WELLNESS
HOLIDAY
HOLIDAY
The DeKalb County Extension Service is encouraging residents to consider the environment while planning their holiday festivities. 7
Friends, family and others will hold a vigil to remember Marquel Peters, the 4-year-old killed by a stray bullet last New Year’s Eve. 8
Handbell choirs from four churches will make holiday music together at “A Christmas Handbell Extravaganza” at Greater Travelers Rest. 9
Green for the holidays
Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
Candles for Marquel
December 11, 2010
Ring in the season
www.crossroadsnews.com
Volume 16, Number 33
Commissioners set to vote on $1.4 billion water plan By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
Despite pleas from citizens to defer their vote on the $1.4 billion expansion of the DeKalb water and sewer system, DeKalb County Commissioners are set to vote on the controversial plan on Dec. 14. At its Dec. 7 session, the Board of Commissioners, which is meeting on consecutive weeks this month because of the upcoming holidays, deferred its vote for only a week. Residents say they are not opposed to improvements to the aging water system but that the plan, coming in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns, is ill-timed and did not have enough public input. This week, the county presented the plan and took questions at community meetings in Decatur and Dunwoody. On Dec. 13, Commissioner Lee May will hold a meeting at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538
“We agree there is urgent need to fix broken pipes, rehabilitate manholes, upgrade Snapfinger Wastewater Treatment Plant, and replace or repair lift stations. However, we do not agree that these and the other items should all be performed on the backs of ratepayers alone.” Joan Walker
cent a year over four years to pay for the improvements and Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews expansion. It has earDeKalb County Watershed director Dr. Francis Kung’u outlines the marked $600 million county’s $1.4 billion capital improvement plan at a Decatur meeting. to repair, replace and Panola Road in Lithonia. The meeting starts update the wastewater collection system; at 6:30 p.m. $378 million to rebuild, upgrade and expand Under the plan, the county is propos- the Snapfinger Wastewater Treatment Plant; ing to increase water rates at least 13 per- $179 million to repair, replace and update
parts of the water distribution system; $82 million to begin water reuse and to return treated wastewater to the Chattahoochee River; $65 million to upgrade sections of Polebridge Wastewater Treatment Plant; $38 million to upgrade the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant; and $36 million for vehicles and equipment. Please see WATER, page 2
Santa Helpers to the Rescue
By Carla Parker
The holiday spirit was in full swing this week with Santa helpers handing out cash, Christmas trees and toys to help brighten the spirits of those in need. On Wednesday, 103 DeKalb residents got fresh Christmas trees from retired NFL running back Jamal Lewis in the parking lot of the Gallery at South DeKalb in Decatur. Lewis, an Atlanta native, founded trucking company All American Xpress after leaving the NFL this year after nine years. He said he just wanted to spread a little holiday cheer. “Times are hard and I wanted to help out anyway I can,” said Lewis, who played for the University of Tennessee, the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. “I wanted to do something different, so I decided to give out free Christmas trees.” All together Lewis gave away 350 Christmas trees this month across metro Atlanta. Photos by Carla Parker / CrossRoadsNews His 200-truck company is based in Coca-Cola’s Karyn Hume presents a check to U.S. Marine Sgt. Edward Barrett for Atlanta Toys for Tots on Dec. 8 at the Stone Mountain Wal-Mart. Calhoun, Ga. It has a second terminal in Tressa Curry the need is great. Lakeland, Fla. Atlanta-based TLP Transport reads “ ’Twas “This was a great way to help those parhelped with the tree project. the Night Before ents who could not afford to buy toys for On Dec. 4, the Gratitude With Attitude Christmas” to their children,” she said. organization and Right From the Start Medchildren at the Stella Thomas, the executive director of icaid Outreach Project played Santa to 30 Gratitude With Fountain of Life Community Center, which families with its first Christmas Extravaganza Attitude Dec. supported the event, said it’s great to be able at the Maloof Auditorium in Decatur. 4 Christmas to help families during these bad economic The Decatur nonprofit, which serves the Extravaganza times. homeless and underserved, bought toys for at the Maloof “It’s no fun when you can’t help your own 60 kids and treated them to storytelling and Auditorium. family, so it’s our job as a community to help hot dogs and hamburgers. those in need and to make a difference for All the attention made the season for Jahour children,” she said. veh Hawkes. The Stone Mountain mother of five children has been unemployed for about Toys for Tots drive a year and wasn’t sure how she was going to On Dec. 8, Toys for Tots got a $20,000 give her children a good Christmas. donation from the Coca-Cola Co. “I was depressed because I didn’t know The soft drink company’s 64-foot-long what I was going to do,” she said. “This year what will go under the Christmas tree. Hawkes and her family were one of 30 was a bad year for us.” Her five children – who include two sets families who received bags of toys. Gratitude Now she doesn’t have to worry about of twins – got toys at the event. With Attitude founder Connie Wallace said Please see GIVING, page 2