CrossRoadsNews, March 29, 2014 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COMMUNITY

WELLNESS

SCENE

Workers have started planting trees and shrubs along interstate ramps in South DeKalb, but judging by the plants’ sizes, it may take awhile to enjoy them. 2

A late crush of people signing up for the Affordable Care Act has led the government to extend the registration deadline. 6

Maurice Hines, brother of Gregory Hines, will celebrate his tapdancing sibling’s life with song, stories and dance at the Alliance Theatre. 9

Small-scale plantings

Extension for ACA sign-up

A brother’s loving tribute

EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER

March 29, 2014

Volume 19, Number 48

www.crossroadsnews.com

Bill allows for temporary commissioner for District 5 seat By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Residents of DeKalb Commission District 5 could soon have a commissioner to represent them again. The district of 145,000 voters has been without full representation on the DeKalb Board of Commissioners since July 16, 2013. That was when Commissioner Lee May was appointed interim Lee May CEO by Gov. Nathan Deal in the wake of CEO Burrell Ellis’ indictment on corruption and racketeering charges. On March 20, the final day of the 2014

legislative session, state Sen. Fran Millar and state Rep. Stacey Abrams succeeded in bringing legislative relief for the voters with the passage of Senate Bill 316. Millar said he was able to attach the section dealing with the Commission District 5 situation from a failed bill to SB 367, which passed. The section provides for the nomination of a temporary commissioner to fill the seat. “I believe that people ought to be represented on day-to-day matters,” he said. “Now they will be, thanks to me and state Rep. Stacey Abrams.” Millar said that Abrams approached him about the situation and they worked together

“I believe that people ought to be represented on day-to-day matters. Now they will be, thanks to me and state Rep. Stacey Abrams.” Fran Millar

as the suspension of the public official is terminated or the end of such member’s current term.” The section was moved over from Senate Bill 95, which failed to pass. SB 95 also sought to make the office of DeKalb CEO a nonpartisan office. Senate Bill 367 also changed the eligibility criteria for members of the Atlanta Regional Commission so that a member can now be “the president or presiding officer of the legislative body of the most populous municipality lying within the area chosen by majority vote of the members of the legislative body.”

to get it through. The bill provides for a commissioner who is tapped to fill the position of a suspended CEO to nominate three qualified people from whom the DeKalb Board of Commissioners can “select a temporary replacement to fill” the member’s seat “until such time Please see DISTRICT 5, page 3

Family calls for end to violence at Salem Middle Grandparents Rhonda and Odis Ferguson picket their Lithonia schoo on March 24 to protest attack on their grandson Justice Ferguson.

Grandson, 11, gets concussion in school attack By Ken Watts

Rhonda and Odis Ferguson were shocked when they arrived at Salem Middle School on March 14 to pick up their grandson Justice Ferguson. “His face and his eye were pretty swollen,” Rhonda Ferguson said. “His eye was bloodshot red.” Ferguson said the 11-year-old was knocked Justice Ferguson unconscious in an unprovoked attack, called the “knockout game,” at the school. “It’s when pranksters sneak up on unsuspecting individuals and punch them in the face or head,” she said. Ferguson said Justice was waiting for a bus at the Lithonia school when an older, bigger boy, egged on by three other boys, came up behind him and punched him hard in the left eye. DeKalb School District officials acknowledge the incident but say Justice was not knocked unconscious. “They called me and said, ‘Come and get him,’” Ferguson said Monday. At DeKalb Medical where Justice was treated, Ferguson said she was told that he had a contusion. “I took him to his pediatrician and she said it was a concussion and swelling of the brain,” she said. Ten days later, Ferguson said Justice still has dizziness, changes in his vision and nervousness. He returned to class Monday and Tuesday this week, but because of his symptoms, his grandparents say they kept him home the rest of the week. “It’s like he has post-traumatic stress disorder from being jumped like that,” Ferguson said.

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Ferguson and her husband have been married for 18 years. They are raising their stepson’s children Justice and his 13-year-old brother, Christopher, who also attends Salem Middle School. On March 24, the Fergusons stood on Salem Road across from the Lithonia school from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and from 3:30 to 5 in the afternoon in protest against the violence that injured their grandson. They carried signs with “Help stop the violence in our schools” and “Save our schools with prayer” on Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week. They plan to continue the protest on the same days next week.

They said they were protesting because school administrators have not cracked down effectively on violent behavior at the school. Their demonstration drew supportive honks from passing motorists on their way to work. The Fergusons say their grandsons also have told them it’s dangerous to use the school’s restrooms. “In there is a group of boys, I don’t know how they get to do this, but they hang out in the restrooms and challenge students to fight for 15 seconds,” she said. “Kids get their heads busted, hit up against sinks, everything.”

Ferguson said both of her grandsons have been approached to go 15 seconds. “I don’t know why the teachers aren’t monitoring the bathrooms and kicking kids out of the halls when they don’t belong there,” she said. Odis Ferguson, 64, a disabled Vietnam veteran and retired FedEx employee, said Salem Middle principal Shelia Johnson-Reese downplayed the attack on their grandson. “She said, ‘You know how boys are,’ ” he said. “And I said that’s not about being a boy. That’s about being a bully.” Please see ATTACK, page 4

Community

CrossRoadsNews

March 29, 2014

“They are going to have an impact pretty soon. In a month or so, they will provide beautiful colors.”

Gateway beautification plantings to take a while to grow By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Hundreds of trees and shrubs are finding a home on the banks of the entrance and exit ramps at Bouldercrest Road and I-285 and Turner Hill Road and I-20, but it will take awhile before their impact will be seen. The plants installed in the first two weeks of DeKalb County’s new $1.2 million Gateway/Interchange Beautification Program to beautify seven interchanges on I-20, I-285, I-85 and U.S. Highway 78, are small, which means it will take a long time before they will make an impact. The contracts, obtained from the county this week by CrossRoadsNews, show that in January, as part of its Operation Fresh Start initiative, DeKalb awarded $1.02 million in landscaping contracts to three companies – 3 Macks Lawn Service of Stone Mountain, ArtScape Inc. of Conyers, and Georgia Green Landscaping of Marietta. All three companies are required to install the trees, shrubs and flowering plants, including day lilies, Muscogee crape myrtles, dwarf pine Yaupon, abelias, Blue Pacific junipers, pink muhly grass, Lantana camara, Loropetalum and Muhlenbergia calloparis; mow the interchanges four times a year; and maintain them for two years. At the end of that time, the county expects the maintenance to be taken over by various CIDs already up and running or in the formation stage. ArtScape, which began installing plants on the Bouldercrest Road ramps a week before the county’s March 14 ground breakings, won a $306,225.56 contract to beautify Bouldercrest Road and 1-285, Candler Road and I-20, and Mountain Industrial Boulevard and U.S. 78. A $344,117.70 contract to beautify Turner Hill Road and I-20 and North Druid Hills and I-85 was awarded to 3 Macks Lawn Service, and Georgia Green Landscaping won a $312,763 contract to beautify LaVista Road and I-285 and Memorial Drive and I-285. Through Thursday, ArtScape and 3 Macks had shrubs and some trees, but most of them were tiny. Andy Taylor, president of Conyers-based ArtScape Inc., said Thursday his crew was halfway through the plantings at Bouldercrest. “We should be done by next week,” he said. “Then we will start mulching.” Some of plants already installed by ArtScape and 3 Macks this week were surprisingly small. For example, the ArtScape contract calls for 860 Juniperus conferta ‘Blue Pacific’

Photos by Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Landscaping crews will finish installing all plants on the Turner Hill Road ramps by April 4, according to Dwayne Fisher, president of 3 Macks Lawn Service.

priced at $26.91. A look at pricing on the Internet on Thursday showed plants twice as big selling for $14.95. Taylor said that they have encountered problems locating all the plants they need but that the day lilies, which grow from bulbs, will be popping out the ground pretty soon. “They are going to have an impact pretty soon,” he said. “In a month or so, they will provide beautiful colors.” He said the Blue Pacific junipers will take several years to fill in. “They were the only ‘Blue Pac’ we could find at this time, but we have added in about 100 extra plants to help fill it in quicker,” he said. “And that’s at no extra cost to the county.” Taylor’s company also is landscaping the interchanges at Candler Road and I-20 and Mountain Industrial Boulevard and U.S. 78. He said he will start on Mountain Industrial on April 7 and on Candler Road, the smallest of his three, on May 1. The Stone Mountain CID, which will assume responsibility for the Mountain Industrial and U.S. 78 interchange in two years, already is involved in plant selections for interchange. Taylor said the Pattillo Group, a member of the CID, wants a different selection of plants. “I have sent a revised quote to the county

to substitute the plants they want,” he said. “It won’t cost the county any more, but they want more plant choices.” Dwayne Fisher, 3 Macks Lawn Service president, and a crew of about dozen workers were installing dwarf crape myrtles and Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’ trees on Wednesday. He said the biggest problem they are facing is getting all the plants they need from nurseries up North because of the harsh winter weather. He said that he has had to make substitutions at Turner Hill Road. “We are putting in a lot more colors,” he said. “Y’all are going to love this exit. It’s going to have color all year long.” Fisher said he has substituted dwarf crape myrtles that will be 4 to 6 feet high when fully grown. He said that even though they look small now, he plans to fertilize them well so that they grow fast. “It will take two to three years for them to be exactly where they need to be,” he said. Fisher said all three landscaping companies are working together on their projects and are buying plants together to leverage better pricing. On Wednesday, Taylor said that ArtScape crews dug holes for trees that 3 Macks crews were planting at the Turner Hill interchange. Fisher said he is working with Georgia Green Landscaping on its Memorial Drive and LaVista Road interchanges and that their crews have been helping his company at Turner Hill

ArtScape began installing plants on the Bouldercrest Road ramps a week before the county’s March 14 ground breakings.

and will assist when they get to North Druid Hills Road and I-85. Fisher said they will finish installing all plants on the Turner Hill ramps by April 4. “We will be spraying in the mulch the following Monday,” he said. “That will take us three days to do.” Their next stop is the Memorial Drive and I-285 interchange, which they will work on with Georgia Green Landscaping. “We should be there by the second week in April if they remove those barricades so we can get to where the plants need to go,” he said. From there, the crews expect to move to the LaVista Road and I-285 interchange by the end of April and the North Druid Hills and I-85 interchange by mid-May. Fisher said each of the installations should take about two-and-a-half weeks to complete. “If plant materials are available, we can go faster,” he said. While the landscape contracts include mowing four times a year, Taylor said a schedule of 24 to 34 times a year would be better. “We spoke to the county trying to get them to put a maintenance program in place,” he said. “Anybody can plant something, but if ain’t never taken care of, it ain’t going to work. Hopefully the county will realize that it needs a maintenance and fertilization plan to get optimum results.”

CrossRoadsNews

March 29, 2014

Community

“I want to point out that when I have written these checks to the county I was never informed that what I was doing was in violation of any county policy.”

Boyer uses county card for $12,000 in personal expenses By Ken Watts

Elaine Boyer, DeKalb’s longest-serving commissioner, apologized this week for making thousands of dollars in personal purchases using her county VISA debit card. Boyer, who has represented District 1 for more than 20 years, called fellow commissioners to offer to apologize. She also apologized to DeKalb taxpayers on WSB-TV. “I want to offer an extreme, heartfelt, sincere apology,” she said. “I am not trying to make excuses. I am sorry and it won’t continue.” Boyer said that she was not aware that she was doing anything wrong when she used the county’s P-Card, which functions like a debit card, drawing money directly from a county account, to pay for things like a family vacation to Colorado. “It never dawned on me that what I was doing was wrong,” she said. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s investigation showed that between 2011 and 2013, Boyer made 52 personal charges that include

“I want to offer an extreme, heartfelt, sincere apology...It never dawned on me that what I was doing was wrong.” Elaine Boyer

meals, rental cars, and airline tickets to a ski resort in 2012 and 2013. Boyer said that she had repaid two-thirds of it before the newspaper came calling and paid back $4,083 this year. District 2 Commissioner Jeff Rader said there is no requirement for the county to issue a P-Card to any person. “If you are not willing to make the commitment and follow that commitment to use the card appropriately, then at the county like any other organization, the privilege should be withdrawn,” he said after the BOC’s March 25 meeting. Boyer, 57, was first elected to the BOC in 1992. Her district includes Brookhaven,

Day long charrette for Medline LCI Stakeholders in the Medline LCI area can attend a design charrette on March 29 at Masala Indian Restaurant in Patel Plaza in Decatur. The DeKalb Department of Planning and Sustainability is presenting the seven-hour session, which gets under way at 10 a.m. Organizers say that participants will join in a day of design, demonstrations, sketching and fun. Some walking is involved and participants are asked to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. The Livable Centers Initiative study area is framed by four major intersecting corridors – Church Street, Scott Boulevard/ Lawrenceville Highway, North Decatur Road and DeKalb Industrial Way – and covers 520 acres. The charrette is seeking to create a shared vision for the Medline area for growth and redevelopment. The LCI study seeks to enhance the area’s long-term economic viability, create a healthy and safe place for pedestrians and cyclists, and promote easy access to jobs.

Dunwoody, Tucker and Smoke Rise, where she lives. In a written statement to the media Tuesday, Boyer said she has reimbursed more than 90 percent of the charges. She said that the AJC brought to her attention that she had not reimbursed some of these expenses for 2012 and 2013. “That was an oversight for which I accept full responsibility and for that I apologize,” she said. “I immediately reimbursed the expenses from that two-year time frame. I want to point out that when I have written these checks to the county, I was never informed that what I was doing was in violation of any county policy.” DeKalb County employees who are given purchasing cards must each sign an agreement governing its use. The document states in part, “I agree to use this card for DeKalb County approved purchases only and agree not to charge personal purchases.” Boyer says she has no recollection of signing such an agreement in 2010. A 2011 audit found Boyer’s office defi-

Community Cabinet serving up business tips and resources Entrepreneurs can get valuable tips and resources for small businesses at DeKalb Commissioner Stan Watson’s April 5 Community Cabinet breakfast at Chapel Hill Middle School. Cassius Butts, regional administrator for Region IV of the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be guest speaker. Residents concerned about blight from

Through the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative, the plan will help shape the future of the area for the next 20 years. To register, visit http://medlinedesign charrette.eventbrite.com. Masala Indian Restaurant is at 1713 Church St. For more information, visit sites.google. com/site/MedlineLCIstudy or call Jen Price at 404-377-9147.

cient on receipts but did not mention reimbursements as an issue. William Perry of the government watchdog group Common Cause said it appears Boyer used the county VISA card as an open line of credit for personal expenses. “This isn’t something that should be used a slush fund or a line of credit,” he said. “This is taxpayer dollars.” In her statement, Boyer said the county’s policy needs to be clarified. “Having realized I am part of the problem, I want to be part of the solution and adopt a strict, enforceable policy that calls for complete transparency and accountability that the entire board can support going forward,” she said. Boyer said her own personal financial problems, which include bankruptcy and threats of foreclosure, didn’t have anything to do with her use of the county’s credit card. DeKalb DA spokesman Erik Burton said Wednesday that District Attorney Robert James was aware of the situation. “We are currently looking into the matter,” Burton said.

foreclosed properties also will get an update on the county’s efforts to force property owners to comply with code enforcement. Tonza Clark, the county’s Foreclosure Registry manager, will deliver a progress report. The meeting takes place from 9 to 11 a.m. The school is at 3535 Dogwood Farms Road in Decatur. For more information, call Kelly Lajoie at 404-371-3681.

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Legislation awaits Deal’s signature DISTRICT 5,

from page

Gina Mangham, a 20year resident of Commission District 5, said it is good that the district’s residents are getting a commissioner again. “I always prefer the electorate to pick, but I am happy that the seat is Gina Mangham being filled,” she said. In January, Mangham brought the issue to the attention of the DeKalb Delegation at its annual legislative public hearing on Jan. 22 at the Maloof Auditorium. She told delegation members, including Millar, who was present, that the district was unrepresented because all other commission districts had two votes, while District 5 now only has one vote, that of Super District 7 Commissioner Stan Watson, who represents half of the county. Each of the county’s seven commission districts are represented by a commissioner and a Super District commissioner. May has been focused on his duties as interim CEO and only votes to break ties on the commission. Mangham asked the state senators and representatives at the meeting to look into the district’s plight to see how its residents

can be represented. On Wednesday, Mangham, who ran against May in 2012, said she would love to be one of May’s nominees for the job. “We need more public servants,” she said. “I hope that despite our differences, that he would seriously consider me as a public servant. For 20 years I have been serving and advocating for this district.” Mangham said she is concerned about economic development and feels that with proper attention and investment, South DeKalb and particularly District 5 have a lot of promise. “I believe that we have a jewel in District 5 and the rest of the South DeKalb,” she said. Burke Brennan, the county’s press secretary, said Thursday that he was unaware of the passage of the law but would research it and respond to questions. He said he did not know what process May would use in nominating candidates to sit in his seat. “I am not sure he even knows about the law,” he said. Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said Thursday that the governor will sign all bills into law by April 29. Once the governor signs it, Millar said the nomination process would be advertised for two weeks in the county’s legal organ before the BOC could vote.

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“Bullying is a sustained pattern of abuse over time. That’s not what this was.”

Flakes Mill water main project to take 10 months Traffic will be moving slowly on Flakes Mill Road in Decatur through Dec. 15 as work crews install 4.3 miles of new water main. The $5.42 million Flakes Mill Road Waterline Improvement Project has been under way since Feb. 25. The DeKalb Watershed Management project includes replacing older water main pipe along Flakes Mill Road between Flat Shoals Parkway and the Henry County line. Alicia T. Pennie, Watershed Alicia T. Pennie Management’s acting public relations manager, said the work is part of the ongoing efforts of the department to update its aging water and sewer infrastructure. “The project will improve the reliability of the existing water distribution system and reduce the number of breaks and interruptions to the system,” Pennie said. The work, which is being done by Reeves Contracting Co., is included in the county’s $1.35 billion Capital Improvement Plan that was adopted by the Board of Commissioners in December 2010.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Motorists can expect traffic tie-ups through Dec. 15 on Flakes Mill Road due to new water main installation.

Flashing signs near the intersection of Flakes Mill and Flat Shoals Parkway warn commuters to expect traffic delays between Feb. 25 and Dec. 15, 2014. This is the second water main replacement under way in Deca-

tur. Since April 2013, Watershed Management has been replacing pipelines along Candler Road. That $7.1 million project has snarled traffic along the busy corridor and kept some customers away from

area businesses. It includes installing a 36-inch water main between I-20 and Valley Ridge Drive and 2.5 miles of 12-inch mains and two-thirds of a mile of 8-inch mains to Glenwood Road.

Disciplinary hearing held on beating at Salem Middle ATTACK,

from page

School District spokesman Quinn Hudson said on March 27 that Johnson-Reese did not downplay the incident. “Our internal review indicated that the principal did not dismiss the incident but acted quickly and appropriately following proper procedures,” Hudson said. The district is treating the incident not as bullying but as assault and battery on a student. “Bullying is a sustained pattern of abuse over time,” Hudson said. “That’s not what this was.” While the Fergusons were picketing on Monday, Salem Middle assistant principal Shaun Wells crossed the street to tell them that the School District had scheduled an administrative disciplinary hearing on March 27 at the school. He told them that a lot of the disciplinary problems stem from students’ lack of respect for one other. “That’s across the board at any middle school or any high school that we have,” Wells told the Fergusons. “We’re about to implement a program here at Salem where we’ll take our boys and model them, giving them the structure they need to understand how to conduct themselves as young men, and we have to get the support of the parents.” During the district’s disciplinary hearing, a school system hearing officer received evidence from the principal and other administrators and heard testimony from wit-

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Salem Middle School assistant principal Shaun Wells (center) talks with Rhonda and Odis Ferguson on Monday.

nesses including the four accused students. The session is confidential and closed to the public. Hudson said the hearing officer usually makes a decision the same day but results are not released. “We’re bound by federal privacy law regarding student records,” Hudson said. Punishment ranges from detention to in-school or out-of-school suspensions, placement in an

alternative school or expulsion, according to the district’s Code of Student Conduct. “We didn’t get to stay for the whole hearing,” Rhonda Ferguson said. “They took a statement from Justice and Chris and then dismissed us, so we don’t know how it turned out.” She said the family wanted to talk with the school resource officer about whether criminal charges

should be filed but they haven’t met with him yet. Odis Ferguson said student accountability is only part of the solution to school violence. He said that school administrators and faculty should put more emphasis on preventing violence. “We need to put prayer back in the schools and they need to hire more people to monitor what these kids are doing,” he said.

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March 29, 2014

Finance

CrossRoadsNews

“For calls about operation without a permit, we send someone out right away.”

Work under way on Waffle House on Flat Shoals Parkway By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

A Waffle House restaurant on Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur is finally taking shape. Construction crews began grading the site at 4107 Flat Shoals Parkway on March 24. It is next door to the Greater Travelers Rest Church. Jolon Chadwick, Waffle House project manager for construction, said if the weather stays good, the 1,875-square-foot restaurant should open for business in June. The construction permits were first issued in 2012 but the project languished. Chadwick said they were working on other projects. The building permit lists Virginia Thompson as the owner of the Flat Shoals location. When it opens, it will be first Waffle House on Flat Shoals Parkway. Waffle House also has restaurants on Wesley Chapel Road, Candler Road, East College Avenue, and Covington Highway in Decatur and on Panola Road and Mall Parkway in Lithonia. The chain, which opened its first 24-hour Waffle House restaurant at 2710 E. College Ave. in Avondale Estates in 1955, serves breakfast items – pancakes, hash browns, cheese and eggs, and bacon – all day. Nationwide, it operates 1,600 restaurants. Since 1955, the company says its has served more than 877.4 million waffles and more than 1.3 million cups of coffee – and 341 strips of bacon every minute. The Avondale location reopened in 2008 Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews as the Waffle House Museum. Crews have begun grading the site for the 1,875-square-foot Waffle House going up next door to the Greater Travelers Rest Church in Decatur.

FedEx Center gets warning for operating without business license By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The FedEx Postal Center on Candler Road has been operating illegally for three years. DeKalb Code Compliance says owner Pherita Furcron has operated without a business license since she opened the store in September 2012. On Feb. 25, Code Compliance officers, responding to an anonymous call about the business, issued her a “cease and desist” warning along with two citations for illegal signs. The warning directed Furcron to secure a business license by Feb. 26 or “to cease and desist all activity if not acquired by 4:45 p.m.” Furcron removed the Pherita Furcron signs and banners and pleaded guilty to the sign violations. She paid $1,000 in fines on March 11 but continues to operate the postal center with smaller signage on the building and mounted on her Encore Travel Agency sign. She said Wednesday that she has been unable to get a business license because the zoning on her property at 2376-B Candler Road was incomplete. Furcron sought unsuccessfully on Sept. 25, 2012, to get the county to lift a zoning restriction that limits the commercial zoning on her property to the operation of a travel agency only. The Board of Commissioners denied her application. On Oct. 25, 2012, she appealed the decision in the DeKalb Superior Court. On March 20, Superior Court Judge Dan-

Pherita Furcron, business on Feb. 25 when she was cited by DeKalb Code Compiance for illegal signs and operaing for nearly two years without a business license.

DeKalb Code Compliance

iel Coursey Jr. dismissed the case. When told of the dismissal by a reporter, Furcron said she was unaware of it and had to speak with her lawyer. “I need to find out about that,” she said. She did not return the phone call by press time Thursday. Code Compliance Supervisor Jerry Silver said that the call about the FedEx Center came to them anonymously and he imme-

diately knew where the building was because he had driven by it several times. He said that calls about businesses operating illegally get top priority treatment. “For calls about operation without a permit, we send someone out right away,” he said. “This is something she shouldn’t have been doing.” Silver said that Furcron told them that she thought she could operate without a permit

because she was appealing the BOC decision on her zoning. He said he was surprised to find out that Furcron had operated that long without a permit and with so many large signs. He said his department would research her case before following up on the cease and desist warning. “Usually when a business is illegal, they don’t advertise,” he said.

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Wellness

March 29, 2014

“We are not going to shut the door on those people who want coverage and have come in and tried to get it.”

Some get extra time to enroll under ACA as deadline looms By Ken Watts

Some uninsured Georgians, including legal immigrants and victims of domestic violence, have two extra weeks to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The extension came March 26 from the Obama administration, just five days from the March 31 deadline to enroll for 2014 coverage or pay a federal tax penalty. The administration said on Wednesday the two-week extension also applies to tens of thousands of people who experienced various problems trying to complete their applications for coverage. Administration officials said last-minute applicants had led to high traffic at www. healthcare.gov, which “could potentially keep consumers from completing the enrollment process despite their efforts to meet Monday’s 11:59 p.m. deadline.” In Decatur on March 26, last-minute applicants crowded a signup session sponsored by District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson at the William C. Brown/Wesley Chapel Library. Six trained navigators were on-site to answer questions and help applicants who’ve had trouble enrolling at Healthcare.gov or by phone or were just late getting started. Whitney Horton of the nonprofit Enroll America said they were helping applicants collapse the time it takes them to enroll. “For the most part they have gone online or called the 1-800 number but they came in because they wanted personal assistance, someone to guide them through the process,” she said. Shkerah Bell, a Roswell social worker who counsels teens, was among those seeking help. She works as an independent contractor and says she has been without health coverage since 2009. “I have an aunt who lives in South Carolina and she just applied and said the premium prices weren’t as bad as she thought they

Navigator Brenda Pace (red jacket) helps a resident with Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment on March 26 at the Wesley Chapel Library in Decatur.

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

would be,” she said. “Because of her experience I felt I needed to come in and apply.” Love Opoku of Decatur said she’s hoping coverage will mean less financial stress. “I was without coverShkerah Bell age for two years,” she said. “Whenever I went to the doctor, I paid the whole bill out of pocket, or I would have to hope I would get better somehow without seeing the doctor.” Julie Bataille, a spokeswoman at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is running the federal insurance exchange, said any consumer who comes in after April 1 will have to attest to the fact that they were in line and eligible to continue their enrollment. “We are not going to shut the door on those people who want coverage and have come in and tried to get it,” she said. The relaxed policy gives federal officials and caseworkers vast discretion to grant or deny. Bataille said Tuesday that there were

more than 1.2 million visits to healthcare. gov and more than 390,000 telephone calls to the federal Insurance Marketplace. In guidance sent to insurance companies Wednesday, the administration said that “C.M.S. will provide consumers who tried to enroll during the open enrollment period, but did not complete the process by March 31, a limited amount of additional time to finish the application and enrollment process.” In most cases, officials said if consumers are granted a special enrollment period, they will have 60 days to select a health plan. Those who finish their applications by April 15 and pay their initial premiums will be eligible for coverage starting May 1. In a separate bulletin, the administration listed 10 types of special enrollment periods for people with “complex cases.” These will be available to people who were “enrolled in the wrong plan against their wishes”; victims of domestic abuse; indigent legal immigrants who were improperly denied coverage or subsidies; families with twins who were not allowed to sign up together; and people whose applications

for Medicaid were not properly transferred between federal and state agencies. People whose federal file “contains defective or missing data which makes the insurance company unable to enroll the consumer” will be offered extra time to sign up, as will people whose enrollment was hindered by unspecified computer system errors, something of a catchall. Administration officials said they did not know how many consumers would qualify for the extra time. About 20,000 people requested this kind of relief when it was authorized in late December for people seeking coverage on Jan. 1 of this year, they said. At the enrollment session at the Wesley Chapel Library, Johnson said the Affordable Care Act is a game changer despite the startup challenges. “These folks, if they didn’t have health insurance and got really sick would end up in the emergency room and then we’ll be paying triple to quadruple the amount of money,” he said. “Now they have an opportunity to focus on prevention. This is gonna save us a whole lot of money and people will stay well longer.” Four more enrollment events are scheduled in DeKalb through March 31: March 29 n National Medical Association Enrollment Event, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the Mall at Stonecrest, Turner Hill Road and I-20, Lithonia. n Last Chance Phone-A-Thon, 3-7 p.m., Enroll America Office, 600 Means St., Atlanta. March 30 n DeKalb Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sut-

ton Enrollment Event, 3-5 p.m., Porter Sanford Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. March 31 n Commissioner Larry Johnson Enrollment

Event, 5-8 p.m., Exchange Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur.

SHAPE Honor Roll seeks schools Free shots, food for DeKalb pets Georgia SHAPE is now accepting applications for the 2014 Governor’s SHAPE Honor Roll. The award recognizes elementary, middle and high schools for their dedication to creating a healthy school environment and a culture of wellness for staff, students and community. All applicants that meet the require-

ments of recognition and submit proper documentation will be recognized for their outstanding efforts. For criteria, applications and submission information, visit http://georgiashape. org. The application and documentation submission deadline is June 6, and qualified schools will be notified of the award status on July 7.

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Pet owners can get free vaccinations and free pet food at “Healthy Pets DeKalb” on April 5 at Wade-Walker Park in Stone Mountain. The 11 a.m.-to-3 p.m. event will offer more than 400 free vaccinations provided by a licensed veterinarian. No registration is necessary. Also, DeKalb County Animal Services and LifeLine Animal Project are extending an adoption special during the month of March. Debbie Setzer, LifeLine community outreach director, said the nonprofit offers veterinary services and pet education directly

to pet owners who need them. “These resources improve the quality of life for pets and their families, prevent unplanned litters, and decrease the number of animals ending up in shelters,” she said March 27. DeKalb County Animal Services, which is managed by LifeLine Animal Project, provides humane care for animals at the shelter, veterinary care, pet adoptions, pet reclaim services, volunteer opportunities, foster care, and rescue group coordination. Wade-Walker Park is at 5585 Rockbridge Road. For more information, call 678-8832349.

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CrossRoadsNews

March 29, 2014

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CrossRoadsNews

Scene

March 29, 2014

“In the South, bookstores wouldn’t sell it, newspapers wouldn’t write about it.”

Readings by university professors Invisible Ink” on April 8 at 7 p.m. in the theater. The book about concealing and revealing secret communications is the first history of invisible writing, uncovered through stories about scoundrels and Kristie Macrakis heroes. Macrakis, a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of History, Technology and Society, combines a storyteller’s sense of drama with a historian’s respect for evidence in the page-turning history of intrigue and espionage, love and war, magic and secrecy. From the piazzas of ancient Rome to the spy capitals of the Cold War, Macrakis’ global history reveals the drama and importance of invisible ink. She explores spellbinding stories of secret messaging from Ovid’s advice to use milk for illicit love notes, to John Gerard’s dramatic escape from the Tower of London aided by orange juice ink messages, to al-Qaeda’s hidden instructions in pornographic movies. An appendix includes fun kitchen chemistry recipes for readers to try out at home. Invisible writings The Carter Center is at 441 Freedom Macrakis will read and sign copies of Parkway. Visit www.jimmycarterlibrary. “Prisoners, Lovers, and Spies: The Story of gov or call 404-865-7100. Two professors from Emory and Georgia Tech – poet Kevin Young and author Kristie Macrakis – will read their work at the Carter Presidential Library & Museum on April 7 and 8. Young, Emory professor and award-winning poet, is up first. He will read and sign copies of “Book of Hours” at 7 p.m. on April 7 in the theater. The event is free and open to the public. Publisher’s Weekly Kevin Young calls “Book of Hours” “a beautiful book of both grief and birth and says Young, Emory’s Atticus Haygood Professor of Creative Writing and English, thrills his audience with its immediate emotional impact and musical rifts. Three of his books – “To Repel Ghosts,” which explores the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat; “Jelly Roll,” a collection of blues poems; and “Black Maria,” a film noir – form what he calls “an American trilogy.” Young is also curator of Literary Collections and the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, MARBL – Manuscript, Archives, & Rare Book Library.

Tangela Barrie

Cynthia Edwards

Jennifer Parker

Debra DeBerry

Nelly Withers

Leaders at Women’s History Month event Women and their views and achievements will be celebrated at the March 30 Conversation & Coffee event at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center in Decatur. The Women’s History Month event, hosted by DeKalb Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton and the DeKalb Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Department, takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. Panelists include Sharon Getties Johnson of Kaiser Permanente; Debra DeBerry, clerk of Superior Court; Prashanthi Reddy of Accura Engineering; Meredith Lilly, state director of Women for Obama 2012; and DeKalb Recorders Court Judge Nelly Withers.

Honorees are DeKalb Superior Court Judge Tangela Barrie; CrossRoadsNews Editor and Publisher Jennifer Parker; Mainstreet Community Association President Nadine Rivers-Johnson; Gentle Family Dentistry owner Dr. Betty Dillon; Joey Johnson of We Are DeKalb Magazine; and Cynthia Dorsey Edwards of Georgia Piedmont Technical College. DCTV Director Diamond Lewis will be mistress of ceremony. The event is free to attend. The Porter Sanford Center is at 3181 Rainbow Drive. For more information, call Judy Brownlee at 404-371-2204.

Actress to channel ‘Strange Fruit’ author Actress Brenda Bynum will bring Georgia author and human rights activist Lillian E. Smith to life on March 31 in the Schwartz Center Theatre Lab in Atlanta. The performance, which begins at 7 p.m., is free and open to the public. Bynum, an Emory University theater professor emeritus, put together “Jordan Is So Chilly: An Encounter With Lillian Smith” based on writings Brenda Bynum by the author of “Strange Fruit,” a controversial story of an interracial love affair, and “Killers of the Dream” (1949), a book about the detrimental effects of segregation. “Jordan is so chilly” is a line from an African-American spiritual about crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. It was the original title of Smith’s novel. Bynum said she changed it to “Strange Fruit” at the request of her publisher. Lillian Smith (1897-1966) was one of the first prominent white Southerners to speak out publicly in the 1930s and 1940s against racial segregation and Jim Crow laws. She was already known as a human rights activist when she wrote “Strange Fruit.” The book was banned in some Northern cities and suppressed throughout the South. Bynum said that while many people who grew up in the South during and after that time know who Smith was, they haven’t read the book, which was banned in Boston. “A lot of the play is about how and why that happened,” she said. “In the South, bookstores wouldn’t sell it, newspapers wouldn’t write about it.” Ginger Smith, Emory Libraries director of external affairs, said she is pleased to have Bynum portray Lillian Smith, especially during Women’s History Month. “As a woman speaking up in support of civil rights decades before the well-known movement of the 1950s and 1960s, she was ahead of her time,” Ginger Smith said. “I hope this performance inspires people to read her books and come to MARBL to look through her papers.” Bynum became interested in Smith’s story a few years ago when the Lillian E.

Lillian Smith was one of the first prominent white Southerners to speak out publicly in the 193Os and 1940s against racial segregation.

Smith Center for Creative Arts in Clayton, Ga., asked her to put together a reading of some of Smith’s letters for the Southern Literary Trail, an informal tour of Georgia writers’ homes. After reading the letters at the center, Bynum spent time looking through the author’s papers, housed at the University of Georgia’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. She said she found the material interesting and wanted to do what little she could to remember her. “She was such an extraordinary woman,” she said. “Her name needed to be known.” Bynum’s program draws from Smith’s unpublished autobiographical writing and from passages in her books. She premiered the program in April 2013 for the Lillian Smith Center and has performed it several times since then, at Georgia State University and UGA, among other venues. For the March 31 performance, John Bugge, Emory professor emeritus of English, will present the prologue and epilogue. Bynum, who retired from the Emory theater studies department but remains active in the emeritus college and in local theater, said she hopes to look at MARBL’s collection of Smith’s papers to see if there is any information she can incorporate into her program. “It has meant so much to me to have access to original documents, and that’s what these kinds of research libraries provide,” she said, The Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts is at 1700 N. Decatur Road in Atlanta. For more information, visit emory.edu.

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March 29, 2014

Scene

“He’s an old-school entertainer, the life of the party. He wants to make you smile, and he won’t take ‘no.’”

Maurice Hines, 70, pays tribute to his famous brother Gregory, who died of liver cancer in 2003.

‘Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Thru Life’ at the Alliance Theatre Maurice Hines, brother of legendary tap dancer Gregory Hines, will pay tribute to his late sibling April 2 to May 4 at the Alliance Theatre. His musical, “Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Thru Life,” which has played in Washington and other cities, captivates audiences with stories, songs and smooth choreography. The show, directed by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun (“Newsies” and “Grey Gardens”), is written by Hines and co-produced by Arena Stage and Cleveland Play House. Hines began performing at 5 years old, first with his brother and then his father. He and his brother, who died in 2003 of liver cancer, were regulars on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show.” “Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Thru Life”

brings the history of American tap to life and pays homage Gregory Hines, family, and singers like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Lena Horne who inspired him. It also showcases the talents of tap-dancing brothers John and Leo Manzari. Hines, 70, said the show has evolved into not only a celebration of his brother, but also as a celebration of his parents, especially his mother. “This play is really a love letter to her as the driving force in keeping all of us on the right track in our careers and teaching us to go through life with class,” he said. “This show also gives me the opportunity to thank the fantastically effortless performers who influenced me.” He will be backed by an all-female power-

house ensemble, the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, led by music director, drummer and longtime Hines collaborator Sherrie Maricle. The ensemble features Atlanta area musicians Jami Dauber and Liesl Whitaker on lead trumpet, Marla Feeney on alto sax, Connie Frigo on baritone sax, Dr. Amy Griffiths on tenor sax, Hollie Lawing on trombone, Jackie Pickett on bass, Penelope Williams on piano, and Alexa Yates on second trumpet. Hines said they give their all. “Whenever I am on stage, I always follow the advice my mother, Alma, told Greg and I,” he said. “‘No matter what you do on stage and in life, always do it with class.’” Washington Post reviewer Nelson Pressley says Hines is “a spoonful of sugar and a shot of caffeine” and sings his heart out.

“Maurice Hines loves you. He loves his family, he loves his life and he loves the spotlight,” he wrote. “He’s an old-school entertainer, the life of the party. He wants to make you smile, and he won’t take ‘no.’” Director Calhoun calls Hines “one of the finest song-and-dance men of our time.” “He is that rare breed whose tongue is as facile as his tapping feet,” Calhoun said. The show is part of the Coca-Cola Series on the Alliance Stage. It also is supported by the Home Depot, Delta and PNC Bank. The Alliance Theatre is at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. in midtown Atlanta. Tickets start at $30 and are available at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office by calling 404-733-5000 or visiting www.alliancetheatre.org/tappin.

Witness the Honorable Mark Anthony Scott Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 5th day of March, 2014. 3/22, 3/29, 4/5, 4/12

Legal Notices 03/8 3/15 3/22 3/29

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action # ++14CV1394-10++ La Veda Buckles Plaintiff Vs. Erich Buckles Defendant 4969 Central Drive Stone Mountain, Ga 30083 By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated March 5, 2014 you are hereby notified that on January 17, 2014 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for: Divorce You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Erich Buckles 4969 Central Drive Stone Mountain, Ga 30083. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, March 5, 2014 Witness the Honorable Tangela M. Barrie Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 5th day of March, 2014. 3/22, 3/29, 4/5,4/12

Notice of Petition to Change Name of MINOR CHILDREN in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 13CV11790-7++

Tamika A. Champion Plaintiff Vs. De’ Shawn C. Davis Defendant By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated March 11, 2014 you are hereby notified that on November 14, 2013 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for: Divorce with minor children. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Tamika Champion 6441 Rebecca Lou Lane Lithonia, Ga 30058. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, March 11, 2014 Witness the Honorable Daniel M. Coursey, Jr. Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 11th day of March, 2014 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29

Notice of Petition to Change Name of Adult in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV2215-3++ Eboni M’Kaila Haynes filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on February 20, 2014 to change the name from: Eboni M’Kaila Haynes to Eboni M’Kaila Lanier. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed. Dated: February 8, 2014

Eboni M’Kaila Haynes Petitioner, Pro se 900 Martin Road Stone Mountain, Ga 30088 (770)-323-1127 03/8 3/15 3/22 3/29

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Notice of Petition to Change Name of Adult

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV2502-5++ Lamaman Ngandu Tshidibi filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on February 27, 2014 to change the name from: Lamaman Ngandu Tshidibi to Nathalie Lamaman Leya. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed. Dated: February 27, 2014 Lindsey Siegel Ga. Bar 730072 Attorney for Petitioner Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc 246 Sycamore Street, Suite 120 Decatur, Ga 30030-3434 Tel: (770) 817-7522; (404)377-4602 3/15 3/22 3/29 4/5

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action # ++14CV2506-9++ Annie Wiley Plaintiff Vs. Gerald Wiley Defendant By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated March 5, 2014 you are hereby notified that on February 28, 2014 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for: Divorce You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Annie Wiley 1006 The Hill Parkway Stone Mountain, Ga 30088. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, March 5, 2014

Notice of Petition to Change Name of Adult in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV2911-2++ Lyddia Dixel filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on March 7, 2014 to change the name from: Lyddia Dixel to Lyddia Darenport. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed. Dated: March 7, 2014 Lyddia Dixel Petitioner, Pro se 5959 Farington Road #20F Lithonia, Ga 30038 (404)-974-5209 3/22, 3/29, 4/5, 4/12

Notice of Petition to Change Name of Adult in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV3090-7++ Kimberly Bacote filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on March 17, 2014 to change the name from: Kimberly Bacote to Kimberly Ferrell. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed. Dated: March 11, 2014 Kimberly Bacote Petitioner, Pro se 4928 Millstone Walk Stone Mountain, Ga 30088 (404)-573-9723 3/29, 4/5 4/12/ 4/19

Notice of Petition to

Change Name of Adult in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV3128-3++ Deborah Hadiyah Dan-Yisrael filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on March 20, 2014 to change the name from: Deborah Hadiyah Dan-Yisrael to De’Borah Hadiyah Bat’El Ysra’El. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed. Dated: March 18, 2014 Deborah Hadiyah Dan-Yisrael Petitioner, Pro se 5449 Pepperwood Court Stone Mountain, Ga 30087 3/29, 4/5,4/12, 4/19

Notice of Petition to Change Name of MINOR CHILDREN in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV2900-3++ Mia C.Gomez Plaintiff Vs. Yumma Gomez Defendant By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated March 19, 2014 you are hereby notified that on March 11, 2014 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for: Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Mia C. Gomez 615 Milligen Drive Stone Mountain, Ga 30083. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, March 19, 2014 Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger. Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 20th day of March, 2014

CrossRoadsNews

Forum

March 29, 2014

“Congressmen Mark Pocan and Keith Ellison have introduced [a joint resolution] to amend the Constitution.”

Right to vote should be clearly guaranteed in Constitution By the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

As the 49th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Ala., approaches, I want to focus again on the issue of voting. After 246 years of slavery, Americans fought a brutal Civil War – the bloodiest in our history – to end slavery and preserve the union. Three amendments were added to the Constitution: The 13th abolished slavery; the 14th guaranteed equal protection under the laws, and the 15th outlawed discrimination in voting on the basis of race or prior servitude. But although they surrendered on the battlefield, the Confederates did not give up. They waged a fierce rear-guard battle over state sovereignty, also known as “states’ rights.” They sabotaged the postwar reconstruction, unleashing a wave of terror across the South. Several states began to enforce segregation against the newly freed slaves. And in the shameful decision of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, the Supreme Court gave approval to state Jim Crow laws, endorsing the oxymoron of “separate but equal.” It took another half century of struggle to re-establish the reach of the civil rights amendments. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed to enforce the 15th Amendment’s guarantee against discrimination in voting. States, counties and municipalities in the

“The absence of a constitutional guarantee to vote remains the source of continuing injustice. Obama … was introducing his students to an ongoing human rights struggle.” Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. JesseThe Jackson Sr.

An Opinion South continued to invent new obstacles to voting, but for areas with a history of discrimination – largely Southern states – the Voting Rights Act required preclearance of any changes in voting laws. This enabled the Justice Department to prevent significant voter suppression. But having lost the military battle in 1865 and the legal battle in 1965, the Confederates did not give up. They continued to argue for states’ rights. And since the 15th Amendment only outlawed denying a citizen his right to vote based on race or color, voting procedures remained under the control of states and localities. In 2013, with a conservative majority in control of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court revived states-rights arguments in Shelby v. Holder, acting shamefully to weaken federal authority, gutting much of the vital preclearance portions of the Voting Rights Act. Once more as the federal authority was

weakened, the Confederates churned out new obstacles to voting – strict photo ID requirements, elimination of same-day voter registration, reducing early voting periods, eliminating early registration for young people, outlawing use of student IDs and more. Within two hours of the Shelby decision, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot – now running for governor – announced that the Texas’ voter identification law, previously rejected by the U.S. Justice Department and a federal court (which said it was the most discriminatory measure of its kind in the country), would immediately be implemented. North Carolina followed shortly. Now some 34 states have erected new obstacles to voting. The absence of a constitutional guarantee to the right to vote remains the source of continuing injustice. Professor Obama wasn’t just teaching history; he was introducing his students to an ongoing human

rights struggle. If the fundamental individual right to vote had been constitutionally guaranteed in 2000, Al Gore would have been elected president over George W. Bush because all the individual votes of Floridians would have had to be counted, as felons in Florida were not allowed to cast their votes. The individual right of Florida’s citizens would have taken precedence over Florida’s state laws. If there were a constitutionally guaranteed right to vote, we would not have different laws for 50 different states and 13,000 election jurisdictions. We’d have a federal law that would govern voting rights for all. Congressmen Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) have introduced House Joint Resolution 44 to amend the Constitution to guarantee the right to vote. It would provide every American with a fundamental individual right to vote and give Congress the clear authority to create a unified national voting system with minimum standards. The right to vote is not a partisan question. It should not be left to changing legislatures or biased Supreme Court majorities. It should be clearly guaranteed in the Constitution. The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is the founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Keep up with him at www.rainbowpush.org.

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Professional, U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help. 1-800-681-3250 Advertise your product or service nationwide or by region in over 7 million households in North America’s best suburbs! Place your classified ad in over 570 suburban newspapers just like this one. Call Classified Avenue at 888-486-2466 DISH TV Retailer. Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available.) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 800-2781401 DirectTV - 2 Year Savings Event! Over 140 channels only $29.99 a month. Only DirecTV gives you 2 YEARS of savings and a FREE Genie upgrade! Call 1-800-2793018 AT&T U-Verse for just $29/mo! BUNDLE & SAVE with AT&T Internet+Phone+TV and get a FREE pre-paid Visa Card! (select plans). HURRY, CALL NOW! 1-800-256-5149

Reader Notice As a service to you – our valued readers – we offer the following information: This newspaper will never knowingly accept any advertisement that is illegal or considered fraudulent. If you have questions or doubts about any ads on these pages, we advise that before responding or sending money ahead of time, you check with the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Line and/or the Better Business Bureau. They may have records or documented complaints that will serve to caution you about doing business with those advertisers. Also be advised that some phone numbers published in these ads may require an extra charge. In all cases of questionable value, such as promises or guaranteed income from work-at-home programs, money to loan, etc., if it sounds too good to be true – it may in fact be exactly that. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for any negative consequences that occur as a result of you doing business with any advertisers. Thank you.

CrossRoadsNews

March 29, 2014

People

“This is a beautiful city and its diverse population is one of its best assets. Isn’t our politics worth reflecting one of our strongest assets – diversity?”

Roshell honored for ACA assistance Littlejohn in runoff for Texas office Former DeKalb School The Bexar County Clerk’s Board Chair Cassandra LittleOffice is similar to the DeKalb john is in a May 27 runoff for Clerk of Court Office. Bexar County clerk in Texas. Littlejohn said Thursday If she wins, she would be the that her victory would help San first African-American elected Antonio diversify its political to that office. leadership. Littlejohn, who used to Bexar County has 1.8 millive in Lithonia, served on the lion people, and only eight DeKalb School Board from African-Americans currently 2004 to 2008. She left her School serve in elected office. Board District 8 at-large seat to If elected, Littlejohn would follow her husband, Kevin, to join two blacks on the School San Antonio when he accepted Cassandra Littlejohn Board, four judges, one council once served on the a job with USAA. member, and one state repreIn Texas, she survived a four- DeKalb School Board. sentative. way race in the Democratic primary to be in “This is a beautiful city and its diverse the runoff. If she wins, she will face 19-year population is one of its best assets,” she said. incumbent Republican Gerard “Gerry” Rick- “Isn’t our politics worth reflecting one of our hoff in November. strongest assets – diversity?”

Dr. Pamela Roshell, Region IV director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has worked hard promoting and enrolling metro Atlantans for affordable health care through the Health Insurance Marketplace. On March 16, Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson recognized her efforts with a certificate of appreciation. The presentation took place during an Affordable Care Act enrollment event hosted by New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia.

Home services

Grand Opening April 5, 2014

Kitchen and Bath Showroom

Marketplace BUSINESS SERVICES S.R. Contracting - Landscaping, sinkhole/driveway repair, concrete, BobCat work, tree removal. 20+ Years Experience. Serving Dekalb & All areas. (678) 663-9765.

GARAGE SALES Huge Yard Sale. sofa, loveseats, beds, dressers, tables, desks, kids toys, golf clubs, small kitchen appliances. Friday April 5th 7:30 to 3:30pm. Saturday April 6th - 8:30 to 2:30pm. Rain or Shine Hidden Hills 5123 Villas Terrace, Stn. Mtn. Ga. 30088

HELP WANTED East Metro Contractor seeking experienced HVAC technician.

dental

DENTURES $0 CO-PAY $200

Eyewear Allowance Must have Medicare and Medicaid to qualify. Call for Free Report 1-800-704-3307, 24hrs

Must have pleasant personality and excellent driving record. E-mail resume to: lawalpha@ comcast.net Drivers: DEDICATED. REGIONAL. HOME WEEKLY/BI-WEEKLY GUARANTEED. Start up to $.44 cpm. Great Benefits + Bonuses. 90% No Touch Freight/70% Drop & Hook. 877-704-3773 Drivers: OTR & Regional Home Weekly/Bi Weekly Guaranteed! Paid Weekly + Monthly Bonuses 90% No Touch/70% Drop & Hook Paid Loaded & Empty/Rider Pro-

gram BC/BS, Rx, Dental, Vision, 401k etc... 877-704-3773 Drivers: Is it Time for a Change? Excellent Pay/Benefits+Good Home time. Dedicated Regional or OTR. No Slip Seat! CDL-A 18mos exp 877-606-7236 ext 111 or 115 Drivers: Pam Transport! Company Drivers & Owner Operators Wanted! No Touch Freight, 90%

OFF00* 10% S OF $1,5

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Drop & Hook, dedicated opportunities available. Call 855-8910354 Also seeking Recent Grads. Call Lavonna 877-440-7890 Apply Online: www.driveforpamtransport.com Drivers: $3,000.00 Orientation Completion Bonus! $3,000.00 Driver Referral Bonus! Make $63,000.00yr or more! CDL-A OTR Exp. Req. Call Now: 1-877725-8241

financial

MARKETPLACE RATES

(404) 454-1600 • (770) 609-8869

* $1,500 purchase applies to the cost of cabinets only. To qualify for the 10% discount, customers must also purchase counter top and installation.

senior services

Golden Care

Errand Services For Seniors

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

attorneys

www.idesignatl.com

7173 Covington Hwy, Suite 8 • Lithonia, Ga 30058

• Grocery & Personal Shopping • Prescription Pick up & Delivery • Address and Mail Letters • Check-in Calls for Security • Auto Care – Drop Off/Pick Up auto for service

Golden Care Errand Services For Seniors, LLC. CALL US @ 678-593-8688 or EMAIL annbryant@outlook.com

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CrossRoadsNews

March 29, 2014

Summer 2014 Admissions Application/Document DEADlInE April 7, 2014 GPTC has more than 140 programs to choose from. We have a low tuition rate with convenient large campuses in Clarkston and Covington. Most classes are available online.

www.gptc.edu â&#x20AC;˘ 404-297-9522 x1602 An Equal Opportunity Institution.