A1

part of the national 2010 Census launch on Jan. 4 because of its diversity. Thirty-five different languages are spoken by DeKalb’s residents.

“We are part of a very important ceremony today,” he told elected officials and community leaders who attended the event.

Landivar said the Census Bureau un-derstands that no matter what new tech-nologies it uses, or how much it improves its methodology, the ultimate success of the census will still depend largely on public cooperation.

“The only and best way to obtain that cooperation is through you, the trusted voices from the neighborhood, in the com-munity who can help us carry this message to the grass-root level,” he said.

Wayne Early, man-ager of the DeKalb of-fice, said the office will be working hard to get a true and accurate count of all the county’s resi-dents.

“We want to make DeKalb a benchmark of excellence for the 2010 census,” he said.

The Memorial Drive office will cover all of DeKalb County, handling all the census’ recruiting, field operations and administrative duties. It will hire 1,200 to 1,500 temporary workers, who will be part of a national work force of nearly 1.4 mil-lion temporary employees who will count every U.S. resident.

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

DeKalb Commissioner Connie Stokes says she will run this year for the 4th Congressional District seat held by Hank Johnson.

Stokes confirmed last week that she plans to qualify in April to seek the Democratic nomi-nation for the seat that Johnson has represented for two terms.

“I am seriously considering it,” she said. “I haven’t officially announced but I have been talking to a lot of people. I have had positive overwhelming response.”

This would be Stokes’ second run for the congressional seat that includes most of DeKalb County and portions of Rockdale and Gwinnett counties.

Her announcement comes in the wake of Johnson’s Dec. 7 announcement that he is undergoing experimental treatment for hepatitis C, a viral liver disease that afflicts 3.2 million people in the United States. Last year, Johnson made history in the district when he was returned unop-posed for a second term.

Despite his dramatic weigh loss and thinning white hair, caused by his daily treatment with the drug interferon, John-son said he will campaign vigorously for re-election to a third term.

“I’m proud of my record,” he said this week. “I will run on my record.”

Stokes is the third Democrat to ex-press interest in the seat, and the second since Johnson’s announcement.

In August, Commissioner Lee May said he was mulling a run for the congress. He did return a phone call Thursday.

Former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones is now also contemplating a run for seat.

B. Camille Kesler, a Jones spokes-woman, said that Jones has been ap-proached by many people to run for the congressional seat.

“He is contemplating all his options,” she said.

In a holiday e-mail to supporters, Jones said the final chapter has not been written on his political endeavors.

“That decision will be made soon as I continue to listen to you and your ideas as to how I can best serve Georgia and the American people,” he said. “ I intend to make my plans clear in the near future.”

In 2004, Stokes was one of six can-didates, along with Cynthia McKinney, who vied for the seat left open when

County, state and census officials cut the ribbon to officially open the DeKalb Local Census Office. The office is preparing for the April 1 count of DeKalb residents.

Wayne Early

www.crossroadsnews.comJanuary 9, 2010Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

Smooth moves for dadsYOUTH

An initiative at Rock Chapel Elementary in Lithonia uses chess as a ve-hicle to get more fathers involved with kids in a school environ-ment. A10

Family and friends remem-ber 4-year-old Marquel Peters, who was killed by a stray bullet shortly after a Watch Night Service in Decatur. A5

Candles for MarquelCOMMUNITY

Stone Mountain High’s Marching Pirates will be one of five high school bands in the annual King Holiday Parade in Stone Moun-tain. B1

Hometown bandKING HOLIDAY

Stokes will run for 4th District seat

Volume 15, Number 36

DeKalb Census Office opens in Stone Mountain

Connie Stokes

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The census count is now officially on in DeKalb.

After more than a year of prepping, U.S. Census and local elected officials cut the ribbons Monday on the DeKalb Local Census Office in Stone Mountain.

The office will be pushing the message that the census is easy, important and secure.

Manuel Landivar, the assistant regional census manager, who helped cut the ribbons, said its important to stay on message.

“If we do that consis-tently in the next three months, come April 1 when the questionaires

are delivered to the community, we should find a population that wants to make cer-tain the Census Bureau enumerates them,” he said.

The office at 5474 Memorial Drive is one of 57 local offices now open in the region as the Census Bureau embarks on its 10-year US constitutional mandate to count every American.

Census results are used to determine congressional representation, redraw congressional lines, and to distribute $400 billion of federal funds annually for local services like health care, schools, transportation, social services and law enforcement.

Landivar said DeKalb was chosen to be

Manuel Landivar

At last count, DeKalb had more than 700,000 residents. Early said that data col-lected for the 2010 census are critical to our community.

“These numbers will determine how many representatives we have in the House of Representatives. These numbers will de-termine how congressional lines are drawn. These numbers will have a lasting effect on local growth, on business and industry,” he said. “They will affect our infrastructure, where schools are built, where hospitals and fire stations are built.”

Census Day is April 1. A 10-question form seeking the age and

number of residents living at every address in the county will be mailed in March. The completed forms must be returned by April 1.

To get an accurate count, census enu-merators will visit the homes of people who do not return their forms.

“The more forms we get back, the less we have to go out and knock on door, and the more cost effective the census will be,” Early said

Because of DeKalb’s diverse population, Early said the office will be making a big push to hire bilingual people who live in the community.

“The people who will be coming to take the census are your neighbors,” he said.

DeKalb’s high foreclosures which have dislocated thousands of families will be a challenge, but Early said the 2010 census is the best planned and best researched.

Let the Count Begin

Please see STOKES, page A3Please see CENSUS, page A3

Jennifer ffrench Parker / crossroadsnews

A2 CrossRoadsNews January 9, 2010A2

A3Community “If the bill passes, it give the opportunity for those who fall behind to catch up,”

GPS device tracks habitual sex offenders

Bill would change foreclosure rules

Goal is 90 percent rate on returns

Candidate points to length of service

Art and nature lover lived life to the fullest

Becky Blankenship at Arabia Mountain.

DeKalb Sheriff Thomas Brown says his office is now tracking sexual predator with ankle bracelet and GPS.

Nominate Your Favorites Today!

Reader’s Choice AwardReader’s Choice AwardWho is the best public servant in East Metro

Atlanta? Who gives the best haircut?

Where is the best car repair shop, BBQ joint or

walking trail? The most romantic restaurant?

Who has the best jerk chicken?

Got to www.crossroadsnews.com/pages/expos to

nominate your favorites. Voting will begin

in February. Winners will be honored at the

2010 Best of East Metro / Small Business Expo

on April 24th at the Mall at Stonecrest

Nomination period will end Feb. 1, 2010. Voting (for up to five most-nominated finalists in each category) will be held in March.

Nominees must live, work or be located in the CrossRoadsNews coverage area that includes ZIP codes in East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Clarkston, Conyers, Decatur, Ellenwood, Lithonia, Scottdale, Stone Mountain and Tucker. ZIP code required for all nominees where indicated.

DeKalb Commissioner Connie Stokes who is chairing the county’s Complete Count Census Committee, said that the return rate on census questionnaires in the 2000 census was 72 percent.

“We want to move that up to 90 per-cent,” she said. “I know we cannot count every single person in DeKalb County but I would like to see that number moved up. We want to make sure that people are counted so that we can ac-cess those resources. The more people, more money. That’s what we have to stay

CENSUS, from pagE a1 SToKES, from pagE a1

Denise Majette decided to run for the U.S. Senate instead. McKinney, who had repre-sented the district for 10 years before her surprise defeat in 2002 by Majette, won in a landslide.

Now Stokes, a former state senator who represents the county’s Super 7 District seat, said most of the 375,000 residents in her commission district are also in the 4th Congressional District.

“Between the Senate and the Commis-sion, I have represented these people for 15 years,” she said.

After seeing his Stone Mountain dis-trict ravaged by foreclosures, state Rep. Billy Mitchell says he will seek changes to the state’s foreclosure law to help level the playing field a bit for beleaguered home owners.

Georgia is one of few states where a mortgage holder can start foreclosure pre-ceedings within 30 days of a missed payment.

“Once it starts, you are at the mercy of your bank,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell, who represents House District 88 that also includes a portion of Gwinnett County, has pre-filed a bill to amend the law to give homeowners a 90-day grace period to catch up on all their payments before lenders can start foreclosure procedures.

Once the homeowner is current, Mitchell’s amendment calls for the debtor to be allowed to resume making

Billy Mitchell

payments under the original terms of their mortgage.

“If the bill passes, it give the opportu-nity for those who fall behind to catch up,” Mitchell said.

This is not the first time that Mitchell has introduced the amendment.

Last year, he received little support for it, but given the foreclosure crisis that has hit DeKalb County and the state, he is finding colleagues on both sides of the aisle more receptive.

Mitchell said the Georgia Black Caucus is backing the amendment and the Georgia Mortgage Bankers Association has shown interest.

“We’ve even had some favorable conver-sations with the more conservative members of the legislature,” Mitchell said. “They know this is not just a black problem. Foreclosure negatively impacts the entire community.”

Mitchell says foreclosures affect every-one.

“When your neighbor is foreclosed on it hurts your property values,” he said.

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The DeKalb Sheriff ’s Office has gone high tech on sex offenders.

Sheriff Thomas Brown said Wednesday that his of-fice can now track on the Internet the movements of the county’s three sexual predators around the clock, and that residents can now more easily locate any of the 781 sex offenders living in the county and get notification when any move to their street.

Brown’s office is required by law to track sex offend-ers who live in the county.

“We are doing it now with more hi-tech technology, technology that we are making available to the commu-nity in terms of tracking the sex offender who is living among them,” he said.

Brown unveiled the new Icrimewatch.net now avail-able on his website, www.dekalbsheriff.org. The system is powered by OffenderWatch, the nation’s leading registered sex offender management and community notification tool.

It allows residents to search by street address for sex

offenders, or view the full list of sex offenders. Residents can also register for e-mail alerts when a sex offender moves within a mile of their address.

Brown said the system cost $16,000 to install and $1,000 a year to maintain. He said he is happy to make the system available.

“It is important to us that the public help us in monitoring these individuals,” he said.

The OffenderWatch system is updated instanta-neously throughout the day as offender addresses and other information is updated in the sheriff ’s office.

The tracking system for sexual predators, who are chronic offenders, is different and is only available to law enforcement officials.

They are tracked by Global Positioning System (GPS). The three predators wear ankle bracelets. Brown’s office monitors their movements 24 hours a day.

If they cut the bracelet, Brown says they know im-mediately.

“The important thing is that predator is required to wear it and we can track the movements of that predator 24/7 via a live feed,” he said.

Becky Blankenship, who loved the arts, Arabia Moun-tain, the Red Hatters and south DeKalb County, died Wednesday.

Brenda Jackson, who knew her for 20 years, said she was just a wonderful person to know.

“She didn’t see color,” Jackson said. “She saw people.”Blankenship fell ill while in London on her annual trip

to the Red Hat Society’s Parade.Her daugher Suzanne Pharr said she was marching

through the streets of London on New Year’s Day, but spent the last two days of the trip in her hotel bed.

She arrived in Decatur on Monday but by Tuesday, her friend Jacqui Scott had to take her to Piedmont Hospital. She died there just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

“She was so much fun and such a wonderful person.” Scott said. “I can’t believe she is not going to be there any-more.”

Blankenship lived in the same house on Flat Shoals Road for 42 years and was loved by her neighbors. Pharr said the kids called her “the white lady ’round the corner.”

She celebrated her 70th birthday on Dec. 3 and loved to tell friends that she was a week younger than Tina Turner. Funeral arrangements were being finalized Thursday but Pharr said it will likely be at 2 p.m. on Jan. 10 at A.S. Turner Funeral Home in Decatur.

For the more information, visit www.asturner.com.

Jennifer ffrench Parker / crossroadsnews

CrossRoadsNewsJanuary 9, 2010 A3

A4Jobs will make ‘Made in America’ meaningful again

Johnson deserves pat on the back for Tree of Love program

Forum

index to advertisers

GPS device tracks habitual sex offenders A3

The DeKalb Sheriff’s Office has gone high tech on sex offenders.

Bill would change foreclosure rules A3

After seeing his Stone Mountain district ravaged by foreclosures, state Rep. Billy Mitchell says he will seek changes to the state’s foreclosure law.

Mother, church family celebrate 4-year-old A5

Nathalee Peters is already missing her son’s big smiles and tight hugs.

Commissioners seeking to soften bite of budget cuts A6

The DeKalb Board of Commissioners wants to lessen the bite of the tax increase proposed by CEO Burrell Ellis to balance the county’s 2010 budget.

1.2.3. Discount Fabrics .................................A62010 Health & Wellness Expo .....................A2Chick-fil-A /Turner Hill Road .......................A6CRAM Academy .........................................A11CrossRoadsNews 2010 Expos........................ADeKalb Medical Center ...............................A8

Ms. Felecia’s Hair Care for Children ............A11Ella’s Caring Hands Adult Day Care ............A11Family Dermatology ....................................A8Kool Smiles Children & Adult Dentistry ........A9Life Line Screening ................................ InsertsNewBirth Called to Conquer Bookstore ......A11

Outback Insurance ......................................A11Padgett Business Services ............................A5RC Cancer Centers .......................................A7Samson’s Health & Fitness Center ...............A7The Law Office of B.A. Thomas ..................A11Vaccines N More .........................................A11

Wright Vision Care .......................................A7Zip2Save .............................................. A5, A11

B SectionGeorgia Perimeter College .......................... B1Georgia Power .............................................B3Wells Fargo ..................................................B2

QuiCk read

“These children were able to see the many smiles on the faces of children not as fortunate as them.”

Breast disease specialist to discuss cancer A7

Learn about ways to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer at DeKalb Medi-cal at Hillandale.

Flu season not over; here are tips to soothe symptoms A8

The start of a new year brings many exciting possibilities, but it also means that flu season is not yet over.

New Birth an education partner for Salem Middle A9

Salem Middle School students now have an official partner in education in New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

Scholarship targets students who like to bowl A9

DeKalb high school students can now compete for a bowling scholarship estab-lished by Suburban Lanes.

Stone Mountain to celebrate with annual parade B1

Marching bands, community, civic and business groups, elected officials and others will be marching through Stone Mountain in the DeKalb NAACP’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Rally.

Prolific wordsmith to deliver keynote address B2

Rita Dove, who broke age and color bar-riers as a poet, will be in Decatur on Jan. 15 to help honor the memory and vision of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. – a man who broke many age and color barriers during his 39-year life.

History-making mayor to speak at MLK High gala B4

James Perkins Jr., who became the first African-American mayor of historic Selma, Ala., will be the featured speaker at the Jan. 16 King Gala at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Lithonia.

CrossRoadsNews is pub-lished every Thursday 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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You can also voice your opinion about stories and Forum pieces on our website, www.crossroadsnews.com.

“Rather than financing war industries to drive the economy, this country needs to reinvest in manufacturing. Jobs are

needed on American soil.” Kevin Oliveira

On Dec. 19 at South DeKalb mall, I witnessed a heartwarming program spearheaded by Com-missioner Larry Johnson.

The objective was a big one. The goal was to give gifts to chil-dren who had wishes for special gifts that their parents could not afford.

I saw parents – some with

children – bringing gifts. Many had shiny new bikes of all colors, some decorated with streamers and baskets.

It was a lesson in sharing through an unselfish act. These children were able to see the many smiles on the faces of children not as fortunate as them.

Commissioner Johnson has

undertaken this effort for 10 years. This requires a lot of work by him and his limited staff. The program was unique with participants from the age of 5 to 80. The young ones danced and the Lou Walker Senior Center choir performed.

This effort certainly goes above and beyond his duties as District 3 commissioner. This

is a program of true caring and definitely not political. I did see CEO [Burrell] Ellis and Commis-sioner [Connie] Stokes. I would assume the other commissioners sponsored a child. This was truly a successful event.

Kudos to Johnson.A. Jean Richardson lives in

Decatur.

“From the sweat of your face you shall eat bread - till you return back to the ground, from the dust of the earth you came and from the dust of the earth you shall return.”

This was the mandate of the value of work for mankind after Adam’s fall from grace. The Lord made work the requirement for a man’s sense of responsibility and full personhood.

In this new year, the jobs agenda in U.S. political and financial settings has to be the priority. National defense is fine; however, what is there to defend when people don’t have shelter or food on the table?

Work is essential and a critical piece in human development of the whole man. Work gives a man a vested interest in the stability of his community and nation. Work contributes to the financial, physical, emotional, spiritual and practical living conditions and quality of life for every citizen. Without work, man ceases to live and barely exists.

In 2010, American leadership must focus on national, home-grown job creation. The elite, bankers, politicians, investors, etc., need to understand that if you don’t invest in creating quality work and elevating the standard of living for the working

class, national economic collapse will be the result.

President Obama and Con-gress must begin to reconcile conflicting national interests such as a defense budget vs. economic development budget.

Allocation of $30 billion in 2010 alone for Afghanistan seems a bit much when our domestic economy is failing.

A moral obligationPresident Obama must keep

his hand on the internal pulse of the nation.

That’s why I agree with the Congressional Black Caucus members on the House Finance Committee, who challenged the president’s “perceived” lack of ur-gency for financial relief in urban and African-American communi-ties in this nation.

President Obama should be, and I believe he is, for all the citizens of America. However, Af-rican-Americans voted 90 percent in favor of Obama. Without the minority vote, he would still be

Senator Obama. The numbers of unemployed African-Americans are 55 percent higher than the rest of the nation.

I believe the Congressional Black Caucus has a moral obli-gation to address joblessness in urban communities. The House Banking and Finance Committee needs to pull back on the military budget and allocate money to create jobs.

The banking community needs to release the money to small businesses so they can get affordable loans and credit lines. Big corporations need to pay their fair share of corporate taxes.

Rather than financing war industries to drive the economy, this country needs to reinvest in manufacturing. Jobs are needed on American soil. Jobs have been farmed out to other countries for cheap labor and Americans have become unemployed in the process.

Violent crime is on the rise due to the lack of jobs. Public safety is in danger because of the

lack of jobs. America is becoming an economic mission field in need of job-creating missionaries.

Value of work still relevantWe must always remember

that America became rich and wealthy through slavery and the plantation economic system. Economic injustice is at the root of the American problem. Now economic injustice is beginning to affect mainstream America, which is now feeling what African-Americans, Latinos and women have felt since the founding of this country.

Everyone reading this should write their congressman to let them know that “Made in Amer-ica” is still a powerful slogan, and that it has to be revived by putting Americans back to work, making an adequate living wage.

Remember, it was 40 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in Memphis. Let us never forget that King was in Memphis advocating for the sanitation workers to have em-ployment protection, living wages and job security.

The value of work is still relevant today. 2010 must be the year for the beginning of job creation.

Kevin Oliveira lives in Mc-Donough.

CrossRoadsNews January 9, 2010A4

A5Community “He had a big smile on his face. He was just a happy kid. He loved life. He loved church.”

Mother, church family celebrate 4-year-old killed by New Year’s bulletBy Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Nathalee Peters is already missing her 4-year-old son’s big smiles and tight hugs.

“He would just grab me and say, ‘Mom-my I love you,’ ” she said Tuesday, five days after Marquel Peters was killed by a bullet while sitting beside her in the pew just after Watch Night Service at Church of God of Prophecy in Decatur.

“That was my only child,” Peters said. “He was my everything.”

Many of the 350 church members who attended Watch Night Service at the Covington Drive church were sitting in the sanctuary waiting for the start of a gospel concert.

Marquel was passing the time playing the Nintendo game he got for Christmas.

Peters said they heard a pop, like a balloon bursting, and the game fell from his hands.

“He screamed and fell to the floor,” she said. “Then I saw the blood. It was just running down his head.” Confused, she grabbed him and looked up at the ceiling to see what had fallen.

“There was so much blood. I was screaming, ‘Somebody call 911,’ ” she said. “Everyone came to help me.”

When the police and emer-gency workers arrived, they initially thought it was a flesh wound, but at Children’s Healthcare at Egleston, doctors found a bullet lodged in the back of his skull.

Marquel died in the early hours of Jan. 1. His stunned mother didn’t sleep for the next two days.

“When I woke up, I realized he wasn’t there,” she said.

Church members held a candlelight vigil for Mar-quel on Wednesday.

On Jan. 15, they will host a memorial service at 7 p.m. Viewing will be at 6 p.m.

Peters said she will take her son’s body home to Jamaica. He will be buried in the family plot in Hayes, Clarendon, near the center of the Carib-bean island.

On Thursday, the

family opened the Marquel Nathaniel Peters Memorial

Fund at Bank of America to help defray funeral

expenses. With the daylight,

the Rev. Lloyd Phipps, the church’s pastor,

found the hole in the roof where the bullet that pierced Marquel’s skull en-tered the sanctuary. Phipps called it a freak accident.

“I don’t believe anyone was gunning for the church,”

he said. “It was an irresponsible accident. Before this happened, if someone had told me you could go to church and a bullet would come through the roof and strike you, I would laugh. I wouldn’t believe it. I really can’t make any sense of this.”

Garry Peters, Marquel’s uncle, was sitting several pews behind his sister and nephew

when they heard a pop, much

like a balloon bursting.Moments before, he had hugged the

boy and exchanged greetings. “He hugged me and said, ‘Happy New

Year, Uncle Garry,’ ” he said. “He had a big smile on his face. He was just a happy kid. He loved life. He loved church. Of all the places for this happen. The best place to be on New Year’s Eve is church. It’s unbe-lievable that he could be shot and killed in church.”

Even when his mother couldn’t go to church because of her job as a shift manager at the KFC on Evans Mill Road, Marquel never missed Sunday school.

Peters said her mother, who lives with them in Lithonia, took him with her.

“He loved everything they did at church,” she said. “He would bring home his drawings and he loved to sing the songs

they learned.”On the Wednesday before his last

church service, Peters took Marquel to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. While at the Mall at Stonecrest, they had his favorite Chinese meal, lo mein and chicken, in the food court. He wanted a frozen drink.

“I thought it was too cold to be eating frozen stuff but I am glad I got it for him,” she said.

Peters, who attended a Church of God of Prophecy in Jamaica, said she found the Decatur church shortly after she arrived in Lithonia five years ago and has been a member ever since.

She can’t make sense of the tragedy.“I don’t know why, but God knows

best,” she said. “People think it’s OK to be shooting a gun, celebrating. I wish they would stop. There is no way I am going to get my son back, but I wouldn’t want somebody else to go through this.”

Phipps said the church is just standing by Peters.

“I assure her that God is going to see her through this and to trust in his wisdom,” he said.

On Wednesday, he and her family met with DeKalb Public Safety Director Wil-liam Z. Miller and several deputy police chiefs at the church.

Miller said Thursday the police have no suspects but that once they get possession of the bullet and are able to identify the type of gun it came from, they will appeal to the public for help finding its owner.

He said the practice of shooting bullets into the air to celebrate has to stop.

“It is reckless and dangerous conduct,” Miller said. “As a community we have to find a better way to celebrate.”

Phipps said the church is praying that the person responsible for Marquel’s death will step forward.

“We serve a mighty God,” he said. “I am praying that God will convict the heart of the person who did this so that they will have sleepless nights and as a result, they will have to turn themselves in.”

The Church of God of Prophecy is at 3333 Covington Drive in Decatur. For more information, call Garry Peters at 678-776-2452.

Nathalee Peters (second from right) and other family members hold candles in memory of Marquel Peters at a vigil at the Church of God of Prophecy on Covington Drive.

curtis Parker / crossroadsnews

“Before this happened, if someone had told me you could go to church and a bullet would come through the roof and strike you, I would

laugh. I wouldn’t believe it.” The Rev. Lloyd Phipps, Pastor

CrossRoadsNewsJanuary 9, 2010 A5

A6Finance

FinanCe “We want people to know that we are doing everything we can to reduce the millage rate increase.”

Commissioners seeking ways to soften bite of required budget cuts

Pay attention to details when using credit cards can help avoid fraud

What if I don’t have credit history?Dear Dave,

I’ve never had a credit card or a bank loan, so I really don’t have any established credit. What should I do when it comes to a cell phone contract or establishing utility service? Also, what will happen if I try to get a mortgage loan at some point?

– Matthew

Dear Matthew,There’s usually no exception on

cell phone contracts or utility service. Chances are you’ll have to put up the deposit, and you’ll probably get it back in six months or maybe a year from now.

I still run into this kind of thing from time to time. It’s almost like you don’t exist if you don’t have debt and a credit rating.

The mortgage lending rules are changing almost daily at this point. Under the current rules, there are two ways to be in a great position to get a home loan.

One is to have credit running out of your ears and a huge FICO score. This is pretty stupid when you think about it, but it will get you a home loan almost instantly. The second is to have no credit whatsoever. So, it’s really the people in the middle who are feeling the pinch.

When you have no credit, the lender has to do the underwriting themselves. It’s something banks used to do, back when they actually had some sense when it came to making loans.

They take a look to see if you have a stable job and a decent income. They’ll probably want some kind of proof that you pay your bills on time, and this could be as simple as showing them a few electric bills and other receipts to show that you honor your financial com-mitments.

– Dave

Do I tithe on an inheritance?Dear Dave,

My wife is about to receive a sizeable inheritance from her father. Do you think we should tithe on the principal sum that she receives?

– Wade

Dear Wade,To the best of my knowledge, there’s

no indication in Scripture that you should tithe on an inheritance.

It never hurts to give, but I think when it comes to an inheritance, you’re talking about something that would be more of an offering than a tithe. I don’t think you’ve got a biblical mandate to tithe on an inheritance.

References to tithing in the Bible seem to me to be connected to money that you earn. In Deuteronomy 28, it says to tithe on your net increase.

Now yes, you’re increased by an in-heritance, but many of these people were herders and lived in an agrarian society. If you had a herd of 100 sheep one year, and two died but seven were born, then you’d have a net increase of five, and you might calculate your tithe on that basis.

It would be the same principle if you owned a small business.

Your net profits would be your income, and you would determine your tithe based on that amount.

– DaveFor more financial help, visit daver-

amsey.com.

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The DeKalb Board of Com-missioners wants to lessen the bite of the tax increase proposed by CEO Burrell Ellis to balance the county’s 2010 budget.

District 7 Commissioner Con-nie Stokes, who chairs the board’s Budget Committee, said Thursday that commissioners don’t want to have a tax increase.

“We really don’t,” she said. “We want to work together and with the CEO to find other ways to reduce the millage rate increase.”

In his proposed $582.7 million budget delivered to commissioners on Dec. 15, Ellis proposed a 1.86 millage rate increase, which would increase the property tax on a $200,000 house by $145.

He also proposed cutting 760 county positions by eliminating 360 unfilled posi-tions and luring 400 eligible employees to

take early retirement at a savings of $30.1 million.

The higher taxes and job cuts come in the face of declin-ing county revenues. Officials estimate that 2010 revenues will be $50 million less than 2009. To provide legally mandated county services, it must cut expenses.

Stokes said they are looking everywhere to make cuts so that the millage rate increase can be less.

“We are looking high and low,” she said. We are looking under every stone and be-low every pillow. We want people to know that we are doing everything we can to reduce the millage rate increase.”

Stokes said nothing is off the table as they search for savings including more staff cuts.

DeKalb has more than 8,000 employ-ees.

Stokes said a reduction in force doesn’t have to be negative.

“We could increase the number of early retirements,” she said. “Maybe there are areas to merge. We are just going to keep scrutizing this budget to eliminate waste. We are committed to that.”

The budget committee had its first meeting Tuesday since getting the budget from Ellis.

Stokes said they haven’t found anything to cut yet.

“We are meeting with heads of depart-ments and with the constitutional officers,” she said. “We are looking everywhere.”

Stokes said the county has to provide police, emergency, and water and sewer services.

“But the libraries are important and so are the parks,” she said. “It’s cold now but in the summer the kids are going to want to go to the parks. We have to find a way.”

Starting Jan. 12, Stokes said the budget committee will be meet every Tuesday and Thursday through Feb. 19 in the Maloof Auditorium to work on the budget. The meetings start at 3 p.m.

“We encourage people to come and talk to us,” she said. “We want to know what people are thinking.”

Stokes said she will also join Ellis on his 12 neighborhood meetings around the county to present the budget to county residents and that the commissioners are also planning their own public meetings.

The CEO’s budget meetings kick off Jan. 12 at McNair Academy, 2162 Second Ave. in Decatur. They end on Feb. 18 at Berean Christian Church, at 2201 Young Road in Stone Mountain.

By law, county commissioners must pass a balanced budget by March 1.

Stokes said they will approve the budget at their Feb. 23 meeting.

Connie Stokes

Stealing information from credit cards is one of the most significant problems facing the credit card industry, and special agents at the U.S. Secret Service’s Atlanta Field Office say that the best way for con-sumers to protect themselves is to pay attention to the details of when they use their cards.

The agency, which investigates financial crimes, says the practice, which is called skimming, occurs when data on the card, including the account number, is electroni-cally transmitted or stored for use on lost, stolen or counterfeit credit cards and used

anywhere in the world.Jeffrey T. Gilbert, special agent in

charge of the Atlanta Field Office, said such fraudulent transactions frequently occur within 24 to 48 hours of a card being compromised.

“But most cardholders are not aware that they have been victimized until they receive statements showing the fraudulent charges,” he said. “That’s why one impor-tant step every individual can take is to regularly review your credit card state-ments online.”

Examples of skimming include:

n A store employee completes a valid sale, then captures a second, unauthorized swipe on a portable device before returning the card to the cardholder.n A skimming device is added to the front of an ATM or gas pump and captures the credit card information as the consumer attempts to use the machine. n A skimming device is added inside an ATM or gas pump and captures informa-tion during a valid transaction. In many cases a covert camera is also set up to capture the cardholder’s personal identifi-cation number or PIN.

To protect against these instances of skimming, the Secret Service advises con-sumers to pay attention to their cards at the point of sale.

“Watch to make sure your card is swiped only once at a register,” Gilbert said.

“Another easy thing to do is to cover up your PIN number as you enter it into an ATM or credit card reader.”

If you suspect you may be a possible victim of skimming or other financial fraud, contact local police and/or the U.S. Secret Service’s Atlanta Field Office at 404-331-6111.

CrossRoadsNews January 9, 2010A6

B1Wellness

Stone Mountain to celebrate holiday with annual paradewww.crossroadsnews.comJanuary 9, 2010 Section B

Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

Remembering Dr. King

Five DeKalb high school marching bands; community, civic and business groups; elected officials and administrators; and politicians seeking office will be marching through the Village of Stone Mountain on Jan. 18 in the DeKalb NAACP’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Rally.

The eighth annual event hon-ors the late civil rights leader who

fought to end racial segregation and discrimination during his lifetime.

King was born Jan. 15, 1929, and assassinated on April 4, 1968.

His birthday is a national holiday celebrated annually on the third Monday in January. His 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech brought fame to Stone Mountain when he said: “Let freedom ring

from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Moun-tain of Georgia!”

The parade starts at 12:30 p.m. in the MARTA parking lot on Fourth Street. It will feature Stone Mountain’s Marching Pirates, and bands from Avondale, Cross Keys, Druid Hills and McNair high schools. Participants should arrive for lineup by 10:30 a.m.

The route will take marchers down Third and Fourth streets and will terminate on Main Street, near City Hall.

Parade grand marshals will be R&B great “Lil G,” Gary Jenkins, and pop princess “QT Jazz,” Jas-mine Robinson. Parade headlin-ers will include the Rev. Norman Thomas Jr., pastor of First Baptist Church, Gresham Road; the Rev. Orea Parker, pastor of Saint Paul

AME Church in Stone Mountain; Stone Mountain Mayor Patricia Wheeler; DeKalb School Super-intendent Crawford Lewis; and state Reps. Howard Moseley and Billy Mitchell.

Groups, churches and indi-viduals can still sign up.

For more information, e-mail schoolsandcommunity@yahoo .com or call Sarah Copelin-Wood at 404-371-1490.

McNair High School’s Marching Mustangs (left) will be one of several high school bands who will entertain crowds lining the streets in downtown Stone Mountain during the 2010 King Day Parade.Jennifer ffrench Parker / crossroadsnews

curtis Parker / crossroadsnews

B2GPC expands annual tribute to King

Martin Luther King Jr. DayThe MLK Jr. Birthday Celebration honors King’s legacy by promoting diversity and tolerance and encouraging others to pursue his dream of equality.

Prolific wordsmith to deliver keynote address at state’s largest King celebration

The DeKalb Symphony Orchestra will perform a tribute to Duke Ellington during Georgia Perimeter College’s annual MLK Jr. Birthday Celebration.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at Georgia Perimeter College has expanded beyond the Jan. 15 inspirational program featuring a nationally known celebrity.

This year, that 7 p.m. pro-gram will kick off the college’s MLK Jr. Week of Service hon-oring the legacy of civil rights icon and Atlanta native the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

A day of community en-gagement takes place on Jan. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Students, faculty and staff will volunteer with eight community projects that run the gamut from sprucing up Bethune Elementary School in Decatur with artwork and landscaping to trail maintenance at the Dunwoody Nature Center.

GPC volunteers also will help Open Hand deliver meals to homebound seniors and individuals living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic and terminal ill-nesses in Clarkston, and they will mulch and edge the newly constructed flower bed at the intersection of I-20 and U.S. Highway 278 in Covington.

The college’s MLK Jr. Birthday Celebration, in its 14th year, honors King’s legacy by promoting diver-sity and tolerance and encouraging others, especially youth, to pursue King’s dream of equality.

The Jan. 15 event at Beulah Baptist Church in Decatur will feature former Poet Laureate Rita Dove, a tribute to the late Duke Ellington by the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, and a performance by Atlanta’s International Youth Chorus, Harmony.

As part of the program, GPC has asked elemen-tary, middle and high school teachers to discuss with their students Dove’s poem “The First Book” – “Open it/Go ahead, it won’t bite./Well maybe a little. More

a nip like/A tingle. It’s pleasurable, really. You see it keeps on opening. You may fall in…Dig in/You will never reach bottom.”

Artistic representation of the poem will be juried and displayed during the MLK Jr. Birthday Celebra-tion at Beulah Baptist Church.

In addition, GPC students have the opportunity to participate in a poetry and art contest based on Dove’s “Banneker” poem. They can write an original poem or submit a painting or drawing with a paragraph explaining how the poem inspired the entry.

Winners will be honored with cash prizes and recognized during the celebration. Georgia Perim-eter faculty members also are working with the GPC Center for Civic Engagement and Service Learning to expand classroom awareness of Dove’s writing and to encourage student participation in all the MLK events.

Beulah Missionary Baptist Church is at 2340 Clifton Springs Road. For more information, visit www.gpc.edu/mlk.

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Rita Dove, who broke age and color barriers as a poet, will be in Decatur on Jan. 15 to help honor the memory and vision of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. – a man who broke many age and color barriers during his 39-year life.

Dove, who is also a novelist, short-story writer, playwright and Pulitzer Prize win-ner, was the U.S. poet laureate from 1993 to 1995. That feat made her the youngest person – and the first African-American – to receive this highest official honor in American letters.

She also was named special consultant in poetry for the Library of Congress’ bi-centennial year in 1999–2000.

From her first published poetry collec-tion, “The Yellow House on the Corner” in 1980, to “Sonata Mulattica,” a poetry collec-tion in April 2009, Dove has garnered wide acclaim for a lifetime of work in multiple media.

King, a child prodigy, graduated from Morehouse College when he was 19 years old and in 1964 became the youngest per-son and the second African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dove will be the keynote speaker at Georgia Perimeter College’s 14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebra-tion on Jan. 15 at Beulah Missionary Bap-tist Church, 2340 Clifton Springs Road in Decatur.

When she takes the podium at 7 p.m., Dove will join a long list of distinguished speakers for the event that is always held on King’s birthday.

Movie director Spike Lee, renowned pediatric brain neurosurgeon Ben Carson, critically acclaimed performer Ben Vereen, and the first African-American female

astronaut, Dr. Mae Jemison, are some of the speakers who have headlined the event, recognized as the state’s largest annual King event, attracting up to 3,000.

GPC President Anthony S. Tricoli said the college’s goal is to strengthen student success by developing leaders who are creative, critical thinkers.

“Rita Dove and the King celebra-tion embody this goal,” he said.

Dove also will be interviewed at 10 a.m. by Valerie Jackson, host of National Public Radio’s “Between the Lines.” The program will take place in the Cole Auditorium at GPC’s Clark-ston campus and will be simulcast to other GPC campuses.

Dove, 57, has written more than a dozen tomes of poetry, a novel, a drama and a short-story collection. She is the Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, a position she has held

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove is also a novelist, short-story writer, playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner.

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Leading the way to brighter tomorrowsWe all have what it takes to be a leader — in our families, communities and our finances. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. showed us how the power of service strengthens communities and turns dreams into reality. That’s why we’re committed to working with you and your community through national partnerships, grants for nonprofit organizations and financial education programs. We join Dr. King in his belief that it’s not enough to want a brighter future — it’s up to all of us to lead the way. Wachovia honors and supports the national King Day of Service on January 18, 2010.

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© 2010 Wachovia Bank, N.A. Wachovia Bank of Delaware, N.A. All rights reserved. Members FDIC.

CrossRoadsNews January 9, 2010B2

B3Martin Luther King Jr. Day “When we read, it shapes our breathing, the way we feel. When we read the word ‘moon,’ we can almost feel the howl.”

Prolific wordsmith to deliver keynote address at state’s largest King celebration U.S. holiday honors civil rights icon

astronaut, Dr. Mae Jemison, are some of the speakers who have headlined the event, recognized as the state’s largest annual King event, attracting up to 3,000.

GPC President Anthony S. Tricoli said the college’s goal is to strengthen student success by developing leaders who are creative, critical thinkers.

“Rita Dove and the King celebra-tion embody this goal,” he said.

Dove also will be interviewed at 10 a.m. by Valerie Jackson, host of National Public Radio’s “Between the Lines.” The program will take place in the Cole Auditorium at GPC’s Clark-ston campus and will be simulcast to other GPC campuses.

Dove, 57, has written more than a dozen tomes of poetry, a novel, a drama and a short-story collection. She is the Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, a position she has held

since 1993.Between 2004

and 2006, she served as poet laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Sonata Mu-lattica,” her ninth and newest po-etry collection, tells the story of mulatto violinist George Augustus Bridgetower, the son of a Polish-German mother and an Afro-Carib-bean father, who shared a brief pas-sionate friendship with Ludwig van Beethoven that ended with a quarrel over a woman.

The collection of poems subtitled “A Life in Five Movements and a Short Play” intertwines fact and fic-

tion to flesh out Bridgetower, who died in South Lon-don in 1860.

Dove, who con-fessed to being in-trigued by the way history works, often explores historical subjects in her lyri-cal narratives.

She says that po-etry makes us reflec-tive beings.

“It teaches us how to proceed more deftly and gently in life,” she says. “If I read a poem that moves me, it illu-minates or reminds me of something in myself that I was too busy to see.”

D o v e i s n o stranger to Atlanta. In April 1995, she co-hosted a gather-ing of Nobel laure-ates in literature in Atlanta with Presi-dent Jimmy Cart-er. That event was part of the Cultural Olympiad that pre-

ceded the 1996 Olympics in the city.The Atlanta Committee for the Olym-

pic Games also commissioned her to write the text for composer Alvin Singleton’s symphonic work “Umoja — Each One of Us Counts,” for symphony orchestra and narrator. She performed it, with Andrew Young as narrator, at Atlanta Symphony

Hall during the opening weekend of the July 1996 Centennial Olympic Summer Games. It also was broadcast on NPR.

In 1990, Dove also collaborated with Singleton on the composition “Between Sisters,” based on the poem “The House Slave,” at Spelman College.

Dove says that so often when people get disaffected with leaders, they detect in the language that it’s not sincere.

“What politicians could learn is the immense power of the word placed cor-rectly,” she said. “Language is not black or white, this torpid thing on the page. When we read, it shapes our breathing, the way we feel. When we read the word ‘moon,’ we can almost feel the howl.”

She won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize in Po-etry for her book “Thomas and Beulah,” making her the second African-American poet, after Gwendolyn Brooks, to be so honored. Her many other collections of poetry include “American Smooth,” “Mother Love,” “On the Bus With Rosa Parks,” and “Grace Notes and Selected Poems.”

Her literary and academic honors are pages long and include 22 honorary doctorates and the 2003 Emily Couric Leadership Award, the 2001 Duke El-lington Lifetime Achievement Award, the 1997 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, the 1996 Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities and the 1996 National Humanities Medal.

Dove, who was born in Akron, Ohio, lives in Charlottesville with her husband, Fred Viebahn. They have a grown daughter, Aviva Dove-Viebahn. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the viola da gamba, a 17th-century stringed instrument related to the cello, and doing ballroom dancing and Argentinean tango.

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove is also a novelist, short-story writer, playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner.

Since 1980, Rita Dove has published more than a dozen books, including poetry tomes, a novel, a drama and a short-story collection.

Here are some of her titles and the years of publication.n “Sonata Mulattica,” poetry collection, April 2009n “American Smooth,” 2004n “On the Bus With Rosa Parks,” 1999n “Seven for Luck,” a song cycle for soprano, 1998n “The Poet’s World,” a book of her laureate lectures, 1995 n “The Darker Face of the Earth,” verse drama, 1994n “Through the Ivory Gate,” a novel, 1992n “Grace Notes,” the poetry collections, 1989n “Thomas and Beulah,” 1986 n “Fifth Sunday,” a book of short stories, 1985 n “Museum,” 1983n “The Yellow House on the Corner,” poetry collection, 1980

Prolific writer

For the 24th consecutive year, East Metro residents will join the nation in celebrating the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as a national holiday.

This year, the holiday com-memorating the birth of the slain civil rights leader will be observed on Jan. 18.

King’s actual birthday is Jan. 15, 1929. Had he lived, he would have been 81 years old this year.

King, a Baptist preacher, led the fight for civil rights for African-Americans.

He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. He was in that city to support 1,300 striking sanitation workers fighting unfair working conditions and low pay.

King was 39 years old.Four years earlier in 1964, he

became the youngest person and the second African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

CrossRoadsNewsJanuary 9, 2010 B3

B4 King Day

of the “50 Most In-fluential Minority Lawyers in Ameri-ca” by the National Law Journal.

He will serve as master of ceremo-nies and Dr. Ber-nice King, daughter of the civil rights

icon, will be keynote speaker at the 10 a.m. ceremony.

USCIS, an agency of the U.S. De-partment of Homeland Security, is charged with delivering immigration and citizenship services while enhanc-ing the nation’s security. During the

History-making mayor to deliver keynote at MLK High gala

Documentary on King’s younger brother to premiere at Morehouse

Milestones in the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Citizenship ceremony to mark King birthdayConvocation at GSU

Perkins defeated one-time segregationist Mayor Joe Smitherman in a September 2000 runoff to become mayor of Selma.

James Perkins Jr., who rose from Deep South Jim Crow op-pression to become the first Afri-can-American mayor of historic Selma, Ala., will be the featured speaker at the Jan. 16 King Gala at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Lithonia.

The theme of the annual black-tie event, which is in its eighth year, is “Stand Up and Answer the Call.”

Perkins, a computer consultant, de-feated one-time segregationist Mayor Joe Smitherman in a September 2000 runoff to

become mayor of Selma, mark-ing a turning point in the city’s long history of racism.

Smitherman had been mayor of the city of 20,000 that is nearly two-thirds black for all but one year since 1964, the year before the Bloody Sunday march, in which state and county officers attacked marching blacks at the

Edmund Pettus Bridge.It took Perkins eight years and three

attempts to unseat Smitherman, who denounced his segregationist past, hired a black police chief, and held barbecues in

black neighborhoods to endear himself to black constituents.

Perkins, who was defeated on his third re-election bid in 2008, is now seeking the Democratic nomination for Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, which stretches from downtown Birmingham to Tusca-loosa and includes much of the state’s Black Belt.

The King Gala, which is sponsored by the school’s PTSA, raises money for the PTSA Scholarship Fund that benefits de-serving college-bound M.L. King Jr. High School seniors.

The gala begins at 6 p.m. with a silent

auction featuring original artwork and unique gift items. The dinner and formal program start at 7 p.m.

Sir Markadoo, owner of Heavenly Body Products in Decatur, will be the evening’s master of ceremonies.

Tickets are $50 each. Sponsorship and ad opportunities are still available as well as the opportunity to donate items for the silent auction. Donations are tax-deductible.

M.L. King Jr. High School is at 3991 Snapfinger Road in Lithonia.

For more information, e-mail rsvp gala@yahoo.com or call 678-874-5451.

James Perkins

The world premiere of the documenta-ry film “A.D. King: Brother to the Dreamer” will take place on Jan. 17 at Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Interna-tional Chapel.

Named after his grandfather, Alfred Daniel, A.D., who was also a minister, was the younger brother of the Rev. Martin Lu-ther King Jr., whose birthday is a national holiday observed on the third Monday in January.

The film tells of A.D.’s contributions to the civil rights movement, which included being arrested at lunch counter sit-ins, leading the Poor People’s Campaign and the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign, and co-founding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

He also built congregations at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Newnan, Ga.; First Baptist Church of Ensley in Birming-ham, Ala.; Zion Baptist Church in Louis-ville, Ky.; and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where he served as co-pastor after the death of Martin. A.D. drowned in his swimming pool on July 21, 1969, a year after his brother’s assassination.

A panel discussion and question-and-answer session will follow the screening.

The A.D. King Foundation is hosting the 7 p.m. event. Tickets are $10 and $5 for youth. The Martin Luther King Jr. Inter-national Chapel is at 830 Westview Drive S.W. in Atlanta.

For more information, call Dr. Babs Onabanjo at 770-873-9265. Bettmann/CORBIS phOtO

The Rev. A.D. King (left) was photographed with his famous older brother Martin Luther King Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King on Oct. 30, 1967, in Atlanta.

Members of the Georgia State University faculty, staff and student population who have demonstrated an outstanding ability to facilitate or promote positive intercultural relations at GSU will be picking up a Torch of Peace award at the college’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation.

The event, which starts at 4 p.m. on Jan. 19, also will honor an Atlanta individual and a community organi-zation with the Hosea Williams Award for Community Activism, which recognizes awardees for purposeful risk-taking for betterment of a community, strong leadership skills and courage.

The free event is part of the college’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Week being observed Jan. 18-22. It takes place at the Student Center’s Main Ballroom, 44 Courtland St. in Atlanta.

For more information, call 404-413-1580.

Alejandro May-orkas, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will help make 81 new U.S. citizens at a special citizenship cere-mony on Jan. 15 at the King Center.

The ceremony will mark the 81st birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Mayorkas is a former U.S. attorney for the Central District of California and a former partner at O’Melveny and Myers, where he was named one

A. Mayorkas Bernice King

past year, it helped more than 640,000 men, women and children fulfill their dreams and become United States citizens.

The King Center was established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King to ad-vance the legacy of her husband, who was assassinated in 1968.

More than 1 million visitors from all over the world visit the King Cen-ter annually to pay homage to King; view exhibits illustrating his life and teachings; and visit the King Center’s Library & Archives, his final resting place and his birth home.

The King Center is at 449 Auburn Ave.

Jan. 15, 1929 ..Martin Luther King Jr. (originally named Michael King) is born in Atlanta.

Feb. 25, 1948 . .King is ordained and is appointed associate pastor to his father at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

June 8, 1948 ..King graduates from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology at age 19.

May 6-8, 1951 ...King graduates from Crozer Theological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity degree.

June 22, 1952 . .While attending graduate school at Boston University, King is initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

June 18, 1953 . .King marries Coretta Scott.Oct. 31, 1954 ..King is installed as the 20th pastor at Dexter

Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.June 5, 1955 ..King receives a Ph.D. in systematic theology

from Boston University.Dec. 5, 1955 ...King is elected president of the Montgomery

Improvement Association, the group formed to coordinate the bus boycott.

Dec. 20, 1955.....Buses in Montgomery are integrated after federal injunctions are issued against many city and bus company officials. In the months before, the U.S. Supreme Court upholds an earlier ruling that declares mandatory bus segregation laws unconstitutional.

Feb. 14, 1957..The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is formed; King is named its first president.

February-March 1959 ..... Martin and Coretta King spend a month in India as guests of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, studying Mohandas K. Gandhi’s techniques of nonviolent resistance.

March-April, 1962 .. King is arrested during a demonstration in Birmingham. On April 16, he writes his famous “Letter From the Birmingham Jail,” in which he describes the motivation and defends the need for nonviolent, direct action.

address from the steps of the state Capitol in Montgomery.Summer 1965 ..Riots break out in Watts, a neighborhood in

Los Angeles.Aug. 6, 1965 ..President Johnson signs the 1965 Voting

Rights Act.May 16, 1966 . .King makes an anti-war statement at a

Vietnam War protest in Washington, D.C.June 8-24, 1966 ...... King, civil rights leaders and supporters

continue James Meredith’s “March Against Fear” after Meredith is shot.

Summer 1967 ..Riots occur in 164 U.S. cities. The largest riots break out in Newark, N.J., and Detroit, calling attention to the struggles faced by African-Americans in Northern cities.

December 1967-1968 .........The SCLC forms and organizes the Poor People’s Campaign, a movement intended to alleviate poverty for Americans of all races and ethnicities.

April 4, 1968 . .The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.

April 7-9, 1968 ........ April 7, declared a day of mourning, is marked by memorial services across the country. A silent march is held in Memphis, and on April 9, a funeral service at Ebenezer Baptist Church and a funeral procession take place in Atlanta.

Nov. 2, 1983 ...The Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Bill, a measure proposed in every legislative session from 1968 by Rep. John Conyers, is signed by President Ronald Reagan, declaring King’s birthday a national holiday. However, the first legal holiday nationwide does not occur until Jan. 20, 1986.

Nov. 12, 1996 . .President Bill Clinton signs congressional legislation proposing the establishment of a memorial in the District of Columbia to honor King.

Source: www.mlkmemorial.org/site/

Oct. 1, 1962 .... James Meredith becomes the first black man to enter the University of Mississippi.

Oct. 16, 1962 .King meets with President John F. Kennedy at the White House, urging him to support civil rights.

May 3-5, 1963 ......... At a protest in Birmingham, demonstrators are attacked with dogs and assaulted with water from fire hoses. Media coverage of the event provokes a national outcry against the tactics employed by segregationist leaders.

June 11, 1963 . .Gov. George C. Wallace attempts to stop integration of the University of Alabama by preventing black students and Justice Department officials from entering. Wallace removes himself from blocking the entrance after President Kennedy federalizes the Alabama National Guard.

Aug. 28, 1963 ..At the historic March on Washington, King delivers his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

Sept. 15, 1963 ..The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham is bombed, killing four young girls and injuring many worshippers. King delivers a eulogy for the girls.

Summer 1964 ..The Mississippi “Freedom Summer” Project, a voter registration drive, is organized and instituted by Congress of Racial Equality and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, with the aid of the SCLC.

July 2, 1964 ....King attends the signing of the Public Accommodations Bill, a part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Aug. 25, 1964 ..King speaks at the Democratic National Convention, where the Democratic Party refused to seat members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Dec. 10, 1964 . .King accepts the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

March 21-25, 1965 .. More than 3,000 march from Selma to Montgomery under the protection of federal troops. Along the way, their numbers increased to 25,000. King gives an

CrossRoadsNews January 9, 2010B4

A7community.

The nonprofit garden on Rainbow Drive in Decatur is working to build community awareness of good stewardship of the Earth through programs that actively promote organic garden-ing, green education, recycling and healthy living in communion with nature.

Summerville said Wonder-land Gardens is embracing the first lady’s initiative, which raises awareness about nutrition in America.

“We are taking the ball and running with it,” she said. “Dia-betes, obesity and high blood pressure are showing up in our children. For the first time, chil-dren are facing a shorter life span than their parents.”

The nutritional programs will

Breast disease specialist to discuss cancer

Wellness “We will talk about the value of eating locally grown produce, regular exercise and nutrition.”

Wonderland Gardens launching initiative to promote good nutrition

Deborah Summerville (in cap) talks good nutrition with a visitor to the Wonderland Gardens exhibit at the Gallery at South DeKalb.

A breast disease specialist will talk about what you can do to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer at a community out-reach program at DeKalb Medical at Hillandale on Jan. 13.

Dr. April Speed, a surgeon at DeKalb Medical and a fellow of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, will focus on how to be a good steward of your health by taking steps to monitor your breast health and make diet or lifestyle changes that will minimize your risk at the 7 p.m. program.

Komen for the Cure bills itself

By Brenda Camp Yarbrough

Wonderland Gardens has taken first lady Michelle Obama’s nutrition initiative to heart by launching a series of nutritional programs for the community.

Deborah Summerville, garden coordinator, said the first program will be held Jan. 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gallery at South DeKalb.

“We will talk about the value of eating locally grown produce, regular exercise and nutrition,” she said.

“Basically, we’ll address better nutrition in the community.”

Sheldon Fleming, the garden’s executive director, said that after 15-plus years in broadcasting in TV and radio, Summerville has seen the health disparities in our

be held once a month throughout 2010 at the Decatur mall, 2801 Candler Road in Decatur, and at Wonderland Gardens, 3145 Rain-bow Drive in Decatur.

All classes, including a weight-loss program for adults, are free to the public.

In the spring, Wonderland Gardens will sponsor community walks for children and adults at the garden and hold classes on how to grow your own vegetables.

It also will have a nine-week summer camp for overweight children on nutrition and life lessons, on integrity, setting high moral standards, self-reliance, self-esteem, healthy cooking classes and more.

For more information, visit www.wonderlandgardens.org or call 404-680-1900.

as “the world’s largest grass-roots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.”

Speed, a native of Atlanta, completed her residency and in-ternship in general surgery at Gra-dy Memorial Hospital through Morehouse School of Medicine. She also earned a Doctor of Medi-cine from Morehouse.

At Hillandale, Speed offers care ranging from routine, annual breast exams to second opinions

on previously diagnosed breast disease to oncoplastics. Oncoplas-tics is a treatment method that allows immediate reconstruction at the same time as breast cancer surgery such as a mastectomy in appropriately selected patients.

There will be light refresh-ments at the program, which will be held in the Community Room, and parking will be validated. Call 404-501-9355 to reserve your space; registration is required.

DeKalb Medical at Hillandale is at 2801 DeKalb Medical Park-way in Lithonia.

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CrossRoadsNewsJanuary 9, 2010 A7

A8 WeLLness The best way to protect your family, besides good hand washing, is to request a flu vaccine from your physician.

Tips for driving in winter

Flu season far from over; here are tips to soothe symptomsThe start of a new year brings many

exciting possibilities, but it also means that flu season is not yet over.

Most people have heard of influenza or “the flu,” but this term is often applied to symptoms of the common cold or stomach viruses such as vomiting or diarrhea.

Influenza is neither. It is a serious respi-ratory illness that is very contagious. The typical patient has nasal symptoms, fever, severe cough and body aches.

A virus that is spread easily when an infected individual coughs or sneezes, influenza can be spread before symptoms appear, and for many days after symptoms begin, and can lead to life-threatening complications. About 226,000 people in the United States, including previously healthy children, are admitted to the hos-pital with complications from influenza each year.

The best way to protect your family, besides good hand washing, is to request a

flu vaccine from your physician. Influenza season, which has been under way since the fall, often lasts into the spring, so vac-cination throughout the season is helpful.

Influenza is different from most other vaccine-preventable diseases because the viruses are always changing, which is why a yearly vaccine is recommended.

The flu vaccine comes in two forms: as an injection (the typical “flu shot”), and as a nasal spray (the “flumist”). They are both very safe. Your physician can explain which vaccine is best for you.

This year, there is also a separate

vaccine against the H1N1 or swine flu. Because this form of flu has not been seen for decades, people will need a vaccine followed by a booster several weeks later. All individuals 6 months to 24 years old are recommended to get the vaccine, as well as people 25-64 who have various chronic diseases.

This flu season, scientists believe that the novel H1N1 virus may cause a lot more people to get sick than during a regular flu season. It also may cause more hospital stays and deaths than regular seasonal flu. More information about the H1N1 flu is available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children ages 6 months through 18 years of age receive an annual traditional flu vaccine.

What can you do?Here are some safe home remedies to

soothe your child’s flu symptoms:n Honey (12 months and up): Honey coats and soothes the throat and helps tame a cough. Your child must be at least a year old to try this remedy. If your child is between 1 and 5 years old, give them 1/2 teaspoon of honey. If they are between 6 and 11 years old, give them 1 teaspoon.

Caution: Do not give honey to a child before his first birthday. It can cause a rare and sometimes fatal illness called infant botulism.n A neti pot (4 years and up): A neti pot flushes a mild salt solution through the nasal passages, moisturizing the area and thinning, loosening, and rinsing away mu-cus. Think of it as a nasal wash.

Caution: Do not force a child who is not interested. This needs to be a very gentle procedure, to prevent both upsetting them and damaging their nasal passages.n Nose blowing (2 years and up): Clearing the nose of mucus helps your child breathe and sleep more easily and generally makes them feel more comfortable. If your child’s nose is sore from all the sniffling and blow-ing, rub a little petroleum jelly or other child-safe ointment around their nostrils.n Bulb syringe (best for babies): This clears the nose of kids who are too young to blow their nose. Clearing a stuffy nose with a bulb syringe works best for young babies, but if your older child does not mind the

procedure, there is no reason not to do it.Caution: Do not use nasal decongestant

sprays on a baby unless a doctor tells you to. They may work for a bit, but they can make congestion worse in the long run.n Vapor rubs (3 months and up): Vapor rubs may help kids sleep better at night. Natural vapor balms are available if you would prefer not to use products that con-tain petroleum or paraben. These are typi-cally made with aloe, herbs, oils, beeswax and essential oils. Search online for “baby rub,” “baby vapor rub,” or similar words.

Caution: Do not put vapor rub on bro-ken or sensitive skin, or to your child’s mouth or nose, around her eyes, or any-where on their face, for that matter.n Gargling with salt water (4 years and up): Gargling with salt water is a time-honored way to soothe a sore throat. While scientists haven’t determined exactly why it works, studies have shown that the rem-edy is effective. n Elevating the head (all ages): Elevating your child’s head while they rest can help them breathe more comfortably.n Lots of rest (all ages): It takes energy to fight an infection, and that can wear a child (or adult) out. When your child’s resting, they are also healing.

Studies show that stress plays a role in illness, too. If your child is under pressure, giving them a break may be just what they need to fight off their symptoms.n Steamy air (all ages): Breathing moist air helps loosen mucus in the nasal passages. A warm bath has the added benefit of relax-ing your child. You can use a humidifier, cool-mist vaporizer or steamy bathroom. Be sure to clean humidifiers often. They accumulate mold, which they then spray into the air if they are not kept clean.n Extra fluids (6 months and up): Drinking plenty of fluids helps prevent dehydration, and flushes and thins nasal secretions.

Caution: Stick to breast milk or formula for babies younger than 6 months old un-less your doctor tells you otherwise. Babies that young may not need water, and too much could even be harmful.n Chicken soup and other warm liquids (6 months and up): Warm liquids can be very soothing and help relieve congestion.

Dr. Melinda Willingham is a pediatrician with Decatur Pediatrics.

Learn what you can do to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by listening to April Speed, M.D., a breast disease specialist and surgeon at DeKalb Medical and Susan G. Komen Foundation. Dr. Speed will focus on how to be a good steward of your health by taking steps to monitor your breast health and make diet or lifestyle changes that will minimize your risk.

Located at DeKalb Medical at Hillandale in the Community Room.

Light refreshments will be served and parking is free. Appointments required. Call 404.501.WELL to reserve your space.

Dr. Melinda Willingham

Ask TheDoctor

Severe winter weather can produce hazardous driving conditions, and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety offers these tips to help motorists reach their destination safely.n This is a no-brainer: If you don’t have to go out in hazardous weather conditions, then stay home. n If you do have to drive, give it your full concentration. This is no time for distractions such as cell phones and sandwiches. Drive cau-tiously with both hands on the wheel. n Slow down. Driving too fast for conditions gets many drivers in trouble when they hit an unseen pocket of icy road. Leave yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going. n Don’t tailgate or follow too close. Avoid “grouping-up” with a pack of other vehicles, especially at higher speeds. This may help you avoid a chain-reaction crash like you see on the news.n Don’t use cruise control when driving on ice, snow or slush. Cruise control is designed for normal driving conditions, and slippery roads can cause wheel-spin and loss of control when cruise control is en-gaged. Also, you may not have time to disengage during a spinout.n Don’t panic or slam on the brakes. If you find yourself sliding or losing control, take your foot off the gas and resist the temptation to slam on the brakes. Sudden braking will only eliminate what little traction you have.n If you start to spin, you’re pretty much at the mercy of the ice. But the Georgia State Patrol says you should steer in the direction of the spin until the vehicle comes to a stop. If you’re already driving slowly, this won’t be nearly as terrifying.n Be prepared. State troopers advise motorists who must drive in wintry weather to have at least a half tank of gas and carry a freshly charged cell phone. Pack warm clothes and a blanket, and have a working flashlight in your vehicle, because if you become stranded during severe weather, it may take emergency services a while to get to you.

For more winter driving tips, visit www.aaapublicaffairs.com and click on On the Road.

CrossRoadsNews January 9, 2010A8

A9youth The church is one of more than 500 businesses and community organizations that have formed partnerships with DeKalb schools.

Chess event builds fathers’ interactions at school

New Birth an education partner for Salem Middle

Muslim school gets new playground

Scholarship targets students who like to bowl

Open house in Hope’s new location

DeKalb high school students can now compete for a bowling scholarship established by Suburban Lanes.

Applications for the $250 scholar-ships will go out to schools by the third week in January. The application dead-line is the end of March. Winners will be announced in April.

Applicants must be enrolled in a public or recognized private high school in the county. Recipients of the Suburban Lanes scholarship must participate in a certified youth bowling program.

Tom Walker, owner of Suburban Lanes, said a minimum of four scholar-ships will be awarded.

Walker said he launched the scholar-ships out of a desire to see bowling rec-ognized as a varsity sport by the Georgia High School Association. When this hap-pens, he said the bowling industry, which now gives about $6,000,000 annually, will offer scholarship opportunities to more Georgia high school students.

The National Federation of State High School Associations says more than 51,000 students nationwide competed in bowling during the 2008-2009 school year, a nearly 3 percent increase.

Walker, an associate minister and Sunday school teacher at Greenforest Community Baptist Church in Decatur, was inducted into the Greater Atlanta Bowling Association’s Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in January 2008.

Suburban Lanes is at 2619 North Decatur Road in Decatur. For more in-formation, call 404-373-2514.

Fathers and their students at Rock Chapel Elementary will be learning chess together on Jan. 14 as part of an initiative to get more men to interact with their children in a school setting.

The monthly Chess Night at the school is facilitated by chess master Orrin Hudson. It starts at 6 p.m.

Hudson, a motivational speaker, is the founder of Be Someone, a nonprofit organization that uses chess to promote self-esteem, responsibility, and analytical thinking among at-risk kids.

Throughout the evening, participants are given parenting and chess tips, father-ing strategies and chess strategies.

Rock Chapel’s program, FaRther-nonymous, encourages fathers to take an active role in the educational advancement of their elementary school students.

Studies show that students whose fathers are actively engaged in their edu-cation are more likely to remain in school through high school and have reduced discipline referrals, better attendance, and improved academic performance, the school says.

Research shows that chess significantly increased student scores in nonverbal intel-ligence, abstract reasoning and problem-solving.

The social benefits include help in building individual friendships and learn-ing sportsmanship.

The school is at 1130 Rock Chapel Road

in Lithonia. For more information, contact Patrick

S. Muhammad, assistant principal of in-struction, at 678-676-3802.

Youngsters at Mohammed Schools of Atlanta have a new playground compli-ments of a KaBOOM grant, sweat equity and its own fund-raising efforts.

The elementary school, which raised $7,500 in matching funds for the $15,000 playground, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 21.

Volunteers helped build the two double slides, a rock climbing wall, monkey bars and a tunnel. Daaiyah Shaheed, a parent volunteer, said the children were excited.

“They couldn’t wait to get on it,” she said.

The Mohammed Schools, at 735 Fayetteville Road in Atlanta, serves 250 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Established more than 40 years ago, it is the only private African-American

Muslim school accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission, the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Ac-creditation, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

KaBOOM, which promotes healthy, fun play spaces in communities, has led more than 1,500 playground construc-tion projects since its inception in 1995. The all-volunteer, done-in-a-day builds are a hallmark. It also leads the KaBOOM National Campaign for Play, which rallies individuals and communities to achieve better public policy, funding and public awareness for increased play opportuni-ties.

For more information, visit kaboom .org or call the Mohammed Schools at 404-378-4219.

Hope Schools of Excellence started the new year in a new building with a spacious campus in Stockbridge.

The school, which relocated from Li-thonia, moved into a 66,000-square-foot building nestled on 25 acres of partially wooded land on Ga. Highway 138.

It is hosting an open house on Jan. 10 from 3 to 6 p.m.

The main facility houses 15 classrooms and an auditorium that seats more than 800. An additional school building houses 10-plus classrooms, a commercial kitchen, a regulation-length gymnasium, and a stage for performing arts students. There are two

playgrounds and land for expansion.The school, which has 120 students

from pre-k to grade 12, outgrew its first home at the Abundant Life Church on Rock Springs Road.

Brenda Stinson, who co-founded the school in 2006 with her husband, Joseph, said the new location offers them plenty of room to grow. The Hope Schools focuses on science, technology, engineering and math.

The school is located at 2178 Ga. High-way 138 East in Stockbridge. For more information, visit hopeschoolsofexcellence .com or call 678-565-0224.

Salem Middle School students now have an official partner in education in New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

The Lithonia megachurch and the school sealed the partnership with a cer-emony in December. New Birth, which has more than 25,000 members, will offer volunteer support to the Lithonia school.

The church is one of more than 500 businesses and community organizations that have formed partnerships with De Kalb schools to work with faculty, parents and staff to enhance the education experience of students since the Partners in Education program was launched in 1983.

Partners work to improve student academic achievement, teach students to use resources in the greater community to prepare for successful lives, and help students become contributing members of their community.

In addition to individual school partnerships, Partners in Education par-ticipants support the Teacher of the Year, which honors the best teachers in the school system with a tea, an annual din-ner each November and other recognition awards. Partners also sponsor the Board Scholars Tea, which honors distinguished graduating seniors. The annual DeKalb

Partners in Education luncheon celebrates the partnership between the business com-munity and the schools.

Salem Middle School is at 5333 Salem Road. For more information about Part-ners in Education, visit www.dekalb.k12 .ga.us/newsroom/partners.

Chess Night at Rock Chapel Elementary uses the game to encourage fathers to interact with their children in a school setting.

CrossRoadsNewsJanuary 9, 2010 A9

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A12 CrossRoadsNews January 9, 2010A12