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4946 Snapfinger Woods Drive Decatur, GA 30035 Located on Snapfinger Woods Drive between Wesley Chapel Road and Miller Road (Across from Texaco) Just minutes from downtown Atlanta, Stone Crest Mall and Stone Mountain Park.
Serving DeKalb & Metro Atlanta Volume 16 Number 17
www.ocgnews.com
December 1, 2010
Santa and Snow: Oh my!
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Rockdale imposes registration fee on churches, non-profits
INSIDE Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P 3 Class Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P 6 Business News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P 9 We Worship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P 10 Health & Wellness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P 12 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P 15 CONTACT THE NEWSROOM Phone: (678) 526-1910 n Fax: (678) 526-1909 E-mail: editor@ocgnews.com
Gwinnett parks #1 in Georgia By Joshua Smith
Post II Commissioner JaNice Van Ness sponsored new law.
Rockdale County has passed a new ordinance requiring the annual registration of all non-profit organizations, including houses of worship, charitable and educational organizations, that are located in the county. The new legislation, passed unanimously by the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners, requires all non-profit organizations to pay a non-prorated, nonrefundable annual administrative fee of $10 to the County’s Department of General Services and Engineering. The ordinance, initiated by Post II Commissioner JaNice Van Ness, includes new and existing non-profit organizations. “In our ongoing efforts to be fiscally responsible and for the safety of all Rockdale citizens, I felt it necessary for the County to ensure all nonprofits, and places of worship were accurately registered,” Van Ness said. “For many reasons, organizations may move to a different location or cease to exist, and the annual registration keeps entities upto-date.” Organizations that fail to comply with the new ordinance may face a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to 60 days in jail. “The registration provides a level playing field for all non-profit organizations, including places of worship, charitable and educational organizations, from start-up, to large scale, longstanding enterprises,” Van Ness said For more information, call the Rockdale Department of General Services and Engineering at 770-278-7100.
FREE
Photo by Joshua Smith/OCG News
C
hildren beamed with delight as they welcomed Santa—and artificial snow—during the holiday parade held on Main Street in Stone Mountain. The children later heard stories from Santa and Mrs. Claus and got to write Santa a letter to send to the North Pole. For a look at other Scenes of the Season, see Page 8.
Mediation may save time, money in Bishop Long court battle By Valerie J. Morgan
A
ttorneys for Bishop Eddie Long and the four men who have accused him of sexual misconduct are working to resolve the cases through mediation, rather than going to trial. The presiding judge Johnny Panos said mediation will begin around mid February. If the case is not settled out of court, however, the first of four separate trials may begin in July or August of 2011, and could drag on for years, he said. Long, who is pastor of the mega New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, denied the allegations against him at his first hearing, which was held Nov. 19. The court case isn’t the only pressing matter Long has been dealing with lately. He and his family are mourning the death of his brother, who lives in Florida. Meanwhile, Attorney B.J. Bernstein, who is representing the four men, said she is
Bishop Eddie L. Long
preparing her case. Panos said mediation may be the best way for the parties to go. He said that it is not an admission of guilt. “Basically, if this goes to trial, it could be a very long process and a very expensive one. It could take years, given the fact that the county has a backload of cases,” Panos told On Common Ground News.
“We have to give priority to criminal cases and this is not a criminal case. Mediation will save the cost of a lot of depositions, court reporters, medical experts, just an endless sea of costs.” Panos said both sides would have to agree on the selection of a mediator who would hear each side and make a proposal to resolve the case based on the information gathered. “Mediators are neutral. They need someone who can sit and listen to both sides. Their function is to act as a go-between and serve as a safe harbor of ideas,” Panos said. Panos said agreements reached in such case do not have to be monetary settlements, but may include a variety of things—from naming a building after someone to relinquishing a position. “It can be anything that’s legal,” Panos said. The settlement or agreement reached would be confidential and not made public, Panos said.
hen it comes to play and cultural arts, Gwinnett County has the best largest parks and recreation system in the state. The Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA), which ranks parks serving populations from 10,000 and under to over 80,000, has named Gwinnett the No. 1 parks program in the state serving populations of more than 80,0000. GRPA looks at several criteria including how well parks are maintained, programming and citizen involvement and support systems. “Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation is one of the best park agencies in the world,” said Lois Allen, chair of the Gwinnett County Recreation Authority. “Not only has it been recognized by the GRPA, but it also has been recognized by the National Recreation and Park Association. Our parks are not good because we have been recognized; we have been recognized because our parks are one of the fine components of our quality of life in Gwinnett.” As one of the fastestgrowing and most culturallydiverse counties in the state, Gwinnett, which has 44 parks totaling 9,121 acres, prides itself on providing exceptional services: Annually, Gwinnett offers 271 special events and festivals, 242 programs and classes for adults, and 3,449 programs for youths. The county, which has a $38 million operating budget for parks and recreation, utilized 3,193 volunteers who contributed 58,000 hours of service—a value of $1.1 million. More stats that make Gwinnett No. 1: The county has 17 swimming pools, five community recreation centers, two senior centers and six activity buildings. Gwinnett employs 155 fulltime staff members, 72 parttime staff and 249 seasonal staff members in Parks & Recreation.