COMMUNITY
WELLNESS
EXPO
The presence of movie trailers in the parking lot of Arabia Mountain High School netted the school system $3,000 in parking fees. A3
The recent spate of deadly tornados in North Georgia has safety experts encouraging families to be prepared for the worst. A8
Parents and youth can explore multiple options for the summer at CrossRoadsNews’ annual Summer Camp Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest. Section B
Movie presence
Tornado prep encouraged
Summer camp info
EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER
Copyright © 2012 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
March 24, 2012
Volume 17, Number 47
www.crossroadsnews.com
DeKalb voters won’t get say in School Board size By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
DeKalb voters will get a smaller School Board in 2014, but they won’t get to vote in a referendum on the new size of that board. A House motion calling for a nonbinding referendum to set the School Board at seven or nine members was defeated 7-3 during a meeting of the DeKalb delegation on March 20. State Rep. Pam Stephenson expressed frustration with Tuesday’s vote. “It’s the will of the people we are here for,” she said. “But you render the majority of the population silent. You don’t want to hear from the people.” Stephenson said she doesn’t like that she
“If we had the referendum in November 2012, we could come back with a bill before 79 is implemented that says, ‘This is what the people wanted.’ They knew that, and that’s why they didn’t want it.” Rep. Pam Stephenson
is at the Capitol voting on maps that don’t represent the community. She said that the premise for suspending SB79 was that lawmakers would ask the people in a referendum and then act. “When they spoke, we would act,” she said. “But the next thing we heard is that we don’t need it [the referendum]. We are
going to tell the people. I said, ‘That’s not what we said.’ When we act, we should follow through with what we said. Now we are hearing it’s going to be confusing.” Stephenson, who represents House District 92, said that the people in her district are intelligent. “We go to the polls and we know how to answer questions,” she said. “No one here wants to hear the answer – do you want it to stay the same or do you want it go down. If you hear the answer, that may mean that your constituents are on a different lane than
you are.” Senate Bill 79 passed the General Assembly in 2011 as a general legislation with only three of the 19-member DeKalb House Delegation supporting it. It requires that the nine-member DeKalb School Board be reduced to not more than seven members on Jan. 1, 2013, but did not provide for a referendum to remove members who are in the middle of their terms of office. Elected officials cannot be removed from office without a referendum. Delegation members had reached a compromise on Feb. 15 to suspend the bill, which would have removed five board members Please see SCHOOL BOARD, page 5
Outrage Over Florida Teen’s Death Trayvon Martin’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton March, address a rally in New York City’s Union Square on March 21.
DeKalb residents join activists demanding justice By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
More than a dozen South DeKalb residents were rallying in Sanford, Fla., on Thursday demanding the arrest of the man who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The local residents were among three busloads of metro Atlantans who left early Thursday for the nine-hour drive to the city near Orlando. Trayvon Martin They were joining the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network’s call for justice for Martin, who was shot to death on Feb. 26 by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. The youth was walkGeorge Zimmerman ing back to his father’s fiancée’s home from the store when Zimmerman accosted him and shot him. Zimmerman, who is 80 pounds heavier than the teen, claimed self-defense. As of press time late Thursday, police had not arrested him. Martin was black and Zimmerman is white. Only Skittles and an iced tea were found on the youth’s body. Sharpton said this case is as bad as it gets. “When you have an unarmed young man killed for no reason, and they refuse to arrest the assailant, it puts all of us at risk,” he said.
David Shankbone
The 911 tapes released March 16 revealed a 911 operator telling Zimmerman not to follow the youth and the teen’s desperate cry for help before he was shot to death. The DeKalb residents joined thousands attending a rally Thursday night at First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford. Hundreds of buses Mawuli Davis were expected from around the country. Decatur attorney Mawuli “Mel” Davis, who made the trip to Sanford, said Wednesday that he had to go to support the Martin family. “This is not a case for us,” he said late
Wednesday. “But we feel obligated to challenge what they have done. It’s unheard of that the police have not arrested the shooter.” The Atlanta bus trip was organized within two days, and Davis’ Flat Shoals Parkway law office was one of the places that people could purchase tickets. By Wednesday afternoon, more than 10 people had been to the office to pay for the trip, which departed at 6 a.m. on Thursday from First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta. Before the shooting, Zimmerman, 28, had called 911 to say the youth was “suspicious.” Records show he had called 911 perhaps as much as 50 times reporting “suspicious persons” in his neighborhood. Zimmerman is being protected by Flor-
ida’s Stand Your Ground Law that allows a citizen to use deadly force against an attacker if they feel threatened. In his 911 call about Martin, he told the operator: “He got his hand in his waist. … He is a black male.” When the 911 operator asked him if he was following the teen, Zimmerman said yes. “OK, we don’t need you to do that,” the operator told him. Even though Zimmerman replied with an “OK,” he continued to pursue the teen. Sharpton calls Florida’s Stand Your Ground law absurd. “They are saying that someone who is Please see RALLY, page A2
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“We have to stay on this case. This might be the one to jolt this country and us into action.”
Lewis traces ancestry on PBS program U.S. Rep. John Lewis will trace and discover his family’s ancestry on the season premiere of “Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.” on March 25. The show will air on PBS at 9 p.m. Lewis, who has represented Georgia’s 5th District since 1987, will view John Lewis the program with a small group of volunteers at the Park Tavern in Piedmont Park and hold a Facebook chat with Morehouse Col-
March 24, 2012
lege students. He will meet and greet volunteers from 8 to 9 p.m. Born into a sharecropping family outside of Troy, Ala., on Feb. 21, 1940, Lewis experienced the humiliation of segregation in education and public facilities and denial of the right to vote. He committed at an early age to the goal of education for himself and justice for his people. Inspired by the example of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks in the Montgomery bus boycott, he joined the struggle for civil rights. In the 1960s, he led the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was the youngest speaker at the
1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The new 10-part series, “Finding Your Roots,” taps into the basic drive to discover who we are and where we come from. It will air through May 20. It is the 12th series from Gates, who is an Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Park Tavern is at 500 10th St. N.E. in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your -roots.
Scholarship available for hearing impaired Graduating high school seniors who are deaf, hearing impaired, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking have until March 30 to apply for a $500 scholarship from the 2012 Hamilton Relay Scholarship Program. Eligible applicants must complete and submit application, essay, signed talent release form and letter of recommendation. The scholarship program, established in 2010, supports eligible individuals in their post-secondary education. One scholarship is awarded annually in each of the states where Hamilton Relay is the contracted telecommunications relay service provider. Applications are available at www.HamiltonRelay.com. The winner will be announced in May.
Thousands converged on Florida town to push for arrest of gunman RALLY,
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not a law enforcement official can stop and get into an altercation and kill someone and use self-defense as an excuse,” he said. “The young man had no weapon and had the legal right to be where he was. What are we talking about. Then anyone can walk up in the state of Florida and do anything and then say, ‘I felt threatened.’” Martin’s family says that they don’t believe their son would have been killed if it were not for the color of his skin. Davis, who is a partner in the Davis Bozeman Law Firm on Flat Shoals, said we just can’t be silent when an unarmed child is killed. “It just can’t be business as usual,” he said. “We will rally and call for the arrest of Zimmerman, call for justice for Martin, and call for investigation of this Police Department. If it was self-defense, it’s a question for a jury,
not the police.” He was accompanied on the trip by family members of 19-year-old Ariston Walters, who was shot in the back by Union City Police on Dec. 14 last year. Making the trip with Davis, who is the family’s attorney, were Walters’ 10-month-old daughter Ajaleh and her mother Shantaya Holmes and his stepdad Russel Van Dross. At a March 21 rally in New York City’s Union Square, Trayvon Martin’s father, Tracy Martin, and his mother, Sybrina Fulton March, told the crowd of more than 1,000 that their son was a good kid. “We are not going to stop until we get justice for Trayvon,” his father said. “I am here today to make sure justice is served and no other parents have to go through this again.” Through Thursday, more than 1.3 million people had signed an online petition they created calling on Norman Wolfinger,
Florida’s 18th District state’s attorney, to investigate Trayvon’s death and prosecute Zimmerman for shooting and killing him. “Trayvon was our hero,” the parents write at www.change.org/petitions/prosecute-the -killer-of-our-son-17-year-old-trayvon -martin. “At the age 9, Trayvon pulled his father from a burning kitchen, saving his life. He loved sports and horseback riding. At only 17 he had a bright future ahead of him with dreams of attending college and becoming an aviation mechanic. Now that’s all gone.” The parents said that Zimmerman admitted to police that he shot Trayvon in the chest. “Zimmerman, the community’s self-appointed ‘neighborhood watch leader,’ called the police to report a suspicious person when he saw Trayvon, a young black man, walking from the store. But Zimmerman still hasn’t been charged for murdering our son,” they
said. John Evans, president of the DeKalb NAACP, did not make the trip to Sanford, but he said Thursday he personally believes it was a hate crime. “It’s awful,” he said. “We have to stay on this John Evans case. This might be the one to jolt this country and us into action.” Evans recalled the December shooting of Walters in Union City. “We went there when they shot that boy in the back and we dropped it,” he said. “We got on the stump and hollered, and then we went home and slept. We need to stay on this one in Florida because the laws down there are so dumb and directed at black folks. “I am just hoping this will give us a power surge toward direct actions against unjust laws and the system,” he said.
March 24, 2012
Community
“The location, conditions, appearance and odor undermine the public’s interest in adoption, employee morale and volunteer recruitment,” Susan Nugent, Animal Services Taskforce chairwoman, spoke to the BOC about the deplorable conditions they found at the center.
TV trailers nets cash for schools Arabia Mountain High School parents who were inconvenienced by movie trailers in their school’s parking lot, will be happy to know that the DeKalb School System collected $3,000 for parking fees from Bonanza Productions. The movie production company, which was filming Revolution, a pilot about the world ending in 2012, for Warner Brother Entertainment used about a fourth of the school’s parking from March 9 to 22. Some parents complained that the school did not tell them what was going on and that they encountered difficulties finding parking when they dropped off and picked up their kids. But Tanya Smith, a PTSA vice president, said it wasn’t an inconvenience for the students or parents. “The car pool lanes weren’t affected and neither were the bus lanes,” she said. Smith said the production company, which was filming near the school on Browns Mill Road, had cars and pickup trucks in the parking lot before bringing in trailers
and setting up a catering tent on the lot on March 15. School district spokesman Walter Woods said the money will go to the district’s general funds, and not directly to Arabia Mountain High Schools. Arabia principal LaShawn McMillan did not notify the PTA about the situation until March 20 when a reporter began asking questions. McMillian said that in addition to the fees paid, students had the opportunity to tour the set and watch the filming on March 19. “Members of the [school] newspaper staff were also provided with an opportunity to interview members of the production crew,” she said in the email. McMillan also said Warner Brothers agreed to set up a casting call for students and offered paid weekends and summer opportunities for students. “Who knows? You may see a fellow Ram on the Big Screen this fall!” McMillan said in the email.
Greenco abandons application Greenco Environmental has abandoned plans to relocate its composting plant to Lithonia from Barnesville. The company, which faced mounting opposition from residents, informed the DeKalb County Planning Department on March 13 that it is withdrawing its application, which was scheduled to come before the DeKalb Board of Commissioners on March 27. Residents turned out in large numbers at community meetings to oppose the facility, which was seeking a special land use permit to locate on the LaFarge property in Lithonia.
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The facility, which composts food waste, was under the gun to leave Barnesville, where it had a history of generating bad odors. The application was voted down by the Community Council on Feb. 13 and the Planning Commission on March 6. Company lawyer Michele Battle said owners Tim and Melia Lesko decided to withdraw after the vicious attacks they encountered. She said they will shut down operations in Barnesville in the short term.
Animal services to get upgrades By Mary Swint
Construction of a new facility for DeKalb Animal Services will begin in a year, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis said this week. Ellis said he is seeking about $500,000 to fund additional staff and HVAC improvements at the facility on Camp Road. His announcement followed the grim picture painted by the DeKalb Animal Services Task Force in a 42-page report presented to the DeKalb Board of Commissioner on Feb. 24 and in recommendations presented to its committee of the whole on March 20. Ellis said he is also seeking proposals for outsourcing animal control functions in two weeks. The taskforce described the Animal Services Center, which is located on a former landfill site behind the county jail as “dirty, malodorous, wet and dark.” On average DeKalb Animal Services and Enforcement brings about 8,500 animals to the shelter annually, but only 10 percent are adopted, 12 percent are removed by animal
rescue groups, and 8 percent are retrieved by their owners. Between 2008 and 2010, only 30 percent left the shelter alive. More than 5,000 animals are euthanized annually and disposed of in the nearby incinerator. About three percent die from injuries or illness inside the shelter. The taskforce described problems with insects, rats, inadequate electrical supply, poor ventilation, standing water, flooding and inadequate signage. Task Force chairwoman Susan Neugent, who presented the recommendation to commissioner, said its time for action. “The location, conditions, appearance and odor undermine the public’s interest in adoption, employee morale and volunteer recruitment,” she said. The report cited a lack of an articulated vision, allocation of resources and sustainable plan for the center. I t recommended that the county replace the 22,000 square-foot facility, which was built in 1989.
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March 24, 2012
We have to start talking to our children early on about drugs and household products that can kill.
Taking Cinnamon Challenge is stupid, harmful As time goes on, there is always something new for people to discover and try to challenge the effects of a new craze that makes them do crazy things, to get high and make you feel real stupid. If not marijuana, cocaine, energy drinks, synthetic marijuana, consumption of large amounts of liquor, or taking the Cinnamon Challenge. I recently learned about the Cinnamon Challenge from one of my 15-year-old grandsons, who sent me a video on Facebook with him choking, gagging, and spitting up while he was doing the challenge. The challenge is testing your ability to consume a large spoonful of cinnamon in your mouth, hold it for about a minute, and then try to swallow it without the use of water. Trying to devour dry cinnamon
“I recently learned about the Cinnamon Challenge from one of my 15-year-old grandsons, who sent me a video on Facebook with him choking, gagging and spitting up while doing the challenge.” Miriam Knox Robinson
is almost impossible because in order to do that, you need a certain amount of liquid, i.e., saliva, which the mouth cannot produce enough to dissolve the cinnamon, or you need water to wash it down. People challenge each other without the success of either one. As a result, a person can choke to death. It has been reported that teens have been hospitalized, which has led to other medical problems such as pneumonia and collapsed lungs. It is enough that we send our children to school to learn read-
ing, writing and math and other needed skills to survive in life to be successful. However, they choose to do harmful, stupid things often under peer pressure just to fit in school. They do not know they could be doing something to fit in a casket instead. For my grandson to send the video to me of all people was a total surprise. I thought he knew that Grandma was a blabbermouth. That cinnamon obviously went straight to his head and impaired his brains right away. He should have known that I was sending the
information to his parents who will deal with him. We have to start talking to our children early on about drugs and other household products that may not seem harmful but can kill. There are many, many other household items that can be just as harmful and deadly as cinnamon if used improperly – sniffing nail polish, spray paint, etc. Check the Internet for more products. Let’s not forget that the alleged misuse of prescription drugs was the demise of Michael Jackson and other well-known celebrities who choose to misuse drugs, and cinnamon is no different. Let’s not misuse cinnamon wherein a prescription from the chef will be needed in order to legally make my oatmeal cookies. For the video, visit www.cinnamonchallenge.com. Miriam Knox Robinson lives in Decatur.
Doctors urge shift to a whole foods plant-based diet In 2006, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., in his national best-selling book, “The China Study,” published his research findings demonstrating that cancer can be turned off and turned on in laboratory mice by manipulating the amount of animal protein in their diet. Mice fed a diet of 20 percent casein (milk protein) saw significant promotion or growth of cancerous cells. Mice fed a diet of 5 percent casein saw little to no cancerous cell growth. Even more startling was his finding that mice fed a diet of 20 percent gluten (wheat protein) saw no cancerous cell growth. After many experiments, Campbell concluded that excessive animal protein in their diet was highly correlated to the promotion of cancerous cell growth. While these findings about cancer growth in
“After many experiments, Campbell concluded that excessive animal protein in their diet was highly correlated to the promotion of cancerous cell growth.” mice are remarkable, we still have to ask, How does this translate to humans? The results of “The China Study” further showed that human populations in areas of China who consumed high fiber, low fat, low animal protein diets (rural Chinese) had little or no incidences of cancer, whereas those human populations in China consuming low fiber, high fat, high animal protein diets (more “Western style” diets) saw high incidences of cancer. Campbell’s research also revealed that when people migrated
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from a region consuming little or no animal protein to a region that consumed higher amounts of animal protein, their rates of cancer also increased. Campbell’s findings have been corroborated by other researchers as well. In addition to animal protein being linked with increased incidences of cancer, dietary cholesterol, which comes only from animal products (meats, dairy, eggs and fish), is also linked to heart disease and heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes. Because of these obvious con-
nections to disease and death, Campbell and a growing number of medical doctors – Caldwell Esselstyn, John McDougall, Joel Furman, Neal Barnard and a host of others – are recommending a complete shift from an animalbased diet to a whole foods plantbased diet to eliminate our risk for cancers, heart disease, strokes and diabetes. Even better news is that people who have been diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes have seen these conditions reversed and cured when they switched from an animal-based diet to a whole foods plant-based diet. Isn’t it time we stop dying and start living? Isn’t it time to make the switch to a whole foods plantbased diet? The Rev. Byron Merritt is a 23year resident of South DeKalb.
DeKalb voters won’t get say in School Board size A1
Sessions offer preview of microenterprise class A6
Camp Expo has prizes, surprises, and lots more B2
DeKalb voters will get a smaller School Board in 2014, but they won’t get to vote on the new size of that board.
Entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners can attend information sessions for the DeKalb Microenterprise Institute training and technical assistance program.
Parents can meet and chat with more than two dozen camp operators at the 2012 CrossRoadsNews Summer Camp Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest on March 31.
Myers moving to new Wade Walker Park Y A7
‘Life Chef’ touts healthy lunch and snack choices for kids B4
After years at the South DeKalb YMCA, Winston Myers II is moving to Stone Mountain on April 1.
Open a kid’s lunch box, and you’re likely to find a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit and chips.
Give blood, volunteer during Red Cross Month A8
Do your homework before choosing program B10
South DeKalb residents can help people in need by becoming donors, volunteers or trainees during Red Cross Month, which is observed nationally in March.
Summer is a great time for kids to explore the world around them, but many parents have to rely on structured programs to entertain and teach their kids.
Lewis traces ancestry on PBS program A2 U.S. Rep. John Lewis will trace and discover his family’s ancestry on the season premiere of “Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.” on March 25.
Unemployment rate dips to three-year low
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Georgia’s unemployment rate dipped to a three-year low in February. Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said the February seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 9.1 percent.
index to advertisers Circulation Audited By
2012 Summer Camp Expo.......................... A12 AT&T U-verse.............................................A10 Atlanta Gastroenterology..............................A9 BJH Attorneys & Counselors at Law............A10 Chapel Hill Orthodontics...............................A8 Delta Sigma Theta......................................A10 Dish Network...............................................A11 Final Expense Insurance & Planning...........A10 Flat Shoals Foot & Ankle Center...................A9 LaHair Café..................................................A11 Living Healthy DeKalb...................................A5 National Kidney Foundation.........................A8
Pulse Research...........................................A10 Sabrina McKenzie Ministries.........................A7 Smokerise Summer Day Camp.....................A7 South DeKalb YMCA....................................A11 Star Tax Services..........................................A11 Sunset Ranches............................................A11 The Affordable Hair Salon...........................A11 The Davis Bozeman Law Firm, P.C................A6 Top Level Real Estate..................................A11 Wells Fargo...................................................A3 A Kids Affair..................................................B5 AAA Auto Club South..................................B11
Achievers Learning Academy.......................B4 After School Sports Academy.......................B8 Beulah Community Family Life Center.........B11 Big Thinkers Science Exploration..................B5 Bransby Outdoor YMCA..............................B11 Callanwolde Fine Arts Center........................ B7 Camp Jewell House....................................... B7 Chef Tech Academy......................................B6 City of Decatur Active Living....................... B10 Conservatory of Dance & Fine Arts...............B6 Cornerstone Leadership Academy................B9 Dr. Craig B. Williams, DDS............................B4
East Lake YMCA............................................B5 Excellent Montessori School.........................B6 Hope Ministries Inc.......................................B8 La Petite Academy........................................B8 LSG Automotive Group Inc..........................B11 Moja Dance Studio.......................................B5 Smokerise Summer Day Camp..................... B7 Still Waters Youth Sinfo-Nia.......................... B7 Tupac Shakur Center for the Arts..................B6 YMCA Academies of South DeKalb............... B3 Best Buy Co. Inc......................................Inserts Holistic Health Management Inc.............Inserts Walgreens...............................................Inserts
March 24, 2012
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“It looks like Georgia’s businesses are trending toward a comeback. … I hope to see the numbers get even better as the year moves forward.”
Unemployment rate dips to three-year low amid job growth Georgia’s unemployment rate dipped to a three-year low in February. State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said the February seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 9.1 percent. The last time the rate was that low was in March 2009. It was seventh consecutive month of decline in the state’s jobless rate. Mark Butler February’s decline was one-tenth of a percentage point from a revised 9.2 percent in January. A year ago, the jobless rate was 9.9 percent. On Thursday, Butler called the February
number “encouraging.” “We created 15,600 jobs, lots of unemployed Georgians went back to work, and fewer people were laid off,” he said in a March 22 statement. “After back-to-back quarters of declining unemployment and continued job creation, it looks like Georgia’s businesses are trending toward a comeback.” The number of jobs in February increased to 3,880,400, with 70 percent of the February growth coming in the private sector. Also, newly revised numbers show the state gained 41,800 jobs in the past 12 months. The employment sectors showing growth over the year were professional and business services, 28,000; retail trade, 12,700; education and health care, 8,300; and manufacturing, 4,200.
Butler said that manufacturing has always been a staple of Georgia’s economy and it was hit hard during this recession. “Watching employment in the manufacturing field rise is very encouraging,” he said. “At the same time, growth in professional services shows that business owners are feeling confident about adding new people. I hope to see the numbers get even better as the year moves forward.” In February, the number of first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in DeKalb County declined to 3,122, down 1,149 or 26.9 percent, from 4,271 in January. In February 2011, there were 3,541 initial claims, for an over-the-year decline of 419 or 11.8 percent.
Statewide in February, the number of first-time claims for UI benefits declined to the lowest number since June 2008. The number dropped to 46,326, down 31,430, or 40.4 percent, from 77,756 in January. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing, administrative and support services, trade, construction, and accommodations and food services. Initial claims were also down over the year, declining by 9,250, or 16.6 percent, from 55,576 in February of last year. Also, the number of long-term unemployed workers statewide decreased 2,500, to 241,700 from January to February, the fewest number since October 2010. For more information, visit www.dol .state.ga.us.
Lawmakers to draw seven districts in 2013 for implementation in 2014 SCHOOL BOARD,
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from office before their terms end in 2014. At that meeting, lawmakers discussed holding a referendum and implementing the smaller School Board in 2014 instead of this year. Lawmakers will now draw seven DeKalb School Board districts in 2013 for implementation in 2014. Stephenson said some lawmakers fear the voice of the voters. “If we had the referendum in November
2012, we could come back with a bill before 79 is implemented that says, ‘This is what the people wanted,’ ” she said. “They knew that, and that’s why they didn’t want it.” DeKalb House Delegation members have been gridlocked over new school districts they must draw to account for population shifts from the 2010 Census and for the reduction in the School Board, a mandate of SB79. A five-member district map that would have allowed the board members who are in the middle of the terms to finish them failed
to pass in February. office, and with the interpretation DeKalb’s school district, which of the size of the reduction in the is the Georgia’s third-largest, has School Board. nearly 90,000 students and an opAt that meeting, she said a referations budget of $775 million. Its erendum offers a real opportunity nine-member board is larger than for DeKalb citizens to vote. Gwinnett County Schools’, which is “I agree with that by the way,” the state’s largest school district. she said. “I am happy for them Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, to vote on whether they wish to Mary M. Oliver author of SB79, acknowledged at reduce the board from nine to the Feb. 15 meeting that there are problems seven.” with the law, which did not provide for a On Tuesday, she was among those voting referendum to remove elected officials from against it.
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“The objective of the DMI program is to prepare our clients for sustainable success in the global marketplace.”
Information sessions offer preview of microenterprise class Entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners can attend information sessions in Clarkston on March 28 and April 24 for the DeKalb Microenterprise Institute training and technical assistance program. The 6-to-8 p.m. sessions will be at Georgia Piedmont College (formerly DeKalb Tech). Prospective business people must attend an information session to be considered for DMI enrollment. The next DMI class begins on April 10. The DeKalb Microenterprise Institute offers a comprehensive 10-week entrepreneurial training program designed to assist new and existing microenterprise business owners. A microenterprise is a business with five
or fewer employees, one or more of them must be an owner. Microenterprises require $35,000 or less in startup capital and have annual sales of less than $100,000. Roderick Wallace, Roderick Wallace DMI’s program director, said more than 400 entrepreneurs have graduated from the institute since its inception in 2004. Wallace said he is looking for students focused on learning the keys to business success. “The objective of the DMI program is to
Summit connects entrepreneurs Young entrepreneurs can learn about SBA resources and connect with other young business owners at a free summit on March 27 at the Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center in Atlanta. Scoutmob co-founder Michael Tavani is keynote speaker for the Small Business Administration summit, which begins at 9:30 a.m., and V-103’s Frank Ski is moderator. A Panel of Young Entrepreneurs features Kenneth Canty, president and CEO of Freeland Construction Co.; Alok Deshpande, founder and president of SmartPath; Corie Fowler, president and CEO of American Technologies; Maria Mar Hill, senior business adviser, Minority Business Development Agency Business Center-Atlanta/Georgia Tech; and Caroline Van Sickle, CEO of Pretty in My Pocket – PRIMP. A Young Entrepreneur Summit connects
successful entrepreneurs with would-be business owners and highlights small business resources and programs. It is sponsored by SBA Region IV Administrator Cassius Butts, Georgia Tech, and its MBDA Business Center-Atlanta. The Young Entrepreneurs Council says that more than half of 16- to 39-year-olds do not feel they have sufficient resources to start a business; 24 percent reported not having enough government or financial support. With youth unemployment twice the national average in many areas, particularly among veterans, the SBA is promoting efforts of young people looking to create jobs for themselves and others. The conference center is at 250 14th St. N.W. For more information, contact Lola Kress at lola.kress@sba.gov or 404331-2798.
prepare our clients for sustainable success in the global marketplace,” he said. DMI graduate Terri Waller of the Benson Mills Group said there was a marked turnaround in her food safety project management firm after she completed the course. “In class I learned to understand the financial viability of my business and the ability to project accurate financial forecasts on a weekly and monthly basis,” Waller said. “What made the class so effective for me is the speakers were not necessarily college professors but were in business or working with people in business.” She highly recommends DMI to anyone starting or thinking about starting a business. For her, the class forever changed her mind-
set about being an entrepreneur. “I hope someone will read this and take the class and save themselves the pain of spending years under-pricing or missing some other necessary link to being successful or without learning to think like an entrepreneur,” Waller said. Cost for the program is based on a sliding scale, and there is a limited number of scholarships. The information sessions and DMI classes will be held at Georgia Piedmont College in Building A, Room 112, at 495 N. Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston. For more information or to register, contact Roderick Wallace at rodw-dmi@debco .org or 678-904-3465.
‘More Help for Homeowners’ Struggling homeowners can learn about foreclosure prevention at a counseling session on March 24 at Greenforest Community Baptist Church in Decatur. The Green Forest H.O.M.E. Program, a HUD-approved housing counseling group, is holding “More Help for Homeowners” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Counselors will provide information about the Independent Foreclosure Review
and help owners understand the process. Green Forest Community Development Corp. launched the “Call DeKalb H.O.M.E.” homebuyer education program in 1998 that provides Freddie Mac-approved homeownership counseling at venues in metro Atlanta and South DeKalb. Greenforest Community Baptist is at 3250 Rainbow Drive. For more information, visit www.gfcdc.org.
Noted coach to share best practices and “live” demonstration. Business coach Jerry Stein He brings more than 30 years will offer a new perspective on of experience to every coaching personal networking and business session and has a master’s degree promotion on March 29 at a onein counseling psychology from of-a-kind event at Georgia State GSU and a bachelor’s in business University’s Brookhaven Center. from the University of Alabama. The GSU Alumni Association He has coached more than 10,000 is host for “Networking Secrets of clients from CEOs to entry-level Successful Executives” from 6 to college grads and is co-author of the 8:30 p.m. The event is designed Jerry Stein for professionals, entrepreneurs and execu- motivational book “Mission Possible” with tives and is open to the public. It is free for Stephen Covey and Brian Tracey. He is founder of the CEO Roundtable for Alumni Association members and $10 for the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. nonmembers. The GSU Brookhaven Center is at 4362 Stein, an executive coach and CEO of Jerry Stein Mastermind Groups and the Execu- Peachtree Road in Atlanta. For more intive Roundtable, will share best practices on formation, visit http://theexecutiveroundpersonal, professional, and business growth table.com or contact Jerry Stein at jerry@ and development at the interactive, engaging jerrystein.com or 404-599-7961.
March 24, 2012
Scene
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CrossRoadsNews
The university has a famous multi-millennial time capsule, the Crypt of Civilization, sealed in 1940 and not to be opened until 8113.
Myers moving to new Wade Walker Park Y After years at the South DeKalb YMCA, Winston Myers II is moving to Stone Mountain on April 1. Myers was named executive director of the new Wade Walker Park Family YMCA, which is under construction in Stone Mountain. The 57,000-squarefoot Wade Walker Park YMCA is set to open late this summer. Myers joined the metropolitan YMCA in 1997, Winston Myers II working first with the Covington Family YMCA as the senior program director, where he supported the construction of the new Y, hired and trained all new staff members, developed community relationships, and was responsible for all program operations. He moved to the South DeKalb YMCA in 2000, first serving as the associate executive director, then promoted to executive director in 2008. Myers began his career with the YMCA of South Hampton Roads and worked at four different YMCAs in Norfolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth in Virginia, where he served as a program director in child care, summer camp, youth sports, and wellness. Myers said the Wade Walker Park YMCA will “positively impact” local residents in many ways. “This new Y is an exciting, healthy living collaboration with DeKalb County and will provide many options for families and indi-
The new 57,000-squarefoot Wade Walker Park Family Y is set to open late this summer. Residents in certain ZIP codes will be exempt from paying joining fees.
viduals to get more active and connect with their community,” he said. The Wade Walker Park Family Y will offer health and wellness classes; the Coach Approach, an exercise support process for new or returning exercisers; classes for active older adults; programs to help prevent childhood obesity; and the Y’s diabetes prevention program. Youth development programs like summer day camp, after-school child care, swim lessons, and Leaders Club for teens will be offered, along with opportunities for community engagement and volunteerism.
The Wade Walker Y will include a wellness center, gymnasium, indoor and outdoor pools, outdoor recreation space, and sports fields. An on-site membership office will open in May, and this summer more than 200 local residents will be hired for various positions. Through the partnership with DeKalb County, residents in the 30058, 30083, 30087, and 30088 ZIP codes will be exempt from paying joining fees. For more information, call 404-5889622 or visit www.ymcaatlanta.org.
Bluegrass music, art at village fest Music, food, games and fun will be aplenty at the March 31 Blue Grassroots Music and Art Festival in historic Stone Mountain Village. The free family event takes place 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature seven live bluegrass and old-time bands, including the Peachtree Rattlers; a band competition at ARTStation; contra dancing; and an Arts Festival featuring handmade and homegrown arts and crafts from local and regional artists and vendors. There is also a special and wellsupervised kids area. There will be tours of Stone Mountain’s new City Hall and information about the history of the village. Author George Colletti will have copies of his best seller, “The Granite Sentinel,” the history of Stone Mountain, for sale with his signature. Stone Mountain Village is outside the west gate to Stone Mountain Park. For more information, e-mail jbs5951@aol.com.
Activist to share escape from Tibet Tour explores Oglethorpe’s history Author and activist Yangzom Brauen will discuss and sign copies of her book, “Across Many Mountains: A Tibetan Family’s Epic Journey From Oppression to Freedom,” on March 27 at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. At the 7 p.m. event, Brauen will talk about her family’s journey as told in the book. “Across Many Mountains” tells the story of three generations of Tibetan women whose lives are forever changed when Chairman Mao’s Red Army crushes Tibetan independence, sending a young mother and her 6-year-old daughter on a treacherous journey across the snowy Himalayas toward freedom. Born in 1980 to a Swiss father and Tibetan mother, Brauen is also an actress, model, and political activist. She lives in both Los Angeles and Berlin and has appeared in a number of German and American films. She is very active in the Free Tibet movement, making regular radio broadcasts and organizing public demonstrations against the Chinese occupation. The talk and book signing event is free and will be held in the Carter Museum theater. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 404-865-7109.
Dr. Paul Hudson, an Oglethorpe University alumnus, will give a behind-the-scenes tour of the university on March 31. Oglethorpe University, chartered near Milledgeville, in 1835 as a Presbyterian college, perished during the Civil War. In 1916, Dr. Thornwell Jacobs reopened the school at its present landmark location on Peachtree Road in Atlanta. Its distinctive Collegiate Gothic architecture was designed by the noted Atlanta firm of Morgan & Dillon, with associate Walter T. Downing. The Georgia granite buildings, trimmed with Indiana limestone and topped with Vermont slate roofs, are what Jacobs called Oglethorpe’s “Silent Faculty” and are on the National Register of Historic Places. Jacobs intended for the campus to be a “living memorial” to James Edward Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, and the
architecture was inspired by his alma mater, Corpus Christi College Oxford. The university has the most famous multi-millennial time capsule in the world, the Crypt of Civilization, sealed in 1940 and not to be opened until A.D. 8113. Hudson is also a columnist for Hometown News, a faculty member at Georgia Perimeter College and Oglethorpe University, and a member of the DeKalb History Center. The one-hour tour, which starts at 10 a.m., is $5 for nonmembers and is free for members of the DeKalb History Center. Tour participants will meet at the base of the Lupton Bell Tower on the campus, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. in Atlanta. To make reservations, contact Leslie Borger at 404-373-1088, Ext. 20, or borger@dekalb history.org.
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CrossRoadsNews
Wellness
March 24, 2012
“We cannot undo the tragic events of this spring or last year, but we can change future outcomes for the better.”
Give blood, take a class, volunteer during Red Cross Month South DeKalb residents can help people in need by becoming donors, volunteers or trainees during Red Cross Month, which is observed nationally in March. Randy Edwards, CEO of the American Red Cross Southern Blood Services Region, said everyone can support the lifesaving services that the Red Cross provides. “Please remember those who need our help and support the Red Cross by making a donation, becoming a volunteer, taking a class, or giving blood,” Edwards said in a March 21 statement. President Franklin D. Roosevelt first proclaimed March as Red Cross Month in 1943. Since then, every commander in chief, including President Barack Obama, has made the annual designation. The American Red Cross has been helping people for more than 130 years. It shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The nonprofit depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. Giving blood is a simple and priceless way to help members of the community. Hospitals in the Southern Blood Services Region use more blood than is collected. More than 1,200 donations are needed each weekday to meet the needs of patients in these hospitals. While 38 percent of the population is eligible to give blood, only a fraction of those eligible actually donate. The blood donation process only takes about one hour of
The Red Cross depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. Donating blood is a simple way to give back to the community.
time to help save as many as three lives. Blood can be donated every 56 days, and platelets can be donated every two weeks, up to 24 times per year. People ages 17 and older – 16 with parental consent – weighing at least 110 pounds are eligible to donate both blood and platelets. Donors who are 18 and younger must
meet additional height and weight requirements. Upcoming drives include March 29 from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the East Metro Service Center, 3486 Covington Highway in Decatur. To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Web resources available to help prepare for storm, rebuild after disaster In the wake of the recent deadly tornadoes in North Georgia and the Southeast, safety experts are encouraging families to be prepared. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety says that this is an emotionally charged time for the nation while entire communities in several states face lengthy recoveries from losses. Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO, said their hearts go out to all those who lost family, friends, colleagues and neighbors as a result of the catastrophic storms. “As attention turns to recovery, IBHS offers useful repair and rebuilding guidance at www.DisasterSafety.org,” she said. The Web site offers resources on how to prepare before a storm and how to rebuild after a catastrophe. Last year, more than 1,600 tornadoes were recorded in the United States, resulting in the deaths of 550 people, said the institute, which is the insurance industry’s scientific research and communications organization. It works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other
In 2011, more than 1,600 tornadoes were recorded in the United States, resulting in the deaths of 550 people, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety says.
risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating for improved construction, maintenance and preparedness practices. The Insurance Information Institute
ranks the spring 2011 tornado season as the fourth-costliest disaster for insured losses in U.S. history. “We cannot undo the tragic events of this spring or last year, but we can change future
outcomes for the better by taking steps now to reduce losses and the level of catastrophic damage wrought by windstorms,” Rochman said. IBHS engineers say that only a few specialty buildings are designed to withstand the direct impact of a severe tornado in the EF-4/EF-5 range, which accounts for about 2 percent of all tornadoes. Rochman said that at some point, even the best engineering can be overwhelmed by natural forces. She said homes and commercial buildings that have been strengthened in critical ways definitely can increase the likelihood that at least part of the structure will remain standing to provide some shelter and protection for people in harm’s way. “We can – and should – work to significantly narrow the path of losses when it comes to tornadoes. For example, by getting the roofs right, we could narrow the damage path from the broadest point, where we see relatively low wind speeds blowing off roof cover, blowing out gable ends, or where sections of roof are sheared off.”
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March 24, 2012
Wellness
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CrossRoadsNews
“With the explosion of runners and walkers at local area parks and trails, we’d be crazy not to offer this to the community.”
South DeKalb Striders clinic preps runners for 5K for Hope Runners and walkers who want to complete a faster 5K can attend a running clinic beginning March 24 offered by the South DeKalb Striders. The running club, which has held its annual 5K for Hope road race in August for the past 18 years, raises funds for Our House. The clinic, which prepares runners for the 5K, will take place twice a week – on Saturdays at 9 a.m. and on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Deanine Halliman, the group’s race coordinator for the past five years, said the club realized it’s time to bring the clinic back. “With the explosion of runners and walkers at local area parks and trails, we’d be crazy not to offer this to the community,” Halliman said. “Who doesn’t need a little guidance and motivation when it comes to exercising?” Halliman said the clinic is free for runners who register for the Aug. 25 5K for Hope. Registration for the race is $25 per person with early bird discounts through Aug. 4. The race is a fund-raiser for Our House, which provides services to homeless families with children 6 weeks to 5 years old. The nonprofit serves more than 150 children each year. Over the past six years, it has provided child care for about 1,350 kids and found work for more than 940 parents. Through Aug. 4, registration for the 5K at www.active.com is $22 with T-shirt and $17 without one. After that, it increases to $25 and $20, respectively. Runners who don’t want to race but want to do the clinic can donate $25 or more to Our House. Race day check-in and registration begin at 6:30 a.m. The event starts with a 1-mile fun run at 7:30, and the 5K starting gun goes
Walkers as well as runners can get in shape through the South DeKalb Striders clinic for the Aug. 25 5K for Hope race benefiting Our House.
off at 8 a.m. The 3.1-mile, tree-lined route through Decatur begins and ends at Georgia Perimeter College, Decatur campus (intersection of Panthersville and Clifton Springs roads). Strollers are welcome, and peaceful, leashed dogs also can join in the fun. Halliman said there will be a training plan for adults who are not currently exercising and for those who want to go from
walking to running. “We’ll even work with those who want to do speed work. Everyone is welcome.” Clinic registration also is available onsite. For more information, contact 5kfor-
hope@gmail.com or call 678-310-8101. For more information on the 5K, visit www.southdekalbstriders.org or contact Deanine Halliman at 678-310-8101 or Wanda Truesdale at 404-733-0370.
Survival Conference vets life issues able. There will be a nursery for Families and individuals of small children and fun and games all ages and races can learn about for children of all ages. many life issues at the fourth anBishop Miles E. Fowler, pastor nual Survival Conference of the of Big Miller Grove and founder of Refuge Fellowship of Churches on the Refuge Fellowship of Churches, March 29-31 at Big Miller Grove is sponsoring the conference for his Baptist Church in Lithonia. church’s large congregation and for Subjects to be addressed include the community at large. bullying, illiteracy, entertainment Miles E. Fowler Fowler started the Refuge Felfor youths 12 and under, healthy teeth, dental fears, surviving stormy mar- lowship about 10 years ago and is a bishop/ riages, The Law of Purity and Possession, overseer over more than 20 churches. Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist money management, surviving unemployChurch is at 3800 Big Miller Grove Way. For ment, and resume writing. There will be different vendors in place more information and a schedule of events, each day and a Health Fair on March 31 visit www.bigmillergrove.org and click on where free health screenings will be avail- Special Events.
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Stop Diabetes Expo offering screenings Free health screenings will be available at the March 31 Stop Diabetes Expo at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. The American Kidney Fund is providing the diabetes and high blood pressure screenings at the expo, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Screenings are open to anyone 18 and older. Available tests will include glucose and kidney function. Kidney disease damages the health of as many as 31 million Americans, and diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney disease. Cobb Galleria is at Two Galleria Parkway in Atlanta. For more information, contact Melody Feldman at 240-292-7055. For more information on kidney disease, visit KidneyFund.org.
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Exhibitors: A Kids Affair AAA Auto Club Achievers Learning Academy After School Sports Academy Bransby Outdoor YMCA Big Thinkers Science Exploration Beulah Community Life Center Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Camp Butterfly Bella Camp Jewell House Chef Tech Academy City of Decatur Active Living Conservatory of Dance Cornerstone Leadership Academy Craig B. Williams, Orthondontist East Lake Family YMCA Excellent Montessori School First Afrikan Ubuntu Koffee H.O.P.E. Ministries Inc. Kilombo Academic & Cultural Institute La Petite Academy LSG Automotive Group Moja Dance Studio, LLC Sevananda Natural Foods Market Ship Academy The Academy of Scholars Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts YMCA Academies of South DeKalb
Summer Camp Expo – March 31, 2012 March 24, 2012
www.crossroadsnews.com
Get Ready For Summer
Information, Performances, Fashion Show, Prizes Don’t miss the fun on March 31 at the Mall at Stonecrest Lower Level, Noon to 5 p.m.
Section B
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CrossRoadsNews
Summer Camp “East Metro Atlanta’s Weekly Newspaper”
March 24, 2012
More than 28 exhibitors will be on the mall’s lower level between noon and 5 p.m. on March 31.
Camp Expo has prizes, surprises, and lots more A father registers his kids for a Summer Camp at the YMCA at 2011 Summer Camp Expo. The YMCA and two dozen other camps will be at the 2012 expo on March 31 at the Mall at Stonecrest.
2346 Candler Road Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com
The 2012 Summer Camp Expo Special Section is a publication of CrossRoadsNews Inc., East Metro Atlanta’s award-winning weekly newspaper. Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Graphics Editor Curtis Parker Reporters Jennifer Ffrench Parker Donna Lewis © 2012 CrossRoadsNews, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without written permission of the publisher.
Circulation Audit by
Audit Report available by request. For information, call 404-284-1888.
Parents can meet and chat with more than two dozen camp operators at the 2012 CrossRoadsNews Summer Camp Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest on March 31. The expo, which is in its ninth year at the mall, is chockful of information and resources to help kids have a great summer when
school lets out for the two-month break on May 24. More than 28 exhibitors, who operate church, dance, chef, science, outdoor, lacrosse, fencing and other camps will be on the mall’s lower level between Dillard’s and Kohl’s for the noon to 5 p.m. They will share information
about the programs they have planned and will answer all the questions that parents have. Some will even entice savvy parents with early-bird registrations. Talented kids will sing, dance and model from the Main Stage in front of Sears, and the Shock, The Electric Company will be on stage
at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and will greet fans in between. The Easter Bunny will arrive and be ready to take photos with kids. But best of all, families who visit at least 15 exhibitors can enter to win a $250 gift card from the Mall at Stonecrest, or an iPad2 from CrossRoadsNews.
Visit at least 15 of these exhibitors* at the Mall at Stonecrest, have them validate your entry form and enter to win a or a $250 Gift Card from the Mall at Stonecrest or an iPad2 from CrossRoadsNews.
5 A Kids Affair 5 AAA Auto Club 5 Achievers Learning Academy 5 After School Sports Academy 5 Bransby Outdoor YMCA 5 Big Thinkers Science Exploration 5 Beulah Community Life Center 5 Callanwolde Fine Arts Center 5 Camp Butterfly Bella 5 Camp Jewell House
5 Chef Tech Academy 5 City of Decatur Active Living 5 Conservatory of Dance 5 Cornerstone Leadership Academy 5 CrossRoadsNews 5 Craig B. Williams, Orthondontist 5 East Lake Family YMCA 5 Excellent Montessori School 5 First Afrikan Ubuntu Koffee 5 H.O.P.E. Ministries Inc.
5 Kilombo Academic & Cultural Institute 5 La Petite Academy 5 LSG Automotive Group 5 Moja Dance Studio, LLC 5 Sevananda Natural Foods Market 5 Ship Academy 5 The Academy of Scholars 5 Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts 5 YMCA Academies of South DeKalb
Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________ City ______________________ ZIP code _______________ Email Address ________________________________________________________________________________________ Home phone __________________________________________ Cell phone _____________________________________ *Eligible door prize entries must have exhibitors’ validation code on them. Full name, address and telephone number(s) required to win. An entry entitles you to receive regular news updates and other information from CrossRoadsNews. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Employees and immediate family members of CrossRoadsNews and the Mall at Stonecrest are excluded from winning. Must be present to win.
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2012 Summer Camp Expo Program Highlights March 31, 2012 - Noon to 5 p.m. Main Stage in front of Sears • Lower Level, The Mall at Stonecrest Noon
Expo kicks off with Fitness Motivator & Emcee Rae Rae Clark
12:15
Moja Dance Studio
12:30
Life Chef Asata Reid
1 p.m.
Sihle Dancers, First Afrikan Church
3 p.m.
Jabias the Kid
3:30 p.m.
Conservatory of Dance
4 p.m.
Shock , The Electric Company
Fashion Show
2 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
Shock, The Electric Company
4:30 p.m. Academy of The Arts
5 p.m.
Expo ends
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CrossRoadsNews
March 24, 2012
“Kids are not going to eat raw squash, but if you shred it into a wrap, they have no idea it’s there.”
‘Life Chef ’ touts healthy lunch and snack choices for kids By Donna Williams Lewis
Open a kid’s lunch box, and you’re likely to find a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit and chips. Sounds good, but “Life Chef ” Asata Reid reminds parents that kids at some point will get tired of even foods they like. “Eventually kids get bored and won’t eat it,” she said. The East Lake resident will talk about healthy snacks and lunches and demonstrate some easy recipes for kids at 12:30 p.m. at the CrossRoadsNews 2012 Summer Camp Expo on March 31 at the Mall at Stonecrest. Reid takes the Main Stage in front of Sears to offer advice to parents packing lunches for summer camp, to summer camp directors, and to older children who will be preparing lunch for themselves. At the top of her suggestion list: the wrap sandwich. “Kids are not going to eat raw squash, but if you shred it into a wrap, they have no idea it’s there,” Reid said. Wrap sandwiches are also useful for using up leftovers, she said. Older kids can make them, they can be made in advance, and they travel well, she added. “They’re sort of a more convenient, more cool way to eat a sandwich,” Reid said. When it comes to snacks, parents should avoid foods with artificial colors, sweeteners and flavorings and opt instead for natural, organic foods and foods made from whole grains, Reid said. “There are better choices you can make without cramping your kids’ style,” she said. “Instead of Doritos, you might give them tomato-basil sun chips. Instead of gummy
healthful. Gummy Bunnies are sold at the Sevananda Natural Foods Market, a food co-op in Little Five Points at 467 Moreland Ave. Sevananda is sponsoring Reid’s food demonstration at the expo and also will be an exhibitor during the noon-to-5 p.m. event. Reid, who is a member of the co-op, demonstrates dishes and shares her knowledge in noon classes at Sevananda on second Saturdays monthly, except in August. The class costs $10 for Sevananda members and $12 for visitors. Teaching people to cook is Reid’s passion. She conducts demonstrations at churches and community organizations and does onehour lunch-and-learn sessions at a number of Atlanta companies. Reid goes by the moniker “Life Chef ” because she teaches people to have healthy relationships with food and to let food fit their lifestyles. She has been a chef at the Dish Restaurant, the Food Studio and Nikolai’s Roof, and the vegan restaurant Lush. She also has catered through Bold American Catering and has worked as a private chef with an upscale staffing company for private estates in Atlanta. Reid currently teaches at the Viking Cooking School in Buckhead. Reid also works with families who want to eat better and people with health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cancers and obesity.
Follow the Life Chef Chef Asata Reid can be found on Facebook and Twitter. You also can reach her at 404-95D’LISH (404-953-5474). For classes bears, they could have Gummy Bunnies, an Reid says you can totally indulge your kid and recipes visit www.lifechef.net; for vidall-natural product made from fruit juice.” with snacks and treats and still have them be eos: www.youtube.com/chefasata.
Chef Asata Reid says wraps are a “more convenient, more cool way to eat a sandwich.” They can include shredded raw veggies and leftovers and can be made in advance.
Beautiful Smiles for Children, Teens & Adults
Celebra 20 Yea ting r s in th e Commu nity
www.drcraigwilliamsortho.com
Summer Camp
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March 24, 2012
The show is about a group of friends from a New York neighborhood bound by a love for language and sworn to do the right thing.
Rapper Shock from ‘Electric Company’ to perform, greet fans Shock, the beat-boxing rapper from the hit PBS KIDS TV show “The Electric Company,” will appear live at CrossRoadsNews’ Summer Camp Expo on March 31 at the Mall at Stonecrest. Shock, aka Chris Sullivan, is scheduled to perform at 2 and 4 p.m. on the Main Stage in front of Sears on the Lithonia mall’s lower level. He will greet fans after his performances. Shock plays a short-order cook at the Electric Diner in this totally updated version of the original 1971 “Electric Company” series. Shock uses his rhythms and rhymes to teach kids easy stuff, like the meaning of “he, she and we,” as well as some tougher stuff, like the difference between a hard C and a soft C. “The Electric Company,” an Emmy Award-winning series, runs on PBS Kids Go! and airs locally on Georgia Public Television. The show is about a group of friends from a mixed and vibrant New York neighborhood bound by a love for language and sworn to do the right thing. They meet at the Electric Diner, where they solve problems created by a group of neighborhood pranksters who like to play with words. The show includes “educational commercial breaks” that use music videos and comic sketches to teach phonics and reading. “The Electric Company” is one of the top PBS KIDS shows weekdays among children ages 6 to 8. The show’s Web site, PBSKIDSGO.org /electriccompany, has had nearly 16 million site visits and nearly 45 million “Electric
Shock, aka Chris Sullivan (shown with actress-comedian Whoopi Goldberg and another cast member), plays a short-order cook at the Electric Diner in an updated version of the 1971 “Electric Company” series. The show has retained its focus on literacy and math.
Company” video clips played since its launch in January 2009. Produced by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind “Sesame Street,” the half-hour show was rebirthed in 2009 and runs daily. It has retained its focus on literacy and
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math, with new characters and animations and narrative story lines. “The Electric Company” is part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a national literacy initiative. The initiative uses public media to improve the reading skills of children ages 2 to
8, with an emphasis on children from lowincome families. The show is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and a Ready to Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, part of a cooperative agreement with CPB and the Public Broadcasting Service.
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March 24, 2012
“I get enjoyment from seeing the smiles on their faces. They are just so proud when they dance. Just feeling the energy … is wonderful.”
Dancing in church and community, a ministry for Sihle By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
These children just wanted to dance. Whenever Tamba Issa, First Afrikan Presbyterian Church’s dance ministry team, was dancing during Sunday praise and worship service, the girls would mimic the moves from their place in the pews. And at every opportunity they had, they would tell the adult dancers they wanted to dance with them. Angela Wiggins, a nine-year First Afrikan member and Tamba Issa dancer, said they were too young to dance with the adult team. But four years ago, Tiffany Pennick, a member of the dance ministry, listened. She began teaching the girls how to witness to God in dance. She named the mini-dance team Sihle [pronounced see-lay], which means “beautiful” in the South African language Xhosa. And when the pint-size dancers began witnessing during praise and worship services on Youth Sundays, held every third and fifth Sunday monthly, the congregation couldn’t wipe the smile from their faces. Wiggins has been leading Sihle for two years and says it’s a joy to train the team of 12 girls who are 3 to 11 years old. “I get enjoyment from seeing the smiles on their faces,” she said. “They are just so proud when they dance. Just feeling the energy from them is wonderful.” Wiggins, who is an IT specialist with a travel industry company, says she rehearses with the girls once a week on Thursday and the young dancers catch on quickly to new moves. She says Tamba Issa and Sihle don’t consider themselves performers. “We are a ministry first,” she said. “We dance to usher in the spirit and prepare the
Chef Tech Academy is a professional and fun introduction to the culinary arts. Campers learn about food safety, kitchen skills, nutrition, and food science while working with trained chefs and participating in team competitions. Chef Campers take field trips to local culinary arts schools, working farms, and food distribution sites, learning about sustainable farming, community gardens, and organic farming. Daily learning involves a math, science, and technology curriculum that identifies the importance of these core learning skills and their direct relationship to food and nutrition, as well as practical applications in the kitchen. Chef Tech Campers are involved in daily physical activity to promote a healthy understanding of physical and nutritional health.
Sihle will minister through dance at the camp expo. The team is trained by Angela Wiggins, a member of Tamba Issa, First Afrikan Presbyterian’s dance ministry.
congregation for worship. We are responsible to the congregation’s upliftment and to bring joy to the service.” In addition to ministering at the Lithonia church, Sihle also performs at community events. Last October, the troupe performed at the send-off of 5,000 dresses that were sewn by metro Atlantans, including members of First Afrikan, for girls in Haiti. Some of their members also performed March 4 in Selma, Ala., for thousands of marchers who re-enacted the Bloody Sunday
Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4:
March over the Edmund Pettus Bridge for voter rights in March 1965. Wiggins said there are plans this year to take Sihle to visit a family shelter and perform for homeless children and play with them. “We want them to see children who might not be as fortunate as they are,” she said. On March 31, Sihle will show their moves at the CrossRoadsNews 2012 Summer Camp Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest. The young dancers will be on the Main Stage in front of Sears at 2:30 p.m. They will
be accompanied by Ngima Lungunda, the church’s African drummers. Because Sihle is a liturgical dance troupe, Wiggins says the kids’ parents have to come to church. “They don’t necessarily have to be members of the church, but they must be regular visitors,” he said. “We minister at church services so it makes sense that you are coming to church.” For more information about Sihle, contact Angela Wiggins at acmwiggins@yahoo .com.
June 4 - 8 June 11 - 15 June 18 -22 June 25 - 29
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June 4-June 30 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Class Sessions 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Located on the beautiful campus of Emory University, we offer an outstanding environment for learning. The program has access to the Emory University Student Activity and Academic Center (www.saac.emory.edu). Students also have access to the George W. Woodruff Physical Education Center and acres of green space for outdoor activities.
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Conservatory of Dance & Fine Arts • 2520 Park Central Blvd., Suite D-1 • Decatur, GA 30035 • (770) 593-4600
Summer Camp
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March 24, 2012
“He had fans calling in crying, saying they love him. They say he’s like the next [teen boy band] Mindless Behavior.”
Tween heartthrob brings impressive skill set to expo stage By Donna Williams Lewis
When 8-year-old Jabias “Da Kidd” Mitchell wakes up on Saturday mornings, he’s got one question for his mom. “Mommy, where am I performing today?” If he’s not scheduled that day to film for a TV show, a movie or commercial or to sing, rap and dance somewhere, he’s still not to be outdone. He’ll ask, “Well, can I go model somewhere?” Jabias, a home-schooled Mableton thirdgrader, is living large and loving it. He already has appeared in movies featuring the likes of Bill Murray and Cissy Spacek. He has just filmed a commercial for Lamborghini. He’s got a song for sale on cdbaby.com. And on March 31, Jabias will perform at the CrossRoadsNews 2012 Summer Camp Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest. He will be onstage at 3 p.m. on the Main Stage in front of Sears on the mall’s lower level. Making his third appearance at a CrossRoadsNews expo — his first was at age 6 — Jabias will perform his songs “Stop the Bullying” and “So So Clean.” Warning: Preteen girls, hold onto your hearts. Elretha Mitchell, Jabias’ “momager” (that’s mom plus manager), said her son created quite a stir after he sang and rapped and talked to fans recently on the “Hot Seat Takeover Show” on local 1420 AM radio. “He had fans calling in crying, saying they love him,” Mitchell said. “They say he’s like the next [teen boy band] Mindless Behavior.” Asked how he felt about making girls cry, Jabias sounded just like an 8-year-old boy. “I don’t understand why they were doing
Jabias “Da Kidd” Mitchell will perform “Stop the Bullying” and “So So Clean” on March 31 at Stonecrest. He’s making his third appearance at a CrossRoadsNews expo.
that,” he said, wonder in his voice. “They say they love me.” His mom said Jabias is “really, really cool” about his fans. “That’s what everybody loves about him,” she said. “He looks at [his career] as just fun right now. He doesn’t even realize the fan base he actually gets.”
SMOKERISE SUMMER DAY CAMP Camp Available 7 am - 6:30 pm • Ages 6 to 12 Activities are carefully selected, age-appropriate, constantly supervised, and completely enjoyable. Three field trips a week, swimming, crafts, recreation, CRCT studies, daily chapel and “Faith Weaver” lessons, 1-to-6 ratio and an amazing staff join in a nondenominational Christian setting for an active and challenging summer.
TEEN CAMP FOR AGES 13-16
Jabias just lives to perform, whether it’s in front of a film crew on a movie set or at Chapel Hill Elementary School, where he appeared a couple of weeks ago to pump kids up for their standardized tests with his song “Ace That.” “I love what I do and my fans help me
perform,” Jabias said, adding that he likes to rap more than anything else he does “because I perform great and I love to show my fans respect and help them follow their dreams.” Jabias’ performance career began in 2005 when his mother entered him in The Great American Model & Talent Search at the Civic Center in Atlanta. From the group of 3,000 contestants, Jabias emerged among the 260 who were selected to fly to Pittsburgh for a final selection. He made it among the 37 in the final group and was signed on the spot with Babes N Beaus Atlanta Model/Talent Agency. When he was 3, his mother enrolled him in acting classes at John Roberts Powers in Atlanta. Since then, Jabias has appeared in stage plays, commercials and movies including “The Blind Side,” for which Sandra Bullock won the Best Actress Oscar; “Stomp the Yard II”; “Lottery Ticket,” starring Bow Wow and Ice Cube; and “Get Low,” featuring Robert Duvall, Bill Murray and Cissy Spacek. He was also in Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” and a reality television show called “The Next Child Superstar.” In recent weeks, he’s appeared in two sitcoms on BET — “Read Between the Lines” with Malcolm Warner and “Let’s Stay Together,” in which he plays Jeffrey, the grandson of a woman who has a recurring role. At age 4, he began rapping. He has opened for R&B singer Mario. His single, “So So Clean,” is available at cdbaby.com/ jabiasdakidd2. Jabias also has shown off some of his dance moves in music videos featuring Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy and Lil’ Chuckee. He has more than 300 videos, including the Lamborghini commercial, at www.you tube.com/jabiasmitchell.
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Located in Stone Mountain www.smokeriseministries.org
Kids Love Callanwolde’s Summer Camps! Visual Arts • Dance • Pottery Drama • Jewelry • Photography Kindermusik®
July 9-20 (two weeks): 8:30 am to 5:00 pm First Congregational Church Commons 125 Ellis St., Atlanta, GA 30303
For young musicians ages 7-18 (and college students), all levels. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center 980 Briarcliff Rd. Atlanta, GA 30306
404-872-5338 • www.callanwolde.org
Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion (no piano or guitar) Dance Company: Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, etc. (by audition only)
(404) 328-0840 stillwaters690@yahoo.com www.stillwatersyouthsinfo-nia.org
David E. Robinson, III, Founder & Artistic Director • Alycia W. Robinson, Dance Director & Operations Manager
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CrossRoadsNews
March 24, 2012
Macy’s at Stonecrest has supported the show from the start. Each year it provides the outfits modeled by the children. Ave’ Maria (from far left), Rafaela Todd, Darion and DeAndre Nelson, and Ragene Johnson are among models from tots to teens who will grace the Main Stage runway.
Talented models rule runway at Macy’s Kids Fashion Show Families will be seeing doubles when the models hit the stage on March 31 for the Macy’s Kids Fashion Show at the CrossRoadsNews 2012 Summer Camp Expo. Two sets of twins will be among the two dozen children and tweens showing off the latest fashions for Easter, camp, field trips and all summer long – 10-year-old Darion and DeAndre Nelson of Decatur and 6-yearold Jaxson and Jayson Spradling from Covington. The models range in age from 3-year-old Trey Stephens Jr. of Decatur and Gabriella Grant of Alpharetta to 15-year-old Brittany Jones of Decatur. They hail from Decatur, Lithonia, Tucker, Alpharetta and Covington and attend schools in DeKalb, Fulton and Newton counties.
“A lot of parents and their kids want to be a part of the show because it’s a good way for kids to express their personality while building self-confidence,” she said. This year’s models include kids who have modeling careers, others who are aspiring models, and some who have been onstage for every Summer Camp Expo Fashion Show since 2006. Three-year-old Trey will be making his stage debut. His mother, Shalandra Peeks, says he is so ready to command the stage. “He is very advanced for his age,” she Michael Carter II will sport some of the latest said. “He isn’t shy and he doesn’t get stage styles for spring and summer. fright.” The fashion show kicks off at 1 p.m. on Jami Ffrench Parker, who is coordinating the Main Stage in front of Sears on the lower the fashion show, says she has had an incred- level of the Mall at Stonecrest. The popular event is one of the high ible response to the call for models.
points of the annual CrossRoadsNews Summer Camp Expo. Along with seeing precocious kids strut their stuff onstage, expo-goers can visit more than 28 camp operators and exhibitors who will be showcasing a range of day and specialty camps where kids can spend some or all of the May 28-to-Aug. 3 summer break. Doting grandparents, adoring aunties, proud papas, neighbors, teachers and friends will start gathering at the stage at noon to cheer on their favorite pint-size models and to capture the moment on film and video. Macy’s at Stonecrest has supported the show from the start. Each year it provides the outfits modeled by the children. At the end of the show, parents have the option of purchasing the clothes their kids have modeled at a discounted price.
10 things you may not have known about the entire camp experience Camp has become a staple of summer. Here are 10 things you may not have known about the camp experience, provided by the American Camp Association. n Camp is older than dirt. Started in 1861, the camp experience turned an impressive 150 years young in 2011. “Camps are constantly adapting to meet the changing needs of today’s families,” said Peg Smith, CEO for the American Camp Association®. “And yet, in essentials, camp is very much the same as it was 150 years ago – kids still have authentic, life-changing experiences.”
n Camp is worth its weight in gold. The ex- stewards of the environment, camps teach healthy eating and physical activity were an
perience is life-changing – developing friendships and memories that last well beyond the final campfire. And there is a camp for every budget. Often camps offer special pricing or financial assistance, and some qualify for tax credits or for payment with pre-tax dollars. Visit www.CampParents.org/affording-camp for more information. n Research shows that firsthand experience with nature reduces stress in children and helps them better handle it in the future. In addition to teaching them how to be good
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La Petite Academy La Petite Academy 3079 Panola Road 1750 Hwy 138 Lithonia, GA 30038 Conyers, GA 30013
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770-987-4582 Michelle M. Cook, Academy Director
www.lapetite.com
770-922-1943 Teresa Donaldson, Academy Director
them how to enjoy the world around them. n Camp is not just for children and youth. There are family camp experiences and camps for single adults and senior adults. Adults benefit from the same sense of community, authentic relationships, and selfdiscovery that children do. n Camp is a great place to try new activities. According to ACA research, 74 percent of campers reported that they tried new activities that they were afraid to do at first. In the same survey, 63 percent of parents reported that their child continued new activities after returning home. n Manners matter and often linger. The entire experience is made of teachable moments, perhaps one of the biggest is how to live with a group of people. Campers learn to pick up after themselves, respect each other’s property, and say “please” and “thank You.” nVeggies taste better with friends. Hollywood and novels may have given camp food a bad reputation, but camps are constantly exploring healthy food options and often are at the forefront of things like allergy specific diets, healthy snacks, and vegetarian meals. ACA’s 2011 Emerging Issues survey found that 90.7 percent of responding camps indicated that
important or very important issue. n Camp has played an important role in the lives of many talented people. ACA’s family resource site offers a list of notable campers – including business professionals, celebrities, artists and great thinkers. n Research shows that participation in intentional programs during summer months helps stem summer learning loss. Camp provides ample opportunity for developmental growth, a precursor to academic achievement. And because of the hands-on nature, often children who struggle in traditional education settings do well at camp. n Camp builds leaders. Independence, resiliency, teamwork, problem-solving skills, and the ability to relate to other people — these are skills leaders need. “Tomorrow’s leaders will not be those who can type or text with lightning speed – they will be those who can have a face-to-face conversation and articulate their thoughts, ideas and values,” Smith said. “Tomorrow’s leaders will be able to relate globally and find common ground with people who are vastly different from themselves. Tomorrow’s leaders will be made and educated by experiences like camp.”
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CrossRoadsNews
March 24, 2012
Cornerstone Leadership Academy A World-Class Education with an international focus June 4 - June 29 • Study of Latin
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Spanish Bi-Lingual Pre-K We prepare our children for the future through a unique immersion style language and academic program.
• Laptops for all Students • Scholarships and Financial Aid Available • Small Class Sizes
Now Registering (770) 987-4400 www.claschool.org
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Summer Camp
CrossRoadsNews
March 24, 2012
If you can’t find everything you want for your child in one camp, you may consider sending your child to more than one camp.
Do your homework before choosing program for your child Summer is a great time for kids to explore the world around them and discover new things, but because many parents work weekdays, they have to rely on structured programs to entertain and teach their kids. This year, parents can meet and speak with 28 exhibitors at the CrossRoadsNews 2012 Summer Camp Expo on March 31 at the Mall at Stonecrest. Here are some tips to help you with that conversation.
Ask the right questions for the right fit
Talk with your child Maybe there’s something – drama, sports, dance, science, etc. – that your child has been yearning to try. Camp is a great place to take on new challenges. Most programs combine academic and indoor/outdoor activities – find one that suits both of you. If you can’t find everything you want for your child in one camp, you may consider sending your child to more than one camp. For example, if your children want to dance and do sports, you might split time between a dance camp and a YMCA camp. Find out what’s available There are traditional camps that offer a variety of events and specialty camps that focus on a single activity or area of interest. Traditional summer camps are great for children who are flexible but love fun. Campers get to explore a variety of events that will broaden their minds. At specialty camps – ideal for children who are interested in specific skills and activities, such as dance, music, science, sports or mathematics – children get to learn all they can about a particular activity. A performing arts focus is the big draw at Camp Jewell House, a 33-year-old summer camp in Lithonia at 1719 Redan East. Executive Director Jewell Hunter said the camp annually draws 100 to 250 kids from as far away as Grayson and Loganville. The age range is 2 to a surprising 15. “We were cutting off at 13, but the kids wanted to keep coming back,” Hunter said, adding that they love the recording studio. With writing and math instruction from certified teachers, a licensed therapist, art therapist, reading, field trips to go swimming and horseback riding, speakers and other programs, “we take a holistic approach to summer enrichment,” Hunter said. The camp is housed in an independent building at the House of Miracles and Blessings Church, which also runs a school for kids in pre-k through grade 12. Fees for summer camp are $50 registration and $75 weekly. Register before April 17 and the fee drops to $65 weekly.
At a specialty camp, such as Big Thinkers Science Exploration, children get to learn all they can about a particular interest.
It’s important to find out what’s included in camp fees so there are no surprises later. Once you have chosen a camp, make an appointment to meet the camp director and arrange for a tour. If the staff seems hesitant to talk to you, this is often a sign that the camp is not very organized and perhaps you should move on to your next choice. When you meet with the director, have a list of questions you need answered in order to properly evaluate the camp. Pin down additional costs for field trips or other activities. Will you be expected to provide meals, snacks or supplies? Find out if they offer any need-based scholarships and what is the refund policy if your child gets sick or has an emergency and is no longer able to attend. The YMCA Academies of South DeKalb offer summer camp for rising pre-k and rising second-grade children on a sliding scale of $85 to $105. The academies, in Lithonia and Decatur, also offer need-based scholarships for people with low incomes. Celeste Phoenix, associate director, said the goal is to prepare students for the next grade level. “We’re focused on enrichment,” she said. Licensed by the National Association for Know what fees apply There are usually registration fees and the Education of Young Children, the camps supplemental fees for field trips, camp T- follow prescribed guidelines and schedules. The academies are located at 2575-A Snapshirts, food and extended services.
Academy of the Arts 4650 Memorial Drive Decatur, 30032 404-294-9403
2204 Salem Road Conyers, 30013 770-860-8558
Ballet Tap Jazz Modeling Hip-Hop Cheerleading Modern Tumbling Acting
June 4-July 27 7:30am-6pm
$100/week
End of Camp Summer Showcase and So Much More
The American Camp Association recommends that parents ask the following questions when deciding on a camp for their children: n What is the camp’s philosophy and program emphasis? – Each camp has its own method of constructing programs based on its philosophy. Does it complement your family’s philosophy? Does the camp focus on learning through competition or through cooperative learning? How does the camp handle homesickness and other adjustment issues? n What is the camp director’s background? – ACA recommends directors possess a bachelor’s degree, have completed inservice training within the past three years, and have at least 16 weeks of camp administrative experience before assuming the responsibilities of director. n What training do counselors receive? – At a minimum, camp staff should be trained in safety regulations, emergency procedures and communication, behavior management techniques, child abuse prevention, appropriate staff and camper behavior, and specific procedures for supervision. n How are behavioral and disciplinary problems handled? – Do they use positive reinforcement? What are the rules and consequences? n How does the camp handle special needs? – For a child with special requirements, parents should ask the camp director about needed provisions and facilities. Is there a nurse on staff? A designated place to store insulin or allergy medicine? Are special foods available for campers with restricted diets? n What about references? – Parents shouldn’t be afraid to ask for references. This is generally one of the best ways to check a camp’s reputation and service record. Source: American Camp Association (www.acacamps.org)
finger Road in Decatur and 2924 Evans Mill Ask about safety Road in Lithonia. Make sure the camp you choose has staff trained in safety procedures, supervision, Go to open houses conflict resolution and other issues that may Some camps have open houses to intro- be specific to working with young children. duce parents and kids to their programs. Find out what procedures the camp follows This is a great way for you to meet camp in case of an emergency. counselors and/or teachers ahead of time Find out the camp’s procedures for trackand learn about the program and activities ing kids during field trips and how it deals in which your children will be involved. with roadside emergencies on field trips. You also will get a feel for the people who For children with medical issues, such as will be spending the summer with your kids diabetes or asthma, make sure that there is and the environment. trained staff on-site and emergency procedures in place at all times. Learn counselor policies In Atlanta, temperatures soar in the Some camps may use teen counselors summer. If kids are spending a lot of time who may be unaccustomed to dealing with outdoors, find out how the camp will keep large groups. Make sure the counselor/child them hydrated and cool. ratio suits your child’s needs. The American Talk with the camp staff about your Camp Association recommends a 1-to-6 staff child’s medical needs and what medical to children ratio. facility your child would be transported to What is the return rate for counselors and should the need arise. campers? How old are counselors? What sort Learn what the discipline procedure is of experience and education is required? and decide if you’re comfortable with it. What is the process for screening when hiring staff? Do they do background checks Talk about concerns to screen out child predators? Is the staff As the first day of camp approaches, some certified in CPR and first aid? children are uneasy about going to a new or unfamiliar place. Discuss these feelings. Overnight camps Let your child know that you believe in When kids go away to 4-H, Girl Scouts, his or her ability to deal with new situations YMCA and other overnight camps, they get but maintain realistic expectations. Encourthe opportunity to expand their horizons age your child to write letters home and be beyond their neighborhood or school. sure you know how to reach them in case of Parents and children get to practice “let- emergencies. ting go.” Encourage them to have a reasonable and Decisions about camp should be a joint realistic view of camp. Camp, like the rest of venture, depending on your child’s matu- life, has highs and lows. Every moment is not rity. If a child feels his opinions are being filled with wonder and excitement. respected, the chances of having a positive But remember, if you make the right experience will improve. choice, fond memories can last a lifetime.
Decatur Active Living Children and Youth Services Department
Active Fun-filled Day Camps
June 4 - July 13
Special Interest Camps
May 29 - July27 For Information
404-377-0494
www.decaturga.com
s Age 7 4-1
CAMPS WITHOUT WALLS
Summer Camp
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CrossRoadsNews
March 24, 2012
Corum said he wants to teach kids about food because of the high incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes among children.
Kids can learn all about food at Chef Tech Academy at Emory Kids who yearn to whip up gourmet cuisine at home or dream of competing on the Food Network someday can get an introduction to the culinary arts at the Chef Tech Academy’s Summer Camp at Emory University in June. The camp, which will run in association with the Emory University Summer Camp programs, begins June 4. There will be four weekly sessions for age groups 5-10, 11-14, and 15-17. Chef Sidney Corum, Chef Tech Academy’s founder, said campers can take one session or all four. At the end of any session, he said the children who are 11 years and older will be comfortable in the kitchen. “They will have a total new perspective on food,” he said. “They will be able to prepare a three-course meal, understand food safety and can manage the kitchen at home. They will be your assistant in the kitchen or when you come home, they will have dinner ready for you.” In 2004, Corum, who has been a chef for two decades, founded Greek Life Services, a company that manages meal plans for fraternity houses at Emory and the University of Georgia. He did a pilot summer camp last year with five kids and said they learned so much and had so much fun that he is offering the camp to 100 kids a week this year. Corum said he wants to teach kids about food because of the high incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes among children. “It is so important for kids to get information they can understand,” he said. “When they know, they can make the right choices about what they eat.” Campers will get a professional introduction to the culinary arts and will prepare
Sidney Corum, who has been a chef for two decades, is offering the summer camp to 100 children a week this year.
dishes ranging from salads to entrees and desserts. They also will learn about physical wellness and get classes in math, science, and technology and their direct relationship to food and nutrition. The math and science classes will be taught by Emory students. Campers will take field trips to local culinary arts schools; to Serenbe, an organic farm in Palmetto; and to the DeKalb and Georgia farmers markets. Corum, who will help teach the campers, has donated scholarships a week to 10 kids from the nonprofit CHRIS Kids. Other campers can save $25 and $50 off the weekly camp fees with early bird registration, now
Campers ages 5 to 17 can take one session or all four. They will get a professional introduction to the culinary arts and will prepare dishes ranging from salads to entrees and desserts.
available to answer questions from parents through May 15. Corum will be an exhibitor at the Cross- and children. For more information and to register, RoadsNews Summer Camp Expo on March 31 at the Mall at Stonecrest and will be visit www.cheftechacademy.com.
Summer Enrichment Camp May 29, 2012 – July 27, 2012
An Enriching & Inspirational Summer Camp for Ages 4 - 12 Bible Study & Morning Devotion Arts & Crafts/ Recreational Sports Reading/Math/Spelling/Computer Learning Movies/Fun & Games Field Trips Camp Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
$50 Registration Fee
MANDATORY PARENT MEETING
Friday, May 25, 2012 from 6:30pm – 7:30pm
The Beulah Community Family Life Center 2340 Clifton Springs Rd Decatur Ga, 30034 678-553-6030
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Why Join AAA? • roadside assistance • member discounts • and much more...
• insurance services • travel services
Buy a Classic Membership for $61 and add a family member for free! Auto Club Group Visit our Table at the 2012 Health & Wellness Expo Elayne Strawberry 770-723-8021 • strawberry@aaasouth.com
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CrossRoadsNews
March 24, 2012