CrossRoadsNews, April 14, 2012

paddle down the river.Jackie Echols, presi-

dent of the South River Watershed Alliance, said the mission’s goal is to ed-ucate and to allow people to experience firsthand the river’s hidden beauty, its tranquillity, its high banks, cozy tree canopies, and beautiful rock outcroppings.

Echols said the South River has the po-tential to be a destination in South DeKalb but that it has an image problem.

“Degradation has led to river avoidance,

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was arrested April 11 for shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin to death in February in Sanford, Fla.

Special prosecu-tor Angela Corey said Zimmerman, 28, will face second-degree murder charges in the death of the un-armed teen, who was wearing a hoodie on a rainy Feb. 26 eve-ning on his way home from the store with a pack of Skittles and a bottle of iced tea.

The killing drew thousands of pro-testers to Sanford calling for the arrest of Zimmerman, who claimed self-defense under Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law and was released. Protesters also called for justice in demonstrations at Georgia’s State Capitol, in New York, and in cities around the country.

Zimmerman’s arrest came 45 days after Trayvon’s death and followed weeks of mounting tension and protests across the country.

On the night of the shooting, he was 80 pounds heavier than the teen.

In his new arrest mug shot, he had lost weight and was visibly thinner.

Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman’s lawyer, told reporters Wednesday outside his Orlando office that his client would plead

Trayvon’s killer now arrested

Eleven office build-ings in DeKalb County were among 176 in metro Atlanta that earned the EPA’s Energy Star rating. 8

Environmental excellenceWELLNESS

Step teams from all grade levels will vie for awards and bragging rights at the 2012 Step Off hosted by St. Philip’s Young Peo-ple Ministry. 11

Step team competitionSCENE

COVER PAGE

A Less Curvy Turner HiLL

Project to widen road near Stonecrest gets mixed reviews

Jennifer Napier (from left) of Kimley-Horn & Associates, Charity Belford of Georgia DOT, and resident Shawn Dowdell discuss aspects of the proposed widening of Turner Hill Road south of the Mall at Stonecrest.

Richard Grove (left), Glen Smith and Jim Gawlas (not pictured) retrieved an abandoned boat from the South River in preparation for a canoe trip by officials and river advocates on April 28.

Friends of South River to show off its beauty, warts

Jackie Echols

Trayvon Martin

George Zimmerman

Curtis Parker / CrossroadsNews


Please see TURNER HILL, page 5 Please see ZIMMERMAN, page 5

Please see SOUTH RIVER, page 4

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

www.crossroadsnews.comApril 14, 2012 Volume 17, Number50Copyright © 2011 CrossroadsNews, iNC.

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What a difference a couple of years make!

In the summer of 2010, families with small children frolicking in the nasty waters of the South River were chased away by news of the river’s high fecal chloroform levels. Warning signs and a wire fence were erected on the banks of Panola Shoals and Highway 155 to bar the uninformed and the adventur-ous from using the river.

But on April 28, eight canoes loaded with more than a dozen river advocates, county and congressional officials, and members of the South River Watershed Alliance will take off from those same shoals for a 4.5-mile


Construction on a long-planned widen-ing of Turner Hill Road between Mall Park-way and McDaniel Mill Road in Lithonia is now slated to begin in 2014.

Fifty-two residents who live near the $18 million project attended an April 10 public hearing open house at the Stonecrest Library and gave it mixed reviews.

Some liked that it will straighten the existing curvy two-lane road and bring sidewalks, a walking trail, and street and pedestrian lights.

Others complain that a four-lane road with a median will destroy the area’s rural flavor.

Shawn Dowdell, who lives just beyond the

end of 1.5-mile project in the Stoney Creek subdivision, said he liked the improvements he saw on the large maps on display during the meeting.

“My only concern would be what other development is going to come behind it,” he said. “If a water park is going to follow it, I won’t be happy.”

The project will begin at Mall Parkway and end just past McDaniel Mill Road. It will widen the two-lane road to four lanes in each direction with a 24-foot median.

It will have a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail on its east side and a 5-foot sidewalk on the west side. There will be streetlights along the multi-use trail and pedestrian lighting along the sidewalks.

It also will improve intersection ap-

proaches at McDaniel Mill and Rockland roads.

Jerry Brooks of Kim-ley-Horn & Associates, the project’s design con-sultants, said the improve-ments will transform the curvy road into a straight-away.

“They will make it saf-er for motorists and pedestrians,” he said.

Carlton Reid, who lives in nearby Crest-view Manor subdivision two miles from the Mall at Stonecrest, said he was excited about the improvements.

“They are opening up the lanes and put-

Jerry Brooks

A DeKalb grand jury indicted Spellen on three counts of rape and aggravated child molestation on July 26, 2011. The indictment accuses him of having “carnal knowledge of” a 9-year-old girl between May 23 and June 3.

Spellen has denied the charges.Prosecutors told Judge Clarence See-

liger that the victim’s uncle spotted Spellen at the studio where children present.

“I did see one child that was in the area when he was talking to adults,” the child’s uncle told Seeliger. Spellen’s attorneys showed surveillance video from the studio that they said proves that their client didn’t come in contact with children.

The Decatur man suspected of a number of sexual assaults against women he allegedly cased at a Decatur grocery store will face a judge on April 19.

Gary Mincey, 35, will be arraigned before DeKalb Su-perior Court Judge Gail Flake on rape, armed robbery, bur-glary and false imprisonment charges.

DeKalb police arrested Mincey on Dec. 1, 2011, for following a woman home from the Publix gro-cery store on Flakes Mill Road.

Officers said that while the woman was unpack-ing her groceries, Mincey sneaked into her home near Columbia Drive and sexually assaulted her. He also stole her cell phone and laptop before taking off in a dark SUV, police said.

Investigators said they spotted the SUV the next day near the same Publix and arrested Mincey after a brief chase.

He is currently in the DeKalb County Jail.

2 Community “Mr. Spellen showed utter disregard for the terms of the bond. I will revoke his bond. Take him into custody.”

Decatur man held in sexual assault, burglary cases

Community cleanup for Wesley Chapel Road

Events celebrate Earth Day

Spellen jailed until trial on child rape charges

Gary Mincey

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Held in conjunction with D&E, HomeSafe Georgia and DeKalb County.

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Salem Bible ChurchFellowship Hall

5460 Hillandale DriveLithonia, 30058

Area residents can celebrate the great outdoors with Earth Day events and cleanup activities in observance of National County Government Month.

The monthlong national celebration is raising public awareness and un-derstanding about the roles and responsibilities of county government.

In commemoration of the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, DeKalb will host several events on April 21, including:n Keep DeKalb Beautiful South River Cleanup – 9 a.m.-1 p.m., meeting point is Murphey Candler Elementary School, 6775 S. Goddard Road in Lithonia. Keep DeKalb Beautiful, in partnership with Comcast Cares, will host a stream cleanup event to remove trash and debris from the banks of the South River. Supplies will be provided and registration is required. For more information, contact Amber Weaver at kdb@dekalbcountyga .gov or 404-371-2654.n Gardens in the Park – 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Exchange Intergenerational Park, 2771 Columbia Drive in Decatur. Residents will plant a community garden.n Day in the Park – 1:30-4:30 p.m., Mason Mill Park, 1340 McConnell Drive in Decatur. PATH/wetland ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. and dog park ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:45 p.m.

For more information about National County Government Month events, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov or call 404-371-2881.

By Carla Parker

Lithonia tae kwon do instructor and Olympic athlete Adri-an Spellen was taken into custody April 9 after a DeKalb Superior Court judge revoked his bond.

Spellen, who is charged with raping a 9-year-old female student in 2011 at his Powerkicks Martial Arts studio in Li-thonia, was out on a $100,000 bond and ordered not to have contact with children under the age of 16.

Seeliger was not swayed.“Mr. Spellen showed utter disregard

for the terms of the bond,” Seeliger said. “I will revoke his bond. Take him into custody.”

After the order, one of Spellen’s sisters screamed out in the courtroom and was restrained by her mother and sister before deputies led her out of court.

Stephanie Bryant, Spellen’s other sister, told WSB-TV Channel 2 that she disagreed with the ruling.

“It’s unfair,” she said before an attorney asked her to stop speaking.

Spellen will remain in jail until his trial, which has not been scheduled.

Adrian Spellen

Local activists from elected officials to school-children will roll up their sleeves for a community cleanup that includes Wesley Chapel Road on April 21 in honor of Earth Day, which falls on April 22.

DeKalb’s Super District 7 Commissioner Stan Watson is partnering with Commissioner Larry Johnson; state Reps. Rahn Mayo, Howard Mosby and Pamela Stephenson; and neighboring subdi-visions, local schools, businesses and churches to spruce up areas along Wesley Chapel, Rainbow Drive and Flat Shoals Parkway.

The cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. Volunteers will meet at the corner of Kelley Chapel and Boring roads.

Watson challenges the community to join him.“Let’s pull up your sleeves and make a differ-

ence,” he said, adding that it’s important to Keep DeKalb Beautiful each and every day.

For more information, contact Kelly LaJoie at [email protected] or 404-371-3681.

CrossRoadsNews April 14, 20122

3Community “It is not to speak for or against Brookhaven, but to speak for the need to plan should it happen.”

Brookhaven city and annexations to cost county lots of doughBy Mary Swint

The new city of Brookhaven approved by state legislators, could reduce DeKalb County’s tax revenue by $21.8 million in 2013 and become a catalyst for property taxes increasing between 9.3 percent and 11.4 percent.

The county is also trying to determine potential loss of revenue from three to four cities annexing unincorporated areas by January. The DeKalb commission’s finance committee presented estimates on the poten-tial revenue loss at a special called meeting on April 11. It also called on DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis to present a plan soon for deal-ing with the loss of taxes that will occur if Brookhaven voters approve the city in a refer-endum that will be on their July 31 ballot.

The referendum was authorized by HB 636 that passed by the General Assembly on March 29.

District 5 Commissioner Lee May, who chairs the finance committee, said the pur-pose of the analysis is to show a mid-range scenario for changes to the county’s current operating budget.

“It is not to speak for or against Brookhaven,” he said, “but to speak for the need to plan should it happen.”

The committee’s analysis used revenue figures from the Carl Vinson Institute’s No-vember 2011 Brookhaven feasibility study and from the 2012 budget adopted on Feb. 28. While the revenue loss could range from $15.1 million to $28.5 million, the com-mittee’s analysis focused on a middle range estimate of $21.8 million, which is a 14.9 percent reduction in three tax funds directly affected by the incorporation of Brookhaven. These three tax funds totaled $146.6 million in the 2012 budget.

The committee estimated the Police

Fund, which was $110.8 million in the 2012 budget, could lose $16.5 million or the equivalent of 233 full-time positions.

The Designated Fund, which pays for parks, roads and transportation, could lose $4.1 million or the equivalent of 74 full-time positions. The Unincorporated Fund that pays for Recorders Court, Planning, Business License and DeKalb County TV (DCTV) could be reduced by $1.2 million or the equivalent of 22 positions.

To recover the lost tax revenue, the county could raise the property millage rate, which is currently at 21.21 mills, to somewhere between 23.19 and 23.63 mills. That would mean increasing the property tax by 9.3 to 11.4 percent. It would depend on the size of the tax digest, which has not been determined yet.

In response to the committee’s request for a plan from the administration, Finance Director Joel Gottlieb said they have been meeting every week on the issue with the

department heads. “The CEO plans to provide details

shortly,” he said.May asked Gottlieb for a timeline next

week for the CEO’s presentation of his plan for reacting to the potential Brookhaven incorporation.

“It is hard to believe the reaction of the CEO will be quick. Nothing happens quick-ly,” Commissioner Elaine Boyer said, adding that the administration has been working on outsourcing the emergency ambulance service for two years and is not finished yet.

J. Max Davis, president of Brookhaven Yes organization, said he welcomes a cut in staff.

“DeKalb has too many employees,” he said about the committee’s report. “The call for a tax increase is a scare tactic.”

Davis said the county’s first reaction is always a tax increase but DeKalb should cut staff because they will serve 48,000 fewer people when Brookhaven becomes a city.

The Carl Vinson Institute study shows that the city of Brookhaven would have 12 square miles and 49,188 residents, making it the largest city in DeKalb and Georgia’s 16th largest. Brookhaven’s boundaries would be I-285 and Dunwoody to the north, Ful-ton County and Sandy Springs to the west, Claremont Road to the east, and I-85 to the south. If approved by voters, it would begin operations in December.

Four cities annexingGottlieb said Brookhaven is only part

of the plan overall because annexations ap-proved by the General Assembly in March are under way for Chamblee, Doraville, Decatur and Avondale Estates.

On March 27, the governor signed into law HB 1006 that calls for a November ref-erendum to approve a Chamblee annexation that would add the southern half of PDK Airport to the city, which already contains the other half.

The annexation would also extend the city’s border southeast along Clairmont Road to I-85. It has been estimated that DeKalb County will lose $2-3 million in tax revenue from this annexation.

Chamblee, which has about 16,000 resi-dents now, will add about 11,300 residents and about 2.5 square miles if the referendum passes in November. Some of the area to be annexed was originally included in the pro-posed boundaries for Brookhaven.

Rep. Elena Parent, who sponsored HB 1006, said some area residents and the Chamblee City Council asked for the leg-islation, but residents wanted to wait to see whether Brookhaven was formed before they decide on annexation into Chamblee.

“They would be in an isolated strip of DeKalb if Brookhaven is formed,” Parent said.

n Doraville will annex 1,500 to 2,000 people and half a square mile effective Jan. 1, 2013 without a referendum. The annexed area has 53 commercial parcels and 15 industrial parcels. About half of the land has apartments and 20 percent has single-family homes. The new residents will dramatically increate the Doraville’s 2010 population of 8,330. n The City of Decatur and Avondale annexations will be effective July 1. Decatur’s and Avondale Estates’ boundaries on College Avenue will meet at Sams Crossing. The city of Decatur will annex 10 commercial parcels on a quarter mile stretch of College Avenue near the Avondale MARTA Station. The city also plans annex Suburban Plaza later. Avondale Estates gets three-tenths of a mile along East College Avenue from Maple Street to Sams Crossing. That annexation will add 13 acres and 23 commercial parcels to Avondale Estates. n Because of the Chamblee annexation, DeKalb County will relocate its proposed new North Precinct headquarters, which was to be built on land next to the airport to Memorial Drive.

The annexation shakeout

CrossRoadsNewsApril 14, 2012 3

4 Community

index to advertisers

Project to widen road gets mixed reviews 1

Construction on a long-planned widening of Turner Hill Road between Mall Parkway and McDaniel Mill Road in Lithonia is now slated to begin in 2014.

Decatur man held in sexual assault, burglary cases 2

The Decatur man suspected of a number of sexual assaults against women he alleg-edly cased at a Decatur grocery store will face a judge on April 19.

Brookhaven, annexations to cost county lots 3

The new city of Brookhaven approved by state legislators, could reduce DeKalb County’s tax revenue by $21.8 million in 2013 and become a catalyst for property taxes increasing up to 11.4 percent.

Black elected officials congregating in DeKalb 6

Metro Atlanta residents can meet elected officials from around the country at several events during the 28th Annual Economic Development NOBCO Conference on April 18-22 in Decatur.

Energy Star buildings help Atlanta nab third place 8

Eleven DeKalb County office and hotel buildings have earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2011 Energy Star cer-tification.

Workshop offers info for fibroid sufferers 9

Women suffering from fibroids can learn about a non-surgical treatment on April 26 at DeKalb Medical at Hillandale in Lithonia on April 26.

Mother’s Titanic song stands the test of time 10

A century ago when the Titanic sank on April 14, 1912, Emily Bowden Bryant Glea-ton was a 12-year-old girl growing up on the White plantation in Ellenwood.

Victory church hosting hoodie service for Trayvon 11

Church leaders, members and visitors will be wearing hoodies to Victory for the World Church April 15 Sunday worship service to show solidarity for Trayvon Martin.

$10,000 grant for McNair Wrestling Mustangs 12

Two months after winning their first DeKalb County title, the McNair High School Wrestling Mustangs will receive another award – a $10,000 grant from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Aetna ............................................................. 3BJH Attorneys & Counselors at Law ..............14Boss’s Bar-B-Que .........................................1,2Chapel Hill Orthodontics ...............................12Congressman Hank Johnson ......................... 2Creative Keystrokes .......................................14DeKalb Convention & Visitor’s Bureau ..........12DeKalb County School System .......................6

Dr. Craig B. Williams, DDS.............................13Dykes Desktop...............................................14Final Expense Insurance & Planning .............15First African Presbyterian Church .................. 11Gwinnett Federal Credit Union ......................6Hibachi Grill ................................................... 5Kidney & Hypertension Center ......................8Kilombo Academic & Cultural Institute .........15

DeKalb Medical Center ..................................9Living Healthy DeKalb .................................... 7MetroPCS ......................................................15National Kidney Foundation ..........................8Reliant Income Managers .............................15Marlin & Ray’s Seafood Grill ......................... 11Skyline Records .............................................15Smokerise Summer Day Camp ..................... 11

Star Tax Services ...........................................15Stewart Unlimited Inc ....................................15Tees of Power ...............................................15The Affordable Hair Salon ............................14The Davis Bozeman Law Firm, P.C. ...............14The Samuel Group ........................................15Best Buy Co. Inc. .................................... InsertsWalgreens .............................................. Inserts

QuiCk Read

“We need to move forward now. We need to work toward the improvements that we want to see.”

CrossRoadsNews is pub-lished every Saturday by CrossRoads News, Inc.

We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers.

The concep t , de -sign and content of CrossRoads News are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the writ-ten permission of the publisher.

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LOCAL

SERVICES!LOCAL

GOODS!

Neglected stream abused by residents, counties


Richard Grove removes a tire from the South River. He has retrieved hundreds of tires from the river.

SOUTH RIVER, fROm pagE 1

and education and access are the keys to revers-ing this trend and securing a healthy future for South River,” she said.

“Education and access will also put pres-sure on the DeKalb Department of Watershed Management to aggressively address the sanitary sewer overflow problem.”

The South River’s image problem goes back decades. The neglected river, which runs nearly 15 miles through southern DeKalb County, has been abused by both residents and the counties through which it runs.

Atlanta and DeKalb both release sewer overflows into the river, and it has long been a dumping ground for everything from plastic soda bottles to old automobile tires.

Even abandoned boats have been dumped on the river. Just two weeks ago, Richard Grove, a river advocate who has canoed the South River’s 58-plus mile-run to the Gulf of Mexico, pulled an abandoned boat from it.

Grove, who has retrieved hundreds of car and truck tires from the river with his bare hands, recruited a couple of friends to help re-trieve the boat, which was partially submerged 1.1 miles downriver from Panola Shoals.

The river trip is part of the SRWA’s Beyond the Bridge project that will include two to three canoe outings for citizens to experience the river firsthand and to increase their connection to the river and a photographic series of the river to be displayed at venues throughout south DeKalb County.

The project also will create a user-friendly map of the river that will be distributed county-wide.

Those making April’s 28 inaugural trip in-clude Andy Phelan, congressional aide to U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson; Phil Delestrez, a natural-ist from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; photographer Bruce Morton; Jenny Hoffner from American Rivers; SRWA members Morris Sammons, Keith Parsons, Patrice Davis, Howard McDermott and Doug Denton; Green-Law attorney David Deganian; Dave Butler from DeKalb County Public Works; Deborah Schneider from District 2 Commissioner Jeff Rader’s office; and Davis Fox from District 6 Commissioner Kathie Gannon’s office.

Echols said they had hoped the commis-sioners and CEO Burrell Ellis could have joined the trip, but it conflicts with the State County

Commissioners meeting that is taking place in Savannah on the same day.

“Hopefully, their staff will take back the message,” Echols said, adding that she will invite them again for the summer and fall trips.

Beyond the Bridge is part of South River 2020, an eight-and-a-half-year initiative to build community connection and sustained commu-nity involvement for the South River.

The initiative unveiled in July 2011 includes building a water trail – a recreational and edu-cational corridor of access points, boat launches, forests, parks, refuges, and other public ameni-ties that will become economic stimulus and help protect resources important to the quality of life of local residents.

“Achieving the designation of water trail for South River will require the support of all stakeholders, but the support of DeKalb’s elected officials is particularly important,” Echols said. “This is an opportunity for the CEO and BOC to show their support for the river and com-munities that lie along its path.”

She adds that it also will enhance the green-space purchases the county has made.

“What we have in south DeKalb County is greenspace with a river running through it, which moves the barometer of possibilities to a whole new level,” Echols said.

After the April 28 trip down the river, cano-ers will be treated to a picnic lunch at Everett Park, which is on the banks of the river at Klondike Road, before being shuttled back to their vehicles at Panola Shoals.

“The only way to get people interested in the river is to get them on the river,” Echols said. “The only way to appreciate it is to get on it.”

As it stands today, Echols said that the South River is not nearly as polluted as it used to be and that her group is seeking grants to begin monitoring the quality of the river’s water.

“Every grant application we do, we ask for money to monitor the river,” she said.

She said the SRWA would like to do regular water testing and post the information on its Web site so that members of the public who want to use the river can know the daily state of the river.

She said that fencing the river in 2010 was the best way to handle the situation then.

“We need to move forward now,” Echols said. “We need to work toward the improvements that we want to see.”

She that fecal chloroform is an issue in every urban river but it’s not enough to say the river is already polluted and do nothing.

“With that mentality, you feel that you don’t have to do anything to clean it up,” she said.

Echols said that people can have contact with the river if the water quality is within the range specified by the Environmental Protec-tion Division.

Fecal chloroform is harmful to compro-mised immune systems and open sores, but it’s not deadly. In a canoe, there is limited contact with the water.

On April 28, Echols and other canoeists will take lots of hand sanitizers with them on the trip.

She said the only way to get the river cleaned up is to put pressure on DeKalb Watershed Management and to get voters who want to use the river fighting for it.

“You have to start somewhere,” she said. “We have to get folks on the river.”

For more information, contact Echols at [email protected] or 404-285-3756.


5

“I have been up and down as if I was on a roller coaster. But I know beyond the shadow of a doubt

that justice will be served.” Sybrina Fulton

not guilty. Trayvon’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, who

watched Wednesday’s televised announce-ment of the charges against Zimmerman from Washington, D.C., said she knew that justice would come for her son.

“I have been up and down as if I was on a roller coaster,” she said. “But I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that justice will be served.”

Corey, Florida’s state attorney, said Zim-merman had turned himself in to police.

“He is in custody,” she said.In response to questions from reporters,

she said that it would be improper to discuss the evidence against him.

Decatur lawyer Mawu-li Mel Davis welcomed the news of Zimmerman’s arrest.

“It’s a good first start, but there is still a long way to go,” said Davis, who was among thousands of protesters who went to Florida on March 22 to call for Zimmerman’s arrest.

He said it will take six to nine months to get to a crucial hearing on the Stand Your Ground Law, which gives Floridians the right to protect themselves with deadly force if they feel threatened.

“That hearing will determine if a jury even gets to hear the case,” he said.

Davis, who is a partner in the Davis Bozeman Law on Flat Shoals Parkway, said that Trayvon’s supporters will have to stay focused, vigilant, organized and active.

“As a community, we tend to claim vic-tory before we cross the finish line,” he said. “It’s a marathon, so we have to keep up the fight.”

Community “I came here to get away from the hustle and bustle and now they are going to ruin it.”

Arrest follows tension, weeks of protests

Four-lane road will change area’s rural flavor, opponents say

Mawuli Davis

ZImmERmaN, fROm pagE 1

TURNER HILL, fROm pagE 1

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ting in sidewalks and taking out that curve you can’t see around,” he said. “Those are all good things.”

Reid said that he currently experiences problems making the turn into his daughters’ day care center.

“People are always speeding and it’s only two lanes,” he said. “This will certainly make it better.”

But one of his neighbors, who didn’t want to give her name, said it’s a bad idea to turn the road into a four-lane highway.

“Once you give them four lanes, people will start flying,” she said. “This is a small back road. Once you widen it, it will change everything.”

The woman called the improvements, which will taper back into a two-lane road after a mile and a half, a waste of money.

“It [the road] doesn’t really take you anywhere,” she said. “It still doesn’t connect you to anything.”

The woman said she and her husband moved to the Parc at Stonecrest a year ago because the area “was nice and quiet.”

“I came here to get away from the hustle and bustle and now they are going to ruin it,” she said. “They could straighten the road, but we don’t need four lanes. It would be good if they just bring us the sidewalks and keep the highway.”

When the project was first proposed in 2002, it drew strong opposition from resi-dents. At a January 2002 meeting, attended by more than 300 residents, Rosemarie Pick-ett, who was president of the Klondike Civic Association, said the road was simply an item on the new mall’s “wish list.”

At that time, the proposed project was five miles long, going past McDaniel Mill, Flat Shoals and Browns Mill roads to Union Church Road.

The Georgia Department of Transporta-tion says that widening of Turner Hill Road will address travel demands for I-20 and the mall and meet local goals of improving safety

and pedestrian access.It’s the latest development in the

Stonecrest area, where growth had slowed in the wake of the economic downturn.

In February, the area landed a $100,000 Livable Centers Initiative grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission to study a growth strategy for a live-work-play commu-nity anchored by the 1.3 million-square-foot Mall at Stonecrest.

The grant will fund a study focused on creating strategies to improve the long-term economic viability of the Stonecrest region.

The Stonecrest Growth Initiative Task Force and the Stonecrest Business Alliance, which pushed for the LCI grant, want to improve the area’s treacherous rural roads, replace a rotted wooden bridge, and link and connect roads and sidewalks. They also are pushing to connect to a future Park & Ride that MARTA plans at Hayden Quarry Road and Mall Parkway and create “a sense of arrival” gateway to the area at the I-20/Turner Hill Exit.

Brooks, design consultant for the road widening project, said rights of way purchase for the project will begin within the next 18 months.

Forty-four parcels will be acquired for $6 million, which DeKalb County will pay. The county also will pay 20 percent of the proj-ect’s $12 million construction costs. Federal funds will cover the rest.

Construction is slated to start in fiscal 2014, which begins July 2014.

Residents who missed the open house have until April 25 to comment on the proj-ect at www.dot.ga.gov. To post a comment, click on Public Outreach from the Informa-tion Center dropdown menu at the top right side of the page. All comments will become part of the project’s record. The display and plans are also available for review through April 24 at GDOT’s District 7 Area 1 Office, 805 George Luther Drive in Decatur.

For more information, call Perry Black at 404-631-1224 or Bobby Dollar at 404-631-1920.


6 FinanCe The meetings are an outgrowth of Boston’s Community Prosecution Program to combat quality-of-life crimes.

Black elected officials congregating in DeKalb Business Watch on the breakfast menu

Walmart starts hunger fight on Facebook

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Metro Atlanta residents can meet elected officials from around the country at several events during the 28th Annual Economic Development NOBCO Conference on April 18-22 in Decatur.

Commissioner Larry Johnson, presiding officer of the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, is host for the National Organization of Black Elected Officials conference, which will feature a number of workshops focused on issues facing elected officials and impacting decisions that they make on behalf of their respective constituents.

Technology will be a feature – information about technol-ogy available for governments and the use of social media are just some of the topics to be covered.

The following events are open to the public:n Future Leaders Luncheon. April 19 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott, 130 Clairemont Ave. in Decatur; $30. n Opening Reception – “A Taste of DeKalb.” April 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive in Decatur. n Business Roundtable Reception. April 21 from 5:30 to 7:30

South DeKalb business owners can attend a series of community breakfasts to discuss public safety concerns beginning April 18.

DeKalb County Solicitor General Sherry Boston, Commissioner Larry Johnson, and the DeKalb Police Department, South Precinct, are holding the meetings, which will address public safety concerns, how to form a Business Watch program, and the role businesses can play in keeping communities safe.

The first meeting will be held for the Candler Road Corridor on April 18 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Piccadilly Restaurant in the Gallery at South DeKalb mall. Space is limited – R.S.V.P. to Community Prosecutor Sonja Brown at [email protected] or 404-371-2234.

Wesley Chapel Corridor businesses will meet on Aug. 15 and the Moreland Corridor businesses on Dec. 19. Locations will be announced later. The meetings are an outgrowth of Boston’s Commu-nity Prosecution Program, which is based on a nation-ally proven method of using a proactive, integrated, solutions-based, and grass-roots approach to combat quality-of-life crimes in targeted areas through partner-ships among the community, police and prosecutors.

Boston said partnerships are important and can help them identify key areas of concern to business owners so that law enforcement can do its part to help protect and encourage vibrant business districts for a stronger, healthier DeKalb.

“These meetings are fundamental to true commu-nity prosecution – law enforcement, elected officials and business owners working together to improve public safety and quality of life,” she said.

Johnson said he is pleased to work with Boston on the initiative.

“It dovetails perfectly with the initiatives I have worked on in this corridor, and with Ms. Boston’s sup-port we can continue to see forward progress toward making DeKalb a great place to live, work and play,” he said.

Metro Atlanta residents and activists can help fight hunger by participating in Walmart’s Facebook campaign that will bring $2 million in grants to communities hardest hit by unemployment.

Walmart’s “Fighting Hunger Together” spring initiative will provide millions of Americans with the opportunity to fight hunger by shopping at Walmart or through visiting www.facebook.com/walmart.

The campaign, which kicked off April 9 and runs through April 30, highlights 200 communities where jobless rates are the highest, according to the Department of Labor.

The winning community will receive $1 million in grants and the next 20 communities with the most support will receive $50,000. Local hunger relief nonprofits will receive the funding.

Metro Atlanta is urging citizens to get involved to help bring the funding here and to vote daily.

It’s estimated that over the course of a year, nearly 49 mil-lion Americans won’t know where their next meal is coming from, Walmart says. While the need to combat food insecurity is ever present, spring is a particularly difficult time as the sea-son traditionally brings a decrease in food donations, leaving hunger relief organizations with limited resources and their clientele vulnerable.

The anti-hunger movement is supported by the Walmart Foundation, The Band Perry, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and four of the nation’s largest food companies — General Mills, ConAgra Foods, Kraft Foods and Kellogg Company.

For more information, visit www.walmartstores.com/fightinghunger.

p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott in Decatur.n After Party – Grown Folks. April 21 beginning at 8 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott in Decatur; $25.

To R.S.V.P., e-mail [email protected].

In addition to the events and workshops, part of the conference is devoted to young people. April 19 is Youth Day, and students from local high schools are invited to participate in the workshops, panel discussions and luncheon on that day.

It is a prime opportunity for youth interested in careers in government/public service to meet and network with elected officials from around the country and to gain insight on how they can become involved in their community as young people.

NOBCO serves as a clearinghouse for information that provides a program and project structure to educate, train and assist government officials and community members. The key focus is on economic and community development and environmental issues.

For more information on the conference, visit www .nobcoinc.org.

Larry Johnson


7governments implementing environmental justice measures; and n EPD should enact a policy that pro-

motes healthy citizens and require equity in its practices; enhance the involvement of minority, language-isolated and low-income Georgians in decision-making; and identify and acquire technical tools to incorporate environmental justice in its activities.

Helen Kim Ho, execu-tive director of the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center Inc. of Georgia said that environmental justice benefits everyone. “No one wants to live near pollution. It’s bad for everyone. We’re in it together, though some of us feel the impact more.”

Longtime advocate Na’Taki Osborne Jelks, chair of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, said residents depend on gov-ernment agencies and laws to protect them from pollution.

“We want business growth,” Jelks said. “But the bottom line for our officials should be to ensure that business doesn’t pollute to the detriment of people’s health and well-being. That is the job of government.”

Wellness “We have solid evidence that deep connections exist between pollution levels and demographic characteristics such as race and income.”

Vulnerable communities more likely in shadow of pollutionMinority, low-income, and language-

isolated communities in metro Atlanta are more likely to be living in close proximity to pollution than others, an analysis released by GreenLaw shows.

The environmental advocacy group says policies and laws are needed to curb pollut-ants in vulnerable communities.

Residents can find out what pollution sources are in their areas by visiting www.greenlaw.com/patternsofpollution and typ-ing in a metro Atlanta address.

Among the top five environmental justice hot spots is the border of DeKalb and Gwin-nett counties.

GreenLaw released the detailed geo-graphic information system analysis of pollution in the 14-county Atlanta region and presented “The Patterns of Pollution: A Report on Demographics and Pollution in Metro Atlanta” in a Web conference call.

The report analyzes the relationship between pollution locations such as toxic releases, blighted lands, and polluting fac-tories and the race, income, language, and other characteristics of metro residents. The results show that minority, low-income, and linguistically isolated communities are more likely to be living in the shadow of pollution than others.

Along with the report, GreenLaw un-veiled the interactive Web site that also will generate a report that provides more detailed information on pollution points and demo-graphics for each community.

David Deganian, lead author of the report and an attorney at GreenLaw, said “Patterns of Pollu-tion” provides substantial proof of the link between pollution levels and the overall makeup of a com-munity.

“While this report may confirm what many have already sus-pected, this level of analysis simply cannot be ignored,” Deganian said in a March 26 statement.

“We now have solid evidence that deep connections exist between pollution levels and demographic characteristics such as race and income. Our hope is that this report will allow decision-makers to implement science-based laws and policies that will protect all of Atlanta’s residents equally.”

The GIS system combines data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and the Census Bureau.

Nick DiLuzio, a staff scientist with NewFields, the global environmental engineering firm working with GreenLaw, said maps were used to identify hot spots.

“In creating the maps, our approach was to sys-tematically assemble the environmental data to establish a pollution score and combine it with a demographic score to determine the characteristics of people living near pollution in the region,” DiLuzio said.

The top five environmental justice hot spots are at the intersection of Cobb, Douglas and Fulton counties; in Canton and Chero-kee County; at the border of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties; in the city of Atlanta; and in central Douglas County.

The EPA defines environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involve-ment of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforce-ment of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”

Justine Thompson, executive director of GreenLaw, said Georgia has fallen behind.

“As states across the country strive to protect all of its citizens –regardless of race

or economic status – from the health impacts of pol-lution, Georgia remains one of the only states in the nation with no mech-anism to ensure equality in environmental deci-sion-making,” Thompson said.

“For Atlanta to remain a player in the global economy, we need to show the world that Atlanta takes care of the health and well-being of all of its residents.”

Recommendations include: n Environmental advocates should

form an alliance of experts, academics, en-vironmentalists and neighborhood leaders to bring these issues to the front burner of government agenda;n Regional government and business

leaders should collaboratively address how to reduce the environmental impacts on minority, low-income, and linguistically isolated populations through a Metro Atlanta Environmental Justice Working Group; n EPA should provide direct guidance

to EPD to consider disproportionate en-vironmental impacts in permitting; insert meaningful environmental justice goals in federal grant funding; and support local

Key findings:n Minority rates rise with the number of nearby pollution points. Areas with a minority population 50 percent or higher have more than double the number of pollution points than areas where minorities make up less than 10 percent of the population.n Households in which English is not the primary language, designated as “linguistic isolation” by the U.S. Census Bureau, are more than twice as likely to live in a high pollution area. n Areas with linguistic isolation rates over

20 percent have more than three times as many pollution points in close proximity on average as blocks where less than 5 percent of households are linguistically isolated.n Areas with poverty levels above 20 percent contain on average almost six pollution points, compared to areas with poverty rates under 5 percent that have only two. n Areas with vacant housing rates above 15 percent have three times as many pollution points as areas with rates below 5 percent.

“The Patterns of Pollution: A Report on Demographics and Pollution in Metro Atlanta”

To learn more, visit www.dekalbmedicalhillandale.org

Our specialty is treating people suffering from the status quo.

How it is in healthcare, is not how it has to be. That’s why we challenged what a state-of-the-art healthcare facility should look like,

how it should operate and even where it should be. DeKalb Medical at Hillandale became the first all-digital master planned hospital

in Georgia and brought advanced medicine outside of the perimeter, where people actually live. We recruited nationally-acclaimed

physicians and a dedicated support staff who are passionate about providing world-class service. We made sure that the hospital didn’t

look or smell like one and that the food was actually delicious, all of which make close to home, feel more like home. We even make a

point to care for the community outside of our doors. Every day, we continue to ask ourselves, “What can we do differently? What can

we do better than them?” because the last thing we want to be is like everybody else.

David Deganian

Nick DiLuzio

Justine Thompson

Helen Kim Ho

Na’Taki Jelks


8

Three Atlanta and the Atlanta Marrioott Perimeter Center in Dunwoody are among DeKalb’s Energy Star Buildings

DeKalb’s Energy Star buildings help Atlanta land third place on national list

WellnessFifteen types of commercial buildings can earn the Energy Star,

including office buildings, K-12 schools, and retail stores.

Eleven DeKalb County office and hotel buildings have earned the Environ-mental Protection Agency’s 2011 Energy Star certification.

The buildings, which are in Dun-woody, are among 176 metro Atlanta buildings placed it on the list of 25 cit-ies with the greatest number of energy-efficient buildings.

A t l a n t a h a s moved up to No. 3, according to the list released April 11.

The Dunwoody area buildings include 3 Ravinia, 1040 Crown Pointe, Perimeter Center South, and Atlanta Marriott Perim-eter Center.

Atlanta’s Energy Star-labeled buildings achieved significant reductions in their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. They represent more than 78 million square feet and will save $55 million annually in energy costs while preventing greenhouse gas emissions equal to the emissions of 9,700 homes a year.

By the end of 2011, the nearly 16,500 Energy Star certified buildings across the United States have helped save nearly $2.3 billion in annual utility bills and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to emissions from the annual energy use of more than 1.5 million homes.

First released in 2008, the list of cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings continues to show how cities are embracing energy efficiency as a simple and effective way to save money and prevent pollution.

Los Angeles has remained the top city since 2008, while Washington, D.C., contin-ues to hold onto second place for the third year in a row.

Atlanta moved up from the No. 6 spot in 2010 to third place this year, and Boston and Riverside broke into the top 10. Tampa, Fla.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Salt Lake City all are new to the list in 2011.

California has six cities on the 2011 list –

more than any other state.Energy use in commercial buildings ac-

counts for nearly 20 percent of U.S. green-house gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s Energy Star must perform in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide and must be independently verified by a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect. Energy Star certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings.

Fifteen types of commercial buildings can earn the Energy Star, including office build-ings, K-12 schools, and retail stores.

Launched in 1992 by EPA, Energy Star is a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.

This year marks Energy Star’s 20th an-niversary. Over the past 20 years, American families and businesses have saved about $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon pollution.

The Energy Star label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products and more than 1.3 million new homes.

For more information, visit www.en-ergystar.gov/TopCities, http://energystar.gov/buildinglist, and http://energystar.gov/labeledbuildings.

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Emory, Oglethorpe and Mercer are

the first four-year universities in DeKalb County that will create tobacco-free cam-puses.

The DeKalb Board of Health recently announced a partnership with the three schools. The initiative will help reduce tobacco use and secondhand smoke expo-sure among students, faculty and staff on the campuses, the board said in an April 3 statement.

It is being supported by the board’s DeKalb Putting Prevention to Work pro-gram.

The Board of Health is providing re-sources and support to initiate 100 percent tobacco-free campus policies, including producing posters to help prepare the campuses for the upcoming changes. The specially designed “Picture DeKalb Healthy” posters encourage campus resi-dents to imagine a healthier, tobacco-free environment.

The partnership with the colleges is one component of a multi-pronged approach to reduce secondhand smoke exposure and help residents live tobacco-free.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, the board says. Smoking and smokeless tobac-co can cause numerous health problems, including cancer, heart disease, asthma attacks, respiratory and ear infections, and tooth and gum diseases.

Registered nurse Linda Johns, assistant manager of Student Health and a Tobacco Task Force member at Mercer University, said Mercer is excited to be among the first universities in DeKalb to take this important step.

“This initiative not only creates a healthier environment for all who visit our campuses, but it also further aligns Mercer with its commitment to health and well-being,” Johns said.

Emory, Oglethorpe and Mercer aim to be tobacco-free by fall 2012, joining more than 252 other colleges and universities nationwide in implementing 100 percent tobacco-free campus policies.

The selected universities will conduct a variety of activities to become tobacco-free, including creating a tobacco task force, developing a campus-wide tobacco action plan, and creating an implementation guide documenting the tobacco-free campus policy process.

The schools also will offer smoking ces-sation classes and other resources to help students and staff kick the habit.

Oglethorpe has been conducting aware-ness activities to help educate workers and students about the dangers of tobacco use and cessation resources, said registered nurse Cathy Grote, director of the Health Service Department and a Tobacco Task Force member.

“We realize that this change cannot hap-pen overnight and we will need to provide people with the tools to make this transition successful,” Grote said.

Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, DeKalb’s district health director, said the initiative will impact society on many levels.

“Partnerships that reach college students with innovative health interventions help them to adopt healthy behaviors that last a lifetime,” she said. “These behaviors con-tribute significantly to the nation’s goal of building a healthier work force.”

Tobacco-free campuses for 3 DeKalb colleges, a big coup


9

The DeKalb Board of Health is offering the manual free of cost to help communities grow and prepare healthy foods.

Wellness “The essentials are space, some basic kitchen tools, simple food items, and community interest.”

Community Kitchen Garden manual ready

Summer food progam for kids

Saint Philip’s recycling day

Lou Walker Senior Center2538 Panola Road • Lithonia, Ga. 30058

S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A.District Health Director

Picture DeKalb Healthy:

Seniors Live Well in 2012

The event will feature:• DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis• DeKalb County Commissioner Lee May• Discussion panel with health experts • Healthy “soul food” cooking demonstration • Health screenings• Breakfast and lunch• Raffle

Picture DeKalb Healthy: Seniors Live Well in 2012

This event is co-sponsored by Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis, DeKalb County Government, and District Health Director S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A., DeKalb County Board of Health.

Friday, April 20, 2012 • 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.7:30 a.m. Registration • 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Program and Health Screenings

To register, call 404-294-3700.Burrell EllisChief Executive Officer

Low-income children and youth can re-ceive nutritious meals through the Summer Food Service Program when school is out.

The DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs Department is host for the program, which runs June 4 through Aug. 3, as part of an ongoing effort to enhance the quality of life of DeKalb youth. Fund-ing is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Agencies with summer camps should contact Rose Myrick at 678-698-1114.

To qualify as a site, 50 percent of the children served must meet the income guide-lines for free and reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program.

Children who are members of house-holds that receive food stamps or Aid for Dependent Children assistance automati-cally qualify.

The deadline to apply for the program is May 25; applications are available at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks or at the the Parks and Recreation Department on the third floor of the Maloof Center, 1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur suring business hours.

For more information, call 678-698-1114.

DeKalb residents in the throes of spring-cleaning can bring documents to be shredded and other household discards to be recycled at the second annual Green & Clean Day on April 21 at Saint Philip AME Church.

The 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m., event, sponsored by Saint Philip Community Development Corp., will take place rain or shine.

Vendors will shred sensitive docu-ments on-site. Residents can also recycle newspapers and magazines, and disposal of outdated prescription, over-the-counter drugs, plastics, metals, electronics and household hazardous waste like fats, oils and greases(FOG), and household bat-teries.

Keeping FOG out of kitchen drains and out of sewer systems directly impacts water and sewer bills.

Saint Philip AME Church is at the cor-ner of Candler Road and Memorial Drive at 240 Candler Road S.E. in Atlanta.

For more information, call 404-371-0749.

A community kitchen program manual is now available for experienced and aspiring gardeners.

The manual, which is offered by the DeKalb Board of Health, provides start-up information for neighborhood group, commu-nity or faith-based institution, worksite, school, or individual who want help increase access to healthy foods and build community relationships.

It can be downloaded at www.dekalbhealth.net.In 2005, the Board of Health received a Steps to a HealthierUS

grant to focus on reducing the burden of diabetes, obesity and asthma. It addressed three related risk behaviors—physical inactivity, poor nutrition and tobacco use.

Through the Steps program, the Board of Health piloted a com-munity kitchen to address a lack of fresh, healthy foods.

A community kitchen allows individuals to gather, prepare meals, learn about cooking and nutrition, and bring home low-cost, healthy meals for their family.

At the kitchen, participants are guided through preparing several meals that are packaged “to go” with cooking directions.

Once home, meals can be refrigerated and cooked within a few days or frozen for future use.

The manual includes easy to prepare recipes with nutrition information.

DeKalb District Health Director Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford said any-one can start a community kitchen.

“The essentials are space, some basic kitchen tools, simple food items, and community interest,” she said.

The manual provides its readers a step-by-step guide for planning and operating their own community kitchen. The manual may be copied by community groups.

The partners of the Board of Health’s community kitchen garden pilot program included the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion; DeKalb Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs; and Christ the Lord Church of Decatur.

For more information call 404-508-7847.

Workshop for fibroid sufferers

Women suffering from fibroids can learn about a non-surgical treatment on April 26 at DeKalb Medical at Hillandale in Lithonia on April 26.

Dr. Melissa Seely-Morgan, an interven-tional radiologist, will discuss uterine fibroid embolization from 6-to-7 p.m. in the Community Room.

Uterine fibroid embolization, a non-sur-gical procedure in which fibroids are plugged to cut off the blood supply to them, requires only one night in the hospital and less recov-ery time than a traditional hysterectomy.

African-American women are dispropor-tionately affected by fibroids, benign tumors that form on the wall of the uterus.

DeKalb Medical at Hillandale is at 2801 DeKalb Medical Parkway. For more informa-tion, visit www.dekalbmedical.org or call 404-501-WELL (9355).

M. Seely-Morgan


10By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

A century ago when the Titanic sank on April 14, 1912, Emily Bowden Bryant Gleaton was a 12-year-old girl growing up on the White plantation in Ellenwood.

The tragedy, which still ranks as the largest peacetime maritime disas-ter, made such an impres-sion on the little girl that she penned a song titled “The Great Titanic Sink-ing Down.”

Gleaton, who was born Jan. 28, 1900 – a mere 35 years after the United States had freed its slaves – died on Jan. 9, 1996, less than three weeks from her 96th birthday.

Her family was so proud of the song, written by a girl who didn’t have the oppor-tunity to go to school past the sixth grade, that they copyrighted it.

Her daughter Jennette Moore, who lives in Decatur, said she grew up hearing her mother sing the song.

“She wasn’t educated but the Lord gave her the wisdom to write this song,” said Moore, who celebrated her 77th birthday on April 11.

As the world marks the 100th anniversary with memorial services and the re-release of the movie “Titanic” in 3-D, Moore is re-minded of the song and what she considers a remarkable accomplishment for a girl with limited schooling. She treasures the sheet of paper, yellowed with age, on which Gleaton’s girlish print has survived the decades.

“The Great Titanic Sinking Down” tells the story of the 882.9-foot-long and 92-foot-wide White Star ocean liner that was built in Belfast at a cost of $7.5 million. Equipped with the finest luxuries and the latest tech-nology of the time, the ship was deemed virtually unsinkable.

In the first verse, young Emily wrote:“The rich people decided to take a tripOn the finest ship that ever was built.The Captain persuaded the people to thinkThat the great Titanic was too safe to sink.”

The liner set sail on its maiden voyage on April 10, 1912, from Southhampton, Eng-land, for New York with 2,240 passengers, among them some of the world’s wealthiest people, including John Jacob Astor IV, the richest man, who did not survive. There were

Jennifer ffrench Parker / crossroadsnews

Jennette Moore copyrighted the lyrics of the nine-verse “The Great Titanic Sinking Down” in 1998 after the wreckage of the Titanic was found. Her mother wrote the song in 1912.

Emily Gleaton

Mother’s Titanic song stands the test of time

scene “Mama used to sing it all the time. … It’s a good time to have this song printed on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.”

more than 885 crew members on board.Four days into the voyage, the ship,

which weighed more than 46,328 tons, hit an iceberg near the Grand Banks of Newfound-land, Canada, on the night of April 14, 1912, and broke in two and sank.

Emily wrote:“They left the harbor running fast It was her first trip and it was her last About six hundred miles awayShe met that iceberg in her way.”More than 1,517 adults and children

perished.The last of the 866 survivors, Millvina

Dean of England, who was 9 weeks old when the ship sank, died May 31, 2009, at age 97.

The last American survivor, Lillian Ger-trud Asplund, died May 6, 2006, at age 99.

Moore, one of nine children, said she wanted to share her mother’s song, which she has treasured over the years.

“That song, Mama used to sing it all the time,” she said. “Seems like they could work better when they were singing. It’s a good time to have this song printed on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.”

Moore takes pride in collecting photos and documents about her mother. She said Gleaton struggled to raise nine children.

“We were poor but she gave us so much,”

Moore said. “I just admired my mother.”Moore is one of Gleaton’s three girls, all

of whom are still living in Decatur. Ruby Ruf-fin, 90, is the oldest. Mildred Freeman is 69.

Their six brothers are all deceased.Moore said that as a young woman, her

mother was a champion cotton picker. “She could pick 400 pounds of cotton in

a day. She saw her first airplane while she was picking cotton, and it frightened her. She had never seen anything like that before.”

Moore was a nurse before retiring in 2010. For many years, she was the personal nurse for Stephen Mitchell, brother of “Gone With the Wind” author Margaret Mitchell.

She said she finished the 11th grade and her youngest sister completed high school.

Ruffin’s grandchildren include three doctors – Monya Ruffin, a Ph.D. who lives in Virginia; April Ruffin, a Marietta ob-gyn; and Shomari Ruffin, an orthopedic physician in Jacksonville, Fla. “Our family has come a long way in a short time,” Moore said.

Moore copyrighted the lyrics of the nine-verse “The Great Titanic Sinking Down” on March 22, 1998, after the sunken Titanic was found. The lyrics are sung in A-flat.

“I would love for someone to record it,” she said, humming the verses as she remem-bered her mother doing it.

The rich people decided to take a trip On the finest ship that ever was built. The Captain persuaded the people to think That the great Titanic was too safe to sink.

[Chorus]Out on the ocean – the great wide ocean The great Titanic, out on the ocean sinking down.

They left the harbor with a rapid speed Carrying everything that the people would need. People had a jubilee as the ship went out into the sea.

They left the harbor running fast. It was her first trip and it was her last. About six hundred miles away She met that iceberg in her way.

About nine o’clock at evening tide The iceberg ripped her in her side. And all at once she looked around and saw the great Titanic was sinking down.

The captain ordered let the life boats down In a hurry before we drown. The men like heroes stood there brave But only the women and children were saved.

The captain had written on his roll About three thousand living souls. The news on land and sea were waved But only the women and children were saved.

When the ship was almost sunk The men on the ship begin to jump Some caught on the ice and there they lie Until the next day when a ship passed by

John Jacob Astor was a millionaire Drawn like a soldier but he will be there When the trumpet of God shall sound, The greatest ship shall leave the ground Men and women and children will say To each other how are you today.

Women and children was wiping their eyes Bidding their husbands and friends goodbye They thought of Jesus of Nazareth And the band played “Nearer my God to Thee.”– Emily Bowden Bryant Gleaton, circa 1912

The Great Titanic Sinking Down


11scene For more than eight years, the publication was the “voice of the voiceless.”

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Plan Your Next Family Reunion in Atlanta’s DeKalb County!

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Victory church hosting hoodie serviceChurch leaders, members and

visitors will be wearing hoodies to Victory for the World Church April 15 Sunday worship service to show solidarity for Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teen shot to death by a neigh-borhood watch captain George Zimmerman in February.

Dr. Kenneth L. Samuel, se-nior pastor of Stone Mountain church, asked his congregation this week to don hoodies at the 10 a.m. service, which will

commemorate the teen’s tragic death and call attention to racial profiling.

The 17-year-old teen was wear-ing a hoodie when he was shot to death in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26.

It took protests nationwide and an investigation by a special prosecutor for Zimmerman to be charged. He was arrested April 11

on second-degree murder charges.Victory for the World Church is at 1170

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Last chance to see the Speckled Bird

Step teams from churchs and elementary, middle and high schools can compete.

Step competition coming up

“The Great Speck-led Bird” exhibit at the historic DeKalb Courthouse in down-town Decatur is near-ing its end, but history buffs can still catch it through April 20.

The exhibit show-cases the South’s stan-dard underground newspaper, which chronicled turbulent times in Atlanta from 1968-1976.

“The Bird” burst upon the Atlanta scene in the midst of the Vietnam War and struggles against discrimination in the city.

For more than eight years, the publication was the “voice of the voiceless” – African-Americans

fighting Jim Crow in the South and institutional-ized racism in the North; striking garbage and farm workers; Vietnamese peas-ants being slaughtered by American bombs and napalm; women taking control of their bod-ies; students demanding meaningful educations; and young people seeking new ways to live.

At its height, with a cir-culation of about 22,000, the Bird was the most widely-read weekly paper in Georgia.

The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The historic DeKalb Courthouse at 101 E.

Court Square. For more information, call Me-lissa Forgey at 404-373-1088.

Steps teams can strut their stuff on April 21 in Saint Philip 2012 Step Off.

The competition, hosted by the Saint Philip Young People Ministry, features Greek Alumni. It is open to teams from elementary, middle, high schools, and churches.

Competitiors step off at 3:30 p.m. in the Marcia Moss Fellowship Hall in the

church’s Family Life Center. Team registration is $35. Awards will be

given for the best team in each category. Ad-mission is $6 in advance and $8 at the door.

Saint Philip is located at the intersection of Candler and Memorial Drive, at 240 Can-dler Road S.E. in Atlanta. For registration, tickets and other information, call Keethe Moore at 404-371-0749.


12

New Finance Chief onboard

Needed: a few good volunteers

VOX media cafe seeks applicants

McNair High School Wrestling team won its first championship ever this year. That success and improving graduation rates at the South DeKalb school attracted the attention of the UFC.

$10,000 grant for McNair Wrestling Mustangs

Youth “We have researchers and I asked the researchers to search for a school or program that had excelled in their program.”

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Teens interested in new multimedia techniques for visual storytelling, journal-ism, literary non-fiction, poetry, photogra-phy, and more have until April 30 to sign up for the VOX Media Café 2012 summer program.

The six-week program includes hands-on instruction, interactive workshops and field trips. It offers four weeks of baseline courses in visual storytelling, interactive media, reporting, and literary nonfic-tion, followed by two weeks of advanced lessons in visual storytelling and literary nonfiction.

Teens either register for the full six-week program or one section of the pro-gram, depending on interest and space availability. Each weeklong course caters exclusively to 12 participants.

To view the VOX Media Café’s 2012 curriculum, application process, staff, and costs, visit www.voxteencommunications.org/mediacafe.

Completed applications are due to [email protected] by April 30.

For more information regarding the application process, contact Katie Vesser Strangis at 404-614-0040 or [email protected].

Volunteers are needed on April 23 to help refugee parents register their four and five year olds into the Refugee Family Service Program.

They will work from 9 a.m.-to-12:30 p.m. to assist the parents. Registration will be held at 5561-H Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain. For more information, call 404-299-6217 Ext. 239 or email [email protected].

Michael Perrone has joined DeKalb School System as its new Chief Financial Officer.

His appointment was approved unani-mously by the DeKalb School Board on March 29 following a national search by the school district.

Perrone, who was most recently Chief Financial Officer for the Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Fla., re-places Marcus Turk, who was reassigned in January.

Perrone who served in multiple finan-cial positions with Duval County Public Schools for nine years told the Florida Times Union that he accepted the DeKalb job because it “provides me an excellent opportunity and challenge.”

He was also Director of Finance for the Barnstable Public Schools in Barnstable, Mass., and Business Manager/Assistant Treasurer for the Silver Lake Regional School District in Kingston, Mass.

Perrone holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn., and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston College.

As Chief Financial Officer, Perrone will be in charge of all district finances and budgeting.

School System offers K12 Alerts

Karate Open registering

DeKalb parents, teachers and citizens can now get school news via email, text message and voicemail through K12 Alerts, a new automated notification service.

The free service is available to anyone who wants to know more about DeKalb Schools.

K12 Alerts will keep parents, DeKalb Schools staff members and residents in-formed of everything from weather related school closings and early dismissals to other important news impacting the district. Mes-sages can also to translated into multiple languages.

School Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson said the K12 Alerts are essential to provide important information to the community.

“The system also leverages technology to reach a wider group of stakeholders, includ-ing multilingual audiences and families that do not have access to traditional media or the Internet,” she said.

To register for K12 Alert’s, visit www.k12alerts.com/portal/dekalbcountysd or www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/.

Registration is now open for the 2012 Battle of Stone Mountain Open Karate Tournament on April 28.

The tournament will be held at Beulah Missionary Baptist Church Family Life Center at 10 a.m.

Grand Champions will receive 6-foot trophy and cash prize. Trophies will awarded to first, second and third place winners.

Beulah Missionary Baptist Church is at 2340 Clifton Springs Road in Decatur.

To register, go to www.battleofstone-mountain.com.

For more information contact Master Holmes at 678-777-4641.

By Carla Parker

Two months after winning it’s first DeKalb County Wrestling title, the McNair High School wrestling Mustangs will receive another award – a $10,000 grant from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The grant is apart of the UFC’s “Octagon of Excellence” award, which was created this year, and is given to a school or program that has “risen to the challenge” and excelled at their sport.

The check will be presented to the team on April 20 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

Reed Harris, Vice President of Commu-nity Relations of the Las Vegas-based UFC, said they chose McNair’s wrestling program to be the recipient of the award after reading an article about the program in the Jan. 21 issue of the CrossRoadsNews.

“We have researchers and I asked the re-searchers to search for a school or program that had excelled in their program,” Harris said. “One of the researchers brought the article to my attention and we did some research on the school.”

During that research, Harris said he dis-covered that the graduation rate at McNair had risen from 30 percent in 2002 to 70 percent in 2009.

“That’s amazing,” he said. “It shows the type of leadership they have at the school.”

After seeing that statistic, Harris said the UFC wanted to do something for the school and for the wrestling program.

“We all know that wrestling programs need money because it’s not a popular sport,” he said. “We really wanted to do this and bring good things to this program.”

McNair wrestling coach Ramon Tillery said receiving the grant is a blessing.

“I’m really happy for the kids,” he said. “They worked hard and it will do a lot for the program.”

Tillery said they plan to use the money to buy new equipment, new uniforms, refurbish the practice mat, and travel to tournaments out of state.

“We will try to do a lot of things that we couldn’t do before because of lack of funds,” he said.

Along with the grant, the team will also get free tickets to the UFC world light heavyweight championship fight between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans on April 21 at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

They will also get to view the weigh-in of Evans and Jones on April 20 before they receive their grant.

Tillery said going to the UFC weigh-in

and fight will be a first time experience for the whole team.

“They are very excited about going,” he said. “They were almost in tears when I told them the news. They were really over-whelmed.”

The four-hour event also include 12 other fights. Harris said seeing this fight between Jones and Evans is a great opportunity for the McNair wrestlers.

“Not only will they see a real live UFC match but they will also see two fighters who are college graduates and went to college on wrestling scholarships,” he said.

The fight will air live on pay-per-view at 7 p.m.


13

Midddle and high schoolers can participate in discussions, workshops and listen to speakers on April 21 at Southwest DeKalb High School.

Youth “Taking children out of the classroom will not improve student achievement.”

Reduced day proposal draws huge response to online survey

Manhood program to show the way

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Beautiful Smiles for Children, Teens & AdultsBeautiful Smiles for Children, Teens & Adults

Celebrating 20 Years in the Community

Middle and high school male students and their parents can hear from male com-munity leaders at the second “Manhood Uplift Program/Project” on April 21 at Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur.

The theme for this year’s project is “Rites of Passage/Tools for a Successful Future.”

Between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., participants can attend workshops, listen to speakers, and access community resources that can moti-vate young men to reach their potential.

There will be a panel discussion, an open

mic discussion and entertainment.The “Manhood Uplift Program/Project”

is co-hosted by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s Kappa Alpha Alpha Decatur Chapter, DeKalb PTA Council Men’s Initiative, Project Uplift and the of Psi Chapter of Morehouse Col-lege.

Southwest DeKalb is at 2863 Kelley Cha-pel Road. To register, visit www.omega-kaa.com or email [email protected].

For more information, call Tommy Hill at 404-259-9232.

By Carla Parker

Three proposed 2013-2014 school calen-dars seeking to slice 38 hours of instruction time from the school year netted more than 15,000 responses from parents within two days.

The online survey posted by DeKalb School System on Tuesday sought votes from parents on one of three options. All three calendars cut an hour from the school day weekly and was a big sticking point for parents.

Carl Nicpon, who has two sons at Austin Elementary School in Dunwoody, said the Wednesday early release day, which is com-mon to all three calendar options, would reduce school instruction by 38 hours over the school year.

“That’s approximately six days worth of school that kids wouldn’t have,” he said.

Nicpon said superintendent Dr. Cheryl Atkinson is doing a lot of great things but that taking kids out of school early isn’t one of them.

“I cannot find any research to indicate

that reducing instructional time to provide teachers with one additional hour of weekly planning time improves student achieve-ment,” he said.

Nicpon points out that US Department of Education ststatistics show that DeKalb’s elementary school day is already 22 minutes shorter than the national average.

“If this proposal is adopted, our children will get 34 minutes less instruction per day than the average,” he said. “Taking children out of the classroom will not improve stu-dent achievement.”

The three-day survey was scheduled to end Thursday at midnight.

School system spokesman Walter Woods was happy with the response to the survey.

“We have definitely been getting a lot of feedback from the community,” he said.

The calendar proposals shift the number of days in each semester, but maintain the same total of 180 days.

In the first calendar option, school be-gins Aug. 1 and includes week-long breaks in October and during the Thanksgiving holiday, and the winter break, which begins

on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The second semes-ter begins on Thursday, Jan. 3, and includes week-long breaks in February and April. School ends May 29, two days after Memo-rial day.

In the second option, school begins on Aug. 6 with extended weekend breaks in October and February. There is a week-long break for the Thanksgiving holiday, a 12-day Christmas break that begins on Friday, Dec. 21, and spring break in April that begins on the 1st. School ends on May 24.

The last option has school beginning on Aug. 13 with a week off for Thanksgiving and two weeks at Christmas. Spring break also begins April 1, and classes end May 29, two days after Memorial day.

Atkinson told parents at an April 11 town hall meeting at Miller Grove High School that the 2012-2013 school calen-dar was already adopted, so her proposed calendar change will be for the 2013-14 school year to “give time for parents to plan.”

Atkinson also told the group of 30 parent that she wanted the hour early Wednesday dismissal to give teachers enough time for planning and student development.

“During my 90-day period I met with teachers and listened to all teachers by con-tent area and grade level,” she said. “One thing that was apparently clear to me was they do not have time to figure out who is learning and who is not and by the time they get finish with the school day they’re tired.”

Atkinson said the planning time teachers do have is a “short window.”

“Most of the time is not used for planning because they have just enough time to run

to the restroom and do a couple of things,” she said. “When they can get together and really talk about why this group of children is struggling with fractions, its not happen-ing.”

After the meeting, parents still didn’t agree with the early dismissal.

Melba Gross from Lithonia, who has a kindergartner and a ninth grader, said she doesn’t like the early dismissal because it would be hard for parents to find child care for their children.

“Especially with the elementary schools already getting out at 2 p.m.,” Gross said. “Then that means they are now going to get out at 1 p.m. and unfortunately, parents’ schedules don’t change and they still have to get off at the same time, which means now these students have an extra hour of idle time.”

Trai Watson of Stone Mountain, who has two children at Redan High School, didn’t like the early Wednesday dismissal either.

“Parents are not able to go to work and say ‘I got to leave half a day because I have to go pick up my child from school,’” she said. “I just think that we’re not conscious those of parents.”

Atkinson said that she understands that every parent can’t come and pick up their child at an earlier time and that she would like to see more after schools programs for children.

District 7 school board member Donna Edler, who is on the calendar committee, said the committee did not see the options before they were posted on the website, but that once the feedback is gathered, members will meet April 16 to review the responses.

For more information about the calendar options, visit www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/calen-dar/proposed.html.

Cheryl Atkinson


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Visit www.teesofpower.comCall 404-941-8744

Kilombo Academic and Cultural Institute fosters an academically excellent and

culturally relevant education that produces students who are equipped to succeed

globally and are committed to social justice.

We are now enrolling grades K-8Call Aminata Umoja, director, 404-992-8021

5197 Salem Road • Lithonia, GA 30038www.kilomboschool.com

Kilombo is an entity of FACDC. We exist as a result of First African Church’s commitment to institution building!

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16BACK COVER

Meet & Celebratethe Winners of the 2012

“Best of East Metro” Readers Choice Awards

Why Entrepreneurship Now?Panelists will cut through the uncertainties around starting a

business and point the way to funding and other resources.

Charles BlackmonExecutive Director

DeKalb Enterprise Business Corp. (DEBCO)

Anthony ChristopherPresident, Georgia

Certified Development Corp. (GCDC)

Rosemarie DrakeVice President

Small Business LeadingCornerstone Bank

Moderator Bob ThieleBusiness Consultant University of Georgia

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

One DeKalb Works Is Ready for BusinessJoin the discussions about why now is a good time

o start and grow businesses in DeKalb County.

Also, a panel of graduates will discuss the training and mentoring they received from the DeKalb Microenterprise Institute

Exhibitors include:A Kid's AffairAAA Auto ClubDee’s Delicious Soul FoodDeKalb County Community DevelopmentGwinnett Federal Credit UnionIn Home ConnectionsJenice Brinkley, Brinkley Realty GroupNew Jerusalem Christian SchoolReliant Income ManagersTamisha Crosby/Samson's Health

& Fitness CenterThe Praise HouseUrban Temple Studio SpaWells Fargo

Join Us For Informative Panel Discussions


CrossRoadsNews, April 14, 2012

Documents

friends of south river

river avoidance

river advocates

south dekalb

south river watershed

arrest of zimmerman

trayvons death

zimmermans arrest