crossroadsnews, august 7, 2010 - section a

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www.crossroadsnews.com August 7, 2010 Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc. Focus on family, schools Entertainment galore EXPO PREVIEW EXPO PREVIEW Exhibitors at the 2010 Family & Back- to-School Expo on Aug. 14 will make a wealth of information available in one location. Section B The Conserva- tory of Dance and other perform- ers will provide entertainment for the 2010 Family & Back-to-School Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest. Section B A spate of local deaths and injuries from lightning strikes in metro Atlanta underscores the need to seek shelter quickly when storms are near. A5 Time to take shelter WELLNESS VOLUME 16, NUMBER 15 County officials ducking residents on South River Wachovia donates building to entrepreneurial initiative Curtis Parker / CrossroadsNews Deborah Dunaway, secretary of the Miners Creek Circle Civic Association, addresses residents and South River advocates at a meeting to address concerns about pollution in the waterway. JeNNifer ffreNCh Parker / CrossroadsNews Publisher Creed Pannell Jr. founded the Business Development Initiative to expose high school students to the world of entrepreneurship. BDI has relocated to Wesley Chapel Road. By Jennifer Ffrench Parker The focal Wesley Chapel corner at Snap- finger Woods Drive in Decatur is about to come to life again. The former Wachovia Bank building, which had been vacant for about five years, is finding new life as the headquarters of the Business Development Initiative, a new nonprofit that will expose middle and high school students to the world of entrepre- neurship. Creed Pannell Jr., the initiative’s founder, said the year-old nonprofit is relocating from Union City to occupy the 4,000-square-foot former branch building that was donated by Wachovia Bank. “If we teach kids entrepreneurship while they are in high school, they won’t be looking for jobs when they graduate,” he said. “They will be creating jobs.” Pannell, who also publishes the Atlanta Business Journal, said it has bothered him for years that African-American kids are seen primarily as consumers. “As a community, we are getting further and further behind in our ability to com- pete,” he said. “We need to change that.” The initiative, which hosted its grand opening on Aug. 5, will educate students on laptops. Its curriculum will be taught by professionals in their fields. Pannell said its located in South DeKalb because that is where it got the gift of a home at 2533 Wesley Chapel Road. “DeKalb is a good place to start,” Pannell said. “We will be part of the rejuvenation under way on Wesley Chapel Road.” Wachovia, which is a Wells Fargo com- pany, donated the building to BDI in De- cember 2009. Pamela Cross, a Wachovia vice president and senior community development officer for the Atlanta market, said the nonprofit’s mission was a good fit. “We look for opportunities to support nonprofits,” she said. “This is a group that will be working to develop our youth and be a catalyst for developing that area.” Cross said the donation of the building, valued at $700,000, is one of three vacant bank buildings that the company is donating Please see INITIATIVE, page A4 By Jennifer Ffrench Parker South DeKalb county residents are angry with DeKalb County government and their elected officials for ignoring their attempts to get information about the polluted South River and the county’s plans to clean up the river. At an Aug. 4 community meeting hosted by Miners Creek Circle Civic Association at the Wesley Chapel Library, no county of- ficials or sitting elected officials showed up, despite invitations from the group. Only Stan Watson, the District 7 commis- sioner-elect who does not take office until January, was in attendance. State Rep. Pam Stephenson sent a representative who said that Stephenson had a previously scheduled meeting but that he would take the concerns back to her. Mikeya Herbert, the Miners Creek Circle asso- ciation president, said the lack of county presence was telling. “It shows much be- cause they are not here,” she said. “They don’t feel the concern that we feel regarding a river that’s right next to us that’s polluted.” Herbert and the association of residents who live near the river and the new South River Trail, said they are just trying to clean up the river that has documented pollution dating back to 1961. “That’s 40 years of pollution that South River has experienced,” Herbert said. “We should do something before it’s another 40 years and we are still looking at a polluted river adjacent to our neighborhood.” The meeting came in the wake of a July 24 story in CrossRoadsNews that documented the river’s pollution and showed families with children frolicking in the river, which is on the state’s list of impaired rivers because of high levels of fecal coliform and PCBs. The area has grown in popularity since the construction of parking and other im- provements on the banks of the river for the new walking trail and as temperatures soar into the high 90s. The county did not post signs discour- aging recreational use of the river until July 26. Geraldine Champion, Miners Creek Circle’s vice president, said that when the river was hidden, nobody said much about its polluted condition. “Then when they put a walking path down there I said wow this is nice but that Mikeya Herbert Please see RIVER, page A4

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www.crossroadsnews.comAugust 7, 2010Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COVER PAGEFocus on family, schoolsEntertainment galoreEXPO PREVIEWEXPO PREVIEW

Exhibitors at the 2010 Family & Back-to-School Expo on Aug. 14 will make a wealth of information available in one location. Section B

The Conserva-tory of Dance and other perform-ers will provide entertainment for the 2010 Family & Back-to-School Expo at the Mall at Stonecrest. Section B

A spate of local deaths and injuries from lightning strikes in metro Atlanta underscores the need to seek shelter quickly when storms are near. A5

Time to take shelterWELLNESS

Volume 16, Number 15

County officials ducking residents on South River

Wachovia donates building to entrepreneurial initiative

Curtis Parker / CrossroadsNews

Deborah Dunaway, secretary of the Miners Creek Circle Civic Association, addresses residents and South River advocates at a meeting to address concerns about pollution in the waterway.

JeNNifer ffreNCh Parker / CrossroadsNews

Publisher Creed Pannell Jr. founded the Business Development Initiative to expose high school students to the world of entrepreneurship. BDI has relocated to Wesley Chapel Road.

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The focal Wesley Chapel corner at Snap-finger Woods Drive in Decatur is about to come to life again.

The former Wachovia Bank building, which had been vacant for about five years, is finding new life as the headquarters of the Business Development Initiative, a new nonprofit that will expose middle and high school students to the world of entrepre-neurship.

Creed Pannell Jr., the initiative’s founder, said the year-old nonprofit is relocating from Union City to occupy the 4,000-square-foot former branch building that was donated by Wachovia Bank.

“If we teach kids entrepreneurship while they are in high school, they won’t be looking for jobs when they graduate,” he said. “They will be creating jobs.”

Pannell, who also publishes the Atlanta Business Journal, said it has bothered him for years that African-American kids are seen primarily as consumers.

“As a community, we are getting further and further behind in our ability to com-

pete,” he said. “We need to change that.”The initiative, which hosted its grand

opening on Aug. 5, will educate students on laptops. Its curriculum will be taught by professionals in their fields.

Pannell said its located in South DeKalb because that is where it got the gift of a home at 2533 Wesley Chapel Road.

“DeKalb is a good place to start,” Pannell said. “We will be part of the rejuvenation under way on Wesley Chapel Road.”

Wachovia, which is a Wells Fargo com-pany, donated the building to BDI in De-cember 2009.

Pamela Cross, a Wachovia vice president and senior community development officer for the Atlanta market, said the nonprofit’s mission was a good fit.

“We look for opportunities to support nonprofits,” she said. “This is a group that will be working to develop our youth and be a catalyst for developing that area.”

Cross said the donation of the building, valued at $700,000, is one of three vacant bank buildings that the company is donating

Please see INITIATIVE, page A4

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

South DeKalb county residents are angry with DeKalb County government and their elected officials for ignoring their attempts to get information about the polluted South River and the county’s plans to clean up the river.

At an Aug. 4 community meeting hosted by Miners Creek Circle Civic Association at the Wesley Chapel Library, no county of-ficials or sitting elected officials showed up, despite invitations from the group.

Only Stan Watson, the District 7 commis-sioner-elect who does not take office until January, was in attendance. State Rep. Pam Stephenson sent a representative who said that Stephenson had a previously scheduled meeting but that he would take the concerns back to her.

Mikeya Herbert, the Miners Creek Circle asso-ciation president, said the lack of county presence was telling.

“It shows much be-cause they are not here,” she said. “They don’t feel the concern that we feel regarding a river that’s right next to us that’s polluted.”

Herbert and the association of residents who live near the river and the new South River Trail, said they are just trying to clean up the river that has documented pollution dating back to 1961.

“That’s 40 years of pollution that South River has experienced,” Herbert said. “We should do something before it’s another 40

years and we are still looking at a polluted river adjacent to our neighborhood.”

The meeting came in the wake of a July 24 story in CrossRoadsNews that documented the river’s pollution and showed families with children frolicking in the river, which is on the state’s list of impaired rivers because of high levels of fecal coliform and PCBs.

The area has grown in popularity since the construction of parking and other im-provements on the banks of the river for the new walking trail and as temperatures soar into the high 90s.

The county did not post signs discour-aging recreational use of the river until July 26.

Geraldine Champion, Miners Creek Circle’s vice president, said that when the river was hidden, nobody said much about its polluted condition.

“Then when they put a walking path down there I said wow this is nice but that

Mikeya Herbert

Please see RIVER, page A4

A2

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Accused cop shooter surrenders

Volunteers are cleaning up South DeKalb in advance of the annual Kingdomwood Christian Film Festival.

Community “We recommend avoiding the area all together if possible, or be prepared to sit in traffic.”

Volunteers cleaning up South DeKalbNational Nightout lures residents, cops and officials

MARTA giving change information

I-20 road work to snarl traffic leading to I-285 ramps

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Derek Dwayne Frye, who is ac-cused of shooting DeKalb police of-ficer Jerome Tillery, is now in jail.

Frye, 26, surrendered to police on July 30 in the wake of a massive manhunt launched by police after the July 28 shoot-ing of Tillery in the 3000 block of Bouldercrest Road in south DeKalb.

He is charged with aggravated battery, forgery, theft by taking in-volving a stolen 2006 Ford F-150, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Frye was on probation after a guilty plea in a drug case. Court re-cords show that he has an extensive record that includes weapon and assault arrests. A judge set bond at $160,500.

Tillery, a two-year member of the force, was shot in the arm while investigating a report of suspicious person and gunshots being fired. He was released from the Grady Hospital on July 30.

Derek Frye

Volunteers will be cleaning up the Columbia and Memorial Drive area on Aug. 7.

The cleanup, which is sponsored by the Kingdomwood Christian Film Fes-tival, is one of several planned through Sept. 25 to clean up South DeKalb in preparation for their Oct. 1-3 annual festival at the Hilton Garden Inn at Stonecrest.

Operation Community Clean-Up takes place 7:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. Volun-teers will meet at the Memorial Drive Wal-Mart.

On Aug. 21, they will clean up Candler Road. On Sept. 11, they will clean Panola Road and on Sept. 25, the Stonecrest area.

For more information or to vol-unteer, call Joe Williams at 404-641-4557.

MARTA riders can learn more about the upcoming service and fare changes at an information session on Aug. 14 at MARTA headquarters.

From 10 a.m. to noon, MARTA staff will answer questions and assist riders in prepar-ing for the service changes, fare increases and other impacts adopted as part of the FY 2011 budget. Service modifications will be imple-mented on Sept. 25 and pass price increases will go into effect on Oct. 3.

To address a $69.34 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2011, MARTA was required

to implement a 10.2 percent reduction in bus service or slash 131 routes to 91, a 14.2 percent reduction in rail service, an increase in weekly, monthly and Mobility pass prices, the closure of two RideStores at Lenox and Lindbergh, reduced customer service call center hours, a reduction in the number of Station Agents assigned throughout the sys-tem, and designation of public restrooms at nine major transfer points and end-of-line stations.

MARTA is at 2424 Piedmont Road in Atlanta.

The I-20 resurfacing project will close three ramps in the I-20/I-285 interchange this weekend.

Georgia Department of Transportation said that starting at 9 p.m. Friday, weather permitting, access to and from I-20 and I-285 between Columbia Drive and Wesley Chapel Road will be closed or reduced to one lane.

DOT Area Engineer Thomas Parker said the delays will be extreme on I-20 westbound and on I-285 in both directions.

“We recommend avoiding the area al-

together if possible, or be prepared to sit in traffic,” he said.

The $28.6 million project is resurfacing 9.8 miles on I-20 between Columbia Drive and Turner Hill Road in DeKalb County. Since it began on June 18, it has snarled traffic and make weekend commute difficult of residents and interstate commuters.

Parker said the good news is that if they can complete the work planned this weekend, they will be done on the westbound side until spring when they will return to place the top

layer of asphalt.Parker sa id work on the east-

bound lanes will begin next weekend. The resurfacing project will continue on weeknights and weekends until Fall, when the temperatures get too cool to pave. It will be completed in the Spring. Work hours are weeknights from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. and on weekends continuously from Friday night at 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Monday.

For more information, call 511 or visit www.511ga.org.

Residents across South DeKalb joined DeKa-lb Police, firefighters and elected officials for the annual National Night Out on Aug. 3.

The evening of cookouts, performances and games brought communities together to heighten awareness and strengthen participa-tion in local anti-crime efforts.

Residents also received important informa-tion on crime prevention from police officers and chatted with elected officials, including District Attorney Gwen Keyes and school board member Zepora Roberts.

DeKalb communities joined more than 12,000 other nationwide in the observance.

CrossRoadsNews August 7, 2010A2

A3

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CrossRoadsNewsAugust 7, 2010 A3

A4 $25K grant to help remove trash, debris from Shoal Creek

Residents say ‘vague’ signs don’t warn of river’s dangers

BDI’s new home on Wesley Chapel is gift from Wachovia

JeNNifer ffreNCh Parker / CrossroadsNews

Residents say the recently opened PATH trail and a sandy “beach” area have made the South River more attractive despite its polluted state.

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“Now you know how to vote the next time voting comes up. We are not going to forget this.”

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.

Advertisements are pub-lished upon the represen-tation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harm-less from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject mat-ter of such advertisments, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement.

We reserve the right to re-fuse any advertisement.

2346 Candler Rd.Decatur, GA 30032

404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007www.crossroadsnews.com

[email protected]

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker

General Manager Curtis Parker

Staff WriterCarla Parker

Advertising Sales Cynthia Blackshear-Warren

Circulation Audited By

www.eastmetromarket.com

LOCAL

SERVICES!LOCAL

GOODS! to nonprofits in metro Atlanta. She said it’s the second building it has donated in DeKalb County.

Because of mergers with First Union and SouthTrust banks, Wa-chovia ended up closing a number of branches in Decatur and Stone Mountain that were too close to-gether.

Its Flat Shoals Parkway branch in the Chapel Hill Commons Shop-ping Center, which was closed in

2006 when it merged with First Union, was bought by Georgia Power Co. after being vacant for four years.

A SouthTrust branch at the in-tersection of Covington Highway and Miller Road is still vacant. It also has another vacant SouthTrust branch on Memorial Drive, near the I-285 interchange.

“We close branches when there is an overlap and we look at what is best for the neighborhood,” she said.

Pannell said that BDI spent another $160,000 on renovating the building that has been at that corner for more than 20 years.

He said that the initiative will offer 60 courses, including robot-ics, hotel ownership, and financial literacy, to the students.

Pannell said enrollment will start in October, and they hope to have 12 students enrolled by the end of the year and up to 200 by next year.

“The programs will be inter-

active and will be done online,” he said. “The students must have laptops.”

Marriott Hotels and Holiday Inn already have signed on to teach a hotel ownership course.

Pannell said the eight-week and 16-week programs will be fee-based but they haven’t yet established the scale. He said that they also are interviewing candidates for the position of executive director and getting ready to launch their fund-raising efforts.

INITIATIVE, from pAgE A1

made the river more noticeable and more attractive,” she said. “And to make it more attractive they carried some sand down there and spread it out. It was so inviting. It gave it the beach effect.”

Since it is a contaminated wa-terway, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division does not rec-ommend recreational use or fish-ing in the South River. The EPD tests the river four times a year and fecal coliform levels were as high as 16,000, and E coli as high 15,530, between 2006 and 2008. It has not tested for those bacteria since 2009.

Doug Denton, an elected super-visor of the DeKalb County Soil & Water Conservation District that educates the public about federal and state Clean Water laws, told the meeting that the Federal Clean Water Act guidelines for a public waterway “that is fishable and swimmable,” require those levels to be no more than 200.

Herbert said her association invited David Butler of the county’s Department of Natural Resources and Michael O’Shield of the De-partment of Watershed Manage-ment.

“They declined to attend be-cause the media was going to be here,” she said. “That’s a disgrace because we are the constituents of DeKalb County, residents of south DeKalb County and they should be here to represent.”

The county employees referred telephone calls about their absence at the meeting to Burke Brennan, spokesman for CEO Burrell Ellis.

In a written statement Thurs-day, Brennan did not respond to questions about why the county

did not send representatives to the community meeting. He said the sand bar, which residents call “the beach,” is a natural occurrence.

“It was not created by the county,” he said. “The location has never been considered as a place for swimming. At present, DeKalb County prohibits recreational use of the South River and in an abundance of caution, has posted signage stating such. Violators may be subject to fines.”

Champi-on, who has lived in Miners Creek Circle for 27 years, said Districts 5 and 7 com-missioners Lee May and Connie Stokes, who repre-sent the area, were also invited.

“Is anyone here from Lee May’s office,” she asked. “Is there anyone here from Connie Stokes’ office?”

When no one answered, Cham-pion said: “Now you know how to

vote the next time voting comes up. We are not going to forget this.”

Champion said that after she read the newspaper’s story about the extent of the river’s contamina-tion, she called CEO Burrell Ellis’ office, Watershed Management and her county commissioner’s office.

“And they said, ‘You know what, we didn’t know it. We didn’t know that water was polluted.’ So after I got done listening to those lies, I said well, now we know. So we are going to have to act here.”

Champion said that if the offi-cials are not concerned about their county, the state isn’t going to come in here and be concerned.

The five signs posted by the county on July 26, say “For your safety, access to waterway is prohib-ited. Violators will be prosecuted.”

Champion the signs are not working and that she has been to the river daily to “run off” unsus-pecting people who are still going into the water.

“Who printed those signs?” she asked. “Who authorized somebody

to print those signs? Somebody did. Somebody told them what to put on it. Whoever did that is less concerned about us than you would ever imagine.”

If they can’t get action from the county, the association said it is prepared to take the issue all the way to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Right away, the group wants the county to replace the “vague” signs with ones that tell people that the river is polluted.

Champion, a retired deputy sheriff, said no judge would pros-ecute anyone for going into the river based on the sign.

The residents also want aggres-sive action to stop sewer overflows into the river and weekly testing of the water and the results released to the public. The group wants other areas of the river where the public has access, including Waldrop Road and behind the Brook Glen subdi-vision, to be posted. They are also asking the county to send informa-tion out about the river in residents’ water and sewer bills. But most of all, Champion said residents want to know what the county is going to do to clean up the river.

“It’s a nasty river, not a water-way,” she said. “There is sewage and everything else coming in there. We want to know what they are doing to get those that are spilling to stop.”

Kevin Farrell, assistant branch chief for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, who attended the meeting called the beach at the South River “a unique” situation on an urban river.

He applauded the residents for their efforts in trying to find out more about the river’s condition and wanting to help clean it up.

rIVEr, from pAgE A1

Shoal Creek, one of the seven creeks that empty into the polluted South River, is getting a $25,260 clean-up.

DeKalb County was awarded the funds by the National Associa-tion of Counties.

NACo’s Five Star Restoration Program grant will be used to re-move trash and debris at the head-waters of Shoal Creek and work with project partners to restore

1,200 feet of channel and banks of the stream, which is degraded by trash and overgrown with invasive plants including Chinese privet and kudzu.

The restoration site will be the focus of field trips for seven local schools participating in environ-mental education activities.

DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis said the county is thankful to NACo for its continued support of DeKalb’s

work to maintain its natural re-sources.

The Five Star Restoration Pro-gram grants were given this year to support six projects in seven coun-ties nationwide.

They are designed to aid high-quality, community-based projects that support habitat and wetlands restoration.

The grants fund projects involv-ing a high degree of cooperation

with local governmental agen-cies, elected officials, community groups, businesses, schools and environmental organizations work to improve local water quality, reduce flood damage, and restore important fish and wildlife habitats in the area.

The program is a partnership among NACo, the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, EPA, and others.

Geraldine Champion

CrossRoadsNews August 7, 2010A4

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WellnessWEllnEss While most people know to take shelter when they see

lightning, it could be too late.

Deadly lightning strikes underscore need to be prepared for stormsA simple rhyme – “When thunder roars,

always go indoors!” – may help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths linked to lightning. In the wake of recent deaths from lightning strikes, the DeKalb Board of Health wants children and adults to remem-

ber it.Within a month of

each other, three metro Atlanta teens died after being struck by lightning this summer.

Theresa Seabrum, 14, of Jonesboro and her cousin, Chaquille Hunter, 16, of Austell, died in July

after being struck by lightning while walking past a tree in Cobb County. A 14-year-old Henry County boy died on July 29 when he was struck by lightning outside his home. On July 21, Stefan Bryan, 15, of Douglas County was struck by lightning while operating a garage door opener but did not suffer seri-ous injuries.

They were all outside during the lightning strikes. Lightning also has sparked numer-ous house fires around the metro area this summer.

The spate of local lightning deaths and injuries underscores the fact that while most people know to take shelter when they see lightning, it could be too late.

Nationally, nearly 58 deaths and numer-ous injuries occur annually across the United States from lightning strikes.

The Board of Health offers these tips for staying safe during a lightning storm:

Remain indoors in a safe buildingEncourage family members to come in

from outdoor activities such as bike riding, mowing the lawn or swimming in the pool when they hear thunder.

If you hear thunder, you are in range for a lightning strike. You need to seek shelter immediately if you are outside. Lightning can travel 10 to 12 miles ahead of a storm and seem to come out of a clear blue sky.

People should remain indoors during a lightning storm for 30 minutes until after the storm has passed before going back outside.

Safe buildings are fully enclosed with a roof, walls and floor, such as a home, school, office building or shopping center.

Unsafe buildings are picnic shelters, tents, sheds, greenhouses, dugouts and other par-tially open or small structures.

Unplug electrical devicesAlways unplug electrical devices such as

televisions and computers ahead of time.If the storm blows up suddenly, leave

the plugged-in items alone. Do not use the land-line telephone or electrical appliances including computers. Lightning may strike outside lines and travel inside. It is not safe to

Lightning strikes have been blamed in the deaths of three metro Atlanta teens this summer as well as numerous house fires. The teens were struck outside.

attempt unplugging them during a lightning storm. Also, install power surge protectors for your home electrical devices.

Find safety when outdoorsAvoid standing near or seeking shelter

under tall objects such as trees and poles, which can actually draw lightning.

When a tree is struck by lightning, the current travels to the ground around the tree. If you are standing near the tree or under it, you can still be charged with current even if you are not touching the tree.

Seek lower ground when outdoorsIf you cannot find shelter, crouch down

in a catcher’s stance. The lower to the ground you are, the safer you are from lightning.

The best position to take is to squat down on the ground and cover your ears or put your hands on your knees. This will lessen your chances of being struck by an electrical current. If other people are with you, stay 15 feet apart.

Take off metal itemsIf you are wearing jewelry, take it off.

Metal objects such as gold and silver can at-tract electricity. Remove all jewelry and set it aside and away from you until the storm has passed.

Do not carry or hold tall metal objects during thunderstorms. Do not hold any items in your hand that add height. Items such as umbrellas and golf clubs with metal components can draw electrical current. Put these items down and away from you until the storm has passed. Drop any golf clubs, fishing poles or baseball bats. Remove metal objects such as a baseball helmet.

Remain in a safe vehicleA safe vehicle is a hard-topped car, SUV,

minivan or bus. Soft-topped convertibles are not safe. If you seek shelter in your car, make sure all doors are closed and windows rolled up. Do not touch any metal surfaces.

If you’re driving when a thunderstorm starts, pull off the roadway to the side of the road if possible. A lightning flash hitting the vehicle could startle you and cause tempo-rary blindness, especially at night. Never use cell phones, Bluetooth attachments, iPods or MP3-type players during a lightning storm.

For more information, visit www .dekalbhealth.net or www.fema.gov/hazard /thunderstorm/index.shtm.

Simple steps to takeThe National Lightning Safety

Institute says:n If you can see it (lightning), flee it

(take shelter). n If you can hear it (thunder), clear it

(stop your activities).

Chaquille Hunter

5K run/walk targets lung cancerParticipants in the Free to Breathe 5K

Run/Walk on Aug. 21 in Virginia-Highland are setting their sights on the state’s No. 1 cancer killer.

Registration opens at 7 a.m. and the run/walk starts at 8:30 at Greencove and Virginia Avenue near Inman Middle School in Atlanta. Online registration, $20 at www .freetobreathe.org, closes Aug. 16. Event-day registration is $25.

Decatur resident Amy Waggoner, a family law attorney who lost a friend to lung cancer, turned her grief into advocacy by organiz-ing Atlanta’s first Free to Breathe run/walk.

She was shocked to learn that lung cancer receives less research funding than other major cancers.

“I kept thinking how unfair this disease is, and how somebody should do something,” she said. “I remembered an old proverb, ‘If not me, then who? If not now, when?’ and decided that I had to try to help.”

Lung cancer claims the lives of more men and women in Georgia than any other cancer. For more information or to register, donate, sponsor or volunteer, visit www .freetobreathe.org or www.NationalLung CancerPartnership.org.

CrossRoadsNewsAugust 7, 2010 A5

A6Adoptions

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reAder noticeAs a service to you – our valued readers – we offer the following

information: This newspaper will never knowingly accept any advertise-ment that is illegal or considered fraudulent. If you have questions or

doubts about any ads on these pages, we advise that before responding or sending money ahead of time, you check with the Attorney General’s

Consumer Fraud Line and/or the Better Business Bureau. They may have records or documented complaints that will serve to caution you

about doing business with those advertisers. Also be advised that some phone numbers published in these ads may require an extra charge. In

all cases of questionable value, such as promises or guaranteed income from work-at-home programs, money to loan, etc., if it sounds too good

to be true – it may in fact be exactly that. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for any negative conse-

quences that occur as a result of you doing business with any advertis-ers. Thank you.

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Your Source for Neighborhood News Call 404-284-1888 for Advertising Rates & Information

CrossRoadsNews August 7, 2010A6

A7

mArKetplAce rAtesPlace your MarketPlace line ad here – up to 20 words for $25. Additional words are $3 per block of five words (maximum 45 words). Boxed Ads (with up to 3 lines bold headline): $35 plus cost of the classified ad. Send ad copy with check or credit card information and contact phone number (if different from ad) to Market-Place, CrossRoadsNews, 2346 Candler Road, Decatur, GA 30032, or e-mail to [email protected]. Our deadlines are at noon on the Friday one week prior to publication, unless otherwise noted.

MarketplaceeducAtion/trAining

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CrossRoadsNewsAugust 7, 2010 A7

A8

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21945-MCAQ (8-7) crossroads 8/4/10 5:23 PM Page 1

CrossRoadsNews August 7, 2010A8