Archive for May, 2010

Thanks to a loss of tax revenue and state funding, Clayton County Public Schools expects to exhaust its reserve funds by June 2011 amidst budget cuts.

According to the AJC, cuts will include reducing the school year by five days, getting rid of summer school for elementary and middle school, eliminating Superintendent Edmond Heatley’s cabinet by three positions, and transportation for charter school students is also in jeopardy. Reducing the number of work days for employees and school board members salaries by 4.25 percent are also on the table as per the Clayton News-Daily.

CCPS expects to be out of debt by June 2012. Yet despite behind the scenes drama, some CCPS students are thriving as proven by the three seniors recently named Gates Millennium Scholars. We can only hope whatever cuts are implemented will not be too detrimental for future students.

What do you think of Heatley’s proposed budget cuts? What would you suggest CCPS do to balance the budget while offering …

Continue reading CCPS discusses, could vote on budget tonight »

For those who believe that nothing any one person says or does could possibly make a difference or change things, one Clayton resident proved you wrong last week.

Recently, Lovejoy Mayor Joe Murphy and his lawyers thought they found a loophole in county law which would allow him to cross district lines and run for commissioner in District 4. According to the Clayton News-Daily, Murphy took issue with the Board of Commissioners’ decision to shut down C-Tran, the two-minute limit on public comments at meetings and tending to personal agendas.

One resident filed an election challenge to Murphy’s candidacy by citing case law which proved that candidates could not live in one district and run for office in another. Thanks to that resident’s initiative, Murphy withdrew from the District 4 commission race hours before his hearing on the matter was scheduled to take place last Friday.

The Mayor, who currently resides in District 3, will now have to wait until 2012 to run against Wole …

Continue reading Taking Clayton back, one resident and/or election at a time »

Forest Park residents will beautify their neighborhoods Saturday, May 15 as The Great American Cleanup continues in Clayton county.

Although the city hosted for the past three years straight, the newly formed Forest Park Teen Council takes the reins in 2010. “This project is a result of the concerns expressed by the teen council … where they want to take part in improving their quality of life,” explains Forest Park Mayor Pro-Tem/Councilwoman Sparkle Adams. The council, which consists of 47 teens from various Forest Park schools, are concerned about the environment, recycling, public safety, foreclosed and abandoned homes, gangs and graffiti in their neighborhoods.

The cleanup begins at the Paradise Church of God in Christ (Gym and Cultural Center, 4295 Hendrix Drive). Help will come from The City of Forest Park, The Forest Park Ministers Association, AT&T Pioneers, Forest Park Kiwanis, Keep Clayton County Beautiful, Forest Park Public Works Department and The Decorum …

Continue reading Cleanup continues in Forest Park »

A few familiar faces qualified for various political offices last week. You’d think most would be embarrassed to EVER ask us to trust them again after one was removed by Executive Order of the Governor and others voted out by Clayton residents, but guess not.

A plus is that candidates who usually run unopposed, such as District 77’s State Rep. Darryl Jordan (versus James Brown) and District 74’s Roberta Abdul-Salaam (versus Oritha “Rick” Scoggins and Emory Wilkerson) got some competition this time around, giving their constituents options.

But despite being removed (along with three others) by Governor Sonny Perdue in order to move Clayton County Public Schools (and the community as a whole) forward during the accreditation debacle, former school board member Sandra Scott is back (versus Carlotta Harrell and Thomas Pough) and running for State Rep. District 76.  Thanks to those final four board members’ refusal to resign, ethics legislation is close to being passed …

Continue reading They’re baaaccckkkk! »