Community News

ATLANTA

Wanted: Addresses of properties in bad shape

Atlanta Councilwoman Mary Norwood is looking for addresses of properties in the city that need to be boarded up or demolished. President Bush last month approved a massive housing bill intended to provide mortgage relief. About $4 billion in Community Development Block Grants is available to buy and rehabilitate foreclosed properties.

Norwood is looking for properties that might be eligible for financial assistance. For more information about the effort, or to submit an address of a property, call 404-330-6302 or mnorwood@atlantaga.gov.

Also …

> Children’s festival: Atlanta Councilwoman Carla Smith is hosting a children’s festival at Grant Park, 11:30 a.m. -5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Events include music, storytelling, arts and crafts and juggling.

DEKALB COUNTY

Donations to save Wordsmiths for now

Struggling independent bookstore Wordsmiths Books received enough donations to stay open, at least for now, according to owner Zachary Steele.

That means the store on Decatur Square will be open this weekend during The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival, an event attracting 250 authors and 50,000 people, many of them prospective book shoppers.

After Steele’s plea for help was featured earlier this month by the AJC and National Public Radio, checks arrived from 18 states and Canada, and traffic picked up at the store, Steele said. He would not say how much was donated.

How this story of financial woe ends, however, has not been written. “Though the signs are down from the window, our road is yet long,” Steele said in a blog on his store’s Web site.

Also …

> Race deadline today: Today is the deadline to register for Avondale Estates’ Labor Day races. The event features a 1-mile fun run for children, 1-mile novice race for adults and a 5K through the streets of Avondale on Monday. Registration is $8 for the 1-mile races and $12 for the 5K until 5 p.m. today; $15 after. Entry forms available at City Hall.

GWINNETT COUNTY

State teachers union wants Wilbanks fired

A Georgia teachers union has added its name to the list of those offended by comments made by the Gwinnett County Schools chief at a public meeting.

Leaders of the Metro Association of Classroom Educators said Gwinnett County Schools Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks should be punished. Union leaders, who include some Gwinnett County Schools employees, carried signs outside the district’s Suwanee headquarters late Wednesday, calling for Wilbanks’ ouster.

“This guy is not the man for the job —- he’s arrogant, he’s inflexible,” said John Trotter, founder and head of the Metro Association of Classroom Educators. “He didn’t even apologize.”

Two weeks ago, during a school board presentation about the disproportionate discipline of minority students in Gwinnett, an administrator said the issue is a problem for school districts nationwide except in Idaho.

Wilbanks then asked: “Do they have any blacks in Idaho? They don’t have many.”

On Monday, Gwinnett NAACP leaders say he refused to apologize to parents and community leaders offended by the comments.

Wilbanks has said his statements were not meant to be “racist” or “insensitive.” He has refused to comment further.

Parkview honored for its Marine JROTC

Parkview High School in Lilburn has received national recognition for the outstanding performance of cadets serving in the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.

The school was named a Naval Honors School by the commanding general of the Marine Corps Training and Education Command.

The designation is shared by only 20 percent of the nation’s units, according to Marine Corps training officials.

About 145 students participate in Parkview’s JROTC unit, which is open to teens in grades nine through 12. The unit is led by Capt. Modesto Silverio and Gunnery Sgt. David H. Erwin.

Man killed outside Stone Mountain hotel

A 50-year-old man was shot dead Wednesday afternoon outside a Stone Mountain hotel, according to Gwinnett County police. Robert Lee Lovelace of Atlanta was found lying on the ground about 3 p.m. at Holiday Inn Express at 1790 East Park Place in Stone Mountain. He died at Gwinnett Medical Center a short time later. Police think Lovelace was in a confrontation with two men before he was shot.

The motive behind the slaying remains unclear. There were no suspects Thursday, Gwinnett police spokeswoman Cpl. Illana Spellman said.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide investigators at 770-513-5300.

GREATER ATLANTA

Forsyth manager faces criticism over budget

The Forsyth County manager could be ousted amid criticism that county commissioners weren’t kept abreast of the government’s financial problems.

County Commissioner Linda Ledbetter said she and two other commissioners were ready to vote in a called session Thursday to fire Rhonda Poston-O’Connor, who has been the county manager for less than a year. But in a parliamentary maneuver, Poston-O’Connor’s two supporters on the board —- Chairman Charles Laughinghouse and Jim Harrell —- were able to force a delay in action until Thursday.

“That’s only prolonging the inevitable,” Ledbetter said.

Poston-O’Connor said late Thursday she’s conducting “business as usual.” “I have had a wonderful experience,” she said. “The facts will speak for themselves.”

Commissioners have been reeling in recent days over staff forecasts that, if there are no dramatic spending cuts, the county could have to dip into its reserves, or savings, for up to $11.9 million this year.

In April, commissioners were put on notice that the county could be facing a budget shortfall of $6.7 million this year, largely due to the development downturn. The estimate was revised to $6.9 million earlier this month. Plus, commissioners were told this year’s budget takes $5 million from reserves to make ends meet.

Commissioners —- including Laughinghouse —- said this was news to them, even though they approved the budget last year. “We would have done things a whole lot differently if we’d known that,” Ledbetter said.

Laughinghouse said earlier this week that the commissioners have ultimate responsibility. But Ledbetter said she and Commissioners David Richard and Brian Tam think Poston-O’Connor has to shoulder the blame.

> Volunteers wanted: Fayetteville-based Hospice Advantage is seeking volunteers. The organization assists families and patients who are living with a life-limiting illness. Training is provided. For information, call 678-817-4180.

Contributing: Nancy Badertscher, Aileen Dodd, John Hollis, April Hunt, Mary MacDonald, Helena Oliviero, Tom Opdyke, Andria Simmons, Eric Stirgus and Kristina Torres