VOLUME 22 NUMBER 2
FREE
APRIL9, 2016
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews
Clarkston pushing to decriminalize marijuana
Mayor Ted Terry By Valerie J. Morgan
T
he city of Clarkston could become Georgia’s first municipality to decriminalize marijuana. If successful, it would join 20 states and dozens of cities that have ordinances that make possession of small amounts of marijuana a non-criminal offense. Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry said
city officials plan to review whether to make possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a ticket-only offense that would amount to a $5 fine in municipal court for a first offense. There would be no arrest, he said. “We’re sending people to jail and they’re racking up fines and fees and life-long criminal records for what I believe are low-level, non-violent offenses. We should be focusing on real public threats: burglary, break-ins, violent crimes and drug abuse,” said Terry. Clarkston averages about 70 to 80 arrests a year involving people who had less than an ounce of marijuana in their possession, Terry said. He said many of those arrested are poor and cannot afford the stiff penalties that now come with possession of small quantities of marijuana. Terry, who has served as mayor of Clarkston since 2014, oversees one of metro Atlanta’s most diverse
populations. Terry said relaxing the penalties for simple possession of marijuana, however, does not mean opening the doors for people to freely smoke marijuana, sell it or possess other illicit drugs in Clarkston. Those things, he said, won’t be tolerated. Terry said he believes that cities, in his opinion, have “concurrent jurisdiction” with the state over low-level drug offenses. He said the city’s attorney has already approved the ordinance in principle. “ We believe that we can do it based on current state laws,” said Terry. Terry said the City Council’s Public Safety Council plans to discuss the proposed ordinance on April 22, 5 p.m., at the Clarkston Woman’s Club. An ordinance could be ready for a council vote by May, he said. Some 20 states have passed
ordinances to make possessing small amounts of marijuana a non-criminal offense, according to NORML, an organization pushing to legalize marijuana use. Currently, possessing an ounce or less of pot in Clarkston, , can still result in up to a year of jail time and a $1,000 fine. “The bottom line is we’re losing the war on drugs,” Terry said. “It’s time for elected officials to use evidence-based policies to make our communities safer and fight drug abuse. Our judicial system should be about serving justice.”
BIBLE JAMBOREE
Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church is sending hundreds of bibles to underdeveloped countries By Valerie J. Morgan
O
n a sunny Thursday morning, when they might otherwise be enjoying a spring morning, a group of mostly retired volunteers formed an assembly line in a church fellowship hall and filled dozens of boxes with bibles. The bibles, which were packed and mailed on April 7, are headed to countries where some people have never owned a bible of their own. Pastor James Ward, who heads Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church, said his congregation is partnering with a ministry called “Love Packages” in Butler, Illinois, on the bible giving initiative. This year will mark the third that the Lithonia church has held “Bible Jamboree,” collecting a record number of bibles from its congregants—1,350—to send to underdeveloped countries. “We are excited to be a blessing to others,” said Pastor Ward, who has over 100 bibles in different translations. “We asked our members to donate and some didn’t just give one bible; they went out and bought 20 or 30 bibles. When we talk about the bible and its importance in our lives, many of us don’t really consider what that means to someone who lives in a country where people don’t have a bible. In some places, you have people dividing up one bible, tearing individual books out of the bible
just so they can read the Scriptures.” Deaconess Frances Anderson, who teaches the Women’s Sunday School class, said those kinds of testimonies are what inspired her to birth the Love Packages ministry at Antioch-Lithonia. “My daughter who lives in Maryland was telling me about the ministry and I really wanted my church to participate, too,” said Anderson. “We asked the Sunday School classes to participate. Many treasured their own family bibles, which have been handed down through the years, so they went out and bought bibles to donate.” Last year, Antioch-Lithonia collected about 700 bibles. This year, the church exceeded its goal of 1,000 and actually collected 1,350, said Minister
Vanessa Richardson, who heads the church’s Christian Education Ministry. She said Pastor Ward plans to recognize the individuals who donated the most bibles during Sunday worship service. “We made it a friendly competition with the different Sunday School classes donating the bibles. Everyone enjoyed participating,” said Richardson. Hazel Grant, who helped co-chair the event, said participating in the Bible Jamboree brings her Christian education full circle. “As a student at Faith Bible Institute, I’m learning more about the Scriptures and about Christianity. My hope is that those who receive the bibles will find peace and understanding of God’s Word.”
Pitching In: Deaconess Frances Anderson, Chair Hazel Grant – Co-Chair Carrie Banks Marquis Bolding Patricia Cauthen Deacon Charles Durham Raiford Jackson William Mauesby Minister Vanessa Richardson – Minister of Christian Education Gloamy Lee Sang Deacon Sylvester Spann, Sr. Geraldine House Thomas Shirley Thomas Doretha Ward Deacon Lorenzo Wilkerson Frank Williams