CrossRoadsNews, January 6, 2018 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

KING HOLIDAY

Labor movement to honor King The labor movement will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at its 14th annual MLK Human Rights Prayer Breakfast on Jan. 12. 2

COMMUNITY

Child safety assistance Georgia’s Department of Public Health has awarded $229,670 in grants to counties to help put children in car seats. 3

Let’s Keep DeKalb Peachy Clean Please Don’t Litter Our Streets and Highways

EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER • STONECREST

January 6, 2018

Volume 23, Number 36

www.crossroadsnews.com

Residents can apply for homestead, other exemptions DeKalb taxpayers who owned and resided in a home in DeKalb County on Jan. 1 may apply now through April 2 for a Basic Homestead Exemption and Property Assessment Freeze with the county. The eligible home must be the taxpayers’ primary residence that is used for registering their vehicles and filing their federal and state income taxes. The homestead exemption, which provides a significant tax savings to homeowners, is not automatically granted and residents must apply either in person, by mail or via the internet. Applications received after April 2 will be processed for the 2019 tax year.

Larita Ellis, a tax administrator with the Tax Commissioner’s Office, said there is no way to know how many homeowners are eligible for the homestead exemption but are not taking it. DeKalb has 206,694 residential properties with 70 percent or 144,415 taking homestead exemptions. The 62,279 properties without homestead exemptions include property owners who are unaware of the tax break and have not applied, as well as investment properties that are not eligible. “There is no method to quantify why a residential property owned by an individual who occupies the property doesn’t have a homestead exemption,” Ellis said Jan. 3.

Special exemptions are also available for citizens 62 years of age and older, disabled veterans and their widows or widowers, disabled residents, and for spouses of peace officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. Applicants for special exemptions must apply in person. Applicants for senior or disability exemptions must present copies of the previous year’s federal and state income tax returns, all Social Security Form 1099s, proof of age and/ or proof of 100 percent total and permanent disability. Disabled veterans should also be prepared to provide a letter of adjudication or

other documentation regarding disability or widow(er) status. If disabled, disability must be 100 percent permanent and total. When applying, applicants must bring their state and federal income tax forms, Social Security 1099, and any other forms of income you may receive, to one of the three Tax Commissioner offices across the county. Applications can be made online at www. dekalbtax.org or in person to the Tax Commissioner’s Main Office at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 100 in Decatur; the South Office at 2801 Candler Road in Decatur; or to the North Office at 1358 Dresden Dr. N.E. in Atlanta.

Start of Lithonia Industrial extension irks neighbors No notification as $6.3 million project begins By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The long-planned $6.3 million Phase 3 expansion of Lithonia Industrial Boulevard Extension in Stonecrest got underway Jan. 3 and precipitated a flurry of irate phone calls and emails to Councilwoman Diane Adoma. “People were asking, ‘What’s going on?’ and why didn’t I notify them,” said Adoma, who represents District 5. On a frigid Jan. 4, as three tractors were busy mowing down trees on the wooded property along Woodrow Road next to New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Adoma told reporters that she was surprised that the project broke ground in her district without any notification to her or the community. “As far as I could ascertain, no one in the city of Stonecrest has been notified,” she said. State law requires local municipalities to be notified of local road activity and Adoma said Stonecrest residents deserve notification when a large project that could disrupt traffic and their lives gets underway. “If I had been notified I would have shared the information with my community,” she said. “No one has the right to do anything in the city without notification. That’s called transparency and accountability.” The 1.07-mile project is being built by DeKalb County. It will expand the Lithonia Industrial Boulevard Extension south from its intersection with I-20 to Evans Mill Road and Rock Springs Road. David Pelton, interim transportation director for DeKalb, said Thursday that he didn’t think anyone notified the city of Stonecrest. “We didn’t,” he said. “They probably wasn’t notified. Normally we would, but I don’t think we did. That was an oversight.”

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Stonecrest City Councilwoman Diana Adoma stands in front of the new four-lane expansion of Lithonia Industrial Boulevard Extension at Woodrow Drive on Jan. 4 while three tractors clear the wooded lot of trees. She said the city was not notified of the start of the $6.3 million project.

Pelton said the oversight probably occurred because the city of Stonecrest hasn’t taken over the roads yet. He said the project will take about a year

“We promise to do that,” he said. to complete, and that there will be some lane GDOT approved the Phase 3 expansion closures along the way. He said the county will notify residents when travel will be Please see Phase 3 , page 5 impacted.

King Holiday

CrossRoadsNews

January 6, 2018

“Hosea Williams gave his life to DeKalb. He was a commissioner and he lived his whole life here.”

Warnock to speak Labor movement to honor King at prayer breakfast movement will honor the at Emory School legacyTheoflabor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at its 14th annual MLK Human Rights Prayer of Law program Breakfast on Jan. 12 at the Hyatt Regency The Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, Ph.D., senior pastor of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, will deliver the 2018 Emory University School of Law lecture in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 11. The free lecture starts at 6 p.m., and is open to the public. It takes place in Tull Auditorium, Gambrell Hall, at 1301 Clifton Road in Atlanta. Warnock has been senior pastor of Ebenezer Raphael Warnock since 2005. The church was the spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose 88th birthday the nation will celebrate on Jan. 15. Warnock, the son of two Pentecostal pastors, became the fifth and the youngest person ever called to the senior pastorate of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Under his leadership, more than 4,000 new members have joined Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was founded in 1886. Warnock graduated from Morehouse College cum laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. He also holds a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and he is a lifetime member of the NAACP. Warnock’s lecture will be followed by a reception in Hunter Atrium. Free parking will be available after 4 p.m. in the Lowergate South Parking Deck, 1705 Lowergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322. RSVP at bit.ly/2018mlkday.

Atlanta. During the 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. event, hosted by the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council, celebrates the spirit of civil/ human rights started by King who was in Memphis, Tenn., in April 1968 to support black sanitation employees who were on strike for higher wages and better treatment. The workers had been on strike from March 12, 1968. King arrived in Memphis on March 29. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 while standing on the balcony of Lorraine Hotel, where he was staying. The annual prayer breakfast, which includes speeches by national and local civil/human rights leaders and labor lead-

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, (center) is flanked by Bishop Julian Smith (left) and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy during a March 28, 1968, civil rights march supporting striking garbage workers in Memphis, Tenn. King was assassinated on April 4 at the Lorraine Motel, where he was staying.

ers, honors King for his support of and great For tickets, email anglc@atlantalaborsacrifice for the labor movement. council.org.

Judge to headline DeKalb’s MLK birthday celebration Judge Penny Brown Reynolds will headline DeKalb County’s 34th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on Jan. 12 at the Maloof Auditorium in downtown Decatur. Brown Reynolds, a former prosecutor and state assistant attorPenny B. Reynolds ney general who is the first African-American chief of staff and legal counsel to Georgia’s lieutenant governor, and first AfricanAmerican executive counsel for a Georgia governor, will provide the blueprint for the development of the Beloved Community

in DeKalb County. She is the founder and executive producer of the annual “Judge Penny’s SisterTalk: A Women’s Empowerment Conference.” The theme for the county’s Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration is “Together We Win: A Conversation on Cultural Diversity in DeKalb.” It kicks off at 11:30 a.m., and will also mark the upcoming 50th anniversary of King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said King’s revolutionary message, which envisioned a “Beloved Community” based on justice, equal opportunity, and love of all human beings, is the cornerstone of the 2018 celebration.

“This event will recognize and celebrate DeKalb’s diverse populations, cultures and unique perspectives,” Thurmond said. Sophia Choi, WSB-TV anchor and reporter, will moderate a panel of community leaders who will discuss the importance of leveraging the talents and skills of DeKalb’s culturally diverse citizenry. Robert and Barbara Blazer, owners of Your DeKalb Farmer’s Market, will be honored with the inaugural Nathaniel Mosby Humanitarian Award for embracing the county’s unique cultural differences and growing the market into a global icon. The Maloof Auditorium is at 1300 Commerce Drive. For more information, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov.

CrossRoadsNews

January 6, 2018

Community

“Buckling up our children is the best way to save lives and reduce injuries.”

State awards $229,670 in mini-grants for car and booster seats

The Georgia Department of Public Health’s Injury Prevention Program has awarded $229,670 in grants to counties to help put children in car seats. DeKalb County is among the 2018 recipients of Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grants, announced Dec. 29. The state says the grants help county health departments and their community partners reduce the number of injuries and deaths among children in Georgia. The 2018 grants will be used to support the purchase of car seats to be distributed in more than 115 Georgia counties. Funding is provided by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. Since 2007, more than 344 Georgia children involved in crashes have saved because of car seats or booster seats provided through the mini grant program. Education about car seat safety and proper installation has also helped protect young lives. J. Patrick O’Neal, Georgia Department of Public Health commissioner, said motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children and that it’s up to all of us to do everything we can to protect our children on the road. “Buckling up our children is the best way to save lives and reduce injuries,” O’Neal said. Throughout Georgia, DPH and county

More than 344 Georgia children involved in crashes have saved because of car seats or booster seats provided through the mini grant program.

health departments work with community car seat inspections and provide car seats For more information about the child partners to educate parents and caregivers on and booster seats to financially eligible Occupant Safety Project, email injury@dph. how to properly install and use car seats, offer families. ga.gov or call the office at 404-463-1487.

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UBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE ROM CROSSROADSNEWS

A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE FROM CROSSROADSNEWS

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Forum 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Staff Writers Jennifer Ffrench Parker Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams Front Office Manager Catherine Guy

CrossRoadsNews is published every Saturday by CrossRoadsNews, 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 concept, design and content of CrossRoadsNews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. Advertisements are published upon the representation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject matter of such advertisements, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

CrossRoadsNews

January 6, 2018

Sanitary sewage spills, the vast majority of which are due to FOG, are at an all-time high.

New year, old threat: Plan of action desperately needed By Dr. Jacqueline Echols

I attended the Consent Decree Community Update that DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond held on Dec. 19, 2017, to brief the public on the status of the county’s $1.345 billion consent decree. The CEO was quite believable when he commented on the importance of addressing the county’s sanitary sewage spill problem from an environmental, public health, and economic development standpoint. He was even believable when he affirmed his commitment to fix the problem. The troubling part is that he provided virtually nothing in the way of a concrete plan to reduce sewage spills that are at an all time high. While it is true, as the CEO stated, that he has only been in office 12 months, in this same period of time, millions and millions of gallons of raw sewage have polluted the county’s streams and the South River. DeKalb County has a sewer system capacity problem. The newly revised hydraulic model that

“Without a plan that outlines a clear way forward, DeKalb County’s out-of-control sanitary sewage spills will remain an old problem in a new year that will just keep getting bigger.” Jacqueline Echols

was touted at this meeting is designed to allow more business hook-ups to a sewage transport system that has virtually no capacity to handle the additional sewage. A new FOG (fats, oil and grease) ordinance offers the best tangible hope for reducing sanitary sewage spills, yet the CEO provided no new information or strategies for working with the Board of Commissioners to pass this much-needed legislation. Work on FOG legislation has been stalled since early last year. This new ordinance must contain a provision that holds multifamily apartment complex owners responsible and

accountable for ensuring that their tenants correctly dispose of FOG. Sanitary sewage spills, the vast majority of which are due to FOG, are at an all-time high and are very serious threats to the environment and public health. Again this year, at the top of SRWA’s wish list for 2018 is for the DeKalb County Commission to pass a much needed new ordinance that more effectively regulates fats, oils, and grease. The blame game gets us nowhere. It seems that the county’s current plan is limited to cleaning the county’s 2,650 miles of sewer pipe, which will take many decades, if it happens at all. Only about 10 percent has been completed in the last eight-and-a-half years. I could go on and on about why this meeting was so troubling despite the CEO’s best efforts. Suffice it to say that the way out of this debacle requires a real plan that matches the CEO’s commitment. Without a plan that outlines a clear way forward, DeKalb County’s out-of-control sanitary sewage spills will remain an old problem in a new year that will just keep getting bigger. Dr. Jacqueline Echols is president of the South River Watershed Alliance.

National parks are our last vestiges of a pure environment By Audrey Peterman

Watching the New Year’s Eve celebration on CNN, I saw hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Times Square in freezing temperatures for as much as 16 hours to watch the ball drop at midnight. Large crowds in Atlanta, Nashville and Key West, Fla., awaited the dropping of a peach, a musical note and a shoe respectively. Resisting the lure of the anchor drop a few blocks away in Fort Lauderdale, my husband Frank and I stayed cozily in bed with a cocktail and gave thanks for the privilege of seeing a new year. Then I had this mind boggling thought: In the 16 hours that people braved significant discomfort and waited with great anticipation for a ball to fall from a great height, a few other balls had also been in motion. The Earth ball had turned itself twothirds of the way on its axis in its 24-hour rotation showing different hemispheres to the sun; simultaneously it had moved more than half of one degree on its 365-day journey to complete one revolution around the sun. Seven other “balls” or planets in our solar system had also kept turning in their perfect orbit, never crashing into each other. “What does that have to do with the price of eggs?” my husband asked, laughing when I told him. “Well, we spend so much time distracted by our human creations and our need for ‘entertainment,’ that we ignore the really big things that are going on around us,” I retorted. “If we contemplated things on the macrocosmic level instead of the microcosmic, maybe we would see that we’re all part of the same thing, that we have more in common than we have differences. We’d know we’re equally vulnerable to the effects of climate change, to a disease that can reach from one

“Well, we spend so much time distracted by our human creations and our need for ‘entertainment,’ that we ignore the really big things that are going on around us. If we contemplated things on the macrocosmic level instead of the microcosmic, maybe we would see that we’re all part of the same thing, that we have more in common than we have differences.” Audrey Peterman

end of the world to another in one day. Maybe it’d change our approach to life.” Frank rolled his eyes but I know he appreciates where I’m coming from. If there is a middle ground between the loftiness of cosmos and the minutiae with which many of us fill our daily lives, it can and should be experienced in our National Park System. Our national parks contain the most authentic examples of creation/evolution remaining on our planet. Once you’ve stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon National Park and heard the Park Ranger point out that where you are standing is the youngest layer at approximately 250 million years old, your focus shifts from the transitory to the eternal. I’ve stood in many of our national parks that are World Heritage Sites, meaning that they are part of the heritage of the entire human race. In Everglades National Park, I was struck almost dumb by the sign explaining why it is an International Biosphere Reserve, as it provides “a standard against which the impact of man can be measured….” Why do we need a park system that cannot be affected by the transitory priorities of politics and human hubris? Consider that a little over 500 years ago when Europeans first arrived in this part of North America, gold flowed out of the hills and you could drink

from every stream. Contrast that with where we are today where the detritus from our progress is visible all around us, where we accept garbage and filth as a regular part of daily life and buy bottled water from stores. One of our worst side effects is on the health of people, particular Americans of color or the poor. While a percentage of us – me included – enjoy the benefits of our “progress,” it must be obvious to all that we cannot continue indefinitely on this course. Mother Nature is forgiving but our resources are not infinite, and certainly not at the rate we are consuming them. Our national parks are the last remaining places that generations of Americans have saved in their purity and perfection, to remind us who we are, from whence we came, and to provide us with the resources that we need to live – clean air, clean water, functional ecosystems. So when the current administration tries to treat them as just so many acres waiting to be exploited, it is a very big deal. It requires each one of us to rise to that challenge of determining what’s going to happen to our homeland, our nation, our planet. On this first work day of the New Year, I invest my time and talent in celebrating these unique treasures that are our birthright. I invite you to join me in upholding the sanctity of those sacred spaces between heaven and Earth that help us keep our aspirations high and our focus on the eternal. Audrey Peterman is an advocate for our national parks and public land, which she loves dearly.

Kudos, CrossRoadsNews: A free press will save us when all else fails By Ed Williams

Circulation Audited By

I read your newspaper every week. I appreciate the time and effort it takes to publish a community newspaper. I have noticed that the newspaper has included more writers. Keep up the good work. The article Lyle Harris wrote on Publix and Kroger stores in the Nov. 25, 2017, issue was good. I hate that some of our elected leaders are a day late and a dollar short.

It’s telling that the SDIA organization apparently did not even know about the closure while the NAACP and other community group are standing by helplessly. Our stores and banks are closing in our neigh- Ed Williams borhoods, schools are failing and crime is going up, while dollar

stores are proliferating everywhere. I liked Curtis Parker’s perspective in terms of MARTA expansion projects in the Nov. 25, 2017, Forum section. I liked the comparison in costs, different ideas and the visual pictures. The full page was worth every word of truth. A free press will save our community when all else fails. Even when our elected officials cannot see the light. Ed Williams is chairman of the Concerned Citizens for Effective Government.

January 6, 2018

Community

CrossRoadsNews

Phase 3 extension to service commuters south of I-20

Lithonia,

from page

on Aug. 28, 2006, as one segment of a series of projects to provide a north-south connector road linking Rockdale, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. The new four-lane road comes four years after GDOT and DeKalb officials held a ribbon-cutting on the $26.4 million extension from Rogers Lake Road to Rock Chapel Road on May 8, 2013. The first phase, from South Stone Mountain-Lithonia Road to Rogers Lake Road, opened in 2010. In the Phase 3 concept report when it was approved, Genetha Rice-Singleton, GDOT’s assistant director of preconstruction, said the project’s three phases will provide improved access, circulation and capacity for residents and businesses to the north and south of I-20. When it was designed, the Phase 3 expansion was to provide a direct route to I-20 for commuters traveling to or from Evans Mill and Browns Mill roads, and it was expected to more than half the number of vehicles per day on Evans Mill Road to 2,000 from 4,530 by 2010, when it was originally supposed to be built. Faye Cofield, a 22-year resident of nearby Chaparral subdivision, said the road is headed through solidly residential communities and questioned the need for it. “We don’t have that much traffic,” she

said. “They don’t need to come through here with this mess.” Cofield said she can’t recall ever hearing of or attending a community meeting about the project. She said the clearing of the wooded area is destroying the community. “We have deers in there,” she said. “We have birds. We want a neighborhood. Why are they widening roads? If you go to the north side of the county they do everything to preserve their green space but here we take out trees. It makes no sense.” Reached Thursday afternoon about the lack of notification to constituents, Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, who represents the city of Stonecrest on the DeKalb Board of Commissioners, said she was unaware of the start of the project until a reporter called her. “It was just brought to my attention at 12 p.m. today,” she said. “I can’t comment until I have had a chance to look back on the information.” Scott Lee, pre-construction engineer for GDOT’s District 7, which includes DeKalb County, said the project is a DeKalb County project because Lithonia Industrial Boulevard is a county road. The project, which received $6,322,637 in federal funding, went to bid Nov. 21, 2016, and the DeKalb Board of Commissioners awarded the $6,080,104 contract to E.R. Snell on April 25, 2017.

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Youth

CrossRoadsNews

January 6, 2018

Chapel Hill students have also competed in science olympiads, and in robotics and aquaponics competitions.

South DeKalb Rotary Club supporting Chapel Hill Elementary

South DeKalb STEM-certified Chapel Hill Elementary Rotary Club School’s partnership with the Rotary Club of President and South DeKalb has resulted in a donation of Chapel Hill hundreds of books for the school. Elementary The Rotary Club, which became a ChaPrincipal pel Hill partner in 2017, donated 1,500 Lawanzer Smith books for the school’s library in October hold one of the and participated in the school’s STEM Day 1,500 books in November. It also supported the school’s donated to the Triple A Gents club of third- to fifth-grade school’s library. boys, who donated more than 100 turkeys to families for Thanksgiving. The Decatur-based elementary school, which has been an AdvancedED STEM STEM (science, technology, engineering and curriculum, which caught the attention of Certified School since 2015, has infused mathematics) learning throughout its entire the Rotary Club. It is one of three AdvancedED STEM Certified Schools in DeKalb County School District. The others are Wadsworth and McNair Elementary. Lawanzer Smith, the school’s principal of they are specifically targeting at-risk male Parents who need help five years, says they are “ ‘Stem-ulating’ future students. and support to keep their engineering careers.” “Parents will receive training on bekids in school should not She said the STEM certification, which coming better partners with the school miss the Jan. 13 “Transsystem and tools for student success,” he forming Today’s Youth” said. Symposium at the Porter Shuttles will pick up kids at 9 a.m. Sanford Performing Arts from Martin Luther King, Cedar Grove, Center in Decatur. Applications for DCSD’s 2018-2019 Southwest DeKalb, McNair and Columbia The 10 a.m. to 1:30 K.D. Johnson school year is available for elementary, high schools. p.m. event, hosted by middle and high schools. There will be live performances, reDeKalb Police’s South Precinct in conjuncTo apply, students must have their tion with other organizations and com- freshments, vendors and celebrity guests. student ID number and a parent’s email Space is limited. RSVP by Jan. 8 at munity partners, is providing motivation, address. resources and wrap-around services to third- eventbrite/transforming today’s youth. New and private- or home-schooled The Porter Sanford Center is at 3181 to 12th-grade students and their parents. students need a parent’s email, proof of South Precinct Maj. K.D. Johnson said Rainbow Drive. residence, a birth certificate, a 2016 fall semester report card, and a DCSD-issued affidavit of residence.

Youth symposium to help kids, parents

included providing STEM training for all of the school’s 44 teachers, has created a school-wide stimulating education environment for Chapel Hill’s 667 students in pre-k to fifth grade. The school has also partnered with GPTC and Mercer University and the Tuskegee Airmen who bring resources and personnel to the interact with the students. Smith says the STEM emphasis is helping students hone their problem-solving skills. Chapel Hill students have also competed in science olympiads, and in robotics and aquaponics competitions. So far they have made it to the super regional competitions, and are now aiming for state competitions. Ceasar Gaiters, the South DeKalb Rotary Club’s president, said the club has been impressed with the school’s academic and community service pursuits. “It’s rare to see kids so young involved in STEM education and robotics and being so community minded,” Gaiters said.

School Choice enrollment underway

McNair students collecting shoes Parents, family members, friends and community supporters can still drop off gently worn, used, and new shoes for McNair High School’s Travel Club and High Achievers shoe collection drive. The students will donate the shoes to micro-enterprise – a business operated by one person, one family, or a group of friends – vendors in developing countries who often go without footwear. Through Jan. 6, shoes can be dropped from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at these nine locations: n McNair High School, 1804 Bouldercrest Road. n McNair Middle School, 2190 Wallingford Drive. n McNair Discovery Learning Center, 2162 Second Ave. n Barack Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology, 3132 Clifton Church Road S.E.

n Flat Shoals Elementary, 3226 Flat Shoals Road. n Kelley Lake Elementary, 2590 Kelly Lake Road. n Atlanta Sports Complex, 2581 Gresham Road. n Dance 411, 475 Moreland Drive. n Shane’s Rib Shack, 1221 Caroline St. Through December, the students had collected more than 2,225 pairs of shoes and had already completed one shipment. McNair’s Travel Club offers students opportunities and educational experiences around the world through field trips, impact projects, competitions, and excursions. High Achievers connects students with conventions, summits and academic competitions to foster leadership skills, personal growth, and community service.

Students applying for magnet programs must have the latest MAP test scores. Students can also apply at www.dekalbschoolsga.org/school-choice where they will find a complete list of School Choice programs and a schedule of school tours available throughout January and February. For questions and support, make an appointment at the Parent Support Center at 2562 Lawrenceville Highway in Decatur by calling 678-676-0050 or 678-676-0035.

Deltas taking scholarship applications By Rosie Manins

Graduating seniors from DeKalb County can apply for college scholarships offered by the Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. through Feb. 9. The chapter will award thousands of dollars in scholarships to top seniors graduating from public and private high schools within its service area. In 2017, the top three recipients received $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500 respectively, and in previous years, scholarships have ranged from $500 to $5,000. Smaller book stipends are also allocated to students ranking fourth place and below. Students from Cedar Grove, Chamblee Charter, Charles R. Drew Charter, Clarkston, Columbia, Cross Keys, Decatur, DeKalb Early College Academy, DeKalb High School of Technology South, DeKalb School of the Arts, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Lakeside, McNair, Southwest DeKalb, Towers, Tucker, Warren Technical high schools, and private schools within the group’s service area are

eligible to apply. Scholarship applications are available at www.dstdac.org. Applicants can also attend an optional interview preparation session on Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. in the Community Achievement Center, 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. Applicants must write a 500-word essay on whether African Americans with financial wealth should use their platform to influence social justice in society, or discuss the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. Scholarship winners will be selected based on scholastic achievement, extracurricular school activities, community service, and church involvement. They must also provide documentation of college registration and must enter school before Dec. 31 of the scholarship award year. Scholarship funds are released once recipients provide a class schedule from their college or university. For more information, visit www.dstdac. org, or Adrienne Wright Jackson at info@ dstdac.org or 404-791-3531.

CrossRoadsNews

January 6, 2018

Youth

“The totes 2 tots program gives foster children the ability to transport their belongings with a sense of dignity.”

Totes 2 tots collecting bags and suitcases for foster children

DeKalb residents can donate backpacks and suitcases for foster children on Jan. 12 at Georgia Cancer Specialists locations in DeKalb County and across the state. The 16th annual totes 2 tots drive, cohosted by Georgia Cancer Specialists and Northside Hospital, collects new backpacks, duffel bags and suitcases for the more than 13,000 infants to teenagers in foster care statewide. The Jan. 12 drive takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Supporters can drop bags at 27 GCS locations across the state. Totes 2 tots, which launched in 2003, was originally held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a way to honor the late civil rights icon’s vision of philanthropy and giving back to the community. It is now held the preceding Thursday-Saturday to kick off a weekend of service in King’s honor. Quoting Dr. King, Dr. Cheryl Jones, GCS vice president and chief medical officer, said “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” “That is why the [GCS] physicians and staff take pride in celebrating his memory by participating in totes 2 tots for the 16th consecutive year,” she said. Totes 2 tots organizers say that many foster children shuffle their belongings in garbage bags when they are removed from their homes and its goal is to provide every

The annual totes 2 tots campaign collects new backpacks, duffel bags and suitcases for the more than 13,000 infants to teenagers in foster care in Georgia.

foster child in Georgia with a new or nearly new backpack, duffel bag or suitcase. Since inception, totes 2 totes has collected 55,000 bags for foster children. GCS and Northside Hospital partner with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services to distribute the bags in the counties where they are collected. The annual pro-

gram is also supported by WSB-TV Family 2 Family and Courier Express. Virginia Pryor, DFCS interim director, says totes 2 tots helps to bring a measure of comfort and respect to Georgia’s foster children. “The totes 2 tots program gives foster children the ability to transport their be-

longings with a sense of dignity,” Pryor said. “By providing backpacks and luggage, the program offers a sense of stability during a time of uncertainty.” For more information and a list of dropoff locations, visit gacancer.com/offices. To donate, visit give.northside.com/ totes2tots.

of Dec. 14, 2017. Witness the Honorable J.P. Boulee, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 18th day of Dec., 2017 12/23, 12/30, 01/06, 01/13

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court

Legal Notices 12/23, 12/30, 01/06, 1/13

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name of ADULT in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM12320 Jonia Bromell filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Dec. 06, 2017 to change the name from: Jonia Bromell to Jenia Lalindus Cater. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: November 29, 2017 12/23, 12/30, 01/06, 01/13

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM11933-6 Sherry Kiel PLAINTIFF VS Roger A. Kiel DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Roger A. Kiel 1010 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94107 By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Dec. 8th, 2017; you are hereby notified that on

of DeKalb County State of Georgia

the 20th day of Nov., 2017, Sherry Kiel – Pro Se filed suit against you for Willful Desertion.. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the plaintiff’s Sherry Kiel – Pro Se an Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of of the first date of publication. Witness the Honorable J.P. Boulee, Judge of this Superior Court. This the 8th day of Dec., 2017 12/23, 12/30, 01/06, 01/13

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM11293-6

Angela Greaves PLAINTIFF VS Rodney Greaves DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Rodney Greaves 1443 Janmar Drive Decatur, GA 30032 By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Dec. 14, 2017. You are hereby notified that Oct. 16, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Angela Greaves, 1443 Janmar Drive, Decatur, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days

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Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10913-6 Quovadas Foster PLAINTIFF VS Javana Baker DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Javana Baker 82 Treeview Lane Decatur, GA 30058 By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Dec. 4, 2017. You are hereby notified that Oct. 17, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Quovadas Foster, 35 Oakbrook Ct., Covington, GA 30016. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Dec. 4, 2017. Witness the Honorable J.P. Boulee,

Public Notice

Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 13th day of Dec., 2017 01/06, 01/13, 01/20, 01/27

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10913-6 Brandy Christina Chavis PLAINTIFF VS Lawrence Charles Chavis, Jr. DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Lawrence Charles Chavis, Jr. 7750 Pipers Ln., #103 San Antonio, TX 78251 By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Dec. 27, 2017. You are hereby notified that Dec. 18, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Brandy Chavis, 3234 Bunny Lane, Decatur, GA 30034. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Dec. 4, 2017. Witness the Honorable Daniel M. Coursey, Jr., Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 27th day of Dec., 2017

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CrossRoadsNews

January 6, 2018