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CrossRoadsNews
Finance
February 5, 2011
Scholarship information is widely available in books, from libraries and financial aid offices, and on the Internet.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Funeral Facts Dwayne Green Tara Garden Chapel
Q. Do you have any advice about talking to my family about funeral planning? A: One way to make the discussion !"##$%&'()*!+$&#$+,$-../,-)0$+0"$+,.&)$ as a means of everyone being prepared in advance. Funeral planning is the responsible way to spare your family the grief of making these tough decisions for you, making the act a loving gift. Set aside a time when your family can gather in a comfortable setting, and allow everyone to share their thoughts about your plans. Depending on your family, keeping the discussion light and casual may help, or a more formal approach may be in order. Our funeral home even offers a free Personal Planning Guide, a helpful tool where you can record -1%$ ,/2-1&3"$ 4,*/$ (1-!$ 5&#0"#6$ +,$ help ease the discussion with your '-7&!48$ 91$ &+6$ 4,*:!!$ (1%$ 7-14$ ;*"#tions that you and your family may not have considered, prompting a real conversation about your options. Making arrangements in advance is very important to give you and your family peace of mind. It is the best way to ensure your wishes are carried out and that your family %,"#1:+$ 0-<"$ +,$ 7-="$ +0,#"$ %&'()*!+$ decisions without you. Contact your local funeral home to get a Personal Planning Guide to help start the discussion. Dwayne Green has over 20 years experience in the funeral industry and is a licensed funeral director associated with Tara Garden Chapel, a member of the Dignity Memorial® network serving the Atlanta South community. He frequently offers funeralrelated advice and counseling to area families. For information or to ask a question, contact Dwayne at 770-471-7171.
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BBB: Don’t fall for scholarship scams Students and parents on the hunt for grants and scholarships to pay for college don’t have to pay for that information. That is the word from the Better Business Bureau. Fred T. Elsberry Jr., the BBB president and CEO, said times are tight and many families desperately want to tap into the well of scholarships and grants to help their kids go to college. “While some companies are trying to take advantage of struggling families looking for funding, the good news is that all of the information you need is already available for free,” he said. During the 2009-2010 school year, the College Board said that $94 billion in grants was made available to college students to help cover education costs. The funding included federal and state government, institutions, private entities and employers. The BBB says that every year, it receives complaints from parents who paid money upfront to a company that promised to find scholarships and grants for their children but ultimately didn’t deliver. It said complaints have come about EdifiCollege Financial Aid and J.E.C.C. Inc.
It said Edifi-College Financial Aid sends prospective college students a letter explaining they have been selected for a personal interview. “Students who call for their interview are scheduled for a financial aid seminar along with other students and parents,” it said. “Complainants say they attended the seminar and later paid more than $1,000 for help finding aid, but the services offered were mostly assistance in filling out financial aid forms.” The BBB said complainants thought they were taking advantage of a free trial CD-ROM from J.E.C.C. Inc. on how to get federal grants for college. “Some were charged as much as $69 even before receiving the information in the mail and those who did receive the information complained that it wasn’t helpful at all,” it said. BBB recommends listening for the following red flags when receiving the sales pitch from a financial-aid finder: n “The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.” In reality no one can guarantee that they will get you a grant or scholarship. The re-
fund guarantees that are offered usually have so many conditions or strings attached that it is almost impossible for consumers to get their money back. n “You cannot get this information anywhere else.” Actually, scholarship information is widely available in books, from libraries and financial aid offices and on the Internet, if you are willing to search for it. n “We will do all the work.” Only parents and students can really determine and provide the financial information needed to complete the forms. n “You have been selected by a national foundation to receive a scholarship.” If you have not entered a competition sponsored by the foundation, this claim is highly unlikely. n “May I have your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship?” This is never a requirement for a legitimate scholarship offer. n “The scholarship will cost some money.” Legitimate scholarship offers never require payment of any kind. For more information on finding financial aid for school, visit www.fafsa.gov.
Project did not go before commissioners FAMILY DOLLAR,
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Because the property is already zoned commercial and the project did not have to come before the Board of Commissioners for approval, Johnson said that they did not find out about the construction until they saw workers laying the foundation. “We didn’t realize what is going on because of the road construction work on Snapfinger Road,” said Johnson, the District 3 commissioner. “We thought it was just roadwork going on.” Both commissioners oppose the project because they say it goes against efforts to revitalize the Wesley Chapel corridor with “commercial developments that would orient towards middle to upper-income customers.” “We are looking for developments along the lines of ice cream parlors, top-quality clothing store or two-star or above restaurants,” they wrote in the letter to Kelly. Josh Braverman, the Family Dollar public relations manager who returned a reporter’s telephone call to Kelly, said that they have not received the commissioners’ letter and couldn’t comment on it.
“We put a lot of effort into picking the location for our stores. We use sophisticated modeling to pick the location that will bring value and convenience to our customers.” Josh Braverman, Family Dollar spokesman
He said that the store they are building at 2500 Snapfinger Road is one of three going up in metro Atlanta this year. “We put a lot of effort into picking the location for our stores,” he said. “A lot of thought went into it. We use sophisticated modeling to pick the location that will bring value and convenience to our customers.” Braverman said they have never been asked to relocate a store after construction starts. In their letter, Johnson and Watson told Kelly they were contacting him to acquaint him and his team with the initiatives taking place in the I-20 Overlay District and the goals they are working to achieve with these initiatives. They told him that the goal of the Overlay District, the Livable Centers Initiative, the Community Improvement District and the MARTA Concept 3 transportation plan for Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail Lines is to create a vibrant community with a good mix
of development. “The above are components of the Wesley Chapel Renaissance Initiative whose overarching goal is the economic revitalization of this area ensuring that the developments are community friendly and pedestrianoriented,” they wrote. “We are working to achieve a well-balanced, mixed-use commercial community that will enhance and serve the surrounding residential areas.” Watson, the new Super 7 District commissioner, said he only found out about the store two weeks ago while visiting Supreme Fish Delight restaurant next door to the post office. “I saw the men digging and went over to ask what was going on,” he said. Watson, who lives in the area and goes to church down the street from where the Family Dollar is going up, said he is not in favor of another dollar store when there are so many other businesses missing from the area. “Where is the Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday on Wesley Chapel Road,” he asked. “I am tired of driving to Stonecrest when I want to go out.” Even though Family Dollar didn’t need approval, Watson said that it would have been good for the Matthews, N.C.-based company to talk with commissioners and the community before building. “If you want to be a good community neighbor, that is what you do,” he said.
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