Author: On Common Ground News

The Toney Valley community in South DeKalb County recently took a big step toward becoming a more closely-knit community on the lookout for one another. Last month, residents unveiled their new Neighborhood Watch sign located at the entrance to their community at the intersection of Candler Road and Toney Drive in Decatur. The new sign kicked off a project that a team of residents developed, thanks to  a $500 Enhanced Neighborhood Watch grant Toney Valley received from the United Way of Atlanta’s Community Building Institute (CBI). The team submitted plans for a project that included creating, purchasing and installing Neighborhood…

          A host of volunteers, dignitaries and community partners joined New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s back-to-school outreach event where 5,000 students received free new shoes on Aug. 3. The line wrapped around the building at the church’s campus in the City of Stonecrest. In July, New Birth’s Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant issued a call to his congregation to donate 1,000 brand new shoes for students in grades K-12. What started as a goal of 1,000 shoes quickly swelled to more than 5,000 donated items thanks to the generosity of his congregation and various community partners.

The National Coalition of 100 of Black Women (NCBW) Decatur-DeKalb Chapter, Inc. Legacy Program is recruiting girls who are in the 9th grade for its  leadership and mentorship program. Young ladies who are interested are invited to attend an open house and enrollment on ‪Wednesday, Aug. 21, 6 to 8 p.m., at the County Line Ellenwood Library, 4331 River Road, Ellenwood. The program offers college readiness, personal development, health and education, community service, financial literacy, cultural awareness and scholarships.

The DeKalb Branch of the NAACP is kicking off its ACT-SO competition on Aug. 31, 10 a.m. to noon, at Redan High School, 5247 Redan Road, Stone Mountain. The Academic Cultural Technological Science Olympics showcases students who will compete for a chance to be in the national contest for medals and scholarships. Students are invited to compete in up to three categories including  STEM, Performing Arts, Humanities, Visual Arts and Business. There is no fee to enter the competition.  For more information, call the DeKalb NAACP at 404-241-8006.

Would you like information on public safety, education, economic development, housing, and code enforcement? The South DeKalb Improvement Association (SDIA) will host a community meeting to provide updates and share resources on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Sugar Creek Golf Course, 2706 Bouldercrest Road, Atlanta.

The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will host its second annual Doggie Splash Paw-looza on Sept. 7, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Midway Park Pool, 3181 Midway Road, Decatur. Dogs are invited to splash into fun as this year’s pool season ends. Admission is $5 per dog to swim and all proceeds will fund enhancements for the Brookside and Mason Mill dog parks. Owners must arrive with their dogs on a leash and provide proof of current vaccinations and rabies tag. Female dogs in heat and puppies less than six months old will not be…

The Rockdale Rockers senior group will hold its next meeting on Thursday, Aug. 15, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Piedmont Rockdale Hospital in the Building A Classrooms, 1412 Milstead Ave., Conyers. The Rockdale Rockers is a social club for those aged 55 and older and is geared toward helping seniors live a stronger, longer, healthier life. All meetings include a buffet lunch, a guest speaker, and games. Memberships are now available and priced as follows: Single memberships are $15 per year and couple memberships are $25 per year. The cost for non-members is $5. The speaker for…

There are many opportunities for connection, empowerment and education in the next few weeks. On Common Ground’s Faith and Spirit Community Calendar features a diverse assortment of faith-based and other community events. To see what is going on in your community, visit churchesnow.org. Feeding A Crowd The Sankofa Community Food Pantry hosted a crowd during its drive-through food giveaway in July. Cars snaked around the build at the Faith Plaza, located at 1240 Sigman Road N.W., Conyers. Recipients received boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as dry goods, meats, canned goods and milk. Sankofa hosts the drive –through food…

By Rockdale Probate Judge Clarence Cuthpert, Jr. It is very important that you keep your original Last Will and Testament (“Will”) in a safe place to protect it from loss, damage, destruction, or theft. Georgia law presumes that, if the original Will cannot be located following death, it was destroyed by you with the intent to revoke it. While it may be possible to overcome this presumption, the process of proving it was not your intent to revoke the Will can be difficult, time consuming and costly. A fireproof cabinet or safe in your home is one…

Cities in DeKalb County will kick off the qualifying period the week of Aug. 19 for candidates seeking public office in this year’s municipal elections. Voters will elect leaders in 12 cities: Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain, Stonecrest and Tucker. Seven mayoral seats and at least 28 council seats will be up for grabs in the general election, which will be held on Nov. 5. The number of seats available might change, however, if an incumbent vacates his or her seat to seek a different office or decides not to run for…