen high school students from the 4th Congressional District have been nominated to attend a military academy this fall. U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson announced the nominees on April 12. He held a reception for students and parents at ART Station in Stone Mountain. The students will attend Army, Navy, Air Force and Merchant Marine schools. Five of the students – Tra’Mese Byrd, Daniel Gartrell, Christina Lanier, Thomas Penland, and Westley Williams – all have a full, four-year appointment valued at $350,000 to attend each respective academy. Johnson congratulated the nominees and said that their parents should be proud. “All of our outstanding nominees are at or near the top of their class in academics, athletics and community service,” he said. “It’s quite an accomplishment.” Each year, members of Congress nominate students. For more infor mat ion ab out the nomination process, visit www. hankjohnson.house.gov/services/academy-nominations.shtml or call U.S, Rep. Hank Johnson’s office at 770-987-2291.

Nominees and academies The 13 students receiving nominations are:

U.S. Air Force Academy Tra’Mese Byrd from Wesleyan High School, Michael Eriksen from Westminster School, Princess Gibson from Columbia Magnet School, and Westley Williams from Shiloh High School. U.S. Naval Academy Daniel Gartrell from Decatur High School, Christina Lanier from the Atlanta International School, and Terrance Smith from the Marist School. U.S. Military Academy Jason Latimer from Salem High School and Cameron Loew from Berkmar High School. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Rayjhan Bethune from Heritage High School, Connor Owens from Arabia Mountain High School, Thomas Penland from Chamblee Charter High School, and Sean Purcell from Tucker High School.

will come from contingencies and other reductions. The district also will reallocate $5 million from the program management budget. Atkinson said all 35 projects will be completed, but not for the amount of money originally budgeted. Before, if a project came in under budget, the project was expanded until the money was spent. Atkinson said this time around, if a project comes in under the budget, the money will be used on other projects. “We have to stop thinking in terms of dollars and we have to start thinking about completion of the project because that is what has gotten us in a little pickle,” she said. “We will have to stick to the scope of work and complete the work and we cannot add anything because some will be over, some will be under.” School Board Chairman Eugene Walker commended Atkinson for “keeping promises” that were made. “Promises DeKalb made in SPLOST III will be met,” he said. “Promises made in SPLOST IV will be met.”

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CrossRoadsNews

Youth

April 21, 2012

“This is a junior Air Force program, but history is important and what better way to learn history than in a cemetery.”

Carla Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Cadets from Arabia Mountain High School wrote down the names of veterans of the two world wars in the historic African American Cemetery in Lithonia. The veterans will be recognized with a parade in November.

Air Force ROTC cadets take on Lithonia cemetery mission Thirty-five junior Air Force ROTC cadets from Arabia Mountain High School got a little history lesson from tombstones in Lithonia’s historic African American Cemetery on April 12. The cadets visited the cemetery to identify the veterans from World Wars I and II, many of whom were never recognized for their service because of the country’s history of segregation. The ninth- through 12th-grade students spent more than two hours with pen and notebooks writing down the names of people like Elsie Mae Hall Smith, the only DeKalb

County woman to serve in World War II and died in 1981; Sgt. Walter Reynolds, who fought in World War II and died in 1968; and John Scott. Friends of the Lithonia African American Cemetery will recognize the vets with a parade on Nov. 10 – the day before Veterans Day, which is observed nationally on Nov. 11 every year. Former U.S. senator and Lithonia’s native son Max Cleland, who lost his legs and an arm in the Vietnam War, will be invited to be the parade’s grand marshal. ROTC Chief Master Sgt. Raymond

Stafford, who led the students on the mission, said this project was a learning experience for the cadets. “This is a junior Air Force program, but history is important and what better way to learn history than in a cemetery,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for them to learn all the different ranks and who fought in World War II.” Aric Flemming, an Arabia Mountain High senior, said recording the veterans’ names was a good learning experience. “I think it’s a great way to remember those who built up this community,” he said.

“It’s cool seeing all the different ranks from World War II.” Barbara Lester, a lifelong resident of the city and former council member, began cleaning up the cemetery in 2001. As she watched the students scurry through the cemetery with their notebooks, she said it made her very happy. “I’m so happy and excited to see these kids out here and helping us out with this,” Lester said. Four months ago, Lester began collecting obituaries of those interned in the cemetery. Last week she had more than 200.

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CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

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the 2009

Small

B usiness &

expo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 28, 2012

April 21, 2012

www.crossroadsnews.com

Section B

Recognizing East Metroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best

Small Business Expo includes salute to excellence

Best ribs

April 28, 2012 Lower Level, The Mall at Stonecrest Noon to 5 p.m.

best chicken sandwich

Informative Panel Discussions, Door Prizes, Exhibitors and Presentations of the 2012 Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards to business owners and public officials.

citizen of the year

panel discussions

entertainment

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Readers Choice Awards Expo to celebrate our community’s beat Attorney Boykin Edwards and his wife and office manager Jean pose with their 2011 “Best Law Firm” award after receiving it from CrossRoadsNews editor and publisher Jennifer Parker last year. They won the same category again this year.

“East Metro Atlanta’s Weekly Newspaper” 2346 Candler Road Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

The 2012 Best of East Metro / Small Business Expo Special Section is a publication of CrossRoadsNews Inc., East Metro Atlanta’s award-winning weekly newspaper. Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Graphics Editor Curtis Parker Reporters Jennifer Ffrench Parker Donna Lewis

Circulation Audit by

Audit Report available by request. For information, call 404-284-1888.

It’s always a great idea to celebrate folks who do good by us and this year is no exception. Readers of CrossRoadsNews nominated hundreds of businesses, individuals and organisations January for our third annual Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards, and they returned a month later to vote online for the favorites. This year, nominations were received in 66 categories, On April 28, during the CrossRoadsNews Best of East Metro Small Business Expo, we will celebrate the 52 winners who garnered the most votes. Among this year’s winners are some who won multiple awards. The standouts are Mable’s Barbecue annd Smoked Meats in Lithonia which away with three awards – Beat Soul Food Restaurant, Best Ribs and Best Takeout. Debra Rolle, who owns the res-

tuarant with her husband Cliff, said it is Lithonia’s best kept secret. Well no more. Other multiple winners includes Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road, Hibachi Grill & Sushi, Red Lobster on Candler Road, Dugans and on Flat Shoals Parkway, Saint Philip AME Church, Greenforest McCalep Christian Academy, and Malcolm Cunninham Auto Gallery. Contest newcomers include Lithoni’s new mayor Debra Jackson who was voted Best Mayor, and League of Women’s Voters Belinda Pedroso, who is this year’s “Best Local Activist.” Contest results are printed in this issue. The Readers Choice Awards also recognizes public officials and community volunteers who serve. In three of the categories, winners are back for encores. District 9 School Board member

Dr. Eugene Walker is ‘Best School Board Member” for the third time. He also won the category last year and in 2009. Commissioner Larry won “Best Commissioner,” a category he also won in 2009. Commissioner Stan Watson, who was voted “favorite Local Charater” in 2009, is this year’s “Most Beloved Public Official. “ Congressman Hank Johnson, who was voted “Citizen ofthe Year “ in 2009, is this year’s “Most Beloved Elected Official.” If your favorites didn’t win this time, we hope it won’t stop you from coming to the Mall at Stonecrest on April 28 to helps us celebrate the 2012 winners. After you have cheered and congratulated them, we hope you will visit them at thier places of business to see why they garnered the most votes. For our elected and public offi-

cials who are winners, congratulate and encourage them to continue to represent and service us. If your favorites didn’t win this time, we hope you will nominate them in January for 2013 contest. The Best of Expo also offers aspiring and new businesses owners, as well as those who have been at it for a while, the oppotunity to hear from experts about funding and other resources. This year, DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation is partnering with us to focus attention on some of the resources, like the Revolving Loan Fund, offered by DeKalb County to help businesses succeed. Two panels of experts will discuss why this is a good time to start and expand businesses, and they will tell you how to access loans and other help. Don’t miss them. The mall is at I-20 and Turner Hill Road in Lithonia.

2012 Best of East Metro Small Business Expo Grand Prize Entry Form Visit these exhibitors at the Mall at Stonecrest on April 28 and enter to win a $250 Mall at Stonecrest Gift Card.**

______ A Kid’s Affair

______ Gwinnett Federal Credit Union

______ AAA Auto Club

______ In Home Connections

______ After School Sports Academy

______ League of Women Voters of DeKalb County

______ Brinkley Realty Group

______ Reliant Income Managers

______ CrossRoadsNews

______ Tamisha Crosby, Samson’s Fitness Center

______ DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation

______ Wells Fargo

Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________City _______________________________________ St: ______ Zip: ___________ Email ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hm phone: _________________________________________________ Cell phone: ____________________________________________________ *Exhibitors must write their codes on your entry form. Your name, address and telephone nos. are required to win. Employees and immediate family members of CrossRoadsNews and the Mall at Stonecrest not eligible for awards. Must be 18 years or older to win. Must be present to win.

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

2012 Best of East Metro /Small Business Expo April 28, 2012 - Noon to 5 p.m. • The Main Stage in front of Sears Lower Level, The Mall at Stonecrest Noon 1 p.m.

Expo Kick-off with Rae Rae “Fitness Motivator” Clark

2:15 p.m. Presentation of Best of East Metro Winners Category: Community of Faith

Small Business Panel: “Why Entrepreneurship?”

Moderator: Bob Thiele, Business Consultant, University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Panelists: Charles Blackmon, Director, DEBCO; Rosemarie Drake, VP Small Business Lending, Cornerstone Bank, Anthony Christopher, President, Georgia Certified Development Corp. (GCDC)

Bob Thiele

Charles Blackmon

2:40 p.m. Presentation of Best of East Metro Winners Category: Services Rendered

Rosemarie Drake

Tony Christopher

1:45 Presentation of Best of East Metro Winners Categories: Local Entrepreneur of the Year Buy & Sell 2 p.m. The Beulah Boys

Dining

3:00 p.m. Small Business Panel: “Is This A Good Time To Be In Business?” Moderator: Roderick Wallace, DeKalb Microenterprise Institute Panelists: Terri R. Waller, owner and founder of The Benson Mills Group Lisa A. Wright, CPA Q&A

3:45 p.m. Performance: Best Dance Ministry, Saint

Philip AME Church

4 p.m.

Presentation of Best of East Metro Winners Category: Public Affairs

4:45 p.m. Door Prize Drawing 5 p.m. Expo Ends

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3/21/12 7:53 AM

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Small Business Expo

Micro Institute graduates and director to talk business

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

When the economy gets tough, people have to be more creative. For many, that creativity lands them at the door of entrepreneurship. None of this surprises Roderick Wallace, the director of the DeKalb Microenterprise Institute. Wallace says that some of the employees who have been downsized, right sized or just laid off have started businesses or are considering going into business. Some of the smart ones turn to the DMI for help. The institute, which launched in 2004, is managed by the DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation (DEBCO) offerings aspiring and new business owners a 12-week training program that includes writing a business plan, financial management, conquering credit challenges, managing cash flow for a profitable and accessing capital for expansion. Wallace and two of DMI’s graduates – Terri Waller, owner and founder of The Benson Mills Group, and Lisa Wright, principal of Lisa Wright, CPA – who have parlayed their training into successful businesses, will participate on the “Is This the Right Time for

Roderick Wallace

Terri Waller

Entrepreneurship” panel at the 2012 Best of East Metro Small Business Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest on April 28. They will discuss some of the opportunities for entrepreneurs in DeKalb County and speak of their experiences with microenterprise institute. The three will be on the Main Stage in front of Sears on the mall’s lower level at 3 p.m. During the discussion they will take questions from the audience. Wallace said now is as good a time as any to go into business. “One of the greatest time to consider entrepreneurship is in a downturn economy,” he said. “People have to be resourceful and many find that there is a service, an idea or

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a hobby that launch into a business.” More than 70 percent of DMI’s clients are women. Wallace said that is not deliberate, but that women are more inclines to explore their options. “Mothers and Lisa Wright wives have to multitask and they have good skill set to leverage into entrepreneurship,” he said. Participant run the age gamut but Wallace says he has seen an uptick in the 35-plus year-old group Waller, who launched her food safety company in 2006, said that even though she wasn’t a new business owner, she needed help to take her company to the next level. She discovered the niche for her company while working for a number of fast food restaurants. When her SBDC pointed her to DMI, she jumped at it. “It was small business 101,” she said. “It was a good foundation and I met small business owners there who I still talk to, to

this day.” With the business plan writing and other skills she learnt at DMI, Waller was able to win a Miller Brewing Company’s national Business Plan competition. The prize was $25,000 to help her business grow. Today, she consults with with food service businesses in Georgia and Alabama. Her clients includes any businesses that serve food, including restaurants, movie theaters. Colleges and university and Georgia Headstart. Wright graduated from DMI in 2004. She had been in business for 17 years when she went to the institute but she still found the training helpful. “It helped me to fine tune things,” she said. “It was concentrated time to focus on business development. As full-time entrepreneur, you often don’t have time to plan.” With the DMI training, Wright said she was able to develop a marketing plan that mapped her which clients she would trage and how she could land their business. Her CP firm offers tax and estate planning to banking and small business clients. “If you put the commitment in, you will be successful,” she said. Wallace says graduates of the program leave knowing whether they should be in

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Small Business Expo Panel of lenders to show businesses the way to the money Funding fills a need DeKalb’s Revolving Loan Fund has made 67 loans totaling $2,981,504 since its launch in 2000. $35,000 .............................. 7% $10,000-$15,000.............. 2% $50,000 ............................75% $25,000 ............................16% Charles Blackmon

Rosemarie Drake

Anthony Christopher

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

DeKalb County is open for business and has a lot of resources to help new and growing entreprenuers succeed. That’s the story that Charles Blackmon, executive director of the the DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation and (DEBCO) and his team will be telling at the 2012 Best of Small Business Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest on April 28. Blackmon said the revolving loan fund operated by his office loans of up to $50,000 at rates that are lower than bank loans to, and the DeKalb Microenterprise Institute, operated from his office, offers training and mentoring. “In the current economic environment, banks have tightened up and many don’t make loans under $100,000,” he said. “We are making loans at about five percent. We do loans for working capital, to purchase machinery and equipment and for lease-hold improvements.” The program also offers operating capital that can help cushion cash-flow issues many business fail while waiting on invoices to be paid. The cash issue and other challenges

faced by small businesses will be discussed by Blackmon and a panel of lenders during the expo. The “Why Entrepre neurship” panel takes place at 1 p.m. from the Main Stage in Sears on the mall’s lower level. Joining Blackmon on the panel will be

Rosemarie Drake, Cornerstone Banks’ vice president of small business lending, and Anthony Christopher, president, of Georgia Certified Development Corp. (GCDC). Bob Thiele, a business consultant, with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will moderate

the panel. Business people who want to learn about the variety of loan products available and how to access should join the panel for the discussion. They will also take questions from the floor. The Revolving Loan Fund launched in 2000 with $400,000 from Community Development Block Grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Today, the funding is just over $1.5 million. In the 12 years, it has made 67 loans totaling $2.9 million. Blackmon said the loans range from $10,000 to $50,000. Borrowers have those funds to leverage another $21.8 million from commercial banks and other sources. Those loans helped create 204 new jobs in the county. Job creation is a requirement of the Revolving Loan Fund, which is capitalized by Community Development Block Grant. For every $25,000 borrowed from the fund, Blackmon said one new job has to be created. The SBA’s Microloan Fund Program was added to DEBCO in 2003. That program offers loans of $500 to $10,000.

Thanks for voting Saint Philip AME Church “Best Large Church” and “Best Dance Ministry,” and Dr. William Watley as “Citizen of the Year” in the “Best of East Metro” Readers Choice Awards Congratulations to these church members who also won: State Rep. Billy Mitchell “Most Active State Legislator”

Attorney Boykin Edwards “Best Law Firm”

Debra & Cliff Rolle Mable’s BBQ & Smoked Meats “Best Soul Food Restaurant” “Best Takeout” • “Best Ribs”

Visit us and see why Saint Philip AME Church is

“The Best of East Metro” Sunday Services @ 7:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Bob Thiele

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Readers Choice Awards

Mable’s secret revealed, it has the best ribs, soul food By Donna Williams Lewis

Debra and Cliff Rolle, who opened Mable’s in 2006 in Lithonia using her mother’s barbecue sauce and recipes, show off a pan of peach cobbler.

When Rachel St. Fleur’s boyfriend wants to go out for a meal, she knows where they’re headed. “For some reason, every time he wants to go out to eat, he wants to go to Mable’s,” the Decatur resident said. “Their food is really good.” Apparently, lots of other folks agree. Mable’s BBQ and Smoked Meats won not one, but three awards in CrossRoadsNews’ 2012 Best of East Metro Readers Choice Award Contest. The Lithonia restaurant, which has been located on Snapfinger Road since 2006, was voted “Best Soul Food Restaurant,” “Best Ribs,” and “Best Takeout” in the contest’s Dining Out Category. This was a happy surprise for Debra Franklin Rolle, a Phenix City, Ala., native who owns Mable’s with her husband, Cliff. “They say we’re one of the best-kept secrets in Lithonia,” she said. Mable’s is named for Rolle’s mother, Mable Franklin, a mother of seven who is still at work, baking cakes at Mable’s. “Growing up, she was an excellent cook for her family and she cooked for the homeless at church,” Rolle said. “She was a baker, and she had a [barbecue] sauce that was so good we wanted to come up with a recipe for it.” When they mastered it, 20 years ago, Rolle and her husband began preparing the sauce and selling it to friends. On Oct. 14, 2006, they fulfilled their PhotosbyJenniferFfrenchParker/CrossRoadsNews dream of opening a restaurant using FrankPeople like to dine in and chat with other rib tips, pulled or whole chicken, chopped lin’s sauce and recipes. pork and chopped beef brisket. The restaurant was originally envisioned diners, making new friends as they eat. Mable’s also caters for large or small Among the side dishes are baked beans, as a takeout eatery, with four tables to accomgroups, with an expanded menu and delivery potato salad, macaroni and cheese, brocmodate people waiting for their orders. coli casserole, collard greens, cabbage and “But now it’s a comfortable, down-home available. The restaurant’s menu includes ribs and Brunswick stew. place,” she said.

Choose from Basketball, Football, Soccer, Cheerleading, Dance or Karate

Mable’s BBQ & Smoked Meats

Address: 3316 Snapfinger Road, Lithonia, GA 30038 Hours: Tuesdays through Thursdays 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays. Web site: mablesbbq.com. Phone: 678-418-3403.

For dessert, there is a rotating selection of cakes, pies, cobblers and banana pudding. Three of the biggest dessert sellers are Key lime cake, strawberry cake and the Italian cream cake. Called-in orders are welcome, and that’s exactly what St. Fleur and her boyfriend, James Williams, like to do so they can get their food more quickly. St. Fleur, an attorney in Fulton County Probate Court, was one of the readers who voted for Mable’s. She’s been visiting the restaurant for about two years, she said. St. Fleur said food is always served hot at Mable’s and tastes like it was made to order. Her boyfriend loves the ribs basket while she goes for the barbecue chicken. “It’s good soul food,” St. Fleur said. “The desserts are really good.” Rolle was pleased to hear that comment and said she welcomes more customer reviews. “I encourage comments,” she said. “I tell my customers, ‘If something’s not right, let me know.’ I consider it all constructive feedback. We strive every day to make it better than it was the day before.” Billy Mitchell (right, with Marcia Baird Burris and Khalil AbdurRashid, wife and son of late former Mayor Chuck Burris) sponsored legislation to rename a bridge on Ponce de Leon in Burris’ honor.

AGES: 4 years-12 years Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 6:30 PM Our convenient location:

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Legislator’s tireless efforts lauded By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

“I just like him as a person,” she said. “He is as good as it goes.” State Rep. Billy Mitchell stays active, and Mitchell, who represents House District it shows. 88 in Stone Mountain, has been a state legWhen he is not ushering legislations at islator since 2002. Over that time, he has the State Capitol with bi-parisan support, sponsored more than 44 bills. Mitchell might be hosting a the naming of He began public service in 1995 on the bridge in honor of a late friend and public Stone Mountain City Council. servant, or updating the DeKalb Democratic Among the legislations he sponsored or Party on Republican shenanigans at the capi- co-sponsored this year were legislation on tol, bestowing a citation on an Eagle Scout, school cheating, mortgage reform and the saying thanks to a long-serving pastor who is resolution to name the Ponce de Leon bridge retiring, or co-hosting an Easter egg hunt. in Stone Mountain in honor of the late Stone No wonder he was voted Most Active Mountain Mayor Chuck Burris. State Legislator in the CrossRoadsNews 2012 Mitchell served with Burris on Stone Best of East Metro Readers Choice Award. Mountain City Council. Leona Perry, who was one of the hunMitchell said he was able to get so many dreds who picked Mitchell, said he got her bills passed with the support of the DeKalb vote because of all the things he does. Delegation and bi-partisan support. “He’ll do whatever you ask him to do,” He said he is deeply humbled to be voted she said, “and he is about the same, all the Best State Legislator. roadside assistance • insurance services time. Some others, go up and go • down.” “It’s an honor that I don’t take lightly,” • member • me travel services to continue Perry, a fellow Democrat, said Mitchell discounts he said. “It gives motivation always returned telephone calls. • and muchserving.” more...

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CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Readers Choice Awards

Photos by Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Tony Royal has operated the Chick-fil-A on Turner Hill Road since 2001. Above, his daughter Antasha and manager Shaumte Cook serve customers in the parking lot of the Wesley Chapel restaurant that is closed for renovations.

Royal’s Chick-fil-A racks up votes for food, service, Wi-Fi By Donna Williams Lewis

The busy Chick-fil-A outside the Mall at Stonecrest continues to be a big winner in the Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards. The restaurant on Turner Hill Road was crowned “Best American Restaurant” by CrossRoadsNews readers for the fourth year in a row and won in a new category for “Best Chicken Sandwich.” It also won for “Best Restaurant Service” for the third year in a row and dominated the “Best Free Wi-Fi” category for the fourth consecutive year. Tony Royal, the restaurant’s operator, said

he is very excited about his customers’ vote of confidence. “I really, really give the credit to the team we’ve put together,” Royal said. “They really enjoy serving. It all really starts and ends with them.” Royal has operated the eatery since it opened in 2001 as Chick-fil-A’s 1,000th restaurant. He said the restaurant receives on average 1,300 to 1,500 customers per day. They are served by a crew of more than 60, which includes at least 10 employees who have worked at the restaurant since it opened.

To what does Royal attribute that longevity? “My team members are my customers, and by me treating them with respect, dignity and honor, that’s how they will treat our customers,” he said. “We try to be a family at Chick-fil-A. We try to do life together.” Jerry Wyatt, a licensed insurance professional in the Lithonia area, was among the readers voting for Chick-fil-A in the Readers Choice contest. He says the restaurant’s staff is always courteous. “And the meals are always hot and fresh,” he said. Asked how he happened to choose a

fast-food place for best American restaurant, Wyatt said, “I hope this doesn’t sound crazy, but they actually have real chicken. “My wife and I eat out all the time, from four-star restaurants down to greasy spoons.” Wyatt said. “At Chick-fil-A, you can get a wholesome meal. Sandwiches can be grilled.” Beyond that, he said, “What makes the restaurant best is not only the food they serve, but also what they do in the community.” Over the years, Royal has donated more than $120,000 in partner scholarships to DeKalb students.

DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation (DEBCO)

Ready to start or improve your small business? DEBCO is the place to begin. DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation (DEBCO) is a non-profit business development organization specializing in loan programs and training for new and existing businesses. DEBCO is committed to assisting business owners; starting new businesses, expand or improve existing businesses and create employment opportunities. If you are a small business in DeKalb or an adjacent county looking for professional advice, services and funding, you've started in the right place. DEBCO is supported by the DeKalb County Government, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Small Business Administration and Bank of America.

Loan Programs Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) for businesses located within DeKalb County ($10,000 - $50,000) Micro Loan (ML) assisting businesses within the counties of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton and Rockdale ($500 - $10,000) DEBCO operates the DeKalb Microenterprise Institute (DMI) a comprehensive training program open to Entrepreneurs who would like to start a business and/or need assistance in expanding an existing business.

DMI Courses

Roderick Wallace DeKalb Microenterprise Institute

Charles Blackmon Executive Director

Carolyn B. Keener Loan Servicing Specialist

DMI training is offered through the combined resources of our partners. You will benefit from one-on-one coaching, mentoring and discussions within community and business leaders and guest lecturers who understand your challenges and The program provides training in these key business essentials: • Seizing Business Opportunities • Developing a bankable business plan • Marketing and Promoting Your Business • Understanding the Procurement Process • Finding the Funding and Resources for Your Business • Why Networking Matters and How to Ace It • Using the Internet to Make Money • How to Create Winning Presentations

For more information visit our website at www.debco.org, email info@debco.org, contact us at 404.378.1899. For information on training, contact Roderick Wallace at 678.904.3465 or email rodw-dmi@debco.org DEBCO'S office is located at 100 Crescent Centre Parkway, Suite 395, Tucker GA 30084.

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Readers Choice Awards

Constituents’ regard ‘makes my heart warm’ By Donna Williams Lewis

2012 Winners Dining Out Best American Restaurant

Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road Best Asian Restaurant

Hibachi Grill & Sushi

Best BBQ Restaurant

Smokey Bones at Stonecrest Best Caribbean Restaurant

Kool Runnings

Best Family Dining Restaurant

Gladys Knight Chicken & Waffles Best Restaurant for First Date

Marlin & Rays Seafood Grill Best Soul Food Restaurant

Mable’s BBQ & Smoked Meats

Best Seafood Restaurant

Red Lobster

Best Restaurant When Someone Else Buys

Red Lobster Best Bakery

DeKalb Farmers Market Best Buffet

Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet Best Breakfast

Original Pancake House Best Late Night Eats

Waffle House Best Pizza

Fellini’s

Best Takeout

Mable’s BBQ & Smoked Meats Best Chicken Wings

American Deli

Best Chicken Sandwich

Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road

Best Sunday Brunch

Gladys and Ron’s Best Ribs

Mable’s BBQ & Smoked Meats Best Restaurant Service

Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road Best Fish Fry

Supreme Fish Delight Best Sushi

Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet

Jawan Olajuwon, a Stone Mountain High School social studies teacher, remembers being impressed when he met U.S. Rep. Henry “Hank” Johnson two years ago. He met him at the 100th birthday party of Eva Patterson, the grandmother of one of his friends. Johnson and his wife were at the party to present a presidential citation to Patterson, who passed away last year. Olajuwon says he always looks at the integrity of a person. “He did not seem full of drama, like some other politicians,” he said. “Overall, he seemed to have an impeccable character and that struck well with me.” Johnson has clearly impressed many other constituents as well. He was voted “Most Beloved Elected Official” in CrossRoadsNews’ Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards. In 2009, he was voted “Citizen of the Year” in the contest. Johnson said he is honored by the recognition. “It makes my heart warm,” he said. “I care about … my constituents, whether they agree with me or not. I’m humbled that

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson was voted “Most Beloved Elected Official” by CrossRoadsNews readers. In 2009, he was voted “Citizen of the Year” in the contest.

folks would return that love. I think people know that I’m trying to do the right thing by them.” Johnson is in his third term as U.S. representative for Georgia’s 4th Congressional District, which includes the eastern suburbs of Atlanta. He is a former judge and criminal defense attorney and serves on the Judiciary and Armed Services committees.

Johnson played a key role in garnering support for the historic health care reform act, the Recovery Act, and legislation to reduce carbon emissions. One of the earliest congressional supporters of President Barack Obama, he served as co-chair of the Obama Campaign in Georgia. “I’ve been impressed with [Johnson],” Olajuwon said. “As long as he stays in office, he’ll get my vote.”

Watson ways and service make him beloved By Donna Williams Lewis

Every first Saturday for 15 years, DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson has hosted a community breakfast meeting that brings elected officials, corporate executives and other local leaders face to face with the community. The Super District 7 commissioner has coached youth sports for years and hosts an annual Christmas party that has provided toys for charities. For these and other reasons, Watson was voted “Most Beloved Public Official” in the 2012 CrossRoadsNews’ Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards. Karl McCray, chief of staff at Atlanta’s St. Philip AME Church, was among readers who voted for Watson. “He’s just always been a very friendly person, always extremely helpful with assisting with things in the community,” McCray said. “He always loved working with kids.” McCray has known Watson since McCray was commissioner of the city of Atlanta’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Watson was a volunteer officiator for youth sports then. “He’s always been a person who was available when I called for assistance,” McCray said. Watson thanked readers for their votes. “I’m truly humbled and grateful,” he said. “I just try to make sure that I’m accessible, accountable, and that I provide a service to

Super District 7 Commissioner Stan Watson hosts a DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet & Breakfast Meeting every first Saturday.

the community.” Watson’s DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet & Breakfast Meeting is held every first Saturday of the month from 9 to 11 a.m. at Chapel Hill Middle School, 3535 Dogwood Farm Road in Decatur. The meeting and breakfast are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 404-371-3681.

CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Readers Choice Awards

Pastor’s humor endears him to congregation, community By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

If you are passing by Saint Philip AME Church on Sunday morning and hear peals of laughter coming from the sanctuary – it’s not a comedy show. It’s just the Rev. William Watley keeping it real with the congregation. Members say their pastor, who will celebrate his first anniversary at the church at the corner of Candler Road and Memorial Drive on May 20, has an outstanding sense of humor. “One thing he tells us constantly is to have some fun,” said Karl McCray, a 34-year Saint Philip member. “He also says, ‘The joy of the Lord is our strength,’ and that we need to be having some fun as we walk this Christian journey.” Watley says church ought to be fun and he makes no apologies for peppering his sermons with humor. “Life is too stressful for us to be uptight all of the time,” he said Tuesday. “Laughter is a gift of God, so let’s use it. People pack out the Super Bowl because they enjoy it. Let’s enjoy ourselves in worship.” In his short time at the church, Watley has swept church members off their feet with his sense of humor, his listening skills, his emphasis on Scripture, his impact on church finances, and his easy way with people. Voncile Hodges, a 32-year church member, said she just likes the fact that Watley is personable, approachable and funny too. “He got jokes,” she said. “He makes you want to come to church to hear what he has to say.” Members even compare him to his predecessor, Pastor George Moore, who was the church’s pastor for 42 years before Voncile Hodges retiring last May. Donna Coles, president pro tem of the church’s Trustee Board, said Watley is different from Moore but similar. “He is a man who is deeply grounded in the Word of God,” she said. “Pastor Moore was like that.” On his arrival at the church last May, some people expected Watley to shake things up. Instead, he has focused his attention on building the congregation’s spiritual health. “I am not trying to shake anybody up,” he said Tuesday. “I am just trying to get people who are aligned to the vision.” He describes that vision as worship, stewardship, education, evangelism and growth.

The Rev. William Watley launched a Volunter Recognition Program and last November, he helped served a hot breakfast to volunteers who give of their time and talents to Saint Phillip.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

“If people are helping us do that, we will be all right,” he said. McCray, who is president pro tem of the church’s Steward Board, said that attitude has helped ease the church’s transition from a beloved 42-year pastor to a new leader. “We have not expe- Karl McCray rienced the dip in membership as many churches have when they transition pastors,” he said. Through last November, he said 182 new members had joined the church. Across the board, members praise the new ideas and new worship experiences that Watley has introduced. Hodges said Watley makes it very clear what the Word of God says and how it relates to life today. “He tells us the different Scriptures that back up what he says,” she said. Watley says the key to everything begins with worship. “Worship and stewardship were my first priorities,” he said, “not electing officers, but helping the congregation grow to another dimension of holiness and health and healing.” He says Sunday is for worship and preaching. “I don’t believe it is for special programs,” he said. “I don’t believe in officers neglecting

worship service to count money.” Among the new programs he has introduced are a new Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, a MLK Jr. Service, a Good Friday Seven-Word Service, fall and spring revivals, an Internet ministry, a Sow-the-Seed offering for community outreach, a volunteer recognition program, a 10-10 financial plan, and the launch of Tuesday Night Bible Study, which Watley teaches weekly. So far, the Sow-the-Seed, an outreach offering taken weekly after regular tithes and offerings, has benefited Hosea Feed the Hungry, some of the Atlanta University Center’s historically black colleges, Turner Theological Seminary and other causes. Since he instituted Tuesday night Bible study last September, Watley says he has only missed four sessions. He also has opened Saint Philip’s doors to pastors from other denominations to preach. The ministers like the Ray of Hope’s Cynthia Hale are his friends, he said. “I respect them and their ministry,” he said. “I believe that most real solid Christians agree about 80 percent. If there is integrity and there is solid word, that is what counts – not whether they are Baptist or some other denomination.” Watley, who will be 65 in June, said he is gratified by the reception he has received from Saint Philip’s church family, which was so pleased with him, they nominated him for the 2012 CrossRoadsNews Readers Choice

Awards and he won “Citizen of the Year.” On April 28, he will be among the winners receiving his award during the 2012 Best of East Metro Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest. Watley said he was both surprised and honored to be nominated and to win. The author, educator and businessman came to Saint Philip from the historic St. James AME in Newark, N.J. Under his 26year leadership there, membership tripled and the number of weekly services doubled. The church’s annual income also increased by 700 percent. He has been preaching since he was 14 years old and said he was licensed to preach at 16. This is his 48th year in ministry. Saint Philip members praise Watley’s preaching. Hodges calls him “an awesome preacher and awesome Bible scholar.” “His knowledge of the Bible hooked us,” she said. McCray says Watley’s preaching is “off the chain.” “I can’t think of a better word,” he said. Watley’s passion for tithing also has captured the congregation’s attention and has boosted church finances. He says he preaches, teaches and models a 10-10 tithing plan for church members. “I teach that out of every dollar, the first dime goes to God and the second dime we save,” he said. “We also encourage our people to live on 80 percent and to invest in our own credit union because we have to build up our own institutions. We are trying to teach people not to get into consumer debt.” How much emphasis does he put on tithing? “If you talk to me for more than five minutes, it’s going to come up,” he said with a smile. Watley’s father, who died in 1987, was a preacher. Both of his children, daughter Jennifer Maxwell who lives in Smyrna and son Matthew, who is executive minister at Reid Temple AME Church in Glenn Dale, Md., have followed his and their grandfather’s footsteps into ministry. He has four grandchildren between them. As he looks toward his second year at the church, Watley said one of his top priorities is to hire a youth/young adult minister, develop the church in community economic development, and continue building membership. “My prayer is that I have a kind of ministry that will not bring any shame on the Lord, myself, my family, my people or this community.”

I am humbled and honored that you voted me “Most Beloved Elected Official”

in the 2012 CrossRoadsNews Best of East Metro Readers Choice Award

2012 Winners Public Affairs

Best Local Activist

Belinda Pedroso

Best East Metro Landmark

Porter Sanford Center for the Performing Arts

Thank You!

Best Local Entrepreneur

Malcom Cunningham

Most Beloved Elected Official

Henry ‘Hank’ Johnson

Best County Commissioner

Larry Johnson

Most Beloved Public Official

Stan Watson

Best School Board Member

Eugene Walker

Best State Legislator

Billy Mitchell

Best Mayor

Deborah Jackson, City of Lithonia Citizen of the Year

Dr. William D. Watley

Best Civic Organization

Delta Sigma Theta Decatur Alumnae Chapter Best Homeowners Association

Cherry Ridge HOA

Congressman Henry “Hank” Johnson 4th District of Georgia Proudly Serving DeKalb, Rockdale, and Gwinnett Counties 5700 Hillandale Drive, Suite 110 • 770-987-2291 http://hankjohnson.house.gov PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT HANK JOHNSON

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CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Readers Choice Awards Deltas – ‘Best Civic Organization’ The Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta has been commended for its many youth and community programs, including voter registration.

By Donna Williams Lewis

CrossRoadsNews readers cited Chairman Eugene “Gene” Walker’s calm demeanor, sincerity and focus, voting him “Best School Board Member” in the Best of East Metro contest.

A welcome calm in storm By Donna Williams Lewis

struggled with its controversies. “I would go to the School Board meetings and he was just a very calm man, energetic and keeping things focused,” she said. Michelle Terrell, a self-employed financial analyst in Stone Mountain, said she believes Walker is a “genuine, sincere individual who wants to do the right thing.” “He has gone through many issues and changes and he has persevered,” Terrell said. “I think he provides a balance for all the political issues that surround the School Board.” Walker joined the School Board after a December 2008 special election to replace the late Elizabeth Andrews, He was reelected in November 2010 and then elected School Board chairman Jan. 9 on a 6-3 vote from fellow board members. Walker is a former state senator, former chairman of the DeKalb Development Authority, former member of the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, and former associate superintendent of DeKalb schools. “I tell people all the time I’m not trying to keep a job. I’m basically retired from work,” Walker said. “Every action I take, every opinion I give, I think, is fair and just for all considered.”

In recent years, the DeKalb County School System has been rocked by scandal, school closings and a $41 million shortfall in expected sales tax revenue. Through it all, some local residents say, Eugene “Gene” Walker has been a welcome calm in the seemingly never-ending storm. Once again, Walker has been voted “Best School Board Member” in CrossRoadsNews’ Best of East Metro contest. The District 9 School Board member won the same title in 2011 and, before that, in 2009, just one year after he joined the School Board. “I’m real, real humble and very appreciative,” Walker said. “To me that’s a very high honor … because I dedicate my life to service, and that suggests to me that there are some people who recognize and appreciate the service that I’m rendering.” Stone Mountain resident Mary Sanders, a recently retired Georgia Perimeter College administrator, said she voted for Walker because he “has always been very innovative in education and throughout his career he’s been concerned about our youth.” Sanders has been impressed with Walker’s demeanor on the board as the system has

Some people think sororities are all about partying, says Deborah Hayes of Conyers. But when it comes to the Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Hayes said they would be wrong. “We’re just a really good group of women dedicated to service and to the community,” said Hayes, a DeKalb School System retiree and a chapter member since 1987. And when these women do party, she added, “we party with a purpose.” The Decatur Alumnae Chapter was voted “Best Civic Organization” in CrossRoadsNews’ 2012 Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards. DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson called the group “some of the most proactive, civically minded folks” he knows. “They are living their mission by being part of the community with home buyer seminars, economic development, voter education,” Johnson said. “We are blessed to have an organization that after being almost 100 years old is still relevant today.” Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded in 1913 by 22 women at Howard University to promote academic excellence and help people in need. Approaching its 40th anniversary, the Decatur Alumnae Chapter, which was chartered on Oct. 5, 1973, has 424 members. The chapter operates leadership devel-

opment programs for girls and boys. Its members have registered 650 people to vote since August. They annually do college bus tours and run an intensive college scholarship program. They conduct educational seminars for youth and adults and do plenty of fundraising, often in partnership with the Decatur Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Both groups are in partnership with the county to run programs at the Community Achievement Center, located at 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. Clarence Wells, executive director of the center, called the Decatur Alumnae Chapter of the Deltas “an awesome organization.” “They sponsor programs the community definitely needs,” Wells said. “I’m always impressed with their level of commitment and concern for the community.” Chapter President Francine Gadson is retired from teaching at Brockett Elementary School in Tucker. She joined the Decatur Alumnae Chapter in 1990. “We are a sisterhood,” Gadson said. “Giving back to the community has always been in the forefront,” She says she enjoys what she does and the different activities. “I enjoy bonding with my sisters,” she said. “I didn’t have a sister. Now I have over 200,000.”

2012 Winners Buy & Sell Best Auto Dealer (Used)

Best Supermarket

Best Movie Theater

DeKalb Farmers Market

Malcolm Cunningham Auto Gallery

Publix

Best Ethnic Grocery

AMC Theater

Best Eyewear Store Best Karaoke Bar

Fashion Optique

Best Bar Food

Hall’s Flower Shop & Garden Center

Dugans

Best Florist

Dugans

I’m humbled and honored to be voted: • • • •

Best Best Best Free

American Restaurant Chicken Sandwich Restaurant Service Wi-Fi

in the 2012 CrossRoadsNews Best of East Metro Readers’ Choice Awards.

Tony Royal, Owner/Operator Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road 2985 Turner Hill Road Lithonia, GA 30038 • (678) 526-0088

Get a FREE Chocolate Chunk Cookie with the purchase of any Chick-fil-A Meal. Expires May 31, 2012.

Ask About Our Chick-fil-A Chocolate Chunk Cookie Fund-Raiser!

Celebrating 10 Years in Ofﬁce Thanks for voting me “Best County Commissioner” in the 2012 CrossRoadsNews Best of East Metro Readers Choice Award

Please join me at 6:30 p.m. on May 21 at Fletcher’s in the Gallery at South DeKalb 2801 Candler Road, Ste. 38

“Standing with the People” Paid for by Friends of Larry Johnson

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CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Readers Choice Awards Larry Johnson’s annual Tree of Love gift drive at the Gallery at South DeKalb mall ensures a brighter Christmas for less-fortunate children in his district.

2012 Winners Services Rendered Best Auto Repair

Malcolm Cunningham Auto Gallery

Angela Holloway, State Farm

Best Law Firm

Best Fitness Center

Boykin Edwards, Jr. P.C.

East Lake YMCA

Best Orthodontist

Best Hair Salon

Craig B. Williams, DDS

Dynasty Hair Salon

Best Dentist

Best Nail Salon

Best HVAC Service

Best Barber Shop

Children’s Dental at Stonecrest

Johnson praised for activism By Donna Williams Lewis

As DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson observes his 10th year in office, he’s got something else to celebrate. For the second time in four years, Johnson has been voted “Best County Commissioner” in the CrossRoadsNews’ Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards. Johnson first won that title when the awards were launched in 2009. “I’m just thankful and appreciative of the readers and the people in my community who would look at me in that regard,” said Johnson, the Board of Commissioners’ presiding officer. “I’m still real excited about helping make sure that people move to the next level.” Miriam Robinson, a substitute teacher and author of children’s books, is among those who voted for Johnson. She said he makes people feel that he is part of the community. “He’s always visible, always there and always responsive. If you write or call him

about something, nine times out of 10 he’s going to respond. You sometimes can’t get this from other commissioners.” She’s also pleased that Johnson remembers people and something about them. “He knows the people who care about their community and will address the problems with him,” Robinson said. First elected in 2002 at the age of 34, Johnson represents a district that includes some of the county’s poorest and most depressed corridors. He is passionate about making his constituents aware of their own power to help improve their communities and has advocated for rail for the I-20 corridor, worked for more businesses in the community, and pushed for the revitalization of Candler and Wesley Chapel roads. Cherry Willis, a registered nurse who lives in the Decatur area, also voted for Johnson. “He is so active in the community. He’s very visible, and the community knows who he is,” Willis said. “We know what kind of person he is. He is very ethical.”

Best Insurance Agent

Washington Heating and Air Best Handyman

Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road

Best Financial Institution

Chase on Candler Road Best Accountant

Best Real Estate Agent

Jenice Brinkley, Brinkley Realty Group

$5 Barber Shop Best Free Wi Fi

Integrity Home Repair

O’Daniel Outlaw CPA

Nail Land

Best Park

Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Best Day Care

Greenforest-McCalep Best Bartender

Amber Williamson, Pesos Mexican Cantina

2012 Winners

Community of Faith Best Large Church

Best Christian School

Saint Philip AME

Greenforest McCalep Christian Academy

Best Small Church

New Life Community

Best Church Choir

Best Outreach Ministry

Berean Christian

Greater Piney Grove Mass Choir (tie) Ray of Hope Mass Choir (tie)

Best Dance Ministry

Saint Philip AME

It is an honor to be recognized as

“Most Beloved Public Official” in the 2012 Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards You have my continued commitment to “Working for DeKalb, Working for Communities, Working for YOU!” 1300 Commerce Drive, 5th Floor • Decatur, GA 30030 404-371-3681 • www.dekalbcountyga.gov

Your Source for Neighborhood News

I am honored to be voted

“Best School Board Member” in the 2012 CrossRoadsNews Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards

Thank You Dr. Eugene P. “Gene” Walker Ninth District drepwalker@yahoo.com

Call 404-284-1888 for Advertising Rates & Information

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CrossRoadsNews

April 21, 2012

Meet & Celebrate the Winners of the 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best of East Metroâ&#x20AC;? Readers Choice Awards Join Us For Informative Panel Discussions Why Entrepreneurship Now? Panelists will cut through the uncertainties around starting a business and point the way to funding and other resources.

Charles Blackmon Executive Director DeKalb Enterprise Business Corp. (DEBCO)

Rosemarie Drake Vice President Small Business Lending Cornerstone Bank

Anthony Christopher President, Georgia Certified Development Corp. (GCDC)

Moderator Bob Thiele Business Consultant University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Is this a Good Time to Be In Business?

Panelists will discuss the tools available to help aspiring, new and small entrepreneurs launch a business, or grow an existing one into profitablility

Roderick Wallace

Director, DeKalb Microenterprise Institute

Terri R. Waller Owner/Founder The Benson Mills Group

Lisa A. Wright CPA

Exhibitors include: A Kid's Affair AAA Auto Club After School Sports Academy Brinkley Realty Group

DeKalb County Community Development Gwinnett Federal Credit Union In Home Connections League of Women Voters of DeKalb County

Reliant Income Managers Tamisha Crosby Wells Fargo