CrossRoadsNews, March 19, 2011

WELLNESS

SCENE

YOUTH

Kids who get in shape during the Kiddie Olympics can also get recognition through the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. 10

Chamblee High senior Angelica Hairston will be featured on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” program during the week of March 21. 12

For the fourth year in a row, multiple DeKalb teams brought home state basketball titles, including coach Sharman White’s Miller Grove Wolverines. 13

Fitness gains rewarded

Copyright © 2011 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

Strumming on public radio

March 19, 2011

Cause for celebration

Volume 16, Number 47

www.crossroadsnews.com

Grady closing South DeKalb Health Center to cut costs

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Dionne Brown, with daughters Amiya and Aaliyah, was disappointed about the closing.

the center after the DeKalb Board of Commissioners threatened to cut the county’s annual funding for Grady Hospital.

Dionne Brown, who was on her way Thursday to take daughters Amiya and Aaliyah to see their pediatrician at the South DeKalb center, expressed disappointment at the news of the center’s impending closure.

“Everything is closing around here,” she said. “I feel like they don’t care about us. I am looking for schools for my daughter and they are closing. My brother goes to Avondale High School and it is closing. Now this.”

Brown said the health center’s current location is convenient to her home.

By this summer, South DeKalb residents who use the Grady South DeKalb Health Center in the Rainbow Park Shopping Center will be traveling an extra 5.4 miles to Kirkwood in Atlanta to get care.

The center, which opened 15 years ago inside the Kroger Pharmacy, is closing in 60 to 90 days as part of cost-cutting measures the Grady Memorial Hospital Corp. is implementing to compensate for a $30 million funding gap.

This is the second time in less than two years that Grady’s new CEO Michael Young has targeted the center for closing.

In May 2009, he backed away from a decision to close Please see GRADY, page 4

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Scott-Candler Library to Close Residents lament loss as community takes another hit

“Why is it always south DeKalb County?

Do they ever cut anything back in other parts of the county?

Everybody should take a slice of that pie.”

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The closings continued to mount in South DeKalb this week when the DeKalb Library System announced the closure of the Scott-Candler branch on McAfee Road.

The branch, which opened 47 years ago, will be shuttered on April 1.

That closing comes on the heels of the DeKalb School Board’s March 7 vote to close seven elementary schools in Decatur, Avondale and East Atlanta and Grady Health System’s March 8 announcement that it is closing its South DeKalb Health Center that opened in Decatur in 1996.

This week, Tax Commissioner Claudia Lawson announced that she is eliminating Saturday hours at her Memorial Drive headquarters in Decatur because of budget cuts.

Vivian Moore, a longtime South DeKalb resident, said she feels like the area is being targeted.

“Why is it always South DeKalb county?” she said Thursday. “Do they ever cut anything back in other parts of the county?”

Moore said the county “pie” of cuts and consolidations should belong to the entire county.

“Everybody should take a slice of that pie,” she said. “There should be cutbacks in the north, the east and west too. We need to divide it up across the county.”

The library’s board of trustees voted March 9 to close the Scott-Candler branch, eliminate Sunday opening hours, cut Friday and Saturday hours at four branches, and cut night hours one day a week at all branches in the wake of a 22 percent decrease in its budget.

Alison Weissinger, the system’s acting director, said that the cutback in operations is countywide but that the Scott-Candler branch is the only branch closing this time.

Effective April 4, Sunday hours will be

Vivian Moore

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Rhonda Day helps niece Latonya use the Internet at the Scott-Candler Library on Thursday. The 47 year-old branch on McAfee Road in Decatur is closing because of budget cuts.

eliminated from all branches, except the main Decatur branch; the Lithonia-Davidson, Gresham, Embry Hills and Brookhaven branches also are losing Friday and Saturday opening hours. Last year, the system closed its Briarcliff branch.

“We don’t want to close anything but at this point it’s a numbers game for us,”

“The board of trustees believes that the across-the-board reduction in hours is the fairest method for dealing with the unprecedented staff shortage at a time when the library is on an expansion phase,” she said.

Weissinger said a new replacement branch for Scott-Candler is under construction nearby on Candler Road. It is slated to open early next year.

“We will be doing everything to ensure that that branch opens on time,” she said.

Weissinger said the squeeze is on because the system has been in expansion mode since voters approved the $230 million bond referendum in 2005 to build and expand libraries, but the system’s operational budget has remained flat.

“We are two-thirds of the way through the expansion, but we don’t have the people to staff these libraries,” she said.

This year, the system has 60 to 65 vacant positions that are authorized but not funded.

Weissinger said those positions are needed to fully staff the system. The system’s budget request for $15.9 million this year was slashed to $12.4 million.

“We are needing to do more but our budget is less,” she said.

The top priority is to open three new and expanded branches – Stonecrest, SalemPanola and Hairston Crossing – that have been completed at a cost of $16.6 million and furnished and ­equipped with books and other materials but have been sitting closed for months for want of staff to operate them.

“These communities have been without

Weissinger said Thursday. “The numbers are just not adding up for us this year.”

Board of trustees Chair Deborah Torbush said in a statement that the system’s 2011 budget of $12.4 million is $3 million short of what it needs to operate all branches on a full schedule and still maintain a minimal book budget.

Please see LIBRARY, page 3

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CrossRoadsNews

March 19, 2011

Exhibitors: Back 2 Basics Home School Beulah Community Family Life Center Big Thinkers Science Exploration Camp Catalyst (Faith Deliverance Temple) Camp F.I.E.R.C.E Career Technology at DeKalb Schools Cheer Tyme Allstars Chick-fil-A (Inside the Mall of Stonecrest) Conservatory of Dance & Fine Arts Cornerstone Leadership Academy Dance on the Move DeKalb County Public Library Destined For Success Educational Services Excellent Montessori School Firm Foundation Early Learning Academy Generation Next Sports Performance Facility Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academic Center Head of the Class Academy Jennifer’s Dance Company, Inc. KIDDS Dance Project, Inc. McClendon School of Dance Miles of Learning Christian Academy Reading Phonics Math & More The Magic of Mr. Me Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts West End Medical Centers, Inc. Wings of Knowledge YMCA Academies of South DeKalb

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CrossRoadsNews

March 19, 2011

Community

“We have three kids and they always have school projects. It doesn’t make sense to close it before the new branch opens.”

Career criminal arrested in brutal rape at church

Sinkhole cuts off neighbors and floods yards

The man arrested in the Feb. 26 brutal rape of a St. Timothy United Methodist Church leader on church grounds was scheduled to make his first court appearance on March 18.

John Russell Carver, 50, who has been in and out of prison since 1987, was charged on Wednesday with the crime.

DeKalb Police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said detectives identified Carver as a suspect John R. Carver following a positive DNA hit by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

Carver was arrested March 7 on parole violations and was in Fulton County Jail when he was identified as the rape syspect.

He is accused of beating, raping and robbing the church employee after she opened the door to his knock. The 53 year-old woman was working alone just before 4 p.m. when police said he entered the church office and attacked her.

Residents of the 1700 block of Parkhill Drive in Decatur woke up to water gushing from their street on March 16.

A 36-inch pipe burst before dawn on Wednesday causing a large sinkhole to form on Parkhill Drive and water to flood a few front yards.

County work crews were on site Wednesday and Thursday working to fix the pipe and fill up the sinkhole.

DeKalb County spokesman Burke Brennan said a 100 tons of fill dirt will be brought in to fill the sinkhole and they expected the hole to filled by Friday morning so that residents who were cut off could have access to their homes.

He said the road would be asphalted later.

Residents and nearby Knollwood Elementary were without water for an hour.

By Carla Parker

Crews have been working nonstop to plug sinkhole that disrupts movements in Avondale neighborhood.

Brennan said a gas line was also compromised and Atlanta Gas had to evacuate two homes. He said the transmission line had a hole the size of a cantaloupe in the side of it. “That pipe is very old and has been giving us problems for awhile,” he said.

Friends group, patrons marshaling forces in bid to keep branch open LIBRARY,

from page

1

their libraries for a really long time.”

The $4.4 million Hairston Crossing branch in Stone Mountain will open April 16, and the $4.5 million Salem-Panola branch in Lithonia will open during the first week in May. Weissinger said the new Stonecrest branch, built at a cost of $7.7 million, will open by the end of May. The three branches will add 100,000 collection items – books, tapes and DVDs ­– to the system and 100 new computers to the network.

The Scott-Candler branch’s five fulltime and one part-time employees will be deployed to Stonecrest and to staff the larger branches that will have Friday and Saturday

opening hours.

But this week, bewildered Scott-Candler patrons just felt they are getting a raw deal.

Rhonda Day, who lives off McAfee Road, said she walks to the branch every day to check out books and DVDs, use the computer in her job search, and read e-mails.

“I don’t have Internet at home,” she said.

“I don’t have a car. This is convenient.”

On Thursday, Day was helping her niece Latonya visit the PBS “WordGirl” program on the Internet.

She said it would make better sense to keep the branch open while they are building the new branch.

“Flat Shoals and Decatur libraries are too far from me,” she said. “This is ridiculous.”

Day said she is going to write the library

director and start a petition to ask them to keep the branch open.

Michael and Amanda Colclough, who took their 3-year-old daughter Jniya to the library with them Thursday, said they don’t have a car and walk to the library every day from their home on Glenwood Road.

“We have three kids and they always have school projects,” Michael Colclough said. “It doesn’t make sense to close it before the new branch opens.”

Camille Gardner, a three-year member of the Friends of Scott-Candler Library, said she was really upset about the closure.

“I am really concerned that the community had no input,” Gardner said. “Who is this board of trustees? As Friends of the Library, we support the library. What went

into their decision?”

Moore said she feels the decision is politically motivated.

“Instead of closing the branch, cut the hours. Maybe they don’t open until 2 p.m.

People who don’t have the computers use it.

Every time I go there, there is a line waiting to use the computers.”

By end of day Thursday, Gardner said she had met with DeKalb District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson and had marshaled members of the Friends to support a move to keep the library open. She said the Friends group will meet at 6 p.m. on March 22 at the library to talk about what they can do.

The Scott-Candler Library is at 2644 McAfee Road in Decatur. For more information, call Camille Gardner at 404-288-6438.

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Community

CrossRoadsNews

March 19, 2011

“They did the same thing again. Just like the last time, they did not speak to us before they made the decision.”

Patients will be transferred to Kirkwood facility in Atlanta 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker General Manager Curtis Parker Staff Writer Carla Parker Advertising Sales Patricia Walthour

CrossRoadsNews is published every Thursday by CrossRoads­News, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings.

The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers.

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GRADY,

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“I live off Whites Mill Road,” she said. “This is closer than trying to go across town.”

DeKalb is one of only two metro Atlanta counties that fund Grady, and this year it had to shave $3.4 million from its annual contribution of $15.7 million it has been giving the hospital since 2007.

DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson, in whose district the health center sits, said he is sure that Grady is going to blame the closing on the reduced funding.

In a March 9 letter to Young, Johnson said that closing the South DeKalb center would be hard on some of DeKalb’s most underserved and vulnerable residents.

“Without the South DeKalb Health Center, many of the residents of DeKalb County will be forced to seek treatment at Grady’s main hospital or not at all,” he said.

“This will prove difficult for many who lack reliable transportation and will continue to add to the already existing gap in access to health care for many underserved communities.”

Not happy with news Rochelle Rogers, who lives off Candler Road, is one of those residents who lack transportation.

“I walk everywhere,” she said.

“When I have to walk to Grady Hospital downtown, it takes me three hours to get there.”

Rogers said she had been a patient of the South DeKalb center for a year and a half.

“I am not happy with this news,” she said. “You are taking everything from us. Now I can’t get to the doctor. Now you are trying to kill me.”

Grady’s funding from Fulton County is also down. This year, it is getting $52.2 million, down from $85.8 million in 2007. The hospital said its federal funding also has fallen to $64.5 million from a high of $101.5 million four years ago.

Over the same period, it said, its indigent care cost went to $222.2

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Grady is building a “super center” in the remodeled Parkview Shopping Center on Memorial Drive in Atlanta for South DeKalb and Kirkwood patients.

million from $180.9 million.

The South DeKalb center is one of two centers slated for closure this time. The other is the Otis W. Smith Health Center in southwest Atlanta.

Starting April 4, Grady, which is the metro area’s safety-net hospital, also will begin charging a co-pay of $2 to $3, and homeless patients will now be required to pay $1 per prescription. It estimates that it will raise $6 million from the new co-pays. It also is cutting 100 nonmedical jobs.

In a March 2 letter to the board members of the Grady Memorial Hospital Corp. and the trustees of the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority, Pete Correll, the corporation’s chairman, said that the consolidation, staff cuts and copays would mitigate $10 million of 2011 cuts facing the hospital.

Grady spokesman Matt Gov said the hospital made sure that the counties knew that Grady was in a tough financial situation and that it can only provide the amount of indigent care that they can fund.

“By providing the level of funding that they have, the counties have forced Grady to look at how we can provide the best quality of care to the most people,” he said Thursday.

Quick Read

Gov said Grady is cutting in areas that affect the fewest number of patients.

“The South DeKalb Health Center has the lowest number of patients and the lowest-quality facility tucked in the back of Kroger Pharmacy,” he said.

‘Super center’ in Kirkwood When it closes, the health center will be consolidated into the Grady’s Kirkwood facility on Warren Street.

Grady is building a “super center,” to be called the Kirkwood Health Center, in the remodeled Parkview Shopping Center on Memorial Drive in Atlanta.

The 10,125-square-foot center, being built at a cost of $1 million, will become home to the patients from the Warren Street and South DeKalb health centers.

Gov said they expect the new facility, which will offer a range of specialty services, X-ray and pharmacy, to open in May so that the South DeKalb patients can access it.

“It will be the nicest, most modern facility that Grady has,” he said. “This is a huge improvement in terms of space, services and parking. It’s something that the community has needed for a

long time.”

This week, there were no signs at the South DeKalb Health Center alerting patients to its impending closing. Gov said that is because the exact closing date has not yet been set.

“Patients will be sent letters a minimum of 30 days out to help them with the transition,” he said.

“All their medical records will be transferred to the DeKalb-Grady center in Kirkwood.”

The South DeKalb Health Center, which opened 15 years ago, is Grady’s only center south of Memorial Drive in DeKalb County.

Last year, it had 6,500 patient visits, up from 6,000 in 2008. Gov could not provide the number of patients who made those visits.

Johnson, who is the DeKalb commissioners’ presiding officer, said he found out about the center’s impending closure on the news.

“They did the same thing again,” he said Wednesday. “Just like the last time, they did not speak to us before they made the decision.”

Johnson said he has asked Young for information and analysis to support the decision to close the center but through Thursday, he had not provided that information.

He said Grady has not been able to tell him how much of the funding provided by the county goes to running its South DeKalb Health Center.

“We give them one pot of money and they can’t show me the numbers,” he said. “I want them to share with me the cost of running that center.”

Gov said the closing of the two health centers will save Grady $2 million but that he could not separate out the cost of running the South DeKalb center.

DeKalb’s 30-year agreement to fund Grady expires in 2013. As they move to negotiate a new agreement, Johnson said they will get specific about where the money given by the county should be spent.

“It won’t be as vague as this one,” he said.

Career criminal arrested in brutal rape at church 3

Tax office ends Saturday hours

The man arrested in the rape of a St. Timothy United Methodist Church leader on church grounds was scheduled to make his first court appearance on March 18.

DeKalb motorists and property owners can no longer pay their taxes on Saturdays at the main tax office on Memorial Drive.

Adults can meander down the healthy lane at a two-day health and wellness expo at First Afrikan Presbyterian Church.

Hank’s bill fights bias against jobless 7

Dove headlines Women’s History events at Emory 12

Rep. Hank Johnson has introduced the Fair Employment Act of 2011 to fight discrimination against out-of-work Americans.

A three-day Women’s History Month series featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Rita Dove begins March 20 at Emory University.

Open letter to DeKalb School Officials on school closings 6 I’m writing on behalf of the children, parents, stakeholders, taxpayers and people who lost the will to fight for themselves.

Hope scholarship revision not about race or civil rights 6 I am embarrassed and cannot see the justification for viewing reform of the Hope Scholarship as racially motivated.

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CNN awardee to speak at Healthy Belvedere event 10 Linda Fondren of “Shape Up Vicksburg” fame will be the keynote speaker at the Healthy Belvedere Movement kickoff on March 26 in Decatur.

Expo offers pampering for mind, body, spirit 10

Columbia, Miller Grove boys are state champions 13 Columbia and Miller Grove High School boys’ basketball teams are state champions once again.

index to advertisers

Circulation Audited By ABC Consignment Store................................15 Acts of Valor Salon........................................12 Atlanta Gastroenterology.............................. 10 Atlanta Oncology Associates......................... 10 ATM Constructors, Inc....................................15 Auto 285........................................................14 Cake Café Atlanta...........................................15 Chevrolet........................................................ 5

Community Assoc. Institute - Ga. Chapter.....14 Congressman Hank Johnson.......................... 3 Felicia V. Anderson CPA LLC.......................... 7 Georgia Cares SMP......................................... 3 God’s Vision Ministries...................................14 Holistic Health Management Inc.............Inserts Jennifer’s Dance Company, Inc......................13 Johnny Harris CPA.........................................14

Malcolm Cunningham Auto Gallery............. 16 MARTA............................................................ 7 Mystery Valley Golf Club................................12 New Jerusalem Christian Academy................15 Parker on Ponce............................................15 South DeKalb YMCA......................................15 The Albert Law Group...................................14

The Boddie Law Group LLC...........................14 The Law Office of B.A. Thomas.....................14 The Mall at Stonecrest................................... 11 The Samuel Group.........................................14 The Spa at Stonecrest....................................15 Tuskegee Graduates & Friends......................14 Unity Rally LLC...............................................14

March 19, 2011

CrossRoadsNews

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CrossRoadsNews

Forum

March 19, 2011

“The days of being silent and complaining among ourselves regarding these unethical business practices are over.”

Toyota Motor Co. ignores black consumers with selective thank yous

By Danny J. Bakewell Sr. Chairman, NNPA

I have recently been shocked and appalled by ads that I and other black publishers saw in several major newspapers (The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, etc.) confirming that Toyota spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to advertise in white mainstream daily newspapers “thanking” their general market consumers for their loyalty and patronage to Toyota during their time of major controversy and concerns over the safety of Toyota’s vehicles.

Thanking their customers is a smart move on Toyota’s behalf and one that I applaud.

However, we can’t overlook the fact that black people represent almost 10 percent of Toyota’s American market share. With a $1.2 billion annual advertising budget, it is not unreasonable for the black press and black advertising agencies to expect to have a stake in Toyota’s advertising.

Nevertheless, black newspapers were left off Toyota’s latest marketing campaign, sending a clear and direct message that the black consumer is still being taken for granted and black people are still being disrespected and undervalued.

This is disappointing behavior from a company which was all too eager to send us their press releases and ask us to write stories and editorials to influence Black America to

“We do not want Toyota or any corporation or business to use us for editorial coverage and then overlook us with their advertising dollars.”

Danny J. Bakewell Sr.

stay with them in their time of trouble.

But now that Toyota’s pain has been essentially eased (for now) by a report issued by the federal Transportation Department and NASA that found no faults with Toyota’s electronic accelerator controls, the black press has once again been forgotten along with the black consumer.

Toyota should note that it is going to take more than a passing grade on a federal transportation report card to bring back the consumer confidence enjoyed (for years)

by Toyota from American consumers prior to one of the largest vehicle recalls in U.S. history.

So when the decision was made to advertise in mainstream newspapers from coast to coast “thanking” their customers for their loyalty, where was Toyota’s loyalty to the 10 percent of African-American consumers?

Don’t we also deserve a great big thank you?

Historically, there has always been an im-

balance between what goes out of the black community and what comes into the black community relative to retail goods, services and representation.

Despite the fact that the buying power of America’s blacks is reported to be roughly $1 trillion this year!

And it is highly doubtful that black-owned businesses and consumers will reap any of the benefits proportionate to our buying power.

However, the question still remains: Why is Toyota undervaluing the black consumer and showing our community such blatant disrespect?

Tried, true and tested – the NNPA (Black Press of America) remains the gatekeeper for reaching the black community.

Corporations and advertising agencies wanting and needing to reach the AfricanAmerican consumer must understand the relationship of the black press with black people.

They must remember to place their advertising messages on the pages of black newspapers throughout America, and black consumers will respond in kind. (Black advertising agencies could help them with this).

The days of being silent and complaining among ourselves regarding these unethical

Open letter to DeKalb School Officials on school closings I’m writing this letter on behalf of the children, parents, stakeholders, taxpayers and people who lost the will to fight for themselves.

First things first: We want to know the names and the bids of all the consultants’ companies considered along with MGT consultant firm from Oregon to handle the 2020 Vision Consolidation/Redistricting Plan. When was the public notified to have their input into the spending of the $400,000 of their money?

We want to make sure that all proper procedures were followed before the decision was made. Please inform us in writing of the entire policies and procedures, of the

bidding process for these companies to conduct business with DCSS, and why the DCSS selected MGT. On Feb. 7, we watched interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson and MGT consultant Ed Humble make a horrific injustice on our lives in Super District 7 aka Districts 3 and 5.

We were used as collateral damage.

You have decided to close seven of eight schools in the south end of DeKalb County, when initially there were 14 schools up for closing. The damage was done to our neighborhood that surrounds Towers High School with the closing of three elementary schools – Atherton, Glen Haven and Peachcrest. You did not preserve one of our schools to keep

our neighborhood intact.

Where are you going to get the money to upgrade Gresham Park and Peachcrest for the future 900-capacity school in 2020 Vision?

We would prefer if you house our students in Peachcrest as opposed to shipping them out of their neighborhood. What is your time line for construction to begin/ end?

To all the DeKalb elected officials, we don’t hear or see you supporting our schools.

When elections come around, we will see and hear you very loudly. Be careful how you treat the poor and the meek.

Beverly Mines lives in Decatur.

Hope scholarship revision not about race or civil rights As a lifetime resident of Georgia, I am embarrassed and cannot see the justification for black American politicians, the NAACP or any other so-called civil rights activist groups viewing the governor’s reform of the Hope Scholarship as racially motivated or a civil rights violation against black Americans or anyone else.

It appears to me that in the last few decades, too many of our black politicians, NAACP and designated black leaders have used any opportunity to create, march, sing, shout and scream about a race or civil rights violations whether one existed or not.

I found it appalling to see and hear a black politician on television state that revising the Hope Scholarship would disenfranchise black Georgians and other minorities.

Where did this guy come from? He appears to be obsessed with playing the race card.

I also have difficulty grasping the reason for the NAACP invading the Georgia capital shouting and screaming about the Hope Scholarship revision. Whose civil rights are being violated? Perhaps, the idea is to grab any issue that might get media attention.

I am not degrading or disregarding the great civil rights accomplishments that this organization has achieved over the years. I am aware that their work has resulted in a better life for me and all of Black America.

I remember paying my dollar to join the NAACP in 1947. In 1974, I had the pleasure of being co-founder of the first NAACP Chapter in Central America (Panama).

“The Hope Scholarship should never have been expected to award or be awarded to average or slightly above average students regardless of their race or family income level.”

Bob Miles

In my opinion, the current economic situation in Georgia and America has dictated that the governor had to make tough decisions regarding the Hope Scholarship’s lack of revenue. However, I do not believe that the governor did enough. The Scholarship was not supposed to be another unearned, you owe me welfare type give away program.

The Hope Scholarship should never have been expected to award or be awarded to average or slightly above average students regardless of their race or family income level. This free academic scholarship should only be available to super academic achievers who excel in the hardcore subjects and maintain at least a 3.9 of a 4.0 maximum average. In addition, the scholarship candidate must achieve a minimum score of 1200 on the SAT. We know that any black, white or other student who earns a 3.9 of a 4.0 system and who has an SAT of 1200 or better will have earned scholarships at many colleges and universities. They will not have the need to depend on the Hope Scholarship.

In my opinion, too many of us black

Americans have been indoctrinated by the socalled leaders that we cannot achieve highest academic standards like other groups of people.

Too many of us want others to give us an education and everything else in life without our earning it on the merits of our hard work and dedication to high achievement.

It is sad that many blacks continue to believe that we are mentally inferior to other groups and cannot be expected to be as smart. Too often we expect to be admitted to institutions and placed into various positions of employment simply because we are black and not because of merit. We need to stop playing the victim role and utilize available opportunities in every area.

Again, the Hope Scholarship’s revision is not a race issue designed to disenfranchise Georgia’s black students. Neither is the revision oriented toward violating anyone’s civil rights. It is about the current lack of funds to give the masses of average and slightly above average students a free college education. In my opinion, the only way that the majority of these students made a “B” was by taking junk courses.

This scholarship must only be reserved for those achieving the highest academic standards.

Bob Miles lives in Decatur.

and immoral business practices are over.

When Toyota wanted our help, it had no problem seeking all 200 black newspapers.

Their message to black people was — please help us, we value your business.

We do not want Toyota or any corporation or business to use us for editorial coverage and then overlook us with their advertising dollars.

Black newspapers are not afraid to demand fair representation and a seat at the table, especially when their food is purchased with approximately 10 percent of black consumer dollars.

Toyota has enjoyed healthy AfricanAmerican consumer support, and despite last year’s setback we have remained loyal.

If you want to thank black consumers for our loyalty and keep our business, do it on the pages of the black newspapers that black people read, respect, trust and own!

I am challenging Toyota’s chairman and CEO to do the right thing and meet with me to discuss the future of their relationship with black consumers and whether or not we as black newspaper publishers should continue supporting Toyota or should we organize a campaign to take the African-American’s brand loyalty to Toyota elsewhere!

Danny Bakewell Sr. is chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents more than 200 independently owned black newspapers nationwide.

We need to learn about planned projects sooner The responses from Ken Taylor and Rowena Cowans to the “New Family Dollar irks commissioners” article in the Feb. 5, 2011 issue, were to the point and eloquently stated.

However, I would like to approach the issue from a different angle.

If you live in South DeKalb, by now you should know what the deal is: major businesses are reluctant to invest in our neighborhood.

I will assume that Larry Johnson and Stan Watson are genuinely by the construction of another Family Dollar store, but the action they took will probably have no impact on whether the store is built or not.

We need to know what is being built in our communities before construction begins! The project did not go before the commissioners because the area is already zoned commercial. Well, Family Dollar had to request permission to build the store and this permission should be public information. The commissioners can have someone in their office check on all building requests in South DeKalb and forward this information to the constituents periodically in their newsletters or in CrossRoadsNews.

We need to know what is coming to our communities before bulldozers commence to work! Then we can organize and plan a course of action, that is, we can be proactive. Unless we can get this information beforehand, we will always be in a reactive mode, like we are now with the Family Dollar issue.

I would like to thank CrossRoadsNews for being such an informative instrument for the county. A few weeks ago I wrote my commissioner and inquired about the opening date for the renovated library at Salem and Panola Road. The commissioner indicated he had no idea when the library will reopen. Then, the very next day, I read in CrossRoadsNews that the library is tentatively scheduled to re-open around the middle of March.

James Teague Sr. lives in Lithonia.

March 19, 2011

Finance

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CrossRoadsNews

METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Tax office ends Saturday hours as quickly as possible when meetMotorists and property owners ing their tax and tag obligations,” can no longer pay their taxes on Lawson said.

Saturdays at DeKalb County’s main Lawson said she eliminated the tax office on Memorial Drive. weekend hours so that she could Tax Commissioner Claudia G. keep open all three offices, at MeLawson announced this week that morial Drive, the Gallery at South Saturday hours ended March 14 DeKalb, and Dresden Drive. because of budgetary constraints.

Saturday hours were started by However, she is keeping satellite Claudia Lawson Lawson’s predecessor, the late Tom offices open because of a partial restoration of her 2011 budget by the DeKalb Scott, to serve citizens who couldn’t take time Board of Commissioners, which cut $33.6 off work weekdays to pay their taxes.

Taxpayers are encouraged to visit the million from the 2011 budget last month.

The satellite offices were targeted for closure main office as well as the two satellite offices weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They also in CEO Burrell Ellis’ proposed budget.

“It has been my goal from the beginning can pay taxes online. For more information, to keep the satellite offices open for the citi- visit www.yourdekalb.com/taxcommissioner zens who expect and deserve to be serviced or call 404-298-4000.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS MARCH 21 & 24, 2011

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority will hold five public hearings for the purpose of considering

Proposed Bus Service Modifications for June 18, 2011, and Braves Shuttle Service effective 2011 season.

2 Hearings on: Monday, March 21 38 Hill Street, Roswell, GA 30075

Roswell City Hall

Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M.

Hearing: 7:00 P.M.

Hank’s bill fights bias against jobless Fourth District U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson has introduced the Fair Employment Act of 2011 to fight discrimination against out-of-work Americans.

Johnson introduced HR 1113 on March 16 in the wake of widespread reports of job listings that explicitly exclude unemployed applicants.

Some advertisements Hank Johnson state that applicants “must be currently employed” or stipulate that “no unemployed candidates will be considered at all” or say that “No layoff candidates considered.”

Johnson, whose district incudes DeKalb County and portions of Rockdale and Gwinnett counties, said all Americans deserve the opportunity to work.

“Employer discrimination against unemployed job applicants is fundamentally wrong,” he said. “With unemployment at about 9 percent and with nearly 14 million Americans out of work, this discrimination will only prolong the crisis.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in February that while the national unem-

ployment rate was 8.9 percent, the rates for African-Americans and Hispanics were 15.3 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively.

Johnson said discrimination against the unemployed smacks of days gone by when signs read, “Women need not apply,” “Irish need not apply” or “No blacks allowed.”

“I’m going to do all I can to fight for the unemployed,” Johnson said.

The bill seeks to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In November 2010, Johnson sent a letter to Jacqueline Berrien, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission chair, to request a probe into possible discrimi- Jacqueline Berrien nation against the jobless. The EEOC held a Feb. 16 hearing and members called the trend a growing threat to the unemployed, especially the long-term unemployed. “[The] meeting gave the commission an important opportunity to learn about the emerging practice of excluding unemployed persons from applicant pools,” Berrien said.

Readiness fair for job hunters Job seekers can hone their job-hunting skills at the 2011 Employment Readiness Fair on March 31 in Decatur.

The 10 a.m.-to-3 p.m. fair at the Holiday Inn Decatur Conference Plaza is a collaboration of DeKalb Workforce Development and the United Way of DeKalb County.

Industry experts will facilitate free workshops that will provide information on jobsearch techniques and how to stand out from the crowd in today’s tough job market. Experts will offer tips on crafting professional resumes, operating a computer and using

social networking Web sites to find a job.

Participants will learn how to ace an interview, transform their professional image, and speak clearly and confidently. They will get insights on what employers are seeking.

There will be panel discussions with select employers who will share information on their companies’ hiring practices. Job seekers will have the opportunity to implement the tools they learned at the workshops.

The hotel is at 130 Clairemont Ave. For more information or to register, visit www .dekalbworkforce.org or call 404-687-3469.

Riding MARTA: Bus Route 85 from the North Springs Rail Station.

5600 Stonewall Tell Rd, College Park, 30349

South Fulton Service Center

Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M.

Hearing: 7:00 P.M.

Riding MARTA: Bus Route 180 from the College Park Rail Station.

3 Hearings on: Thursday, March 24 55 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303

City of Atlanta Council Chambers

Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M. Hearing: 7:00 P.M. Riding MARTA: Five Points Station, Bus Routes 32, 49, 55, 74. Special Bus shuttle also provided.

1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, GA 30030

Maloof Auditorium, Decatur

Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M. Hearing: 7:00 P.M. Riding MARTA: One block walk west of Decatur Station.

3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SW, Atlanta, GA 30331

Adamsville Recreation Center

Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M. Hearing: 7:00 P.M. Riding MARTA: Bus Route 73 from H.E. Holmes Rail Station.

PROPOSED ROUTING AND/OR ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING BUS ROUTES: Route 2 - Ponce de Leon Avenue/Moreland Avenue: Modify service to provide selected trips between North Avenue Station to Decatur Station via Ponce de Leon Avenue on all service days. All other trips will provide service between North Avenue Station to Edgewood/Candler Park Station via North Avenue or via Ponce de Leon Avenue. During midday (9:00 am - 3:00 pm) and evenings (after 7:00 pm) periods on weekdays only, service along North Avenue between Boulevard and North Avenue Station will be provided by modification of Route 99-Boulevard/Monroe Drive.

Route 87 - Roswell Road/Morgan Falls: Modify to extend service from Dunwoody Place to North Springs Station via GA 400 on weekdays only.

Route 99 - Boulevard/Monroe Drive: Modify service to operate from Boulevard via North Avenue terminating at North Avenue Station during midday (9:00 am - 3:00 pm) and evening (after 7:00 pm.) periods on weekdays only. During weekday peak periods (6:00 am - 9:00 am &3:00 pm - 7:00 pm) and weekends, Route 99 will continue to provide service between Georgia State Station and Midtown Station. Service from North Avenue along Boulevard, Monroe Drive, and 10th Street to Midtown Station will be discontinued during midday and evening periods on weekdays only.

Route 181 - Buffington Road/South Fulton Park & Ride: Modify to extend service from South Fulton Park & Ride to Fairburn via Interstate 85, Jonesboro Road (S.R. 138), Beverly Engram Parkway, Roosevelt Highway, West Broad Street, Brooks Drive, Washington Street and Smith Street on weekdays and Saturdays only. Sunday service remains unchanged terminating at South Fulton Park & Ride.

Restoration of the Braves Shuttle Service. Effective 2011 season.

Information on the the proposed bus service modifications will also be available at MARTA’s Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324 during regular business hours, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sat 9:00 a.m. to12 Noon, and on the website www.itsmarta.com.

For formats (FREE of charge) in accordance with the ADA and Limited English Proficiency regulations contact (404) 8484037. For those patrons requiring further accommodations, information can be obtained by calling the Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 404 848-5665.

In addition, a sign language interpreter will be available at all hearings. If you cannot attend the hearings and want to provide comments you may: (1) leave a message at (404) 848-5299; (2) write to MARTA’s Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324-3330; (3) complete an online Comment Card at www.itsmarta.com;

(4) or fax your comments by 9 a.m. on March 28, 2011 to (404) 848-4179.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority complies with all federal regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin in its programs, benefits, services or activities. Complaints, or inquiries regarding Title VI compliance, may be directed in writing to the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at 2424 Piedmont Rd, NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 or 404-848-5240.

All citizens of the City of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Gwinnett whose interests are affected by the subjects to be considered at these hearings are hereby notified and invited to appear at said times and places and present such evidence, comment or objection as their interests require.

Beverly A. Scott, Ph.D. General Manager/CEO

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ance h C t L as ote!!! to V Close ts Ballo 1/11 3/3

Tell Us Who’s Best!

Who gives the best haircut in East Metro Atlanta? Where is the best car repair shop or BBQ joint? Walking trail?

Most romantic restaurant?

Vote now for the Best of East Metro in our annual Reader’s Choice Awards.

Winners of these awards will be honored at our Best of East Metro / Small Business Expo on April 23 at the Mall at Stonecrest.

Please complete and return your ballot by March 31, 2011 (no photocopies, please). Or, go to www.crossroadsnews. com and vote for your favorites online.

Public Affairs Best Local Activist q Joe Bembry q Gil Turman q John Evans q Karen Davenport

March 19, 2011

Vote for the best that East M Most Beloved Elected Official

Best Church Choir

Best Caribbean Restau

q John Lewis

q St. Philip AME Church

q Kool Runnings

q Stan Watson

q First African Presbyterian Church

q Eat Right

q Sheriff Thomas Brown

q Berean Christian Church

q Hank Johnson

q Saint Philip AME / W.N. Griffin Gospel Choir

Best Italian Restauran

q Rainbow Park Baptist Church

q Figo

q Larry Johnson q Gail Davenport Most Beloved Public Official

q AiJalon Inc. Adult Day Health Care q Victoria Attmore-Pengel q LaTasha Lewis q Brenda Jackson q Anthony “Tony” Royal, Chick-fil-A q Greg Levett q Ron Brown q Robin Smith and Paul Turner, Pesos Mexican Cantina Best School Board Member q Tom Bowen

Best Mexican Restaur Best Dance Ministry

q Mibarrio

q Gwen Keyes Fleming

q Tamba Issa, First Afrikan Presbyterian Church

q Pesos Mexican Cantin

q Commissioner Lee May

q Berean Christian Church

Best Soul Food Restau

q St. Philip AME Church

q Hodge’s

q New Life

q Thelma’s

q Steen Miles

Most Active State Legislator q Stephanie Stuckey Benfield

q Robert's

q Coach Williams

Best Outreach Ministry

q Stacey Abrams

q Camp of Champions

Best Bakery

q Billy Mitchell

q Blessings on Wheels

q Royal Caribbean Bake

q Pam Stephenson

q Berean Christian Church

q Sweet n’ Sinful

Best Civic Organization q Stone Mountain-Lithonia Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority q AKA - Lambda Epsilon Omega Chapter q DeKalb Chapter of NAACP q Cedar Grove Neighborhood Association Best East Metro Landmark q Aijalon Inc.

q St. Timothy School q Berean Christian Church q Greenforest-McCalep CAC

q Garlic

q The Mall at Stonecrest

q Exotic Thai, Stonecrest

Community of Faith Best Large Church

Best American Restaurant

q St. Philip AME Church

q Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill

q Ray of Hope

q Java Delight Cafe

q Berean Christian Church

q Parker’s On Ponce

q New Life Baptist Church

q Barbara C. Campbell

q St. Pius H. S.

q The Earl, Flst Shoals Ave., Atlanta

q Sarah Copelin Woods

q Pamela Williams Aijalon Adult Day Health

Best Christian School

q Arabia Mountain

q Beulah Baptist church,

Citizen of the Year

q New Life Baptist Church

Dining Best Asian Restaurant

q Jay Cunningham q Eugene Walker

q Olive Garden

q Green Pastures

q Rainbow Park Baptist Church

Best Local Entrepreneur

B

q Sauced

Best BBQ Restaurant q Fox Brothers

Best Small Church

q Robert’s

q Poplar Springs Baptist Church

q Community Q

q First African Presbyterian

q Mabels

q New Hope Christian Ministries

q Smokey Bones

q Lilly Hill Baptist Church

Best Takeout q Las Brasas q Gut Busters

q Pesos Mexican Cantin

q Chick-fil-A at Turner H q Java Delight Cafe Best Pizza q Savage Pizza

q Davido’s on Covingto q Avallino’s Best Late Night Eats

q Pesos Mexican Cantin q Waffle House

Most Romantic Restau q Parker’s On Ponce q Arizona’s

Best Restaurant for Fi

q Pesos Mexican Cantin q Parker’s On Ponce q Applebee’s q Arizona’s Best Chicken Wings

q Poplar Springs Baptist church,

Best Family Dining Restaurant

q Robert James

q Rainbow Park Baptist Church

q Gladys and Ron’s Chicken & Waffles

q Pesos Mexican Cantin

q Gretchen Smith

q Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

q Pesos Mexican Cantina

q Davido’s on Covingto

q Bethel Family Church

q Folks

q Java Delight Cafe

q First Atlanta Wesleyan Church

q Piccadilly

q American Deli

q Rochelle Candeller Best County Commissioner q Kathie Gannon q Lee May q Larry Johnson q Stan Watson

q Highland pub

You can also vote for your favorites online at www.eastmetromarket.com. Click on the “Best of East Metro” banner and follow the directions...

March 19, 2011

Best of East Metro

9

CrossRoadsNews

Metro Atlanta has to offer

urant

nt

rant

nas

Best Restaurant When Someone Else Buys

Best Financial Institution

Best Health Club

q Red Lobster

q Citizens Trust Bank

q Power Kicks Tae Kwon Do

q BB&T

q Tadda’s Fitness Camp

q Parker’s On Ponce q Arizona’s Best Breakfast

on

na

urant

irst Date

na

Best Law Firm

q Kendrick Family Practice

q The Secret Firm

q Oakhurst Medical Center

q Davis & Bozeman Law Firm

q IHOP

q Boykin Edwards Jr., PC

q South DeKalb Center for Health Living

q Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road

q Noreen Banks Ware

q Gut Busters

q BJH Attorneys at Law

Best Running or Jogging Track

Best Event Planner

q Arabia Mountain

q Java Delight Cafe

q Stone Mountain Park

Best Restaurant Service

q Benita Osbey

q Pesos Mexican Cantina

q Kimberly Cameron

q IHOP

q Brenda Jackson & Associates

q BaSix Knowledge Academy

Best Barbershop

q Woodward Academy

q Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road q Java Delight Cafe

ery

Hill Road

Best Health Clinic

q Ria’s Bluebird Cafe

urant

na

q RBC Bank

Best Sunday Brunch

q Sweet Melissa’s q Carpe Diem Best Supermarket q Wal-Mart Memorial Drive q Publix - Flat Shoals Parkway q Publix - S. Hairston q Kroger - Flat Shoals Pkwy

q Nicks Barber Shop q Ultimate Barber Shop Best Hair Salon q The Good Hair Shop q Acts of Valor

q Excell Preparatory Center q St. Timothy School Best Day Care q Excell Preparatory Center q Aijalon Inc Adult Day Care q Kingdom Kare Academy

q Don Janelle Day Spa q Dynasty Hair Salon

Fun for All Best Movie Theater

Best HVAC Service

q Movie Tavern

q Shamari

q Bowman’s HVAC Buy & Sell Best Auto Dealer - Used

q Lu Woodson - Alpha Climate Control

q Ultimate Benz

Best Orthodontist

q Malcolm Cunningham Auto Gallery

Best Private School

q Craig Williams q North Georgia Orthodontics

Best Auto Repair

q AMC Theater q Gallery at South DeKalb Best Place to Meet New People q Java Delight Cafe q Pesos Mexican Cantina Best Free WiFi q Chick-Fil-A At Turner Hill Road

q Gibbs Garage

Best Dentist

q Service 1st Auto Care

q Heard & Heard Dental

q Panera

q Ultimate Benz

q Spa Dental

q Pesos Mexican Cantina

q Dr. Diane Stephens Best Car Wash q Village Hand Car Wash

Vote Online @ www.crossroadsnews.com

q California Gold q Upscale Cleaning q So Fresh And So Clean q Zoom Express Car Wash q Cartopia Services Rendered

na

Best Mall

on

q Gallery at South DeKalb q Mall at Stonecrest q North DeKalb Mall q Northlake Mall Best Real Estate Agency q Gretta Thomas q Tobias A. Jackson Best Insurance Agent q Devon Hudson, State Farm q Les Kemp, Allstate

Tell Us About Yourself First Name:_ ____________________ Last Name:_________________ Address:_ ________________________________________________ City: _ __________________________ State: _____ Zip: ___________ Phone Number: _ __________________________________________ Email Address:_____________________________________________ Age:

❍ 18-34 ❍ 35-49 ❍ 50-65 ❍ 65+

Sex:

❍ Male ❍ Female

Mail or deliver your completed ballot to CrossRoadsNews, 2346 Candler Road, Decatur GA 30032, or vote at www.crossroadsnews.com. Photocopies of ballots are not accepted.

10

CrossRoadsNews

Wellness

There will an all vegan food court, book signings, chef demonstrations and tastings.

CNN awardee to speak at Healthy Belvedere event Linda Fondren of “Shape Up Vicksburg” fame will be the keynote speaker at the Healthy Belvedere Movement kickoff on March 26 in Decatur.

The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 10 a.m. at Shoal Creek Park, 3649 Glenwood Road.

Fondren, owner of Shape Up Sisters and a member of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce in Mississippi, is the Linda Fondren CNN Hero Award recipient who founded a campaign to transform Vicksburg residents from the fattest to the fittest in the nation.

The campaign has resulted in a collective weight loss of more than 15,000 pounds among participants over the past year.

The Healthy Belvedere event features activities that promote healthy eating and active living. It is sponsored by the Healthy Belvedere Initiative – a neighborhood effort to reduce health disparities associated with chronic illnesses through environmental and policy changes.

Highlights of the March 26 event include inspirational speakers; healthy cooking demonstrations, health screenings, and information provided by local businesses, organizations and government agencies at the HEAL Expo; and a fitness wear fashion show.

At HEAL Youth Arts & Plant, children can create artwork that reflects their vision of a healthy community for the HEAL Street Mural Project, which will be on display. The Ready Set Grow Project allows youth to decorate pots and plant flowers, fruits or vegetables while learning how to grow healthy food.

Meet the Doctors is an interactive panel discussion about the questions everyone should ask their doctors and other steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

For more information, visit www.HealthyBelvedere.org.

Kiddie Olympics to help kids get fit PALA requires youth parChildren and families who get in ticipants, ages 6 to 17, to engage in shape through the Kiddie Olympics physical activity for 60 minutes, five and the President’s Challenge Prodays per week, for six out of eight gram can be recognized for their weeks. Adults should participate in efforts.

30 minutes of physical activity for The partnership encourages the same duration. everyone to be physically active and Everyone who completes the maintain a healthy lifestyle. requirements will receive a PALA As a President’s Challenge adcertificate of achievement signed vocate, the Kiddie Olympics will

by Drew Brees, the 2009 Super Bowl promote the Presidential Active MVP-winning quarterback for the Lifestyle Award target audience New Orleans Saints, and retired and goals.

Olympic gold medal-winning gymShellie Pfohl, executive director nast Dominique Dawes, co-chairs of the President’s Council on Fitof the President’s Council. ness, Sports & Nutrition, and DerKiddie Olympics target children rick McLendon, coordinator of the 3 to 6 to participate in a day of orKiddie Olympics in metro Atlanta, ganized play, giving preschoolers announced the partnership agreethe opportunity to start early in life ment on March 9.

Last May, up to 2,000 area preschoolers understanding that physical activity The President’s Council, which competed in Kiddie Olympics. will lead to a better quality of life. supports first lady Michelle Obama’s For more information, visit www.fitness.gov, www Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation, is challenging Americans of all ages, abilities .presidentschallenge.org or www.thekiddieolympics .com. and backgrounds to achieve their PALA.

Expo offers pampering for mind, body, spirit Adults can meander down the healthy lane at a twoday health and wellness expo at First Afrikan Presbyterian Church in Lithonia.

The event, sponsored by the church’s Nia Women & Ujima Men ministries, will include everything from yoga to raw foods and colonics to help achieve healthier

Atlanta Oncology Associates

Planting, gardening and harvesting are on the agenda when First Afrikan Presbyterian Church kicks off its Creation Care project on March 20, the first day of spring, at its Lithonia campus.

The program with partner Austin Community Development Corp. expands the church’s children’s garden and educational program and includes special worship services emphasizing healthier living habits.

Creation Care is part of the STEPS to a Healthier DeKalb goal to reduce the incidence of diabetes, heart disease and obesity by increasing the production and consumption of fruits and vegetables in African-American

at DeKalb Hillandale

Radiation Oncology:

Women can learn more about gynecological health issues at a free wellness forum on March 26 at Union Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia.

The 11 a.m.-to-1:30 p.m. forum takes place in the C. André Grier Fellowship Hall.

DeKalb Medical’s Melissa Seely-Morgan,

2745 DeKalb Medical Parkway I Lithonia, Georgia 30058 770-255-7470 [phone] I 770-255-7471 [fax]

One in 20 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime.* Don’t be the one.

Research has shown that through early detection and removal of colon polyps during a colonoscopy, colon cancer can actually be prevented.

The Board Certified physicians of Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates are asking men and women over the age of 50, or anyone with a family history of colon cancer, to take charge of their health and get a screening colonoscopy.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

Screening Can Save Your Life.

Decatur 678.553.0226

Lithonia 770.817.0224

For information about our locations, visit www.atlantagastro.com or call 1-866-GO-TO-AGA. Specialists in the Detection and Treatment of Digestive Diseases, Hepatitis and Colon Cancer *National Cancer Institute

families. It also supports First Afrikan’s Local Black Church Initiative.

Participants will learn about gardening in classes to be held at the church, at 5197 Salem Road, and at the Austin Senior Campus, 1989 Austin Drive in Decatur.

Children’s classes and gardening experience will be held at First Afrikan. All classes are free but registration is required. Participants will receive gardening manuals, garden kits and other supplies. Registration for the Creation Care Education begins March 20.

For more information and/or to register, e-mail fapc@firstafrikanchurch.org or call 770-981-2601.

Forum addresses women’s health

Partial Breast Irradiation using Contura or Mammosite or Accuboost Technology Keloid Therapy

Atlanta Medical 404.584.7306

minds, bodies and spirits.

The expo, which is free to attend, takes place 7 to 9 p.m. on March 25 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 26.

The church is at 5197 Salem Road. For more information, visit http://firstafrikanchurch.org, e-mail fapc@ firstafrikanchurch.org, or call 770-987-2601.

Garden project touts healthy living

Cancer Treatment Close to Home

IMRT, IGRT Prostate Brachytherapy with Permanent Seeds or HDR CT and X-ray Imaging

March 19, 2011

AGA is a participating provider for Medicare, Medicaid and most healthcare plans offered in Georgia.

an interventional radiologist, will talk about “Uterine Fibroid Embolization,” a nonsurgical alternative for fibroid treatment, and Dominique Smith, a gynecologist, will discuss “Menopause,” advances and treatments.

The forum is open to women and men.

The church is at 2470 Bruce St. To register, call 404-501-9355.

Fair takes holistic approach Individuals, families and children can explore holistic health approaches on March 20 at Spelman College in Atlanta.

The Meat Out Vegetarian Food and Wholistic Fair, from Julie Dexter and Starchile will perform.

1 to 7 p.m., includes iridology, massage, reflexology, ionic foot detox, body scan, ear canaling and blood-type testing by Dr. Leslie Harmon, Atun Ra El, Dr. Aliyah Frazier and Nut Amunet.

There will be an all-vegan food court, book signings, chef demonstrations and tastings.

Songstress Julie Dexter and Starchile will perform. Sarita’s Playpen is hosting children’s activities.

The fair, which is sponsored by the Black Vegetarian Society of Georgia, will take place in the Camille Cosby building, 350 Spelman Lane.

For more information and ticket prices, visit www.BVSGA.org or call 404-585-1043.

March 19, 2011

CrossRoadsNews

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Scene

CrossRoadsNews

March 19, 2011

The 18-year-old musician began playing the violin when she was 4 years old. She switched to the harp at age 12.

Dove headlines Kappas to converge on Atlanta for milestone More than 1,000 Atlanta from March 27 to sion, a Metro Atlanta Chapters of Kappa Women’s History Kappas from across the worship service, and a History of Black April 1.

Southeast will convene Sororities and Fraternities symposium that The celebration preevents at Emory in Atlanta the week of cedes the Kappas 80th will be hosted by the Nu Delta Chapter of A three-day Women’s History Month series featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Rita Dove begins March 20 at Emory University.

“Entering the World Through Language” features a classical music performance, a reading

by Dove, and “creativity conversations” with Emory English professor and Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey Rita Dove and the Atlanta Symphony’s music director Robert Spano, Emory’s Distinguished Artist in Residence.

Dove, the Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987 and was poet laureate of the United States from 1993 through 1995. A canonical figure in American and African-American literature, she is known for her interdisciplinary approach and her collaborative ventures with composers, musicians and other artists.

All events are free and open to the public.

They include: n “Sonata Mulattica,” a reading by Dove and performance by visiting violinist William Fitzpatrick and William Ransom (piano). 7 p.m. March 20, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 1700 North Decatur Road.

Dove reads from her latest book of poetry, “Sonata Mulattica,” which tells the story of a 19th century black violin virtuoso, Bridgetower, who inspired Beethoven but died in obscurity. The reading is followed by a performance of Beethoven’s “Sonata Mulattica” by Fitzpatrick and Ransom, the Mary Emerson Professor of Piano at Emory.

A book signing and reception will follow. n “Georgie Porgie,” a staged reading of Dove’s short play “For the Common Man.” Noon March 21, the Theater Lab (Room 203), Schwartz Center.

Atlanta actors join students and faculty to perform a short reading of the comic verse play at the center of Dove’s “Sonata Mulattica.” n This Is a Story About Music, a creativity conversation with Dove, Alvin Singleton and Spano. 6 p.m. March 21, Presentation Room, Oxford Road Building, 1390 Oxford Road.

Dove talks with Singleton, who has adapted her work to music, and Spano. n Report from Part Three, a creativity conversation with Dove and Trethewey. 6 p.m. March 22, Governor’s Hall, MillerWard Alumni House, 815 Houston Mill Road. Dove and Trethewey will discuss writing, mentorship and literary ancestries.

For more information, call 404-727-2031 or e-mail cwe@emory.edu.

March 27 to celebrate 60 years of brotherhood and service to the community.

The gathering is Rodney Banks part of the Southeastern Province Council meeting of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. It is hosted by the Kappas’ Decatur Alumni Chapter.

“Celebrating Kappa Alpha Psi Centennial: 100 Years of Achievement and Service; A Lifetime of Brotherhood, 19112011” will be held at the Hyatt Regency

Grand Chapter July 5-10 meeting in Indianapolis to celebrate the fraternity’s 100-year anniversary.

Decatur Alumni ChapRodney Pitts ter President Rodney Pitts says his chapter is honored and excited to host the event.

“You can feel the excitement mounting as we expect more than 1,000 members who will come from throughout the province as well as from throughout Kappa-land!”

Events include a province business ses-

Local harpist tops on NPR show Chamblee High senior Angelica Hairston will perform on “From the Top” on March 26, appearing as the 2011 Jack Kent Cooke $10,000 scholarship winner.

Emory University.

There also will be a citywide Community Service Project, Kappas on Capitol Hill Day, a welcome reception, a golf classic, a public meeting, and a comedy show and concert featuring comedian Sinbad and R&B trio SWV. The Hyatt Regency Atlanta is at 265 Peachtree St. N.E. in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.kappa2011.com or contact Rodney Banks at hrb1680@aol.com or Christopher Holliday at drcholliday@ gmail.com or 404-402-7555.

Antiques Roadshow tickets now available Public Broadcasting’s “Antiques Roadshow” will be rolling into Atlanta in August, and fans of the popular television show have a shot at free tickets to attend if they apply

by April 18.

Atlanta is one of six cities on the show’s summer 2011 production tour.

Its Aug. 6 stop will be its first trip to Atlanta since 1997.

Ticket applications and rules are available on www.pbs.org/antiques or by calling 1-888-762-3749. Tickets will be awarded by random drawing.

In addition, the “Roadshow” Furniture Roundup is seeking large pieces of furniture within 50 miles of each tour destination.

Complete furniture submission rules are also available online.

Programs taped this summer will make up the “Roadshow’s” 16th broadcast season, airing in 2012.

Mark L. Walberg is host of the show, which airs in Atlanta on WPBA 30.

For more information, visit www.pbs .org/antiques.

Free zoo passes for using library DeKalb harpist Angelica Hairston will be featured on “From the Top” on National Public Radio during the week of March 21.

“From the Top” showcases America’s best young musicians and shares their stories and performances with millions each week.

The segment will air in Atlanta on WABE-FM 90.1 on March 26 at 5 p.m.

Angelica, who is a senior at Chamblee High School, performs “ImpromptuCaprice” by Gabriel Pierne. She is appearing as the 2011 Jack Kent Cooke $10,000 scholarship winner. She will use her prize money for summer study in Milan, Italy, and Vancouver, British Columbia.

The 18-year-old musician began playing the violin when she was 4 years old. She switched to the harp at age 12.

Angelica plays in her Chamblee High Orchestra and in its Chamber Ensemble.

She is a member of the Greenforest Community Baptist Church Orchestra, the Phoenix String Quartet, and the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Families can now get free passes to Zoo Atlanta with a visit to a DeKalb County public library.

Adults with library cards can get a Zoo Atlanta Family Pass at participating public library branches after they check out a DVD about the zoo and its programs.

When the DVD is returned, the patron will get a receipt for a pass to the zoo that is valid for two adults and two children.

The passes are available because of a new partnership between the zoo and the Georgia Public Library Service.

Janet Florence, a library spokeswoman, said it is best for patrons to call the library and reserve a DVD. For more information, visit your local library branch or visit www.zooatlanta.org.

Spring has sprung, and so has...

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13

CrossRoadsNews

“Having players that have been there before helps us out a lot. They knew what to expect going into the game and they played very well.”

Columbia on left and Miller Grove High boys celebrate after emerging state champions basketball champions last weekend.

Columbia, Miller Grove boys are state basketball champions

By Carla Parker

Columbia and Miller Grove High School boys’ basketball teams are state champions once again.

The South DeKalb schools picked up consecutive state titles last weekend, giving DeKalb 19 state titles since the 2002 season when Cross Keys High School won the Class AAA championship.

DeKalb had only won 13 basketball state titles between 1940 and 1997.

This is the fourth consecutive year that DeKalb has had multiple schools to bring home a championship trophy.

Ron Sebree, the school system’s athletic director, said the success in basketball is a testament to the hard work the coaches and players put in each year.

“We’re very proud of the coaches and students,” he said. “It’s a good thing that we have multiple champions because it shows that the expectations are high with our athletics.”

Last season, Columbia boys and girls, Miller Grove boys and Southwest DeKalb girls won state titles.

In 2009, Miller Grove boys, and Redan and Southwest DeKalb girls’ teams won state titles. Columbia boys, Southwest DeKalb girls and Stephenson girls won a state championship in 2008.

High expectations When Miller Grove High opened in January 2005, head coach Sharman White and

Cedar Grove’s FBLA strutting at state conference Cedar Grove High School will have the largest contingent of students competing in the March 18-19 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference in Atlanta.

The Ellenwood school’s FBLA members made to the state competitions by dominating the competitions at the Jan. 21 Regional Leadership Conference at DeKalb Technical College that was attended by nearly 700 DeKalb students.

The Cedar Grove team nabbed three first place awards in Banking and Financial Systems, Personal Finance, and Public Speaking I. They were awarded second place in Public Speaking II, Impromptu Speaking, and Banking and Financial Systems.

Twenty of its 24 members placed and earned honors at the Regionals.

Twelve advanced to the State Leadership Conference, the highest number of students from any DeKalb FBLA programs.

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his coaching staff wanted to build the boys basketball program to compete for a state championship every year.

“Every year our goal is to win a title,” White said.

The Wolverines accomplished that goal for a third time with its 67-59 win over Rockdale County High School in the Class AAAA boys’ state championship on March 11 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth.

The win wasn’t easy for the Wolverines.

They were tied with the Bulldogs in the third quarter after giving up a 15-point lead.

Juniors Brandon Morris and Tony Parker teamed up to lead a 9-0 run by the Wolverines to take control back from the Bulldogs.

The duo extended the lead to 63-56 with 53 seconds left in the game. Junior Christian Houston hit three of four free throws from the line in the final 34 seconds to help seal the Wolverine’s three-peat.

Head coach Sharman White said it was a great feeling to hold up the state championship a third time.

“It’s a big pay off for all the hard work,” he said Miller Grove becomes just the 10th boys’ program in the state to win three consecutive state titles and the first to do it in Class AAAA. Parker led the Wolverines with 21 points and 16 rebounds, 9 offensive.

Miller Grove (32-1) finished the season right where they started at, the number one team in Class AAAA.

Experience leads to victory Columbia Eagles won its second consecutive Class AAA boys’ state title and its fourth title in school history after beating Butler High School 56-37 at the Macon Centreplex in Macon on March 12.

The Eagles took an early 18-11 lead heading into the second quarter and never looked back. Head coach Phil McCrary said the experience from playing in championship game last year is what help the team pull out a victory.

“Having players that have been there before helps us out a lot,” McCrary said. “They knew what to expect going into the game and they played very well.”

Sophomore guard Tahj Shamsid-Deen led the Eagles in points with 22.

Columbia finish the 2011 season with a 30-3 record and their fourth state title in the past six years, including the 2010 Class AAA title and the 2006 and 2008 Class AAAA titles. Columbia has reached the state title game five of the last six seasons while missing out on the 2009 season with a loss to eventual state champion South Atlanta High School.

The Eagles became the first boys’ or girls’ program from DeKalb Schools to win four state titles.

“We’re very humble with experience,” McCrary said. “We just wanted to maintain the reputation of the previous winning teams.” Columbia is also the fourth boys’ program to win back-to-back state titles joining Druid Hills (1953-54), Dunwoody (2005-06) and Miller Grove (2009-11).

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14

CrossRoadsNews

March 19, 2011

Marketplace Reach More of the People Who Matter Most – Local Customers!

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Reader Notice As a service to you – our valued readers – we offer the following information: This newspaper will never knowingly accept any advertisement that is illegal or considered fraudulent. If you have questions or doubts about any ads on these pages, we advise that before responding or sending money ahead of time, you check with the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Line and/or the Better Business Bureau. They may have records or documented complaints that will serve to caution you about doing business with those advertisers.

Also be advised that some phone numbers published in these ads may require an extra charge. In all cases of questionable value, such as promises or guaranteed income from work-at-home programs, money to loan, etc., if it sounds too good to be true ­– it may in fact be exactly that. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for any negative consequences that occur as a result of you doing business with any advertisers. Thank you.

15

CrossRoadsNews

March 19, 2011

Restaurants / DINING

Marketplace

FINANCIAL

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First Baptist Church is looking for a Minister of Music. Please send resumes to 2394 Gresham Rd., Atlanta, GA 30316

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MARKETPLACE RATES Place your MarketPlace line ad here – up to 20 words for $25. Additional words are $3 per block of five words (maximum 45 words). Boxed Ads (with up to 3 lines bold headline): $35 plus cost of the classified ad. Send ad copy with check or credit card information and contact phone number (if different from ad) to MarketPlace, CrossRoadsNews, 2346 Candler Road, Decatur, GA 30032, or e-mail to marketplace@crossroadsnews.com. Our deadlines are at noon on the Friday one week prior to publication, unless otherwise noted.

Home SErvices

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16

CrossRoadsNews

Malcolm Cunningham Ford

March 19, 2011

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