CrossRoadsNews, December 31, 2011 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COMMUNITY

YEAR IN REVIEW

YOUTH

Mayor Deborah Jackson (left) and a City Council featuring three political newcomers will chart a course for Lithonia’s future. 4

After sitting idle for months while the county found money to staff them, DeKalb’s newest libraries became activity hubs when they opened in 2011. 7

Middle- and high-school basketball players practiced fundamentals and character development at a clinic led by WNBA champion Maya Moore. 10

Lithonia’s new leadership

Libraries open after delay

Skills and drills

EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER

December 31, 2011

Volume 17, Number 35

www.crossroadsnews.com

State un-rejects “0bama II” plate denied motorist By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Terralyn King will now get her “0bama II” license plate to join friend Michael Holmes’ “0bama 1” plate.

King paid a $35 deposit and went home to await the license plate for her 2002 Ford Explorer. “The tag was $90,” she said. “I was to pay the balance when I went to pick it up.” But instead of a notice that her 0bama II license plate was ready, she got a letter, dated Oct. 6, from the Department of Revenue. “Status: Text rejected,” it said. “Comments: Honor to President Obama and a second term/offensive to some customers.” In the accompanying letter, the Department of Revenue’s Motor Vehicle Processing Center said the license plate combination King requested “is not allowed to be manufactured or displayed at this time.”

Terralyn King of Stone Mountain thought her friend Michael Holmes was on the ball when he got his “0bama 1” license plate in November 2007. Now it was her turn to speak another term into existence for President Barack Obama, the nation’s first African-American president. “I love my president,” she said. “I am very proud of him.” On Sept. 16, she went to the Motor Vehicle Division tag office at the Gallery at South DeKalb to apply for a prestige or personalized license plate with “0bama 2,” but someone had beaten her to it. In a search of available combinations, the clerk at the tag office told her that “0bama II” with Roman numerals was available. Please see TAG, Page 5

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

2011 – A Year of Agitation

Residents hold placards calling for rail service to Stonecrest in the 2012 transportation referendum.

Gil Turman, Joel Edwards and Jerry Myers Jackson were among residents calling for stronger code enforcement. In April, a police officer escorts Dr. Jewel Crawford from a DeKalb Board of Commissioners hearing about a controversial biomass plant.

Residents on edge

DeKalb residents were among those on the front line opposing the death penalty for Troy Davis.

2011 will go down in the annals as the year when DeKalb residents got militant. All year, residents battled their government on water rate increases, school closings, a biomass plant, cell towers on school properties, dirty streets, overgrown sidewalks and medians, and the death penalty. They also fought for rail service to Stonecrest, better code enforcement, and helped their neighbors hard hit by the enduring economic slump. Parents and residents wore red to a DeKalb School Board meeting to oppose cell towers.

Year in Review, pages 4, 6, 7

CrossRoadsNews

Forum

December 31, 2011

“This insurance company quoted them a policy premium for $1,700 per month to insure ‘Little Baby Mason.’”

No Gingrich town hall meeting at historic black S.C. church By Joseph Darby

One of my AME clergy colleagues and I received phone calls from the South Carolina Newt Gingrich for President campaign saying that our churches had been suggested as sites for candidate Gingrich to hold a town hall meeting. We both turned them down, and I decided to explain why I did so. I didn’t turn them down because Mr. Gingrich is a Republican. Democratic, Republican and Green Party candidates have worshipped at Morris Brown. Candidates of any party are welcome to worship as long as they stay for the entire worship service and limit their comments to less than five minutes when they’re acknowledged with our other visitors. I turned them down because a town hall meeting is a designated opportunity for candidates to share their views and take questions, usually with those of like mind. Morris Brown isn’t the place for Newt Gingrich to do so, because the majority of our congregation is AfricanAmerican and he’s said and done things offensive to African-Americans. Mr. Gingrich recently said that children in poor communities have no working role models, are encouraged to engage in illegal activities and suggested that they be em-

“My suspicion is that the Gingrich campaign’s desire to hold a town hall meeting in a black church is tied to his often expressed campaign statement that President Obama has “failed” African-Americans and opened the door for black folks to vote for a Republican presidential candidate. ” Pastor Joseph Darby

ployed as janitorial assistants in their schools. As speaker of the House, Mr. Gingrich’s “Contract With America” espoused initiatives injurious to citizens of modest means. Mr. Gingrich has also consistently insulted President Barack Obama, calling him the “food stamp president” and suggesting that although he never lived in his father’s native Kenya, his politics have been shaped by a “Kenyan anti-colonial world view.” A Gingrich meeting at Morris Brown would be a gross and demeaning insult to those in our congregation who work hard at legitimate but low-paying jobs, raise their children to do right and encourage them to achieve even in what the GOP labels “failing” schools. It would also imply that I endorse his views and his candidacy – I don’t. My suspicion is that the Gingrich campaign’s desire to hold a town hall meeting in a black church is tied to his often expressed

campaign statement that President Obama has “failed” African-Americans and opened the door for black folks to vote for a Republican presidential candidate. Some AfricanAmericans – usually those who can benefit from GOP dollars for their businesses or institutions – will reliably vote Republican. Most, however, do not. The modern Republican Party rose to power on the politics of division evident in Richard Nixon’s “Southern strategy,” Ronald Reagan’s “welfare queen” rhetoric, George H.W. Bush’s “Willie Horton” campaign strategy, and the dubious hypocrisy of George W. Bush’s “compassionate conservatism.” The Republican Party in South Carolina has cut funding for programs that help people, refused to seek badly needed federal education funds, and is presently defending a Voter ID law that will make it harder for some citizens to vote.

Mr. Gingrich’s desire to hold a town hall meeting in a black church affirms the continuing influence of the black church, but with the exception of a few black clergy who crave money and prestige at the expense of their congregations and ignore the mandates of the Gospel. The black church is not for sale. Some money is simply too expensive. Some black pastor who needs a few easy dollars may still open the doors to Mr. Gingrich, but that won’t lead to a groundswell of black support. Black voters are far more astute than those in the GOP assume them to be. When Republicans honestly articulate how their political policies will benefit all people and disavow the politics of racism and division, black voters will notice and consider them to be a viable alternative. If they only continue to engage in symbolic pandering while playing divisive political games and cater only to a very affluent segment of America, they’ll assure that most AfricanAmericans continue to vote Democratic, because “good Republican” is presently as much of an oxymoron as “good master” was in the antebellum South. Joseph Darby is senior pastor of the historic Morris Brown AME in Charleston, S.C., and first vice president of the Charleston NAACP.

Cheating has become the norm for today’s American society By Viola Davis

Cheating – like greed – is good. Once a negative character trait, cheating has become a necessary evil. Today’s society measures people by the amount of money and material goods they possess instead of the content of their character. Unfortunately too often, cheating is accepted to achieve monetary rewards, power, Viola Davis prestige, and positions of power as well as material goods. Cheating is becoming the norm for American society in this present day. Why would anyone view “cheating” as a negative today? As a society, we have moved further away from judging people by the content of their character. Cheaters receive monetary benefits without negative consequences such as fines or jail, for example. There are too many “good men” standing on the sidelines doing nothing. Why? Cheaters are often people of power and/or associ-

counts when ated with powerful the secur iinsiders. ties firm MF Cheat ing in Global failed, business has beyet Corzine come the norm. was the forTake the cheating mer New Jerthat occurred on sey governor Wall Street. The and former taxpayers were Jack Abramoff Bill Clinton chief of Goldforced to bail the Jon Corzine cheaters out of debt and technically no one man Sachs. went to jail. The fat cats went on to receive n Jack Abramoff is a disgraced Republican bonuses in the middle of a recession. To super-lobbyist out of prison for corruption this day, average taxpayers fear more con- in Washington, yet Abramoff is now talking sequences from cheating on their taxes to up a book he’s written about the kind of save hundreds than a broker on Wall Street Washington corruption. One would not be cheating on the stock market to win millions. surprised if he is later offered a TV program We need to examine “cheaters” such as the on Fox News. following: Cheaters can be president of the United n Timothy Geithner had not paid over States. Newt Gingrich cheated on at least $35,000 in self-employment taxes and called two wives and was the top person to win the the issues “avoidable” and “unintentional” er- presidential nomination for the GOP, not to rors, yet Geithner is currently the secretary of mention the millions of dollars he received the Treasury and previously the president of “breaking the rules” in Washington. To keep things equal, President Bill the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. n Jon Corzine is unable to locate over $1.2 Clinton also cheated on his wife. Cheating billion found to be missing from client ac- is an expected function of politics as well as

politicians. How many times have you heard a person say, “That person is too honest to be in politics?” If a person isn’t lying or cheating while in politics, we wonder what’s wrong with them. Until cheating (like greed) has a measurable negative consequence, I fear cheating will become an expected practice to succeed in business as well as life. Society has yet to set standards that truly punish negative character traits such as cheating. Cheaters receive a punishment that can only be described as “a slap on the wrist.” Cheaters are rewarded upward mobility, increased pay, powerful connections, etc. Adults must show in their actions that poor character traits will not be rewarded. Remember the words of Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Viola Davis is founder of the Stone Mountain-based Unhappy Taxpayer & Voter organization. Ruby Bozeman Davis, co-founder of Unhappy Taxpayer & Voter, contributed to this article.

Letter to president seeks affordable insurance for ailing baby I am appalled that an insurance company would appear to discriminate by charging high premiums. Here is a letter I wrote to President Obama about the case of “Little Baby” Mason. Since this letter was written, the premium was increased to $1,700 per month. I also copied this letter to other “movers and shakers” with the hope that someone will look into the matter. No one has responded. As far as I know, there have been no inquiries made concerning the matter. It is my goal to continue raising concerns until someone can investigate the insurance agency and/or provide some financial assistance to the parents of the child. Dear President Obama: Following your election as the 44th president of the United States, you indicated having an “open door” policy to us as citizens. Please accept this letter as my plea for your hearing, personal attention, and action. You, Mr. President, are to be commended for your intuitiveness, sensitivity, and tenacity in presenting your health reform through Congress and subsequently into law, a feat no other president having your vision has ever attempted to introduce to the American people nor accomplish.

Perhaps you have heard of the “Mason Story.” Mason Carter Sigur was born on April 29, 2010. The doctors thought he had a general case of jaundice, but seven weeks later his parents knew something else was wrong. They took him to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Mason was diagnosed with a rare disease called biliary atresia. Baby Mason underwent a six-hour surgical procedure on the day following the diagnosis to help alleviate a blockage from his liver. Soon after surgery, the parents were told Baby Mason was in need of a liver transplant. He was placed on a national donor list for a new liver. Many kids die every day awaiting a liver transplant. The lack of organ donors is large; medical and surgical bills are exorbitant! Many of the family’s applications for Baby Mason’s health insurance were turned down. There was one exception. This insurance company quoted them a policy premium for $1,700 per month to insure “Little Baby Mason.” Baby Mason’s father lost his job due to the recession and is presently unemployed. The mother is the sole provider for the family. She is a dentist and runs a very small dental practice. The family can hardly make “ends meet” … not withstanding the fact that Baby Mason has other siblings of pre-kindergarten age to whom care is to be provided.

Certainly, Mr. President, you can see that an insurance policy of the magnitude as described above is unaffordable, even for you, without some help!! You spoke to Congress and encouraged them to pass your health act reform. As I listened and watched you on television, your remarks were to Congress, and I quote, “The citizens of this country should be able to afford the same kind of insurance as we have … no one should be without affordable health care.” Mr. President, it would be more than appreciated if you would personally direct your Cabinet secretary over Health and Human Services to give attention to the health needs of “Little Baby Mason.” Please look into all insurance agencies that discriminate by charging exorbitant premiums so as to refuse coverage. Please determine whether there is anyone who could help the Sigur family by defraying some major portions of their health cost. Without your interceding, “Little Baby Mason” may be denied the opportunity to vote in an election for president of these United States. Can your health reform act help “Little Baby Mason” and his family? Reginald Carter lives in Decatur. He is chaplain of the DeKalb Police Department.

December 31, 2011

Community

“Dr. Malloy expects to be fully vindicated despite attacks by some government officials.”

South DeKalb doctor indicted Longtime DeKalb County obstetrician/gynecologist Tyrone Malloy and his former office manager CathyAnn Edwards Warner have been indicted on charges of using Medicaid funds to perform abortions. Malloy, whose Metropolitan Atlanta Ob-Gyn and Soapstone Center for Clinical Research are located on Tyrone Malloy Rainbow Drive in Decatur, and Warner were indicted on Dec. 8 by a DeKalb County grand jury on two counts of Medicaid fraud. Malloy also owns and operates Old National Gynecology in College Park and Atlanta Surgicenter. The indictment alleges that Malloy and Warner accepted medical assistance payments of more than $386,000 for medical office visits associated with performing elective abortions and for ultrasound services that were never performed. Federal funds may not be used to pay for abortions and services associated with abortions, except in instances where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or under circumstances in which continuation of the pregnancy would endanger the life of the mother, state authorities said. Medicaid fraud is punishable by one to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000, the authorities said. Malloy, 62, was arrested and released on Dec. 14 on $50,000 bond. Warner, 58, was arrested on Dec. 19 and released on Dec. 20 on $50,000 bond. In a Dec. 22 news release, attorney Thelma Wyatt Moore said Malloy has fully complied with all federal and state laws. “Dr. Malloy expects to be fully vindicated despite attacks by some government officials employing a backdoor attempt to criminalize a women’s constitutional right to decide, with her doctor, what is best for her and her body,” the statement said, Moore said that on Aug. 25, 2010, an administrative law judge for the state of Georgia ruled on the same facts in this case that Malloy has never billed Medicaid improperly or illegally.

CrossRoadsNews

“We fully expect the same favorable legal conclusion in the matters now pending,” Moore said. Malloy’s lawyer said that Soapstone Center for Clinical Research is conducting studies on a test to diagnose specific genetic diseases in the fetus from a blood test drawn on the mother during the first trimester of pregnancy. CathyAnn Warner “If successful, it will eliminate the need for the more invasive procedures of amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, which is associated with potential injury to the fetus,” the statement said. Malloy’s clinical research also includes studies of medical treatment for the elimination of the human papilloma virus – HPV – the virus responsible for cervical cancer. Malloy is also an adjunct assistant clinical professor at the Emory University School of Medicine, Department of ObGyn. He has provided obstetrics and gynecological services to Medicaid recipients for more than 30 years without any discrepancies with the Department of Community Health, the statement said. According to the indictment, Malloy and Warner billed the Georgia Medicaid program about $131,615 for new patient visits between Dec. 9, 2007, and Aug. 9, 2010, when the visits were for elective abortions. The Georgia Medicaid program is funded jointly by the state and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Under the Hyde Amendment, federal funds cannot be used for elective abortion services nor are abortions covered by Georgia Medicaid, the indictment said. Malloy and Warner also are charged with billing Georgia Medicaid about $255,024 for detailed ultrasounds that were never performed during the same period from 2007 through 2010, according to the indictment. An Attorney General’s Office representative said the indictment was sought in DeKalb rather than Fulton County because the Medicaid payments were sent to Malloy’s Metropolitan Atlanta Ob-Gyn office on Rainbow Drive in the Decatur area. Senior Assistant Attorney General Nancy Allstrom is prosecuting the case on behalf of the state.

New Birth Academy closure strands parents Parents of more than 200 students are scrambling to find a school for their children next week after New Birth Christian Academy informed them that it is shutting its doors. The closing is the latest setback for the Lithonia megachurch in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal involving Bishop Eddie Long, who founded the academy. In a letter dated Dec. 22, the academy’s board told parents that the school is closing after 18 years because of a funding shortage. “The deficit, along with declining enrollment over the years, left the New Birth Christian Academy Board of Directors with no other option,” the letter stated. “The board has made the tough decision to temporarily close the school.” The private school has an enrollment of 221 students in pre-k through 12th grade, according to the Georgia Independent School Association, and 20 teachers. According to the academy’s Web site, tuition ranges from about $5,250 for members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and about $6,200 for non-members with more than $1,000 in non-refundable fees. The letter signed by the Carlton Donald, the academy’s board of directors’ vice chairman, said that they have operated New Birth Christian Academy for several years with substantial deficits but that the church was unable to continue to cover the gap. A parent, who did not want to be identified, told WSB-TV that enrollment had dwindled to about 100. “People continue to move their children as each allegation unfolded,” the woman said. Donald said that the staff will help students find a new school. New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, which is based in Lithonia, has been rocked by allegations from four young men who say that Long lured them into sexual relationships with his influence, trips, gifts and jobs. Long and the church settled with the men in May. On Dec. 1, Vanessa Long, his wife of 21 years, filed for divorce and Long told his congregation on Dec. 4 that he was taking leave to “heal” his family.

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“Over time, it seems like we kind of lost direction. We want to be even better than what we were.”

New and familiar faces assume posts in Lithonia By Donna Williams Lewis

Deborah Jackson, a former Lithonia City Councilwoman, will be sworn in as Lithonia’s new mayor on Jan. 9, taking the helm of a city that will have three political newcomers on its five-member council. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to be in a position to help the city realize its unrealized potential,” said Jackson, who is an Deborah Jackson attorney. “I’m also humbled by the level of confidence that people are placing in me.” The new City Council will include a familiar face, that of former Mayor Darold Honoré, whose 2004-2008 term of office was one of the city’s most tumultuous and divisive. Jackson said a citizens committee is putting together a celebration of what she’s called “a renewed journey to excellence.” The Jan. 15 event will feature Lithonia’s first State of the City address in recent memory. Jackson already knows what she wants to say. “Lithonia has a very rich history and over the years it was really known for being a leader in a number of things,” she said. “Over time, it seems like we kind of lost direction. We want to be even better than what we were.” The ceremony, which will include performances by local youth, will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist, 2152 Rock Chapel Road. Lithonia’s council was left with four vacancies after Jackson and Al T. Franklin resigned their posts in August and Councilwoman Doreen Carter, who was at the end of her term, all decided to challenge Mayor Tonya Peterson-Anderson. Councilwoman Kathleen de Cocq also did not qualify for re-

Newly elected council members Tracey-Ann Williams and Pat Miller were sworn into office on Dec. 15. They will be joined on the council by new mayor Deborah Jackson and council members Darold Honore and Shameka Reynolds.

election, ending her term on Dec. 31. Ric Dodd, the only incumbent left on the council, has two years left in his term. Darold Honoré Jackson won 45.2 percent of the vote in the four-way mayoral race on Nov. 8. She got 103 votes to defeat Peterson-Anderson, who garnered 58 votes. Franklin got 37 votes and Carter won 30 votes. Lithonia elections have become notorious for their controversy, and this year’s City Council elections did not fail to follow suit. In the race to replace Carter and de Cocq, funeral director Shameka Reynolds won a council seat as the top vote-getter among three candidates, with 182 votes. Honoré, who got 89 votes, won the other seat when the Board of

Quick Read

Elections decertified the write-in votes cast for Drucilla Woods on Nov. 11. The board said Woods did not run public Shameka Reynolds notice of her candidacy in a timely fashion in The Champion newspaper, the county’s legal organ. Woods filed suit Nov. 21 in DeKalb County Superior Court against the city of Lithonia and Darold Honoré alleging misconduct by election officials and claiming that they erred in disqualifying her. She dropped the lawsuit. Open records requests for votes cast in the race show that Woods wouldn’t have won even if her decertification were overturned. There were 92 write-in votes in that election. Woods’ votes were not counted because of her decertifica-

tion, but at least five of the write-in votes went to other candidates. Woods’ sister and campaign manager Marcia Glenn Hunter said Woods was only required to file the notice of her candidacy in a local newspaper, which she says she did, by the deadline. The City Council, which had been down to three members since August, finally went to five members on Dec. 15 when newly elected members Pat Miller and Tracy-Ann Williams were sworn into office. Miller, a registered nurse, and Williams, an office administrator, won the Nov. 8 special election, but their Nov. 14 swearing-in was postponed after procedural questions from the U.S. Department of Justice, which eventually cleared the election on Dec. 1. Reynolds and Honoré will be sworn in Jan. 9, along with Jackson. Reynolds’ residency was questioned by de Cocq, but no challenge was filed.

State un-rejects “0bama II” plate denied motorist 1

Citizens plan town hall on biomass plant, cell towers 5

Owner of vicious dogs goes to trial on Jan. 3 8

Terralyn King of Stone Mountain thought her friend Michael Holmes was on the ball when he got his “0bama 1” license plate in November 2007.

Citizens for a Healthy and Safe Environment will hold a town hall meeting on the proposed $60 million biomass gasification plant in Lithonia and cell phone towers planned for nine DeKalb schools.

Twyann Artrell Vaughn, whose two dogs attacked and maimed a Lithonia girl in March 2010, will go on trial during the first week of the new year.

Cheating is the norm for today’s American society 2 Cheating – like greed – is good. Once a negative character trait, cheating has become a necessary evil.

South DeKalb doctor indicted

Circulation Audited By

December 31, 2011

Longtime DeKalb County obstetrician/ gynecologist Tyrone Malloy and his former office manager CathyAnn Edwards Warner have been indicted on charges of using Medicaid funds to perform abortions.

Hidden Hills poised for development, growth

Legends for Trumpet Awards 9

After more than five years on a blueprint for new development in the Hidden Hills area, the Greater Hidden Hills Overlay District was signed into county law on Dec. 6.

The 20th annual Trumpet Awards observance celebrating more than two dozen history makers will kick off next week with a Race Relations Symposium and culminate in the black-tie awards ceremony on Jan. 7 hosted by TV personality Wayne Brady.

Newest library to open in the spring

WNBA Champion hosts free basketball clinic to girls 10

At this time last year, 61,000 square feet of library space was sitting empty in DeKalb County for lack of money to open them.

Middle and high school girls learned the fundamentals of basketball from WNBA champion Maya Moore at her first “A Very Maya Christmas” free basketball clinic.

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The Law Office of B.A. Thomas.................... 10 Thomas Hambrick........................................ 10 Best Buy Co. Inc......................................Inserts Walgreens c/o Alliance Media................Inserts

December 31, 2011

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“This is shocking. I hate to think that this department is making partisan political judgment.”

Citizens plan town hall on biomass plant and cell towers Citizens for a Healthy and Safe Environment will hold a community town hall meeting on Jan. 21 on the proposed $60 million biomass gasification plant in Lithonia and the cell phone towers planned for the grounds of nine DeKalb schools. CHASE, an ad hoc community group that organized this year around the gasification issue, said the two hot-button issues affect the health and well-being of county residents north and south. The group of Lithonia residents fought the proposed wood gasification plant that developer Green Energy Partners said would use wood chips and other substances to create electricity. It filed suit on July 13 in DeKalb Superior Court seeking to overturn a June 14 vote by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners to grant a Special Land Use Permit to Green Energy Partners to build the plant on 21 acres on Rogers Lake Road close to residential communities. CHASE is concerned about health hazards associated with increased air pollution, particularly for children, the elderly, asthmatics, and those already suffering from other respiratory illnesses. Green Energy Partners withdrew its applica-

Claudette Powdard makes a point in opposition to a biomass plant during a January meeting of the Commission District 5 Community Council at the Hairston Crossing Library.

tion to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division for an air emission permit due to deficiencies on the application. It says it plans to reapply. In their lawsuit, the citizens allege that the

Board of Commissioners engaged in contract zoning, which is illegal in Georgia, when it signed a contract with Green Energy Partners on July 13, 2010, then voted to give it a permit to open the plant 11 months later.

The DeKalb School Board’s decision to allow T-Mobile cell phone towers at nine schools continues to generate opposition. Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson signed the 30-year lease on Dec. 8 that empowers TMobile to construct towers on the grounds of six elementary schools, two high schools and a comprehensive school. Seven of the nine schools are located in South DeKalb. The schools are Flat Rock and Princeton elementary and MLK Jr. High in Lithonia; Briarlake and Narvie J. Harris elementary in Decatur; Smoke Rise Elementary in Stone Mountain; Jolly Elementary in Clarkston; and Lakeside High and Margaret Harris Comprehensive School in Atlanta. Over the life of the lease, T-Mobile will pay the school district just over $2.3 million in rent. The first towers are expected to be in operation in March. Parents and residents who continue to fight the School Board’s decision point to health risks to the students and to the effect of the towers on their property values. CHASE says details and the location of the meeting will come later. For more information, e-mail Richard Searcy at rgsearcy21@gmail.com.

Woman ecstatic that state saw the error of its ways, approves plate TAG,

from page

“This decision was made in accordance with the provisions of Georgia Administrative Regulations, 375-2-3-.02 which in part, designate the Department as regulatory authority in deciding if the text on Georgia license plates may be deemed offensive or require further qualification to assign. “Pursuant to this notification, we will not manufacture the plate you have requested … and advise you to apply for a different personalized license plate combination at your tag office.” King said she was first shocked by the rejection, and then she got angry. “I was teed off,” she said. “They told me the combination was available. I paid my money. I want my tag.” King said she is very offended by the reasoning that her 0bama II license plate could be “offensive to some customers.” “I find nothing offensive about the president of the United States,” she said. The Georgia Administrative Regulations referenced in the letter say the department and/or county tag agent can refuse a special prestige license plate if it: n Contains language, a message or material that defames or ridicules a person, group, religious belief or being, race or ethnicity; n Contains language, a message or material indicating an office or position unless the applicant holds such office or position, including, but not limited to an elected office, employment as a police officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, paramedic or first responder; n Contains language, a message or material using or implying the use of profanity; n Contains language, a message or material subject to a trademark or copyright unless the applicant owns the trademark or copyright; n Contains language, a message or material referring to a crime or criminal activity; or n Contains language, a message or material that might reasonably invoke violence upon persons or property. King said the license plate she requested does not fit any of those categories, and since three other motorists have plates with 0bama, 0bama 1 and 0bama 2, she deserves to get her plate. “It’s about fairness, too,” she said. Holmes, who had his 0bama 1 plate on his 2007 Mazda 3 until it was wrecked in an accident in October, said he plans to transfer

it to the new 2011 Mazda 3 that he bought two weeks before Christmas and was waiting for the new car to get into the Motor Vehicle Division system. He said last week that he was surprised to hear that King was denied her plate. “I can’t believe the state would react that way,” he said. “It’s offensive to think that they would call the plate offensive.” Holmes points out that when he got his plate, there was a Democratic government in power in Georgia. “I don’t know if the new Republican government has anything to do with it,” he said, wondering aloud if it may try to revoke his plate as well. State Rep. Billy Mitchell, whose district includes Stone Mountain, said he was speechless to hear that King was denied the plate. “This is shocking,” he Michael Holmes said. “I hate to think that this department is making partisan political judgment. I can’t see how denying her that license plate fits into any of the categories for denial that I know of.” Mitchell said that he will look into the matter and try to help King get her plate. After checking into the rejection letter, Jud Seymour, a Department of Revenue spokesman, said Wednesday that the rejection was an error. “She can absolutely have the plate,” he said. “We are composing a letter to her to say that. We have thousands of plates that are issued every week and mistakes are made. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention.” When she heard the news Wednesday, King was ecstatic. “Oh my goodness, I am going to get my plate!” she said. “This is exciting. I can’t wait. I am glad they saw the errors of their ways.” Seymour said that there are 144,404 actively registered prestige plates in Georgia. As of Dec. 1, there were 138,506 on vehicles and 5,898 on motorcycles. He said he was unable to say how many prestige plates have been issued with names of the two most recent U.S. presidents, but the computer system shows that 13 requests were made for plates containing the lettering “0bama” and 36 for the lettering “Bush.” “I can’t confirm how many of these requests became plates,” Seymour said.

The “0” in Obama is actually a zero because Seymour says the letter “O” is not offered on plates. King, who is an avid voter, says she has never missed an election. She has five kids in college and says all their friends know that they can’t come to her house unless they are

registered to vote. Before she got the news that she would get her 0bama II plate, King said she wanted it as a way to encourage her community to vote. “I want it for the same reason they don’t want me to have it,” she said.

Start the Holiday Season with a Beautiful Smile!

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Year in Review

CrossRoadsNews

December 31, 2011

“This represents more than five years of effort from more than a dozen communities.”

Hidden Hills Overlay District poised for development, growth By Donna Williams Lewis and Carla Parker

After more than five years of effort to get a blueprint for new development in the Hidden Hills area, the Greater Hidden Hills Overlay District was signed into county law on Dec. 6. The project that the community began in 2007 was unanimously approved by the Board of Commissioners on Nov. 15. The overlay district becomes the blueprint for new development that promotes investment. It will encourage economic development and smart growth; lure preferred types of businesses; conserve green space; create design standards for new buildings, signage, landscaping, streetscaping, and parking lots; and improve connectivity on foot, by bike and by motorized transit. Jan Costello, the Greater Hidden Hills Overlay District committee coordinator who led the multi-neighborhood effort, said all the work was worth it. “The people who worked on this project have vision and hope,” she said. “We did not like the direction our community was going, so we decided to put zoning codes in place that will lead to a better business environment, beautiful streetscapes, and protected green space. We can and are working together to create the future we want.” Wendall Ervin, Hidden Hills Civic Association president, said the overlay will be an anchor for community and commercial development. “There’s a great area just beyond the Hidden Hills community that will be affected positively by the overlay,” he said. The Great Hidden Hills district is De Kalb’s 11th community to create a mixed-use overlay. The first project to fall within the overlay is the revitalization of the former Dominiques Villas development on Covington Highway near Young Road that was stalled by foreclosure and is now being redeveloped by APD Solutions as Panola Slope. Costello said overlay district representatives met this month with APD Solutions. “They’re grandfathered under the over-

Panola Slope on Covington Highway is being redeveloped by APD Solutions. Jan Costello (center), the Greater Hidden Hills Overlay District committee coordinator, beams as the district is signed into law on Dec. 6. It offers a blueprint for new development.

lay,” Costello said, “but they said they’ll follow our guidelines.” Chapman Walsh, business manager for Atlanta-based APD Solutions, said his company wants to promote quality business development and green space as much as anyone else.

“We’ll probably go way above and beyond the call of duty in allowing the Panola Slope project to flourish,” he said. Scheduled to open in spring 2012, Panola Slope will feature 23 luxury brownstones, mid-rise condominiums priced between $189,900 and $224,900, and more than

12,000 square feet of street-level retail space. In 2007, when construction began, the development’s housing units were listed for $449,000. The development was foreclosed on before it was completed. APD Solutions acquired it from the three banks that owned it and will complete the $5 million project. A public square with an outdoor terrace, benches, fountains, a lighted walking trail, and pocket parks are planned. The greater Hidden Hills Overlay District covers about four square miles bordered by Covington Highway, South Hairston Road, Panola Road and Redan Road. It prohibits a variety of uses, including boarding and breeding kennels, storage yards, adult entertainment establishments, extended-stay motels, used-car lots and check-cashing businesses. The committee that worked on the district is creating a new group with a different focus, Costello said. “We’re forming a new group because our new focus is economic development and making sure the code is followed,” she said. The overlay plan lays more stringent standards for new development over existing zoning. It also seeks to resolve a longstanding neighborhood frustration – Hidden Hills’ dormant 18-hole golf course, which closed in 2005, triggering the movement for the overlay district. The ordinance offers the property’s owner higher density development than currently permitted in the area of the closed clubhouse in exchange for conserving about 184 acres of green space for public use. “This represents more than five years of effort from more than a dozen communities,” Costello said. “It brought together people with a shared vision and a shared hope for their community. It was just lovely to be around people who all wanted to make their place better.” Elsewhere in DeKalb, overlay districts have been established in Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Emory Village, Northlake, Scottdale, Stonecrest, Tucker and along Candler Road and the I-20 corridor.

General contractors respond to bid to revitalize Hidden Hills Pauline Dailey peers into a foreclosed house in Hidden Hills in February after the community was approved by DeKalb County for $5.2 million in federal funds to fight blight.

By Donna Williams Lewis

Hidden Hills made headlines in February when the community was approved by DeKalb County for $5.2 million in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds. The community of 1,650 homes had about 55 vacant houses when the announcement was made last winter. The HUD program, known as NSP3, provides for fund recipients to demolish blighted structures and to acquire, refurbish and sell foreclosed or abandoned homes.

The rehab work to be done in Hidden Hills and other areas within its census tract will provide short-term job and fee-forservice opportunities for area small businesses. On the announcement, Pauline Dailey, who was then the president of the Hidden Hills Civic Association, said she appreciated the focus on her neighborhood, which is a former golf course community located off South Hairston and Redan roads. “I think they chose Hidden Hills because they felt like it was on the edge of going one way or the other,” Dailey said at the time.

“Rather than see it go from being a top neighborhood to nothing, they chose us so that we could maintain.” Since 2009, DeKalb County has received $23.7 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds to help fight blight brought on by foreclosure. Wendall Ervin, who is now the association’s president, said last week that eight general contractors responded to requests for proposal in October. They will be reviewed by county staffers, he said. Twenty percent of the subcontractors hired must come from within the immediate Hidden Hills vicinity, Ervin said. People with job skills ranging from landscaping and electrical to construction and buying and selling real estate are needed. Information about the grant can be

found on the Community Development page of DeKalb County’s Web site, www .co.dekalb.ga.us/commdev/. Hidden Hills was selected for the grant after a local market analysis was conducted by professors Michael Rich and Moshe Haspel of Emory University’s Office of UniversityCommunity Partnerships. The professors were commissioned by the county to find the HUD-deemed “areas of greatest need” based on the number of foreclosures, seriously delinquent loans, vacated homes and high-cost mortgages. They also developed local criteria to produce more comprehensive neighborhood profiles, looking at such factors as population change, home sales and whether neighborhoods were already involved in improvement activities.

Year in Review Widow Marcia Baird Burris returned for the dedication. Charles “Chuck” Burris was Stone Mountain’s first black mayor.

Former mayor’s name lives on bridge over 78 Charles “Chuck” Burris claimed his place in history in 1997 when he became the first African-American mayor of Stone Mountain, the former headquarters of the white supremacy group the Ku Klux Klan. On Oct. 22, family and former colleagues, friends and constituents unveiled a sign naming the Stone Mountain bridge on East Ponce de Leon Avenue near Memorial Drive the Charles “Chuck” Burris Memorial Bridge. The bridge runs over U.S. 78. Burris’ widow, Marcia Baird Burris, who now lives in Washington, D.C., and his son, Khalil Abdur-Rashid, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., were presented with replicas of the sign. Also in attendance were Burris’ in-laws, Dr. Keith and Mary Baird. Burris, who was mayor until 2001, died at age 57 on Feb. 12, 2009, after years of battling amyloidosis. During the ceremony, he was remembered as a great public servant, a visionary, a bridge builder and a man of integrity who always tried to help people. DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis recalled swelling with great pride when he saw Burris sitting next to first lady Hillary Clinton in 1998 during President Bill Clinton’s State of the Union address. “Today’s dedication is proof that his legacy will continue to shine in Stone Mountain, the county and the state,” Ellis said. The state resolution to name the Ponce de Leon bridge for Burris was sponsored by state Rep. Billy Mitchell, who served alongside Burris on the Stone Mountain City Council. The Georgia House approved the resolution in April.

The service cutbacks now shutter most branches on Fridays and Saturdays and cut night opening hours.

Newest library to open in the spring By Donna Williams Lewis

At this time last year, 61,000 square feet of new and expanded library space was sitting empty in DeKalb County for lack of money to open them. The brand-new $7.7 million Stonecrest branch, completed and furnished since the previous September; the $4.5 million expanded SalemPanola branch on Panola Road in Lithonia; and the $4.4 million expanded Hairston Crossing branch on Redan Road in Stone Mountain sat idly waiting for staff and patrons, even as taxpayers paid on the bonds that built Jami Ffrench-Parker / CrossRoadsNews them. A landscaper lays sod on the grounds of the new $5.3 million library on Candler Road in What a difference a year Decatur. The facility will replace the Scott Candler Library on McAfee Road. makes. All three branch libraries opened last spring and fast complished by a systemwide reduction in opening hours at became busy hubs for their communities, hosting meet- every branch. ings and exhibits along with books, magazines and video The service cutbacks now shutter most branches on Fricollections. days and Saturdays and cut night opening hours. The Hairston Crossing branch opened April 18. The Weissinger said that the library has 32 million visitors a enlarged and renovated Salem-Panola branch and the new year and 1.2 million online users. Stonecrest Library were dedicated in June. More than 800,000 people use the library’s Wi-Fi. By next spring, the new $5.3 million Scott Candler LiHere are some highlights of the new branch libraries that brary, another bond project, is expected to join them. opened in 2011: This month, work crews paved the driveway and comHairston Library, at 4911 Redan Road, was enlarged from pleted landscaping for the 12,000-square-foot facility that is 4,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet. It now features a 100nearing completion next door to the South DeKalb Senior seat meeting room, 12-seat conference room and a six-seat Center. study room. There are 38 computers for public use and 90 It will replace the 8,700-square-foot Scott Candler parking spaces, up from the previous 20. branch, which has been located at 2644 McAfee Road for The $4.5 million Salem-Panola Library, at 5137 Salem 47 years. Road, also was enlarged from 4,000 to 18,000 square feet. DeKalb Library Director Alison Weissinger said the It now features a 53,000-item collection; special areas for building will essentially be ready by the end of December children and teens; a 100-seat meeting room; and 38 comand they will be ordering furniture. puters for public use, including a computer lab with 12 “It should open by the end of February or early March,” computers. she said. The Stonecrest Library is located at 3123 Klondike Road, These projects are all part of a $54.5 million bond refer- near the intersection of Klondike and Hayden Quarry Road. endum for libraries approved by voters in 2005. The 25,000-square-foot branch has a 175-seat auditorium, The completed libraries stood idle because the county 65-seat meeting room and two six-seat study/tutor rooms. initially failed to put operation funds in its budget to staff It has a library café, 42 computers for public use and 220 the branches, among other things. Their openings were ac- parking spaces.

Citizens lobbying prompts new codes By Mary Swint

After rejecting a proposal to create a citizens board to handle code violations and set minimum fines, DeKalb Commissioners unanimously adopted a code amendment on Sept. 27 that provides new civil penalties designed to reduce the number of cases dismissed without a hearing in Recorders Court. Some of the citizens, who put in more than 1,000 man-hours of work on the code over a one-year period, see progress but say there is room for improvement. “We don’t have a lot to show for the effort but I think it was worth it,” said Joes Arrington, a Stone Mountain resident who served on the 12-member advisory council. The county code already allowed Recorders Court judges to fine code violators up to $1,000 or sentence them to jail for up to 120 days. But because of the criminal penalty, as many as half the cases had to be dismissed because the accused violators were not served personally with the citation. The final vote came five months after the advisory council proposed a citizens board and larger fines and urged Commissioners to act. Under the newly approved code amendment: n Judges can issue a fine of up to $500 if the citation or summons was left at the premises where the violation oc-

CrossRoadsNews

December 31, 2011

curred, mailed to the violator at his address on tax records, and published by the Recorders Court on its calendar Web site. n Judges can still fine a violator up to $1,000 or sentence him to jail for up to 120 days if the code enforcement officer directly served him with the citation. n Judges can hear the case and levy a fine even if the violator does not come to court. n Effective Jan. 1, 2013, the county is prohibited from issuing licenses, permits, variances or rezonings to persons who owe a fine or if the application relates to property involved in a code violation, n No minimum fines are required even though citizens had proposed fines ranging from $100 to $1,000. With the help of volunteers, the Recorders Court converted a storage room into an additional courtroom in September to increase the court’s capacity 25 percent. Gil Turman, the advisory council’s chairman, said it was definitely worth the effort. “Things are better, but we still have a Gil Turman long way to go,” said Turman, who lives in Decatur. “Covington Highway, Memorial Drive, Wesley Chapel and Flat Shoals look a whole lot better. We are

not where we want to be at this point but a lot better than we were.” Turman still feels that a citizens board was the most effective way to go. “The commissioners did not want a citizens board,” he said. “They voted to do it through the administrative court. We expect them to make that system work and hold people accountable. People not willing to follow guidelines will pay a penalty for it.” Turman said there is more clarity about offenses and the nature of the penalties which has helped judges get through cases and administer fines. Joel Edwards, an advisory council member from Decatur, said that he is already seeing changes, “They are enforcing it more,” he said, adding that he can tell the difference since DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson got all workers driving county trucks to help remove signs from rights of way. In 2012, Edwards says he is looking forward to the use of trained volunteer ambassadors to help report code violations and to seeing information about code violation fines included in water bills sent to residents. Arrington said he is concerned about the elimination of weekend and evening hours for code enforcement officers. “Most violations occur in the evenings and on weekends,” he said.

Hazing death rocks FAMU, DeKalb bands The death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion was ruled a homicide after an autopsy showed he died of internal bleeding caused by blunt force trauma. Orlando officials said on Dec. 16 that 26-year-old Champion had bruises on his chest, arms, shoulder and back. Officials believe he died after a hazing ritual. Champion, a Southwest DeKalb alumnus, died on Nov. 19. His death revealed a culture of hazing within Robert Champion FAMU’s famed Marching 100 band and led to the suspension of longtime band director Julian White. On Dec. 12, three FAMU band members and alumni of DeKalb County Schools were arrested in connection with hazing of fellow FAMU band member Bria Hunter three weeks before Champion’s death. Hunter, also a Southwest DeKalb High alumna, said she was hazed at an off-campus apartment by three fellow DeKalb Schools alumni, including one from Southwest DeKalb High School. The FAMU incidents also reverberated through DeKalb County Schools when on Dec. 14, complaints about inappropriate behavior with bands prompted the district to suspend all marching band activities pending an investigation. Four students suspected of involvement in Champion’s hazing were briefly expelled after his death but later reinstated. The Orange County Sheriff ’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are leading the criminal investigation. In Florida, death involving hazing is a thirddegree felony. At press time, no charges had been filed.

Community

CrossRoadsNews

December 31, 2011

“Please join in helping support the library with your monetary donations, book donations or by joining your local Friends group.”

Owner of vicious dogs Chipper hungry for Christmas trees goes on trial on Jan. 3 Twyann Artrell Vaughn, whose two dogs allegedly attacked and maimed a Lithonia girl in March 2010, will go on trial during the first week of the new year. Erin Ingram, who was 8 at the time of the attack, lost part of her left arm and has serious scarring all over her body. Vaughn, 41, pleaded not guilty to reckless conduct and failure to vaccinate her dogs in Twyann Vaughn November 2010 in DeKalb State Court. DeKalb Solicitor-General Sherry Boston will prosecute the case with Judge Dax Lopez presiding. Jury selection will begin on Jan. 3. Testimony from the victim is expected on Jan. 5. Boston says she strongly believes that owners of aggressive dogs have a responsibility to protect the public, and her office will prosecute those who do not control their animals. Vaughn has been charged with two counts of reckless conduct, two counts of violation of the Vicious Dog Act, and two counts of rabies (an ordinance). If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison. Erin, who was in third grade at Rock Chapel Elementary at the time of the incident, was mauled by Vaughn’s two dogs while playing outside near her home in the Brooks Estates subdivision off Union Grove Church Road. Vaughn lived on the same street as the girl. Erin Ingram A police officer had to shoot one dog to make him let go of the child’s arm. The other dog ran home and was later euthanized by DeKalb Animal Control. Georgia law requires that dogs be on a leash and behind a fence if left outdoors. The DeKalb Solicitor-General’s Office prosecutes misdemeanor crimes filed in State Court, including domestic violence, elder abuse, cruelty to children, vehicular homicide, drunk driving, harassment and stalking, trespassing, and animal cruelty.

‘Deadbeat’ sweep nets 10 Ten metro Atlanta men were arrested in a pre-Christmas roundup of “deadbeat dads.” DeKalb Sheriff ’s deputies had 189 arrest warrants for the Dec. 21-22 sweep. Department spokesman Sgt. Adrion Bell said most were for noncustodial parents charged with abandonment or child support negligence. The warrants were served both inside and outside of the county since some of the fathers lived in adjacent areas. Bell said a minimum bond of $1,000 applies if arrested for abandonment. Those arrested will remain in jail until they either pay the child support owed or make arrangements to pay at their initial court hearing, he said.

Families who had natural Christmas trees over the holidays can “Bring One for the Chipper” on Jan. 2-7. Keep DeKalb Beautiful will be recycling Christmas trees through the county’s Sanitation Division’s Curbside Recycling Program, at Seminole Road Landfill, and at three Home Depot locations across the county. Trees can be placed at the curb for pickup on regular yard debris collection day for residents receiving county sanitation services. They should not exceed 4 feet in length for curbside pickup. Last year, more than 200,000 trees were recycled in DeKalb County. The recycled trees will be chipped into mulch or used as wildlife habitat. Mulch is used for public beautification projects and is free to DeKalb Natural Christmas trees can be recycled by putting them at the curb or by taking them to Seminole Landfill or three Home Depot stores Jan. 2-7. residents. Christmas trees also can be dropped off for recycling n Home Depot, 2295 Lawrenceville Highway in Decaat the following locations: tur. n Seminole Road Landfill, 4203 Clevemont Road in n Home Depot, 4343 Tilly Mill Road in Atlanta. Ellenwood. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-4 Bring One for the Chipper’s sponsors include Davey p.m. Saturday. Tree and Ferry Morse. n Home Depot, 4325 New Snapfinger Woods Drive in For more information, call 404-371-2654 or visit Decatur. www.keepdekalbbeautiful.org.

Friends group seeks support to help libraries Book lovers and library patrons can help their local branch by donating their gently used books or making monetary contributions as the DeKalb Public Library grapples with budget cuts. The Alliance of Friends of the DeKalb County Public Library Inc. said that 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of donated books benefit library programs. In a Dec. 21 statement, the alliance, which is an umbrella organization of 15 DeKalb library branches, said that the branches have been hit hard by budget cuts, and book and/or monetary donations to Friends are more important than ever. Friends groups earn funds for the library through book sales held regularly at local branches. With the money raised from book sales, the groups support programs, book purchases and other items needed in the branches that are not met by the budget. Over the past three years, county funding for books and materials for all 22 branch libraries has plummeted from $2.02 million in fiscal year 2008 to just $100,000 in fiscal year 2011, the alliance said. Friends Alliance President Janis Jones said the sup-

port of friends and residents is critical. “Please join in helping support the library with your monetary donations, book donations or by joining your local Friends group,” she said. Donations of gently used books – hardback and paperback – can be taken to the circulation desk at any branch library that has a Friends group. The donation is tax-deductible, Jones said. Janis Jones Monetary contributions also can be made to a local Friends group or the Friends Alliance. Branches with Friends include the Wesley ChapelWilliam C. Brown Library and the Decatur, Clarkston, Stonecrest, Hairston, Salem-Panola, Flat Shoals, Lithonia, Redan, Covington and Scott Candler branches. To find a Friends group, visit www.dekalblibrary.org and click on the Support Us tab at the top. For more information, contact Janis Jones at janis .jones18@gmail.com or 770-220-0238.

December 31, 2011

Scene

CrossRoadsNews

The Trumpet Awards were created to celebrate and honor African-American achievers and those who support the black experience.

Willie Bolden

E.T. Caviness

Charles Ogletree Jr.

Walter F. Young

More footprints for Walk of Fame Earth, Wind & Fire (left) will receive a Trumpet Award for Lifetime Achievement, and NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and wife Pat will receive the Humanitarian Award.

Legends for Trumpet Awards T he 20th annual Trumpet Awards observance celebrating more than two dozen history makers will kick off next week with a Race Relations Symposium and culminate in the black-tie awards ceremony on Jan. Cory Booker 7 hosted by TV personality Wayne Brady. Events and activities scheduled for the Atlanta Hyatt Regency Hotel include the Race Relations Symposium on Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. with Dr. Julianne Malveaux as moderator and the Jan. 5 Prayer Tyrese Gibson Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Also on Jan. 5, the High Tea With High Heels at the Hyatt scholarship fund-raiser that spotlights women who have made their mark begins at 3 p.m. (Seating is limited – visit http://trumpetfoundation.org for ticket Ted Turner information.) A program preceding the induction of new footprints at the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame will be held on Jan. 6 at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Frank Ski with WVEE-FM/V-103 is ceremonial host for the program and footprints unveiling, which are free and open to the public. Brady, star of CBS’ “Let’s Make a Deal,” will host the awards ceremony at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta on Jan. 7 beginning at 4 p.m. The Trumpet Awards were created to celebrate and honor African-American achievers and those who support the black experience. Fields of achievement include law, medicine, business, politics, the arts, civil rights, sports and entertainment. The 2012 honorees are Dr. Levi Watkins Jr., Medicine; U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant, International; Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker, Political Leadership; Mary Parker, Business; Emmitt and Pat Smith, NFL Hall of Fame, Humanitarian;

Earth, Wind & Fire, Lifetime Achievement; Tyrese Gibson, Pinnacle; the Rev. C.L. Franklin (accepted by his daughter, Aretha Franklin), Civil Rights; first lady Michelle Obama, President’s Award (pending); Ted Turner, Golden C.L. Franklin Trumpet; and black hotel general managers, Power at the Front Door. For the 20th anniversary, the Trumpet Awards Foundation decided to honor a group of individuals who have helped to change the face of the hotel industry at the Mary Parker front door, said Xernona Clayton, founder and executive producer of the Trumpet Awards and president and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation Inc. “In the past, AfricanAmericans did not hold key positions at promiLevi Watkins Jr. nent hotels,” Clayton said in a Dec. 1 statement. “The hotel industry has recently seen a significant change in its leadership as more African-Americans move into positions of leadership. We want to bring awareness to this compelling fact.” The Power at the Front Door award was created to salute black hotel general managers including Olivia Brown, Bryan Conyers, Larry Daniels, Michael Hopper, Adrian Hughes, Russell Miller, Erica Qualls, Michael Session, Michael Smith, Gail Smith-Howard, Michael Washington, Linda Westgate, Robert Woolridge, Erika Alexander, Lorenzo Creighton, Valerie Ferguson and Robert Steele. Turner Broadcasting created the Trumpet Awards in 1993 to recognize the accomplishments of African-Americans who have succeeded against immense odds. The Trumpet Awards Foundation, which was formed in 2005, has continued the tradition. The Hyatt Regency Atlanta is at 265 Peachtree St. N.E. For more information, visit http://trumpetfoundation.org.

diers of justice who sacrificed and More footsteps will be added struggled to make equality a reality to the International Civil Rights for all. The shoes used to create the Walk of Fame when nine civil footsteps also will be on display rights activists are inducted durduring the unveiling program. ing the 2012 Trumpet Awards The Walk of Fame is sponsored events next week. by the Trumpet Awards FoundaThe induction ceremony takes tion Inc. and was designed by place on Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. at the Clayton, founder and executive Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site at 450 Auburn Ave. Xernona Clayton producer of the legendary Trumin Atlanta. The event is free and open to pet Awards. “This Walk of Fame tells a phenomenal the public. The honorees are the Rev. Willie Bolden, activist J.T. Johnson, the Rev. story about the legacy of this nation,” ClayDr. E.T. Caviness, educator Dosan Ahn ton said in a Dec. 8 statement. “It is a permaChang Ho, writer Constance W. Curry, nent testimony to those who have dedicated attorney Fred D. Gray, the Rev. Theodore themselves to progress of our people and to M. Hesburgh, educator/author Charles J. this nation.” She said the foundation will continue to Ogletree Jr. and Dr. Walter F. Young. The International Civil Rights Walk of build upon the memorial to the civil rights Fame was created by Xernona Clayton in struggle. For more information, visit http:// 2004 to give recognition to the foot sol- trumpetfoundation.org.

Crown Ministries hosting classes Families and individuals can turn to the Bible for fiscal guidance through Crown Financial Ministries classes at Saint Philip AME. The classes take place Jan. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. and Jan. 7 from 9 to 11 a.m. The course teaches biblical principles covering topics on debt, counsel, hon-

esty, giving, work, investing, perspective and eternity. The Atlanta church is accepting applications for the course, which is free. Saint Philip AME Church is at 240 Candler Road at Memorial Drive. For more information, call Bernice Tanker at 770-4937629 or 678-558-6618.

Legislative Breakfast coming up Business leaders and entrepreneurs can attend the Georgia African-American Chamber of Commerce’s 14th annual Legislative Breakfast on Jan. 21. The breakfast, which begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, offers a chance for business owners to connect with legislators, elected officials, and government and corporate entities from across the state. The event is held annually on the Saturday before the General Assembly convenes.

The Georgia African-American Chamber of Commerce is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization dedicated to promoting and advancing public policy issues and programs that serve to strengthen and enhance the economic climate in which small and AfricanAmerican businesses operate statewide. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are still available by calling 404-329-4504. To purchase tickets, visit http://gaachamber .org/BreakFast.html. The hotel is at 265 Peachtree St. N.E. in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.gaachamber.org.

MLK Celebration Weekend “Discovering New Possibilities”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Saturday, January 14, 2012 • 9:00 a.m. Marcia Moss Fellowship Hall

Speaker: The Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake, Senior Pastor, The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, Jamaica, N.Y. Breakfast is free • Space is limited – RSVP required • Deadline to RSVP: Jan. 8, 2012 • 404-371-0749

Worship Service

Sunday, January 15, 2012 7:45 a.m. 11 a.m.

Speaker: Senior Pastor Rev. William D. Watley, Ph.D. Saint Philip AME

Speaker: Dr. Cornell West Princeton University Professor of African-American Studies

CrossRoadsNews

Youth

December 31, 2011

“It’s kind of fun to come back as a pro and help some of these kids learn the fundamentals that we worked on here when I was in high school.”

WNBA champion hosts free basketball clinic for girls Middle and high school girls learned the fundamentals of basketball from WNBA champion and Atlanta native Maya Moore at her first “A Very Maya Christmas” free basketball clinic. The Dec. 20 clinic, which was held at Southwest DeKalb High School, focused on fundamentals training and personal development through basketball drill stations, games and contest. Along with basketball Maya Moore drills, the girls learned team building, teamwork and leadership in classroom sessions. Moore said those sessions are important because basketball is more than just physical skills. “It’s about attitude and how you approach the game,” Moore said. “We’re going through each group and try to install in them details – how to do a drop step and how to

encourage your teammates.” Moore, who graduated from Collins Hill High School in Gwinnett County, said she chose to have the clinic at the Southwest DeKalb gym because it has a special place in her heart. “I played two years [Amateur Athletic Union] for the Georgia Metros and we practiced here a lot,” she said. “It kind of brings back some memories.” Lee Terrell, a basketball coach at Chapel Hill Middle School, brought his daughter, Liyah, to the clinic to get in a good workout and to learn from other coaches. “All the things I’ve been trying to get her to learn she can see it from other coaches,” he said. Moore said she was glad to share what she knows. “It’s kind of fun to come back as a pro and help some of these kids learn the fundamentals that we worked on here when I was Young basketball players get training in fundamentals of the game at a clinic hosted by Maya in high school,” she said. Moore at Southwest DeKalb High School.

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Reader Notice As a service to you – our valued readers – we offer the following information: This newspaper will never knowingly accept any advertisement that is illegal or considered fraudulent. If you have questions or doubts about any ads on these pages, we advise that before responding or sending money ahead of time, you check with the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Line and/or the Better Business Bureau. They may have records or documented complaints that will serve to caution you about doing business with those advertisers. Also be advised that some phone numbers published in these ads may require an extra charge. In all cases of questionable value, such as promises or guaranteed income from work-at-home programs, money to loan, etc., if it sounds too good to be true – it may in fact be exactly that. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for any negative consequences that occur as a result of you doing business with any advertisers. Thank you.

CrossRoadsNews

December 31, 2011

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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.

If This Was Your Ad, Someone Would Be Seeing It Now! Call 404-284-1888 today for rates & information.

BOOKS NEW RELEASE!

Islam has been one of the most progressive movements for “Freedom, Justice and Equality” in African American history. Transported into America among the very first slaves, it has survived approximately four centuries under the most difficult of circumstances. Yet, it has produced some of the most influential leaders among Black Americans including Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Imam Warithu Deen Mohammed, Louis Farrakhan and many others. In “A Black Man’s Journey in America: Glimpses of Islam, Conversations and Travels,” I have placed my family’s history within the context of that Islamic heritage. Further,I have attempted to unravel the method through which African American Muslims, from the early days of American slavery, were so often forced to embrace as a means of survival. — Muhammad Ali Salaam

Available at www.xlibris.com, www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com.

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LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR BIDS

G4S Technology LLC is in the process of preparing a proposal in response to the DeKalb County Workforce Development RFP #11500211. In support of this, we are soliciting Certified MWBE subcontractors and/or suppliers to submit bids for labor and materials. Work includes installation of, and delivering power to, wireless and cctv systems equipment. If interested, please contact Jeremy Wojahn @ G4S Technology LLC, via fax, 402-233-7650, by Monday, January 2, 2012.

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❑ Send me 26 issues of CrossRoadsNews via First Class mail. Here ís my check for $48.15 ($45+tax). ❑ Send me 52 issues of CrossRoadsNews via First Class mail. Here ís my check for $74.90 ($70+tax). Name ____________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________ City _________________________State _________________Zip ____________ Phone ________________________ E-mail ______________________________ I prefer to pay by credit card: ❍ Visa ❍ MC ❍ AmEx ❍ Discover

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CrossRoadsNews

December 31, 2011

NEW YEAR’S SALE CLEARANCE! 5O%-85% OFF PLUS, TAKE AN EXTRA 15% OR 1O% OFF† WHEN YOU USE YOUR MACY’S CARD OR PASS †EXCLUSIONS APPLY; SEE PASS. DON’T MISS SPECTACULAR ALL-DAY SPECIALS NOW-MON, JAN. 2 OUR BIGGEST DENIM EVENT OF THE SEASON CONTINUES! SHOP WITH YOUR GIFT CARDS AND START THE YEAR RIGHT! FREE ONLINE SHIPPING EVERY DAY + EXTRA 15% OR 1O% OFF!

FREE SHIPPING WITH $99 PURCHASE ($8 FLAT-FEE SHIPPING WITH PURCHASES UNDER $99). USE PROMO CODE: NEWYEAR FOR EXTRA SAVINGS; OFFER VALID 12/30-1/2/2012. EXCLUSIONS APPLY; SEE MACYS.COM FOR DETAILS.

WOW! PASS EXTRA 15% OFF

EXTRA SAVINGS ON ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL! (EXCEPT SPECIALS & SUPER BUYS) SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL FOR HIM, HER & KIDS, PLUS FINE & FASHION JEWELRY EXTRA 1O% OFF ALL SALE & CLEARANCE WATCHES, SHOES, COATS, SUITS, DRESSES, INTIMATES, SUIT SEPARATES & SPORTCOATS FOR HIM AND SELECT HOME ITEMS Excludes: Everyday Values (EDV), specials, super buys, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services, macys.com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new Macy’s account. EXTRA SAVINGS % APPLIED TO REDUCED PRICES.

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NEW YEAR’S SALE PRICES IN EFFECT THROUGH 1/2/2012, EXCEPT AS NOTED. OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 15% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, select licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food and wine. The new account savings is limited to $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible. N1110313A.indd 1

12/19/11 4:59 PM