CrossRoadsNews, June 2, 2018 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

SCENE

WELLNESS

One for the record books

Fresh produce on Candler

Carnival’s debut in Stonecrest shattered projections, with a crowd estimated at about 40,000 people. 6

The Fresh on DeK Mobile Market will offer fruits and vegetables on Tuesdays in June at the Scott Candler Library in Decatur. 7

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

June 2, 2018

Volume 24, Number 5

www.crossroadsnews.com

Maintenance of neglected roads on CEO’s radar By Rosie Manins

Up to 30 DeKalb roads are not being maintained at all by county government, and almost 100 more are only serviced once every three months, but CEO Michael Thurmond has secured an extra $75,000 from the Board of Commissioners to fix the situation. While requesting the funding from the commissioners on May 15, Thurmond apologized to residents who’ve been complaining about the lack of road maintenance, and promised to do better. “We weren’t doing what we were obligated to do,” he said. “This is something that’s gone on for several years. Disappointing.”

county’s failings in mowing and maintaining its rights of way. The $75,000 will be used to pay Atlantabased Flex Landscaping for landscaping maintenance. Before the commissioners voted for funding, District 6 Commissioner Kathie Gannon said she and other members of the county’s Planning, Economic Development, and Community Services (PECS) Committee had been asking staff from different departMichael Thurmond, DeKalb CEO Rosie Manins/CrossRoadsNews ments for months to provide maintenance schedules for county facilities and parks, to Snapfinger Road in Decatur is one of 125 roads in DeKalb County that over the last five years To get the funds to expand mowing op- no avail. have only received quarterly mowing and erations, which the BOC approved on May landscaping maintenance by the county, or Please see NEGLECT, page 2 22, Thurmond revealed the extent of the

“We’re going to do a much better job of coordinating this work and having the resources to do the work and the oversight to make sure the work is being done properly.”

none at all.

Gun crimes’ harsh toll in South DeKalb At least 28 have died in shootings thus far this year

By Rosie Manins

In the average week since the start of 2018, nearly two people have been killed or wounded by gunfire in DeKalb County, leaving behind broken families and untold grief. In the 22 weeks between Jan. 1 and May 29, more than 40 shootings have occurred in DeKalb, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 people. Among the deceased are two children, five teenagers and a woman. Heartbroken mother, Trisha Mitchell, who lost her 6-year-old son, Z’Mari Mitchell, says she can never return to their house, where “my baby’s blood is on the floor.” Most of the shootings have taken place in South DeKalb. Among the dead: n Three-year-old T’Rhigi Diggs, killed with a single bullet while in his car seat in his mother’s rented car. n Six-year-old Z’Mari Mitchell, shot in the head while playing in his Decatur living room. n Sharika Bowman, a 35-year-old mother of five, killed by her estranged boyfriend in her driveway as she was about to take her eldest son to school. n Rogelio Hackett, a 57-year-old nightclub owner shot dead outside his business. n Jason Williams, a 24-year-old Georgia State University student, killed at a gas station. n Nicc Bankston, a 24-year-old father shot dead on his way home with his pregnant fiancé and their 1-year-old daughter. n Trevon Richardson, 18, Cedar Grove Class of 2018 graduate shot dead May 28 in the parking lot of The Life at Peppertree Circle apartment complex in Decatur. Since the start of the year, the DeKalb Police Department has arrested and charged at least 18 people with murder in connection with the fatal shootings. The accused includes

T’Rhigi Diggs

Z’Mari Mitchell

Sharika Bowman

Rogelio Hackett

Jason Williams

Nicc Bankston

seven male teens and three women. Among them, 17-year-old Meshon Williams, arrested May 10 in connection with Z’Mari’s death; 15-year-old Christopher Cullins, arrested for shooting T’Rhigi; 18year-old Redan High School student Dean Dunkley, arrested for shooting and killing Nicholas Glasco, also 18; Cynthia Jones, 55, charged with killing her 68-year-old husband, Kenneth Jones, at their Lithonia home; 27-year-old Lagina Kimble charged with shooting her boyfriend Corinth Covington at his home near North DeKalb Mall; Caristie Montgomery of Stone Mountain, charged with shooting dead a 27-year-old man outside a Tucker apartment; and 18-year-old Detavion McDay of Jonesboro, charged May 31 with murder in Richardson’s death.

Conroy says that while homicides are up slightly in DeKalb so far this year, there have been fewer shootings in the county compared to the same period last year. “But one shooting is too many, that’s the problem,” Conroy said May 17. “We’ve had two innocent children killed in shooting incidents that were just totally senseless.” Z’Mari died in the hospital on May 9, four days after he was shot in the head while playing in the living room of his home on Sweetgum Lane in Decatur. Police say Williams sprayed the house with 31 bullets after he and several others went there to fight Z’Mari’s sister over a social media post. Williams was taken into custody after a short pursuit on I-20 near Candler Road. T’Rhigi was asleep in his car seat on April 1 when a single bullet killed him while his ‘One shooting is too many’ mother drove near Bouldercrest and EastBut contrary to how prevalent the gun land. Police arrested and charged Cullins, violence appears, DeKalb Police Chief James a Sylvan Hills Middle School student, for

shooting T’Rhigi while aiming for a vehicle from which passengers allegedly shot at him with paintball guns. T’Rhigi’s mother, 26-year-old Rashonda Craig, said she felt “lost” with the death of her only child, just two days after his third birthday. Dunkley allegedly killed Glasco, his best friend and fellow Redan High student, on April 14 at Dunkley’s home on Old Friar Tuck Road in Stone Mountain. DeKalb Police South Precinct commander Maj. K. D. Johnson says guns don’t solve problems. “That’s the message that we constantly try to push out to the community,” he said May 17. The South Precinct, which is active on social media, regularly posts public service announcements asking gun owners to Please see GUNS, page 4

Community

CrossRoadsNews

June 2, 2018

The Clarkston Streetscape Water Main Relocation Project is part of DeKalb County’s $1.345 billion capital improvement program.

Clarkston Streetscape work to disrupt night traffic all summer Road closures will delay traffic in Clarkston through the summer during the final phase of construction on the Clarkston Streetscape Water Main Relocation Project. Construction crews will begin the overnight work – between 6 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. – on May 29. All westbound lanes of East Ponce de Leon Avenue between Jolly Avenue and North Indian Creek Drive will be closed to through traffic. In addition, westbound traffic on East Ponce de Leon will be directed onto Church Street at North Indian Creek. Eastbound traffic on East Ponce de Leon will not be affected. The Clarkston Streetscape Water Main Relocation Project is part of DeKalb County’s $1.345 billion capital improvement program and includes the installation of nearly 8,000 feet of new water pipe in the Clarkston area.

The final phase of construction in the Clarkston Streetscape Water Main Relocation Project is expected to delay traffic on East Ponce de Leon and nearby streets through September.

The first phase of construction began in August 2017. The project is aimed at improving water and fire services to Clarkston, as the existing water mains have reached or exceeded their average useful service lives. As part of the project, new ductile iron pipe, water meters, hydrants, backflow pre-

venter devices and service lines to the new mains are being installed along portions of East Ponce de Leon, Market Street, Rowland Street and Norman Road. To date, project contractor Layne Inliner has installed more than 3,000 feet of water pipe and completed service tie-ins on

Norman Road, Rowland Street, and Market Street. The final phase on Ponce de Leon Avenue was delayed until now due to unforeseen permitting issues. The lane closures, detour and night hours over summer will continue until work between Jolly Avenue and Market Street is completed in September. The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management urges motorists to plan for commute delays, observe lane restrictions and pay close attention to caution signs and traffic control personnel during construction hours. Clarkston residents directly impacted by lane closures or restricted driveway access associated with the work will be notified by letter, door hanger or personal visit at least 72 hours in advance. For more information, visit www.dekalbwatershed.com, call 1-800-986-1108 or email projectinfo@dekalbcountyga.gov.

Majority of poorly maintained roads in southern part of the county NEGLECT,

from page

She thanked Thurmond for obtaining the schedule for right-of-way maintenance and asked for more disclosure among staff going forward. “We wanted to see what the maintenance schedule was because there have been a lot of complaints about our parks not getting mowed et cetera,” she said. With the $75,000, the county will improve right of way maintenance countywide as part of Thurmond’s Operation Clean Sweep, initiated last year. The multi-departmental effort to eradicate blight and promote beautification requires outside landscaping services to assist

with mowing, litter collection, trash removal, trimming, blowing, and herbicide services on a six-week cycle. Thurmond revealed to the BOC that 125 DeKalb roads are only scheduled to be mowed quarterly, or four times a year. “We need to apologize to the folk who’ve been complaining,” he said. “I don’t think our response has been what it should have been.” The CEO said most of the roads that are maintained quarterly - which covers a total of 470 miles - are in the southern part of DeKalb. He said that up to 25 percent of those roads have not been maintained at all over the last five years.

“Once a quarter is almost nothing at all in the summer,” Thurmond said. “We need to address this because it’s growing season.” Of the 125 roads on the quarterly maintenance schedule, 98 are in Districts 3, 4 and 5. “I’m looking at this list of roads and a lot of them look really familiar,” said District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw. There are 12 quarterly maintained roads in District 1; 3 in District 2; 2 in Super District 6; and 10 in Super District 7. Going forward, the CEO’s office will be in charge of the road maintenance. “We’re continuing now to research this and to develop a strategy that will ensure that every street and roadway in DeKalb County

that we’ve responsibility for will receive the same level of service and the same quality of service,” Thurmond said. “This is a major priority for me to make sure we create a program and an infrastructure that can do this consistently throughout the county on an ongoing basis.” Thurmond applauded the honesty of staff in revealing departmental negligence, and said it was not intentional – just a matter of the county not being able to achieve all of the scheduled work in-house. “We’re going to do a much better job of coordinating this work and having the resources to do the work and the oversight to make sure the work is being done properly,” Thurmond said.

June 2, 2018

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“It was an honor to look and see the many different people that served in different times.”

Volunteers honor war vets with flags on Memorial Day

By Bryce Ethridge

Working quietly and methodically, retired Sr. Chief Ronnie Cook moved through the hillside of Dawn Memorial Park in Decatur on May 27, checking every gravestone for signs of a veteran. It was the eve of Memorial Day and though it was cloudy, it was still very humid. Beads of sweat dotted his brow as he worked. In Cook’s arms were bundles of U.S. flags from the dollar store. Cook, the senior vice commander for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4706, knew he couldn’t leave without recognizing every veteran in the cemetery. “The military has been very good to me and if I can give something this small back, hey, it’s a pleasure and an honor,” he said. Cook, who retired from the Navy in 2012 after 31 years, was joined by seven other adults and children who volunteered to place flags on the graves of veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Among the volunteers, VFW Post 4706 Auxiliary member Kimberly Lewis, her nieces Alexcia and Alyssa Robinson and nephew Aiden Robinson, Redan High

Photos By Bryce Ethridge / CrossRoadsNews

From left, volunteers Alyssa and Aiden Robinson and VFW Post 4706 Senior Vice Commander Ronnie Cook place flags on the graves of veterans of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the global war on terrorism at Dawn Memorial Park in Decatur on May 27 to honor them on Memorial Day.

School ROTC instructor Roger Davis, and ROTC members Aauset Maa and Jaylen Long. They were among thousands nationwide who remembered veterans who died while serving in the country’s armed services by placing flags at their gravesites. Cook said that remembering vets on Memorial Day is just what the VFW does.

“We do community service and what’s better community service than to help out some of your fellow comrades,” he said. “One day I’ll pass away and I hope that somebody can render the same respect.” The group placed flags on 200 graves of vets who fought in World War 2, Vietnam War and the global war on terrorism, and died between 1922 and 2014.

Cook said it was humbling work. “It was an honor to look and see the many different people that served in different times,” he said. Cook said the flag posting will become an annual event for Post 4706. “This is the first time I’ve done it and I’m sure it won’t be my last,” he said. “As long as I’m there, this is what we’ll do.”

Decatur hosting public hearings into proposed millage rate increase By Rosie Manins

Homeowners can weigh in on the city of Decatur’s proposed .49 mill millage rate increase on June 11 and 18. The Decatur City Commission plans to increase the millage rate to 11.17 mills for the 2018-19 fiscal year, up from the current

10.68 mills. Public hearings take place at Decatur City Hall, at 509 N. McDonough St., on June 11 at 6 p.m. and June 18 at 3:30 p.m. The commission will vote on the new millage rate on June 18 at its 7:30 p.m. meeting. The final mill will determine revenues for general operations, capital improve-

ments and downtown development authority operations. The commission adopted the tentative millage rate at its May 21 meeting but is expected to change it after the 2018 DeKalb County property tax digest, released on May 24, came in 8.9 percent higher than the 2017 tax digest. Decatur officials credit about 36

percent of the digest increase to new property value, not reassessments. “Based on the 2018 tax digest from DeKalb County, it is anticipated that the final 2018 millage rate, which is scheduled to be adopted on June 18, will be reduced from the tentative millage rate of 11.17,” the city said in a May 25 statement.

CrossRoadsNews

Community

June 2, 2018

“We could always use more police officers, but with what we have we’re making great strides.”

Community policing can help reduce violent crime 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Staff Writer Jennifer Ffrench Parker Editorial Interns Rosie Manins Bryce Etheridge Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams 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.

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Since 2003

GUNS,

from page

secure their weapons at all times. It also hosts monthly community meetings to address residents’ concerns. At a January community policing symposium at the Porter Sanford III Performing and Community Center in DecaK. D. Johnson tur, DeKalb police officers and citizens discussed choices and ways to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence or other crimes. “That’s something that we saw we needed to address,” Johnson said. “We’re doing a lot and we’re asking for the community to get involved in what we’re doing. We’ve to have these conversations with our families and individuals and “We do our part and we ask talk about how to deal with conflict and react to it in a positive way and people to help us move in the right direction,” Johnson said. “We’re not use violence.” pretty big on community-oriented Poverty plays a role policing in the South Precinct, so if Police don’t know why so many anyone has any initiatives or if anyof the shootings in DeKalb this year one would like to discuss any issues, have been in the county’s south- please bring it to our attention.” ern neighborhoods, but Johnson Community meetings at the says poverty plays a part in the South Precinct, 2842 H.F. Shepherd violence. Drive in Decatur, are held at 6:30 “When you look at the poverty p.m. on the last Tuesday monthly. and crime rates, there’s some sort The meetings, which began in 2015, of correlation there,” he said. “We typically attract 25 to 60 residents. constantly reach out to those comConroy says most crime trends munities to see how we can assist are cyclical. While DeKalb’s violent them, and I’ve assisted several and property crime rates are down people in getting jobs with a lot of 3 percent from 2017, he said that the different businesses throughout the homicide rate is up slightly. Last South DeKalb.” year, DeKalb had its lowest annual Johnson says police need the number of serious “Part 1” or index community’s help in tackling crimes – murder, rape, robbery, agviolent crime, because officers are gravated assault, burglary, theft and often only involved after a crime arson – in 12 years. has been committed. Conroy says he is proud of the

Fatal shootings in DeKalb since Jan. 1, 2018 Non-fatal shootings since Jan. 1, 2018

county’s homicide team, which typically solves about 87 percent of homicides – far more than the national average of 59 percent. He says DeKalb’s clearance rate for aggravated assaults, including non-fatal shootings, is also betJames Conroy ter than the national average. “We could always use more police officers, but with what we have we’re making great strides,” Conroy said. DeKalb County has earmarked funding for about 850 police officers, but largely because of attrition to higher-paying metro police departments, the DeKalb Police Department only has 700 officers employed at present. Conroy says

the department is running several initiatives to recruit and retain more front-line officers. Many residents have told county leaders that they need to pay police officers more so they can keep the officers they train.

Focus on youth With the summer break from school just started, Conroy says the department is focusing more attention on youth and how to prevent idle teens from turning to crime out of boredom. He says the community can help by providing safe activities and venues for youth. “We want to keep our youth engaged so they don’t resort to crime,” Conroy said. “But in summer that’s always a challenge. We have a lot of single-parent households and we’re going to have a lot of youth with a lot of free time.” South Precinct’s Johnson is reminding residents through social media to ensure guns and any other weapons are securely locked up in houses or vehicles. “Kids are getting their hands on guns at a rate that we’re not happy with,” he said. “Guns in the hand of a 15- or 17-year-old is most definitely a no-no.” At a May 17 meeting with stakeholders, DeKalb Police discussed providing a place for youth to go on Fridays, one of many options to help prevent crimes. Johnson is urging parents and caregivers to keep their children away from weapons and situations with the potential to escalate to violent crime. “Parents are not as involved as we would like them to be,” he said. “They need to know what their kids are into and who their kids are hanging out with. That would assist us a heck of a lot.”

Between Jan. 1 and May 29, there have been at least 40 shootings in DeKalb, including these since April 1: May 28: 18-year-old Trevon Richardson hot dead in the parking lot of The Life at Peppertree Circle apartment complex in Decatur. Police found the body around 9 p.m. May 17: A 27-year-old man was fatally shot multiple times outside an apartment at 1310 Wood Bend Drive in Tucker. Police charged Caristie Montgomery, of Stone Mountain, with murder. May 15: Jason Williams, a 24year-old Georgia State University student, was shot dead about 4:30 p.m. at the Citgo gas station at 2501 Columbia Drive in Decatur. Police arrested and charged 22year-old Decatur resident Roden Meadows with murder on May 22. May 14: Four intruders, with at least one gun, invaded and robbed an apartment on North Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston at 2 p.m. Police arrested 17-year-old Lual Gang Lual of Clarkston and are searching for the other three suspects. May 8: A man was shot dead about 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot of a shopping plaza near the Citgo gas station at the intersection of Covington Highway and Phillips Road. On May 14, police arrested and charged 28-year-old Lithonia resident Sanjay Stewartson with

murder. May 8: A man was shot in the neck at a DeKalb Post Office and walked home to his mother’s nearby Lithonia house before being rushed to Grady Hospital. May 5: Z’Mari Mitchell, 6, was shot around 5:30 p.m. inside his Decatur house at 3539 Sweetgum Lane, following a fight over a social media post involving his sister. Z’Mari died in hospital May 9 and Meshon Williams, 17, was arrested May 10 on a murder charge. May 4: Two men armed with guns carjacked a 2009 BMW at the Sterling Condos on Peachford Road in Dunwoody, before wrecking it at the intersection of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and East Nancy Creek Drive in Brookhaven. May 3: A person was shot in the leg on Emerald North Drive in Decatur about 8 p.m. May 3: A person was taken to the hospital with moderate injuries after a shooting in Kensington Court in Decatur. May 1: Rogelio “Roger” Hackett, 57, was shot dead outside his nightclub The Party Room in the 5400 block of Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain just before 5 a.m. April 29: A man was shot while

fixing a tire on his sister’s car in his Glenhaven Circle driveway in Decatur about 2 p.m. during an armed robbery. April 28: A 19-year-old man was shot dead outside his Paradise East Apartments complex on Bouldercrest Road around 7 p.m. April 27: A man boarded a MARTA bus at the Glenwood and Candler intersection just after 6 a.m. with a gunshot wound on his leg. April 24: Three women tried to rob the PCI Pharmacy at 3500 North Decatur Road at gunpoint about 3:30 p.m. April 20: A 24-year-old woman was shot at while driving on I-20 West, after she cut in front of another driver while merging near the Columbia Drive exit. April 15: A couple leaving a hotel on Church Street in Decatur shortly before 11 a.m. were shot at, prompting them to flee in their car. They were followed and their car was shot and rammed. Police arrested and charged 23-year-old Rickeyon Jenkins, alleging he shot at his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. April 14: Nicholas Glasco, 18, a Redan High School senior, was shot dead – allegedly by his best friend Dean Dunkley – at

Dunkley’s home on Old Friar Tuck Road in Stone Mountain. Dunkley, 18, also a Redan High School senior, is charged with murder. April 14: A woman was robbed at gunpoint while driving on Scott Boulevard about 1:30 a.m. April 11: John Tolbert, a candidate in the May 22 primary elections, was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while campaigning on Wesley Chapel Road near the I-20 West ramp about 6:15 p.m. April 9: A 34-year-old woman was shot and wounded shortly before 11:30 p.m. outside Eddie’s Package Store on Flat Shoals Road. April 6: Furqaan Woods, 30, and Shaine Roberts, 32, were found shot dead inside a room of the Super Inn motel on Wesley Club Drive, off I-20. Police believe the men shot each other. April 1: Three-year-old T’Rhigi Diggs was killed by a bullet while sleeping in the back of his mother’s vehicle while she drove near Bouldercrest and Eastland about 11:30 p.m. Police allege that Christopher Cullins, 15, fired the bullet that killed T’Rhigi while aiming for a vehicle containing passengers with paintball guns who had shot at him. Full list of shootings since Jan. 1 at www.crossroadsnews.com.

June 2, 2018

CrossRoadsNews

Scene

June 2, 2018

“I’m just so happy. There weren’t any break-ins, no fights; it was an incident-free event.”

Caribbean Carnival drew estimated 40,000 people to Stonecrest Mas band members dance with drinks in hand, in an attempt to beat the heat, while making their way along the twomile parade route on Mall Parkway in Stonecrest May 26, when an estimated 40,000 people celebrated the 2018 Atlanta DeKalb Carnival.

Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

Masqueraders in full costume dazzle crowds as they parade along Mall Parkway May 26 for the Atlanta DeKalb Carnival.

By Rosie Manins

When Carnival descended on Stonecrest on May 26, its pulsating afro beat could be heard on I-20. Motorists driving by the 16-month-old city could not escape the sweet sound of pan. Along Mall Parkway, an estimated 40,000 locals and tourists lined the street in celebration of Caribbean culture and the 2018 Atlanta DeKalb Carnival. The excitement was palpable. The historical significance of the event was not lost on 29-year-old Britney Henry, a lifelong resident of the area. “I knew I couldn’t miss this,” she said as she watched 4,000-plus scantily clad masqueraders and musicians extracting the most melodious tunes from steel drums. It was Henry’s first time attending the annual carnival, held annually on the Saturday before Memorial Day. The Atlanta DeKalb Carnival relocated this year to Stonecrest after three years on Covington Highway in Decatur. Henry said she remembers when Stonecrest was nothing but dirt and they were trying to build the mall for years. “We finally got the mall, then we became a city, and now we’ve got a carnival,” she said. “So I’m here to support.” The day was tailor-made for street revelry. Earlier in the week, weather forecasters had predicted a 70 percent chance of rain. Instead, there was 80-degree sunshine, nearly perfect for women decked out in tiny bikini costumes adorned with brightly colored beads, chiffon and feathers. Band members from DeKalb, Haiti, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands, Saint Lucia, Guyana, Brazil, England and Canada,

and throughout the United States paraded with sweat towels and sprayed each other with cool water as they danced in the street behind tractor-trailers and other trucks blasting soca, afro and calypso music. Twenty-four mas bands, with names like Inferno, Jamboree, Madd Colors, Islandaz Mas Experience, MasVibez, Island Fuzzion, MaddFlavadaMovement, Atlanta Junkanoo, Calabash Alley Masqueraders, and the Awakening, took more than four hours to parade two miles into the Festival Village located in the mall’s parking lot outside the Atlanta Sports City Tournament Central building. Along the way, masqueraders worked the crowd, stopping to dance and pose for photographs, to give each other space, and to allow the police to direct traffic - all the while vying for bragging rights as the liveliest and most colorful ensemble. Spectators young and old, adorned in flags and colors from every Caribbean country, used their umbrellas for shade as they cheered on the sea of humanity. Some watched from the backs of trucks, some sat in lawn chairs along the roadside, and many others stayed on their feet dancing. The parade began at midday near the Stonecrest Walmart. The grand marshal, Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, was joined by other elected city officials bearing a “Welcome to the City of Stonecrest” banner. Lary, a former concert promoter, said the event was the largest he had seen in a city the size of Stonecrest during his 30-plus years of working in large-event management. “It’s now our signature event,” he said May 29. “From talking to our retailers, we think about 40,000 people came – it’s just unbelievable. Every local business person I’ve been talking to so far had a 100 to 150

Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

Carnival attendees were in full party mode May 26 as Stonecrest celebrated Caribbean culture.

Jamaica is proudly represented by revelers in Stonecrest’s first Caribbean carnival May 26.

percent boost in volume.” The mayor expects city staff to determine the economic impact of the carnival – which he guesses to be upwards of $2 million – by next week. Lary, who hopes to convince organizers to change the event’s name to “Stonecrest Caribbean Carnival,” said he was most impressed with the costumes and the children masquerading. “I’m just so happy,” he said. “There weren’t any break-ins, no fights; it was an incident-free event.” Inside the ticketed festival village, the mas bands also performed on stage for a panel of judges – a first for the event. Revelers partied until 10 p.m. to live music by international soca and reggae artists. More than 30 vendors – from the various Caribbean islands and Florida, New York and Philadelphia – sold Caribbeanthemed arts and crafts, clothing, and food and drink. Cilia McTush, a carnival organizer, declared the event a resounding success. Despite the huge crowd, the carnival

lived up to its proud history as a crime-free event. “Our feedback so far has been really good,” McTush said May 29. “We’ve received a lot of emails and calls from festival goers and vendors saying how much they liked it compared to past years and other carnivals.” For the 2019 Carnival, organizers say they want to better manage entry to the festival village and the traffic associated with the event. Some latecomers missed some of the parade after spending more than an hour just trying to get off I-20 and into the nearby mall property to park. There were also long delays for motorists leaving the area after the parade. “I think we got more people than we expected,” McTush said. After spectators and participants ballooned from 6,000 in 2015 to more than 15,000 in 2017, carnival organizers – the Atlanta Carnival Band Leaders Council and Atlanta Carnival Entertainment – had expected up to 25,000 people to attend.

Sessions for chess fans, newbies at the Wesley Chapel Library Aspiring and amateur chess players can learn how to play chess or hone their skills on June 4 and 11 at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library in Decatur. The 11 a.m. to noon class is open to the first 15 participants. Call or visit the branch to register.

Sessions will also be held on June 18 and 25. Funding is provided by the Friends of the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library. The library is at 2861 Wesley Chapel Road. For more information, call 404286-6980.

Knitting, crocheting in a social setting Teens and adults who love to sew or setting. Experts can share their talent and newwant to learn can join the Needle Arts comers can learn new skills. Sessions take Group Thursdays place 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 7, in June at the Flat 14, 21 and 28. Shoals Library in The library is 4022 Flat Decatur. Shoals Parkway. Needle ar ts For more inforlike knitting and mation, call 404c ro che t i ng are 244-4370. available in a social

June 2, 2018

Wellness

CrossRoadsNews

“With these funds, we will be able to provide earlier intervention closer to home for more women.”

Dr. Ron to headline Strong4Family DeKalb Medical gets Komen grant Men’s Health and Wellness Fair to help provide cancer screenings Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Rondrick Williamson will headline the second annual Strong4Family Men’s Health and Wellness Fair on June 9 at Georgia Piedmont Technical College’s Conference Center in Clarkston. The fair, which is hosted by the DeKalb Board of Health, takes place noon until 4 p.m. Williamson, who is known as “Dr. Ron,” is a R. Williamson fellow of the American Professional Wound Care Association. He is a favorite of TV shows like Emmy Award-winning “The Doctors,” Bravo TV’s “Married to Medicine,” and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” He also has been featured in Ebony magazine and on TEGNA’s “Sister Circle,” which airs locally on The ATL, WATL-TV, and on TV One. Strong4Family Men’s Health and Wellness Fair encourages men to connect to resources that will help them lead healthier lives. The Board of Health’s 2015 Status of Health Report finds that DeKalb men have

worse health outcomes and lower life expectancy than females. The Strong4Family Men’s Health and Wellness Fair is one way the Board of Health is addressing these disparities by focusing on access to health care, heightening awareness of preventable health problems, encouraging early detection and treatment of disease, and promoting overall health. There will be free onsite screenings for dental, diabetes, HIV, high blood pressure and vision, and resources on employment, exercise, healthy eating and fatherhood. Free child safety seats will be provided to a limited number of families. The fair is free to attend but registration is required at https://dcbohmenshealthandwellnessfair.eventbrite.com. While men are the fair’s primary focus, there will be something for everyone, including a kids’ zone, healthy food demonstrations, and door prizes. Participants will get a $5 gift certificate to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the Decatur Farmers Market. GPTC’s Conference Center is at 495 N. Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston. For more information email DeKalb.OCDP@dph. ga.gov or call 404-508-7847.

Women who lack health insurance will be able to get mammograms from DeKalb Medical Cancer Center because of $56,000 grant from Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta. The nonprofit, which provides breast health and breast cancer services for underserved and uninsured men and women, awarded the funds to DeKalb Medical as part of its $1 million grants program to focus on underserved populations, including the immigrant and refugee community in Clarkston. DeKalb Medical, which has campuses in Lithonia and Decatur, said it will use the grant dollars to provide diagnostic imaging, biopsies and physician services to women who otherwise could not afford the cost of finding out if the lump or lesion found on a screening mammogram or by clinical or self-exam Qammar Rashid is cancerous. Dr. Qammar Rashid, director of DeKa-

lb Medical’s Comprehensive Breast Care program, said the financial support will help the hospital diagnose women earlier in the disease process, while their breast cancers are still curable. “With these funds, we will be able to provide earlier intervention closer to home for more women,” said Rashid, who is a surgeon with DeKalb Medical Physicians Group Surgical Associates. “Diagnosing breast cancer is an expensive process, and women often put off getting follow-up mammograms or biopsies because they simply can’t afford them.” Cati Diamond Stone, Komen Atlanta executive director, said a key part of Komen Atlanta’s work is to meet the most critical needs of the community. “Our community grants are awarded to local health care partners who provide highquality care and address barriers to care, like financial burdens, transportation and childcare,” she said. “We are thankful for our local partners and their commitment to working with us to lower breast cancer mortality in metro Atlanta.” For more information, visit www.dekalbmedical.org.

Blood drives coming to libraries Mobile farmers market stopping on Candler on Tuesdays in June

The Fresh on DeK Mobile Market is a program of DeKalb County Cooperative Extension, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Red Cross needs 14,000 units of blood daily. Donors must be 17 years old, or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health.

Residents can donate blood to the Red Cross on June 4 at the Covington Library in Decatur. Giving blood is easy to do, and can make a big difference in the lives of others. The blood mobile will be at the library from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Eligible donors must be 17 years old, or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. The Red Cross, which services 2,600

hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide, needs 14,000 units of blood daily for patients. The Covington Library is at 3500 Covington Highway. For more information, call 404-508-7180. The Red Cross will also collect blood at the Decatur Library on June 29. That session is from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Decatur Library is at 215 Sycamore St. in downtown Decatur. For more information, call 404-370-3070.

Residents can shred papers for free By Rosie Manins

DeKalb residents can shred up to 10 standard-size boxes of paper for free at the county’s June 9 Operation Spring Clean Sweep 2018 event in Decatur. The 9 a.m. to noon free shredding event will be open to all DeKalb residents with

proof of residency. It takes place at the Sanitation Division’s central transfer station, 3720 Leroy Scott Drive. Atlanta-based A1 Shredding and Recycling will shred all documents on-site. For more information, visit www.dekalbsanitation.com or contact sanitation@ dekalbcountyga.gov.

Assistance available for Clarkston residents applying for social benefits Clarkston residents who need assistance applying for Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps can get help on June 8 at the Clarkston Library. A caseworker from the International Rescue Committee will assist applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Social Benefits Assistance session takes place 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sessions will also be held on June 15, 22, and 29. The Clarkston Library is at 951 N. Indian Creek Drive. For more information, call 404-508-7175.

Fresh fruits and veggies will be available at the Fresh on DeK Mobile Market Tuesdays, June 5, 12, 19 and 26 at the Scott Candler Library in Decatur. Residents can load up a range of seasonal farm-fresh produce from noon to 2 p.m. The mobile farmers market, which is a program of DeKalb County Cooperative

Extension, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides access to healthy, affordable food for communities where access is limited. It accepts EBT (SNAP benefits), credit cards and cash. The Scott Candler Library is at 1917 Candler Road. For more information, call 404-2866986.

CrossRoadsNews

June 2, 2018

of DeKalb County State of Georgia

VS Treveilieus S. Leslie, Sr. DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO : Treveilieus S. Leslie, Sr. 4776 White Oak Path Stone Mountain, GA 30083 By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated May 02, 2018. You are hereby notified that Apr. 27, 2018, 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 Christina Leslie, 2109 Summerwood Dr., Clarkston, GA 30021. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of May 02, 2018. Witness the Honorable Gail C. Flake, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 7th day of May, 2018

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