WELLNESS
SCENE
VOTING ONLINE
Up close perspective
Final week
People with high blood pressure, diabetes and other conditions can improve their health outcomes with better food choices. 7
Kids can explore fire trucks and other emergency equipment at the annual Toucha-Truck event in Decatur. 8
Voting ends February 29 in the 2012 Best of East Metro Readers Choice Awards competition. The ballot is available at www.crossroads news.com.
Heart healthy choices
READERS CHOICE AWARDS
EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER
Copyright © 2012 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
February 25, 2012
Volume 17, Number 43
www.crossroadsnews.com
Challengers queuing up to unseat incumbents By Donna Williams Lewis
Qualifying for the 2012 elections is still three months away, but candidates are getting in the ring for some interesting match-ups. Election documents filed with the state elections office through Feb. 14 show that five incumbents – CEO Burrell Ellis, DeKalb districts 4 and 6 Commissioners Sharon Barnes Sutton and Kathie Gannon, Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry, and State Court Judge Dax Lopez – will be facing challengers for the July 31 general primary and nonpartisan election and the Nov. 6 general election. Thomas Bowen, the former chairman of the DeKalb Board of Education, has signaled his intention to leave the School Board after five years.
Bowen filed a declaration of intent with the state elections office on Feb. 13 to challenge Barnes Sutton for her District 4 Stone Mountain seat. “I’m seriously looking at it and kind of in the final stages prior to an Thomas Bowen announcement,” Bowen said Feb. 21. “I’m cautiously optimistic that everything will work out.” Also vying for the District 4 commission seat is Steve Bradshaw, an adjunct professor at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University and a regional sales manager for Barlo World, a company
that sells materials handling equipment. Bowen, an attorney and certified public accountant, said he has been asked to consider running for the commission and will make an announcement within a few weeks. Declarations of intent must be filed when a candidate plans to collect campaign donations. This would not be Bowen’s first run at the Board of Commissioners if he qualifies for the primary on May 23-25. Before being elected to the School Board in 2006, the Stone Mountain resident lost a runoff election in 2004 to Connie Stokes to replace Commissioner Lou Walker, who died in office. In 2002, Bowen was one of three candidates for the then-newly created District
6 School Board seat won by Simone Manning Moon. Before that, in 2000, he ran for the then-House District 62 seat held by Arnold Ragas. Bowen, who decided not to seek re-election as board chairman this year, was elected vice chairman of the School Board on Jan. 9. His School Board Steve Bradshaw term ends on Dec. 31. Bradshaw, who lives in Clarkston, is a political newcomer and has never run for public office. “I’ve long held an interest in public serPlease see ELECTIONS, page 2
Interchange Work Under Way Biomass Workers have begun removing trees on I-20 near the Wesley Chapel Road exit ain preparations for the I$30.9 milion I-20/I-285 Collector/ Distributor project.
Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews
Crews clear way for I-20 collector/distributor construction By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
A year after the $30.9 million contract for the I-20/I-285 collector/distributor lanes project was awarded, work crews are clearing the way for the construction. The 4.7-mile project, which will transform the I-20/1-285 interchange, will extend between the Columbia Drive and Wesley Chapel Road exits and eliminate the significant weaving that takes place between I-20 eastbound traffic exiting at Wesley Chapel and vehicles entering I-20 East from I-285. Crews began removing trees on I-20 near the Wesley Chapel Road exit at the beginning of the month and are preparing to install the drainage infrastructure. The contract for the collector/distributor lanes project was awarded Feb. 7, 2011, to
Marietta-based C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. Inc. At the time, construction was to start in the fall and continue through July 31, 2013. It was unclear at press time Thursday whether the later start will affect the completion date. Since 2005, the number of vehicles using the interchange daily has grown from 82,489 to 96,000. By 2012, the Georgia Department of Transportation estimates that 99,875 vehicles will use the interchange. The traffic growth has brought an increase in accidents. More than 534 people were injured within the project’s area between 2005 and 2007. Three have been killed. Among other things, the collector/dis-
tributor lanes project will widen I-20 up to five lanes at certain points, add 1.2 miles of barrier-separated collector/distributor lanes from the I-285/I-20 interchange to Wesley Chapel Road, and realign the I-285 northbound and southbound ramps to I-20 East. The collector/distributor lanes project was one of 18 projects totaling $403 million that were under way in metro Atlanta as part of GDOT’s RoadWorks 2011 summer construction program. GDOT is urging motorists to exercise extreme caution while driving through work zones and to obey posted, reduced speed limits; avoid unnecessary lane changes; and allow extra stopping distance between vehicles. For more information, visit Georgia Navigator.com or call 511.
plant gets funding
By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
Green Energy Partners has secured $53 million in bond funding for its proposed biomass facility in Lithonia. The DeKalb Development Authority approved a Feb. 14 resolution to issue bonds for the total principal amount for the plant that will incinerate wood chips to create energy on a 21.12-acre property at 1770 Rogers Lake Road in Lithonia. Green Energy says it will sell the energy to Georgia Power Co. News of the funding approval left members of the community – who have been fighting the construction of the plant since 2009 – reeling last week. Dr. Jewel Crawford, a member of Citizens for a Healthy and Safe Environment, said she was shocked. “How can they do that with a lawsuit hanging over their head and they don’t have an EPD permit,” she said. “I just don’t understand it.” Green Energy Partners has been trying for two years to build a $60 million plant in Lithonia. Its supporters say the 79,710-square-foot plant will bring jobs, produce green energy, and generate revenue for the county government. CHASE says it will bring pollution and health risks. It sued the county on July 13, 2011, saying that the county contracted with Green Energy and then approved the zoning to allow the plant. It is seeking to overturn the DeKalb Board of Commissioners’ July 14 approval of a special land use permit to allow the plant’s construction. The zoning approval followed a July 13, 2010, contract that the county signed Please see BIOMASS, page 2
2
CrossRoadsNews
Community
February 25, 2012
“I’ve been working with others, understanding how to form alliances, and how to get things done.”
Benfield won’t seek re-election to House Early voting at 5 sites State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield will not power plant. Thompson is relocating to Florida to be running for re-election. be closer to her family but will remain a GreenLaw Instead, Benfield announced Feb. 23 that staff attorney. she will become the new executive director of Before becoming a state legislator in 1999, GreenLaw, a Georgia environmental group that Benfield served as a public defender and was in advocates for clean air and clean water. private practice. Benfield, a Decatur Democrat with 14 years In a Feb. 23 statement, she said that her in the Georgia House, will begin her new posicommitment to clean water and air issues grew tion at the end of this year’s legislative session in even stronger after her son was diagnosed with April. Her term of office ends on Dec. 31 and she asthma. said she will serve out her term but won’t seek Stephanie Benfield “It really hit home that pollution can hurt our re-election. most vulnerable citizens, our children,” said Benfield, who Benfield represents House District 85, which includes has a law degree from the University of Georgia. portions of South DeKalb. During the recent contentious She said that GreenLaw has been a leader in protecting redistricting process, she was drawn into the same district Georgians from pollution in the past 20 years. “I am excited with DeKalb Delegation Chairman Howard Mosby. to be able to focus my attention on cleaning up our air and During her tenure under the Gold Dome, Benfield, an water for our families.” outdoors enthusiast and nature lover, was an active and enIn addition to continuing the effort to stop pollution gaged legislator. She served on the House’s Natural Resources from two proposed coal plants in South Georgia, GreenLaw Committee during her entire tenure. represents nonprofit clients, like the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, Greg Presmanes, chairman of GreenLaw’s board of di- around the state to help enforce laws that protect nature. rectors, said Benfield’s outstanding legal and public service Benfield said she is looking forward to working with credentials pushed her to the top of the list of an impressive GreenLaw’s skilled attorneys “to continue to give our enpool of candidates. vironment its day in court. Whether the pollution is from Benfield replaces Justine Thompson, a quick-witted and landfills, careless industries, or dirty coal, it’s high time that straight-talking attorney who led GreenLaw in a successful we clear the air and clean the water in Georgia so our children 10-year battle against a proposed southwest Georgia coal can live healthy, productive lives.”
Group vows to continue fight BIOMASS,
from page
1
to sell 40,000 tons of wood chips annually to Green Energy Partners for $200,000 a year. The lawsuit is making its way through the DeKalb Superior Court. In its Feb. 14 resolution, authority members – who are appointed by the county but operate independently of the county – said that issuing the bond “will develop and promote for the public good and general welfare” and increase employment opportunities within the county. The guarantee of funding is good for a year, the resolution said.
Athens-based Green Energy withdrew its Environmental Protection Division application last July after the EPD highlighted 15 deficiencies with its plans for a 11.85-megawatt wood gasification power plant. Green Energy’s President and CEO Neville Anderson did not respond to e-mail and telephone messages by press time Thursday. He has said that the plant will generate 650 jobs during construction and 25 permanent jobs once it opens. Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson, said she was disappointed to hear of the resolution and that CHASE will continue to fight the plant.
Composting plant hosting meeting Greenco Environmental is hosting a community meeting on Feb. 28 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia to discuss its application for a special land use permit to operate a composing facility in Lithonia The meeting begins at at 7 p.m.. Barnesville-based Greenco, which recycles food waste and yard trimmings into compost, wants to operate a 22-acre facility inside the 1,500-acre LaFarge Quarry. The church is at 2152 Rock Chapel Road. The Planning Commission will hear the application on March 6.
Voters can cast their ballots early in the March 6 presidential preference primary through March 2 at the DeKalb Voter Registration & Elections’ main office and four other sites. Polls are open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The main election office is at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300. The other early voting precincts are: n South DeKalb – Community Achievement Center Inc., 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. n East DeKalb – New Bethel AME Church, 8350 Rockbridge Road in Lithonia. n Downtown Decatur – Clark Harrison Building, 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Room A. n North DeKalb – Chamblee City Hall, 5468 Peachtree Road in Chamblee. Last month, DeKalb opened Georgia’s first Accessibleonly Poll at the Voter Registration & Elections’ main office. It is designed to accommodate the needs of elderly and disabled voters. For advance voting, an Accessible-only Poll is also open at the Tucker Recreation Center, 4898 LaVista Road in Tucker. For more information, visit http://web.co.dekalb.ga.us /voter/default.html.
DeKalb judges to talk A number of DeKalb judges will be talking about the judicial system at the March 3 DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet at the Chapel Hill Middle School in Decatur. The theme of the free 9-to-11 a.m. breakfast meeting is “Your DeKalb County Judicial System: A Walk Through Our Legal Process.” Speakers include Chief Magistrate Judge Berryl A. Anderson, State Court Judges Stacey Hydrick and Dax Lopez, Probate Court Judge Jeryl Debra Rosh, Superior Court Judge Gregory A. Adams, and Juvenile Court Judge Desiree Sutton Peagler. The meeting is hosted by Super District 7 DeKalb Commissioner Stan Watson and a number of state and local elected officials. Watson said the monthly First Saturday meeting provides an opportunity for citizens to either talk to or hear from elected officials. Chapel Hill Middle School is at 3535 Dogwood Farms Road. For more information, visit www.stanwatson.us.
State Court judge faces challenge from lawyer vying to make history ELECTIONS,
from page
1
vice,” said Bradshaw, adding that he hopes to improve relations between the CEO and County Commission.
Challenger for Gannon Edmond Richardson, chief of staff for District 5 Commissioner Lee May, has filed a declaration to run for the District 6 seat, held by Gannon since 2005. Richardson, who lives in Ellenwood, currently works on the same floor at the county building as Edmond Richardson Gannon. He said he will formally announce in March that he’s seeking the District 6 seat and will give up his job when he qualifies although he is not required to do so. Richardson holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of West Georgia and is on the board of directors of the Southwest DeKalb Neighborhood Collaborative group. He has been May’s chief of staff since May took office in 2006. If elected, Richardson said he would be new to the board but not new to the process. “I’ve been here working with others, understanding how to form alliances, and how to get things done,” he said Tuesday. “You have to be willing to compromise at all times.” As campaigns get under way, members of the DeKalb legislative delegation, like
state legislators across Georgia, are redrawing County Commission and School Board districts for the 2012 elections based on the new Georgia population numbers received last spring from the 2010 U.S. Census. Because of separate state legislation approved last year to reduce the nine-member DeKalb School Board to no more than seven members, legislators also must eliminate two School Board districts. DeKalb House delegation members who have been gridlocked over new school districts reached a compromise Feb. 15 that could allow for a referendum and a size reduction in 2014 instead of this year.
Two taking on CEO Two people with no previous political experience have filed declarations to challenge DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis in November. Jerome Edmondson, who says he was Denny’s first African-American franchisee, filed on Feb. 14. He said he plans to announce his candidacy at the end of this month. Jerome Edmondson Edmondson no longer owns the Denny’s, which was in Michigan. Currently president of Entrepreneur Development Network Global and Edmondson Associates Business Advisors, he helps public and private sector clients build their capacity and develop their minority women- and veteran-owned suppliers. Edmondson said he has been doing grassroots work — meeting with public safety workers, neighborhood associations, and
local and regional political leadership. Gregory Adams, a former DeKalb County police officer and ordained minister in the True Church of Christ, launched his campaign last summer. In 2010, Adams filed a declaration to run in the special election to replace Connie Stokes, the Super District 7 commissioner who left the board midterm to run for Congress, but changed his mind and did not qualify. Stan Watson went on to win that race. Adams said his CEO campaign is going well and that he has a “town hall meeting” scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. at the home of one of his supporters, at 4081 Seneca Way in Stone Mountain.
Clerk of Court candidates In the Clerk of Superior Court race, Oretha Brown-Johnson, the county district attorney’s administrative coordinator for Case Management, and Frank Swindle, a former DeKalb Superior Court senior case manager, announced last year that they are seeking the seat. Brown-Johnson says she is running to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Superior Court clerk’s office. Swindle, who took early retirement from the county in 2009, is making his second run for the office. In 2004, he was one of five candidates who unsuccessfully sought to replace Linda Carter at the end of her first term. DeBerry, who was Carter’s chief deputy for judicial and administrative services, was appointed to the office in March 2011 and is finishing Carter’s third term that ends on Dec. 31, 2012. Carter, who has early onset Alzheimer’s,
sued DeBerry in April 2011, a month after she resigned from the office, saying she was duped into resigning. The county paid $75,000 to settle the case. Five incumbent State Court judges are up for election this year, but so far only one is facing a challenger. Dionne McGee, a senior prosecutor in the county’s Solicitor-General’s Office, would make Dionne McGee history if she wins her challenge to Lopez, who was appointed in 2010 by Gov. Sonny Perdue to succeed Judge Edward E. Carrierre, who took early retirement. McGee, president-elect of the DeKalb Lawyers Association, would become the first woman to unseat an incumbent judge in DeKalb and only the second challenger to do so. An 11-year prosecutor who worked in Fulton County before joining the solicitor’s office in 2009, McGee, who is president of the Marbut Theme School PTA, says she is uniquely qualified. “I’m a lifelong resident of DeKalb County, I’m a community leader and a career prosecutor,” she said. Historically, DeKalb County voters do not remove incumbent judges from office. The lone exception was State Court Judge J. Oscar Mitchell, who became notorious in 1960 when he cuffed and shackled the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the DeKalb Courthouse on a minor traffic violation. In 1980, Clarence Seeliger defeated Mitchell. Seeliger is now a Superior Court judge.
3
CrossRoadsNews
February 25, 2012
Community
“We are trying to develop our area and we don’t want development to turn away because of unusual amounts of radiation.”
Doctor, ex-manger to fight fraud charges Fresh new look By Carla Parker
Decatur obstetrician/gynecologist Tyrone Malloy and his former office manager CathyAnn Warner are fighting a DeKalb grand jury indictment on Medicaid fraud charges. In their first appearance before DeKalb Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker on Feb. 22, lawyers for the duo said that it would be double jeopardy to prosecute them again on those charges. They say the charges were investigated in 2010 and no wrongdoing was found. Malloy and Warner, who ran the Metropolitan Atlanta Ob-Gyn and Soapstone Center for Clinical Research on Rainbow Drive in Decatur and the Old National Gynecology in College Park, were indicted on Dec. 8 on charges of using federal dollars to perform abortions. The two filed a Plea in Abatement pursuant to the Federal/State Double Jeopardy Clause on Feb. 15. Attorney Dwight Thomas, who is corepresenting Malloy with Thelma Wyatt Moore, told Becker that they would not be entering a plea. “These documents challenge the indictment and we would rather not enter a plea at this particular time,” Thomas said. Attorney Keith Adams, who is representing Warner, told the judge that he is joining the motions. Becker set the defendants’ next court date for March 28. Malloy, 62, and Warner, 58, were indicted on two counts of Medicaid fraud, a claim that they say was investigated in 2010 and “evidence did not support that claim.”
for Fire Station
Dr. Tyrone Malloy and his former office manager CathyAnn Warner, faced the judge on Wednesday as their attorneys argued that their indictment on medicaid fraud would be double jeopardy.
The grand jury indictment alleges that Malloy and Warner accepted more than $386,000 for medical office visits associated with performing elective abortions and for ultrasound services that were never performed. Federal funds cannot 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. Medicaid fraud is punishable by one to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000, authorities said. After the arraignment, Malloy, who is still practicing, said that he has never billed Medicaid for abortions. On Jan. 27, 2010, the Program Integrity Unit of the Georgia Department of Community Health conducted a comprehensive review of services billed to and paid for by the Medicaid program at Old National
By Carla Parker
DeKalb Fire Station 10 in Atlanta is back open for business with a new look. The station, located at 1686 Constitution Road, was renovated at a cost of $800,000. It closed last May for remodeling and opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by county officials on Feb. 22. The station was built in 1960. With the renovations, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis said the station will better serve the needs of the citizens, firefighters and other employees who work there. Renovations include new plumbing, electrical, heating and air, floor coverings, and roof. The center also got new furniture, a fresh coat of paint and two drive-through bays. The upgrades were funded with Community Development Block Grant money. Other upgrades are a new apparatus bay that accommodates two emergency vehicles and allows for taller modern units; separate bathrooms for male and female workers; disabled-accessible restrooms for visitors; a larger kitchen and dayroom; office space; and larger sleeping quarters with personal beds. Ellis said the renovation project brought federal dollars to the citizens of DeKalb. “That’s the key – DeKalb County citizens getting their fair share of federal funding.” Public Safety Director William Miller said Fire Station 10 is “hugely important” to the community, especially to the surrounding trucking companies. “Major trucking companies bring goods – international goods throughout this area and they often stop right down the street. So this station and these men and women respond to any emergencies that they have.”
Gynecology. The review, which did not include the Malloy’s Decatur location, focused on the premise that Malloy was billing Medicaid for services performed in conjunction with elective abortions. In the court documents filed on Feb. 15, Malloy said that on Aug. 25, 2010, a Georgia administrative law judge ruled on the same facts in the case and said he has never billed Medicaid improperly or illegally. Thomas said he wants the judge to rule in their favor. “We’re urging her first to throw away this indictment,” he said. Moore said the prosecution was politically motivated. “It is an attempt to attack a woman’s right to choose,” she said. “Dr. Malloy has practiced for more than 30 years in this community and he has never been audited by Medicaid. In this particular prosecution, and in the press, there has been an attempt to portray Dr. Malloy as an abortion doctor.”
Residents in the greater Hidden Hills area turned out for an informational meeting on Feb. 18 about a proposed cell phone tower near Berean Christian Church.
Carla Parker / CrossRoadsNews
Hidden Hills tapped for cell tower By Carla Parker
A new cell phone tower could be coming to the greater Hidden Hills area. Jacksonville, Fla.-based TowerCom Enterprises is considering two sites near Berean Christian Church at Panola and Young roads in Stone Mountain. More than 40 people attended a Feb. 18 informational meeting about the proposed tower. The meeting at the Hairston Crossing Library was hosted by the Hidden Hills Civic Association and attended by representatives of TowerCom, T-Mobile and Metro PCS. TowerCom builds cell towers and leases them to mobile phone operators. The sites under consideration are a vacant piece of land near Berean and an abandoned subdivision on Panola north of the church. Both of the proposed sites are outside the limits of the four-mile Greater Hidden Hills Overlay District, but residents still want to know if cell phone towers are appropriate for the area and if so, what kind of tower would residents prefer. Chip Bulloch, vice president of the TowerCom Enterprises Atlanta office, told residents that multiple cell phone operators, including Metro PCS, Sprint and T-Mobile, would locate on the tower once it is built. He said that they have not yet filed any applications to construct a tower.
“We wanted to have a meeting with the community to answer any questions you may have,” he said. Residents asked a lot of questions about service improvement, spacing of cell towers, and radiation and health impacts. Calvin Sims from the Chapman Mills/ Redan Park community said residents have to be concerned about radiation emissions. “We are trying to develop our area and we don’t want development to turn away because of unusual amounts of radiation,” he said. Shawn Blassingill, T-Mobile’s senior development manager, said the increase in voice and data usage is causing over-capacity at other tower sites. She said that having an additional site in that area of Stone Mountain will improve T-Mobile coverage in the area. To secure permits to build, TowerCom must meet county requirements. Richard Wise, Metro PCS director of radio engineering and frequency, called De Kalb’s cell tower ordinance “pretty strong.” Bulloch said the abandoned subdivision is a better location for the tower than the site near Berean. He said it meets standards. “This site is almost big enough to meet the set-back requirements regarding to residential property lines on the southeast side,” he said.
038 . • Lithonia, GA 30 d R ill H er rn Tu 25 30 (678) 323-8223
C O M E T RY S O M E O F OUR FAVORITES Blackened Tuna Rib Eye
Pan-Seared Scallops
Hand-Breaded Jumbo Shrimp
Peach Bourbon BBQ Ribs
Jambalaya Pasta
Homemade Key Lime Pie
...and our NEW
Sunset Steamer
Ma rlin An dR ays Se afo od. com
4
Forum 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com
Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Graphic Design Curtis Parker Staff Writers Carla Parker Jennifer Ffrench Parker Advertising Sales Kathy E. Warner Alison White
CrossRoadsNews is published every Saturday by CrossRoadsNews, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers. The concept, design and content of CrossRoadsN ews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.
Advertisements are published upon the representation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject matter of such advertisments, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.
L CA LO ODS! GO
AL ! LOC ICES RV SE
www.eastmetromarket.com
Circulation Audited By
CrossRoadsNews
February 25, 2012
I am very excited that people around the world and organizations like Elton John’s AIDS foundation are starting to recognize STAND’s work.
In defense of senior citizens Dear Mr. President: I applaud you for recognizing more effective preventative methods on child bearing for inclusion in health insurance for women. Why not? A vast number of women and girls produce children like growing oranges on a tree in Florida. Often, it’s not because they love them or can take care of them, it is basically because producing children means economic gain. It means more free food stamps, free housing, free health insurance, and free childcare given to them by the federal government. Having a number of fatherless children gives them the excuse not to work but to enjoy a freestyle life without any responsibilities to themselves or the children they bear. Let’s not leave out the men who produce these children, which the system also takes care of when they give benefits to the women. Something has to be done. I grew up in a family of 11 children who are all living today in the Atlanta area where we were born. My mother and father have passed away; however, they were parents who reared us to be respectful, get an education, and among everything else, get a job and support yourself once you leave the house. Fortunately, all of their children have education beyond high school and secure jobs wherein they support themselves and their families. They are examples of what effective parenthood can bring because they also saw that my father always worked to support his family. My father was a painter and plasterer for the Atlanta Board of Education until he retired many years ago. My mother was a housewife who always had the food ready when we came from school. Today, there is a severe lack of parental responsibility. Oftentimes, this lack of responsibility stems from what the children experience and thus, they repeat the same practice of having illegitimate children because they see momma do it. Because of what they see, it may seem OK to produce children as an economic means. Often, while the mother in the household is on all the freebies, thus collecting disability, the daughter(s) are living there and collecting all the freebies for their children. As we watch shows like “Judge Judy” on TV, it is common knowledge that some females
There needs to be a different scale to approve senior citizens when it comes to food stamps and housing. Miriam Robinson
capitalize on the welfare system as a means of avoiding employment and responsibility. While this drama is happening, the senior citizen who is on retirement who needs assistance at least in food stamps and other benefits cannot be helped because the system rejects their applications for benefits based on the reason that because she/he is living alone and pays “market rate” rent, which they have no choice, or they “own a home,” still paying the mortgage and cannot get assistance. This is totally ludicrous. Because they earn a few pennies over the qualifying rate on the income scale, they are denied assistance. If they do get assistance, it can be as little as $10-16 per month. Yes, $1016 per month. A slap in the face for seniors who have put money into the system for years and years and cannot any assistance. I think it is a total disgrace to offer this small amount, as well as a waste of manpower to even process this insulting amount. A minimum of $50 per month would be more reasonable. There needs to be a different scale to approve senior citizens when it comes to food stamps and housing. Unlike young females, we cannot produce children to be legally used for monetary gain rather than get an education and a job. We got educated and got jobs to retire, but the system ignores us and causes us to suffer for our efforts by denying us food stamps and other services. The amount of food stamps given to young people in general needs to be revised and amounts cut back. These large amounts are too much to be given to one household while senior citizens may suffer from lack of food. Be fair to senior citizens. Miriam Knox Robinson lives in Decatur.
Grant to STAND well deserved I was elated to learn that STAND received such a fantastic grant to fund their work.(Feb. 11 issue of CrossRoadsNews) Though I no longer directly benefit from STAND’s work because I live far away from their home base, I know firsthand the great things that the organization can do. My uncle suffered from HIV/AIDS for several years, and the disease eventually took his life. Though he was a government officer, he was severely underpaid and could not afford the expensive medications and doctor’s visits that were required to maintain his help. When he learned about STAND in Atlanta, however, his health improved greatly because he didn’t have to skimp on medications because of STAND’s sliding scale payment system. Though my uncle eventually died of AIDS, I hope that, through the work STAND and organizations like it, we can keep the population living with AIDS until we eventually find a cure. I am very excited that people around the world and organizations like Elton John’s AIDS foundation are starting to recognize STAND’s work and they can show support in such amazing ways. Congratulations, STAND, you deserve it! Esther Taati lives in Raleigh, N.C.
More investigations needed on cell towers at schools I certainly understand the concern of all the parents and other residents where the proposed cell phone towers were to be built. The medical problems that the towers could cause children is a number one reason these towers should not be built on school property, and there needs to be a serious investigation on this subject before any approval is made. The people in the neighborhoods should have been given an opportunity to discuss this issue. This possible could effect property values for the next 30 years; they pay property taxes and it was just plain wrong not to allow them a chance to be involved. I hope the judge’s ruling will allow all the citizen of DeKalb an opportunity to address this issue, for we all pay taxes and deserve to be heard. Taxation without representation, clearly. Sidney Haley lives in Ellenwood.
index to advertisers Access Advertising......................................... 11 Ashley Cascade Apartments........................... 11 BJH Attorneys & Counselors at Law.............. 10 Chevrolet........................................................ 5 DeKalb County School System........................9 DeKalb Medical............................................... 7 Flat Shoals Foot & Ankle Center.....................6
Henry Mitchell, CPA, PC................................ 10 LaHair Café.................................................... 11 Locs for Life Salon........................................ 10 Marlin & Ray’s Seafood Grill........................... 3 Maryam Salaam............................................ 10 MetroPCS....................................................... 11 Robert Brock................................................. 10
Seafood On The Crest.................................... 11 South DeKalb YMCA...................................... 11 Star Tax Services........................................... 10 Sunset Ranches.............................................. 11 Teen Reach Inc.............................................. 11 Temple of the Spirit...................................... 10
The Affordable Hair Salon............................. 11 The Law Office of B.A. Thomas.................... 10 William E. Purkett II Scholarship Foundation.. 9 Best Buy Co. Inc......................................Inserts Holistic Health Management Inc . ..........Inserts Walgreens...............................................Inserts
February 25, 2012
CrossRoadsNews
5
6
CrossRoadsNews
Finance
February 25, 2012
“We need to do a better job monitoring the claims and informing the board. It won’t happen again.”
Commissioners face deadline on $559.5 million DeKalb budget By Mary Swint
DeKalb County commissioners will be wrestling again with the 2012 budget on Monday, the eve of their Feb. 28 deadline to approve the budget. On Feb. 16, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis increased his proposed budget by $12.2 million to $559.5 million, up from the $547.3 million he sent to the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 15. The adjusted 2011 tax funds budget adopted last July was $540.4 million. The board’s Finance Committee met twice this week to review the CEO’s amendment and to discuss some of their own proposed changes. Committee members Lee May, Sharon Barnes Sutton and Elaine Boyer will meet on Feb. 27 to make their final recommendations before the full board votes on Tuesday. In his amendment letter, Ellis notified the commissioners that there was an additional $12.1 million carried over from last year’s budget. “This increase in cash available was, in part, a result of stringent control of filling vacancies, which my administration will continue to maintain in 2012,” he said. Chief Operating OfRichard Stogner ficer Richard Stogner said the $12.1 million did not come from new revenues but from “squeezing” out savings under last year’s budget. When the 2011 books were closed out in mid-January, there was $31 million in the fund balance that carried over to 2012. Originally it was expected to be about $18
million. Finance Director Joel Gottlieb said $7 million from the $12.1 million was added to reserves in the budget, bringing them to about $30 million. The other $5 million was appropriated to correct problems identified during recent budget meetings with department heads and constitutional officers. The “new money” came just in time. The Finance Committee voted to use $2 million from fire fund reserves to replace air packs used by firefighters to help them breathe in burning buildings. The firefighters union had complained that the air packs have malfunctioned on the average of once a month and that 330 packs should be replaced as soon as possible. The CEO’s amendment letter said the administration would develop an RFP for new equipment, explore the sale of old equipment and phase in the new equipment, but it did not specify an amount of money. “Under a lease purchase agreement, we could replace all of them but pay about $700,000 per year for three years,” Stogner said. The biggest surprise in the amendment letter was the news that the health insurance claims for employees and retirees surpassed the 2011 budget by $8 million. The amendment letter also sought to pay these claims and to put $2 million into the reserve for group health insurance for 2012. Larry Jacobs, the county’s deputy director for risk management, said the actuaries projected claims would total $82 million in 2011 but they came to $90.8 million. “If there hadn’t been the $12 million end-of-the-year find, what would have been our plan?” Boyer asked. “That is like a 20
Seminar on rebuilding credit Residents can learn how to rebuild or establish personal and business credit at a seminar on Feb. 25 at the Points of Light Institute in Atlanta. The “Credit Made Easy” seminar presented by the D&E Group takes place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 Yves Mombeleur p.m. Pre-registration is required. Yves Mombeleur, a credit educator specializing in project management, state operations and federal compliance, is the host. Mombeleur is the seller relations director for the National Community Stabilization
Trust and has been featured on radio and television sharing his expertise on credit and financial management. D&E is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency that works with individuals and families in underserved communities to deliver affordable housing, work force development, low-cost banking, senior enrichment, youth empowerment and veteran re-entry programs. The Points of Light Institute is at 600 Means St., Suite 210, in the Hands on Atlanta building. Parking is free and the site is accessible by MARTA. For cost and more information, visit www.depower.org or call 770-961-6900.
Dr. Daalia Jones, DPM
Foot Pain is NOT Normal! Flat Shoals Foot & Ankle is the one stop venue for Diagnosing and Treating your foot and ankle problems. As a wellness, surgical and diabetic center of excellence, we are equipped with spa chairs, all-natural supplements, orthotics, on site x-rays, and podiatrists who are skilled both clinically and surgically.
ASK ABOUT OUR LASER TOENAIL TREATMENTS
Dr. Sherunda Smith, DPM, MPH
At Flat Shoals Foot & Ankle Center our physicians diagnose and treat to get you back on your feet! • • • • • • • •
Orthotics Tendonitis, Warts & Neuromas Sports Injuries Reconstructive foot & ankle surgery Bunions & Hammer Toes Pain free wart removal for kids & adults Athletes foot & fungal toenails Foot & ankle injuries/sprains/fractures
Saturdays by appointment only!
2855 Candler Rd. Suite 10 // Decatur, GA 30034 Phone: 404-241-7400 | Fax: 404-241-7475 | WWW.DRFOOT.BIZ
• • • • • • • • •
May said he was OK with Miller being the E911 director. Another objection to the CEO’s budget has been the inclusion of $4.5 million in revenue assumptions that still require action by the commissioners and/or state legislators. These include $1 million from a 3 percent increase in the hotel motel tax in unincorporated DeKalb, which the commissioners deferred until Feb. 28; $2 million from increased fees at the Recorders Court; $500,000 from increased utility cut fees; and $1 million from new fire inspection fees. The commissioners deferred until Feb. 28 a resolution calling for the local delegation to pass legislation to allow the hotel motel tax increase. State Rep. Michele Henson introduced HB 1113 on Feb. 21. It would authorize DeKalb’s governing authority to levy a hotel motel tax up to 8 percent. The county’s lobbyist, Bruce Bowers, told the Finance Committee on Thursday that another piece of local legislation that would increase fees in the Recorders Court was being drafted. He was confident both bills would pass but that might not happen until near the end of the legislative session, after the budget adoption. Also on Thursday, the Finance Committee voted to restore $512,000 to the roads and drainage budget to pay for paving materials, to increase senior services purchases and contract services to the 2011 level, and to allocate $180,000 to the District Attorney’s Office for a grand jury investigation of the Watershed Department. In a Feb. 22 supplemental amendment, Ellis increased the appropriation for senior services by about $364,000 and appropriated $280,000 to the district attorney for two grand juries related to public integrity.
Small business focus of House bills
CLARIFICATION An ad for Hibachi Grill & Sushi in the February 18 issue indicates Kids Eat Free w/ 2 Adult Meals during Spring Break. The ad should have said “One Kid Eats Free w/ 2 Adult Meals.”
Dr. Suzette Clements, DPM
percent mistake.” May said the administration should have seen that the amount of claims was above average each month and should have notified the commissioners earlier. “We need to do a better job monitoring the claims and informing the board,” Stogner said. “It won’t happen again.” On Feb. 21, the Finance Committee recommended taking $8.8 million from the general fund reserves and using it to increase the reserves in major tax funds, including police and fire funds, by 4.9 percent each. Gottlieb argued against this, saying that “rating agencies look at the general fund and compare it with other governments. Spreading the reserves diminishes funds available.” Moody’s has given DeKalb the highest rating for short-term bonds in connection with the sale of $157 million in tax anticipation notes on Feb. 28. The notes will provide the county with cash flow from March to September, when property taxes will begin coming in. The Finance Committee also voted to recommend eliminating the director of public safety position as of April 1 and to cut the $149,247 that funds the position from the police budget. Some commissioners opposed the creation of the public safety director as part of the CEO’s Cabinet in 2009, saying it diminished the role of the chief operating officer. The board has said in two budget resolutions it did not intend for the position to be funded, but the position appears on a list of authorized positions in the 2012 budget. William “Wiz” Miller, who holds that title, was appointed E911 director last April and is paid from the E911 fund.
Ankle Braces Foot Surgery Flat feet Ingrown toenails Diabetic Foot Care Corns & Callouses Skin Disorders Heel Pan & Spurs Arthritic Conditions
businesses” would be a priority in Small-business owners are eyethe House, citing concerns raised by ing Georgia House bills that would small-business leaders at hearings change the definition of “small across the state in 2011 under Gov. businesses” in the state. Nathan Deal’s Georgia CompetiHouse Bill 854 would revise tiveness Initiative. the Small Business Assistance Act Milton L. Kirby, president and of 1975, while House Bill 863 deals CEO of Allied Logistics Inc., said with state purchasing. HB 854, if passed, will allow much Authors of HB 854 include larger companies to compete for Reps. Mark Hamilton (R-Cum- David Ralston ming), Sean Jerguson (R-Woodstock), Bill the opportunities that may be available for Hembree (R-Winston), Amos Amerson (R- small businesses, creating what would not Dahlonega) and Jay Powell (R-Camilla), and be even close to a level playing field. Allied it would change “certain provisions relating Logistics is a metro supply chain and freight to definitions relative to small business as- transportation solutions provider. According to HB 854, “‘Small business’ sistance” as well as “provisions relating to the means a Georgia resident business which composition of the advisory council.” Opponents say the proposal will expand is independently owned and operated the number of small businesses dramatically and which does not exceed the maximum and include businesses that are not small, number of employees or amount of annual thereby making it even more difficult for receipts allowed for a small business and its true small businesses to compete for state affiliates to be classified as a small business under the 2007 North American Industry contracting opportunities. At the start of the legislative session in Classification System.” The special committee, a bipartisan January, House Speaker David Ralston (RBlue Ridge) said he would ask the Special group drawn from the state House and SenCommittee on Small Business Development ate, is holding meetings to hear directly from and Job Creation to take a look at state regu- small-business owners and operators. Smallbusiness owners also can voice their concerns lations that could be eliminated. Ralston said that lifting “some of the op- at www.house.ga.gov/redtapewatch. News services contributed to this report. pressive regulatory burdens we put on small
‘Jobs bus’ to stop at library, DFCS Out-of-work residents can find help with their job search at the DeKalb Library’s Mobile Career Center. Raylynn Hughes, continuing education coordinator, says the library is pleased to provide space for the bus, where services include Internet access; printing, scanning and copying; and help with resume writing and developing interview skills. “We hope visitors to the jobs bus will come into the library branch as well, get a free library card, and take advantage of such
library assistance as free Internet time and online resources to assist in resume writing and improving job readiness skills,” Hughes said. The mobile center will be at the DeKalb County Department of Family and Children’s Services office on Feb. 28 and at Stonecrest Library on Feb. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library is at 3123 Klondike Road in Lithonia. The DFCS office is at 178 Sams St. in Decatur. For more information, visit www .dekalbworkforce.org.
February 25, 2012
Wellness
7
CrossRoadsNews
“Risk factors for heart disease include obesity, physical inactivity, uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes.”
India Summit explores health care
Consuming foods like vegetables, fruits and oily fish, such as salmon, will help keep your heart and blood vessels in good shape.
Habits to do your heart good Heart-healthy choices can contribute to overall better health during American Heart Month and beyond. Kaiser Permanente cardiologist Andrew Kobylivker said cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death statewide for many reasons. “Risk factors for heart disease include obesity, physical inactivity, uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes. Most of these can be prevented or at least managed.” For some people with high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol or triglyceride levels, or uncontrolled diabetes, exercise and diet changes may not be enough to prevent or manage heart disease. Kobylivker advises patients to work with their doctor and care team to develop a treatment plan that may include medications, healthy lifestyle changes, and classes or online programs. He offers the following guidelines: n Eat right for your heart: Consuming fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins, and whole grains on a daily basis will help keep your heart and blood vessels in good shape. Incorporate oily fish, such as salmon, into your diet twice a week. Avoid trans-fats and limit fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar. n If you drink alcohol, drink it in moderation: Drinking too much can raise cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Limit it to no more than one drink a day for women, two for men. A drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounce of liquor. n Get your heart pumping: Schedule 150 minutes of exercise in a week or at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days. If you can’t do all 30 minutes at once, do 10 minutes at a time. Brisk walking, swimming, or cycling are especially good for the heart. If you have heart disease, check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program. n Maintain a healthy weight: Lowering your weight by just 10 percent can make a difference in reducing heart disease risk. n De-stress your life: Stress, anger, anxiety and depression may keep your blood pressure high and increase your risk for heart attack, stroke and other illnesses. Talk with your health care provider about a personalized relaxation and stress-management plan. n If you smoke, now’s the time to quit: After just a year of being smoke-free, the risk of dying from heart disease is cut in half. n Watch your cholesterol level: Too much cholesterol can block your blood vessels and cause chest pain, a heart attack or a stroke. n Keep your triglyceride levels low: Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your body and many foods. n Reduce high blood pressure: High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major cause of heart disease – and you may not experience any symptoms. If you have high blood pressure, monitor it and take your medications as
prescribed, even if your blood pressure falls within a normal range (120/80 and lower). n If you have diabetes, manage it: People with type 2 diabetes have high rates of heart disease, so it’s extremely important to work with your doctor to manage it. n Take your medications faithfully: Take them as prescribed. Visit www.kp.org for more information.
Medical tourism and public health are two of the topics that will be discussed at the March 2-3 India Summit at Emory University. Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie and Nirupama Rao, India’s Nirupama Rao ambassador to the United States, will headline the summit, which is in its third year. Emory’s Halle Institute for Global Learning is hosting the seminar, which takes place 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 2 and 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. March 3 at the Goizueta Business School, 1300 Clifton Road in Atlanta. The summit also will feature panels on technology and privacy, creativity and the arts, and international business opportunities. Rushdie, who earned critical acclaim for his second novel, “Midnight’s Children,” and worldwide fame after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran called for his death following the publication of “The Satanic Verses,” serves as Emory’s Distinguished Professor. He teaches and presents public lectures and engages with the academic community. Rushdie and Deepika Bahri, associate professor of English and curator of the Salman Rushdie archive at Emory, will offer a whirlwind tour of the current state of Indian film and literature from 3 to 4:15 p.m. on March 2.
Rao, who became India’s ambassador to the United States in September 2011, will deliver a keynote address at 4:30 p.m. on March 2. Her diplomatic career spans more than three decades. Other speakers inSalman Rushdie clude: n Manoj Jain, a national leader in health care quality improvement and an infectious disease physician who writes regularly for the Washington Post. n Kapil Sharma, general manager-North America for Tata Sons, which promotes the Mumbai-based Tata Group, the largest private corporate group in India. n Sudhakar Shenoy, chair and CEO of IMC Inc. and a global player in the biotechnology industry. n Devi Shetty, pioneering heart surgeon and founder of Narayana Hrudalaya Hospital in Bangalore, who will participate virtually from India. n K.M. Venkat Narayan, Ruth and O.C. Hubert Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health and research director at the India China America Institute, which is sponsoring the summit. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Registration must be made at http://bit.ly/india-summit-register. A live webcast will be available at halle institute.emory.edu.
Our specialty is treating people suffering from the status quo. How it is in healthcare, is not how it has to be. That’s why we challenged what a state-of-the-art healthcare facility should look like, how it should operate and even where it should be. DeKalb Medical at Hillandale became the first all-digital master planned hospital in Georgia and brought advanced medicine outside of the perimeter, where people actually live. We recruited nationally-acclaimed physicians and a dedicated support staff who are passionate about providing world-class service. We made sure that the hospital didn’t look or smell like one and that the food was actually delicious, all of which make close to home, feel more like home. We even make a point to care for the community outside of our doors. Every day, we continue to ask ourselves, “What can we do differently? What can we do better than them?” because the last thing we want to be is like everybody else.
To learn more, visit www.dekalbmedicalhillandale.org
8
CrossRoadsNews
Scene
February 25, 2012
The five-hour film, which was released in 1978, is being shown as part of the celebration of Black History Month through film.
King gala in ninth year Library screening King film Parents and supporters of Martin Luther King Jr. High School can help raise funds for scholarships at the March 10 King Week Gala at the Lithonia school. The theme for the black-tie gala, which is in its ninth year, is “Breaking the Spirit of Average Where Excellence Obtains Greatness.” The affair includes informative speakers, fine dining, music and a silent auction. Dinner is at 7 p.m. The event was established in 2002 to provide scholarships to college-bound seniors whose families face financial hardships. The school is at 3991 Snapfinger Road in Lithonia. For tickets and sponsorship information, call Evelyn Cunningham at 404-558-2754 or Everett F. Patrick at 678-874-5402.
“King: The Martin Luther King Story,” staring Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson, will be screened Feb. 28 at the Gresham Library in Atlanta. The five-hour film, which was released in 1978, is being shown as part of the celebration of Black History Month through film. The film covers the years 1954 Martin L. King Jr. through 1968, taking King from his first peaceful protests against segregation in Montgomery to his murder in Memphis. The screening begins at 5:30 p.m. The Gresham Library is at 2418 Gresham Road. For more information, call 404-244-4374.
DeKalb UNCF raising funds for scholarships Food, music, dancing and entertainment will be on tap when the DeKalb United Negro College Fund Committee hosts fund-raisers on Feb. 25, March 10 and 17 at the International Bar and Grill in Lithonia. A $5 cover charge will be collected, and all proceeds go directly to UNCF colleges and universities. Items from Sam’s Club and Best Buy will be raffled off. Attendees must RSVP for each fundraiser by the Monday prior to each date. The International Bar and Grill is at 2617 Panola Road, Suite 105 in Lithonia. For more information, contact Lynda Fitzhugh at 678463-6831.
Kids can touch all kinds of trucks in downtown Decatur on March 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Series offers living green tips DeKalb residents can learn how to develop a more environmentally friendly lifestyle at the “Living the Green Life” series on Feb. 25 at the Decatur Library. The DeKalb County Public Library is collaborating with the city of Decatur and the Oakhurst Community Garden Project on a year-long, free series of programs on living green. The Living the Green Life series begins with two programs on how to grow an organic vegetable garden.
Additional program topics will include how to garden in an unpredictable environment, how to make your home more energy efficient and how to compost. All programs will take place at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St., except for the composting workshop, which will be held at the Oakhurst Community Garden Project, 435 Oakview Road in Decatur. For more information, visit www.dekalblibrary.org, call 404-370-3070 or contact Andrea Zoppo at andrea.zoopo@yahoo.com. The Ebony Stitchers are hosting quilting demonstrations, lectures and storytelling at the Porter Sanford Center.
Quilters to demonstrate craft The Ebony Stitchers Quilt Guild will offer quilting demonstrations during a Feb. 25 Black History Quilting Program at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center in Decatur. The 10 a.m.-to-4:30 p.m. program will include discussions about quilting, hand and
machine quilting demonstrations, lectures on quilting and fabric, and storytelling for children. The center is at 3181 Rainbow Drive. For more information, contact Belinda Pedroso at 404-244-5474 or consuela58@ bellsouth.net.
Up close and personal with trucks Kids can see and explore their favorite trucks or equipment on wheels at the Toucha-Truck event on March 3 in Decatur. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., kids can see some city of Decatur and DeKalb County dump trucks, fire trucks, tractors, police cars and motorcycles, and many other types of vehicles.
The event will be held at the Callaway Building Parking lot, 120 W. Trinity Place in Decatur. In case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for April 21. For more information, contact Cheryl Burnette at 678-553-6541 or cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com.
Singers to belt Music and much more for jazz lovers out early hymns Lunch with unsung heroines
Jazz lovers can listen to live jazz and blues bands every Monday night beginning Feb. 27 at the Stone Mountain Village Monday Night Series. Hilda and Lynn Wells, owners and managers of Wells Cargo Restaurant on Main Street in the Village, will offer food and drink from their menu for the events to be held in the Stone Mountain Village, outside the restaurant. The 8-year-old CA Project band led by Charles “Buzz” Alford headlines the first event in the series. The Wells Cargo Restaurant is at 953 Main St. For cover charge and other information, contact Jack Sartain at jbs5951@aol.com.
Fans of Sacred Harp Singing can join in on March 1 at Emory Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. The monthly event showcases early American hymns sung in a powerful, exuberant style, as seen in “Awake My Soul.” Beginners are welcome and instruction is provided. The event takes place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Building of the church at 1886 North Decatur Road. For more information, visit www.atlantasacredharp.org or call 404-892-6836.
Women who make a difference in the lives of children will be honored Feb. 25 at the Unsung Heroine Award Luncheon in Tucker. The award ceremony will be held during the fourth annual “Saving Our Children and Families: Breaking the Cycle Luncheon to Benefit Child Sexual Abuse Survivors and Advocates.” Lin Seahorn, founder of Children Without a Voice USA, will be the guest speaker, and Romina Nahben, fashion/lifestyle expert for CNN Espanol, will be the mistress of ceremonies. The Honorary Unsung Heroine for 2012 is Lisa Williams. Tickets for the event are $35 each or $350 for a table of 10. The luncheon will be held at the Doubletree Hotel, 4156 LaVista Road in Tucker. For more information, contact Cokeitha Gaddist at 678-487-3727 or dequanda@ savingourchildrenandfamilies.org.
When You Miss CrossRoadsNews, You Miss News You Can Use! Call 404-284-1888 for Subscription Rates & Information
9
CrossRoadsNews
February 25, 2012
Youth
“It was hard because people knew my wrestling style and I had a lot of competitors who were ready to compete against me.”
Southwest DeKalb High wrestler wins state title By Carla Parker
Southwest DeKalb High School senior Gabriel Echols was the only DeKalb wrestler to win a state wrestling title on Feb. 18. The 17-year-old, who went undefeated on the season (420), won first place in the 285 weight class in Class AAAA at the 2012 Georgia state wrestling championship at the Gwinnett Convention Center. Gabriel took a point lead in the first round of his match against James Ellison of Harris County and held on for a 2-1 decision to win the gold medal. Gabriel, who finished second in last year’s State wrestling championship, said it was great to return and place first. “It felt like all of my hard work paid off,” he said. During his two-year wrestling career, he compiled a record of 82 wins with 2 losses. As a junior, he finished with a 40-2 record while winning the County’s wrestling championship, Region 6-AAAA wrestling championship and finished second in the State wrestling championship. Last year, he also placed ninth in
Gabriel Echols was the only DeKalb wrestler to win a state wrestling title on Feb. 18.
the nation in the All-American wrestling tournament held in Hampton, VA. Gabriel said it wasn’t easy going undefeated in his weight class this year. “It was hard because people knew my wrestling style and I had a lot of competitors who were ready to compete against me,” he said. Gabriel said he made some changes to improve his skills after he placed second in the state championship last year. “I changed my work ethics in my moves and my techniques that elevated my game,” he said. “I also started eating right and just got the desire to win first place.” Gabriel also plays football and is a member of the track and field team. He said football helps him with his wrestling skills, and vice versa. “Football helps me with my balance in wrestling and it also helped me get low,” he said. Gabriel received a full athletic scholarship to play football at Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. He has a 3.0 GPA and will major in engineering.
Football players got to show their stuff at summit for recruiters By Carla Parker
Thirty-two high school football players who did not sign college scholarships on National Signing Day had an opportunity to impress college recruiters at the Metro Atlanta Football Recruiting Summit on Feb. 11. The summit, held at Miller Grove High School in Lithonia, was hosted by the Phi Kappa Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. The students from DeKalb, Butts, Cobb, Fulton and Henry counties met with recruiters from four colleges. The schools included Atlanta Sports Academy in Dawsonville; Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss.; Morehouse College in Atlanta; and Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, N.C. The fraternity created the recruiting event to give high school football players who may have been overlooked or were late bloomers the potential opportunity to receive a football scholarship or admission to a college or university as a preferred walk-on. The fourth annual summit includes colleges from the East Coast Division II schools and junior colleges across the Southeast. College and university representatives met individually with the players. Students and parents could provide a transcript and a DVD of the player’s highlights on the football field. More than 25 students have received full or partial scholarships since the program began, said Phillip Thomas, the chapter’s
Carla Parker / CrossRoadsNews
School cleanup needs volunteers Volunteers can join students and teachers on March 3 at Indian Creek Elementary School to help clean the school grounds and surrounding neighborhood. The goal is to clean out garbage and vegetation in the woods on campus to return it to a nature preserve. The cleanup will last from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school, 724 N. Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston. To register, visit www. indiancreekelementary.eventbrite.com.
William E. Purkett II Scholarship Foundation Presents
Variety Night
featuring
From the multi-Platinum group Silk & Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Family Reunion” Gary “Lil G” Jenkins
Jackson State University recruiter Keith Adams (right) talks with Woodland High School senior Branden Morris.
Basileus. Others have received financial aid assistance and/or admission as a preferred walkon at colleges and junior colleges. “We average eight to 10 kids a year who sign after attending the summit and average $100,000 in scholarships a year,” Thomas said. “It’s pretty positive. Even if we sign one kid it’s positive.” Before speaking with college recruiters, Towers High School senior Larry Tucker, who plays quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back, said he hoped to impress them enough to get a scholarship offer. “I would bring a positive energy and a leadership role to a team,” Tucker said. “I’ll give my all on every play and I have a passion for the game.”
&
Saturday, March 10, 2012 • 7 p.m. Columbia High School Auditorium 2106 Columbia Drive Decatur, GA 30032
The Queen of the South and from “Madea’s Family Reunion” Phillipia
Tickets $15 in Advance $20 at the Door
For Tickets/donations, visit www.thepilotprogram.org or call 770-318-3346 for more information
SETTING THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE IN PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT Educating, Engaging, and Empowering Parents Title I Annual Meeting: Parental Involvement Conference Saturday, March 17, 2012 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Stone Mountain Middle School 4301 Sarr Parkway, Stone Mountain, GA 30083 » » » » » » » » » » »
Conference Highlights Keynote Speaker: Dr. Joe Martin – Parental Involvement and How It Affects Your Children’s Educational Success Test-Taking Strategy Workshops: Math, Reading and Language Arts on all Grade Levels Special Education Workshops Early Childhood Workshops for Pre-K and K Language Translators/Interpreters Title I Parental Involvement Policy and Budget Child Care for School-Aged Children Special Workshops for Middle and High School Students Exhibitors from: DeKalb County Schools, Community Agencies and Educational Companies Light refreshments will be served Door Prizes (Donated by Exhibitors)
For additional information, contact Jackie Marshall, Chairperson at 678-676-0376 or by email: Jackie_Marshall@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us
10
CrossRoadsNews
February 25, 2012
business services
TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT
Marketplace
Invites you to our
“Unemployed No More Achievers Experience”
Learn How to
Explode
Your Business
Reach More of the People Who Matter Most – Local Customers! Call 404-284-1888 to Advertise in the CrossRoadsNews Marketplace attorneys NEW RELEASE!
The Law Office of B.A. Thomas, LLC
— Muhammad Ali Salaam
Available at www.xlibris.com, www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com.
attorneys
Burroughs Johnson Hopewell Coleman
SERVICES OFFERED:
• YEAR ROUND SERVICES • TAX PREPARATION • IRS AUDIT SUPPORT • TAX NEGOTIATIONS & SETTLEMENTS • CPA SERVICES • NOTARY SERVICES
770-559-0137 www.startaxllc.com Walk Ins Welcome
AUTHORIZED PROVIDER
Office Hours: M-F 8am-9pm Sat: 8am-6pm 3983 Lavista Rd. #117 Tucker, GA 30084 (Near Red Lobster) info@startaxllc.com NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PMI PROJECT OF THE YEAR
DONATE YOUR VEHICLE Receive $1000 GROCERY COUPONS. UNITED BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf.info FREE Towing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners Accepted. 1- 800-728-0801 CASH FOR CARS! Any Make, Model or Year. We Pay MORE! Running or Not. Sell Your Car or Truck TODAY. Free Towing! Instant Offer: 1-888-545-8647
Adoption A Loving alternative to unplanned pregnancy. You choose the family for your child. Receive pictures/ info of waiting/approved couples. Living expense assistance. 1-866-236-7638
Business Opportunity PAID IN ADVANCE! Make $1000 Weekly Mailing Brochures from Home. Income is guaranteed! No experience required. Enroll Today! www.theworkhub.net Make Up To $2,000.00+ Per Week! New Credit Card Ready Drink-Snack Vending Machines. Minimum $3K to $30K+ Investment Required. Locations Available. BBB Accredited Business. (800) 962-9189 OWN YOUR OWN PATENTED PROVEN GREEN TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS. Remove Odors, Kill Bedbugs, Pests, Biologicals
and Mold. Training Provided. www.OzoneGenerator20000.com 1-800-240-8514
Employment Opportunities Earn up to $150 per day Undercover Shoppers Needed to Judge Retail & Dining Establishments Experience Not Required Call Now 1-888-891-4244 Help Wanted!!! Make $1000 a Week processing our mail! FREE Supplies! Helping Home-Workers since 2001! Genuine Opportunity! No experience required. Start Immediately! www.theworkhub.net
Education & Training ATTEND COLLEGE DEGREE ONLINE from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV certified. Call 800-488-0386 www.CenturaOnline.com AIRLINES ARE HIRING- Train for hands on Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified- Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (877)818-0783 ALLIED HEALTH CAREER TRAINING- Attend college 100% online. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV certified. Call 800-491-8370 www.CenturaOnline. com
Financial CREDIT CARD DEBT? LEGALLY
Accounting and Tax Services By Henry K. Mitchell CPA, CFE ★ Accounting • Taxes • Tax Audit ★ Business Plans • Fraud Policy ★ Fraud Prevention Consulting ★ Non-Profit Consulting Henry is an adjunct instructor of accounting at Atlanta Metro College. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Henry K. Mitchell Certified Public Accountant
REMOVE IT! New program utilizing Consumer Protection Attorneys. Need Minimum $7,000 debt to qualify. Please call 1-866652-7630 for help. Mention code SB1 SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. WIN or Pay Nothing! Start Your Application In Under 60 Seconds. Call Today! Contact Disability Group, Inc. Licensed Attorneys & BBB Accredited. Call 877-865-0180 Ever Consider a Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 866-967-9407
Health & Fitness Canada Drug Center is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call Today 888-459-9961 for $25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping.
Servicing men, women and children
• Starter Loc • Loc Retwist • Twists • Sista Loc Maintenance • Loc Repair • Interlock • Loc Extension • Press & Curl • Silk Wraps & Braids
TAX NEGOTIATION SETTLEMENT PROJECT
Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-903-6658
Autos
FREE REGISTRATION at www.viviansneed.com
hair care / salons
Free Electronic Filing • Fast Refunds
“Taking Care of Your Legal Needs”
1556 Phoenix Blvd., College Park, GA 30349
25% Off F or 1ST CustoTime mers
Attorneys at Law
4262 Clausell Court • Decatur, GA 30035 404/289-2244 • bjhlawyers.com
March 3, 2012 • 9am-10am
Call Henry at 678-663-6229
financial
• Bankruptcy • Personal Injury • Divorce/Family Law
Learn the Secret!
Learn how to own and grow your own company with our all natural Body Kare Line. We’re sharing our knowledge with those who want to be more financially independent. Major opportunities don’t miss it!
financial
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.
404-525-6902
4x Faster
www.BrockRobert.com
books
School Law Attorney Representing Teachers
opportunities
Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss. Bergamonte, a Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with amazing results. Call today and save 15% off your first bottle! 888-470-5390 Attention Joint & Muscle Pain Sufferers: Clinically proven allnatural supplement helps reduce pain and enhance mobility. Call 888-474-8936 to try Hydraflexin RISK-FREE for 90 days. VIAGRA 100MG and CIALIS 20mg!! 40 Pills. 4 FREE for only $99. #1 Male Enhancement, Discreet Shipping. Only $2.70/pill. Buy the Blue Pill Now! 1-888724-7939
Misc. For Sale 100 Percent Guaranteed Omaha Steaks - SAVE 65 percent on the Family Value Collection. NOW ONLY $49.99 Plus 3 FREE GIFTS & right-to-the-door delivery in a reusable cooler. ORDER TODAY at 1-888-697-3965 or www. OmahaSteaks.com/family02, use code 45069NVJ. DISH Network. Starting at $19.99/ month PLUS 30 Premium Movie Channels FREE for 3 Months! SAVE! & Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL - 877-992-1237
ATTENTION SLEEP APNEA SUFFERERS with Medicare. Get FREE CPAP Replacement Supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, prevent red skin sores and bacterial infection! Call 866-993-5043
MANTIS Deluxe Tiller. NEW! FastStart engine. Ships FREE. One-Year Money-Back Guarantee when you buy DIRECT. Call for the DVD and FREE Good Soil book! 866-969-1041
ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE Talking
Advertise your product or service nationwide or by region in up to
Miscellaneous
12 million households in North America’s best suburbs! Place your classified ad in over 750 suburban newspapers just like this one. Call Classified Avenue at 888-486-2466 or go to www. classifiedavenue.net Earn $1000 a week Mailing Brochures from Home. Free Supplies! Guaranteed Income! No experience required. Start Today. www.theworkhub.net DISH Network lowest nationwide price $19.99 a month. FREE HBO/Cinemax/Starz. FREE Blockbuster. FREE HD-DVR and install. Next day install 1-800357-4349 AT&T U-Verse for just $29.99/ mo! SAVE when you bundle Internet+Phone+TV and get up to $300 BACK! (Select plans). Limited Time Call NOW! 1-866944-0810 SAVE on Cable TV-InternetDigital Phone. Packages start at $89.99/mo (for 12 months.) Options from ALL major service providers. Call Acceller today to learn more! CALL 1-877-7367087 *REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL! * Get a 4-Room All Digital Satellite system installed for FREE and
programming starting at $24.99/ mo. FREE HD/DVR upgrade for new callers, SO CALL NOW. 1-800-699-7159
Real Estate 20 Acres-Live On Land NOW!! Only $99/mo. $0 Down, Owner Financing, NO CREDIT CHECKS! Near El Paso, Texas, Beautiful Mountain Views! Free Color Brochure. 800-755-8953 www.sunsetranches.com North Carolina Mountains. E-Z Finish Log Cabin Shell with Land Only $99,900. Warm Winters, Low Cost of Living. E-Z Access Mountain Homesites Up to 11 acres from $29,900 828-4294004 Code 45
Land for Sale 100 ACRE LAND SALE Near Growing El Paso, Texas Was $64,500 Now $19,500 Almost 70% Discount. $0 Down, No Credit Checks! Beautiful views, owner financing. FREE color brochure. 1-800-343-9444
Wanted to Buy WANTED YOUR DIABETES TEST STRIPS. Unexpired .We buy Any Kind/Brand. Pay up to $24.00 per box. Shipping Paid. Hablamos espanol. Call 1-800267-9895 www.SellDiabeticstrips. com
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.
11
CrossRoadsNews
February 25, 2012
Real Estate
20 ACRES
Marketplace EMPLOYMENT Styling with Passion Salon in Decatur is Now hiring Licensed Stylists! For more information, please call Martice at 404-8491975.
FOR RENT/LEASE Senior Community 60+ (Decatur) Share house w/other fem seniors. Mstr Ste $400 Avail Now. PVT RM $300 Aval 3/1. Lovely & Safe Home. Emma Cares (770)8852537 or www.emmacares.org
Cozy 3BR/2BA brick ranch, sunroom, unfin. basement, fenced backyard. MARTA accessible. $850/mo. $550 Deposit. $25 Application Fee. (404) 358-6177.
REAL ESTATE Stone Mtn Foreclosure Waters Edge, brick 5 bdrm, 3.5 ba, LR, DR, Fin Bsmt, $136k $1500 down, $899 @ mon. Call 24/7 1-888-269-6795 x180, 1st U rlty.
$0 Down, $99 per month $12,900 Near El Paso, TX
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.
help wanted
mobile
Hair CAre/salons
$20.00 $45.00 RELAXER SET
SHAMPOO SET
1-800 800--343 343--9444 Find Local Goods & Services
www.eastmetromarket.com
services PUBLIC NOTICE
HELP WANTED
Dock Supervisor: Marietta, GA. Selected candidates will manage the logistics necessary to ensure the safe and efficient transportation of our customers’ product. Superior Communication Skills, and knowledge of computers and applications (Microsoft / Outlook / Excel). Varied Shifts, Nights & Weekends, and open door dock. Bachelors Degree Preferred. YRC Worldwide is an Equal Opportunity Employer. www.yrcw.com/careers
Owner Financing, No Credit Checks, Beautiful Mountain Views, Money Back Guarantee Free Map/Pictures
39
$
HUAWEI M835
after instant rebate Suggested retail price $79 Sales tax not included.
Samsung Admire
Get $5.00 off any accessory. New phone purchase & new activation required.
HTC Wildfire S
59 $99
$
after instant rebate Suggested retail price $129 Sales tax not included.
Present coupon at time of purchase. Offer valid only at listed MetroPCS Authorized Dealer. New phone purchase and MetroPCS activation required. No cash value and some restrictions apply. Limited time only.
after instant rebate Suggested retail price $179 Sales tax not included.
Personal Communications Center 4919 Flat Shoals Pkwy, Suite 208
Unlimited talk, text, web and email. No annual contract.
(inside Kroger Plaza)
©
Authorized Dealer
Decatur, GA 30034 678-418-0977
Ashley Cascade will be accepting applications for our Site-Based Waiting List from February 21-22, 2012. We have Authority Assisted 1,2,3 and 4 bedrooms available. T list 2 Applications will be given at the YMCA T(2220 LIS aCampbellton it 201 Road, I w A from Atlanta, GA 30331) February 21-22, W 2012 10-a.m.-2 2, p.m. . e E o f t h 2 1 2 o t i ce 0 D y To be considered you must meet the following eligibility criteria: A n r g a 10 C AS closin ebru r ther 696.5 • No felonies or drugCconvictions F fu 4. d EYdebts • No prior housing a n d o n nt i l i l s 4 0 HofL household g S • All members 18-61 of age must be gainfully e A nin dul ed u years etaper week for a legitimate n hours d e employed oatpeleast thirty o(30) h tp ew e ly sc oappropriate business Th enterprise, s n p s for n documentation required. If you u o are working under 30 vi bee atch hours you must be attending an AHA recognized pre has school w or work program. ase who are exempt from the employment criteria e l The only individuals P above are the elderly (62 and older) and individuals who are disabled. Applications will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis and waitlist will be populated in a lottery format.
restaurants Columbia Dr. & Rainbow Dr.
770-905-3767
Hair CAre/salons
$10 Touch $30 Ups
Roller Set
–
EVERY DAY
404-299-9191
services
IN & OUT
5561-G Memorial Drive Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Roller Set
Average drying time 35 minutes. 1st-time Clients only. Offer expires 2/14/2012.
ALL DAY
THIS SIZE AD FOR ONLY $
30?
Call 404-284-1888 to find out how.
Hair CAre / salons
youth Programs
youth Programs
Beautiful Babes Hair Care for Children
WHERE EVERY KID PLAYS
Ms. Felecia
• PRESS & CURL • BRAIDS • QUICK WEAVES • HEALTHY HAIRCARE Call for Monthly Specials
YOUTH SPORTS Basketball
678-887-6203
beautifulbabeshaircare.vpweb.com ADULTS ACCEPTED
VISIT US IN OUR NEW LOCATION 4118 Snapfinger Woods Drive • Decatur, GA 30035 (Off Wesley Chapel, Near I-20)
Parents, are you looki program for your child ag – Teen Reach is for you. NOW Our program is desig REGISTERING child’s skills in a variety o spiritual, social, cultural, SOUTH DEKALB FAMILY YMCAand health. Space is limi Nall at 770-482-5333, or e triteens13@yahoo.com. Ages 3-17 • www.ymcaregistration.com Meets bi-monthly on Call 770-987-3500 for details in a friendly and caring a shops are conducted by Call 404-284-1888 for Recommended for teen Advertising Rates & Information a heavy schedule of e
“Mount up with wings as eagles!”
Your Source for Neighborhood News
12
CrossRoadsNews
February 25, 2012
Sign Up NOW for Early Bird Rates!
Community Expos
at the Mall at Stonecrest Best of East Metro/Small Business Expo April 28, 2012 Businesses and entrepreneurs – from landscapers to lawyers, Realtors, florists, insurance and travel agents, and HVAC operators – showcase their goods and services at this expo, which also celebrates the winners of CrossRoadsNews’ “Best of East Metro” Readers Choice Awards.
Family & Back to School Expo August 4, 2012
Businesses and organizations serving families will showcase goods and services to help students have a successful school year. The expo highlights services from afterschool to private schools and options for adults looking to retool and sharpen their skills for new careers.
Limited Signature Sponsorship Opportunities. Only 50 exhibitor spaces available; book yours today. Call 404-284-1888 for more information.
CrossRoadsNews • 2346 Candler Road • Decatur, GA 30032 • 404-284-1888 • Fax: 404-284-5007 • expos@crossroadsnews.com