CrossRoadsNews, February 27, 2010 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

FINANCE

WELLNESS

YOUTH

More than 400 business owners got information on available resources at a three-hour workshop sponsored by 4th District Congressman Hank Johnson. 5

The American Red Cross will be collecting blood and platelets from donors at locations in Decatur and Tucker on March 7. 6

Students at Lithonia Middle School have been collecting new and gently used shoes to send to children in Kumasi in Western Ghana. 9

Help for small business

Replenishing supplies

February 27, 2010

‘Soles for Souls’

Volume 15, Number 43

www.crossroadsnews.com

Superintendent steps down temporarily after raid By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

DeKalb Schools Superintendent Crawford Lewis stepped down temporarily from his post Thursday, in the wake of a surprise raid on his Stone Mountain home by DeKalb District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming. After an emergency executive session that lasted four hours, School Board members voted Thursday evening to accept his temporary departure from the job he has had for 5 years Crawford Lewis while the DA completes her investigation of possible wrongdoing in the district’s multi-million dollar school construction program. They appointed Ramona Tyson, deputy chief superintendent of business operations, to Ramona Tyson serve as interim superintendent beginning immediately. The board also voted to pay Lewis’ legal expenses and allow him to keep his $255,000 a year salary during his leave.

DeKalb Schools police guard parking lot outside the School System’s Central Offices on North Decatur Road Thursday while District Attorney investigators search the buildings.

Only Zepora Roberts, the board’s vice chair, abstained. She said the Board need to stand up and say it supports Lewis, who has been with the school system for 33 years. “Action speaks louder than words,” she said. “I am in support of him and would like to see him come back to work tomorrow.” The district is in the throes of balancing its 2011 budget in the face of an anticipated $88 million deficit. Board members were

to get details from Lewis at a 10:30 a.m. meeting on Friday about the 148 central office positions that he was proposing to cut. Board members are also considering tax increases, layoffs, furloughs and school closings. The meeting was cancelled Thursday after the raids. Investigators showed up at Lewis’ Southland subdivision home at 7:30 a.m., and during the five-hour search,

took boxes of documents and hard drives of computers from the home. School system spokesman Dale Davis said that warrants were served on the district offices shortly after 7 a.m. “We are fully cooperating in this investigation,” he said in a statement. Boxes of documents were also removed by investigators from the central offices. Keyes Fleming confirmed that search warrants were executed Thursday morning on Lewis’ Southland subdivision residence and on three school district buildings – Buildings A and B at the North Decatur Road central offices, and at the Sam Moss Service Center on Montreal Road in Tucker. “This is all part of an ongoing investigation which was started at the request of the school system’s administration,” Keyes Fleming said. “After reviewing the information we gathered today, we anticipate bringing this matter to an appropriate conclusion.” This is the second set of raids in connection with investigation of bid-rigging, racketeering, theft of federal funds and mail and wire fraud in connection with the system’s construction programs. Please see SUPERINTENDENT, page 3

No new tax for now in DeKalb County’s budget By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The DeKalb Board of Commissioners approved a $564.9 million budget that includes no new property tax, but that might be short-lived. The commissioners, who voted unanimously for the budget that sliced $17.8 million from the $582.7 million that CEO Burrell Ellis proposed on Dec. 15 with 1.86 millage rate property tax increase, acknowledged that by the midyear adjustments in June, they might be looking at a tax increase. The approved 2010 budget is $51 million less than the $616 million budget that commissioners approved at this time in 2009. But Commissioner Connie Stokes, the board’s Budget and Finance Committee chairwoman, said the budgeting process was far for over. “This is just a begin- Connie Stokes ning,” she said. “This is a work in progress. The story has not been written yet. I suspect we will be making adjustments as we go along.” She said the board will set the millage rate on June 8 and will continue to work on the budget. Property taxes account for two-thirds of the county’s budget and the county is facing an $84 million deficit that is expected to climb another $20 million this year with more declines in the county’s property tax digest.

Balancing the budget To help offset the $30.8 million that would have been raised by CEO Burrell Ellis’ 1.86 mills property tax increase, the commissioners made more cuts and found more revenues. Additional Cuts Eliminate holiday pay for employees.....................................................$7.8 million Cut the work force by an additional 151................................................ $4.5 million Reduce Sheriff’s Office............................................................................ $900,000 Eliminate customer service training.......................................................... $375,000 Reduce District Attorney’s Office..............................................................$250,000 More Revenues Raise..............$4 million from DeKalb Recorders Court Revenue Warrant Program Raise..............$1.2 million from State Probation Fee backlog Raise..............$1 million from a new Law Library Fee Take...............$251,115 more from the County Jail Fund Take...............$1.4 million more from the Fund Balance Borrow..........$2 million loan from the Sanitation Enterprise Fund Transfer.........$2.2 million from the county’s Vehicle Replacement Program

Ellis said that he did not feel that he could responsibly recommend a budget without a property tax increase. “I believe we are just putting off the inevitable,” he said. Even Commissioner Burrell Ellis Lee May, who has said repeatedly that this is not the time for a tax increase, acknowledged Tuesday that it might be unavoidable. “I think it is inevitable that we are going to have to look at some degree of raising taxes,” he said before voting for the budget. “I am not in support of it right

The staff and position cuts come at savings of $4.5 million. On the revenue side, the board is expecting to generate $4 million from the DeKalb Recorders Court Revenue Warrant Program and $300,000 from its Amnesty Program. It also is expecting $1 million from a new Law Library Fee and $1.2 million from the State Probation Fee backlog. It also plans to borrow $2 million from the county’s Sanitation Enterprise Fund and transfer $2.2 million from the county’s Vehicle Replacement Program. But Ellis said it is questionable whether the county can borrow from the enterprise fund and that the law department is investigating. “They tried to do that in the city of Atlanta and it wasn’t allowed,” he said. Other cuts in the budget include eliminating $2.9 million in merit increases, cutting $1.2 million in pension contributions, reducing take-home vehicle costs by $700,000, and cutting $900,000 from the Sheriff ’s Office and $250,000 from the District Attorney’s Office. The dramatic reduction comes in the wake of declining county revenues from sales and property taxes caused by the economic recession and unprecedented residential foreclosures and the impact of the city of Dunwoody. The county’s property tax digest has fallen by $1 billion and more slide is expected. Ellis said it is unrealistic to think that the millage rate will not change.

now because I don’t think we have gone far enough to responsibly look at a proposal for raising taxes but at some point it’s probably going to be inevitable.” With Tuesday’s vote, which came ahead of Lee May the March 1 deadline for approving a balanced budget, the commissioners plan to balance the 2010 budget by eliminating $7.8 million for holiday pay for employees, cutting $375,000 for customer service training, and reducing the county’s 8,300-employee work force by another 151 employees for a total loss of 911 positions. Please see BUDGET, page 3

CrossRoadsNews

February 27, 2010

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“In a recession, you don’t ask hurting citizens to cough up more money to fund government.”

Park cleanup Recycling day set Lewis sparked the criminal probe Before going to the board meeting Dr. rats and others who want to get a head SUPERINTENDENT, 1 at Shoal Creek startPack Eugene Walker, who represents District on spring-cleaning can recycle old computfrom page

Volunteers who help clean up Shoal Creek Park on Glenwood Avenue in Decatur on Feb. 27 can qualify for free passes to Disney parks. The DeKalb nonprofit Strength Through Faith Community Center Inc. has partnered with DeKalb County Parks & Recreation and Disney’s Give A Day, Get A Disney Ticket program to offer free Disney theme park passes to encourage community service and volunteerism. The cleanup takes place 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shoal Creek Park is at 3649 Glenwood Ave. To register, visit www.strength throughfaithcenter.org or show up at the park by 9:30 a.m. on the day of the event. For more information, call Arlene Williams at 678-524-9693.

ers, scanners, radios and the like on March 6 at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Lithonia. Keep DeKalb Beautiful is hosting the event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to promote reusing and recycling of obsolete electronic equipment. The following items will be accepted: n Computer monitors, CPUs, laptops, disk drives, floppy drives, computer mice, modems, CD-ROMs, keyboards. n Microwave ovens, stereos, portable radios, CB radios, CD players, record players, speakers, VCRs, camcorders, cameras, video machines. n Copiers, printers, scanners, faxes, typewriters. n Test and networking equipment, circuit boards, electrical panels, UPS/battery backup, cables. n Telephones, cell phones. n Projectors, televisions ($10 charge). Vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, freezers, dehumidifiers or humidifiers, and gas-powered equipment will not be accepted. Martin Luther King Jr. High School is at 3991 Snapfinger Road. For more information, visit www.arsrecycle.com or call 404-371-2654.

On Oct. 14, 200, the home of Patricia Pope, the school system’s chief operating officer, the office of her architect husband Anthony “Tony” Pope, and the home of C. D. Moody, Jr., a contractor who does work for the school system and close friend of the Popes, were among six places searched by DA and GBI investigators. All parties have denied wrongdoing. Following the raids, Pope, who is on a $198,760-a-year contract that runs through June 2010, was reassigned. Lewis sparked the criminal probe into the construction program in November 2008, while he was being questioned about questionable purchases on his school system credit card. He told investigators that he had discovered a trend in which those close to Pope were profiting from the school systems construction projects. He also told investigators that Pope’s husband was working on projects that were not put to public bid, as required by law.

9, said he heard the news on the radio Thursday morning. “I don’t know what they are looking for,” Walker said. “I called two board members and they didn’t know either.” Lewis did not return telephone calls but he told WSB-TV that he had done “absolutely with a capital “A” done nothing wrong.” He offered a reason for stepping aside. “Perception is something you have to deal with when something like this happens,” he said. Davis, the school system’s spokesman, said that it is important for parents and the community to know that teaching and learning have not been interrupted. “Our students are in the classrooms and teachers are teaching,” he said. Walker said he was hoping for a quick resolution. “We have important work to do,” he said. “We need to do what is necessary to get our kids educated. That’s what our business is.”

County begins taking applications for early retirement on March 1 BUDGET,

from page

“I still believe an increase in the property tax will be necessary or we will cut so deeply into service, our quality of life in the county will be impacted,” he said. May said the economy has changed all our lives and that the county, like individuals, has to rethink, redo, restructure and reorganize. “We are in tough position,” he said. “This economy has made people change their habits and behaviors. People are truly cutting expenditures and we have to do the same thing here in DeKalb County. We have to do more with less.” May said that a lot of fat has been cut out of county government but that it has not yet become more efficient. “We have to look at how we operate,” he said. “We are operating services here in DeKalb County like we did 20 years ago. We have to realize we are in 2010 and there is technology and that there are strategic ways of organizing our government. We have a lot of work to do.” Commissioner Larry Johnson could not make up his mind whether he was “reluctantly” or “wholeheartedly” supporting the budget because of the cuts in senior services and the Board of Health and the Larry Johnson absence of crime prevention and intervention in it. “Part of crime prevention strategy is not just police officers,” he said. “The front line is our neighborhood where our young people live, our seniors live. It’s strong neighborhood watches. If we are going to look at this in totality, we are going to have to find a way to balance our courts with prevention. ” Johnson said the 2010 budget is one of the roughest they have had. “I had nightmares about this budget,” he said. Johnson noted that since they also are using 99.9 percent of the Homestead Option Sales Tax to help offset the deficit, that sidewalks and intersection improvements will not get done. While he said he couldn’t support a tax increase now, Johnson hinted that might change. “I am not averse to not doing the tax increase but we have got to have strong numbers,” he said. “We got to have numbers that will allow us to make critical decisions.” To share the pain of employees, El-

lis and commissioners say they also will take seven-day pay cuts, equivalent to the seven paid holidays that the employees are losing. Dr. Michael Bell, the county’s finance director, said 1,217 employees qualify for the early incentive program that is being offered and they are expecting about 400 people to take the offer. Early retirement is being offered to employees 50 years and older with 10 years of service or employees of any age who have 25 years of service. Those with 10 years of service will get an additional two years of service on their pension and a lump-sum cash payment. Employees can apply between March 2 and April 16 and leave the county by May 31. Ellis said there is no approved plan yet for the additional 151 people that the board approved on Tuesday. With the reduction in force, Ellis said customer service training is important but his pleas to the board Tuesday fell on deaf ears. “When you cut staff it is important to

without a tax increase was “fiscal retrain and retool,” he said. “We responsibility in tough economic will have to teach the people who times.” are left how to do their jobs.” “The commission stood firm With no money in the budget and resisted immense pressure to to do it, Ellis said he will look to raise taxes,” she said. colleges to help. “In a recession, you don’t ask Commissioner Elaine Boyer hurting citizens to cough up more called the 2010 budget “the money to fund government. Inhardest, most difficult” she had Elaine Boyer stead you cut the budget just like worked on in her 18 years on the board and said that balancing the budget we have with our family budgets.”

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CrossRoadsNews

Forum

February 27, 2010

If you fired all nine board members, the superintendent and a dozen or so top administrators, you only save about $2 million.

School budget cuts difficult but necessary at this time 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker General Manager Curtis Parker Advertising Sales Cynthia Blackshear-Warren

CrossRoadsNews is published every Thursday by CrossRoadsNews, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers. The concept, design and content of CrossRoadsN ews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

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Between a rock and a hard place. That’s where we are. There are only three ways to balance a budget: 1) Cut overhead, i.e. services and personnel; 2) raise revenue, i.e. taxes; and 3) a combination of 1 and 2. Nobody likes raising taxes. Nobody likes cuts in the quality of our children’s education, whether it is cutting teacher salaries, cutting back on bus service or increasing classroom size. Yet given the choice, more often people would choose to cut services rather than raise taxes because you immediately know the cost of taxes. Every dollar raised in taxes appears on someone’s property tax bill. It is a fixed, known cost. The fiscal cuts we carve out of our children’s education are very similar to those endured by Julius Caesar at the hands of the Roman Senate. A multitude of small cuts here and there are fatal. The cost of these individual cuts is easy to dismiss, but the cumulative total is greater than the sum of its parts. To make ends meet, we have made deep cuts to services, to the tune of $136 million over three years. We’ve asked our educators,

Eugene Walker

and by extension our children, for sacrifice. So far, we adopted no salary increases for teachers and staff, no STEP increases, no COLA adjustments, no board contribution to TSA and furloughs. Despite these sacrifices, we are still facing a $56 million shortfall. We cannot continue taking from the children of DeKalb County. As our best and brightest teachers begin their escape to greener pastures, it will be a long time before we can quantify what these cuts have cost our children. These kinds of cuts are already undermining morale, which leads to poor performance by teachers and students, and in turn, lower test scores, higher dropout rates, and for graduates, fewer opportunities for higher education and lower-paying jobs. After all of this, we still have to make up $56 million.

Should we pay now or pay more later? The board is considering three options. All of them involve more cuts to teachers, staff, programs and resources. I have advanced a fourth option, a Plan D. Plan D is basically no more cuts to personnel and services and a 2 mill property tax increase. This will distribute the burden of education evenly across DeKalb. There are many who think we should do away with the superintendent, the top administration, and even the Board of Education. Fire us all, you say, especially after the board approved a raise for the superintendent. I voted against that raise. However, I sympathize with the point of view to fire everyone. The problem is, if you fired all nine board members, the superintendent and a dozen or so top administrators,

you only save about $2 million. Then you have $54 million more to cut without anyone left to implement the cuts. The DeKalb School System has not implemented a millage rate increase in seven years. All the while, costs have increased, state funding has decreased and the belt is as tight as it can get. My proposal is not a popular measure, but it is the only one I can support in good conscience. Obviously, like you, I do not agree with much of the way things have been handled lately. But I am only one vote out of nine. I am appealing to the taxpayers, asking that you stand with me in willingness to make this sacrifice for the good of the children. In due time these same taxpayers who have the power to make huge differences for the school system will have the opportunity to deal with the issue of a new superintendent and Board of Education. Let’s get the focus back to what is good for the children and the front-line educators of DeKalb County. Dr. Eugene P. Walker represents District 9 on the DeKalb County School Board.

Census participation critical for DeKalb County’s future This year the federal government is conducting the 2010 Census. The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States. All U.S. residents must be counted, including both citizens and noncitizens. The census is important for a number of reasons. It will determine state population counts and determine representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as boundaries for state and local legislative and congressional districts. Census data also guide planning for new hospitals, roads, job training centers, schools and other programs essential to communities.

Your participation is particularly important in this census. Georgia is poised to pick up one or two congressional seats, expanding our representation in Congress. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield

Your participation is particularly important in this census. Georgia is poised to pick up one or two congressional seats, expanding our representation in Congress. You should receive your census questionnaire by mail in March. If you do not receive a questionnaire, you will be able to pick one up from several public sites.

Households should complete and mail back questionnaires upon receipt. Households that do not respond may receive a replacement questionnaire in early April. Census takers will visit homes that do not return questionnaires to take a count in person. The 2010 questionnaire consists of 10 short questions and takes about 10 minutes to com-

plete. Households are asked to provide key demographic information, including: whether a housing unit is rented or owned; address of the residence; and the names, genders, ages and races of others living in the household. Federal law prohibits the sharing of Census information with any other organization or agency, so your information is secure. I encourage everyone to participate in the 2010 Census. It is critically important and only takes a few minutes. For more information, visit www.2010census.gov. Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield represents District 85 in the Georgia House.

Quick Read Cleanup at Shoal Creek

3 Energy savers can get rebate ‘Straight Talk’ targets male 5 health 7 Shoal with purchase

Volunteers who help clean up Creek Park on Glenwood Avenue in Decatur Consumers can receive rebates of up Men and boys and the diseases that on Feb. 27 can qualify for free passes to to $1,200 for buying energy-efficient appli- affect them are the focus of the Feb. 27 Disney parks. ances under the state’s $8.6 million Energy “Straight Talk … For Men Only” at Arabia Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. Mountain High School in Lithonia.

What’s on your mind? Recycling day set We welcome your comments on issues of importance to the community. E-mail us at editor@crossroadsnews.com. Please include a contact number where we can reach you if necessary. Your contact information will not be published. Submissions may be edited for clarity or space. We do not publish anonymous letters. You can also voice your opinion about stories and Forum pieces on our website, www.crossroadsnews.com.

A multitude of small cuts here and there are fatal. The cost of these individual cuts is easy to dismiss, but the cumulative total is greater than the sum of its parts.

SWD Orchestra to be in Pack rats and others who want to get a Doctor to address heart head start on spring-cleaning can recycle health 6 concert at Ray of Hope 8 old computers, scanners, radios and the Atlanta Heart Specialists cardiologist Fans of Michael Jackson and Richard like on March 6 at Martin Luther King Jr. Anthony C. Dorsey will speak on “Keeping Smallwood will find plenty of good music at High School in Lithonia. a Healthy Heart” on Feb. 28 at Greenforest the Southwest DeKalb High School OrchesCommunity Baptist Church in Decatur. tra’s March 7 concert at Ray of Hope.

400 business owners attend PALS workshop 5 Blood drives in Decatur, More than 400 small business own- Tucker ers packed the Feb. 19 small business

Youth Leadership DeKalb 6 accepting applications

Healthy teens and adults 17 years and Rising 10th- and 11th-graders can apworkshop hosted by 4th District Congressman Hank Johnson at DeKalb Technical older can donate blood and platelets March ply for the Youth Leadership DeKalb training 7 at blood drives in Decatur and Tucker. program Class of 2011. College. index to advertisers

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CrossRoadsNews

February 27, 2010

Finance

“In these tough economic times, we all need to save money wherever we can.” The Feb. 19 small-business workshop at DeKalb Technical College was hosted by 4th District U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson.

400 business owners attend PALS workshop More than 400 small-business owners packed the Feb. 19 small business workshop hosted by 4th District U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson at DeKalb Technical College. During the three-hour event, participants heard from local, state, federal and national resources. Jorge Valentin-Stone, an SBA Business Development specialist and

Veterans Business Development officer, highlighted SBA, Recovery Act and SBA Patriot loans and federal government contract opportunities for disabled veterans. Johnson, whose district includes DeKalb and portions of Rockdale and Gwinnett counties, said he has focused on job creation and economic recovery in the past year, bringing more than $200 million

to the district since January 2009. “There are difficult months and likely years ahead,” he said. “But with hard work, good public policy, and cooperation like we are witnessing here today, certainly we shall recover.” The seminar was part of the Partnership Alliance Learning Series, or PALS. Johnson also hosted a seminar for nonprofits on Feb. 5.

Former reporter Updates at launches site SDBA meeting Members of the South DeKalb Busifor consumers ness Association will get updates on Former TV investigative reporter Dale Cardwell is turning to a new medium for his latest venture – TrustDale.com. The Web site, which he launched this month, is billed as a unique consumer information resource. Cardwell, who lives in Decatur, said it would be wonderful if every person had their very Dale Cardwell own adviser to help them cut through the advertising hype and misinformation. “With the introduction of TrustDale .com, I intend to provide exactly that to the people,” he said. Cardwell, who worked on WSB-TV’s consumer investigative reporting team with Clark Howard, offers consumer choices in four areas on TrustDale.com: Financial, Legal, House & Home, and Automotive. When selecting a featured business, he first reviews the credibility and track record of competing companies. He then recommends the vendor who, in his opinion, is the best in customer service, has the most reliable track record, and provides rock-solid guarantees of their work. When price is the main driver, Cardwell finds consumers the best deals, often negotiating special Trust Dale rates for subscribers. He said the Web site was created for the sole purpose of taking the worry out of key purchases for consumers at absolutely no cost to them. Cardwell, who made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2008, also reported on political corruption and taxpayer abuse while at WSB. He won six Emmy Awards for his reporting, which spanned 25 years. In addition to managing TrustDale .com, Cardwell travels around the nation advising companies and clients on financial and consumer issues.

DeKalb zoning, census and purchasing/ contract compliance issues at their March 2 meeting at Saint Philip AME Church’s Family Life Center. Special guest speakers for the meeting that starts at 11:30 a.m. are Kelvin Walton, the county’s director of purchasing and contracting; Anthony Baker, the county’s associate director of planning; and County Commissioner Connie Stokes. Lunch is free to members and $10 for visitors. Saint Philip AME Church is at 240 Candler Road in Atlanta. For more information, call 678-4763727.

Business seminar for entrepreneurs Aspiring business owners can find out what it takes to start a business at a March 3 seminar hosted by the DeKalb County Extension Office. The free “Is Entrepreneurship for You?” seminar starts at 7 p.m. at 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur. To register or for more information, call 404-298-4080.

Cash rebates for many energy star appliances Consumers can receive rebates of up to $1,200 for buying energy-efficient appliances under the state’s $8.6 million Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. Appliances eligible for the program include clothes washers, dishwashers, air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, water heaters, refrigerators and freezers. State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield is urging Georgians to make good use of the rebate program. “In these tough economic times, we all need to save money wherever we can,” said Benfield, whose 85th District includes portions of south DeKalb County. “I hope my constituents will take advantage of this program that will result in lower energy bills and also conserve energy.” Georgia residents with a valid residential address who buy a qualified Energy Star appliance from a Georgia retailer will be eligible to receive the assigned rebate for that appliance. Rebates are limited to one rebate per appliance type per household. Consumers can receive rebates of up to $199 per appliance. Separate rebate applications must be completed for each appliance purchased. Eligible appliances must be purchased starting Feb. 12. The rebate application is available at www.Georgia Rebate.com or by calling 1-866-296-1633. Bo for dy C all ollis Collision Services: veh ion icle • DEDUCTIBLE ASSISTANCE s • LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY • LOW RATE RENTAL

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Wellness

CrossRoadsNews

February 27, 2010

“Studies have shown that it typically takes many years to get an accurate diagnosis for a rare disease.” There is an urgent need for platelets, the American Red Cross says. St. Thomas More Catholic Church and Tucker First United Methodist Church are holding blood collection drives on March 7.

Doctor to address heart health It celebrates American Heart Atlanta Heart Specialists Month, which raises awareness cardiologist Anthony C. Dorsey of heart disease. The national will speak on “Keeping a Healthy Centers for Disease Control and Heart” on Feb. 28 at the Dialysis Prevention identified heart disand Transplantation Support ease as a leading cause of death Services Center Inc.’s 2010 Medand disability nationwide. ical Education Seminar/FellowIn 2009, an estimated 785,000 ship at Greenforest Community Americans had a new coronary Baptist Church in Decatur. Anthony Dorsey attack, and about 470,000 had a Dorsey, a graduate of Morehouse College and the University of Con- recurrent attack. The CDC says that about necticut Medical School, joined Atlanta every 25 seconds, an American will have a Heart Specialists in 2008. He mentors coronary event, and about one person will young people and speaks at churches, die every minute. The Dialysis and Transplantation Supelementary schools and high schools. He also provides medical services in a home- port Services Center, which serves kidney patients, is a ministry of Greenforest Bapless shelter in Atlanta. His practice includes primary and tist Church. It was founded in 1986 by the secondary prevention of ischemic heart late Rev. James E. “Jay” Wilson, who was a disease and management of congestive dialysis patient for more than 23 years. The church is at 3250 Rainbow Drive. heart failure. The seminar starts at 1 p.m. in the For more information, call 404-486Fellowship Hall of the Decatur church. 1120.

Blood drives in Decatur, Tucker Healthy teens and adults 17 years and older can donate blood and platelets March 7 at blood drives in Decatur and Tucker. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds. The American Red Cross is collecting blood at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 634 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. in Decatur, and at Tucker First United Methodist Church, 5095 LaVista Road in Tucker, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is an urgent need for platelets as a result of the record-breaking snowstorms in the Northeast, which have prevented people from donating. There is no substitute for blood and volunteer donors are the only source. Blood can be safely donated every 56 days. Teens as young as 16 can donate with parental consent. The Southern Blood Services Region serves more than 120 hospitals and must have 1,200 people give blood and platelets each weekday to meet hospital demand. Accident victims as well as patients with cancer, sickle cell disease, blood disorders and other illnesses receive lifesaving transfusions every day. Platelets are the clotting factor in blood and are frequently given to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Platelets can be donated every two weeks, but they have a shelf life of only five days.

Randy Edwards, CEO for the Southern Blood Services Region, says people of all ethnicities, including African-Americans, are needed to donate blood. “Sometimes it’s that single donation from a particular person that can make a difference in someone’s life,” he said. As a group, more than 50 percent of African-Americans have type O blood, which is routinely in short supply and in high demand by hospitals. About 20 percent also have type B blood, and several rare blood types are also unique to the African-American community. Edwards says that African-Americans, including Dr. Charles Drew, a medical researcher, have played a key role in modern blood banking. In the 1940s, Drew laid the groundwork for blood donation through his work in blood collection and plasma processing. He became the first medical director of the first American Red Cross Blood Bank in the United States in 1941. The world-renowned Holland Research Laboratory in Rockville, Md., bears the name of educator and U.S. Ambassador Jerome H. Holland. He streamlined the growth of Red Cross labs in the 1980s and was the first African-American chairman of the Red Cross board of directors. For more information or to locate a nearby blood drive, visit www.redcross blood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

Rare Disease Day focuses on research, access to care Victims of rare diseases know the difficulties of getting an accurate diagnosis, treatment and other services. On Feb. 28, which is observed nationally as Rare Disease Day, organizers will spotlight the need for more research and better access to medical care and social and financial services. A disease is considered rare in the United States if it affects fewer than 200,000 Americans. Nationally, 6,000 to 7,000 rare diseases affect 25 million to 30 million Americans. Better-known rare diseases include sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, Tourette syndrome and Lou Gehrig’s disease. Peter L. Saltonstall, president and CEO of the National Organization for Rare Disorders, which sponsors Rare Disease Day, said people with rare diseases remain a medically underserved population around the world. “Studies have shown that it typically takes many years to get an accurate diagnosis for a rare disease,” he said.

If the disease is not included on the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments, applicants are commonly denied Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and must go through a lengthy appeal process. Some have died while waiting for a decision. In October 2008, the SSA launched its Compassionate Allowances initiative to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information. The SSA initially provided a list of 50 conditions – 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers – used to help identify eligible disabilities and make faster decisions for disability benefits through the SSDI and Supplemental Security Income programs. Effective March 1, the SSA is adding 38 more conditions to the list, which is available at www.socialsecurity .gov/compassionateallowances. For more information, visit www.rarediseaseday.us.

Wellness

CrossRoadsNews

February 27, 2010

“Tornadoes are dangerously unpredictable, so it’s critical to know in advance what to do and where to take shelter.”

Get ready: Tornado season on horizon

More funding for health IT

March marks the start of tornado season in Georgia and the state wants you to be ready. Last year, more than 50 tornadoes touched down in Georgia and it could be as busy a season this year. C h a r ley English, d i re c tor of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Office of Homeland Charley English Security, says that Georgia was among the top five states with the most tornado activity in 2009. “While tornadoes have occurred in every month of the year here in Georgia, March through May are the most active months,” he said. “Tornadoes are dangerously unpredictable, so it’s critical to know in advance what

The Georgia Department of Community Health has been awarded $13 million to expand the use of electronic health records and to develop the Health Information Exchange. The grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be used to develop and create the Health Information Exchange and to support the development of interfaces with existing health information exchanges across Georgia. DCH Commissioner Rhonda Medows said that the timely, accurate and secure exchange of health information is essential to improve patient care and care coordination, streamline care delivery, assess health outcomes, and strengthen health planning efforts for our communities.

to do and where to take shelter.” followed by an interior room Tips from Ready Georgia: or hallway on the lowest floor possible. In a high-rise, go to a Prepare for a tornado small interior room or hallway Familiarize yourself with the on the lowest floor possible. Stay terms used to identify tornado away from windows, doors and hazards: A tornado watch means outside walls. a tornado is possible in your A vehicle, trailer or mobile area; a tornado warning means a home does not provide good tornado has been spotted in your protection. Plan to go quickly to area, and you need to take shelter a building with a strong foundaimmediately. tion if possible. If shelter is not Determine in advance where available, lie flat in a ditch or you will take shelter. Prepare a other low-lying area. Do not get Ready kit of emergency supplies, under an overpass or bridge. including a first-aid kit, NOAA Weather Radio, and a three-day Stay informed supply of food and water. Listen to your weather radio, watch TV or check the Plan to take shelter Internet for official news and If local authorities issue a instructions. Stay out of damtornado warning or if you see aged buildings and stay clear of a funnel cloud, take shelter im- downed power lines. mediately. For more information, visit Storm cellars or basements www.ready.ga.gov or call 1-800provide the best protection, 879-4362.

‘Straight Talk’ targets male health Men and boys and the diseases that affect them are the focus of the Feb. 27 “Straight Talk … For Men Only” at Arabia Mountain High School in Lithonia. The free event, from 8 a.m. to noon, is a men’s health initiative of the DeKalb County Council of PTAs. It seeks to raise awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment. DeKalb Health Department

and private doctors will participate. Screenings include blood glucose levels and body mass index. Discussion topics include the PSA test for the prostate, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and mental health. Nathaniel Paxton, council president, said the initiative grew out of the loss of a friend. He said men are sometimes stubborn about getting medical care. “Don’t be macho and ignore

your prostate and high blood pressure.” This is the second year for “Straight Talk,” designed for males of all ages. Paxton said many males are more comfortable asking some questions when women aren’t around. Arabia Mountain High is at 6610 Browns Mill Road. Contact Nathaniel Paxton at ptacouncil.president@gmail .com or 678-245-9344.

This is the second Recovery Act health information technology grant awarded to Georgia to advance the use of electronic health information. In December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that Georgia got $3.2 million to create a State Medicaid Health Information Technology Plan and to complete initial planning activities to promote the adoption of electronic health records among Medicaid providers. Health-e Connect, a statewide certified electronic health record and information exchange, was implemented in January. It enables more than 10,000 doctors serving Georgia’s 1.5 million Medicaid patients to share information. For more information, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/gahitt.

CrossRoadsNews

Scene

February 27, 2010

Hubert Harrison was described as “the father of Harlem radicalism” and “the foremost Afro-American intellect of his The Southwest DeKalb High School Orchestra will perform classical and modern pop standards during its March 7 concert.

Baker exhibit at Auburn Avenue Research Library Celebrated entertainer Josephine Baker, who started life poor in St. Louis on June 2, 1906, and became the toast of Paris in the 1920s, is the focus of “La Baker: The Art and Life of an Icon” at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History. The free exhibit, which continues through April 26 in the Small Gallery on the library’s first floor, features artifacts from the collection of N. Louise Willingham. It highlights Baker’s iconic status as a controversial global celebrity and heroic champion of civil and human rights. Baker became a French citizen in 1937. She was a singer and dancer in her early career, who was called the “Bronze Venus,” the “Black Pearl” and “Créole Goddess.” In France, she always has been known as “La Baker.” Baker was the first African-American female to star in a major motion picture, to integrate an American concert hall, and to become a world-famous entertainer. She also is noted for her contributions to the civil rights movement in the United States and to the French Resistance during World War II. She was also the first American-born woman to receive the French military honor the Croix de Guerre. She died on April 12, 1975, at the age of 68. The library is at 101 Auburn Ave. in downtown Atlanta. For more information, call 404-730-4001, ext. 100.

SWD Orchestra to be in concert at Ray of Hope Fans of Michael Jackson and Richard Smallwood will find plenty of good music at the Southwest DeKalb High School Orchestra’s March 7 concert at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur. During the hourlong concert, which starts at 4 p.m., the orchestra of 35 students, under the direction of Melanie Driver, also will perform movie and show themes such as “The Incredibles” and “Phantom of the

Opera” as well as a rendition of “Vida La Vida” by Coldplay. Orchestra members play the violin, viola, cello and double bass. They compete annually in the Georgia Music Education Association Festival, where they have received an overall superior rating for the past three years. The orchestra also has placed first in two national competitions – the All-Star Music Festival in Orlando,

Fla., and Fiesta-Val in Gatlinburg, Tenn. – and recently competed in the Six Flags “Amusement in the Park.” The concert is free but donations will be taken. Proceeds benefit the orchestra’s trips to national competitions, master classes and clinics and post-secondary education scholarships. For more information, visit www.swdorchestra.com or call Nita Mason at 404-286-5354.

Historian to discuss Harlem intellectual’s life, times Independent historian and scholar Dr. Jeffrey B. Perry will discuss the life and times of African-American intellectual Hubert Harrison on March 4 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. Hubert Harrison Harrison, a writer, lecturer, orator, educator, editor and labor leader, is considered one of the most significant black democratic socialists of 20th-century America. Born on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Is-

lands on April 27, 1883, Harrison was described by activist A. Philip Randolph as “the father of Harlem radicalism” and by the historian Joel Augustus Rogers as “the foremost Afro-American intellect of his time.” Jeffrey B. Perry Harrison immigrated to the United States when he was 17 and played significant roles in the largest radical class and race movements in the United States. A seminal and influential thinker, he is credited with encouraging the development of class consciousness among working people and positive race consciousness among black people. In 1912-1914 he was the leading black organizer in the Socialist Party of America. In 1917 he founded the Liberty League and The Voice, the first organization and

the first newspaper of the race-conscious “New Negro” movement, both of which helped influence movements like Marcus Garvey’s. He died on Dec. 17, 1927. Perry, who was educated at Princeton, Harvard, Rutgers and Columbia universities, will discuss his latest publication, “Hubert Harrison: The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883-1918.” He preserved and inventoried the Hubert H. Harrison Papers (now at Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library) and is also the editor of “A Hubert Harrison Reader,” published in 2001. Critics say the meticulously researched book fills an enormous gap in the knowledge about Harrison. Perry’s talk starts at 7 p.m. in the Authors & Writers Lounge on the third floor of the library. The program is free. For more information, call 404-7304001, ext. 100.

Rescheduled history contest is Feb. 27 Members of DeKalb 100 Black Men Leadership Academy finally get to show off their knowledge of black history in the African-American History scholastic contest at Macy’s at Stonecrest on Feb. 27. The event was rescheduled from Feb. 13 because of the winter storm that blanketed metro Atlanta under 3.7 inches of snow. The middle and high school students will compete for a $200 Macy’s gift card in the American Legacy Magazine trivia challenge.

The competition, which is modeled after the American Legacy Know Your History Knowledge Game, is part of Macy’s celebration of Black History Month. It begins at 2 p.m. in the store’s hosiery department on the main level. The Martin Luther King Jr. High School Band will perform, and customers who view the competition will get refreshments courtesy of Lady Cakes. Macy’s at Stonecrest is at I-20 and Turner Hill Road in Lithonia.

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CrossRoadsNews

February 27, 2010

Youth

“Another student said, ‘I have some shoes, too,’ and it snowballed from there. It’s fantastic how all the kids got involved.”

Students donate shoes to children in Ghana A thousand children in Ghana soon will have shoes for their feet through the generosity of students at Lithonia Middle School. Since Jan. 29, the students have been collecting new and gently used shoes as a Black History Month project for “Soles for Souls,” a program of Conyers-based Barnabas International. The nonprofit, launched by Ghana native Martin R. Kumi in 2007, collects and ships school supplies, clothes and Bibles to Kumasi in western Ghana. This is the second time the Lithonia students have joined the drive. Last year, students collected 2,000 shoes. Louise McNeely-Cobham, who is coordinating the project, said she is hoping this year’s drive will yield even more shoes. She said that once the students became aware of the shoeless children of Ghana, they were excited to take part. “I said to the students, ‘I know you all have shoes that you don’t even wear,’” she said. “One student said, ‘My cousin has some shoes.’ Another student said, ‘I have some shoes, too,’ and it snowballed from there. It’s fantastic how all the kids got involved.” Before the kickoff on Jan. 29, the students watched a six-minute video about the Ghanaian children, who walk up to 10

Principal Patricia May (center); shoe drive coordinator Louise McNeely-Cobham; Martin Kumi, president of Barnabas International; Tammie Flag, vice president of Barnabas International; and students show off shoes similar to ones that will be collected during their shoe drive.

miles without shoes on their feet. The shoe drive is supported by student groups like Young Men of Distinction, America’s Leaders of Tomorrow and the Student Government Association. McNeely-Cobham said the community

can help the students reach their goal by dropping off shoes at the school. Lithonia Middle School is at 2451 Randall Ave. in Lithonia. For more information, call Louise McNeely-Cobham at 678-875-0702.

Youth Leadership DeKalb accepting applications Rising 10th- and 11th-graders can apply for the Youth Leadership DeKalb training program Class of 2011. About 40 students will be picked for the 10-month leadership training program. The deadline to apply is March 17. YLD focuses on self-awareness, understanding of others, teamwork, community awareness and responsibility, and leadership skills. Students participate in interactive sessions on juvenile justice, banking

and finance, healthy relationships, etiquette, the seven habits of highly effective teens, civic engagement, and youth for a healthy DeKalb. There is also an overnight retreat, a county bus tour, a service day, a page day at the Capitol and a Career Fair. Qualified students who attend public or private schools can be nominated by their high school counselors or submit an application on their own. They should demonstrate outstanding qualities includ-

Input sought on student code Parents and other DeKalb residents can offer comments and suggestions on the DeKalb School System’s Code of Student Conduct for the 2010-2011 school year through May 1. A copy of the current Code of Student Conduct is available at every school and at www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/administration /safety/studentconduct.html. The code, which contains the school

system’s discipline rules and regulations, is offered in at least eight languages and covers a variety of issues. Students receive and sign for the code at the beginning of each school year and are taught and tested on the code. Comments and recommendations on the Code of Conduct may be sent to Student Relations, 5823 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain, GA 30083.

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Plan to present job cuts delayed Prior to his surprise temporary departure on Thursday, DeKalb Schools Superintendent Crawford Lewis had planned to present the 148 central office positions he intended to cut to the DeKalb School Board on Friday. Eliminating the positions is among several recommendations to help close an $88 million deficit as the system seeks to balance its 2011 budget that goes into effect in July. The school board must approve a balanced budget by May 10. School system spokesman Dale Davis said Wednesday that the cuts will not include teaching positions. “Teachers will not be impacted,” he said. The employees in the eliminated positions will have the opportunity to apply for vacant teaching positions. Lewis also proposed to close four schools, but Davis said those will not be identified until the end of April or the beginning of May. The targeted schools are widely believed to be in south DeKalb County. Lewis has said they will come from among the 29 schools with enrollment of less than 300 students. A 20-member Citizen Planning Task Force, appointed by school board members and Lewis, will help pick the schools to close and consolidate and will redraw attendance lines. It will get multiple scenarios of proposed school closings on March 4 and will discuss them at its March 9 meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria at the William Bradley Bryant Center, 2652 Lawrenceville Highway in Decatur. For more information, visit www. dekalb.k12.ga.us/public /CPTF/.

CrossRoadsNews

February 27, 2010

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CrossRoadsNews

February 27, 2010

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CrossRoadsNews

February 27, 2010