CrossRoadsNews, March 1, 2014

WELLNESS

COMMUNITY

Historic nomination

Activist mayor remembered

Just over 100 students, faculty and staff at Georgia Perimeter College might have come into contact with a person who tested positive for tuberculosis. 6

Lithonia’s legacy of providing a singular grade of granite may help the city land a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. 9

Noted human and civil rights activist and Jackson, Miss., Mayor Chokwe Lumumba died of a heart attack on Feb. 25. 11

Testing for TB

PEOPLE

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

Copyright © 2014 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

March 1, 2014

Volume 19, Number 44

www.crossroadsnews.com

State’s minimum wage will not rise this year

By Ken Watts

State Reps. Dee Dawkins Haigler of Lithonia (at left) and Tyrone Brooks of Atlanta co-sponsored House Bill 97 to raise Georgia’s minimum wage from $5.15 to a yet-to-bedetermined higher rate.

(D-Atlanta), is in committee.

A two-hour public hearing scheduled by the caucus on Feb. 26 only lasted 15 minutes because members were wrestling with lastminute bills on the floor and couldn’t get away to attend.

Dawkins Haigler, who represents House District 91, said they were going to hear from labor leaders and clerical and restaurant workers.

“People are having a hard time on the minimum wage because it’s not a livable wage,” she said. “Georgia may be the No. 1 place in the country to do business, but it’s also the place with some of the lowest wages.

Efforts to raise Georgia’s minimum wage will not make it to a vote in the current session of the General Assembly that ends March 20.

Members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, who are pushing efforts to increase the state minimum wage from $5.15, said Thursday it’s unlikely that House Bill 97 will pass because of election-year politics, a shorter legislative schedule and pressure on lawmakers to wrap up business to get on the campaign trail for the May 20 primary.

The bill, co-sponsored by state Reps. Dee Dawkins Haigler (D-Lithonia), the Black Caucus chairwoman, and Tyrone Brooks Please see BILL, page 3

Johnson kicks off his bid for fifth term U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson addresses the crowd on Feb. 22 in Lithonia as he launches his re-election bid for a fifth term of office in the 4th Congressional District.

Lewis among supporters from all walks of life

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

In the seven years that he has been in office, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson has garnered some staunch supporters across the 4th Congressional District.

On Feb. 22 when he kicked off his reelection campaign for a fifth term of office, more than 300 of them appeared to show their support.

Many scribbled well wishes on a massive card that covered one wall of the new campaign office at 2853 Panola Road. Others made fiery speeches from the podium.

Jan Selman of Decatur said she has been a Johnson supporter since his first run against six-term Rep. Cynthia McKinney in 2006.

At that time, many people thought he was a long shot.

But Selman, who knew Johnson when he was a Decatur attorney and county commissioner, said she saw him as “a real Democrat” then and now. Before taking the microphone at the grand opening of Johnson’s campaign office Saturday, Selman took to the wall card with a red marker, scribbling “a Congressman with a heart,” with a picture representing the word “heart.”

From the podium, Selman held up a picture of the Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz.” “I want a congressman that will support the foundation that the country was built on,” she said. “I do not want the Tin Man. I want a congressman with a heart.”

Selman said she supports Johnson for Congress because he has never let her down.

“He has always voted the conscience of a Democrat,” she said to cheers. “He has always voted in the best interest of his constituents.

We can ask for no more and we can accept nothing less.”

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Johnson has faced Democratic opposition only once, in 2010 when six Democrats challenged him. In 2012, he made history as the first 4th District representative not to have either a Democrat or Republican challenger.

He is not so lucky this time.

In the May 20 Democratic primary, he is facing DeKalb Sheriff Thomas Brown, who was set to step down from his office on Feb. 28 to seek the Democratic nomination.

At the Feb. 22 campaign kickoff, speaker after speaker – from unions, churches, local and state government, community groups, and constituents from the 4th District that includes portions of DeKalb, Rockdale, Newton and Gwinnett counties – said Johnson stands up for labor, the working poor, women’s rights, and for people without health insurance and that he supports President Barack Obama and the laws of the country.

Civil rights icon and 5th District U.S. Rep. John Lewis said that the Georgia delegation needs Johnson.

“We need his leadership,” Lewis said. “We need his vision. We need his commitment.

We need his dedication now more than ever before.”

Lewis, who mentored Johnson when he got to the U.S. House, said he loves serving in Congress with Johnson.

“He will always do the right thing,” Lewis said. “I know where this young man stands.

I know his heart. He will never, ever let the people of this district down. And I know we are going to have a great victory because you are here, early on a Saturday morning, and now you stand here on Saturday afternoon.”

But Lewis told audience members that they can’t just “talk the talk.”

“We got to get out there and walk the walk,” he said.

He said Johnson believes in saving and protecting our environment.

“He believes that we have a right to know what is in the food we eat, what is in the water we drink, what is in the air we breathe,”he said. “So stick with him and go out there and tell others to stay with him, and don’t be fooled. … We need Hank Johnson to lead us on. Go out there and work and work, and if you don’t work I am coming back and I’m going to get you.”

Lewis, who has served in Congress since 1987, is also up for re-election. He said he doesn’t know what will happen in his district when qualifying ends on March 7, but he pledged his support to Johnson.

“I am prepared to walk with you, knock on doors, shake some hands, kiss some babies,” he told him. “We are going to mow some lawns. And Hank, no one is going to Please see JOHNSON, page 2

2

CrossRoadsNews

Community

March 1, 2014

“I can always look back to DeKalb County and say it did right by me and I did right by them.”

Sheriff Brown bids farewell to colleagues, county workers

By Ken Watts

DeKalb Sheriff Thomas Brown bid an emotional farewell to longtime colleagues and county employees on Feb. 26 as the Board of Commissioners recognized his nearly 14 years in the office in a proclamation ceremony.

Brown, who spent 29 years in DeKalb government, said the county has been good for him.

“It’s been a good ride for me,” he said, his voice breaking. “I don’t know where God is gonna take me, but wherever he does, I’m gonna be in a good place either doing the people’s work or playing with that grandson of mine.”

Surrounded by his command staff and senior administrators in the county’s Maloof Auditorium before the board’s monthly meeting, Brown said he’s satisfied that he leaves the Sheriff ’s Office in better shape than he found it in 2001 when he was appointed to the office after the assassination of Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, who was no relation to him.

Brown stepped down on Feb. 28 with more than two years left on his term.

He is running for the 4th District congressional seat held by incumbent Democrat Hank Johnson. Qualifying for the May 20 primary takes place March 3-7.

So far, TomBrownForCongress.com says

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Thomas Brown, who was scheduled to step down as DeKalb sheriff on Feb. 28 to run for Congress, was recognized by the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 26 for his service.

he has raised $130,000 in donations.

In his remarks Tuesday to a crowd of admirers in Maloof Auditorium, Brown fondly recalled his tenure as sheriff. He said the office, under his administration, has been a good steward of the taxpayers’ money.

“We improved security and spent money to upgrade our computer network,” he said.

“We put video systems throughout the jail

and courthouse so that we can make sure that our employees are protected. We did that without spending one dime of the taxpayer fund. We did it with confiscated drug money.”

One by one, commissioners and interim CEO Lee May praised Brown’s leadership.

“You took chaos and made it calm,” said the board’s presiding officer, Larry Johnson,

alluding to Brown’s successful efforts to modernize and reform operations and root out corruption.

The board’s proclamation noted that under Brown, the Sheriff’s Office “has earned and maintained accreditations from the nation’s three leading law enforcement rating groups, the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) and the American Correctional Association (ACA).”

District 6 Commissioner Kathie Gannon said Brown has shaped the county in many ways.

“Tom Brown’s name will be synonymous with DeKalb County for a long time to come,” she said.

Brown came to DeKalb in 1985 as fire chief. Four years later, the county’s first CEO, Manuel Maloof, appointed him public safety director, a post Brown held for 11 years before becoming sheriff. He said he leaves office with mixed feelings.

“You reflect on your career and everything that you’ve done. And you want to think that you’ve always done the right thing even though there has been adversity at times. But it’s a ride that I would not exchange for anything in the world,” he said.

“No matter what happens, I can always look back to DeKalb County and say it did right by me and I did right by them.”

Supporters laud Congressman’s work ethic, service, integrity JOHNSON,

1

of Salem Bible Church, said many people in is talking and paying.

“I am paying my maximum,” he said, the community kept their homes through outwork you and no one is going to outwork the darkness of the recession because of waving his check in the air. “Here’s my me. I am with you, brother.” $2,000.

Johnson.

The Rev. Jasper Williams, senior pastor Williams said Johnson has worked hard He said Johnson “is our man” and that he for the community.

“Let’s get up, step up, pep up and do all that we can do to let him retain this seat that he has truly earned,” hr said.

Kendal Hubbard of Lithonia did not speak from the podium, but she scribbled a note on the wall to Johnson.

“Let’s take it again,” she wrote. “Keep up the great work.”

Hubbard said she is voting again for Johnson because the scholarships and service appointments he has given the kids.

“These are great opportunities for students,” she said. “He is a congressman who is interested in children.”

When he took the microphone, Johnson said that he recognizes that the issues of jobs and the economy are at the forefront of the minds of his district’s residents.

“And in response, I have delivered,” he said. “Since 2009, I have helped deliver more than $250 million in federal funds to District 4 for jobs creation. Remaining true to my word of Taking Care of Home First, my office has helped more than 15,000 constituents DeKalb County wants your input on its first economic secure more than $32 million in federal development strategic plan. Working together, we can benefits to which they were entitled. ” improve the economic landscape and foster capital Linda Mayhand of Stone Mountain said she likes Johnson’s passion for veterans, small investment and job creation. business and the economy.”

“I think he will continually be great in representing us,” said Mayhand who owns Trinity Industrial Supplies.

Hank Thomas, one of only three remaining Freedom Riders, praised Johnson for working to get them congressional recognition.

“Every year, celebrities, football players, basketball players go to the White House to get recognized but we like to think that we did a few things 53 years ago,” he said. “Just a few months ago I brought this problem to Hank Johnson. Without missing a beat, he said I am going to introduce a bill.”

He said Johnson is a man who keeps his word. “This is what impressed me the most,” he said. “He told us that he would do it and DeKalb County Interim CEO Lee May and the Board of Commissioners he is doing it.”

State Sen. Ronald Ramsey led the room in a “Fired up and ready to go” chant and told from page

DeKalb County is working to create a brighter future for our residents

We are taking steps to improve our economy WE NEED YOUR INPUT

PLEASE TAKE THE SURVEY

www.DeKalbCounty2020.com

the supporters to stand with Johnson.

“Let him go back and finish the job,” he said.

When he was first elected to Senate District 43 in 2006, Ramsey said the first thing he did was call his congressman.

“I said we need to meet to talk about transportation, we need to talk about education,” he said. “We spoke and the dialogue continues. ” Heather Fenton, a Decatur wife, mother and president of New Power, a political action committee working to put women into public office, said Johnson stands up for women.

“When other Congress people wanted to water down the Violence Against Women Act, he was there fighting for women,” she said. “He has been a steadfast supporter of legislation that prohibits employment discrimination against women.”

On her trips to the nation’s Capitol, Fenton said that she came to learn that in Washington Johnson is enormously respected.

“He is highly regarded, and he is liked,” she said. “I like him and I am going to work for him and I am going to vote for him.”

Verdaillia Turner, president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, said Johnson had integrity.

“He is solid as a rock,” she said. “His word is his bond. He stands for quality effective public education, not under cute names that is misleading people today.”

Richard Barclay, senior pastor of Hillcrest Church of Christ in Decatur, said he took great pride in seeing Johnson disembark Air Force One with Obama on trips to Savannah and Atlanta.

“You have always supported us in what we have to do,” he told Johnson. “In the words of the little guys on the street, ‘We got your back.’”

Former DeKalb School Board member Zepora Roberts said Johnson “ain’t scared of anything” and has done an exceptional job representing the best interest of the district.

“When other people say we need a change, I just wonder what on earth are they going to change,” she said. “If you look at Hank Johnson’s record, I ask of the other opponents, ‘What would you have done differently?’”

See Page 4 for excerpts of U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson’s speech.

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CrossRoadsNews

March 1, 2014

Community

“You could be living in your home and someone files a quick claim deed to get a second mortgage and you don’t know.”

Registry alert to fight fraud 50 year sentence

DeKalb now has Smart911 service DeKalb County now has Smart911, a national public safety service that provides more effective emergency response.

It offers residents the opportunity to greate a safety profile for 911 prior to an emergency, enabling responders to act more quickly and precisely during a crisis.

DeKalb interim CEO Lee May said public safety is top of mind for county residents and a top priority for him.

“Smart911 offers a greater sense of security to the community by providing first responders with the information they need to help residents and visitors during an emergency,” he said.

Once a resident creates a Safety Profile at www.smart911.com for their household, dialing 911, activates Smart911 making their profile available to 911 call takers.

For example, fire crews will know how many people live in the home, the location of bedrooms, and allergies and other medical conditions of residents., In Georgia, the service is already available in several cities, providing an additional benefit for residents who may work outside the county.

DeKalb residents can now register their homes and other properties in the county’s Property Fraud Registry Alert System.

The online system, launched Feb. 24

by DeKalb Superior Court Clerk Debra DeBerry, allows property owners to register their properties at web.co.dekalb.ga.us/ Debra DeBerry clerk/ and receive notice anytime something is recorded on their deeds or titles.

Because senior citizens are frequently the targets of fraudulent recordings, the Clerk’s office will continue to assist them by phone if they lack electronic contact.

Property thefts have been in the news lately with house thieves, like the soverign citizens, signing deeds and titles over to themselves.

DeBerry said that by the time a property owner finds, it costly and complicated to fix the problem.

“You could be be living in your home and someone files a quick claim deed and uses it to get a second mortgage and you don’t know,” she said. “With the alert, you will know within a day and i f you didn’t do, you can notify the police immediately.”

DeBerry said property propery thefts have been on the increase in DeKalb County over the last few years.

When someone comes to her office with property changes, DeBerry says they ask for identification.

“If it comes in the mail, we have to accept it,” she said.

A Channel 2 Action News investigation into a ring of thieves stealing houses, uncovered at least 18 stolen properties in eight Georgia counties including DeKalb and Henry. The properties, all vacant, include town homes, mansions, and an entire shopping center. The total value exceeds $22 million.

DeBerry said she had to do something.

For more information, call 404-6873812.

in cop shooting

Cameron Maddox, who tried to kill an Atlanta Police Officer in March 2012, is going to prison for 50 years.

Maddox, 21, pleaded guilty on Feb. 18 to the attempted murder of officer Dexter Toomer and aggravated assualt of four other victims.

DeKalb Superior Court Judge Linda Hunter sentenced him to 50 years.

He will serve 30 years behind bars and the rest of his sentence on probation.

A DeKalb grand jury said Maddox used a stolen .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun to fire upon and strike Toomer. He also opened fire on four other people traveling in a single vehicle along Moreland Avenue in Little Five Points.

District Attorney Robert James said that Maddox climbed the roof of a local establishment and recklessly opened fire.

“Maddox’s goal was to kill and terrorize,” James said. “Luckily, Officer Toomer was not fatally wounded and the additional victims were not struck by the reckless actions of Maddox.”

Proponents of higher minimum wage to tour state to rally support BILL,

from page

1

Workers tell us how difficult it is to work several jobs and care for their children.”

HB 97 is seeking to boost minimum pay to a yet-to-be determined higher rate. It also would provide for annual increases to match the cost of living.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and President Barack Obama is push-

ing Congress to increase it to $10.10. He already has signed off on that rate for federal contractors effective in January.

Dawkins Haigler said that the state’s $5.15 hourly rate is inadequate.

“We have people here who work full-time jobs on top of part-time work and still have to receive state assistance because they don’t have wages that are livable,” she said.

Brooks said he introduced a minimum

wage bill at the urging of the Georgia Citizens Coalition on Hunger. The group wants to see the state minimum set at $15.

“We have not been able to have a meaningful discussion on the issue in the Legislature on raising the minimum,” he said.

“Probably not $15 an hour but somewhere between where we are now and $15 is reasonable.”

Dawkins Haigler said Black Caucus

members will be working to build citizen support for HB 97 in the 2015 session.

“The caucus will do a summer-long public hearing tour around the state after the primaries to discuss minimum wages,” she said. “We’re going to start in rural areas and work our way to the larger communities of our state. We’ll also have symposiums on financial literacy, economic development and asset building starting in June in Valdosta.”

An Open Letter to DeKalb County Citizens managing the day to day operations of the entire Sheriff's Office.

My career in public service began in DeKalb County in 1985 and it has been my honor and privilege to serve as your Fire Chief, Public Safety Director and for the last 13 years as your elected Sheriff.

During my tenure as Sheriff, Chief Deputy Jeff Mann has guided our agency through all three national accreditation processes and there has never been a hint of scandal in how we handle our 78 million dollar budget or the hundreds of thousands of dollars we manage through inmate welfare funds or cash bond accounts.

I am proud to say to the people of DeKalb County that in my opinion the only person who is day one ready to be the next Sheriff of DeKalb County and the person I will be voting for is Jeff Mann.

During this time, I have met thousands of you at various community and school events. We have worshiped together.

Yet, fulfillment comes in so many ways and at this juncture in my life I am seeking to serve you at a higher level. On Friday, Feb 28, 2014, I will change gears as your public servant.

It is my desire to transition from your Sheriff to your Congressman, serving many of you at the federal level.

There are many whom I want to thank for the support during my local government career and I have begun the process of reaching out to those whom I am grateful to have crossed paths with over the years.

As I travel across this great County, I am asked who can continue the excellent work we have done. Who will ensure that there is professionalism and integrity of the Sheriff's Office; ensuring that DeKalb County has one of the safest courthouses in the nation; that the jail will continue to be operated in an efficient manner, and that persons entrusted to its care are treated with respect and dignity.

The DeKalb County Jail currently holds all three major national accreditations. We are one of only 38 Sheriffs Offices out of 3,900 to hold such an honor; so the concern in maintaining this achievement is a valid one. Who CAN continue the great work and accomplishments of the DeKalb

Rest assured Jeff will continue the methodologies we have in placethose measurable and proven to be effective. Jeff will ensure that taxpayer dollars are properly spent and that contracting opportunities are fairly DeKalb Sheriff Thomas Brown (right) with Chief Deputy Jeff Mann. awarded. Jeff will make certain those persons wanted for criminal and County Sheriff’s Office? domestic violence offenses are aggressively pursued, and that registered sex offenders are appropriately monitored.

Jeff Mann! A man who has contributed abundantly to all of our accomplishments for the last 10 years. Jeff Mann is my I enjoy a sense of real comfort, knowing that I leave this Chief Deputy and on Friday, February 28th at noon at the agency in better shape than in January of 2001. I am also at DeKalb County Courthouse, Chief Mann will be sworn in as ease with the person who has been my Chief Deputy for the DeKalb County's 49th Sheriff. Jeff Mann has a history of his last ten years and who will hold the position of Sheriff own in DeKalb County. I met him in the 1990's where as a beginning March 1, 2014. I have complete confidence in young attorney in the County's Law Department; he was Chief Mann’s ability to not only continue on but to move the assigned to the Public Safety Department to handle all legal County forward. Please join me in supporting Jeff Mann in the matters. In 2001, I was elected as your Sheriff for the first special election on May 20th. term and Jeff Mann joined me in the Sheriff's Office as my Director of Labor Relations and Legal Affairs. In 2004 he was Yours for a safer DeKalb elevated to Chief Deputy the number two position on my staff, Sheriff Thomas Brown – PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF THOMAS BROWN –

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“Every day when I go to work, I feel you there with me.”

Taking care of home first: Johnson details record U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson speaks to supporters on Feb. 22 at campaign headquarters in Lithonia. More than 300 people attended the open house.

Editor’s note: Fourth District Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) launched his re-election campaign for a fifth term on Feb. 22.

He faces opposition from DeKalb Sheriff Thomas Brown in the May 20 Democratic primary.

Below are excerpts from his speech to supporters who attended the grand opening of his Lithonia campaign headquarters.

I want to thank the citizens of District 4 for the opportunity to serve. It has truly been an honor representing our community in Congress these last seven years, and I hope that I am afforded the opportunity to continue my service to you.

Let me tell you why I want your continued support and in turn your vote. I recognize that the issues of jobs and the economy are at the forefront of the minds of the citizens of our district. And in response, I have delivered.

Since 2009, I have helped deliver more than $250 million in federal funds to District 4 for jobs creation.

This amount includes $98 million, which saved more than 1,000 teaching jobs in DeKalb, Rockdale, Gwinnett and Newton counties.

Remaining true to my word of Taking Care of Home First, my office has helped more than 15,000 constituents secure more than $32 million for constituents seeking help with specific federal agencies.

In 2013, I co-sponsored the Help Entrepreneurs Create American Jobs Act, which increases the tax deduction for many start-up companies. I have sponsored the Summer Jobs Act, which created more than 1,000 jobs for youth in our districts.

At the end of 2013, nearly 1.3 million Americans, including 55,000 Georgians, lost unemployment insurance due to GOP obstruction. This is unconscionable!

I vow to continue the fight for an extension of long-term unem-

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

ployment benefits that would enable the long-term unemployed to make ends meet as they search for employment.

And while they are searching for jobs, I want to make sure they are not discriminated against due to their unemployment status.

That’s why from my leadership position on the Judiciary Committee, I felt so compelled to sponsor the Fair Employment Act. This act prohibits employers and employment agencies from discriminating against unemployed job seekers.

My goal is to make sure that no one is discriminated against because he or she has been among the long-term unemployed. Everyone should have the same opportunities for employment.

Two years ago, Georgia received $340 million from President Obama’s Hardest Hit Fund to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

My office felt that enough was not being done to distribute those funds, so we got the governor to ramp up Georgia. We hosted a halfdozen Home Safe Georgia foreclosure events that allow homeowners access to those funds.

Quick Read

As a result of my office’s aggressive efforts to bring awareness to this program, and to make it work for 4th District homeowners, more Hardest Hit Fund monies were distributed in the 4th District than in any other district in the state, helping prevent thousands of foreclosures and ending that crisis!

And we will continue to create those opportunities.

Today, I am in the thick of my fifth congressional campaign.

Many of you have been with me from the very beginning. And it is my intention to grow and deepen our friendship throughout my tenure in Congress and beyond.

I could not do this without your encouragement and support, and for that I thank you.

Every day when I go to work, I feel you there with me.

I’m working hard in Congress for our community, and I’m going to keep on fighting for you.

I feel privileged and humbled to represent you in Congress.

I’m here today to ask for your continuing support. I need your support to keep fighting for justice, fairness, and prosperity for all. I

need your support to continue standing with President Obama to create jobs and turn the economy around.

Together with our president, I will continue to work hard to create a level playing field where everyone, regardless of birthright, skin color, or other physical distinction, can, if they work hard and play by the rules, achieve the American Dream.

I stand with the president in the fight for equal pay for equal work, because when women succeed, America succeeds. Stand with us, to fight for workers who need a raise.

Let’s fight to raise the minimum wage to $10.10.

Together, we passed historic health care reform and reform to hold big banks and Wall Street accountable. Together, we are fighting for equal opportunity.

And now let us all stand together to fight to protect Social Security and Medicare from budget cuts.

Let’s stand together. Let’s fight together. Let’s get through these tough times together And let’s keep making our county, our state, our country, and our world a better place.

State’s minimum wage will not rise this year 1

DeKalb now has Smart911 service 3

100 to be tested for exposure to tuberculosis 6

Efforts to raise Georgia’s minimum wage will not make it to a vote in the current session of the General Assembly that ends March 20.

DeKalb County now has Smart911, a national public safety service that provides more effective emergency response.

Just over 100 students, faculty and staff at Georgia Perimeter College will be tested for exposure to tuberculosis on March 4.

DeKalb unanimous on $584 million budget for 2014 5

Oakhurst celebrates record year as new center opens 7

With the mandatory deadline to agreed on a 2014 budget at their heels, the DeKalb Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $584 million budget on Feb. 27 that provides funding for 160 new police officers and 100 new firefighters without raising property taxes and 3 percent pay raise for all employees.

Oakhurst Medical Centers Inc., which officially opened its new $5 million administration and medical center on Feb. 24, had a record year in 2013, serving more than 16,000 patients.

Johnson kicks off his bid for fifth term 1 In the seven years that he has been in office, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson has garnered some staunch supporters across the 4th Congressional District.

Sheriff Brown bids farewell to colleagues, county workers 2

Circulation Audited By

March 1, 2014

DeKalb Sheriff Thomas Brown bid an emotional farewell to longtime colleagues and county employees on Feb. 26 as the Board of Commissioners recognized his nearly 14 years in the office in a proclamation ceremony.

County seeks input on economic plan

5

DeKalb County is gathering public input on its first economic development strategic plan.

Lithonia’s quest for historic designation draws closer 9 The city of Lithonia’s history as a crossroads town and provider of the unique gneiss granite that helped build New York’s Holland and Lincoln tunnels, and pave the streets of many Northern cities is close to making the National Register of Historic Places.

index to advertisers BJH Attorneys at Law.....................................12 Candler Pharmacy.......................................... 7 Chapel Hill Orthodontics.................................6 Committee to Re-Elect Hank Johnson............ 5 DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court.................... 10

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The Law Office of B.A. Thomas.....................12 The Law Office of Melissa J. Sawyers.............12 Best Buy Co. Inc......................................Inserts Walgreens...............................................Inserts Walmart..................................................Inserts

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CrossRoadsNews

March 1, 2014

Finance

“We reached our goal of a prudent reserve. We reduced headcount and we cut an additional $16 million in spending.”

DeKalb unanimous on $584 million budget for 2014 With the mandatory deadline to agreed on a 2014 budget at their heels, the DeKalb Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $584 million budget on Feb. 27 that provides funding for 160 new police officers and 100 new firefighters without raising property taxes and 3 percent pay raise for all employees.

By state law, the county must have a balanced budget on March 1. The 2014 budget is $23.9 million more than the 2013 budget of $560.1 million It has no millage rate increase and restores the budgetary reserve to $47 million, emphasizes enhancements in public safety, economic development, community improvement and government efficiency.

The budget also restores pay increases for officers who are promoted and assumed additional responsibilities, and it includes funding for a take home car initiative for police officers. And for the first time in DeKalb’s history, a tuition reimbursement program for fire and police is included.

The budget, is up $23.9 million from the

$560.1 million in 2013. It also provides funding for a new partnership with the DeKalb Development Authority to spur economic development and create jobs, and develop an economic development strategic plan to spur capital investment Lee May and foster an environment that leads to job creation.

Interim CEO Lee May said it wasn’t what everyone wanted but that they compromised.

“I am proud that we have been able to work collaboratively with the Board of Commissioners to effectively address all of the key areas of need for DeKalb County residents without a tax increase, this year or next,” he said.

The board’s Presiding Officer Larry Johnson said they made adjustments in partnership with the Interim CEO to benefit the taxpayers.

Larry Johnson

“We reached our goal of a prudent reserve,” he said. “We reduced headcount and we cut an additional $16 million in spending.”

Deputy Presiding Officer Stan Watson said it was awesome collaboration between the legislative and executive branch-

es of government.

“The 2014 budget addresses continued delivery of services to DeKalb citizens without a tax increase,” he said.

Because of declining revenues from the collapse of the real estate market and high incidence of foreclosures, DeKalb has balanced the budget by reducing employees, including police officers and firefighters, paving fewer roads, deferring maintenance on government buildings and county parks; and furloughing employees. It also eliminated employee cost of living raises.

District one Commissioner Elaine Boyers

said she was most pleased with the fact that the budget allocates the resources to analyze current government operations.

“We will finally get an independent assessment of the workforce and departments to determine the appropriate size of our workforce and how we can become more efficient in our operations,” she said.

The 2014 budget also includes funding for an interchange beautification program at several interstate exit ramps, cleanup major roads, implement regular sweeping and mowing schedules on right of ways and patch potholes and streets, and fund seven new code enforcement officers.

District 4 Commisioner Sharon Barnes Sutton said she is elated that they budgeted $750,000 in the Recreation and Parks Department specifically for youth services.

“I have been at the forefront of advocating for youth programs, to give our most precious resource, our children, something positive to aspire to as an alternative to the trouble young people get into by happenstance,” she said.

County seeks input SBA program seeks small business CEOs, owners Businessowners who are seeking to grow thier business to during the training period. on economic plan Topics and subjects include business and leadership assessthe next level can apply for the SBA’s 2014 Emerging Leaders DeKalb County is gathering public input on its first economic development strategic plan.

The 15-minute survey is part of an ongoing effort to improve the economic landscape and foster capital investment and job creation.

It is available at www.DeKalbCounty2020.com.

The site also offers project updates.

Interim CEO Lee May said that it is of paramount importance that the county crafts a sustainable plan that makes it easy to do business in DeKalb County and meets the needs of all of our stakeholders.

“To that end, we are asking our businesses and residents for their opinions as we move forward,” he said.“The input from the public is key to ensure this plan is consistent with the priorities of DeKalb’s residents and businesses.”

The county has hired AngelouEconomics to create the economic development strategic plan, which will establish a project list prioritized according to cost, ease of implementation, and economic impact. It also will lay out the tools, incentives, and implementation plan required to effectively complete the projects.

Initiative.

The competitive mini-MBA program helps small business owners to accelerate their growth. It is free to attend.

Interested applicants can attend 6 to 8 p.m. orientation on March 3 at SBA’s Georgia District Office in Atlanta.

They will meet the SBA staff and instructor and hear what others are saying about the impact and results of the course.

Visit http://events.sba.gov/eventmanagement/eventlisting. aspx?state=GA to rsvp.

The seven-month long program is is open to the president, managing partner, chief executive officer, chief financial officer, or chief operating officer of small businesses located in DeKalb. Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties.

Eligible companies must be in opewrations for theree years, have generataed $400,000 to $10 million in annual revenues, and have at lease one employee beside the owners.

Oly 15 participants are selected for each class.

It includes 60 to 80 hours of classroom instruction and includes instructor-facilitated discussion. Outside subject matter experts are included as guest speakers to bring a “real world” perspective. Class participants meet and work in small CEO Peer Mentoring Groups for an additional 15 to 20 hours

A family serving families worldwide for over 32 years.

ment, finances, marketing and sales, business development resources, and growth action plan.

The deadline to apply is midnight March 21. The class begins on April 21.

The SBA Georgia District Office is at 233 Peachtree St. N.E., Suite 1900, Peachtree Center/Harris Tower. For more information, contact Dorothy Atkins at 404-331-0100, Ext. 305, or Charlotte Johnson at 404-331-0100, ext. 405.

Business, community expo DeKalb for Seniors Inc. is hosting a business and community expo on March 13 at the Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia.

It takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offers exhibitors an opportunity to expose their business and community resources to senior residents.

Table rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For costs and more information, contact Donna Dees at dekalbfs@gmail.com or 678-982-9805.

The center is at 2538 Panola Road.

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CrossRoadsNews

Wellness

“The ACA affords an array of health care insurance options with plans that fit diverse budgets … it’s important to get coverage.”

ACA enrollment at ‘Clarkston Day of Action’ Residents can get assistance with enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace during the “Clarkston Day of Action” on March 8 at the Clarkston Library.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Get Covered America, Georgia Refugee Health and Mental Health, and licensed inperson enrollment assisters will provide critical information on options available during open enrollment that ends on March 31.

Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry, who declared March 8 as an official “Day of Action,” says every eligible resident in the multicultural city should take advantage of the opportunity to enroll for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. “The ACA affords an array of health care insurance options with plans that fit diverse budgets, and it’s important for all of our

residents to get coverage,” Terry said in a Feb. 24 statement.

He said that some people just don’t know about the Marketplace.

“We want people to take advantage of the resources that Clarkston [enrollment] navigators and groups like Get Covered America are providing,” he said. “Whether you’re new to America or you’ve been here all your life, this opportunity is too important to miss.”

Alex Dombronovich, Enroll America state communications director for Georgia, said the nonprofit wants to stress that financial assistance is available for many who need coverage. She said staff and volunteers will go door-to-door to ensure residents know about financial help and where enrollment is taking place.

“Surveys have shown us that most people

are unaware that there is financial help available to them,” she said. “Of the 101,000 Georgia enrollees, an overwhelming 83 percent have already received help paying for their coverage in a Health Insurance Marketplace Alex Dombronovich plan.”

There also will be a kiosk at ThrifTown Shopping Plaza for information about the Healthcare Marketplace and enrollment sites for face-to-face sign-ups.

The Clarkston Library is at 1055 Rowland St. For more information or to R.S.V.P., contact Alex Dombronovich at Alexd@ enrollamerica.org, Adombronovich@enroll­ america.org or 470-955-9214.

Potential phone scam probed State health officials are warning residents about a potential scam involving health-related telephone surveys.

The Georgia Department of Public Health says several residents have complained about out-of-state telephone callers claiming to be from the “department of health” who are asking questions about medical and surgical procedures.

One resident said the caller asked to speak to her teenage daughter. In other instances, the caller asks questions about ethnicity and religion, among others, and may be trying to sell goods or services.

Rick Keheley, director of DPH’s Office of the Inspector General, is investigating the phone calls and exploring whether they are connected to fraud.

“Right now, we do not know the real reason for the calls or what the caller is truly looking for,” Keheley said in a Feb. 25 statement. “We do know the calls are not coming from the Georgia Department of Public Health.”

DPH occasionally uses phone surveys to gain information on health trends. It will never ask for religious information or credit card information and will never try to sell goods or services. It will always provide call-back or contact information for verification.

For more information or to report a suspicious call, email reportdphfraud@ dhr.state.ga.us or call 404-656-4409.

March 1, 2014

Sheriff Thomas Brown (from left), Phyllis Miller, Chief Deputy Jeffrey Mann and Lt. K.D. Johnson are shown at the presentation of a $10,000 donation to the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center.

Rape Crisis Center gets $10,000 from sheriff The DeKalb Rape Crisis Center received $10,000 from the DeKalb Sheriff ’s Office to help with the services it offers to rape victims.

Outgoing Sheriff Thomas Brown and Chief Deputy Jeffrey L. Mann presented the donation to the center’s board of directors in February.

The funds were allocated from the DeKalb

County Confiscated Drug Account, awarded to the Sheriff ’s Office by DeKalb Superior Court for its participation in investigating drug-related crimes.

Brown said it is a positive use of the funds.

“This is an effort to seek reduction of victimization of women targeted for these types of crimes,” he said in a Feb. 20 statement.

Schools urged to Power Up for 30 “Celebrate The New Year With A Beautiful Smile”

Georgia Public Health Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald is urging school districts statewide to adopt Georgia SHAPE’s Power Up for 30 program to fight childhood obesity.

Fitzgerald says mounting scientific evidence Brenda Fitzgerald shows that increased physical movement also results in better test scores and increased attentiveness.

“Power Up for 30 is a promising solution to the obesity epidemic facing Georgia’s children,” Fitzgerald said in a Feb. 24 letter to Georgia SHAPE followers. “The message cannot be ignored – we must get our students moving more. Power Up for 30 helps you do just that with an easy, supported program that works.”

She said hundreds of schools have started with a simple pledge to add 30 minutes of physical activity to the school day. For more information, visit GeorgiaSHAPE.org.

100 to be tested for exposure to tuberculosis

By Ken Watts

Just over 100 students, faculty and staff at Georgia Perimeter College will be taking a test for exposure to tuberculosis on March 4.

College and DeKalb health officials said that they might have come into contact with a person who tested positive for tuberculosis, a bacterial infectious disease that typically attacks the lungs, but also can affect other parts of the body.

Dr. Vincent June, vice president of Student Affairs, said in a Feb. 25 email that the DeKalb Board of Health informed the college earlier in February that the exposed person was on the Clarkston campus and may have come in contact with others.

“Georgia Perimeter College then followed standard protocol and gave the health department a list of people [faculty, staff and students] who may have come in contact with the identified person.

The health department then provided our college a letter and fact sheet about tuberculosis to send out to everyone on that list,” June said.

“Those items were put into the mail Feb. 20.”

The CDC says TB is spread when people who have an active infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air.

Most infections do not have symptoms, known as latent tuberculosis. About one in 10 latent infections eventually progress to active disease which, if left untreated, kills more than 50 percent of those infected.

The classic symptoms of active TB infection are a chronic cough with bloodtinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss.

In the letter, the health department requests that recipients receive a skin test, either from their primary care providers or from the DeKalb Board of Health.

Tuesday’s testing on the Clarkston campus is free of charge. The Board of Health says it will return March 6 to offer follow-up readings for those tested. The board expects to test 100 to 112 people.

Board of Health spokeswoman Vickie Elisa said the March 6 readings might not be the definitive results.

“TB investigations, depending upon the numbers of individuals involved, can often take 60 to 90 days to review all charts, data and medical records.” she said. “Some may require additional follow-up, which is part of the investigation.”

Elisa said the board cannot release the infected person’s name or occupation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a TB skin test, also called the Mantoux tuberculin skin test, is performed by injecting a small amount of tuberculin fluid into the skin in the lower part of the arm. A person given the tuberculin skin test must return within 48 to 72 hours to have a trained health care worker look for a reaction on the arm.

The health care worker will look for a raised, hard area or swelling. If present, they will measure its size using a ruler.

Redness by itself is not considered part of the reaction.

A positive skin test means the person’s body was infected with TB bacteria.

Additional tests are needed to determine if the person has latent TB infection or TB disease.

The board says TB testing in an urban, culturally diverse county such as DeKalb is routine and reflects the same rate and pattern as other major urban cities in the United States.

Most importantly, it says, you can have TB exposure but not TB disease.

March 1, 2014

Wellness

7

CrossRoadsNews

“It shows people that you can have affordable health care and that you can have a beautiful place that everybody can enjoy.”

Oakhurst Medical celebrates record year as new center opens

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Oakhurst Medical Centers Inc., which officially opened its new $5 million administration and medical center on Feb. 24, had a record year in 2013, serving more than 16,000 patients.

CEO Jeff Taylor said the nonprofit center has experienced tremendous growth over the nine years since he has been there. Last year Oakhurst, which operates three centers in Stone Mountain and Decatur and one in Jeff Taylor Conyers, served the most patients ever in a single year.

Taylor said the center is realizing its mission and motto of healing its community one home at a time.

“If we can just reach someone new each and every day, we are striving to heal our community one home at a time,” he told about 30 invited guests that included 4th District U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, DeKalb Commissioners Sharon Barnes Sutton of District 4 and Larry Johnson of District 3, and Rockdale County Chairman Richard Oden.

Monday’s ceremony was the second attempt at a grand opening. The first ceremony on Jan. 30 was scuttled by a snowstorm that closed down metro Atlanta for three days.

The one-story center at 5582 Memorial Drive almost doubled the size of Oakhurst Medical’s old facility, down the street on Village Square Drive.

The center moved into the new facility on Dec. 6 – 16 months after the groundbreaking and demolition of an old nightclub that once occupied the property.

It houses the administrative offices and has 34 exam rooms, up from 18, two dental chairs and space for radiology. Oakhurst Medical offers family medicine, pediatrics and ob/gyn services to under-insured and uninsured families.

With the visibility of the new center on Memorial Drive, Taylor said they saw an immediate uptick in patients.

“We served 3,300 patients in December.

Usually we do around 2,500 in a month. So we are already seeing the growth.”

Congressman Johnson, who represents the 4th District, helped secure funding for the new building. He said Oakhurst is a manifestation of where the country is headed with providing affordable health care. He called it a facility that produces healthy people and said the Affordable Care Act was successful despite vehement opposition.

In metro Atlanta, Johnson said 88 percent of the target number for enrollment in the Healthcare Marketplace has been met.

“Y’all have been working hard,” he said.

“Oakhurst, commissioners and public officials have been working very hard to help their community understand what’s happening. Your efforts have paid off.”

Johnson said the enrollment numbers are not as strong in the rest of the state, but that even with a governor who does not want 700,000 uninsured Georgians to get coverage and who is refusing $40 billion over 10 years

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson and Commissioner Larry Johnson talk with Oakhurst Medical CEO Jeff Taylor.

to fund Medicaid, the state has reached 58 percent of the target.

“I think that’s pretty good,” he said. “I think we are winning and we still have a little time left.”

March 31 is the open enrollment deadline to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Taylor said that Oakhurst, a federally qualified nonprofit center, had its start in 1976 when Elizabeth Wilson, former mayor of Decatur, recognized the need for health care services for the underserved in the Oakhurst community. It is one of 32 community health centers in Georgia and one of 1,200 nationwide. He said Oakhurst Medical was providing affordable care before the federal act came about.

“We are just happy and excited that people will continue to come and we will be able to serve even more people now that they have insurance,” he said. “Now people feel that they have access and now will come for more regular services instead of just coming to the health center when they are sick, and that will enable us to provide a quality medical home for them.”

Barnes Sutton, who represents the area, said the center is a big boon for the entire community.

“This is just one more shining jewel in the crown of Memorial Drive and our revitalization for this area,” she said. “You watch, there is going to be more to come.”

She said access to health care is the most important thing that families can have.

“This facility allows people in this dis-

Free mammograms for uninsured Women who are under-insured can get free mammograms this month if they register by March 15.

The YWCA of Greater Atlanta, St. Joseph’s Mobile Mammography program, and Innovative Women’s Healthcare are providing the free mammograms on March 29.

Eligible women must be 40 to 64 years of age and not have health insurance. There are also income requirements.

Appointments are required and can be made at 404-835-1632 before deadline.

Thomasine Leachman, manager of En-

corePlus at the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, said a similar screening two years ago had a great turnout.

“The women really felt good about attending an event that gave free clinical breast exams, mammograms, food and gifts, but most of all, camaraderie,” Leachman said.

The EncorePlus breast and cervical cancer awareness program emphasizes early detection and facilitates breast and cervical cancer education for employees, churches, and community groups. For more information, visit http://ywcaatlanta.org.

trict to be able to get affordable care close to home,” she said, “but not only will it serve this area, it will serve District 3, 4 and 5.”

Commissioner Johnson said the new facility is warm and open.

“It shows people that you can have affordable health care and that you can have a beautiful place that everybody can enjoy,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you are, we have to make sure that health care, prevention and wellness is at the cornerstone of what we do.”

Dr. Raulnina Uzzle, the center’s medical director, said that excellent health translates into excellent wealth, and Oakhurst Medical is improving to provide excellent health care for its patients. She said the changes include the new building, embracing a patientcentered health care model, expanding the services it offers, and maintaining electronic patient records and prescription assistance and support services.

“These health and wellness services reduce both emergency department visits and hospitalization and overall health care costs to these establishments as well as to individual patients,” she said.

Raulnina Uzzle In 2013, Uzzle said that while 40 percent of their patients were diagnosed with chronic diseases, less than 5 percent participated in educational classes that they offered and 40 percent did not keep their scheduled appointments.

“Internally, we are requiring that our patients engage in their health care. Externally, we need your help as our community partners. So please disseminate all the wonderful information you have heard about the services that we offer and we can all contribute to a healthier and wealthier population.”

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8

CrossRoadsNews

Youth

March 1, 2014

“African-Americans are coming together to make an undeniable stand for justice and against prejudice.”

NAACP fighting effort to shrink School Board to 7 members

By Ken Watts

The DeKalb NAACP has come out in support of the DeKalb School Board’s recent vote to stay at nine members instead of the seven that state legislators want.

John Evans, the group’s president, said at a Feb. 27 press conference that the civil rights organization opposes HB 979 that legislature passed in Feb. 26 and sent to Gov. Nathan Deal to be signed into law.

The bill was sponsored by five members of the DeKalb delegation – Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven; Mary Margaret Oliver D-Decatur; Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Dunwoody; Rep. Scott Holcolm, D-Atlanta and Sen. Emanuel Jones D-Decatur.

Evans called the law an attempt to diminish the voting rights and representation of the county’s minority population.

The NAACP said the current nine-member board provides a fair representation of DeKalb’s ethnic and cultural diversity.

“We just want everyone to know that we’re not going to just let everybody kick us in the rear and not do anything about it,” Evans said. “At this stage either we influence the governor not to sign the bill or we have to go to court.”

The news conference at the chapter’s Decatur headquarters was attended by vicepresident Lance Hammonds and executive board member Zepora Roberts.

The NAACP says that while DeKalb took a population hit during the recession, new

DeKalb NAACP President John Evans (center) says the current nine-member School Board provides a fair representation of DeKalb’s ethnic and cultural diversity.

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

home sales and construction have increased in the last year, resulting in population growth.

Evans said reducing the the board size would not represent the electorate equally and could change voting patterns.

“Back in 2000 we went from seven to nine members on the board because of the growth in DeKalb and because we in South DeKalb were not getting adequate representation,” said Roberts, a former school board member who represented District 7 from 2002 to 2007. “Before the board was expanded, we couldn’t even get in touch with our school board members. Why go back to that?”

On Feb. 8, school board members voted 6-3 to keep the board at its current size. The

vote was only a recommendation in response to a request from the DeKalb House Delegation. Delegation chairman Howard Mosby said he asked for the board members’ input to help lawmakers draw the new school board boundaries according to the law.

Some board members had misgivings.

District 2 member Marshall Orson, who voted against the recommendation, said opposing the law could do more harm than good.

“You can ask for anything, but if it’s unwise you run the risk of ill will from the Legislature,” he said.

State lawmakers have been trying to reduce the size of the school board for the last three years. In 2011, the state Senate passed

SB 79 that required DeKalb to reduce the School Board to seven seats, but the bill made no provisions to accomplish it in light of the fact that the members’ terms went beyond 2012. It would have been illegal to put any of the incumbents out of office.

In 2012, the House passed HB 1290 that delayed implementation of SB 79 until the end of 2014. The bill also reapportioned districts 1 through 7 and set the end of the terms of the seats up for election in 2012 to 2014. Thus all seats will become vacant on Dec. 31, 2014. Districts 8 and 9 were already properly apportioned so they were not addressed. New district maps were submitted and approved for preclearance by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Evans says if the NAACP can’t keep the board at its current size they’ll push for fairness.

“If the governor signs this bill, we want the district to be aligned so that we have an opportunity to elect a school board that reflects the 70 percent African-American population in the district, which would be a minimum five African-American board members,” he said.

Hammonds said the nation’s oldest civil rights organization will have another priority before the 2014 school board elections.

“We’ll work to make sure that qualified candidates are encouraged to run for office and make sure that we have an informed citizenry that can selected the right candidates to run for our school board,” he said.

Parents of slain teens to help launch ‘Self-Defense’ campaign The parents of slain teens Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin will help launch a national “SelfDefense” campaign on March 10 at the Tallahassee Leon Civic Center in Florida.

Lucia McBath and Ron Davis and Sybrina Fulton Jordan Davis and Tracy Martin will join family members of Marrisa Alexander, Attorney Benjamin Crump, the Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, AfricanAmerican clergy and social justice leaders at the 9:30 a.m. rally.

Michael Dunn, who shot Jordan to death at a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla., because he was playing loud music in his car, was found guilty of attempted murder on Feb. 15 for endangering the lives of the three other occupants in the SUV – but not for Jordan’s

slaying.

Each attempted second-degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and a fourth charge he was convicted on carries a maximum of 15. He will be sentenced Trayvon Martin March 24.

Jordan, 17, from Marietta and three friends had stopped at the Jacksonville gas station for gum and cigarettes on Nov. 23, 2012, amid a day of “mall hopping and girl shopping” over Thanksgiving break.

Dunn, 45, asked the teens to turn down their music, which witnesses said was shaking their SUV. He said Jordan disrespected him by saying “F--- that n-----.”

Dunn opened fire, hitting Jordan three times, and then chased after the car firing

Jordan Davis’ parents (above) and Trayvon Martin’s parents will attend the launch of a national “Self-Defense” campaign on March 10 at the civic center in Tallahassee, Fla.

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seven more shots into it. Dunn, tried under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, said he feared for his life but no gun was found in the teens’ car.

George Zimmerman, also tried under the Stand Your Ground law, was found not guilty on July 13, 2013, in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 16, 2012.

Trayvon was on his way home from the store with a bag of Skittles and a can of soda when Zimmerman told 911 he was going after the “suspicious-looking” teen.

Organizers say the campaign will mobilize African-American clergy, civil rights leaders, business owners and concerned citizens nationwide to protest and challenge judicial biases regarding people of color and the poor.

“African-Americans are coming together to make an undeniable stand for justice and

against prejudice,” a Feb. 27 statement about the event said.

Syndicated radio talk-show host Tom Joyner, representatives from the National Bar Association, the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, and concerned citizens are expected to join Bryant, pastor of the Empowerment Temple AME Church and president of the Empowerment Movement, to petition the Florida state Legislature and roll out a national strategic “Self-Defense” reform strategy.

Bryant is also the spiritual adviser to Trayvon’s parents.

Rally participants will march to the Tallahassee State House where the national “SelfDefense” campaign will be launched.

The Tallahassee Leon Civic Center is at 505 W. Pensacola St. For more information, visit www.em powermenttemple.org.

March 1, 2014

Scene

9

CrossRoadsNews

“Lithonia is significant because it is a specific type of town called a ‘crossroads with a railroad community.’”

Lithonia’s quest for National Historic designation draws closer

By Ken Watts

The city of Lithonia’s history as a crossroads town and provider of the unique gneiss granite that helped build New York’s Holland and Lincoln tunnels, construct buildings at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and pave the streets of many Northern cities is close to making it onto the National Register of Historic Places.

On Feb. 28, Georgia’s Historic Preservation Division, which has nominated the city for the honor, sent Lithonia’s application to the National Park Service in Washington, which will make the decision.

At a Feb. 19 public briefing at the Lithonia Woman’s Club, Mayor Deborah Jackson said the city has a strong case.

“This is really the culmination of a longtime effort by many partners working with the city to get to this point,” Jackson said.

Since 2003, the city’s application for historic status has started and stopped several times. Jackson, who was elected mayor in 2011, has been helping shepherd it to fruition.

She said the nomination is an exciting development.

“We know that this type of nomination can contribute to our efforts to build an economic development program based around cultural and heritage tourism, so we’re very excited,” she said.

Stephanie Cherry-Farmer, the Historic Preservation Division’s national register and survey program manager, said historic designation could have an immediate positive impact on Lithonia’s commercial and residential property owners.

“For property owners, it means that they are going to have tax incentives for rehab of residential and commercial properties,” she said. “So there will be a nice financial incentive for people to invest in Lithonia and there will also be a document that talks about why Lithonia is significant in history.”

Cherry-Farmer said the city and the Arabia Mountain Heritage officials did a good job of compiling historical data about Lithonia.

“Lithonia is significant because it is a specific type of Georgia town called a ‘crossroads with a railroad community.’ ” The Western-Atlantic Railroad arrived in Lithonia in 1845 and made the city one of the centers of commerce in DeKalb County at that time. By 1879, the stone quarry industry had established itself in the area.

Lithonia became one of the most important suppliers of gneiss, a type of granite with distinctive dark swirl patterns and a crystalline sparkle favored by builders in the 19th century and mid-20th century.

Lithonia gneiss was used to construct buildings and pave and curb streets all over the country.

Cherry-Farmer said that the Rayburn House Office Build-

Mayor Deborah Jackson, who has been helping to shepherd the application process, says the designation would help the area capitalize on cultural and heritage tourism.

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Downtown Lithonia became a center of commerce after the Western-Atlantic Railroad arrived in 1845. The stone quarry industry was established in the area by 1879.

ing on Capitol Hill in Washington used Lithonia gneiss.

“Blocks of Lithonia gneiss were used to build the roadways in New York’s Holland and Lincoln tunnels. And street paving projects in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Savannah and St. Louis used it,” she said. “Many buildings at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point are built of Lithonia gneiss. So are the University of Georgia Library in Athens and the Federal Reserve Building in Atlanta.”

Lithonia is part of the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area that includes Arabia Mountain, Panola Mountain State Park, the Flat Rock Community and the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers connected by a network of paved bike-jog trails.

Jackson said the city is already discussing ways to use those resources and its history to encourage tourists to linger awhile.

“We are exploring some ideas including a bike share in the heritage area,” she said. “And we’re looking at ways to

get people out here and facilitate their ability to get around once they’re here.”

National historic recognition could lift the spirits of the 0.8-square-mile city, long under siege from blight, poverty and economic stagnation that grew worse with the recent economic recession.

Mira Cardenas, the Arabia Mountain Heritage Alliance executive director, helped the city develop its application.

“Sometimes we take our history for granted,” she said.

“We don’t see what makes us unique and significant. But when someone else looks at your community and says its history is significant, that can carry a lot of weight.”

Vanneriah Hawk Wynn, a 25-year Lithonia resident, said that honoring the community’s past could help move it forward.

“I hope it brings growth, revitalization and a new attitude toward the city and a new attitude toward coming together as a community,” she said.

10

CrossRoadsNews

Finance

March 1, 2014

“These are significant expenses for the state, and a declaration by the president will allow us to recoup 75 percent of the eligible costs with

Gov. seeking disaster relief for 48 counties in wake of ice storm Gov. Nathan Deal is seeking federal disaster relief for the 48 counties, including DeKalb, where the combined damage estimates exceed $43 million for the Feb. 10-14 winter storm.

“The storm brought destructive levels of ice that far exceeded anything we’ve seen in decades,” Deal said. “State and local agencies had to mobilize significant resources to protect lives and property and get Georgia back to normal as quickly as possible.”

The winter storm brought exceptional amounts of ice, which led to fallen trees, debris and broken power lines; created treacherous driving conditions; and harmed numerous critical facilities. The storm required response from state and local officials and the activation of the Georgia State Operations Center.

Deal submitted the request to President Barack Obama.

He said in a Feb. 26 statement that the costs associated with this storm far exceeded the federal threshold for a disaster declaration.

“These are significant expenses for the state, and a declaration by the president will allow us to recoup 75 percent of the eligible costs with federal assistance,” he said.

The other affected counties are Baldwin, Bartow, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Candler, Carroll, Cherokee, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, Emanuel, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Hancock, Haralson, Heard, Jasper, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, McDuffie, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Richmond, Screven, Spalding, Upson, Walker, Warren, Washington, White, Whitfield and Wilkes.

The damage estimates were prepared by joint federal, state and local assessment teams.

Georgia Emergency Management Agency Director Charley English is coordinating the request. He will work with the Federal Emergency ManJennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews agement Agency to assess any further damages and provide additional The winter storm that dumped snow and ice on Georgia caused damages estimated at more than $43 million. justification if needed.

$120K grant for Soul of DeKalb set for Mar. 6 Women’s business District 7 Commissioner Stan Watson is presenting his fourth anowners conference financial literacy nualSuper Soul of DeKalb on March 6 at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts The Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta has received a $120,000 grant from Wells Fargo Bank to provide Financial Literacy Workshops to educate people on how to manage their debt, budget, remain in their homes, and understand their credit scores.

Mike Donnelly, Wells Fargo Bank regional president, said the CBC provided needed feedback on how the bank could better assist the Atlanta community.

The check presentation was made on Feb. 24 at the Community Church of God in Atlanta.

For more information, visit www.concernedblackclergy.org or call 404-755-4928.

and Community Center in Decatur.

The theme is “Advancing Freedom Further.”

The free event takes place 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Featured panels include Political Leveraging with moderator Derrick Boazman and panelists Howard Mosby, Pam Stephenson, Thad Mayfield and Jay Cunningham; Protecting and Advancing Freedom with moderator Stan Watson and panelists Clyde Anderson, Shelley Winters, Lois Keith and Samuel Patterson; Community Involvement with moderator Michael Hill and panelists Barbara Campbell, Smyther Fallen, Hank Stewart and Joscelyn O’Neil; and Economic Development with moderator Nathaniel Smith and panelists Leonardo McClarty, Doreen Carter, Vaughn Irons and R.L. Brown.

The Porter Sanford Center is at 3181 Rainbow Drive.

For more information, contact Kelly LaJoie at klajoie@dekalbcountyga. gov or 404-371-3681.

The Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce’s annual Entrepreneur Women’s Conference takes place March 8 at the Porter Sanford Center.

The conference, which starts at 9 a.m., celebrates International Women’s Day. It will showcase innovative and effective programs that serve all stages of women-owned businesses. Panel discussions include Launching Your Own Business: From Dream to Reality; Teaming for Contracts; and Women Entrepreneurs & the Media: Making New Ideas Happen.

The center is at 3181 Rainbow Drive in Decatur.

For costs and other information, visit greaterlithoniachamber.com.

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Tuesday, March 4th, 2014 • 9 a.m.-noon DeKalb History Center Old Courthouse on the Square - Harrison Room 101 E. Court Square, Decatur, GA 30030

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For more information or to register, visit www.crossroadsnews.com/advertising/workshop

02/8, 2/15, 2/22 3/1

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action # ++13CV10657-10++ Erika Garcia Valente Plaintiff Vs. Marco Lorenzo Bibiano Defendant

By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated January 28, 2014 you are hereby notified that on November 4, 2013 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for: Divorce You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Angela J. Ricetti Atlanta Legal Aid Soc. 246 Sycamore St, Suite 120 Decatur, Ga 30030-3434. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, January 31, 2014 Witness the Honorable Tangela M. Barrie Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 31st day of January, 2014.

2/15, 2/22, 3/1 ,3/8

Notice of Petition to Change Name of Adult in the Superior Court of DeKalb County

State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV11908-7++ Karen Lee Walker filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on February 7, 2014 to change the name from: Karen Lee Walker to Karen Zachery Coton. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed.

Dated: February 4, 2014 Karen Cotton Petitioner, Pro se 3649 Platina Pk Ct Decatur, Ga 30034 (770)-323-1127 2/22, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15

Notice of Petition to Change Name of MINOR CHILDREN in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 13CV12456-9++ Tracey Astin filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on December 9, 2013 to change the name of the following minor child(ren): Tarri Amanda Harris to Tarri Ward Harris Astin. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after

the petition was filed.

Dated: February 7, 2014 Tracey Astin Petitioner, Pro se 3666 Stanford Cir Decatur, Ga 30034 (440)-241-2440 2/22 3/1, 3/8, 3/15

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action # ++14CV1840-3++ Delania Adams Plaintiff Vs. Robert Vaughn Adams Defendant

By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated February 14, 2014 you are hereby notified that on February 5, 2014 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for: Divorce You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Delania Adams 4268 Wyndham Park Circle, Decatur, Ga 30034. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, February 14, 2014 Witness the Honorable Clarence Seeliger Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 18th day of February, 2014.

11

CrossRoadsNews

March 1, 2014

People

“A tribute to his legacy is to continue the work he started. My hope is that the seeds he was able to plant will take root.”

Chokwe Lumumba – Aug. 2, 1947-Feb. 25, 2014

Jackson, Miss., mayor remembered as a black nationalist Chokwe Lumumba, noted human rights and civil rights attorney, activist and mayor of Jackson, Miss., died unexpectedly on Feb. 25 of a heart attack.

Lumumba, 66, had many friends and strong ties to Atlanta through the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, which he co-founded, and his representation of the late hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur, who has a center named for him in Stone Mountain.

A black nationalist, Lumumba helped launch the Republic of New Afrika in 1970s and early 1980s that advocated “an independent predominantly black government” in the southeastern United States.

The group also advocated reparations for slavery and was on the FBI counterintelligence watch list.

Lumumba served four years on the Jackson City Council before he was elected mayor of Mississippi’s largest city in May 2013.

During his mayoral election campaign last year, he said the Republic of New Afrika was miscast as racist.

“It was a group which was fighting for human rights for black people in this country and at the same time supporting the human rights around the globe,” he said in news reports.

Lumumba took office in July pledging to redevelop the aging infrastructure of the predominantly black city and attract economic development. He also invited people to move to Jackson, like they did in Atlanta in the 1980s and 1990s to help in its development.

One of his triumphs as mayor came just last month, when voters approved a 1 percent sales tax increase with 90 percent of the vote. Revenues from the tax, which goes into effect March 1, will overhaul Jackson’s aging water and sewerage system and streets.

Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson, who knew Lumumba for more than 30 years, said Thursday that his sudden death is still quite surreal.

“I just talked with him a couple of weeks ago about setting up a sister city program with us,” she said.

Jackson, also an attorney, said she met Lumumba as a young lawyer in the National Conference of Black Lawyers and over the years worked with him on some cases.

She called his death tragic.

“It’s a loss not only for the political community, but for the human rights community and the legal community. He was an amazing lawyer.”

Jackson said Lumumba built a strong grass-root organization before going into office because he understood that politics is about the people.

“A tribute to his legacy is to continue the work he started,” she said. “My hope is that the seeds he was able to plant will take root.”

Lumumba was born in Detroit as Edwin Taliaferro. He changed his name in 1969 when he was in his early 20s. He

Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, who died of a heart attack on Feb. 25, had strong ties to Atlanta.

As a lawyer, he represented Tupac Shakur in several cases and worked with Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson.

said he took his new first name from an African tribe that resisted slavery centuries ago and his last name from African independence leader Patrice Lumumba. He moved to Jackson in 1971 as a human rights activist, went to law school in Michigan in the mid-1970s, and returned to Jackson in 1988.

As an attorney, he represented Tupac Shakur in several cases, including one in which the rapper was cleared of aggravated assault charges in the shootings of two out-of-town off-duty police officers who were visiting Atlanta.

Lumumba also represented Shakur’s aunt and former Black Panther heroine, Assata Shakur, in 1977 in a murder case that was dismissed in New York.

In 2011, he persuaded then-Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour to release Jamie and Gladys Scott from prison. The sisters served nearly 16 years for an armed robbery they said they didn’t commit.

Akinyele Umoja, a friend and fellow black nationalist, said that Lumumba ran on the slogan that “The People Shall Decide.” He believed the people of Jackson will continue to work on the initiatives that Lumumba embraced because they helped formalize them.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm around his election and I believe they will continue to work on the agenda,” he said.

Umoja, who chairs the Georgia State University African American Studies Department, said Lumumba was totally committed to his people and listened to everybody and held People’s Assembly for them to offer input.

“He was somebody who loved black people, and people in general,” Umoja said. “We will continue to work on what he was trying to do.”

A large contingent from Atlanta is expected to go to Jackson for the homegoing service. Funeral arrangements were not complete at press time Thursday.

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March 1, 2014

finance

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