PEOPLE
COMMUNITY
YOUTH
Lithonia resident Donald Colbert (left) and his family have reason to celebrate after he won $1 million in a lottery scratch-off game. 4
The Fairington Convenient Center in Lithonia was the scene of a food giveaway sponsored by the African American Association of Georgia. 5
Students at Southwest DeKalb have created a series of videos that dramatize school violence in order to raise awareness of bullying and its consequences. 8
One happy family
Copyright © 2011 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
Mobile food pantry
May 28, 2011
Taking on the bullies
Volume 17, Number 4
www.crossroadsnews.com
Decatur Holiday Inn to become Courtyard by Marriott By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
date has not yet been finalized. “Our renovation and development team is in the process of finalizing the design and renovation timelines,” she said. Some of the extensive renovations will be disruptive, and Herring said the hotel will be closed during the majority of the renovation. “I will tell you that we will be working on an aggressive renovation timeline and we are looking to be completed by first quarter of 2012,” Rodney Williams she said. Rodney Williams, Noble’s chief investment officer and a managing principal, said the physical enhancement, rebranding and repositioning will enable the hotel
One of downtown Decatur’s best known landmarks – the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center – is getting a new name and a much-needed face lift. The aging 184-room hotel, which opened in 1989, was purchased this week by the privately held Noble Investment Group, which said it will transform the property into a Courtyard by Marriott hotel. The hotel’s 15,000-square-foot Decatur Conference Center also will be extensively renovated. The Atlanta-based lodging and hospitality real estate company did not release the purchase price of the property, but Bonnie Herring, its director of corporate communications, said it will invest more than $9 million on the rebranding and repositioning of the hotel as a Courtyard by Marriott. Herring said Wednesday that the construction start Please see HOTEL, page 7
Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews
The Decatur Holiday Inn and Conference Center will be transformed into a Courtyard by Marriott hotel by first quarter 2012.
Farmers Bring Harvests to Town Fresh produce, goodies crop up in metro markets By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
It’s the growing season, and a cornucopia of fresh vegetables, fruits and homemade goodies from local farmers is available at farmers markets all around us. Some of the markets, like the Stonecrest Farmers Market, are new, but others are old friends that have been around for years. The East Metro Farmers Market at Stonecrest started its second season on May 7, but the year-round Wednesday Decatur Farmers Market in downtown Decatur has been around for nine years. Nichole Coleson, who started the Wednesday Market with her husband, Greg, said they just wanted healthy foods for their daughter Lydia when she was born in 2002. “There wasn’t a farmers market that was convenient to us, and living in Decatur we knew that our neighbors wanted the same.” Back then, there weren’t many farmers growing organically and sustainably, but with the renewed interest from consumers in eating healthy foods and the national assault on obesity, Coleson said they were able to add Saturday Market a year ago. “We don’t have to recruit farmers anymore,” she said. “Since interest is so high in organic, there are many more farmers now.” Both Decatur markets attract between 10 and 20 farmers weekly. Some are certified organic growers and others just use organic and sustainable growing methods. Coleson said the number of people buying locally grown foods has increased as awareness about hormones in food grows. For example, Johnston Family Farm’s fresh milk, cheeses and frozen yogurt are enormously popular with families.
Locally grown fresh vegetables are among the offerings at the Wednesday Decatur Farmers Market in the Bank of American parking lot in at the corner of Church Street and Commerce Drive. Farmers markets are also open at Stonecrest, Eastlake and East Atlanta and Emory.
“With the hormones going into cattle feed and producing premature development in girls, we see a lot of families who come to get the milk straight from the farm,” she said. “What has become very clear to us is that there is a group of people who are interested in eating organic, but it is a lifestyle and behavioral change and that’s the real challenge.” Eating organic can be a little pricey, and to encourage families with limited income to embrace healthy eating, Coleson said they
secured a grant this year from the Wholesome Ways Foundation to double EBT dollars for shoppers on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly food stamps. At Stonecrest, the farmers market is offering access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, other farm products and local artisans along the I-20 corridor. This year, the market has partnered with Wesley Apartment Homes and switched its open day to Saturdays from Thursdays.
Its regular farmers include Taylor Organics, Double B Farm and Bobby Britt Farms. Breads and jams and jelly and shea butter also are available. Doug Williams and his wife Amy started the East Lake Farmers Market in 2009 to bring something positive to the once crime-ridden corner at Second Avenue and Hosea Williams Avenue. Williams said they also wanted increase access to locally grown fresh fruits Please see MARKETS, page 5