SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Douglasville

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Small Business Administration announced yesterday that it will open a Business Recovery Center to help businesses impacted by the severe storms and flooding in Georgia that began on September 18, 2009. The Center opens at the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce on Monday, October 5, at 9 a.m.

The disaster declaration covers Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker in the state of Georgia which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.

Small businesses and most private non-profit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Banks, Barrow, Butts, Clayton, Dade, Dawson, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Meriwether, Morgan, Pickens, Polk, Spalding, Troup, Walton and Whitfield in the state of Georgia; the counties of Cherokee, Cleburne, DeKalb and Randolph in the state of Alabama; the county of Oconee in the state of South Carolina; and the county of Hamilton in the state of Tennessee.

Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million for physical losses. For small businesses, and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 4 percent for businesses, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

SBA’s representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center to issue loan applications, answer questions about the disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their applications. The Business Recovery Center will be located in the following community and will open as indicated below:

Douglas County Chamber of Commerce
6658 Church Street
Douglasville, GA 30134

Opens: Monday, October 5 at 9 a.m.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, until further notice

Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT, or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Business loan applications can also be downloaded from the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be returned the Center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. Businesses may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is November 23, 2009. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 24, 2010.

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CAIR Welcomes Georgia AG's Support for Hijab in Courts

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today received a letter from Georgia Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker supporting the principle of religious accommodation in that state's courtrooms.

CAIR recently sent a letter to Baker asking him to bring sanctions against a Douglasville, Ga., judge who has repeatedly barred Muslim women wearing religiously-mandated headscarves, or hijabs, from entering his courtroom.

Last week, a Muslim woman was jailed and then released following a dispute over whether she could enter the judge's courtroom while wearing her hijab. The woman's release came after CAIR intervened in the case.

In the past year, other Muslim women have either been jailed under similar circumstances or barred from that judge's court.

In his letter to CAIR National Legal Counsel Nadhira F. Al-Khalili, Attorney General Baker wrote in part:

"[Courtroom policies] must be designed in such a way so as not to unnecessarily or inappropriately infringe on individuals' rights to observe their religious practices, including the wearing of religious garments...[I]t is difficult to imagine a security concern that could not be addressed in a way that would also accommodate an individual's religious practices related to dress. Religious freedom is a cornerstone of this nation's constitution and should be vigorously protected."

Baker sent a copy of his letter to the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission to alert them to the issue "for whatever action they deem appropriate." He also said he would participate in any effort by the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia to develop uniform standards on religious accommodation in Georgia courtrooms. The chief justice also received a copy of Baker's letter.

"We thank Attorney General Baker for his support of religious freedom and will work with state officials to ensure that all Georgians have unfettered access to that state's legal system," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.

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CAIR Seeks Sanctions Against Anti-Hijab Judge in Georgia

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on Georgia Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker to bring sanctions against a judge in that state who has repeatedly barred Muslim women wearing religiously-mandated headscarves, or hijabs, from entering his courtroom.

Yesterday, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported that a Muslim woman was jailed and then released following a dispute over whether she could enter the judge's courtroom in Douglasville, Ga., while wearing her hijab. In the past year, other Muslim women have either been jailed under similar circumstances or barred from that judge's court.

Today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported: "Lisa Valentine, also known by her Islamic name, Miedah, 40, was arrested at the Douglasville

Municipal Court for violating a court policy of no headgear, said Chris Womack, deputy chief of operations for the Douglasville police.

"Judge Keith Rollins ordered her held in jail for 10 days, but she was released Tuesday evening. The reason for the early release wasn't immediately clear...

"Other Muslim women said the same judge has ordered them to remove their hijabs.

"Sabreen Abdul Rahman, 55, said she was asked to take off her scarf when she went to the municipal court last week with her son. 'I can't. I'm

Muslim,' she mouthed silently to the bailiff, who then removed her from the courtroom, Rahman said...

"Halimah Abdullah, 43, said she spent 24 hours in jail in November 2007 after Rollins held her in contempt of court for refusing to remove her head covering. Rollins could not be reached for comment."

SEE: Muslim's Scarf Leads to Arrest at Courthouse (Atlanta Journal)
http://tinyurl.com/3qunxd

In a letter sent today to Attorney General Baker, CAIR National Legal Counsel Nadhira F. Al-Khalili wrote in part:

"We assert that Judge Rollins' actions violate the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct...It is also our contention that a courtroom is a 'public facility' under Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and denial of access to the courtroom based on religious beliefs or practices is therefore discriminatory.

"In addition, we believe Judge Rollins' actions are in violation of First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to freedom of religion and equal protection under the law. The United States Supreme Court has held that a state may not infringe upon the free exercise of a citizen's religious observance absent a compelling state interest. We believe that no such compelling interest exists in these cases.

"Judge Rollins' policy of exclusion would prohibit court entry to all Sikh men wearing turbans, all orthodox Jewish men and women wearing yarmulkes or head scarves, all Christian women wearing religious head coverings, and all Muslim men and women who wear skullcaps or scarves...

"I would therefore respectfully request that you take appropriate action to ensure that the legal, religious and civil rights of Georgians of all faiths be maintained. I would also request a formal investigation into this matter, sanctions where appropriate, and an assurance that all those wearing religious attire be allowed in state courtrooms."

A copy of the letter was sent to the Judicial District Professionalism Program of the State Bar of Georgia. CAIR also contacted the U.S.Department of Justice, which now says it is looking into the case.

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National Endowment for the Arts Announces More Than $2,000,000 in Grants for The Big Read

GFP Note: Reading is a wonderful sport at any time, and at any age. For our readers in Georgia, the list of books and libraries who will receive a portion of this grant is listed below the article. Best start reading now!

This September The Big Read is giving even more of the nation's cities and towns something to talk about. Today the National Endowment for the Arts announced that 208 libraries, municipalities, and arts, culture, and science organizations will receive grants totaling $2,810,500 to host Big Read celebrations between September 2008 and June 2009. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. The newest Big Read grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To date, the NEA has given more than 500 grants to support local Big Read projects.

See a complete listing of the grantees.

"Everything the NEA does we do in partnership. I am delighted to announce our 208 new partners in The Big Read. Some are new to the program, some are returning, but all of them have answered the call to action to get our country reading again," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia.

"With this latest round of grants, I am proud to say that The Big Read has supported more than 500 public library partnerships," said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the NEA's lead federal partner for The Big Read. "Through this program, public libraries continue to demonstrate their value in communities as centers of engagement, literacy, and lifelong learning. I am particularly delighted by the innovative public programming born out of library and museum collaborations."

The selected organizations will receive Big Read grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to promote and carry out community-based programs. Participating communities also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement each title. Reader's Guides include features such as author biographies, historical context for the book, and discussion questions. Teacher's Guides adhere to National Council of Teachers of English standards and include lesson plans, essay topics, and reproducible handouts.

The Big Read Audio Guides, which also can be used as radio programming, feature readings from the novel along with commentary from renowned artists, educators, and public figures such as Robert Redford, Colin Powell, and Mary-Louise Parker, and Big Read authors such as Amy Tan and Ray Bradbury. With support from IMLS, the Audio Guides for 14 titles from The Big Read library also will be provided to more than 14,000 public libraries nationwide.
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Georgia Libraries

University of Georgia/UGA Libraries
Athens, GA
Bless Me, Ultima

Atlanta Historical Society for The Center for Southern Literature
Atlanta, GA
The Great Gatsby

Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association
Brunswick, GA
To Kill a Mockingbird

Muscogee County Friends of Libraries
Columbus, GA
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County, Inc.
Douglasville , GA
To Kill a Mockingbird

Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville, GA
A Lesson Before Dying

Savannah State University
Savannah, GA
Fahrenheit 451

Towne Lake Arts Center
Woodstock, GA
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

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