COMMUNITY
New plans for club building Inspired by its storied history, a group unveils a plan to give the Lithonia Women’s Club new life as a storytelling haunt. B3
EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER
Copyright © 2012 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
July 21, 2012
Volume 18, Number 12
www.crossroadsnews.com
VOTE 2012
Campaigns in the Home Stretch
As their candidates prepared to meet voters for a forum at Ray of Hope Church in Decatur, Tremayne Jones (right) and Adajah Moore joined dozens of volunteers to wave to motorists on Snapfinger Road.
Full Election Coverage, pages A2-A13 Activity levels reach fever pitch among candidates, volunteers and voters Photographer Name / CrossRoadsNews
Early voting kicked of July 9 at the Elections Office on Memorial Drive, and will expand to five more early voting sites on July 23.
Volunteer Febra Clark places campaign literature for House District 94 candidate Jaye Lynn Peabody at the Wade Walker Park YMCA in Stone Mountain. From far left, volunteers Clariese McQueen (left) and Renee Palmer prepare signs for incumbent Judge Dax Lopez; NAACP president John Evans expresses his opinion about the T-SPLOST referendum; and DeKalb police officers talk with campaign volunteers about where they can display their signs.
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Vote 2012
CrossRoadsNews
July 21, 2012
Your Guide to the July 31 Primary Elections
These candidates are in contested races in the July 31 primaries and their names will be on the ballot. This information includes the office they are seeking, the salary, party affiliation (except in nonpartisan races), occupation anf district size. Candidates who are running unopposed are not listed here. (D)= Democratic (R)= Republican (I)= Incumbent
State Court Judge (Nonpartisan) Salary: $116,749.57 Population: 644,266 Registered voters: 453,570 Division 6 to succeed Dax E. Lopez (I), 36, Judge Dionne McGee, 38, Attorney U.S. House of Representatives
DeKalb Board of Education (Nonpartisan) Salary: $18,000 District 2 Population: 92,194 Registered voters: 63,761 Don McChesney (I), 65, Retired educator Marshall Orson, 52, Consultant/attorney
District 4 Population: 92,163 Registered voters: 63,033 Tom Gilbert, 68, Sales associate Jim Kinney, 49, Systems engineer Jim McMahan, 46, Loan originator H. Paul Womack Jr. (I), 79, Chairman and CEO District 6 Population: 91,309 Registered voters: 69,989 Melvin Johnson, 68, Retired educator Denise E. McGill, 51, Business consultant Terriyln C. Rivers-Cannon, 43, School social worker Latasha Walker, 38, Personal assistant District 8 Population: 322,133 Registered voters: 206,807 Michelle “Mimi” Clark, 45, Operations manager Pamela Speaks (I), 61, Retired educator DeKalb Board of Commissioners Salary: $38,374.51 District 1 Population: 139,925 Registered voters: 46,091 Elaine Boyer (I), (R), 55, Business owner Larry Danese (R), 70, Retired
District 4 Population: 138,186 Registered voters: 34,426 Steve Bradshaw (D), 49, Account manager Clyburn Halley (D), 48, Law enforcement Sharon Barnes Sutton (I), (D), 52, Educator
District 5 Population: 135,496 Registered voters: 90,034 Gina Mangham (D), 56, Attorney Lee May (I), (D), 36, Minister & author Kenneth L. Samuel (D), 55, Senior pastor Andre R. White (D), 47, Newspaper publisher
District 6 Population: 322,133 Registered voters: 222,724 Kathie Gannon (I), (D), 63, Consultant/retired social worker Edmond Richardson (D), 31, Chief of staff DeKalb County CEO Salary: $116,749.57 Population: 644,266 Registered voters: 453,970 Gregory Adams (D), 48, Clergyman Jerome Edmondson (D), 49, Entrepreneur Burrell Ellis (I), (D), 54, CEO
Clerk of Superior Court Salary: $109,425.84 Population: 644,266 Registered voters: 453,970 John Q. Carter (D), 62, Retired Debra DeBerry (I), (D), 56, Clerk of court Oretha Brown-Johnson (D), 49, Retired Frank L. Swindle (D), 52, Courier/processor Cheryl D. Vortice (D), 48, Judicial case managerTax Commissioner
Tax Commissioner Salary: $109,425.84 Population: 644,266 Registered voters: 453,570 Claudia G. Lawson (I), (D), 65, Tax commissioner Melvin Allen Turks (D), 59, Senior pastor
District 4 Salary: $174,000 Population: 691,976 Registered voters: 240,438 Courtney L. Dillard Sr. (D), 49, Real estate developer/ minister Henry “Hank” Johnson Jr. (I), (D), 57, Attorney Lincoln Nunnally (D), 32, Consultant Greg Pallen (R), 43, President/CEO J. Chris Vaughn (R), 46, Minister District 5 Population: 691,976 Registered voters: 114,000 Michael Johnson (D), 43, Superior Court judge John Lewis (I), (D) 73, U.S. representative District 6 Population: 691,975 Registered voters: 99,132 Jeff Kazanow (D), 57, Business consultant Robert Montigel (D), 65, Small-business owner Georgia Senate Salary: $17,700 District 44 Population: 174,464 Registered voters: 37,544 Gail Buckner (D), 61, Communications marketing Gail Paulette Davenport (I), (D), 63, Realtor Marcus E. Davis (D), 39, Minister
District 55 Population: 174,196 Registered voters: 54,760 Gloria Butler (I), (D), 70, Professional consultant Mark Williams (D), 42, Counselor Public Service Commissioner Salary: $116,452 Population: NA Registered voters: Chuck Eaton (I), (R), 43, Public Service commissioner Matt Reid (R), 56, Engineer Pam Davidson (R), 49, Energy consultant Stan Wise (R), 60 Public Service commissioner
Georgia House Salary: $17,700 District 80 Population: 53,535 Registered voters: 22,722 Mike Jacobs (I), (R), 37, Attorney Sandy Murray (D), 65, Computer consulting & training
District 81 Population: 53,590 Registered voters: 24,579 Chris Boedeker (R), 31, Attorney Carla Roberts (R), 50, Physician Scott Holcomb (I), (D), 39, Attorney
District 90 Population: 53,620 Registered voters: 22,690 Scott Hughes (D), 31, Health care administration Pam S. Stephenson (I), (D), 54, Attorney
District 92 Population: 54,205 Registered voters: 15,515 Tonya Anderson (D), 42, Consultant and pastor Doreen Carter (D), 49, Accountant Kathy L. Harvey (D), 55, Minister/counselor and consultant Sherri Len Washington (D), 42, Attorney Doreen Williams (D), 61, Educator
District 93 Population: 54,333 Registered voters: 11,126 Christine “Tina” Hoffer (R), 56, Registered nurse Dexter Dawston (D), 40, Truck driver Dar’shun N. Kendrick (I), (D), 29, Attorney Glen Williams (D), 44, Small-business owner Population: 53,570
District 94 Registered voters: 19,786
Karen Bennett (D), 56, Small-business owner Patricia Bourdeau (D), 38, Teacher Tony Lentini (D), 47, Field collector Jaye Lynn Peabody (D), 39, Nonprofit executive director and counselor
Superior Court Judge, Stone Mountain Circuit (Flake) Salary: $120,552 Population: 644,266 Registered voters: 453,970 Gail C. Flake (I), 67, Superior Court judge Michael Rothenberg, 34, Attorney
Special Election Referendum 1: Atlanta Regional District T-SPLOST
Vote Yes or No
Provides for local transportation projects to create jobs and reduce traffic congestion with citizen oversight. Question: “Shall DeKalb County’s transportation system and the transportation network in this region and the state be improved by providing for a 1 percent special district transportation sales and use tax for the purpose of transportation projects and programs for a period of ten years?
Non-binding Advisory Referendum Vote Yes or No “Should the local or independent school system of DeKalb County or a charter school in DeKalb County place or operate a telecommunications tower on any elementary, middle, or high school property?” City of Brookhaven Incorporation Vote Yes or No
“Shall the Act incorporating the City of Brookhaven in DeKalb County according to the charter contained in the Act and the homestead exemptions described in the Act be approved?”
Democratic Questions Vote Yes or No
n Should the Georgia Constitution be amended to allow the state to override locally-elected school boards’ decisions when it comes to the creation of charter schools in your county or city? n Do you support ending current practice permitting unlimited gifts from lobbyists to state legislators? n Should Georgia adopt an income tax credit for home energy costs to support the economic security of our families? n Should Georgia reduce sales taxes on Made in Georgia products so as to support the growth of small businesses in our state?
Republican Questions Vote Yes or No
n Should Georgia have casino gambling with funds going to education? n Do you support ending the current practice of unlimited gifts from lobbyists to state legislators by imposing a $100 cap on such gifts? n Should active duty military personnel who are under the age of 21 be allowed to obtain a Georgia weapons license? n Should Citizens who wish to vote in a primary election be required to register by their political party affiliation at least thirty (30) days prior to such primary election? n Should the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the paramount right to life is vested in each innocent human being from his or her earliest biological beginning without regard to age, race, sex, health, function, or condition of dependency? Sources: DeKalb County Board of Elections and the Georgia Secretary of State, Georgia Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office.
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July 21, 2012
Vote 2012
Through June 30, campaign contributions for the county totaled only $954,194 down from $1.6 million in 2008. Advance voting locations will open on July 23 in downtown Decatur, Flat Shoals Parkway, Chamblee, Tucker and Lithonia.
Candidates feel economic pinch as campaign donations dwindle By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
There is a reason why candidates in the July 31 primary elections are strapped for cash. Campaign donations are way off. Through June 30, campaign contributions for the county totaled only $954,194 down from $1.6 million in 2008. In the 17 ZIP Codes that comprise CrossRoadsNews’ circulation area, political supporters contributed $414,917 or 43.28 percent of DeKalb’s total. In 2008, the total for those ZIP Codes was $633,731 or 49.93 percent of the county’s total. Contributions have been on a downward trend since 2006, when $3.2 million in contributions were given in DeKalb. CEO Burrell Ellis led incumbents as he raked in the most money for his re-election campaign. He topped the charts with $1.2 million in campaign donations; for the reporting period ending June 30, he reported $96,990.38 and had a balance of $230,722. In comparison, his opponents Jerome Edmondson and Gregory Adams came up short in the contribution department. Edmondson reported contributions of $149,591 which included a loan to his campaign of $65,000. For the June 30 reporting period, Edmondson reported raising $32,401 and spending $66,853 which puts him $34,452 into the hole. Adams said he raised $5,081 and spent $2,775 and had $2,306. In the hotly contested State Court race between incumbent Dax Lopez and Dionne McGee, Lopez raised $85,517 to McGee’s $46,485. He had $66,910 going into the final
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CrossRoadsNews
Top Money Getters
Candidate Total Contributions Burrell Ellis $1,313,448 Lee May $ 187,878 Dax E. Lopez $152.427 Jerome Edmonson $149,591 Kathie Gannon $82,516 Dionne McGee $82,158 Elaine Boyer $46,971 Debra DeBerry $46,609 Edmond Richardson $ 45,572 Claudia Lawson $23,138 Kenneth Samuel $ 20,197 Gail C. Flake $14,792 DeKalb County’s 2012 Contributions Political supporters have given $954,194 in contributions countywide to candidates running for 2012 offices, 43 percent of that came from South DeKalb supporters. GA. Campaign Finance Commission
weeks of the campaign to her $35,675. Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry reported $46,609 to John Carter’s $11,382 and Cheryl Vortice’s $5,684. Oretha Brown-Johnson and Frank Swindle did not file their reports. Incumbent DeKalb District 5 Commissioner Lee May also outraised his opponents. He reported raising $153,546 for the June 30 reporting period and $187,878 for his entire re-election campaign. In contrast challengers Kenneth Samuel raised $20,197, and Gina Mangham, $6,000. Andre White, the third challenger, did not file any campaign disclosure reports.
Early voting sites open July 23 Starting July 23, voters can beat the Election Day rush by voting early at five precincts county wide. Advance voting locations open at the Community Achievement Center on Flat Shoals Parkway, the Clark Harrison Building on Ponce de Leon Ave in Decatur, the Recreation Center on La Vista Road and Chamblee City Hall on Peachtree Road. They join the polls at the DeKalb Elections office on Memorial Drive which has been open since July 9. All six locations open weekdays through July 27 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last Saturday poll will be July 21. Voters can cast ballots at any of the early voting election. There will be no early polls on July 30. On election day, the polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters must cat ballots at their assigned polling precinct. Through the ninth day of voting, 6,069 voters had cast ballots in the general primary, nonpartisan and special elections, including the referendums for the Transportation Special Purpose Local
n South DeKalb: Community Achievement Center Inc., 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. n DeKalb Elections Main Office 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur. n Downtown Decatur: Clark Harrison Building, 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Room A, in Decatur. n East DeKalb: New Bethel AME, 8350 Rockbridge Road in Lithonia. n Tucker Recreation Center: 4898 LaVista Road in Tucker. n North DeKalb: Chamblee City Hall, 5468 Peachtree Road in Chamblee.
Option Sales Tax. The total votes include 2,622 absentee ballots received by mail and 2,420 voters who used the ADA AccessibleOnly Absentee Poll for seniors and disabled voters who need a little room to maneuver wheelchairs and walkers. For more information about early voting and the ADA Accessible Polling Place, visit www.dekalbvotes.com.
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CrossRoadsNews
Opinion
July 21, 2012
Atlanta will never really become a world-class city until it has a world-class transit system.
Current T-SPLOST referendum is not worthy of our support By Jennifer Parker
Anyone who doubts that the T-SPLOST referendum is a high-stakes game need only turn on their television, radio or computer or ride past a billboard. As we move into the final week before the July 31 election, we are bombarded hourly with messages telling us to vote yes for another penny sales tax for transportation. The supporters of the proposed $8.5 billion transportation program have deep pockets. We may never really find out how much money they are spending to buy our votes because unlike candidates running for office, they don’t have to disclose who gave money, and how much. In this Goliath and David campaign, the people urging a “No” vote are being drowned out because they lack the money to buy air time, purchase billboards, and get highprofile pundits and supporters to seduce the voters. Still, their side is worthy of attention, especially here in south DeKalb County, where residents will pay not one, but two pennies on the dollar for transportation, and in return will get more bus stations and buses, instead of longpromised rail service to the Stonecrest area. When it comes to public transit, DeKalb County voters have been ardent supporters. For 40 years our residents, along with Fulton County residents, have supported MARTA with a penny sales tax. Together, both counties have invested more than $7.5 billion into MARTA. In 2008, our Board of Commissioners voted to extend that penny sales tax for another 40 years, with very little protest from residents.
Development follows transit It’s no secret that economic development follows transit improvements and that South DeKalb sorely needs a catalyst for development. The 1.3 million-square-foot Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia is the largest mall left in unincorporated DeKalb County
“Fixing the region’s transportation issue is important work and we should get it right – not only for ourselves but also for future generations.” Jennifer Parker
after the city of Dunwoody took the Perimeter area. It is struggling to attract and keep high-end merchants. Rail to the area would be a great boon, bringing more businesses and luring more people to shop and to visit the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area, which would spur more growth in the hotels and other hospitality amenities. Just like Perimeter, rail to Stonecrest could spur companies to locate in the area because their employees would have an easy way to get to work. Residents of Newton and Rockdale counties could also get on the train there for trips to downtown and the airport. All of our elected officials should be pushing to develop the Stonecrest area to help it grow and keep it vibrant. Instead of depriving South DeKalb of rail service, smart leaders should have pushed also for a second rail line to Stone Mountain Park – the Southeast’s second-most-visited attraction after Disney World. The current T-SPLOST referendum is not worthy of our support for a number of reasons. Here are just a few: n A tax on food: Because the sales tax applies to food, it will disproportionately impact the people who can least afford it – the poorest among us. Every time we buy a gallon of milk or a carton of eggs at the grocery store, we will be paying for somebody’s road. n Paying twice: Paying two pennies for transportation will hurt us financially. It will make DeKalb less attractive and less competitive with other metro counties that will have only a one-penny transportation tax. Purchasers of big-ticket
COMPETENT, PROFESSIONAL AND CREDIBLE LEADERSHIP
JOHN Q. CARTER
items like automobiles and large appliances will buy them in counties with lower sales taxes. n Unknown governance: While great care was taken to list the 157 projects to be funded, we don’t know who will make the final decisions on how the T-SPLOST money will be spent. We know from experience that sales tax revenues are estimated. Sometimes the money doesn’t flow in as anticipated, and projects have to be re-prioritized. Who will make those decisions? Will we have input into them, especially in light of talks that MARTA could be coopted into something bigger and our representation on the MARTA board eliminated? n Who will get the jobs and the contracts? How many of the 200,000 jobs “to be saved and created” will be in DeKalb County? Will our companies and contractors get a slice of the $8.5 billion pie?
Make TIA fair and equitable Proponents of the T-SPLOST referendum would have us believe that if it fails, it will be doomsday for Atlanta, but that’s not true. The law actually provides for the process to be repeated in two years if it’s unsuccessful in its first outing. Failure at the ballot box will give planners the opportunity to go back and make the Transportation Investment Act fair and equitable. Fixing the region’s transportation issue is important work and we should get it right – not only for ourselves but also for future generations. Atlanta will never really become a world-class city until it has a world-class transit system. This plan doesn’t accomplish that. Failure at the ballot box will also tell planners loudly that they should not walk all over the people who have supported transit for decades. That is why you should vote “No” on the T-SPLOST. It is bad public policy. Jennifer Parker is the editor and publisher of CrossRoadsNews.
Re-Elect
Judge Gail Flake
Clerk of Superior Court of DeKalb County
July 31, 2012 General Election QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
· Juris Doctorate, University of California at Davis, California · Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, San Diego State University, CA · 22 year resident of DeKalb County · Successful business owner, McDonald’s Franchisee · John Carter Enterprises, Arbitrator and Mediator · Superior Court Clerk of Fulton County, Deputy Clerk · Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, Contracts Administration · Gulf Coast Legal Foundation, Staff Attorney (Representation of indigent clients) · Husband of Linda Carter, former Superior Clerk of DeKalb County, 2000-2010 · Volunteer of Habitat for Humanity
Committed to Justice Experienced Qualified to Serve Judge Gail Flake DeKalb Superior Court www.reelectjudgegailflake.com
P.O. Box 36130 Decatur, GA 30036-1300
Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Judge Gail Flake
July 21, 2012
Vote 2012
CrossRoadsNews
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“I really feel that DeKalb does deserve better. This is not just a campaign slogan.”
Ellis faces two newcomers in his bid for another term as CEO By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis, who is seeking re-election to his final term in office, says he is running again because he cares deeply about the county. “I want to continue the progGregory Adams Jerome Edmondson Burrell Ellis ress we are making,” he said. For his chance at a final consecutive term of office, Ellis is facing Where they stand... challenges from Gregory Adams, a pastor and Cell former DeKalb County police officer, and T-SPLOST towers businessman Jerome Edmondson. Gregory Adams No No Both are political newcomers while Ellis has been serving for more than a decade. He Jerome Edmondson No No served two terms on the DeKalb Commission Burrell Ellis Yes No before stepping up to the county’s top job. Among his accomplishments, Ellis touts the 4,000 water and sewer jobs that he says tem operating telecommunication towers on will be created between now and 2015, school property, he says he is voting no. “There are too many unknown risks at streetscape improvements, expansions at Redan and Exchange parks, the eight new this time,” he said. “As a father of two young libraries that have opened on his watch, the kids, we have to be very careful on the placenew police precinct that is going up in the ment of cell towers.” His opponents accuse him of weak leadold Toys “R” Us building across from the Galership. lery at South DeKalb, and three new senior “I really feel that DeKalb does deserve centers that will launch this year. “We are creating jobs and restoring our better,” Edmondson said. “This is not just a neighborhoods and improving our quality campaign slogan.” He said that Ellis offered no leadership as of life,” he said. Ellis, who served on the Atlanta Roundta- the economy dissolved into recession. “I saw the housing market declining,” he ble that picked the 157 projects to be funded said. “I saw millions of dollars in stimulus by the proposed Transportation Special Purmoney we weren’t using. I saw no one in pose Local Option Sales Tax on the ballot, is leadership doing anything.” one of its most ardent supporters. Edmondson moved to DeKalb in 2002. “For quality of life and jobs, we have an opportunity to create 34,000 construction He points to the dramatic decline in property jobs, maintain/create 200,000 jobs, and pro- values facing many homeowners, including tect our MARTA investment and share costs,” himself. This year, he said his Lithonia home, which he bought for $900,000, lost another he said. “That’s big.” On the referendum about the school sys- $108,000 in assessed value, bringing his total
loss to $338,000, or 60 percent. He said that the county has no economic development plan and no plan to mitigate the high percentage of foreclosures. “That’s a recipe for disaster,” he said. “You can’t do a budget without a plan. … If you don’t have an economic development plan, where are you going?” Still he offers no specifics of how he would do it, just that he would have a fiveyear plan and would offer a team approach to running the county. Edmondson, who co-owns Entrepreneur Development Network with his wife of 26 years, Alena, is a former Denny’s franchisee. He said he was the chain’s first black owner and operated three restaurants and an A&W burger restaurant in Detroit. He sold them in 2003 and went into the business of training entrepreneurs with his SBA-certified course. He says he has trained 1,600 entrepreneurs. For his public service credentials, he points to service on the Butler Street Y board and he has worked with about 300 students in an after-school business program at Lithonia, Columbia and Tucker high schools. Edmondson says he is voting against the T-SPLOST and cell tower referendums. He opposes the T-SPLOST because he says we have no idea how the money will be spent. “Who will be in charge of our investment? Who will make the allocations?” Edmondson said the county deserves a leader, not a politician. “I can bring new leadership and unity to DeKalb County. Unity and leadership is what we need. We need to come together.”
“Our bond rating is diminished,” he said. “The Board of Commissioners and the CEO can’t agree – the CEO doesn’t consult them. When the head hurts, the rest of the body can’t function.” Adams, who moved to DeKalb in 1991, is senior pastor of the Deliverance Temple True Church of God in Christ in Austell and assistant general superintendent of Sunday schools in the denomination. He says he has been a minister for 20 years, planting 14 churches in the Philippines and one each in Michigan, Alabama and Georgia. He started Deliverance in Austell 16 years ago and says it has 60 active members. Adams was a DeKalb officer from 2007 to 2011, working out of the South Precinct on Candler Road. He also owns non-emergency transportation companies in DeKalb, Rockdale and Douglas counties employing 10. Adams said that civil rights activist Hosea Williams told him 25 years ago that he should go into public service. “He saw my leadership ability.” What took him so long? “I was waiting for my kids to grow up. “I know public service takes a lot of your time.” His youngest son graduated in May. Adams and wife Jacqueline have six children. He says he wants to establish respect with the citizens and Board of Commissioners and open the lines of communication. “I want to bring accountability and make sure that the county is running like it should.” Adams cites the budget and public safety as the top issues facing the county. He said the assessed value of his Stone Mountain home has plummeted from ‘He saw my leadership ability’ $180,000 to $30,000 but that his millage rate Adams, who is also a businessman, says went up last year. the county is lacking in leadership and needs Adams says he is voting “no” to the Tsomeone who cares at the helm. SPLOST and the cell tower referendums.
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CrossRoadsNews
Vote 2012
July 21, 2012
“Some incumbents feel they don’t have to come to give publicity to their opponents.”
Ellis a no-show as CEO challengers share views at forums By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
For his re-election, CEO Burrell Ellis is running by himself. And this despite the fact that there are two candidates – Gregory Adams and Jerome Edmondson – running against him. Ten days from the July 31 primary, Ellis has yet to sit down at the same table with his opponents to discuss the county, his record and plans for his second term in front of interested voters. He missed the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce/Leadership DeKalb’s July 12 forum; on July 16, he missed a forum at Berean Christian Church; and on July 17, he skipped a forum co-sponsored by CrossRoadsNews and Ray of Hope Christian Church. Ellis said the forums were held on dates on which he had previously scheduled appointments, including an Association of County Executives conference in Pittsburgh, where he was being sworn in as president and receiving an award for his One DeKalb programs and $5,000 for scholarships for DeKalb students. He blamed forum organizers for setting dates without first checking his schedule and said that he has had dozens of town hall meetings with constituents. “You can’t send me a date and then say this is when we are going to have a forum,” he said. “Call me and say, ‘We have 17 days to go, when are you available.’ I am the CEO. You don’t schedule it. That is a setup. You have to ask me what date is available.” Ellis said that he will put his record up against his opponents. “I wanna hear their record,” he said. “I want to hear their background. I want to hear their level of experience. I want to hear what their vision is for this county. I want to hear what they plan to do.” Ellis said that he has made sure that the citizens know his background, experience, where he has come from, and how he intends to move the county forward. “We have done 25 town hall meetings this year alone, over 60 since I have been CEO,” he said on July 14. “We did 12 in the month of June and two in the month of July so far. Plus I have been present at major events.” Observers say the CEO has not attended candidate forums because he doesn’t want to be give his opponents legitimacy or doesn’t think the forums are a priority. He is not the first incumbent to miss forums with his
Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews
challengers. In 2010, former CEO Vernon Jones, who was a candidate for the 4th Congressional District, famously addressed questions to an empty chair when incumbent Hank Johnson did not show up at a forum. DeKalb NAACP President John Evans said Ellis will not be attending the forum the organization is hosting for CEO, Board of Commissioners and School Board candidates during its July 21 monthly breakfast meeting. “It’s not a priority for him to be where his opponents are,” Evans said. “Some incumbents feel they don’t have to come to give publicity to their opponents.” When Ellis missed the DeKalb Chamber’s forum cohosted by five other organizations, Leonardo McClarty, the chamber’s president, said he got an earful from some board members. “There were some folks who were definitely looking forward to seeing him,” he said. McClarty said Ellis told them he had a conflict and that they tried to work with him on the time of his arrival at the forum. “We tried to work with him on it,” he said. “Could he come early, could he come late. Nothing worked.”
t c le
“Positively” Pam Stephenson
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CEO candidates Gregory Adams (left) and Jerome Edmondson have yet to face incumbent Burrell Ellis at political forums as scheduling conflicts have prevented Ellis from attending.
McClarty said they couldn’t change the date because the conference room was booked and that they were working with schedules of five other organizations and the 12 other candidates for the CEO and commission races. Edmondson, who has attended five CEO forums, said Ellis has been a no-show at all of them. “It’s an insult and a total [lack of] respect to citizens who want answers about the county and their CEO is not there,’ he said. “I feel that a campaign strategy should not be to not show up to give credibility to your opponent. The people deserve to see him.” Adams, who attended three of the four CEO forums and will be at the NAACP’s event, said he doesn’t understand Ellis’ absence. “I think that it’s very sad that he doesn’t consider the citizens well enough to show up,” he said. “He is not focused on the electorate. If he was, he would come out and defend what he has done.” This week, Will Sellers, his campaign manager, said that with his tight schedule, there are not many opportunities left to arrange a forum that Ellis can attend before election day.
Your Positive Voice for Positive Change State Representative
www.positivelypam.com
Pam Stephenson-Proven Leader
Pam Stephenson has been a resident of DeKalb County for over 28 years. Since 2002, she has worked tirelessly for her community and for the state of Georgia to help children, seniors,and others in need, particularly in the critical area of healthcare. Pam Stephenson is your positive voice for positive change at the Georgia State Capital.
Caring, Concerned, Committed
“Who’s Who in Healthcare by Atlanta Business Chronicle” -One of Atlanta’s Most Influential Black Women by Atlanta Business League Proven Leadership -Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Senior Innovative Ideas Executives of State and Local Government Program, 1996 Courage To Lead -Delta Sigma Theta Sorority -Former President, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Decatur-DeKalb Chapter
“Positive Pam” Your Voice for Positive Change Affordable, Accessible , and Quality healthcare Quality Education in Georgia Smart Growth Strategies Environmental Justice Equity for East Metro Area-DeKalb, Rockdale, Henry
www.positivelypam.com Paid for by Committee to Elect Pam Stephenson
Vote 2012
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CrossRoadsNews
July 21, 2012
Residents angry at May for voting against them on the biomass facility asked Mangham to run and volunteered on her campaign committee.
Biomass facility a big factor in District 5 commission race By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
After running unopposed in 2008, DeKalb District 5 Commissioner Lee May is facing three opponents. Community activist and attorney Gina Mangham, Pastor Kenneth Samuel and newspaper publisher Andre White are seeking to unseat him. Mangham said she was recruited to run by neighbors who like her are opposed to environmentally harmful businesses locating in the district. After fighting the biomass facility that the Board of Commissioners, including May, approved last year for Rogers Lake Road, the district had to fight the location of the Greenco recycling plant on the Lafarge property. Residents angry at May for voting against them on the biomass facility asked Mangham to run and have been volunteering on her campaign committee. Before the Greenco application could make it to the BOC, May announced that he would not support it, but Mangham said the community felt betrayed by May. “Guess what, our commissioner is not fighting our battle for us,” she said. “He voted for the gasification plant which the community did not want. We can’t understand why.” Samuel also disagrees with May on that vote. “It was a huge mistake for Mr. May to vote for that biomass plant,” he said. On Thursday, May said he wanted to apologize for that vote. “If I could take it back, I would. I misunderstood the level of opposition to it. I made the wrong decision on that vote.” He said that vote didn’t breed the opposition he’s facing. “I think they would have run anyway. They want to be in office.”
Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews
Community activist and attorney Gina Mangham, Commissioner Lee May and the Rev. Kenneth Samuel attend a forum. May has said he wanted to apologize for his vote on the biomass plant.
May, who has been on the board since winning the seat in a 2006 special election, said he wants to continue representing the district because it has so much potential. Among his successes, he points to the Stonecrest Business Alliance, which he helped spearhead, the first phase to the Community Improvement District that he says is a vital tool for the success of the Greater Lithonia area. “We still have other things to be done.” May says he wants to participate in the development of the General Motors Plant and work with the $1.3 billion water improvements, which he says are fundamental to the county’s growth. And if the T-SPLOST referendum fails, as he hopes it will, he says he wants to continue to provide leadership for a new, more equitable plan. “I work hard to understand DeKalb and its people,” he said. “It takes a couple of years to understand what you are doing.”
finance and corporate background and her 20 years of community activism. She said that she will listen to her constituents and will get in front of issues. “I am not a politician,” she said. “I am not seeking further office. I am standing up for my community.” She has finance and law degrees and has been practicing law for 15 years. Before law school, she worked for 10 years at IBM. Mangham said District 5 needs a comprehensive development plan to guide its growth. She said she is tired of the “civil war” between the Board of Commissioners and the CEO, and the north-south division. If elected, she said she’ll develop relationships with the merchants in the Stonecrest area and provide opportunities for youth. “We can create a plan that reflects the quality of life that the community desires,” she said. “We can have business development that doesn’t poison us.”
Tired of ‘civil war’ in DeKalb ‘Compromise is not a bad word’ Mangham said she knows she can do a Samuel, who has run twice for the Georbetter job than May because of her legal, gia House, said he is running for the County
Commission because of the impact that he can have on the community. He says that public safety, economic investment, and building relationships with the School Board are top issues. “It’s just horrendous that we are cutting school days and having more furloughs,” he said. “You don’t wake up one morning and find that you are $85 million in the hole.” He said the County Commission and the School Board need to work together. “Property values have fallen,” he said. “They need to come together and get a strategic plan in place.” He said when he moved to DeKalb 30 years ago, it had the top school district in the state. “People wanted to locate here. Now there is infighting and polarization.” Samuel, senior pastor of the Victory Church in Stone Mountain, said he wants to bring a sense of building coalition and partnership. “Even if we might not agree, we can respectfully disagree,” he said. “Compromise is not a bad word.” He said that the polarization has stagnated relationships and everything has suffered, including the county’s bond rating. “We have to manage our funding and cut out waste,” he said. “Investment is key to our growth.” Samuel said he definitely supports the T-SPLOST. “I don’t see another $8.5 billion anywhere else. Opposing it because there is no I-20 rail is shortsighted thinking. We have got to think of the future.” He will vote “no” to having cell towers on school property. “There is a real concern about the possible toxic effects on our children,” he said. White, the fourth candidate, did not respond to telephone calls and e-mails.
Who do you want hearing your case?
Judge Dax Lopez McGee 10+ year resident of DeKalb 3 3 DeKalb Public Schools Parent of Two 3 3 Applied for Judicial Appointment from Republican Governor 3 3 Received Appointment 3 Fined by State Ethics Commission for late filings 3 Placed signs illegally throughout County 3 Leadership DeKalb Graduate 3 Twice Named Rising Star in Super Lawyer Magazine 3 Named Top 40 under 40 3 Named Legal Elite 3 Graduate, Top 20 Law School 3 Endorsed by Gov. Roy Barnes 3 Endorsed by District Attorney Robert James 3 Endorsed by Solicitor General Sherry Boston 3 Operates two alternative sentencing programs 3 Volunteer Mock Trial judge for high school students 3 Judicial experience with criminal and civil cases 3
Current State Court Judge Endorsed by the Georgia Association
of Black Women Attorneys
3
3
Vote Now or on July 31st To Keep Our Judge Dax Lopez on the DeKalb State Court www.daxfordekalb.com
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“DeKalb is getting over a billion dollars, so I think we should vote for it for our own county’s interest.”
VOTING ‘YES’ FOR T-SPLOST
Supporters, opponents cite economic benefits, shortcomings DeKalb residents vote July 31 on the penny Transportation Special Purpose Local Sales $8.5 billion in regional transportation projects. Tax (T-SPLOST ) referendum has sharply divided the county’s elected officials. T-SPLOST If it passes, DeKalb and Fulton County residents will pay two pennies for transportation is seeking to levy an additional penny in sales tax over the next 10 years to fund more than while the remaining eight counties pay one penny. – Compiled by Donna Williams Lewis and Jennifer Ffrench Parker
DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis 3 Yes
3 No
Gloria Butler (Senate District 55) 3 Undecided
3 No comment
“For the first time, we can ensure that there will be regional support of the MARTA rail system. This is an opportunity for us to expand a system that we’ve been investing in for 40 years. If DeKalb County takes $225 million to the table, we’re in the game. If we take zero, DeKalb’s not even on the scoreboard.”
Jeff Rader (Commission District 2) 3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “If T-SPLOST fails, the Legislature could decide to move decisionmaking on projects out of local officials’ hands and into legislators’ hands. Even if we reject the list that we have it doesn’t mean the next list will be any better. [Given the nature of the current legislative leadership] I don’t think that would bode well for transit.”
Kathie Gannon (Commission Super District 6) 3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “I came from a ‘no,’ but I’m at a ‘yes.’ One of the biggest reasons is I’m a real transit advocate. I think it would be a terrible loss and shame to give up our 30-year investment in transit by not supporting this opportunity to continue transit growth.”
3 Yes
3 No
3 Undecided
3 No comment
“I’m going to vote for it although I voted against it during the session. A lot of people in South DeKalb have told me they don’t want it. In DeKalb we have been paying a penny for over 30 years for transportation and a penny for Grady and then we are being asked to pay another penny. But if you don’t do something, then the alternative is nothing. Something has to be done about the tied-up traffic.” She voted against TIA in April 2010.
Jason Carter (Senate District 42) 3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “I support the T-SPLOST. I think it is critically important for our region’s economy and for creating jobs. Not to support it is to take a step backward for our economy and our community. It’s not perfect, but we absolutely don’t have a choice as Atlantans. In the current environment, I don’t think we are going to do better for DeKalb.” He was not yet a senator when the TIA passed in 2010.
3 Yes
Stan Watson (Commission Super District 7) 3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “DeKalb is in dire need of economic development. Nobody in the leadership is developing a plan for the Stonecrest area or for South DeKalb mall. The transportation SPLOST is a start. I don’t like the rapid bus transit for I-20 but it’s a start. DeKalb is due a check, but this is a start.”
Dar’shun Kendrick (House District 94) 3 Yes
3 No
3 Undecided
3 No comment
“I am not advocating for T-SPLOST but I will vote for it. After education, transportation is the second reason people don’t want to locate here. It’s far from perfect, but my fear is that if we don’t pass it, then we’ll lose contracts … to other Southern states.” She wasn’t in the Legislature when Transportation Investment Act was approved in April 2010.
3 No
3 Undecided
3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “I am not out there advocating for T-SPLOST, but I will vote for it. I didn’t think we needed 12 regional councils. I would have preferred a different method for paying for transportation improvements, but it’s the only game in town, so I’m going to vote for it.” He voted against the TIA in April 2010.
Emanuel Jones (Senate District 10) 3 Yes
3 No comment
“DeKalb is getting over a billion dollars, so I think we should vote for it for our own county’s interest. Georgia is the only state that does not provide any general revenue for public transportation. We’re falling behind other states. We have to step forward.” She voted for TIA in April 2010.
3 No
3 Undecided
3 No comment
“We recognize that it’s not perfect. But considering the environment we’re in, with the congestion and the lack of transportation dollars, to me this is a good approach to building the infrastructure we need in the Greater Atlanta area. Keep in mind that this is not a permanent tax. It’s a short-term tax that I think will yield long-term results.” Jones voted for the TIA in April 2010.
Hank Johnson (4th Congressional District) 3 Yes
Mary Margaret Oliver (House District 83) 3 Yes
Steve Henson (Senate District 41)
3 No
3 Undecided
3 No comment
“Despite its obvious flaws, it is the only thing that we can get out of Georgia’s Legislature at this time that will help untangle the region’s traffic nightmare. With matching funds from the federal government, the investment DeKalb County residents make in transit can pay off not just in the Emory University area, but also in South DeKalb, where we all want to see rail expansion from Indian Creek MARTA station to Stonecrest mall.”
“To Restore Excellence in DeKalb Schools”
Dr. Melvin Johnson
Candidate for DeKalb County School Board • District 6 • Retired DeKalb County Deputy Superintendent • More than 37 years of experience in education
As your representative, I will work to: ✓ Improve Student Achievement ✓Increase Fiscal and Operational Efficiencies ✓Re-Establish Community Trust Learn more at http://friendsofmelvinjohnson.org or call (404) 477-5414 PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF MELVIN JOHNSON
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“For one, it doesn’t fix the MARTA problem and I am concerned about the lack of funding for the I-20 corridor.”
VOTING ‘NO’ ON T-SPLOST Larry Johnson (Commission District 3)
Rahn Mayo (House District 91)
3 Yes
3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “Because it doesn’t have I-20. I’m for transit. I think it’s needed. We just have to go and get it right. … That [I-20] rail line would be a benefit for us economically, health-wise and community-wise.”
Sharon Barnes Sutton (Commission District 4) 3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “I’m not campaigning against it, but I will not vote for it. I support improved transportation in the area. Central and South DeKalb need that I-20 rail. It’s needed for economic development, community transportation, access to all the benefits of this referendum. I think it’s important for the entire region and it’s important enough to do it right. We just needed to do the right thing. South DeKalb shouldn’t be the only segment fighting for South DeKalb.”
Lee May (Commission District 5) 3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment I am voting against the transportation sales tax because it doesn’t fairly invest funds in the southern part of our region that includes South DeKalb. It leaves out the most important project. I-20 is the most promised, the most studied and the most qualified to receive investment from this sales tax. We just can’t rely on federal funds to get this project done.”
Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (House District 85) 3 Yes
3 No
3 Undecided
3 No comment
“I have serious reservations about the T-SPLOST. For one, it doesn’t fix the MARTA problem and I am concerned about the lack of full funding for the I-20 corridor. I also think the Georgia Legislature should have shown some more leadership and simply passed a gas tax. … We have one of the lowest gas taxes in the country. As some areas approve and others don’t approve T-SPLOST, the state could end up with a ‘patchwork’ approach to its transportation problems.” She voted for the TIA in 2010.
Karla Drenner (House District 86) 3 Yes
3 No
3 Undecided
Billy Mitchell (House District 88) 3 No
3 Undecided
Pam Stephenson (House District 92) 3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “If I had to vote today, I would vote no. Unless we get some clarity, I cannot support it. There are too many outstanding issues that are unanswered – control and governance, and MARTA. Why are we penalizing one system over the other? Why can the other transit systems spend their money on operations and maintenance but MARTA is being prohibited?” She voted against TIA in April 2010.
Michele Henson (House District 87) 3 Yes
3 No
3 Undecided
3 No comment
“We need a regional transportation network. What we are getting is a heavily politicized patchwork of projects. The sales tax is a very regressive tax, which puts the burden on those who can least afford it. South DeKalb is disserved in all of this. The Clifton Corridor is going to serve the CDC and Emory, which are both tax-exempt institutions. People need to look at it.” She voted for the TIA in 2010.
“Coach” Williams (House District 89) 3 Yes
3 No
3 Undecided
3 No comment
“I voted ‘no’ at the Capitol because the speaker of the House and the chairman of the Transportation Committee didn’t give us a chance to speak on the bill or even make comments. I don’t feel that the people in South DeKalb will be given their fair share of revenues. They deserve more.”
Ronald Ramsey (Senate District 43) 3 No comment
“I support transportation and the transportation reform and I see the importance of what we did in putting it on the ballot to allow citizens to vote for it. I am concerned over the project list and the cost of the referendum for my constituents. I think Fulton and DeKalb are being shortchanged by having to pay more than the rest of the counties for transportation.” She voted for the TIA in 2010. 3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “I believe a ‘no’ vote is the only way to compel the majority party and leaders in the state who are in favor of this transportation tax to come back to the table and structure a more equitable and favorable project list and governance structure. I believe if this doesn’t pass in July, the General Assembly will immediately get to work on another transportation bill to create a law that will allow us to duplicate this effort and make it even better.” He voted against the TIA in April 2010.
3 No comment
“I have some severe concerns about DeKalb being asked to pay another penny without knowing what projects will get priority if the money doesn’t come in as planned. I want to know who is going to get the contracts, who is going to do the work, and who is going to make the decisions. Will the people in my community benefit? Until these questions are answered, I don’t see how they can ask DeKalb to support this.” He voted for the TIA in April 2010.
NOW YOU CAN CHOOSE! Remember to Vote July 31st, 2012
Frank L. Swindle for DeKalb County Clerk of the Superior Court Friends and Supporters: I am pleased and excited to announce to you that I intend to become the next Superior Court Clerk for DeKalb County. I am committed to providing the right leadership as we move the DeKalb Clerk’s office into the 21st Century. • 22 years of case management in DeKalb County Superior Court • DeKalb Business Owner and Employer • Longtime community activist in DeKalb County • Volunteer, Mentor, Facilitator for the children of DeKalb County, and devoted Father • Active member of various community-oriented organizations
EXPERIENCE • SERVICE • INTEGRITY Learn More. Visit My Website: www.electfrankswindle.com electfrankswindle2012 Paid for by Committee to Elect Frank Swindle Clerk, Superior Court of DeKalb County P.O. Box 3304, Decatur, GA 30030
3 Yes
3 No
3 Undecided
3 No comment
“If we vote for this, we will not have rail and citizens along the I-20 corridor will receive double taxation without [rail] transportation. I think we need to vote it down and force the issue back to the table so that we can craft a viable transportation plan that not only serves its intent on a regional basis but that attracts the kind of industry and growth that was the reason I voted for the transportation plan.” He voted against the TIA in April 2010.
Howard Mosby (House District 90) President of the DeKalb Delegation 3 Yes
3 No 3 Undecided 3 No comment “We need answers on the governance issue. What will happen if we don’t raise all the money? How will the projects be prioritized? Where is DeKalb in all of that? Who is going to get the jobs? Who will be awarded those contracts? How can members of this community get contracts? This is one of the biggest votes we are going to make and we turn it back to the people. … As policy-makers we need to make the decision, not turn it back to the people.” He voted against the TIA in April 2010.
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July 21, 2012
“We need to send a message to teachers that we want to support them so there will not be a revolving door in DeKalb County.”
Four District 6 School Board hopefuls tackle tough topics By Donna Williams Lewis
A former deputy superintendent of DeKalb County Schools is among four political newcomers vying for the vacant District 6 Board of Education seat in the July 31 primary. Dr. Melvin Johnson, who retired in 2004, worked for more than 37 years in the DeKalb system, with 18 of them in administration. Two of his four children graduated recently from Redan High School. Johnson, 68, of Stone Mountain said he wants to work with other board members to help restore excellence in DeKalb schools. “For most of my career in DeKalb, we had one of the best school systems in the state and in the nation. You see that going in the opposite direction,” he said. “You restore it by being successful in student achievement and performance and by ensuring fiscal responsibility and accountability.” Johnson is the only School Board candidate in DeKalb who has been endorsed by the Georgia Federation of Teachers. Johnson said he wants to eliminate teacher furlough days and restore salary increases and other fringe benefits for teachers. “We need to send a message to teachers that we want to support them so there will not be a revolving door in DeKalb County,” he said. “To get good teachers is one thing, but we want them to stay in DeKalb. We want them to retire in DeKalb.” Current District 6 board member Thomas E. Bowen is not running for re-election. He considered running against County Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton for her District 4 seat but did not get into the race. The School Board’s District 6 includes Stephenson and Stone Mountain high schools and Champion Theme School. The other candidates for the district are Atlanta Public Schools social worker Dr. Terriyln Rivers-Cannon and child advocates Denise E. McGill and Latasha Walker. Rivers-Cannon, 44, lives in the Snellville area. Her daughter is going to the seventh grade at Stephenson Middle School. She previously worked as a special education teacher and school social worker in DeKalb. Rivers-Cannon said she would deal with issues brought before the School Board in a compassionate way and said she wants to build a sense of unity on the board. McGill, 51, is a Stone Mountain business consultant and co-founder of a nonprofit youth advocacy program, Stone MountainLithonia Youth Empowerment Services Inc. She has two children who graduated from Stephenson High School. This week, McGill was endorsed by eduKALB, an organization comprising business, civic, government and community representatives that works for quality School Board leadership in DeKalb. Active in PTA for 15 years, with 11 years in PTA office, McGill said her personal goal is to ensure that children are given equal educations. She also wants parents to be better informed. “DeKalb has a history of divide and conquer. That takes the focus off the real issue,” McGill said. “They like to operate with chaos and confusion. With an informed parent, you get the type of participation you want.” Walker, 38, is a personal chef/caterer, personal assistant and part-time nanny. Her daughter will attend DeKalb School of the Arts in the fall. Walker said she’s running for office be-
District 6 candidates (from left) Latasha Walker, Denise McGill, Melvin Johnson and Terriyln Rivers-Cannon (via Skype on screen) discuss issues facing DeKalb County Schools at a forum hosted by eduKalb and the Organization of DeKalb Educators.
Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews
“Vote for me because …” Melvin Johnson: “From the first day I’m elected I could make an impact on the school system based on my knowledge and the role that I should play.” Denise E. McGill: “I’m a believer that informed parents are the most powerful and influential forces as it relates to advocating for the communities and for children.” Terriyln C. Rivers-Cannon: “K.A.T.I.E. [her campaign team’s name] is dedicated and resilient, therefore providing the strength as well as endurance needed to begin the rebuilding and trust process for change.” Latasha Walker: “I’m committed to increasing public trust through greater transparency and accountability.”
cause of her dissatisfaction with the School Board’s decisions. “Tax dollars are being wasted. Teacher morale is down. … Public trust is not where it should be,” Walker said. “It’s time for the School Board to have someone who is research-driven.” Walker said the difference between her and her opponents is that she is already known for working in the trenches on thorny school issues. Walker and several other parents started a group that is now called ABC, Advocates on Behalf of Children. ABC worked to help change bullying legislation, fought a proposed military school and pushed for a forensic audit of the school system’s finances. “Google my name and DeKalb and you’ll see what sets me apart,” Walker said. “You may not know my name, but my works as a parent and community leader are wellknown.” Facing one of the school system’s worst budget deficits, the DeKalb School Board voted this month to raise taxes for the first time in 10 years. The 1-mill rate increase will raise the tax rate to 23.98 mills and will cost the owner of a $100,000 house $27.50 more
a year in property taxes. Board members Nancy Jester, Don McChesney, Pam Speaks and Paul Womack voted against the tax hike. School officials recommended increasing the millage rate to help plug an $85 million shortfall for the 2012-2013 operating budget of $760 million. The board also is considering laying off 250 teachers and 120 paraprofessionals at savings of $16.7 million. The teacher cuts, which include 120 pre-k teachers the school district proposes to rehire with a subsidy provided by the state, would save $14 million, and the paraprofessionals cut would save $2.7 million. Addressing the budget was high on the candidates’ lists of the top three issues they would face as board members. For Walker, the top issues are improving student achievement, balancing the budget and acquiring good leadership, specifically School Board leadership. “When [board members] say, ‘I didn’t know,’ that’s just not good enough,” she said. Rivers-Cannon said the top three issues she’s hearing are from employees who are worried about their jobs, parents concerned about transportation for theme schools, and people who are “wondering if the right decisions are being made on their behalf.” Johnson listed student achievement, support of teachers and fiscal responsibility as the top issues facing the school system. McGill said class sizes need to be reduced; high teacher turnover needs to be addressed; and fewer standardized tests should be required.
Graduation numbers CrossRoadsNews reported on July 7 that 1,194 DeKalb high school seniors — or one in five — failed to graduate last spring. Candidates for District 6 said efforts to prevent such scenarios should begin early in children’s lives. Rivers-Cannon said students should learn about what’s to come in high school in the seventh grade — the curriculum, the tests they’ll take, and expectations for
graduation. Walker said early childhood education is critical. She also said students need to be able to choose good alternatives to the traditional school program. McGill said the school system has focused on the wrong thing. “We’ve done a lot of pushing students through that were not ready to move to another grade level,” she said. “Our focus has been on testing and not on getting them to a point where they can be self-sufficient and productive. We don’t give children basic skills.” Johnson said programs should be evaluated to make sure they are meeting students’ needs and said there should be staff development programs for all teachers.
July 31 ballot questions All four candidates said they will vote against a cell tower proposal on the ballot. They all cited concerns about possible ill health effects from the towers. Voters are being asked in a non-binding advisory referendum whether the school system should be allowed to place or operate telecommunication towers on school property. State legislators have been seeking ways to prevent the location of more cell towers on DeKalb Schools property after a July 12, 2011, vote by the DeKalb School Board to allow T-Mobile to locate 150-foot-high towers on nine school properties for up to 30 years. Most of those schools are in South DeKalb. The candidates’ answers were mixed on the regional T-SPLOST question, which would levy a 1-cent sales tax for transportation improvements over 10 years. Johnson and Rivers-Cannon said they will vote “yes,” while McGill and Walker will vote “no.” Johnson said T-SPLOST will provide jobs and services “and an opportunity to fill some of the transportation gaps we have.” McGill said she has already voted against the measure. “I don’t feel that the tax is being equitably distributed throughout the county,” she said.
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July 21, 2012
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“I am very concerned about the direction of the DeKalb School System and plan to be an advocate for our children and teachers.”
Speaks, businesswoman vie for District 8 School Board seat By Donna Williams Lewis
Dr. Pamela Speaks, a retired DeKalb school administrator, is running for her second term on the county Board of Education in the July 31 primary. Speaks, 62, of Stone Mountain faces one opponent for Super District 8, which includes high schools from Dunwoody to Lithonia. Speaks said she wants to be re-elected so she can “complete the journey of trying to ensure a quality education for the children and for fiscal stability.” Speaks, was endorsed this week by eduKALB, an organization comprising business, civic, government and community representatives that works for quality School Board leadership in DeKalb. Her challenger, Michelle “Mimi” Clark, 45, also of Stone Mountain, did not return repeated phone calls placed over three days this week. On Wednesday, Clark sent an e-mail to CrossRoadsNews apologizing for not replying to an e-mail inviting her to participate in the July 17 candidate forum co-sponsored by the newspaper and the Ray of Hope Christian Church. Clark wrote that she is out of town on business. “I am very concerned about the direction of the DeKalb County School System and plan to be an advocate for our children and teachers,” she said. “Currently, I am starting a business and have been unable to be as available as I would have liked. This business adventure will give me the flexibility to be an active member of the School Board when elected. Unfortunately, the election coincides with my opening date and has taken more
Dr. Pamela Speaks says she wants to be re-elected so she can “complete the journey of trying to ensure a quality education for the children and for fiscal stability.”
Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews
time than I had planned.” Speaks worked for 25 years in the DeKalb schools, starting as a special education teacher and ending in 2004 as director of the Title I program. She has two children who graduated from the school system – her daughter from DeKalb School of the Arts and her son from Lakeside High School. Speaks believes the top priorities facing the system are: • “Ensuring quality education for all children instead of what our system’s new superintendent said she found — pockets of excellence.” • Restoring fiscal responsibility in the school district. • Acquiring quality personnel in all positions. CrossRoadsNews reported on July 7 that 1,194 – or one in five – of DeKalb’s 2012 seniors failed to graduate in May. Speaks called it “a crying shame.”
“It shows we need to do more,” she said. “We need to start at elementary school, making sure that we are not just passing these children along from grade to grade.” A profile of Clark posted on eduKalb’s Web site, www.edukalb.org, describes her as the owner of Interstate Driver Services and Solutions, a driver leasing company. Previously, she worked for seven years in the transportation industry as an operations manager, her profile states. She has two children attending DeKalb schools and describes herself as an active PTA member. Her profile says she supports full funding and expansion of pre-k programs, financial transparency, increased parent involvement in schools, and long-term plans for keeping up with technology.
July 31 ballot questions DeKalb voters are being asked in a nonbinding advisory referendum whether the
“Vote for me because …” Pamela Speaks: “My main concern has always been for children.”
school system should be allowed to place or operate telecommunication towers on school property. State legislators have been seeking ways to prevent the location of more cell towers on DeKalb Schools property after a July 12, 2011, vote by the DeKalb School Board to allow T-Mobile to locate 150-foot-high towers on nine school properties for up to 30 years. Most of those schools are in South DeKalb. Speaks, who voted in favor of the towers on the School Board, said she asked that schools that had expressed opposition to be removed from the list. She said she plans to vote “no” on the referendum question and said she probably would vote “no” if she could redo her School Board cell tower vote. “I probably wouldn’t vote for it because it’s not an educational issue,” she said. “The school system has enough educational issues. We would have been better off not tackling this at all.” Speaks said she has not decided how she will vote on the ballot’s regional T-SPLOST referendum. T-SPLOST would levy a 1-cent sales tax for transportation improvements over 10 years. “The traffic situation and the transportation infrastructure have always been subpar,” she said. But she’s undecided because she still has questions such as whether there is a firm timeline for ending the tax when projects are paid off.
I am proud to serve as YOUR DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court and to have served as your Chief Deputy Clerk for over eight years. It is my goal to continue providing exceptional service because the citizens of DeKalb County deserve the very best. I need your support on July 31st! A vote for Debra DeBerry is a vote for the Citizens of DeKalb County. Honesty, Integrity and Experience Really Does Matter!!!
Vote July 31st! Visit my website at www.DebraDeBerryforClerk.com Paid for by the Committee to Elect Debra DeBerry
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July 21, 2012
“There’s a focus on management, not … on education. After seeing the stuff going on at the schools, I can take a back seat no longer.”
Three newcomers seek to unseat Womack on School Board By Donna Williams Lewis
School Board veteran H. Paul Womack Jr. faces three political newcomers in the July 31 primary election for his District 4 seat. The district includes Lakeside, Tucker and Elizabeth Andrews high schools. Jim Kinney Womack, 79, of the Briarlake/ Paul Womack Jr. Tom Gilbert Lakeside area served four terms on the take a back seat no longer.” DeKalb School Board from 1981 through McMahan has daughters at Sagamore 1992 and is running for the second term of Hills Elementary School and Henderson his comeback. Middle School and serves on the school He is chairman and CEO of Mobility council of both. Last year, he was area leader Designs Inc., a company that specializes in for the DeKalb County Council of PTAs, the rehabilitation of children and adults with presiding over the Lakeside High School mobility issues. cluster of schools. His opponents are Tucker resident Tom McMahan said he thinks he can build Gilbert, 68, a “pro account” sales associate community support for the schools and conat the Home Depot store off Wesley Chapel sensus on the School Board. He believes his Road; Tucker resident Jim Kinney, 49, a experience in finance will help him decipher systems engineer for IBM Security Systems; the budget. and Jim McMahan, 46, a loan originator “My experience inside the schools gives for Amstar Mortgage Network and “stay- me a unique perspective on what needs to be at-home dad” who lives in the Clairmont/ done,” McMahan said. Briarcliff area. The tax hike passed by the school system Womack said he is running again to finish will raise the tax rate to 23.98 mills and cost what’s been started. the owner of a $100,000 house $27.50 more “I’m trying to ensure that this financial a year in property taxes. mess we’re in is brought to a successful resoIn addition to Womack, board members lution,” he said. Nancy Jester, Don McChesney and Pam The School Board voted this month to Speaks voted against the measure. raise taxes for the first time in 10 years. The The board also is considering laying off 1-mill increase will help plug an $85 million 250 teachers and 120 paraprofessionals at shortfall for the 2012-2013 operating budget savings of $16.7 million. The teacher cuts, of $760 million. which include 120 pre-k teachers the school Womack voted against the tax hike and district proposes to rehire with a subsidy recently led several board members who provided by the state, would save $14 milcalled for a state investigation of the school lion, and the paraprofessionals cut would system’s Finance and Human Resources save $2.7 million. departments. The board voted down their Addressing the budget was high on the motion to ask the governor’s office to inves- candidates’ lists of the top three issues they tigate in a 5-4 vote on July 9. would face as board members. Gilbert said he is running because he “We need have to clean up the finance hopes to make things better for children. He process,” Kinney said. “We’re still trying to has two grandchildren in DeKalb schools and dig out of the mess from having a crook and believes his experience in analyzing spend- his cronies running the school system. We ing and working with large budgets would have to establish more checks and balances. be an asset. It’s only going to get uglier because we have “We just need a good dose of common to air everything out.” sense over there,” Gilbert said. Kinney said the school system is suffering Kinney, who has a master’s degree in from “stupid planning, stupid ideas, stupid physics and has taught on the college level, implementation.” said he’s running because of his experience He also said social promotion needs to be with the management chain in the school addressed. He talked of seventh-graders who system. read on the third-grade level. “There’s a focus on management, not “I have heard teachers complain about a focus on education,” Kinney said. “After it,” he said. seeing the stuff going on at the schools, I can “We’ve got to fix some of the serious
LET’S KEEP…
CLAUDIA G. LAWSON
DEKALB COUNTY TAX COMMISSIONER As your Tax Commissioner, I am committed to serving DeKalb residents with the highest quality of customer service and fairest collection practices available. My knowledge and experience earned from 30+ years of service, in all functions of the Tax Commissioner’s Office, allows me to use a practical approach in leading this office. By using a people-first strategy, I will continue to work with taxpayers of DeKalb County to ensure that my office remains the standard for tax collections in the state of Georgia. Thanks for your support! Claudia G. Lawson DeKalb County Tax Commissioner PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF CLAUDIA LAWSON
academic faults we have,” he said. “If kids can’t read on grade level, they can’t leave that grade until they do.” Gilbert said the top issues facing the school system are the budget; ensuring every child a Jim McMahan quality, basic education; and addressing the layoffs of special education paraprofessionals. “I think we’re not in compliance with federal laws,” he said. High on McMahan’s list are accountability for everyone, “instruction before construction,” and fiscal responsibility. McMahan said he uses a contract that holds administrators, teachers, students, and parents and guardians accountable for what’s expected of them. Lawsuits and capital improvements have been taking up much of the school system’s time, he said. “Remember our No. 1 goal: The sole purpose of the school system is the education of DeKalb,” McMahan said. Womack said he sees the priorities as “improving the delivery of the educational program,” straightening out the system’s finances, and enhancing the teacher selection process. “We have some wonderful, dedicated teachers, and then there are some who shouldn’t be in the classroom,” Womack said. “We’ve got to weed out those who just show up.” Womack said he asked former interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson to develop a “principal’s academy” similar to a training ground for principals in Gwinnett County. In 2012, the school system established a leadership academy that helps administrators move to the next level. Twenty-nine people have applied for the first round of courses.
Graduation numbers CrossRoadsNews reported on July 7 that 1,194 DeKalb high school seniors – or one in five – failed to graduate last spring. In response, candidates for District 4 focused on the ills of social promotion. McMahan said the school system does not have a promotion/retention policy. “Let’s create a retention policy,” he said. “If you don’t pass, you don’t go.” When told many were shocked by the newspaper’s findings, Kinney said, “My shocking is that it was only one in five. I expected it to be higher.” He said he’d like to know how many of those students were athletes and said the school system is “notorious” for not recognizing learning disabilities. “That costs money,” Kinney said. Womack said the effort to prevent the failed senior scenario needs to start in pre-k
and with good principals who are dedicated to having the best teachers possible. “If a kid can’t read and is socially promoted, that child is doomed to failure,” Womack said. “We have got to grab that child and ensure the child does not become a statistic.” Gilbert said the school system needs better qualified teachers. “We need to start evaluating some of the teachers and give some of the money back,” he said, referring to the furlough days imposed on DeKalb teachers over the past few years.
July 31 ballot questions Three of the candidates said they will vote against a cell tower proposal on the ballot. Gilbert said school properties are only for public use. Kinney said he doesn’t believe cell towers pose a health hazard but he doesn’t want to see schools become subject to forprofit interests. McMahan said the ballot question doesn’t allow for local control. Voters are being asked in a non-binding advisory referendum whether the school system should be allowed to place or operate telecommunication towers on school property. State legislators have been seeking ways to prevent the location of more cell towers on DeKalb Schools property after a July 12, 2011, vote by the DeKalb School Board to allow T-Mobile to locate 150-foot-high towers on nine school properties for up to 30 years. Most of those schools are in South DeKalb. “Cell towers are needed, but it comes down to local control,” McMahan said. “So if a community wants it, and it goes through the proper channels, I’m OK. … I think what the school system did was completely inappropriate and fractured the trust of the citizens in those communities.” Womack, who voted in favor of the towers, said he voted not to put them at schools that had expressed opposition. He said he has not decided how he will vote on the July 31 question but did say he doesn’t see them as threats to health. “You get more radiation from your handheld cell phone and microwave and walk-around phone at home than from cell towers,” Womack said. Three candidates said they will vote against the ballot’s T-SPLOST referendum. Womack said he is undecided. The T-SPLOST would levy a 1-cent sales tax for transportation improvements over 10 years. Kinney said he’s voting “no.” “We’ve got a [transportation] system that requires cars. … MARTA is so undersized it’s just about useless,” Kinney said. “I will not be voting for T-SPLOST because there’s nothing they have said that is going to resolve transportation issues.”
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“This isn’t just a clear violation of the law, but also a violation of the trust of the investors of this development corporation.”
Indictment alleges candidate misused investment money
Forum set at Clarkston First Baptist Voters can learn more about the candidates for the DeKalb Board of Commissioners and the School Board at a forum on July 27 at Clarkston First Baptist Church. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center with the nonprofit CFBC-Community Development Center Inc. as host. Will Thomas, vice president of the CFBC-Community Development Center board of directors, will moderate, and
ferred $440,000 into accounts that Michael L. Rothenberg, a candihe controlled and then illegally date for the DeKalb Superior Court, used those funds for his own perhas been indicted by a DeKalb sonal use,” James said in a July 17 grand jury on six felony counts of statement. “He would frequent theft by taking. local DeKalb County spots such as Rothenberg, 34, an Atlanta atFarm Burger, J. Christopher’s and torney, was indicted on July 17. Walmart on other people’s dimes. He is challenging incumbent SuThis isn’t just a clear violation of perior Court Judge Gail C. Flake in M.L. Rothenberg the law, but also a violation of the the July 31 nonpartisan election. The indictment alleges that Rothenberg trust of the investors of this development received more than $1.3 million in funds corporation.” Rothenberg also ran for a seat on the Sufrom a Colorado-based investment group named Winterhawk Energy and Develop- perior Court bench in 2010. He was defeated ment Corp, and that a portion of those funds in a runoff by Courtney Johnson, a former senior assistant DeKalb district attorney. were misused. On the day of the indictment, RothenDeKalb District Attorney Robert James said the funds were intended for an invest- berg told an Atlanta television station that ment deal but were redirected into various he was unaware of it and did not know that accounts controlled by Rothenberg, includ- a warrant had been issued for his arrest. At press time Thursday, Rosenberg had ing a campaign account and a personal not shown up in the DeKalb Sheriff ’s inmate banking account. “Michael Rothenberg unlawfully trans- database.
Candidate cries foul over voting site One of the six early polls that is opening July 2 has CEO candidate Jerome Edmondson up in arms. He said Thursday that the precinct in the Clark Harrison Building, 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., which opens for voting on July 23, violates the Georgia Code that prohibits campaigning inside a polling place or within 150 feet of the facility. Incumbent CEO Burrell Ellis’ office is in the same building on the sixth floor. “This is a clear violation of election law
and I’m sure it’s intended to influence the people’s vote,” Edmondson said in a statement. “Ellis’ photo hangs in the lobby of the building, and so does the photos of the commissioners,” he said. “If his photo is there, I should be able to hang mine.” Edmonson is also complaining that one of Ellis’ large “One DeKalb Works” signs is also installed in the parking lot near the precinct located in the DeKalb Elections office on Memorial Drive.
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audience will be able to ask questions. Four incumbents face challengers in DeKalb Board of Commissioners races and there are four contested races for the DeKalb Board of Education. All of the candidates have been invited to participate. Clarkston First Baptist Church Family Life Center is at 4007 Church St. For more information, contact Christin Taylor at christinrtaylor@gmail.com or 404292-5686, Ext. 248.
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DeKalb Schools axes Midway Montessori Program By Carla Parker
Parents are outraged over the closing of the Montessori Program at Midway Elementary School by the DeKalb School System and. The program served 60 kids, who are being reassigned to Huntley Hills Elementary in Chamblee and Briar Vista Elementary in Atlanta where the district’s final two Montessori programs are located. Parents found out on July 12 that the program had been scrapped at the Decatur school. Lisa Lake, who has two children in the Midway program, said the school’s new principal Laconduas Freeman told her that the program would not be offered at Midway in the fall. “I’m shocked and ap- Lisa Lake palled that they did this,” she said. “They never said the program was going to be cut completely.” The Montessori program lost 28 teachers in the wake of the DeKalb School Board’s June 11 vote to eliminate positions to help it cover a projected $85 million shortfall. Midway was the only school in south DeKalb that offered the Montessori program. DeKalb Schools spokesman Walter Woods said the decision to close the Midway
program was made by the school based on the budget it was given. “The money is not there for additional teachers,” he said. Lake said the decision to cut the program came after Freeman met with the new Region 3 assistant superintendent Darius Adamson, who was hired earlier this month. Lake said it appeared that the administrators didn’t do any research or discuss it with anyone. “It was a swift decision,” she said. Woods said he thinks Adamson and Freeman understand the benefits of the program. “But given the budget, principals are making tough decisions,” he said. The Montessori program, which is free, feature multi-age classrooms where children learn at their own pace through hands-on experience, using materials prepared for investigation. Lake said she put her children in the program because of the hands-on learning experience her children receives. “They are also learning cooking, gardening, cleaning and other life skills,” she said. “Each kid is learning on their level at their pace.” Tyisha Davis, who also has two children in the program at Midway, said she chose the program for her children because it allows them to be independent and enjoy learning. She said her daughter, Ava, who is in
kindergarten is already learning cursive. “How many programs provide that,” she said. “ I get excited about that and my kids are excited about learning.” Davis said terminatTyisha Davis ing the program was “unfair” and “unjust.” For them to do this to this area is unheard of,” she said. Lake said she contacted Pat Copeland at the magnet and school choice office to discuss options and found out that isn’t enough slots away at the two remaining Montessopri programs. “Neither school had availability for any kindergarteners,” she said. “There was limited spaces available for 1st-3rd grades and there was no mention of any space available for 4th and 5th grades.” Lake said that eliminating the program from the south DeKalb amounts to a lack of educational equality in the county. Lake that relocating and centralizing the program would have made it more accessible to residents in the south and central DeKalb areas. Woods said the district is working with parents to make sure they are accommodated. For more information, email love4publicmotessori@gmail.com.
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To Deal: Implement Healthcare law now U.S. Reps. Sanford Bishop, Hank Johnson John Lewis, and David Scott are urging Gov. Nathan Deal to implement an aspect of the Affordable Healthcare Act. In a letter sent July 11, the Congressmen urged Deal to apply the feature Hank Johnson that offers states the chance to expand Medicaid coverage to millions of Americans who need healthcare. Medicaid is a joint state and federal program that currently assists some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations – the homeless, poor children, pregnant women, and the disabled. This expansion would extend Medicaid benefits to include the poorest men, women, children as well as the disabled who meet certain requirements. In Georgia the expansion of healthcare coverage would include 600,000 residents by 2019, many of whom rely on expensive emergency room treatment because they cannot afford consistent or preventive medical care. The Affordable Healthcare Act law offers states that use the extension for three years full federal funding. Currently the federal government pays between 66 and 76 percent of the cost.
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Community 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
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.
“From abuse to neglect, we want to empower our community leaders to take the proper actions for their members. ”
Clergy to see justice system
Pet adoption hours added
Local clergy will get an overview of the criminal justice system at the fourth annual Faith Leaders Day on Aug. 2 at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur. District Attorney Robert James and Sheriff Thomas Brown are hosting the observance, which begins at 8 a.m. The free event is designed to actively engage and educate county clergy members about the criminal justice system and includes a tour of the county jail, DeKalb Juvenile Court and the medical examiner’s facility. Robert James James said that faith leaders are often faced with serious and sometimes life-threatening situations involving members of their congregations. “From abuse to neglect, we want to empower our community leaders to take the proper actions for their members,” James said in a July 17 statement. “Our goal is to give participants a comprehensive view of the criminal justice system and provide them with key points of contact in the event of an emergency or to answer questions.” Participants will be provided a light breakfast and lunch as well as transportation to the various facilities. The community outreach event also includes valuable information on the Juvenile Court point system and a Criminal Justice 101 session. Brown says the program will help faith leaders in their ministry. “The economic times facing our community today create a huge hardship for families that test their way of life as well as their faith,” Brown said.
Pet lovers can look for a new furry friend any day of the week at the DeKalb Animal Shelter. The shelter is adjusting its hours of operation to allow for animal adoptions seven days a week. “Increasing the hours and days of operation at the shelter is another method for us to help put deserving pets into responsible homes,” CEO Burrell Ellis said in a July 12 statement. The shelter is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. In addition, the 2012 Summer Pet Adoption Program has expanded to include a July adoption special for cats; all cats and kittens will be $40, half the normal adoption fee. The rate includes expenses for spaying or neutering as well as up-to-date vaccines and tests for feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus. The DeKalb County Animal Shelter is at 845 Camp Road in Decatur. For more information, visit www.dekalbcountyanimalservices.com.
ABWA group marks 34th year American Business Woman’s Association New Roc Chapter will be celebrating its 34th anniversary July 25 in Conyers. The 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. luncheon will be held at the Rockdale Leadership Center, 2826 Ga. Hwy 20 SE. For more information or to reserve space, call Dotti Bala at 404-456-1011.
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July 21, 2012
Community
CrossRoadsNews
“We realized there was an awful lot here that was beautiful and needed to be reserved already,”
Changes proposed for historic Womens Club building By Carla Parker
A bike path, community garden, and more space is in the future of the Lithonia Women’s Club. Representatives from the American Institute of Architects-Atlanta and the Red and Green Scene (R&GS) outreach committee presented their vision for revitalization of the historic clubhouse on Wiggins Street on July 14. Along with an extension of the Arabia Mountain bike path to the clubhouse, the rough draft of the revitalization of the clubhouse includes additional rooms, pathways, a wrap-around porch, and larger rooms. Liset Robinson, an outreach organizer, said their vision is inspired by the history of the building, which was constructed in 1928. “We realized there was an awful lot here that was beautiful and needed to be reserved already,” she said. The building on Wiggins Street housed DeKalb County’s first public library. Over the decades, it was transformed into a multifunctional space serving the surrounding community, from committee meetings to wedding receptions. The team of Atlanta design and construction (D+C) industry professionals proposed transforming the building into a Storytelling Center. “It needed to be the vessel for history and it needed to be a museum,” Robinson said. Lithonia Mayor Deborah A. Jackson said she likes the plans so far. “I like how it reintegrates the women’s club as a community meeting place,” she said. Robinson saidthe building can be used for many things. “It can be utilized as a link to the bike path, it can be utilized as a link to Main
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Lithonia hosting Community Day Free school supplies, food, music, games and more will be plentiful at the Lithonia Unity in the Community Day on July 28. The 11 a.m.-to-4 p.m. event will be held at the Bruce Street Community Park, 2566 Bruce St. Free school supplies will be given to students in attendance. The fun continues at 7 p.m. with a movie screening of “The Blind Side” at Lucious Sanders Recreation Center. The film stars Quinton Aaron and Sandra Bullock. Families can bring blankets, lawn chairs or sit in the bleachers. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Lucious Sanders Recreation Center is at 2484 Bruce Street in Lithonia. For more information, call 770-482-8136.
Representatives from the American Institute of Architects-Atlanta and the Red and Green Scene (R&GS) say their vision was inspired by the history of the Lithonia Women’s Club building.
Street, it can be used for community events, wedding and more,” she said. The service project is supported by proceeds from the industry’s annual Red and Green Scene end-of-the-year holiday celebration in addition to volunteered professional services from R&GS member organizations, including the American Institute of Architects-Atlanta, ASHRAE, Construction Management Association of America, Construction Specifications Institute, the Georgia Chapter of the International Interior Design Association, and the U.S. Green Building Council with special support from the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Robinson said the service project was an outgrowth of the holiday gathering.
“We have been doing the Red and Green Scene holiday party for a couple of years when it occurred to me that we have all of these different organizations with a common reason for getting together,” Robinson said in a July 2 statement. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could extend that into a service project.” Through contacts at the Georgia Conservancy’s Blueprints for Smart Growth program, the R&GS outreach committee became aware of the new role that the Woman’s Club could potentially play in the renaissance of downtown Lithonia and chose to adopt the historic building as the group’s 2012 service project. For more information, contact Susan Proper at sproper@aiaatlanta.org or 404222-0099, Ext. 106.
Back to school fete planned at library Kids can celebrate going back to school with stories, treats, prizes and more at the July 28 “Back to School Bash” at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library. The 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. event is hosted by the Friends of the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library. The Friends group is also asking for school supplies donations. Donations can be dropped off at the circulation desk in the library. The library is at 2861 Wesley Chapel Road in Decatur. For more information, call 404-2866980.
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CrossRoadsNews
Community
July 21, 2012
“We will hold financial institutions accountable, including some of the nation’s largest, for lending discrimination.”
Wells Fargo to pay $175M in discriminatory lending case Wells Fargo Bank has entered into a $175 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over discriminatory home lending practices involving blacks and Hispanics but admitted no wrongdoing. U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole said at a July 12 news conference that the bank’s discriminatory lending practices resulted in more than 34,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers James Cole in 36 states and the District of Columbia paying higher rates for loans solely because of the color of their skin. With the settlement, the second-largest of its kind in history, he said the government will ensure that borrowers hit hard by the housing crisis will have an opportunity to access homeownership. “The department’s action makes clear that we will hold financial institutions accountable, including some of the nation’s largest, for lending discrimination,” Cole said.
Wells Fargo, which is the nation’s largest residential home mortgage originator, denied the claims but will pay $125 million in compensation for borrowers who were steered into sub-prime mortgages or who paid higher fees and rates than white borrowers because of their race or national origin rather than because of differences in credit-worthiness. It also will pay $50 million in direct down payment assistance to borrowers in areas of the country – Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Philadelphia; Oakland and San Francisco, Calif.; New York City; Cleveland; Riverside, Calif.; and Baltimore.– where the Justice Department identified large number of discrimination victims. The settlement alleges that Wells Fargo engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers from 2004 through 2009. Mike Heid, president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, said the company has changed the way it does business. “Through our separate decision to no longer fund mortgages through independent
Jobless rate up slightly in June Georgia’s jobless rate rose slightly to 9 percent in June, the first increase in nearly a year. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 9 percent, up onetenth of a percentage point from 8.9 percent in May, the Department of Labor announced July 19. It was the first increase in almost a year. The jobless rate was 9.9 percent in June a year ago. In DeKalb County, there were 3,176 firsttime claims for unemployment insurance benefits in June, down from 3,196 in May, for a 0.6 percent decrease. There were 4,238 initial claims in June 2011, for an over-theyear decrease of 1,062 or 25.1 percent. State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said there is usually a slight increase in the jobless rate in June. “The unemployment rate traditionally inches up in June because new graduates and people hunting summer jobs enter the job market at the same time the private and
public schools are laying off for the summer,” Butler said. The number of jobs dropped by 8,200, or two-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,941,500 in May to 3,933,300 in June. “The June job loss is a lot less than we anticipated, based on recent trends, and despite the overall loss, we gained 1,500 manufacturing jobs and 900 in construction,” Butler said. “This is encouraging.” Metro Atlanta gained 32,200 jobs for a 1.4 percent over-the-year increase. There were 2,338,700 jobs in June 2012, up from 2,306,500 in June 2011. The number of jobs in June was 45,200 more than the 3,888,100 in June 2011. The growth was in professional and business services, 23,900; trade, transportation and warehousing, 15,200; education and health care, 7,300; manufacturing, 4,300; and leisure and hospitality, 2,400. For more information, visit www.dol. state.ga.us.
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mortgage brokers, we can control how that commitment” to serving home ownership needs “is met on every mortgage that Wells Fargo makes.” The bank said it was settling the allegations “solely for the purpose of avoiding contested litigation” with the Department of Justice. It said it would devote its resources “to continuing to provide fair credit services and choices to eligible customers and important and meaningful assistance to borrowers in distressed U.S. real estate markets.” In a July 13 statement, the Black & Latino Council said the settlement was too little, too late. It believes the practices extend to other major banks. “This is the main reason why we have so many foreclosures in our communities,” the council said. In December 2011, Bank of America settled with the Justice Department for $335 million for Countrywide subprime lending systemic discrimination practices. It too admitted no wrongdoing. Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general
for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said the settlement will bring “swift and meaningful relief ” to African-American and Hispanic borrowers who received subprime loans when they should have received prime loans or who paid more for their loans. Perez said the extra fees amounted to a racial surtax. Sally Quillian Yates, U.S. attorney for the Thomas Perez Northern District of Georgia, said African-American and Hispanic borrowers have suffered significant financial harm because of Wells Fargo’s practices. “Today, the Department of Justice is endeavoring to right that wrong and to put lenders on notice that they will be held accountable for discriminatory practices,” Yates said in a July 12 statement. Those who believe they may be eligible for compensation from Wells Fargo can email the Justice Department at wellsfargo. settlement@usdoj.gov. News services contributed to this article.
Family Dollar plans 3 more stores Family Dollar plans three new stores in South DeKalb County. Dollar stores galore The retailer has applied to the DeKalb South DeKalb County is home to 66 Planning Department to build stores at dollar stores. Three more are coming. the intersection of River and Panthersville ZIP Code Stores roads in Ellenhood, on Rainbow Drive and 30021 Clarkston 2 Gresham Road in Decatur. 30032 Decatur 8 The Ellenwood store will go up on the site 30033 Decatur 3 of an existing Chevron station. The Rainbow 30034 Decatur 6 Drive location will entail the redevelopment 30035 Decatur 4 of the old carwash near Candler Road. 30038 Lithonia 3 The Gresham Road site is at the southwest 30058 Lithonia 8 corner of Welland and Gresham roads. 30083 Stone Mountain 6 All three locations are already zoned C-1 30084 Tucker 5 and will not go before the DeKalb Board of 30087 Stone Mountain 2 Commissioners. 30088 Stone Mountain 2 DeKalb County is already home to 66 30294 Ellenwood 2 Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Gen30316 Atlanta 7 eral stores. 30317 Atlanta 1 All the new stores will be located in 30319 Atlanta 1 Commission District 3. Commissioner Larry 30329 Atlanta 3 Johnson, who represents the district, said 30338 Atlanta 1 that commercial and retail development 30340 Atlanta 1 are sorely needed in South DeKalb but that 30345 Atlanta 1 the development has to entail more than a Total 66 proliferation of dollar stores. “South DeKalb is open for business – “Liquor stores, flea markets and dollar open to a broad spectrum of businesses that add to an improved quality of life for the stores are already in plentiful supply in South DeKalb.” community,” he said.
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