CrossRoadsNews, August 29, 2009

Page 1

THE SCENE

YOUTH

MINISTRY

The Royal Bahamas Police Force Marching Band was among groups helping mark the opening of the island nation’s Atlanta consulate. 6

Avondale football coach Michael Carson (left) and his team are setting fashion trends that go far beyond the school system’s new student dress code. 8

Workers install a new sign in preparation for the Greater Traveler’s Rest Baptist Church’s move to its new home at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. 10

Cause for celebration

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Fashion statement

August 29, 2009

Sign of things to come

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Volume 15, Number 17

Long lines at job fair point to elusive nature of turnaround By McKenzie Jackson

Nearly a thousand jobless people in search of elusive jobs showed up on Columbia Drive in Decatur Wednesday. The men and women lined up for hours at the Goodwill Career Center for face time with 16 employers at the “Awesome August Community Fair” co-sponsored by Goodwill and Amerigroup. Tiffany Andrews – with her newly minted degree in criminal justice – was resigned to the long line. “I knew everybody is looking for a job and it’s very, very hard in this economy,” said Andrews, a Decatur resident who graduated from Atlanta Intercontinental University in June. Nearly three hours after the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. job fair started, Andrews was at the back of the line. Dee Dee Bullock, the Goodwill site manager, said organizers were expecting about 500 people. “Before we even opened our doors the line was down past the childcare center,” she said pointing three stores away in the Avondale Plaza. “We knew that we were going to have a large crowd.” The employers who were receiving applications included DeKalb Police, the U.S. Army, Amerigroup, Best Bank, HealthPort and Independent Electrical Contractors. On Thursday, Bullock said four people were hired – three with Goodwill and one with Best Bank. “I still haven’t heard back from all of my employers yet,” she said. Goodwill set up an interview room for employers to talk to promising candidates, and Bullock said it was put to good use. “That was my goal as far as

Job seekers waited several hours for the opportunity to sit down with interviewers at a job fair at the Goodwill Career Center on Columbia Drive.

McKenzie Jackson / CrossRoadsNews

“Before we even opened our doors the line was down past the childcare center,” she said pointing three stores away in the Avondale Plaza. “We knew that we were going to have a large crowd.” Dee Dee Bullock, Goodwill site manager

making sure that we had employers in place that were actually going to hire,” she said. Conyers resident Stephanie Wright said it was important that employers were actually hiring and not just taking resumes.

“Having jobs is what is going to help in turning the economy around,” she said. Wright lost her job at Kroger in April and says she has been actively searching for a job ever since. The job seekers are among

42,170 DeKalb County residents who are unemployed. On Thursday, the Georgia Department of Labor released statistics showing the county’s unemployment rate at 10.8 percent in July, up from 10.6 percent in June, when 40,490 were unemployed. Still, DeKalb residents are doing a little better than neighboring Rockdale County, which posted an unemployment rate of 11.7 percent last month. Statewide, 510,102 people or 10.6 percent of Georgians are out

of work. Wright said that every time she hears about a job fair, it gives her hope that the economy is going to turn around. “I’d prefer full-time work but I would take part-time because anything is better than nothing,” she said. Bullock said Goodwill is planning another job fair in November. “We want to give people hope and let them know that there are jobs still out there,” she said.

Georgia DOT clears funds to continue work on South River trail More concrete will soon be poured on the South River Trail now that the Georgia Department of Transportation has approved funds for the third phase of the trail. GDOT recently certified $868,219 for the pedestrian and bike trail. The allocation from federal stimulus funds will help the PATH Foundation connect the 1.4-mile portion of the trail from Miners Creek at the intersection of Snapfinger and Panola roads to Lyons Road in Lithonia. When completed, the eight-mile long South River Trail will connect to the Arabia Mountain Trail. That 12-foot wide, 15-mile long paved trail, which starts at Arabia Mountain in Lithonia, is headed to the 2,200-acre Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Covington.

The South River Trail is being built in five phases and will cost $7 million to complete. The fourth phase from Martin Luther King High School to Snapfinger Road is the first to be built. Construction began in April and it is expected to be completed in September. Ed McBrayer, PATH’s executive director, said phase three, which just got funding, and phase one which extends from Bouldercrest to Georgia Perimeter College, will be completed early next year. Phase two, which goes from Constitution Lakes to Bouldercrest, is scheduled for completion in late 2010. Phase five – from Georgia Perimeter College to Waldrop Road – has not been scheduled.

Workers pour concrete for the South River Trail, which will connect to the Arabia Mountain Trail in Lithonia when completed.


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CrossRoadsNews

Election

August 29, 2009

The candidates, who won’t qualify for the race until July 2, 2010, are seeking to succeed Carriere, who has been on the bench since 1998.

Nov. 3 elections to decide 21 municipal seats in six DeKalb cities By McKenzie Jackson

Twenty-one seats for municipal offices in six DeKalb cities are up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election. Candidates for those seats must qualify between Aug. 31 and Sept. 4 at their city halls. Qualifying fees for the cities of Avondale Estates, Clarkston, Decatur, Lithonia, Pine Lake and Stone Mountain range from $3 to $195. In the city of Lithonia, longtime council member Marcus Lloyd and newcomers Al Franklin and Deborah Jackson are up for re-election. Lloyd has been on the council for eight years, and Franklin and Jackson were elected in a Special Election in March. Qualifying will be Sept. 1-3 at

Lithonia City Hall, 2614-C Max up for re-election. Qualifying is Sept. 1-3 at Stone Cleland Blvd., Lithonia. The qualifying fee is $123. For more informa- Mountain City Hall, 922 Main St., Stone Mountain. The fees are $108 tion, call 404-482-8136. In Pine Lake, council posts 3, 4 for the council positions and $360 and 5 are up for election. First-term for mayor. For more information, council members Kathie deNobriga call 770-498-8984. In Avondale Estates, city comin Post 3, Brent Walker in Post 4 and Melanie Hampton in Post 5 missioners Sandra Varian and Lyda Steadman are up for re-election. will be defending their seats. Varian has been on the Qualifying is Aug. 31council since 2001 and Sept. 4 at Pine Lake City Steadman was elected Hall, 459 Pine Drive, Pine in 2005. Lake. The qualifying fee Qualifying will be is $27. Aug. 31-Sept. 4 at AvonFor more information, dale Estates City Hall, 21 call 404-292-4250. North Avondale Plaza. In Stone Mountain, The qualifying fee is $3. Mayor Gary Peet and Gary Peet council members Sharon Frierson, For more information, call 404Susan Coletti and Steve Higgins are 294-5400.

In Clarkston, Mayor Lee Swaney and council members Wayne Foster, Karen Feltz and Pat DavisMorris are up Lee Swaney for re-election. Swaney, who has been mayor since 2001, is winding down his second four-year term. Qualifying is Sept. 1-3 at Clarkston City, 3921 Church St., Clarkston. The qualifying fee is $105 for council seats and $195 for mayoral candidates. For more information, call 404-296-6489. In the city of Decatur, Districts 1 and 2 Post A seats are open on the city commission.

Fred Boykin, a member of the commission since 2001, is up for re-election for his District 1 Post A position. District 2’s Mary Alice Kemp, also a commission member since 2001, is also up for re-election. On the Decatur Board of Education, District 1 Post A member Marc J. Wisniewski, District 2 Post A’s Bernadette Seals, and at-large member and board chair Valarie Wilson are up for re-election. Wisniewski and Wilson have been on the board since 2001 and Seals since 2007. Qualifying is Sept. 1 -4 at Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough St. The fee is $144 and $35. For more information, call 404-3704100.

Candidates file early for soon-to-be-vacant DeKalb State Court seat By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The 2010 election for a DeKalb State Court seat is more than a year away, but that hasn’t stopped five lawyers from declaring for the seat. They are seeking to succeed Judge Edward E. Carriere Jr., who has been on the bench since 1998, and is retiring. Qualifying for the November 2010 nonpartisian race is not until July 2, 2010. The slate so far includes three women and two men – Phyllis Williams, Nicole Marchand Sherry Boston, and Akintunde “Tunde” Akinyele and Anton Rowe. Among them are two prosecutors, a part-time Recorders Court judge, two DeKalb Human Resources hearing officers, one of whom is also a pastor. Three of them are single.

Akintunde ‘Tunde’ Akinyele Akintunde Akinyele, a senior assistant district attorney, was the first candidate out of the box for the race. He filed his declaration in September 2008 and has been making the rounds at community meetings meeting voters. The Decatur resident has been a DeKalb prosecutor for nine years. ‘Tunde’ Akinyele He was hired in 2003 by District Attorney J. Tom Morgan and is on his third District Attorney. He also worked with DA Gwen Keyes Fleming when she was DeKalb Solicitor General. Akinyele has tried cases ranging from sexual assault to homicide. Before going to law school, he was an environmental consultant for 10 years interpreting EPA and OSHA regulations. Has also has a business degree that focuses on health care management. Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, Akinyele came to the United States in 1983 when he was 16 years old to attend the University of South Carolina in Columbia. He finished college in 1987 with a bachelor of science in biology. He followed that with a masters in heath policy and administration. Akinyele worked for five and a half years in Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish. He got his law degree in 2000 from Georgia State University. Akinyele says he sees a lot of people in the system who shouldn’t be there and has developed a philosophy of prevention before prosecution. He says he is known as a prosecutor and will take that fairness to the bench. “I listen. I think,” he says. “It’s not all about sending people to jail. My background in health care and environmental work gives me a different perspective.” In Georgia, Akinyele is the only Nigerianborn prosecutor. If he makes it to the bench, he will be the only Nigerian-born judge in

the state. He say he is not afraid of making history. Akinyele, who is single, introduces himself as Tunde and says he doesn’t think his Nigerian name will be an obstacle to voters. “Once I go out and meet people and they understand who I am, I don’t think it will be a problem,” he said. “Once people know who I am, they will see that I am patently qualified.”

Anton Rowe Anton Rowe made his declaration to run for the seat on Jan. 8 this year. A Grady baby, he grew up in Decatur and graduated from Cedar Grove High School in 1988. Next stop was Morehouse College, where he graduated in 1993. Rowe got his law degree from St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, Fla., and Anton Rowe became a lawyer in 1997. He was a prosecutor in the city of Atlanta before launching the Stone Mountain law firm Rowe & Rowe LLC with his wife, Felicia, in 2002. As a trial litigator, Rowe specializing in criminal defense and general civil litigation. He has been a hearing officer for the DeKalb County Department of Human Resources since 2004. Rowe, who lives in Lithonia with his wife and three daughters, is also pastor of Upon This Rock Christian Church in Avondale Estates. He and his wife launched the church with four people in 1999. Today, it has 200 members. Rowe says his vast legal experiences have allowed him the rare opportunity to prosecute those accused of committing a crime, defend those accused of committing a crime, and conduct trials in civil cases. “It is this vast assortment of experiences that will allow me to be a fair and knowledgeable judge,” he said. Phyllis Williams When Phyllis Williams is not holding hearings like the recent one involving fired police chief Terrell Bolton, she is handling family law and personal injury cases from her private practice, Phyllis R. Williams P.C., in Decatur. The Miami native graduated from Florida State University’s College of Law in 1995 and has Phyllis Williams lived in the same Stone Mountain home for the past 14 years. Like many others, she was attracted to Atlanta in the 1990s by the excitement surrounding the 1996 Olympic Games.

She began her career working as a court attorney representing parents in proceedings with DFACS. Then Juvenile Court Judge Gregory Adams appointed her to her first case. With the experience she gained, Williams wrote a handbook for lawyers on how to represent parents in DFACS proceedings. It is still used by lawyers statewide. Williams said that even though the US has the greatest justice system in the world, there is always room for improvement. “I can help the State Court be more efficient,” she said. “I had a civil case that took three years from filing to trial. I filed it in 2003. The trial did not begin until 2006.” She has tried cases in both State and Superior courts and says she is ready to be a State Court judge. “I have a good amount of experience,” she said. “I have established good relations. I have worked in civil and criminal matters. I have balanced experience having practiced in both civil and criminal law. That type of experience is a plus for a judge.” Williams says her experience as a hearing officer for the county’s Merit System has her operating like a judge. “I receive evidence. I judge the testimony,” she said. “Being a hearing officer for more than six years has prepared me for being a judge.” Williams, who is single, has a bachelor of music degree, majoring in piano and business administration from the University of Florida. She still plays during Sunday School at Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church when she goes home to Miami. “I love music,” she say. “but I am passionate about the law.” In DeKalb County, she attends Victory Church in Stone Mountain and is a lifetime member of the NAACP.

Nicole Denise Marchand Nicole Marchand, who filed her declaration with the county on March 19, has been the chief assistant solicitor-general to the DeKalb SolicitorGeneral Robert James since 2007. As the second highestranking attorney in the office, she supervises 24 trial line attorneys and 19 legal secretaries. This is her second Nicole Marchand stint in the solicitor’s office. She began her career there in 2003 after graduating Emory Law School working for then-Solicitor-General Gwen Keyes Fleming. She also work for Shawn LaGrua. In 2005, she followed Keyes Fleming to the District Attorney’s office where she prosecuted felony murder, rape and drug cases. Marchand also served as a special prosecutor in the Crimes Against Children Unit, prosecuting child murder, abuse, and mo-

lestation cases. She is a 1996 graduate of St. Louis Catholic School in Lake Charles, La. In 2000, she graduated with a bachelor of science in finance from Xavier University in New Orleans. Marchand said she knew she wanted to be a lawyer and judge when she was in the fourth grade. “I am ready,” she said. “I have committed my career to DeKalb County. I have been in the court system since law school. This is definitely my time to step up.” The Avondale Estates resident, who is single, said some people think she is young and should wait. Because she supervises cases in the State Court, she says she sees what needs to be done to ensure that justice occurs in every case. “I am not the type of person to wait my turn,” she said. “This is a logical step from where I am. I need to take it to the next level.”

Sherry Boston Sherry Boston, who filed her declaration on July 31, is a trial lawyer with The Bernstein Firm based in Atlanta and a part-time judge with DeKalb Recorders Court. At her law firm, she handles criminal defense cases including vehicular homicide, DUI cases, drug-related nd traffic cases. At the DeKalb RecordSherry Boston ers Court she presides over traffic and ordinance violations and other misdemeanor cases. Because the majority of her cases are in state courts across metro Atlanta, Boston says she has the experience to effectively serve the DeKalb State Court. “I believe I have the background and the experience to be judge,” she says. “I have been in private practice. I try cases on a regular basis. I can be fair, impartial and effective. I can bring all those things to the table.” Because she has tried cases in multiple jurisdictions, Boston says she sees what works and what doesn’t, and she will be able to make improvements in her courtroom to move cases along in a timely fashion. In 2002, she was named DUI Lawyer of the Year by the Georgia Defense of Drinking Drivers Group. A year later, one of her appellate decisions resulted in part of the Georgia Implied Consent Law being struck down as unconstitutional. She is a frequent speaker at DUI seminars and routinely speaks at the DUI case law update at the ICLE Defense of Drinking Drivers in Atlanta. She has also been an instructor for law enforcement officers at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. Boston has lived in Kirkwood with her husband for six years.


August 29, 2009

Community

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CrossRoadsNews

“We didn’t know. I will let the area office know right away.”

Police work led to pair’s speedy arrest in killing By McKenzie Jackson

Quick police work led to the arrest of two suspects in the murder of the girlfriend of a DeKalb Police sergeant. Luis Alberto Porras, 24, of Roswell and Amanda Dove, 25, of Social Circle were arrested on Aug. 22 in connection with the shooting death of Jameelah Luis Porras Qureshi of Lithonia. Qureshi, 40, was shot multiple times in the driveway of her Lithonia home around 4 p.m. on Aug. 15. She had just arrived home from work. Porras and Dove appeared before a DeKalb Magistrate Court judge on Aug. 24 and were denied bond. Both have Amanda Dove been charged with felony murder. No motive was given for the crime, but court documents indicate that Porras was not a stranger to Qureshi. In 2006 Qureshi, a mother of four, filed a complaint in a statutory rape case in Fulton County involving a 15-yearold female relative and Porras, who was 20 at the time. He pleaded guilty and got eight years probation. William Miller, DeKalb’s public safety director, said the arrests resulted from the tireless efforts and hard work of the men and women of DeKalb Police. “We want to assure the citizens of DeKalb that we are going to work aggressively to reduce violent crimes in our community and when violent crimes occur we will spare no effort to apprehend the perpetrators,” he said. Porras and Dove, who were caught by DeKalb Police with assistance from Roswell Police, must go before a DeKalb Superior Court judge for a bond decision. They are scheduled to be in court on Sept. 3 and 21. Qureshi was buried Saturday in Resthaven Cemetery in Lithonia. Her homegoing service took place at Mt. Patmos Baptist Church in Decatur. A trust fund has been set up for the four children. Donations can be left at any Wachovia Bank under the Latrice Evans fund.

Jennifer Parker / CrossRoadsNews

This sign on the northbound ramp from I-285 to Memorial Drive will be replaced because the letter “t” is missing from “Clarkston.”

Spelling gaffe sends sign back for missing ‘t’ Motorists exiting the new I-285 North ramp to Memorial Drive will find a Georgia Department of Transportation sign directing them to Georgia Perimeter College’s “Clarkson” campus. Wait a minute, isn’t that the “Clarkston” campus? Oops! GDOT District 7 engineer Rachael Brown said Thursday that they were unaware of the missing “t” in Clarkston until a CrossRoadsNews reporter called about it. “We didn’t know,” she said. “I will let the area office know right away.”

Brown said the sign will have to be refabricated and could take four to six weeks to be replaced. “We will definitely take care of it before we close that project out,” she said. The new sign is among the latest indications that the $54.8 million Memorial Drive project is nearing completion. All lanes on the new expanded overpass bridge opened a couple of weeks ago, and the new directional signs were erected. The mile-long project, under way since summer 2006, was scheduled for completion last December. It was pushed back because of problems

relocating some of the utilities. Brown said they will close it out in November. On completion, the Memorial Drive Bridge project will alleviate congestion on the busy business corridor. It includes construction of two overpass bridges, widening of Memorial Drive into three lanes in both directions, and widening and extending the entrance and exit ramps onto I-285. Sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks and bike lanes are also being added, George Luther Drive has been relocated, and a closed-circuit television traffic monitoring system was installed.


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Community

CrossRoadsNews

August 29, 2009

“I have no doubt in my mind that they are able and ready and willing to take on this task.”

Jail getting new detention officers after academy graduation 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker General Manager Curtis Parker Staff Writer McKenzie Jackson Advertising Sales Cynthia Blackshear

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By McKenzie Jackson

Twenty-six new detention officers are now on the job at the DeKalb Sheriff ’s Office. The men and women who made up the 108th DeKalb Jail Academy graduating class picked up their official Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.) certificates at the Aug. 21 ceremony at the Sheriff ’s Office headquarters. They will help guard more than 3,000 inmates in the DeKalb Jail on Memorial Drive in Decatur. DeKalb Sheriff Thomas Brown told the graduates that they are taking command of the jail in probably one of the more difficult times in the county’s history. “As the economy gets bad, crime goes up and people get more and more violent,” he said. “We see that every day on the streets, but what you don’t see is what takes place behind these walls.” To family members gathered

The 26 graduates of the 2009 DeKalb Jail Academy received their certifications on Aug. 21.

McKenzie Jackson / CrossRoadsNews

for the 45-minute graduation ceremony, he said the detention officers have to maintain order and discipline inside the jail and do it delicately. “I have no doubt in my mind that they are able and ready and willing to take on this task,” he said. During the July 20 to Aug. 20

Property tax deadline is Aug. 31 DeKalb property owners have until Aug. 31 to pay the first installment of their 2009 real estate and personal property taxes. DeKalb Tax Commissioner Claudia G. Lawson said the first installment of the taxes must be postmarked by Aug. 31 to avoid a 5 percent late payment penalty. She said the postmark or cancellation stamp from the U.S. Postal Service is the only accepted evidence of timely mailing. For last minute drop-offs, a drop box is available on the front and side of the Tax Commissioner’s

central office, 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur. Property taxes can also be paid by electronic check or credit card at www.co.dekalb.ga.us/taxcommissioner or by calling 404-298-4000. Credit card payments incur a 2.5 percent service fee. Walk-in customers at the Tax Commissioner’s central, north or south satellite offices can pay their taxes by cash, check, debit or credit card. For more information, email proptax@co.dekalb.ga.us or call 404-298-4000.

academy, participants underwent rigorous physical and mental and sensitivity training. They also learned about jail security, fire safety, chemical weapons, and searches and inspections, and took classes in emergency procedures, inmate rights, discipline, supervision, selfdefense, the jail climate, and inmate admissions and release.

Graduate Frank Durham got the class’s academic award; William Jefferson received the Motivation Award and Wayne Kelley, the Leadership Award. Richard Naylor, who served eight years in the U.S. Army, wasn’t surprised at the training. “I knew what to expect and more,” he said.

Cabinet to focus on legal issues Legal issues will be on the agenda at the Sept 5 DeKalb Community Cabinet at New Piney Grove Baptist Church in Decatur. DeKalb Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams, Juvenile Court Chief Judge Desiree Peagler and Donna M. Horton, special assistant to Attorney General Thurbert Baker, will speak at the 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. meeting. They will discuss the rights, responsibilities and consequences in Superior and Juvenile courts. Child support

Gregory Adams

Desiree Peagler

issues will also be discussed. A hot breakfast will be served. New Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church is at 2580 Snapfinger Road in Decatur. For more information, call 678-242-2327 or 404-656-0126.

Quick Read Nov. 3 elections to decide 21 Entries sought for Black Man Grady won’t close South seats in six DeKalb cities 2 Film Festival 6 DeKalb center Twenty-one seats for municipal offices in six DeKalb cities are up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election. Candidates for those seats must qualify between Aug. 31 and Sept. 4.

Spelling gaffe sends sign back for missing ‘t’ 3 Motorists exiting the new I-285 North ramp to Memorial Drive will find a sign directing them to Georgia Perimeter College’s “Clarkson” campus.

Films depicting stories about black men and their creativity are wanted for the International Black Man Film Festival.

A plan to close the Grady South DeKalb Health Center has been shelved and the focus is now on marketing the center.

Dickey to sign newest book 6 Health reform gets reality New York Times best-selling author Eric check Jerome Dickey will be at Borders Books and Music at the Mall at Stonecrest on Sept. 3 to promote his latest thriller that hit stores this week.

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President Barack Obama has launched www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck to help Americans get the facts on the adminstration’s health care reform plans.

Avondale High football players Fun and health day for Jobless report shows mixed taking dress code to new foster kids 9 results in July 5 heights 8 Stone Mountain business owner Lisa The number of workers filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in DeKalb County dropped 4.3 percent to 5,570 last month from June.

At Avondale High School in Avondale Estates, tuck and pull is not enough for the varsity and junior varsity football teams.

Essay nets tennis player Youth job training program a trip to N.Y. has paid interns 5 Lithonia tennis player Kandlar A Workforce Development program that is training young adults for the job market needs help from companies and business owners with placement and mentors.

Circulation Audited By

Patrick is hosting her third annual Family Fun & Health Awareness Day on Aug. 30 for children in foster care.

Big turnout expected for 1st 8 service in new cathedral 10

Rhodes will be hobnobbing with players from across the country at the Aug. 29 Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the 2009 U.S. Open in Flushing, N.Y.

Members of The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church are expecting the community to join them for their first service in the former Cathedral at Chapel Hill in Decatur on Aug. 30.

index to advertisers Algiers House of Candles................................ 12 Alpha Climate Control..................................... 12 Avondale Tire & Service LLC........................... 12 BaSix Knowledge Academy..............................8 Belvedere Seventh Day Adventist....................11 Career Wellness Training.................................11 Chapel Hill Orthodontics.................................. 9

Comforcare Services LLC.................................11 DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau..............5 Divine Visitation International Ministries......... 12 Ella’s Caring Hands Adult Day Care.................11 First Afrikan Presbyterian Church...................10 Henry Mitchell, CPA, PC....................................5 CVS Pharmacy................................................. 9

M&J Package Store......................................... 12 Multi Care Health & Rehabilitation............... INS MUSIC4U LLC................................................. 12 New Jerusalem Outreach Ministries................10 Newburn Reynolds Photography.................... 12 Physician Oncology Services.............................7 ReMax of Buckhead..........................................5

Salt & Light Truth Center................................10 Service 1st Auto Care.......................................11 The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church......10 The Small Business Center................................8 Traditional Okinawan Karate.......................... 12 Wireless Global Solutions............................... 12 Wright, James & Boston P.C..............................3


Finance

“It’s an opportunity for us to help our ‘at potential’ youths with enhancing their employability and life skills.”

Companies hiring at workforce symposium Jobseekers can apply for positions in high-demand industries at DeKalb Workforce Development’s fourth annual “Workforce Development Day – Employment and Training Symposium” on Sept. 10. The 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Thinking Globally and Acting Locally” event will take place at DeKalb Technical College in Clarkston. September is being observed na-

tionally as “Workforce Development Month.” More than 120 businesses, colleges and universities and community support groups are expected. Seventeen employers in 12 highdemand industries – including Georgia Power, Caring Hands and General Mills – will be recruiting workers. Training providers and uni-

versities such as Emory, Georgia Perimeter College and the Georgia Department of Labor will offer information on training for jobs in high-demand fields. Admission is free. DeKalb Technical College is at 495 North Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston. For more information, visit www.dekalbworkforce.org, or call 404-687-3469.

Jobless report shows mixed results in July The number of workers filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in DeKalb County dropped 4.3 percent to 5,570 last month from June. Across the state, the number of Georgians filing for the first time jumped 5.9 percent to 93,988.

State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said the July jobless claims present a classic good news/bad news scenario. “Fewer Georgians are being laid off, but a rising number of laid-off workers are remaining unemployed for longer periods of time,” he said.

Thurmond said the state must increase its efforts to stimulate private sector job creation by focusing on strengthening relationships between the Labor Department and Georgia’s small businesses. For more information, visit www.dol.state.ga.us.

Youth job training program has paid interns A Workforce Development program that is training DeKalb young adults for the job market needs help from companies and business owners with placement and mentors. Charlette Wynn, executive director of The Small Business Center, which is training 75 participants ages 18 to 24, says they are doing much more than preparing participants for a job. “It’s an opportunity for us to help our ‘at potential’ youths with enhancing their employability and life skills so they may have more

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CrossRoadsNews

August 29, 2009

options to secure and maintain employment for a longer period of time,” she said. Wynn’s Stone Mountain-based company is assisting DeKalb Workforce Development with the second phase of its youth job training program. The six-week program kicked off Aug. 25. Participants are getting 25-hours-a-week job experience and enrichment training. The program, which is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, pays participants $7.25 per hour during their

internship. To give the participants the best chance at success, Wynn says they need internships and opportunities for job shadowing, mentors and donation of new and gently used career appropriate attire, and permanent full-time employment. She said they also need donations for breakfast, lunch and snacks for their training sessions and High School Graduation Test Boot Camp, and to supplement their end-of-program recognition event on Sept 30. For more information, call 404 294-7774.

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Scene

CrossRoadsNews

August 29, 2009

“We are seeking films about Black men as creators, survivors, style setters, poets, visionaries, builders and ground-breakers.”

The Grand Bahama Youth Choir (above) and the Royal Bahamas Police Force Marching Band performed at ribboncutting ceremonies to open the new Bahamian consulate in Atlanta.

DeKalb home to new consulate for Bahamas Atlantans got a taste of Bahamian music and singing last week when the Bahamian government opened its first consulate in DeKalb County. As part of the Aug. 20 ribboncutting festivities that included a reception at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s JB Fuqua Rooftop Pavilion, the world-famous Royal Bahamas Police Force Marching Band and Grand Bahama Youth Choir performed in Centennial Olympic Park. Bahamian prime minister Hubert A. Ingraham and other diplomats and dignitaries showed up for the ribbon cutting ceremony at offices in the Park Central Building, 2970 Clairmont Road N.E., Suite 690 in Atlanta. The new consul general in Atlanta, Katherine Smith, will serve Bahamian residents in 10 Southern

Prolific author Eric Jerome Dickey will be at the Mall at Stonecrest to promote his latest novel, “Resurrecting Midnight.”

states from the Atlanta office including Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

It will also work with businesses interested in expanding trade and investment in the Bahamas. For more information, call 404-2140492.

Entries sought for Black Man Film Festival Films depicting stories about black men and their creativity are wanted for the International Black Man Film Festival. Yemi Toure The festival, which is in its eighth year, will screen the films at the Nov. 7 festival that will take place simultaneously in Atlanta and in Lagos, Nigeria.

Yemi Toure, the festival’s director, said the 2009 theme is “Creative Fire! The Black Man and His Art and Style.” “We are seeking films about Black men as creators, survivors, style setters, poets, visionaries, builders and ground-breakers, as well as graphic artists, painters, dancers or sculptors,” he said. The films can be features, documentaries, student works, short films, older works and works in

progress. Even though the films are about black men, the filmmakers don’t have to be. Toure said women and people of all races are encouraged to submit their works. Two copies of each entry should be submitted in DVD format. There is no submission fee., but the deadline for entries is Sept. 12. For more information, visit blackmanfilmfest.net or call Yemi Toure at 404-432-2194.

Dickey to sign newest book New York Times best-selling author Eric Jerome Dickey will be at Borders Books and Music at the Mall at Stonecrest on Sept. 3 to promote his latest thriller that hit stores this week. Dickey, who will discuss and sign copies of “Resurrecting Midnight” at 7 p.m., is the author of 17 novels including “Chasing Destiny,” “Genevieve,” “Drive Me Crazy,” “Naughty or Nice,” “The Other Woman” and “Thieves Paradise.” In “Resurrecting Midnight,” which went on sale Aug. 25, the master of “addictive” fiction gives fans his signature action, drama and passion. The novel marks the return of Gideon, an international

Acclaimed journalist to be festival’s keynote speaker Journalist and author Sir Evans, whose career spans six Harold Evans will be the keynote decades. He has served as editor speaker at the Sept. 4-6 Atlanta of The Sunday Times and presiJournal-Constitution Decatur dent of Random House Inc. Book Festival. He was knighted by Queen Evans will speak at 8 p.m. Elizabeth in 2004. on Sept. 4 at Agnes Scott ColEvans is the author of the lege’s Presser Hall. The event is critically acclaimed “The Amerfree, but tickets are required for Harold Evans ican Century.” Fortune named admission. it one of the best books to be published Daren Wang, the festival’s executive in the magazine’s 75 years of existence. It director, said they are ecstatic to have was made into both a television miniseries

Lock-in taps into creative art Painters, illustrators, filmmakers, ceramicists, photographers, musicians and writers can join an art lock-in Sept. 4-5 at Wonder­ Root Community Arts Center in Atlanta. The 24-hour lock-in will encourage the artists to explore the depth of their creativity. Materials, food and drinks will be provided.

The artwork created will be displayed at the nonprofit arts center throughout September and will be celebrated at a Sept. 10 opening reception. Participation is $5 per person. Space is limited. To register, email art@wonderroot.org. WonderRoot is at 982 Memorial Drive, Atlanta. For more information, call 404-254-5955.

and an NPR special. His new book, “My Paper Chase: True Stories of Vanished Times,” is soon to be released. More than 300 authors and and thousands of festival goers will crowd the historic downtown Decatur Square for author readings, book signings, panel discussions, an interactive children’s area, live music, parades, cooking demonstrations, poetry slams and writing workshops. For more information, call Ryan Klee at 404-373-2021.

assassin and one of the fiercest, most feared hired guns in the world, who killed for the first time at the tender age of seven. Dickey will also be at the Decatur Book Festival Sept. 5-6 in downtown Decatur, and at Medu Bookstore, 2841 Greenbriar Parkway S.W. in Atlanta, at 2 p.m. on Sept. 12. Dickey, who has been churning out two novels a year, also authored a six-issue miniseries of comic books for Marvel Enterprises featuring Storm (X-Men) and the Black Panther. Liongate Films has optioned “Naughty or Nice.” Dickey lives on the road and rests in Southern California.

9 18. 5 r o m $ d e I s a v u p o n s f ws co Ne w i t h s sR o a d s Cro

Singing in sacred harp Singers can a join monthly sacred harp singing group on Sept. 3. Participants will sing early American hymns sung in powerful, exuberant style as seen in the movie “Cold Mountain.” Beginners are welcome and instruction is provided. The group meets 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the fellowship building at Emory Presbyterian Church, 1886 North Decatur Road. For more information, call 404-892-6836 or visit www.atlantasacredharp.org.

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August 29, 2009

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8

CrossRoadsNews

Youth

August 29, 2009

“The teachers, the assistant principals all tell us we look good.” “The girls are like, ‘Y’all look nice every day.’ ”

Avondale High football players taking dress code to new heights By McKenzie Jackson

At Avondale High School in Avondale Estates, tuck and pull is not enough for the varsity and junior varsity football teams. Instead, team members have been exceeding the DeKalb School System’s new dress code that outlaws sagging pants, short shorts and T-shirts with offensive language. On Mondays and Wednesdays, the Blue Devil football players don special Avondale football polo shirts and khaki pants, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays they wear professional business attire. Varsity head coach Michael Carson said the players have embraced their new attire since the first day of the new school year on Aug. 10. Carson also said team parents like the dress code too. “I guess they were tired of the sagging pants as well,” he said. Carson said he instituted the team dress code because he felt his players needed to be leaders in the school. “We want them to look the part and dress the part,” he said. “Just the fact of wanting to be different, wanting them to step up and be the leaders of this building and being the model that everyone else follows.” On Aug. 25 during class change, the Blue Devil players stood out among the sea of students in the corridors. While others wore long T-shirts or baggy jeans, the football players’

Avondale High football players stand out because of their team dress code, which was instituted by head coach Micheal Carson (above). Photos by McKenzie Jackson / CrossRoadsNews

blue jeans or khaki pants that were secured around their waist. Douglas Scales, a junior wide receiver, said he loves the example they are setting. “It is really not hard just to dress up,” he said. “As you can see, most of the boys in the school are starting to pull up their pants and keep them on their waist.” Quincy Hamilton, 17, a senior wide receiver who is in his first year at Avondale, said he was used to dressing up on Thursdays when he played football at Southwest DeKalb. He said his Avondale teammates Wide receiver Douglas Scales sports didn’t embrace the edict at first, but a plaid shirt and tie at school. that it is growing on them. “They were mad,” he said, “No collared dress shirts and ties set one was looking forward to dressthem apart. Their shirts were tucked into ing up every single day.”

Carson, a former assistant football coach at M.L. King High School in Lithonia, said there is a more basic purpose in the football dress code. “The biggest thing we want to instill in these kids is discipline,” he said. “We want to let them know when there is a rule, you have to follow it.” Carson keeps an eye out for players during the day. Those who are out of dress face penalties at practice. The punishment includes running up and down the steps of the Avondale Stadium. AP History instructor Monica Nelson said she was impressed when she saw the football players in nice clothes at school. “It shows confidence,” she said. “It shows a bit of bravery to say,

‘You know, I’m going to follow this man and wear this uniform everyday instead of wearing my Coogi or Rocawear. I want to be a part of the team.’ ” Nelson said the players are setting the tone in the classroom. “I’ve had a number of boys say ‘I wanna’ play. They are looking good walking around here,’” she said. Assistant principal Antonio Mattox says he is now using the football team as examples of how to dress at school. “We can point to them and say that’s where your pants should be, on the waist,” he said. Carson, who also requires all of his players to have at least have a 3.0 grade point average, said he hasn’t heard anything but good things from school administrators and teachers about the players’ dress and attitudes. He said the positive attitude is also carrying over into the football program. “It has really helped in what we are trying to do in terms of changing the whole culture as it relates to football and academic success,” he said. Douglas and Quincy said they are enjoying all the positive reinforcement they are getting. “The teachers, the assistant principals all tell us we look good,” Douglas said. “The girls are like, ‘Y’all look nice every day,’” added Quincy. That attention could give a teen a big ego, but not Quincy. “I don’t let it get in my head,” he said.

Essay nets tennis player a trip to N.Y. By McKenzie Jackson

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ideal and has volunteered at Hosea Feed the Hungry, Georgia Public Lithonia tennis player Kandlar Broadcasting, Atlanta Women’s Rhodes will be hobnobbing with Shelter and the Salvation Army. players from across the country at “Participating in these charities the Aug. 29 Arthur Ashe Kids Day has helped me realize that others at the 2009 U.S. Open in Flushing, are in need of help and how imporN.Y. tant it is to give to those who are less Kandlar, 13, a ninth grader at fortunate,” she wrote. St. Pius X Catholic High School in The annual kid’s day, which is Atlanta, won the all-expense paid in its 14th year, kicks off the U.S. trip in an Arthur Ashe Essay and Open, one of the world’s premier Art Contest. tennis events. This year, it is being Kandlar Rhodes Her winning essay was based on held at the USTA Billie Jean King Ashe’s famous quote, “From what we get, we National Tennis Center. make a living; what we give, however, makes Before leaving for New York with her a life.” parents, Larry and Rusie Rhoades, Kandlar In her 292-word paper, written over said she is hoping to meet her favorite playthree days, Kandlar said Ashe, who died in ers – Serena and Venus Williams. February 1993, believed in giving back to his “They not only play tennis,” she said. community. She said her family shares his “They also give back to their communities.”


9

CrossRoadsNews

August 29, 2009

Wellness

“Rather than move out and have no presence in South DeKalb, we decided to continue there while we examine options.”

Grady won’t close South DeKalb center By Mary Swint

A plan to close the Grady South DeKalb Health Center has been shelved and the focus is now on marketing the center. Matt Gove, the health system’s senior vice president of marketing and communications, said this week that the 60-day pull-back from the closing decision, announced in May, is now permanent following discussions with community leaders and the DeKalb Board of Commissioners. “We decided based on those discussions to continue operating the South DeKalb Neighborhood Center,” he said. “There is no plan for changes at this point.” Gove said they are now working on a marketing plan specific for South DeKalb. He did not elaborate on what that plan would be or when it would be implemented. As part of a cost-cutting reorganization, Grady CEO Michael Young had targeted the center for closing on July 1. He backtracked on the decision following an uproar from the community, The Grady South DeKalb Health Center has been located in donated space at the rear of the Kroger in the Rainbow Way Shopping Center since 1996. With only 3,800 square feet, it is the second smallest of Grady’s nine neighborhood centers. Young had wanted to merge it into the larger East Atlanta center on War-

ren Street. Gove said because of its size, the South DeKalb Center has a smaller patient base and no space to offer x-rays or a pharmacy. “The initial thinking was trying to have patients visit centers that provide a full range of services,” he said. But the idea did not sit well with members of the DeKalb Board of Commissioners who voted in January to increase the county’s funding of Grady to $23 million. The payment, which is being disbursed in monthly payments of about $1.4 million, is intended to support the neighborhood health centers that Grady operates across the county. For the first seven months of this year, Grady spokeswoman Denise Simpson said the South DeKalb health center has had 4,359 patient visits, about 545 to 688 visits monthly. In contrast, the larger Grady Lindbergh Women and Children Health Center on Buford Highway had 7,355 visits; the Warren Street Center had 16,772 visits; and North DeKalb Health Center had 13,269. In 2008, South DeKalb Center had 8,800 patient visits. Gove said Grady’s busiest neighborhood health centers see 130 patients a day. “Neighborhood centers are important to us,” he said. “They can be an avenue to reach new patients. We were looking at how to grow business.” To expand services in South DeKalb, Gove said they will have to

relocate from the Kroger. “Rather than move out and have no presence in South DeKalb, we decided to continue there while we examine options,” he said. Gove said finding funds to invest in neighborhood centers is difficult but that as part of Grady’s $325 million capital campaign, they are talking to donors about health centers. Commissioner Larry Johnson, who fought the closing of the center which is in his district, said he has a verbal Larry Johnson commitment from Grady not to close the center but is awaiting something in writing that he can share with the community. At an Aug. 17 joint meeting of Fulton and DeKalb commissioners on health care at the Maloof Auditorium, Young said the health system is encouraging patients who use the emergency for primary care to visit their neighborhood health centers. He said social workers have been assigned to patients who use the emergency room 30 times a year to train them how to know when they need an emergency room, a health center or a primary care doctor. Gove said signs and brochures have also been placed in the emergency rooms and specialty clinics to help educate patients on locations of neighborhood centers.

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Health reform gets reality check President Barack Obama has launched www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck to help Americans get the facts on the adminstration’s health care reform plans. The “Health Insurance Reform Reality Check” website gives facts about health care “rationing,” seniors, costs, uninsured vs. costs and burdening government. The website’s launch comes in the wake of attacks on health care reform from conservatives and Republicans.

It allows visitors to access videos of reform supporters discussing Obama’s plan, frequently asked questions, health reform fliers and consumer protection facts. The website also features a quote from Obama, who is in his first term as president. Obama says health care reform isn’t about politics. “This is about people’s lives,” he said. “This is about our future.”

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Free physicals, health screenings and massages will be available at the Aug. 29 “Healthy Children…Happy Parents Day” at the South DeKalb Center for Healthy Living in Lithonia. The 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. event will include music, games, food, school supplies and child ID giveaways. There will be vision, blood pressure and diabetes screenings and an appearance by Kaiser Permanente mascot Doc Broc.

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An auction, quilting square and caricature drawings by cartoonist Fitzroy James will also take place to raise funds for the nonprofit health center that provides health care to people without health insurance. More than 20 supporters and partners will provide information. Admission is free. The South DeKalb Center for Healthy Living is at 2699 Klondike Road in Lithonia. For more information, call 770-484-2777.

MinuteClinic now treats acne! No appointment necessary. In select CVS/pharmacy locations, our experienced nurse practitioners and physician assistants are available to diagnose and treat mild to moderate acne 7 days a week, including evenings and weekends.

Fun and health day for foster kids Stone Mountain business owner Lisa Patrick is hosting her third annual Family Fun & Health Awareness Day on Aug. 30 for children in foster care. The noon to 9 p.m. event at the Tupac Shakur Center for the Arts will include health screenings, musical performances and giveaways. Patrick, owner of the Black Butterfly Salon on Memorial Drive, has been a foster mom since 2002. Dozens of foster children will get dona-

tions of clothes, sneakers, bookbags, bicycles and home supplies. Performers include hip hop star Yung Joc, rappers G Five and Stat Quo, artist and songwriter Nate Walka, singer Nikki Smith, sister of R&B singer Ne-Yo, Ms. Brown, Jess Godwin, Nameless featuring Eva Kennedy, Cornelious “See” Flowers, Fenece Oliver and Shawn Kane. The Tupac Amaru Shakur Center is at 5616 Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain. For more information, call 404-748-7834.

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10

CrossRoadsNews

Ministry

August 29, 2009

“Last week we had to turn people away from the 10 a.m. service.”

Congregation expecting big turnout for 1st service in new cathedral By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Members of The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church are expecting the community to join them for their first service in the former Cathedral at Chapel Hill in Decatur on Aug. 30. The congregation, which has spent the last two weeks readying their new home for their inaugural service, will hold a single service at 10 a.m. They have renamed the 7,000-seat sanctuary the Hope Cathedral. The celebration will start with an Hour of Power Prayer Service at 9 a.m. Timothy Rogers, a church spokesman, said they are expecting a large turnout. “We are expecting to fill the place,” Rogers said this week. Since the church completed

the purchase of the 55-acre former Chapel Hill Harvester campus for $17.6 million on Aug. 10, Rogers said attendance at the last two Sunday services has grown even more. “Last week we had to turn people away from the 10 a.m. service.” The church won’t have that problem at the new, larger location. Rogers, who is the executive assistant to E. Dewey Smith Jr., the church’s pastor and teacher, said members E. Dewey Smith have been putting out fliers this week inviting residents to join them for the service. “We are just trying to bring life back to this area,” he said.

Workers for Sign Mechanix lift the new sign for The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church into position at the former Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Flat Shoals Parkway. The church will hold its first service in the new location on Aug. 30.

New Jerusalem Outreach Ministry Sunday School 10:00am • Sunday Worship Service 11:00am Wednesday Night Bible Study 8:00pm • Adult Choir, Children’s Choir and Male Choir • Homeless Ministry • Feed the Hungry Ministry • Senior/Adult Day Care • Coming soon Child Care & Christian Academy

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Smith will preach the sermon at the service, which will celebrate the move. Greater Travelers Rest’s combined choir, led by Elder Kevin Bond, will perform. Smith, 39, came to Greater Travelers Rest in January 2004. The 133-year-old church has seen

dramatic growth under his leadership. When he arrived, the church had 600 active members; today, it has 6,000. Smith succeeded the Rev. H.F. Shepherd, who had been pastor for 47 years. He said Shepherd had a good structure in place that enabled

the church’s growth to take place and that the congregation allowed him to be himself. The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church is at 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway. For more information, visit www.greatertravelersrest.com or call 404-243-9336.

Harvester to meet at Conyers church Pastor D.E. Paulk and members of Chapel Hill Harvester Church will be holding combined Sunday services at the Church in the Now in Con­yers starting Aug. 30. The church, which was located at the Cathedral at Chapel Hill from 1991, is seeking a new home following the sale of its Flat Shoals Parkway campus to The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church for $17.6 million. Paulk’s cousin, Bishop Jim Earl Swilley, is pastor of the Church in the Now and the two will share Sunday services. Starting Sept. 2, Paulk and his congregration, now below 1,000 members, will hold

Wednesday services at Greater Traveler’s Rest’s 1,500-seat former sanctuary at 2600 H.F. Shepherd Drive in Decatur until it is sold. That church is on the market for $8 million. Paulk said last week that they had to sell the Cathedral at Chapel Hill when membership declined to the point where they could no longer pay the mortgage. In 2007, Paulk discovered that he was the biological son of his uncle, the late Bishop Earl Paulk, who died in March after a series of sex scandals derailed his ministry and depleted the congregation that once numbered 10,000 members.


11

CrossRoadsNews

August 29, 2009

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CrossRoadsNews

August 29, 2009

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ONE CLASS FREE!

Marketplace BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Become an Ordained Minister. Call 404-671-6158. Also rooms for rent. $100 weekly. Donate your fixer upper House or Car to help Homeless/Abused Women & Children. Donations are Taxdeductible.

Financial Start saving today! Print moneysaving coupons from home. www. crossroadsnews.com/pages/ coupons

CHILD CARE Zogie’s Family Academy. Now Enrolling 6wks-12yrs Caps, $100.00weekly 6:30am-7:00pm M-F 5529 Redan Circle, Stone Mountain GA 30088 770-5591184

COMPUTERS WWW.jonatech.net. Laptop $235 & up. Repair Service for Computers, Laptops, & Routers. Diagnostic fee $35. 678-9184445 Jonatec.

HEALTH & FITNESS

LOANS & MORTGAGES

Comfort Pharmacy. New, Refill, Transfer Prescriptions. Custom Compounding, Veterinarian formulations Major insurance Generic prescription $3.99/30 day Free Delivery WIC, EBT, Notary, Fax & Copies. 5616 Redan Road Suite E Stone Mountain, GA 30088. 770-469-4040. 10:00am-8:00pm M-F, Sat 10:00am-6:00pm

Loans for churches, restaurants, day care centers, multi-family properties, office buildings, and other commercial properties. Purchases or refinancing. All credit considered. Closings as quick as 7 days.

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

MOVERS Gideon Movers, Inc. Moves & Deliveries, In-house Moves; Loading & Un-loading. Free on-site Estimate. (404)241-8899. gideonmovers@comcast.net

BRING IN THIS AD FOR A FREE BAG OF ICE WITH $15 OR MORE PURCHASE Open 9 a.m. Mon. - Sat. 6146-A Covington Hwy (Covington Square Shopping Center @ Panola Road. Next to Big Lots)

Lithonia, GA 30058

770-808-0382

6651-D Covington Hwy • Lithonia, GA 30058 Corner of Covington Hwy & DeKalb Medical Pkwy Across from Walgreen’s

Sensei Harris Price

www.tokarate.net

Wireless Global Solutions Serving Metro Atlanta • Super Speed Internet • 2 Minutes Plug-N-Play Installation • No software Installation

404-378-7777

www.falashaethiopianchurch.org Local News. Loyal Readers. We Deliver!

Algiers House of Candles All aphs gr ed oto ur ph capt lly e ar igita d

HOME INTERNET PLANS AS LOW AS $20.00 PER MONTH

Please Call Today

Call 404-284-1888 for Advertising Rates & Information

Affordable Wedding Photography

404-934-0157

MOBILE/HOME INTERNET COMBINATION PLANS $45.00 PER MONTH

www.clearinternet.me • wirelessglobalsolutions@gmail.com

$500 per wedding Hourly Rate for Special Events

Instructor is available to contract music teaching services to local learning centers and private schools. Instructor is seeking local church choir/band to perform services with as a bass guitarist or instrumental music ensemble director. Visit website at Music4ULLC.com, or call Mark at 678-516-5278.

Contact Newburn Reynolds at

770-722-6096

Sponsored by CrossRoadsNews.com

Newburn.reynolds@gmail.com http://newburnreynolds.smugmug.com

For Honest & Reliable Heating & Air Conditioning Service, Call... Repairs • Maintenance • Tires • Oil Changes

M&J PACKAGE STORE Full Service Beverage Store

(678) 495-8650

God is able to free your heart, mind, body and spirit from any and all evil whether it be love, money, job, sickness, disease or spell.

LANDSCAPE/LAWN CARE

Instructor specializes in • teaching piano, • bass guitar, • and most band instruments. Also teaches • acoustic guitar, • music theory, • and music history.

www.thesamuelgroupinc.com. 404-870-9070.

Rev. Ronald Martin

Bobcat work, mow grass, cut back snake bushes 770-3746207.

MUSIC4U is seeking new students.

Learn skills that last a lifetime.

Master Herbologist Spiritual Scientist Metaphysician Extraordinaire

Your Neighborhood Handyman! Plumbing and Electrical repairs, painting, carpentry, flooring, roofing, exterior work also. Call Chris (404) 992-3663.

“The Home and Mobile Music School-Your Total Music Service”

TRY A FREE CLASS!

Algiers House of Candles

HOME SERVICES

MUSIC4U, LLC

Ages 6 - Adult

Synthetic Blend Oil Change

404-294-8632 East Metro’s First Choice Since 1985 ✓ Spring Air Conditioning Checks ✓ Fall Heating System Checks ✓ Planned Maintenance Agreements ✓ Equipment Repair & Replacement ✓ Ductwork Installation ✓ Free Estimates on Unit Replacement

MENTION THIS AD AND GET 10% OFF YOUR FIRST SERVICE

Lu Woodson, Owner

B.S., Mechanical Engineering Member, Conditioned Air Assoc. of GA (CAAG) State Licensed & Insured EPA Certified, NATE Certified

We Service All Equipment Brands – Residential & Light Commercial

Mon-Fri

$7 OFF

7:30am-6:30pm

5 Qts Quality Oil • Oil Filter

Sat

FREE Vehicle Inspection

7:30am-5:00pm

7 TEST $1 S ! ION ay

ISS

er y Ev

EM

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Environmental Waste Fee

Present coupon at writeup of service. Expires: 08/31/2009

Avondale Tire & Service (Directly across from Wal-Mart) 3589 Memorial Drive • Decatur, GA 30032

404-284-8835

Decatur Tire and Service 307 Clairmont Ave • Decatur, GA 30030 404-377-5069

NexTire Stone Mountain 5217 US Hwy 78 • Stn Mtn, GA 30087 770-498-1121


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