CrossRoadsNews, Nov. 22, 2014 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

HOLIDAY

WELLNESS

Families who need a helping hand putting Thanksgiving dinner on the table can get one at a number of locations this holiday season. 6

Kids can write Dear Santa letters and “mail” them at Macy’s to help grant wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. 7

Novices and seasoned cooks alike should practice good food safety, so we offer tips to help anyone prepare a safe holiday meal. 8

Thanks for giving

Santa’s mailbox

Safe turkey dinners

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

November 22, 2014

Volume 20, Number 30

www.crossroadsnews.com

Ross confirmed for federal bench with unanimous vote By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

DeKalb State Court Judge Eleanor Ross has been confirmed for the federal bench. The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed her nomination to serve on the U.S. District Court in Georgia on Nov. 18 with a Eleanor Ross 100-0 vote. Ross, a prosecutor whose legal career spans 19 years, was one of four Georgia judges and attorneys named by President Barack Obama in December 2013 to fill vacancies in

Georgia’s Northern District. She will fill one of three seats that have been vacant in the Northern District since January 2013. Ross said Wednesday that she is very excited about taking on her new job and serving on a bench that she appeared before as a prosecutor. “It will be a challenging learning curve,” she said, “but it is a challenge that I welcome.” Ross tendered her resignation to Gov. Nathan Deal on Nov. 19 to take effect immediately. Deal, who appointed her to the DeKalb State Court bench in 2011, accepted it on

Nov. 19 and thanked her for her service. “I appreciate you taking the time to apprise me of your resignation, effective immediately,” he said. “I wish you all the best in your new role as federal judge for the Northern District of Georgia.” Ross is expected to take the oath of office next week from U.S. District Chief Judge Thomas W. Thrash. An investiture ceremony will take place in about six weeks. She will work at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building in downtown Atlanta. When the president announced the nominations 11 months ago, he called Ross and his other nominees “highly qualified

candidates” for the federal bench. “They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Courts,” he said. Ross, who lives in Lithonia, began her legal career as an assistant district attorney in Tarrant County, Texas, in 1995. She was appointed to the DeKalb State Court in 2011 by Deal to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Barbara Mobley. Ross’ term expires in 2016. Deal will appoint her replacement, but it was unclear this week when the Judicial Qualification Council will issue the call for Please see JUDGE, page 3

Foster Child Completes Family

Brett Hillesheim cradles Mya in his arms while waiting for the judge. At right, his wife, Summer, and Mya share a light moment. The couple cared for the baby as foster parents before adopting her.

Photos by Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Race ‘doesn’t matter’ as couple embrace the baby they love By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

In a room crowded with parents and kids, Summer Hillesheim and 19-month-old Mya stood out. Mya, her chocolate-brown skin highlighted by her babydoll white dress and matching headband with a pale pink flower, was cradled in Hillesheim’s arms. The two were gazing and smiling into each other’s eyes. It didn’t matter that Hillesheim is white and Mya is African-American. It was clear this mom and baby were fat with love for each other. “We love her,” Hillesheim said. “She needed us and we needed her.” The room was DeKalb Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams’ courtroom in downtown Decatur. Hillesheim and Mya; her husband, Brett; their biological daughters Ana and

Emily; his parents, Larry and Linda, who came from Tennessee; and a host of friends and supporters and case workers from the United Methodist Children’s Home were all there. Around them were other parents and grandparents and babies, toddlers and older children. There were balloons, cake, the pitter-patter of children’s feet running to and fro, gurgles, cries and shrieks of delight. The Hillesheims from Lilburn were Debra DeBerry among 10 families whose adoptions of 12 kids were finalized on Nov. 14. The day was set aside by DeKalb Superior Court Clerk Debra DeBerry to celebrate National Adoption Day in DeKalb County. DeBerry, who began the DeKalb Adoption Day celebration in 2010, said it is one of the best things that they do in

the DeKalb courts. “Today is happiness,” she said. “When you can create new families and bring families together, there is no better thing we can do.” Adams, who finalized seven of the adoptions on Nov. 14, called it a wonderful and great occasion. “This is one of the great things as a Superior Court judge that I get a chance to participate in,” he told the families during the celebration, which took place after the legal proceedings. Adoption Day, set aside to create awareness about the thousands of children in foster care awaiting forever families, also celebrate parents who grow their families through adoption. The day will be observed nationwide on Nov. 22. Superior Court Judge Tangela Barrie said that finalizing Please see FOSTER CHILD, page 5

CrossRoadsNews

Thanksgiving

November 22, 2014

“She’s cured of sickle cell disease and we’re extremely grateful for that.”

This Thanksgiving, family is grateful for ‘a whole new life’ By Ken Watts

in the hospital. “Every year she’s had at least four This Thanksgiving, April Jones and her or five long stays at the hospital,” she family have much to be thankful for, and at the said. top of the list is the recovery of their daughter Before her transplant, McKinley also McKinley Parks, who underwent a bone marbattled a bout of pneumonia, which is row transplant at age 3. the leading cause of death of children McKinley, who had sickle cell disease, with sickle cell disease. suffered complications and on Feb. 6, her Jones is thankful for her parents 21-month-old sister, Jordan, became her dowho live near Redan Road. As she nor. shuttled back and forth from Florida Both girls, now 4 and 2, were treated at for McKinley’s treatments, they stayed Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston in with them. Decatur. Both are doing fine. On Oct. 30, when both McKinley Jones, who grew up in Stone Mountain and Jordan were among Children’s and now lives in Tallahassee, said the successHealthcare patients who got the first ful procedure now means a whole new life for ride on the Macy’s Pink Pig train at McKinley. Lenox Square, they once again bunked “She’s cured of sickle cell disease and we’re with her parents. extremely grateful for that,” she said. Daryl Parks is happy to see his Jones said Jordan suffered no ill effects from daughters doing well. He said they loved donating bone marrow to her sister and was up riding the train, which is an Atlanta Jordan Parks (far left) donated bone marrow for sister McKinley, who suffered complications from and about three hours after the procedure. holiday tradition. “She was back running around as if nothing sickle cell disease. “They had a great time,” he said. had happened,” her mother said. “They were excited,” McKinley and Jordan (fifth While McKinley was being treated at ChilOn Nov. 27, Thanksgiving Day, the and seventh from left) with dren’s Healthcare, Jones, husband Daryl Parks, family will gather at Jones’ childhood home off Redan Road (from left) their father, the girls and baby brother Daryl Dion stayed for a huge celebration. Daryl Parks, holding their with her parents, Alphonso and Trudy Jones, “Thanksgiving is always a big event at my parents’ place,” brother Daryl Dion; their who still live in Stone Mountain. she recalls. “We’ll have 45 to 50 relatives and friends there aunt Jennifer Jones; their Sickle cell disease, also called sickle cell anethat day. I’ll cook along with my mom and aunts. I’ll make grandparents Alphonso mia, is a group of hereditary blood disorders and Trudy Jones; and their my homemade mac and cheese, which is always a hit – not that adversely affect hemoglobin, the molecule the boxed stuff but the real thing, oven-baked with crust.” mother, April Jones. in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells Before the meal, the family will join hands in a circle for throughout the body. It causes the red blood cells a special prayer of gratitude. to distort into a sickle shape that causes anemia “Back in January, we said this would be the year that and other complications, including depriving McKinley is cured of sickle cell. We’ll thank God for that tissues and organs of oxygen-rich blood, and and for all his blessings,” Jones said. can lead to organ damage, especially in the lungs, kidneys, the most common inherited blood disorder in the United After dinner, the family will be special guests at the Macy’s spleen and brain. Great Tree lighting at Lenox Square at 5 p.m. States. The disease, which affects 70,000 to 80,000 Americans, “We’re just all happy to be together,” Jones said. “You can Jones said McKinley’s symptoms began when she was 10 primarily of African, Mediterranean and Asian ancestry, is months old, and she has spent about 55 percent of her life never take that for granted.”

Saturday Jan. 31, 2015 Noon - 5 p.m.

In Partnership with

Lower Level, The Mall at Stonecrest

Live Healthy & Prosper! When CrossRoadsNews presented the first Health & Wellness Expo in 2006, it immediately became the biggest celebration of health and wellness in East Metro Atlanta and has attracted more than 6,000 people annually to the Mall at Stonecrest. During the 10th anniversary celebration, we will once again provide information, health screenings and other resources to empower residents to eat healthy, be more active, and know their health status. We will also recognize the exhibitors, sponsors, performers and other supporters who have helped us carry the message of wellness to our community for the last decade.

Limited Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities available on a first-come, first-served basis.To reserve your space, call 404-284-1888 or email kathy@crossroadsnews.com

More than 6,000 attended the 2014 Expo

Deadline to Book: Dec. 19, 2014

We hope you will join us in this celebration of Health & Wellness in our community.

CrossRoadsNews

November 22, 2014

Community

“When history catches its breath, Mr. Russell’s life work will place him among the most significant heroes of the civil rights movement.”

Trailblazer Herman Russell made Atlanta a place to build dreams Dec. 23, 1930 – Nov. 15, 2014 By Ken Watts

Herman J. Russell, the Atlanta trailblazing entrepreneur and philanthropist who built one of the oldest and most successful blackowned construction and real estate companies in America, will be celebrated at his homegoing service on Nov. 22 at Saint Philip AME Church on Candler Road. Herman J. Russell Russell, 83, died on Nov. 15 after a brief illness. The homegoing service takes place at 11 a.m. His son, Michael Russell, said he made his transition in a peaceful way. “We know he’s at rest,” said Michael Russell, who succeeded his father in 2003 as CEO of H.J. Russell & Co. Herman Russell, who rose from humble beginnings to create and lead the nation’s largest black construction firm, bought his first land with $125 when he was just 16. He earned the money from his shoeshine business. He built an apartment duplex on the site and put himself through Tuskegee Institute with the money he leveraged from the project. In 1957 during a time of segregation, Russell took over his father’s small plastering business and built it into a powerhouse development firm responsible for much of Atlanta’s skyline. In March this year, Russell, who was chairman of H.J. Russell & Co. and Concessions International, added author to his

resume with the publication of “Building Atlanta: How I Broke Through Segregation to Launch a Business Empire.” His son said he was elated and proud of the fact that he was able to share his legacy with others and, most importantly, his grandchildren. “Herman Russell had a major impact on many of us and he lived a great life,” Michael Russell said. Over the years, Herman Russell used his influence to break down many racial and economic barriers for minorities in real estate development and construction. He was a big supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and former Atlanta mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young and was influential in the civil rights movement. He also invested in the Atlanta Inquirer newspaper and several other Atlanta business opportunities, including sports teams. Today, H.J. Russell & Co. is one of several developers building the new $1.3 billion Atlanta Falcons stadium, which is slated to open in 2017. Tributes poured in at the news of Russell’s death, calling him a pioneer, visionary, trailblazer and icon.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called him “an exemplar” and said the city of Atlanta has lost one of the best men it has ever produced. “No words can express the depth of our sorrow or fill the void created by the passing of Mr. Herman J. Russell,” he said in a statement on Nov. 15. “Few men have done more to make our city a place where you can bring and build your dreams. “When history catches its breath, Mr. Russell’s life work will place him among the most significant heroes of the civil rights movement and the Atlanta business community because of his unwavering commitment to the forward progress of our city.” Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell said Russell was an extraordinary visionary, dynamic leader and philanthropist who uplifted and mentored many. “The world is immeasurably better because of Herman J. Russell,” he said. Atlanta City Council member C.T. Martin said Russell made it possible for a generation to dream. “Not only was he a huge supporter of the civil rights movement, but a pioneer in business,” he said. “As he opened doors, he

made sure they were left wide open for others to follow.” Atlanta City Council member Mary Norwood said her sadness is only eclipsed by the great admiration and inspiration that Russell’s life had on her own. “I was able to watch Mr. Russell grow and build this beautiful city with his hands, his words, and his deeds,” she said. “He was not just an example of self-made success, but a demonstration of a life well-lived.” King Center CEO Bernice A. King said Russell was a beloved personal friend and supporter of her parents. “I will always remember with fondness the times that I spent in his family home and playing with his children,” she said. Michael Russell said he and his siblings Jerome and Donata will continue their father’s legacy. Russell also is survived by his wife, Sylvia; two stepsons; eight grandchildren; and other family members. Saint Philip AME Church is at 240 Candler Road. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking mourners to donate to the H.J. Russell Foundation, 170 Northside Drive S.W.

Before the bench, Ross spent 15 years as a prosecutor Judge,

She also worked for four years as a senior assistant district attorney in the Fulton DA’s applicants. Office and as a DeKalb County assistant Before joining the DeKalb bench, Ross solicitor general. spent 15 years as a prosecutor at both the As a prosecutor, Ross’ high-profile federal and state levels. cases include the 2008 conviction of InShe was an assistant district attorney for dian businessman Chiman Rai who had his four years with the Fulton County District daughter-in-law murdered because she was Attorney’s Office and an assistant U.S. at- African-American. torney in the Northern District of Georgia.T:10.5” She also secured the 2010 conviction of from page

Devonni Benton for firing the stray bullet that killed Spelman College sophomore Jasmine Lynn as she walked across an Atlanta University Center campus in 2009. Ross received her J.D. in 1994 from the University of Houston Law Center and her B.A. from American University in 1989. She is married to attorney Brian Ross, who has a Covington-based law practice. They have two girls.

Stay front and center of the best in Black entertainment.

T:8”

This month, XFINITY® catches up with R&B’s latest gem – Ledisi. Get concert highlights, photos and Ledisi-inspired videos, all leading up to the simulcast presentation of TV One’s HelloBeautiful.com Interludes LIVE!: Ledisi. Enjoy an exclusive performance and interview with the soulful songstress herself. Show premieres November 29th at 10/9c on TV One and at CelebrateBlackTV.com.* *Check local listings for date and time conﬁrmation.

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 Ken Watts Graphic Design Curtis Parker Assistant Editor Brenda Yarbrough Advertising Sales Kathy E. Warner Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Circulation Manager Jami Ffrench-Parker 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 CrossRoadsN ews 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 advertisments, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

CrossRoadsNews

“I think killing innocent people should stop! We should help out the world and make it a better place.”

I am thankful for day honoring forever families Editor’s note: Decatur attorney Sherry Neal made these remarks at the annual DeKalb Adoption Day celebration on Nov. 14 after Superior Court Judges Gregory Adams and Tangela Barrie finalized the adoption of 12 children. The event was hosted by Clerk of Superior Court for DeKalb County Debra DeBerry. By Sherry Neal

For the past 15 years, it has been my honor and privilege to represent families in all aspects of the adoption process, and, with National Adoption Day being so close to Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to thank you, to share my gratitude with you. This moment – finalization day – is the part of the process that makes my practice so rewarding. And this particular finalization ceremony in recognition of National Adoption Day makes me particularly grateful. This day was set aside 14 years ago as part of a grass-roots effort to raise awareness of children in the U.S. foster system waiting for permanent loving homes. Over the years, this event has grown into a celebration of all adoptions. I am immensely thankful to be part of an event that has resulted in nearly 50,000 children moving into forever families. I am thankful for all of you here today. I am thankful for the judges who make extra effort and set aside dedicated time in their calendars to

“I am thankful for the children here today permanently uniting with their forever families and permanently uniting birth families and adoptive families into a larger tribe, who will go on to share the story of their adoption with their families and friends and communities and to teach others that there is no one single way to make or find a family.” Sherry Neal

make the finalization of an adoption – the creation of a new family – into a celebration, a special observance, an opportunity for joy in our courts. And for their staff and the court staff who work hard to ensure that petitions are reviewed, hearings are scheduled, documents are prepared, and celebrations like this aren’t forgotten in the midst of the necessary reviews and scheduling and documentation. I am thankful for my fellow attorneys who work so hard to make sure that every adoption is as smooth and easy a process as possible for their clients, who sometimes have to have the hard conversations with clients or courts about the tough side of adoption – terminations and revocations and disruptions and dissolutions – but who also get to watch a birth mom “click” with the adoptive parent or parents she has chosen for her child, who get to see a child hug his “forever parents” for the first time as a legally recognized family after a finalization, who get to have babies and cute kids (and, yes, even surly teenagers) in their offices instead of hardened criminals and spatting soon-to-be divorced couples; and

who support their colleagues with advice and mentoring and sometimes just a shoulder to lean on. I am thankful for the agency and DFCS staff who work so diligently to fulfill the promise of a home for every child, who hold birth parents’ hands, who counsel and advise birth parents and adoptive parents alike with compassion and respect. I am thankful for the birth parents who brought their children into this world and gave them their lives, their genes, their nationality, their eye color and curly or straight (or somewhere in between) hair that is brown or blond or black or red; who gave their children their talents and strengths as well as their weaknesses and flaws. I am thankful for the adoptive parents who plan for children who may arrive only after infertility treatments or years of waiting, after home studies and background checks, and after paperwork, paperwork, paperwork; who dispel the myth that there are not enough loving families who want to adopt children from foster care or older children or children with disabilities or sibling groups; who travel across the world or across the

state or just across town to bring their children home; who choose to include birth families as part of the extended “village” for a child or simply to tell stories about birth parents and their important role in the lives of their children; who love children already in their care and just want to give their parentchild relationship a legal stamp that matches up with the love in their hearts. And last but certainly not least, I am thankful for the children here today permanently uniting with their forever families and permanently uniting birth families and adoptive families into a larger tribe, who will go on to share the story of their adoption with their families and friends and communities and to teach others that there is no one single way to make or find a family. I thank you for sharing this moment with me, for allowing me to be a part of this celebration, and for allowing me to do work that changes the lives of families and children. Sherry Neal is an adoption attorney and founder and charter president of the Georgia Council of Adoption Lawyers Inc.

Help make world a better place – stop killings, littering By Johnny L. Davis IV

Today I wonder … Why do people shoot other innocent people? Really? Every morning when I’m at my grandma’s house, I hear on the news that people have been killed and people went to jail for the killing. I also hear people just kill innocent people for no reason at all. I bet if you were the person that was killed, you wouldn’t want she/he

to do it to you. I think killing innocent people should stop! We should help out the world and make it a better place. We shouldn’t Johnny Davis IV allow just anyone to have a gun if this is going to keep happening. Why would you shoot at a church? That is horrible.

Quick Read

If this keeps happening, I think the nearby trash can. When you’re in a car, you need guilty one should be put behind to wait and don’t throw trash out bars. STOP NOW! the window. Don’t pollute the oceans. When you go to the pool, Why do people litter? When you litter, it destroys you don’t want it dirty, so how do the world. Why should we do that you think the fish feel. So I say STOP NOW! I think because we live on this planet. We should clean it up. People litter we should help the earth to be a because they are lazy or they just better place. Johnny L. Davis IV of Clarkston want to harm the planet. I think you should put the trash in your is a sixth-grader at Tucker Middle pocket or hold it till you get to a School.

Family is grateful for ‘a whole new life’ 2

Groups offer helping hand with 19 to receive Presidential Thanksgiving meal 6 Medal

This Thanksgiving, April Jones and her family have much to be thankful for, and at the top of the list is the recovery of their daughter McKinley Parks, who underwent a bone marrow transplant at age 3.

Families who need a helping hand putting Thanksgiving dinner on the table.

Musician Stevie Wonder and others will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Macy’s Great Tree lighting on Nov. 27 7

Students collect 52 tons of recyclables in a month 10

R&B legends the Isley Brothers will headline the Macy’s Great Tree lighting on Nov. 27 at Lenox Square.

In October, students from 17 DeKalb schools saved 52 tons of paper, plastics, wood, and glass from the county landfill.

Herman Russell made Atlanta a place to build dreams 3

Circulation Audited By

November 22, 2014

Herman J. Russell, the Atlanta trailblazing entrepreneur and philanthropist who built one of the oldest and most successful black-owned construction and real estate companies in America, will be celebrated at his homegoing service on Nov. 22 at Saint Philip AME Church on Candler Road in Atlanta.

Food safety practices can help High schooler makes mark as ensure healthy holiday 8 a budding entrepreneur 11 Novices making their first turkey or seasoned cooks should follow good food safety practices for a healthy holiday meal.

Tucker High senior Donté Watkins competed in the quarterfinals of the Youth National Entrepreneurship Challenge

index to advertisers Cade-Hill Insurance Agency Inc..................... 11 Cajun Turkeys................................................ 11 Comcast.......................................................... 3 Dee Knows Phones........................................ 11 DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court......................9 DeKalb County Dept. Watershed Mgmt.......... 5

DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office........................9 Fabric Joint, LLC............................................. 11 Greenforest Community Baptist Church..........6 Johnson Hopewell Coleman LLC.................. 11 North DeKalb Mall.......................................... 7 Quenon Smith............................................... 11

Seabright Homes, LLC................................... 11 The Davis Bozeman Law Firm, P.C................. 11 The Mall at Stonecrest...................................12 Ware’s Padgett Business Services...................6 Wright Vision Care.......................................... 7 Best Buy Co. Inc......................................Inserts

Pep Boys.................................................Inserts Walgreens...............................................Inserts Walmart..................................................Inserts GMC - Buick........................................... Online The Davis Bozeman Law Firm, P.C......... Online

Community

CrossRoadsNews

November 22, 2014

“We allowed our hearts to be open. We wanted her. I can’t tell you why. We love her and wanted her to be part of our family permanently.”

Adoptions of 12 kids transform DeKalb courthouse Foster Child,

from page

adoptions puts a smile on their faces all day long. “I see the cutest little babies,” she said. “I see families adding another little boy. I love that idea of creating families.” The Hillesheims, both in their early 30s, said their journey to the Adams’ chambers began in 2012 with a notice in their church bulletin that the United Methodist Children’s Home on Columbia Drive in Decatur was seeking foster parents. Brett Hillesheim, director of family ministries at Mountain Park United Methodist Church in Stone Mountain, said they had room at home. “We thought this would be a great way to help out kids and expand our family,” he said. The couple were college sweethearts. In 2012, they were a decade into their marriage and had two biological daughters, Ana, 8, and Emily, 5. They wanted more children but it was not important to them that they were biological. In no time, their five-bedroom home filled up with children. Their first foster children in November 2012 were an AfricanAmerican sibling group of three – a 2-yearold and a 1-year-old and a newborn baby straight from the hospital. Over the next two years, they cared for 16 foster children – African-Americans, biracial, white and Hispanic. Some stayed with them for a weekend, others for up to eight months. “We have love for all of the foster children who come into our home,” Brett said. Baby Mya arrived close to midnight on Nov. 6, 2013. With her short hair, the Hillesheims couldn’t tell whether the sleep-

DeKalb Superior Court Judges Gregory Adams (in robe) and Tangela Barrie (second from right) and Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry pose with some of the 10 families who completed adoptions on Nov. 14.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

ing baby was a boy or girl. “We didn’t get a lot of information about her,” Summer recalled. “All we knew was that her mother had just voluntarily surrendered her to DFACS.” After settling the baby in a crib, they went through the bag her mother had sent with her and found little girl’s clothes. When the baby woke up hungry in the wee hours of the morning, a diaper change confirmed her gender. The Hillesheims were the 7-month-old’s fourth foster home. The next day, Mya was clingy but happy. Summer said you could tell she was a happy baby. “She just wanted us to hold her,” she said. Leah Gross, the United Methodist Children’s Home’s foster care worker, said the love affair between the baby and the Hillesheims began from the start. “It was almost an instant attraction,” she said. “We went to visit them within 48 hours

of placing the baby and she was so happy. She was seeking affection from them and turning to them for her needs. She has continued to thrive in their care.” It wasn’t long before Mya had wormed herself into their hearts. By her first year checkup, the baby who wasn’t even rolling over when she arrived had met or exceeded all the milestones for her age. In January, when the courts permanently severed Mya’s ties to her biological mother, who had nine children, and her unknown father, the Hillesheims decided to adopt her. “She is with us,” he said. “She rolled over for the first time with us. She took her first steps with us. She calls Summer ‘Mommy.’ She calls me ‘Daddy.’” Brett Hillesheim said there wasn’t a father in the picture and Mya’s mother said she wanted them to adopt her. He said her race was never an issue. “White, black, Asian, Hispanic, doesn’t matter to us,” he said. Brett and his wife grew up in Lavergne,

Tenn., just outside Nashville, and he said they went to a high school that was about 25 percent African-American. “Our community was sort of a melting pot,” he said. “A lot of different people lived there.” They also have several friends who have adopted nationally and internationally from China and Guatemala. Some have children who are biracial and African-American. Though their church in Stone Mountain is predominantly white, Brett said it has a growing population of African-Americans and Hispanics. Since they became foster parents, the Hillesheims have become accustomed to stares when they are out in public with their rainbow family. “We get a lot of looks,” Brett says with a laugh. “One lady even said to me, ‘You should get a paternity test.’” The couple are approved for up to six children in their home and they also have two foster sons, who are Hispanic. They have been with them for eight months. Nationally, only 15 percent of all domestic adoptions include parents and children of different races. Brett Hillesheim said adopting Mya was a no-brainer for them. “It was easy, awesome and important,” he said. “The weight of the decision is not lost on us. You open up your heart. We allowed our hearts to be open. We wanted her. I can’t tell you why. We love her and wanted her to be part of our family permanently.” Even though Mya was with them for Thanksgiving last year, Brett said this year will be different. “We will be extra thankful. It will be a much different feeling because she is ours and nobody is going to take her from us.”

DeKalb County's Department of Watershed Management Reminds You of the Best Practices for Proper Disposal of FOG What are Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG)? FOG is composed of the animal and vegetable fats and oils that are used to cook and prepare food. Where does FOG come from? • Baking goods • Food scraps • Sauces • Meat fat

• Dairy products • Lard

• Butter and margarine • Cooking oil

• Shortening

What happens when FOG is not properly disposed of? FOG should be properly disposed of or recycled. It enters the plumbing system through home garbage disposals, kitchen sinks and toilets, coats the interior of pipes, and empties into the County's sewer system. Excessive accumulation of FOG in the sewer system will result in sanitary sewer overflows and sewage backup in homes and businesses. Sewage overflow repairs are costly for the County and its citizens, and can result in increased costs for water and sewer services.

Here are three simple practices to help keep FOG out of our pipes and sewers: 1. POUR cooled fats, oils or grease into a sealable container and throw it in the trash. Do not pour down the sink or toilet. 2. SCRAPE plates and cookware before washing. Do not throw scraps of any kind down the sink. Instead, place them in waste containers or garbage bags. 3. WIPE excess grease from all plates, pots, pans, utensils and surfaces with a paper towel before washing. Throw the greasy paper towels away.

Remember, you can make a difference! Visit the DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management's FOG Program Online! www.dekalbwatershed.com/FOG 1580 Roadhaven Drive Stone Mountain, GA 30083 • (770) 621-7200

CrossRoadsNews

Holiday

November 22, 2014

The DAV Post 91 dinner for homeless veterans was “awesome. Every year, it gets better and better.”

Churches, groups offer helping hand with Thanksgiving meal Families who need a helping hand putting Thanksgiving dinner on the table can get one from the DeKalb Women in NAACP, Faith Tabernacle and Saint Philip AME Church. Those who need a prepared meal can get one from the Southwest DeKalb High Alumni.

Turkey giveaway at mall The NAACP Women and DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson are giving away 400 turkeys on Nov. 22 at the Gallery at South DeKalb. The annual free turkey giveaway takes place 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the mall’s parking lot near Macy’s. Turkeys are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last, one turkey per household. To get a turkey, recipients must sign in and get a number. Sponsors include HugLife, Street Execs, state Sen. Ron Ramsey, and DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry. The church is at 240 Candler Road. For The mall is at 2801 Candler Road. more information, visit www.saintphilip.org or call 404-371-0749. Saint Philip Thanksgiving baskets Seniors and impoverished families will Faith Tabernacle turkey giveaway pick up Thanksgiving baskets with turkey The newly formed Faith Tabernacle East and canned foods on Nov. 22 at Saint Philip church in Stone Mountain will distribute AME Church in Atlanta. about 100 Thanksgiving turkeys to families The annual event begins at 9 a.m. for in need on Nov. 25. families who pre-register with the church’s The turkeys and other food items will pantry. It takes place in the church park- be available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 5300 ing lot on the Memorial Drive side of the Memorial Drive, Suite 101. building. Pastor Ross Heath says sponsors and The basket giveaway, organized by the volunteers are needed to make the event a church’s Nettie Lewis Moore Women’s success. Missionary Society, began in 2000 with Turkeys and canned goods can be Thanksgiving baskets for 50 sick and shut- dropped off at the church and at Mudea’s in families. Soul Food at 4919 Flat Shoals Parkway in Since then, it has served more than 1,000 Decatur. To refer families in need, call 404families. This year’s goal is 360 baskets. 717-7675 or 404-292-7331.

Join us for our

Thanksgiving Day Worship Service

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Residents line up for the turkey giveaway presented by the DeKalb branch of Women in NAACP and Commissioner Larry Johnson in 2013 (left). Saint Philip AME gives Thanksgiving baskets to seniors and families in need (above).

SWD alumni Give Back Initiative Southwest DeKalb High’s Class of 1993 will distribute 200 brown bag meals and offer grooming services to disadvantaged individuals on Nov. 24. The alumni Holiday Give Back Initiative begins is being held in honor the class 20-year anniversary. It takes place at 6:30 p.m. The meals will include barbecue hot dogs or hamburgers, chips, fresh fruit, and a beverage. Nesto’s Grooming Parlor will offer free grooming services provided by barbers from Kings of Atlanta and Edgetown Barber Shop and products from the Basic Hair Care System. For more information, contact Casey Donaldson at kcandro3@yahoo.com or 770-866-6687. Traditional meal for homeless vets More than 450 homeless veterans got a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings on Nov. 16 at the Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia. Disabled American Veterans Chapter 91

sponsored the fifth annual event that also featured blood pressure checks and flu shots administered by the nurses unit at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center. About 15 vendors also provided services, including haircuts and massages for the guests, many of whom were picked up from different metro Atlanta shelters. There were 21 women among veterans in attendance. Dr. Tincie Lynch, commander of DAV Post 91, said the dinner was “awesome.” “Every year, it gets better and better,” she said on Nov. 17. Veteran-owned RM Services prepared the meal Tincie Lynch that included dressing and cranberry sauce, rolls and corn bread, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, greens, green beans, ham, potato salad, and dessert. Also participating were the Iraqi Afghanistan War Veterans of America and the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army.

Churches hold joint Thanksgiving services Six congregations – three each in Lithonia and Stone Mountain – are holding annual joint Thanksgiving services beginning Sunday. Rock of Ages Lutheran Church, St. Timothy United Methodist and Memorial Drive Presbyterian will worship together on Nov. 23 in Stone Mountain and share a community Thanksgiving meal afterward. The program begins at 6 p.m. at Rock of Ages Church, 5135 Memorial Drive. Worshippers are encouraged to bring a dish to the potluck supper to share. Arts and crafts activities for children also are encouraged. For more information, call 404-292-7888.

Thursday, November 27, 2014 10 a.m. Main Sanctuary

Come out and start a new Thanksgiving tradition — by starting the day in Worship! “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalm 107.1

All Your Legal, Accounting & Tax Services Under One Roof! “There Is No Better Time to Plan Your Legal & Tax Strategies”

Padgett Business Services

Law Office of E. Noreen Banks-Ware, P.C.

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Greenforest Community Baptist Church 3250 Rainbow Drive • Decatur, GA 30034 www.greenforest.org • (404) 486-1120

Big Miller Grove hosts special service in Lithonia On Nov. 25, members of Big Miller Grove Baptist Church, First Afrikan Presbyterian Church and Ousley United Methodist will share a joint service in Lithonia at 7:30 p.m. The annual service, which is in its 13th year, takes place at Big Miller Grove, 3800 Big Miller Grove Way. The Rev. Dr. Mark A. Lomax, pastor of First Afrikan, will preach the sermon, and the Ousley UMC Choir will minister through song. The three churches are located within two miles of each other on or near Panola Road. For more information, call 770-981-3800. Mark Lomax

E. Noreen Banks-Ware Attorney

3636 Panola Road • Lithonia, GA 30038 (Across from the Salem Crossing Shopping Center)

November 22, 2014

Holiday

CrossRoadsNews

“A wish-come-true can be a powerful part of a child’s fight against their illness.”

The Isley Brothers (at left), Pentatonix from NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and Braves soloist Timothy Miller will perform at Macy’s Great Tree lighting on Nov. 27.

Macy’s Great Tree lighting on Nov. 27 Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Rhonda Hargrove of Lithonia picks up a post card at Macy’s at the Gallery at South DeKalb for her granddaughter, Ny’asia Smith, to write to Santa.

Santa letters help Make-A-Wish Kids can write Dear Santa letters and “mail” them at the Macy’s at the Gallery at South DeKalb and other area Macy’s to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The Macy’s Believe campaign, which supports MakeA-Wish America, is seeking to break the Guinness World Record for the longest wish list to Santa. The current record of 75,954 wishes was set in 2012. Through Dec. 24, customers can drop their stamped letters addressed to “Santa at the North Pole” into special Santa Mail letter boxes in the store. New this year, letters can be submitted at macys.com/believe. For each letter collected in-store and online, Macy’s will donate $1, up to $1 million, to Make-A-Wish America. Terry Young, store manager at the South DeKalb Macy’s, said that 200 letters have already been picked up from her store since the 2014 campaign kicked off on Terry Young Nov. 7. The red Believe Santa Mail Box at the Macy’s at the Gallery at South DeKalb is on the lower level in the children’s department. Vernita Allen-White, the store’s sales supervisor, said they also are encouraging teachers, preschools and day care centers to support fundraising efforts. “Teachers can come Vernita Allen-White in and pick up a batch of post cards for their class to write letters to Santa,” Allen-White said. “We have plenty.” Young said the annual campaign did well last year, but the store can generate more letters.

“We do want those letters,” she said. “We want to do at least 1,500 letters this year.” Parents and their kids can pick up the stationery at the display next to the cash register in the children’s department. Young said teachers and day care operators who need large quantities should ask for a manager who will get them as many as they need. Since Believe began seven years ago, it has raised more than $8.7 million for Makea-Wish America, which has granted more than 240,000 wishes since 1980. Last year, it granted more than 14,000 wishes. Martine Reardon, Macy’s chief marketing officer, said Believe touches the lives of families and children. “Our Santa Mail letter boxes overflow each year with wishes from believers,” Reardon said. David Williams, Make-A-Wish America president and CEO, said the Macy’s campaign makes helping fun and simple. “A wish-come-true can be a powerful part of a child’s fight against their illness,” he said. Rhonda Hargrove of Lithonia did not know about the campaign until she saw the display while shopping for her grandkids at Macy’s on Nov. 19. She picked up a couple of cards for her 3-year-old granddaughter, Ny’asia Smith. “She can write,” she said. “We want to help. I will tell her about it.” Believe was inspired by the true story of 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon who wrote a letter to the New York Sun newspaper in 1897 asking if there really was a Santa Claus. The paper’s response penned by Editor Francis P. Church was, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist.” It became the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language. For more information, visit www.macys .com and wish.org.

R&B legends the Isley Brothers will headline the Macy’s Great Tree lighting on Nov. 27 at Lenox Square. The annual Thanksgiving tree lighting celebration, which takes place from 5 to 6 p.m., also will feature performances by Pentatonix from NBC’s “The Sing-Off ” Season 3, operatic tenor and Atlanta Braves soloist Timothy Miller, and the Macy’s Great Tree Children’s and All-Star Holiday Choirs. McKinley Parks and Carson Sims, both patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Aflac Cancer Center, will flip the switch to light the Great Tree. The 67th annual tree lighting event also includes a pre-show concert featuring behind-the-scenes interviews and performances by the evening’s entertainers

at 4:30 p.m. A fireworks show set to holiday music will culminate the evening. The 56-foot-tall reusable tree, adorned with 45,000 white and multicolored sparkling LED twinkle lights, will be on display through Jan. 3 on the roof of Macy’s. More than 8 miles of light strings will be draped around the tree that will be topped with a giant star. Thousands are expected to attend the lighting at Lenox Square and more than 500,000 more will watch the broadcast on WSB-TV at 5 p.m. with Channel 2 Action News anchors Jovita Moore and Craig Lucie as hosts. Limited parking will be available, and using MARTA is encouraged. For more information, visit www.macys.com.

Wellness

CrossRoadsNews

November 22, 2014

If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for Extra Help to pay for some health care and prescription drug costs.

Food safety practices can help ensure healthy holiday meal The four main safety issues: Thawing, preparing, stuffing, and cooking to the adequate temperature are recipes for successful Thanksgiving dinner.

Novices making their first turkey or seasoned cooks who know their way around the kitchen should follow good food safety practices for a healthy holiday meal. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is offering some simple tips that all cooks can follow for a safely prepared turkey. Be aware of the four main safety issues: thawing, preparing, stuffing, and cooking to the adequate temperature.

Safe thawing Thawing turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature. The “danger zone” is between 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit – the temperature range where foodborne bacteria multiply rapidly. While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely, but as soon as it begins to thaw, bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again if it is in the danger zone. There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in a microwave oven. See “Safe Methods for Thawing” at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/ topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/ food-safety-fact-sheets/poultry-preparation/

turkey-basics-safe-thawing/CT_Index.

Safe preparation Bacteria present on raw poultry can contaminate your hands, utensils, and work surfaces as you prepare the turkey. If these areas are not cleaned thoroughly before working with other foods, bacteria from the raw poultry can then be transferred to other foods. After working with raw poultry, always

wash your hands, utensils, and work surfaces before they touch other foods.

Safe stuffing For optimal safety and uniform doneness, cook the stuffing outside the turkey in a casserole dish. However, if you place stuffing inside the turkey, do so just before cooking, and use a food thermometer. Make sure the center of the stuffing reaches a safe minimum

internal temperature of 165 degrees. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165 degrees, possibly resulting in foodborne illness. Follow the FSIS steps to safely prepare, cook, remove, and refrigerate stuffing at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/ topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/ food-safety-fact-sheets/poultry-preparation/ stuffing-and-food-safety.

Safe cooking Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees and be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Check the internal temperature at the center of the stuffing and meaty portion of the breast, thigh, and wing joint using a food thermometer. Cooking times will vary. The food thermometer must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat. For more information on safe internal temperatures, visit FoodSafety.gov’s Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures at http:// www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp. html. For more information and resources, visit www.cdc.gov/features/turkeytime.

Medicare ‘Extra Help’ offers assistance with prescription drug costs Medicare’s “Extra Help” program helps people with limited income pay for their prescription medications. Making ends meet should not mean going without your medications. If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for Extra Help to pay for some health care and prescription drug costs. Drug costs in 2015 for most people who qualify for Extra Help will be no more than $2.65 for each generic drug and $6.60 for each brand-name drug. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services estimates that more than 2 million people with Medicare may be eligible for Extra Help but aren’t currently enrolled to take advantage of these savings.

A recent law changed how your income and assets are counted: n Life insurance policies don’t count as resources. n Any help you get from relatives, friends, and others to pay for household expenses – like food, mortgage, rent, heating fuel or gas, electricity, water, and property taxes – doesn’t count as income.

Many qualify and don’t know it Even if you were previously turned down for Extra Help due to income or resource levels, you should reapply. If you qualify, you’ll get help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage premiums, co-payments, and deductibles. To qualify, you must make less

than $17,505 a year (or $23,595 for married couples). Even if your annual income is higher, you still may be able to get some extra help. Your resources must also be limited to $13,440 (or $26,860 for married couples). Resources include bank accounts, stocks and bonds, but not your house or car.

No cost or obligation to apply It’s easy and free to apply for “Extra Help.” You or a family member, trusted counselor, or caregiver can apply online at socialsecurity.gov/i1020 or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778. All of the information you give is con-

fidential. You can also get help in your community from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), and many tribal organizations. For information about how to contact these organizations, visit Eldercare. gov. To learn more about Medicare prescription drug coverage, visit Medicare. gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877486-2048. This information is prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

CrossRoadsNews

November 22, 2014

Scene

The award recognizes the special service “these champions give to make a difference in the lives of many people.”

19 to receive Presidential Medal Seven honored as trailblazers Musician Stevie Wonder, the late choreographer Alvin Ailey, three slain “Freedom Summer” activists, and Michigan’s U.S. Rep. John Dingell will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Nov. 24 at the White House. The medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, is presented to indiStevie Wonder John Dingell viduals who have made especially Alvin Ailey meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. They are among 19 people who will get the medal. President Barack Obama said he is looking forward to awarding the Medal of Freedom to James Chaney Andrew Goodman Michael Schwerner “bold, inspiring Americans.” “From activists who fought for change to artists who explored the furthest reaches of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. of our imagination, from scientists who Dingell, an Army veteran, is the longestkept America on the cutting edge to public serving member of Congress, representing servants who help write new chapters in our Michigan since 1955. American story, these citizens have made Recipients also include author Isabel extraordinary contributions to our country Allende; broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw; and the world,” he said. physicist and electrical engineer Mildred Wonder is a Kennedy Center honoree, a Dresselhaus; human rights activist Ethel member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Kennedy; Native American author and activand winner of 25 Grammys and an Oscar. ist Suzan Harjo; former congressman and juIn addition to Ailey, who founded the rist Abner Mikva; and Patsy Takemoto Mink Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the of Hawaii, the first woman of color elected other posthumous recipients include James to Congress and co-author of Title IX of the Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Education Amendments of 1972. Schwerner, civil rights activists and parAlso honored are African-American ticipants in Freedom Summer who were golfer Charles Sifford, a World Golf Hall of murdered at the outset of the historic voter Fame member; economist and Nobel laureregistration drive in 1964, and Edward R. ate Robert Solow; composer Stephen SondRoybal, founder of the Congressional His- heim; Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep; panic Caucus and the National Association and actress/social activist Marlo Thomas.

Seven DeKalb residents who have impacted the community in business, education, religion, arts and politics were recognized with trailblazer awards on Nov. 20. Architect R.L. Brown, community activist Alvin Dollar, former School Board Chair Frances Edwards, the Rev. Dr. R.L. Brown Alvin Dollar Cynthia Hale Cynthia Hale, political and arts activist Jan Selman, educator Ralph Simpson, and Superintendent Michael Thurmond received 2014 Leaders of Excellence awards from DeKalb Super District 7 Commissioner Stan Watson and 4th District U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center. Jan Selman Ralph Simpson Michael Thurmond Since its 2011 inception, Watson and Johnson have honored a range of “these champions give to make a difference leaders in business, politics, media, gov- in the lives of the many people that have ernment and community building. and will be touched by their commitment In a joint statement, they said that and dedication to our communities and the the award recognizes the special service greater cause.”

Book club conference registration open Book lovers have until Nov. 26 to register for the 14th Annual Jubilee of Reading Book Club Conference. The Dec. 6 conference takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wesley ChapelWilliam C. Brown Library in Decatur. Register at www.dekalblibrary.org/ shelf-help/jubilee-of-reading.html or any library branch. Participants will get a free book club information kit with a suggested reading list from other book clubs,

a list of titles offered through DeKalb Public Library’s Book Group Take-Out service, and tips on how to maintain and sustain a successful book club. The conference is sponsored by Friends of Stonecrest and Wesley Chapel libraries, Scott Candler P.A.C.T. Book Club, Angela Reid and Imani Literary Group. The library is at 2861 Wesley Chapel Road. For more information, contact Myguail Chappel at 404-508-7190, Ext. 2257.

State of Georgia

Legal Notices 11/08, 11/15, 11/22, 11/26

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV9310-8++ Samayyah Robinson Plaintiff Vs. Kevin Robinson Defendant To: Kevin Robinson 3400 Edgefield Ct. Greensboro, NC 27406 By Order of the Court for service by publication dated October 29, 2014 you are hereby notified that on July 22, 2014, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Samayyah Robinson, 1364 Hays Lane Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30319. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of October 29, 2014. Witness the Honorable Linda W. Hunter, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 29th day of October, 2014 11/01, 11/08, 11/15, 11/22

Notice of Petition to Change Name of Adult in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV10028-2++ Donyiele Nichole Daniels filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on October 20, 2014 to change the name from: Donyiele Nichole Daniels to Carmen Donyiele Nichole Johnson. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Oct. 10, 2014 Donyiele Nichole Daniels

Petitioner, Pro se 5678 Cedar Craft Lane Lithonia, GA 30058 678-431-3601 11/15, 11/22, 11/26, 12/06

Notice of Petition to Change Name of Child in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV10767-4++ Shannon Strozier filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on November 3, 2014 to change the name of the following minor child(ren) from: Tyreus Narague Thomas, Jr. to Tu’riko David Fortson. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within prescribed in OCGA 19-12-1(f)(2) and (3). Dated: Nov. 3, 2014 Shannon Strozier Petitioner, Pro se 3666 Stanford Circle Decatur, GA 30034 (678) 927-4220 11/15, 11/22, 11/26, 12/6

Notice of Petition to Change Name of Adult in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV10818-5++ Lizzie Louise Hogan filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on November 5, 2014 to change the name from: Lizzie Louise Hogan to Lizzie Louise Hampton. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Nov. 5, 2014 Lizzie Hogan Petitioner, Pro se 2817 Misty Water Drive

Decatur, GA 30032 404-553-1992 11/08, 11/15, 11/22, 11/26

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV9695-3++ Marlene Wilson-Taylor Plaintiff Vs. Rodney B. Wilson Defendant To: Rodney B. Wilson 14200 Vance Jackson, #2308 San Antonio, TX 78249 By Order of the Court for service by publication dated October 30, 2014 you are hereby notified that on Oct. 3, 2014, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Marlene Wilson-Taylor, P.O. Box 450423, Atlanta, GA 31145. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of October 30, 2014. Witness the Honorable Clarence Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 30th day of October, 2014 11/08, 11/15, 11/22, 11/26

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV7698-7++ Tiffany S. Cunningham Plaintiff Vs. Zebulon Cunningham Defendant To: Zebulon Cunningham 2909 Nells Ct. Augusta, GA 30906

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated October 17, 2014 you are hereby notified that on August 1, 2014, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Tiffany S. Cunningham, 4341 Ward Bluff Ct., Ellenwood, GA 30294. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of October 17, 2014. Witness the Honorable Daniel M. Coursey, Jr., Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 30th day of October, 2014

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV10557-7++ Stanley Preston Plaintiff Vs. Tiffany Preston Defendant To: Tiffany Preston 570 Ashburton Decatur, GA 30032 By Order of the Court for service by publication dated Nov. 5, 2014 you are

hereby notified that on Nov. 1, 2014, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Stanley Preston, 570 Ashburton, Decatur, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Nov. 5, 2014. Witness the Honorable Daniel M. Coursey, Jr., Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 5th day of Nov., 2014

DeKalb County Sheriff Office

Jeffrey L. Mann, Sheriff 4415 Memorial Drive • Decatur, GA 30032

11/08, 11/15, 11/22, 11/26

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV10435-8 ++ Angelica K. Clarke Plaintiff Vs. Marlon Mullinas Defendant To: Marlon Mullinas By Order of the Court for service by publication dated October 29, 2014 you are hereby notified that on October 27, 2014, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Angelica K. Clarke, 6202 Wesley Kensington, Lithonia, GA 30038. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of October 29, 2014. Witness the Honorable Linda W. Hunter, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 30th day of October, 2014

Sex Offender

Solomon Mustopher Michael Stainbrook Antonio Grable 629 Rock Shadow Court 5281 O’Shea Lane 2763 McAfee Road Stone Mountain, GA Stn. Mountain, GA 30088. Decatur, GA 30032. 30087. Charge of Lewd or Charge of Child Charge of Sexual Battery. Lascivious Acts with Child Molestation. Under 14 years. Convicted on 10/16/2000. Convicted on 5/28/1981 Convicted on 8/5/1988

Robert Miller 1166 Mannbrook Drive Stn. Mountain, GA 30083. Charge of Sexual Exploitation of Children. Convicted on 6/20/2006.

Laurent Robertson Homeless Decatur, GA 30030. Charge of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude. Convicted on 9/8/2014

11/15, 11/22, 11/26, 12/06

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County

The DeKalb Sex Offenders List is published by the DeKalb County Sheriff Office. For more information call the Sex Offender Unit at 404-298-8130.

CrossRoadsNews

Youth

November 22, 2014

“I think it’s easier for them to grasp the concept and then go home and educate their elders so that we get the maximum participation.”

DeKalb students collect 52 tons of recyclables in a month By Ken Watts

In October, students from 17 DeKalb schools saved 52 tons of paper, plastics, wood, and glass from the county landfill. For their efforts, the top five schools that collected the most recyclables – Livsey Elementary and DeKalb Early College Academy, Arabia Mountain, Clarkston and Cedar Grove high schools – won more than $5,000 in cash awards and field trip vouchers. The “DeKalb Makes Recycling Simple” competition, sponsored by Keep DeKalb Beautiful, took place Oct. 1-31. Gordon Burkette, Keep DeKalb Beautiful’s director, said the total of 104,400 pounds of recyclable material collected by the students in such a short time shows that recycling at schools makes sense. Gordon Burkette “You all are to be commended,” he told the students. “You are all winners.” The competition was part of a pilot program to prepare the school district for a systemwide recycling program that will be implemented in January. It also demonstrated the benefits of recycling to the students and sought to instill in them good environmental habits that could help reduce litter and cut some out-of-classroom expenses for the school district. At a Nov. 12 rally featuring the Southwest DeKalb High School Drumline, DeKalb interim CEO Lee May and Schools Superintendent Michael Thurmond presented the award checks and field-trip bus vouchers to the winning schools. Livsey Elementary, which collected 22 pounds of recyclables per student at the school in Tucker, won the first-place award of $2,000.

Photos by Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Livsey Elementary (above) and Clarkston High (at left) were among the top five schools that collected the most recyclables in October. The top schools received checks and field trip vouchers at a Nov. 12 rally.

DeKalb Early College Academy won second place and $1,000. Arabia Mountain High placed third and got $800, and Clarkston High was in fourth place and got $700. Fifthplace winner Cedar Grove High got $600. Cedar Grove, Hightower, Redan and Panola Way elementary schools; Cedar Grove, Peachtree, Redan, Druid Hills and Lithonia middle schools; and Chamblee, Druid Hills, and Elizabeth Andrews high schools also participated in the competition. The students were joined by DeKalb School System and county government ad-

ministrators, teachers and sanitation workers for the rally that took place in the auditorium at the school district’s headquarters in Stone Mountain. In 2015, the school district plans to implement recycling in all 139 schools – about 10,000 classrooms – by this time next year. It also will promote the benefits of recycling through social media, print materials, field trips and guest speakers at the schools. May said landfills have a limited life expectancy, emit toxic gases, and are unhealthy for the environment and people living near

them. “Recycling is really the best option,” he told the students. The DeKalb Makes Recycling Simple campaign blends existing school recycling practices with innovations to make the effort more successful. Burkette said the effort will promote sustainability by incrementally changing behaviors. It simplifies recycling by allowing single containers to hold many kinds of materials such as plastics, paper, cardboard, aluminum, tin and steel. The containers will be placed in classrooms, administration offices, cafeterias and hallways. “Instead of going to the right to put something in the garbage can, you put it in the recycling container on the left,” Burkette said. DeKalb Sanitation Director Billy Malone said the campaign’s overall goal is to improve the long-range quality of life in the county by making children strong advocates of recycling. “I think it’s easier for Billy Malone them to grasp the concept and then go home and educate their elders so that we get the maximum participation on recycling possible,” he said. “They’re the future leaders, and if we can get them recycling, it’ll be easier for everybody once they get to be adults.” Nutrition workers, custodians, teachers and school administrators will help the students to recycle. A.J. Brown, a DECA 10th-grader, said the competition instilled a desire to make the world sustainable. “This showed us that it doesn’t matter how small or big your school is as long as you have determination, you can recycle and you can make a difference,” A.J. said.

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Reader Notice As a service to you – our valued readers – we offer the following information: This newspaper will never knowingly accept any advertisement that is illegal or considered fraudulent. If you have questions or doubts about any ads on these pages, we advise that before responding or sending money ahead of time, you check with the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Line and/or the Better Business Bureau. They may have records or documented complaints that will serve to caution you about doing business with those advertisers. Also be advised that some phone numbers published in these ads may require an extra charge. In all cases of questionable value, such as promises or guaranteed income from work-at-home programs, money to loan, etc., if it sounds too good to be true – it may in fact be exactly that. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for any negative consequences that occur as a result of you doing business with any advertisers. Thank you.

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Miscellaneous Advertise your product or service nationwide or by region in over 7 million households in North America’s best suburbs! Place your classified ad in over 570 suburban newspapers just like this one. Call Classified Avenue at 888-486-2466 DISH TV Retailer. Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available.) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 800-2781401 DirectTV - 2 Year Savings Event! Over 140 channels only $29.99 a month. Only DirecTV gives you 2 YEARS of savings and a FREE Genie upgrade! Call 1-800-2793018 Protect Your Home - ADT Authorized Dealer: Burglary, Fire, and Emergency Alerts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! CALL TODAY, INSTALLED TOMORROW! 888-858-9457 (M-F 9am-9pm ET) FREE $50 WALMART GIFT CARD & 3 FREE issues of YOUR FAVORITE MAGAZINES! To claim this free offer, Call 855954-3224 FREE BAHAMA CRUISE. 3 days/2 nights from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Pay only $59 port charge! Upgrades available! Call Now! 877-916-3235 FREE GOLD IRA KIT. With the demise of the dollar now is the time to invest in gold. AAA Rated! For free consultation: 1-866-683-5664

CrossRoadsNews

November 22, 2014

Youth

“It was a superb networking tool. It challenged each of the competitors to be better with their business … to be professional.”

High school student makes mark as a budding entrepreneur Tucker High senior Donté Watkins, who founded Second Chance Tutoring, competed in the quarterfinals of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s Youth National Entrepreneurship Challenge in California in October. His trip to represent the Southeast region in the national competition in Silicon Valley, Calif., on Oct. 8-10 was secured with a $1,000 first-place prize he won in the spring in the Youth Entrepreneurs Georgia business plan competition. More than 40 students from across the country vied for a $25,000 grand prize in the competition presented by the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth. Donté said he met many business leaders and like-minded youth entrepreneurs and made valuable contacts. “It was a superb networking tool,” said Donté, director/CEO of Second Chance Tu-

Second Chance Tutoring founder Donte’ Watkins was among 40 students vying in the NFTE Youth National Entrepreneurship Challenge in California in October.

toring. “It challenged each of the competitors to be better with their business, challenged everyone to be professional, and gave us an opportunity to show our early-born passions.” Donté, who was a volunteer math tutor

while at Henderson Middle School, enrolled in the YEG class at Tucker High in August 2013 where he learned the fundamentals of starting a business and wrote a business plan. His plan for Second Chance Tutoring,

which provides “a second chance outside the classroom” for grades k-10 students struggling in math, won him the YEG regional competition. Under the guidance of business and computer science teacher Glenda Ferguson, Donté, who is president of Tucker High’s FBLA, won first-place in the 2014 Future Business Leaders of America Region Leadership Conference and sixth-place honors in entrepreneurship at the FBLA State Leadership Conference. He is a YEG Business Plan Competition winner, a DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Apex Youth Entrepreneur and the Ernst & Young Southeast Region Youth Entrepreneur of the Year. Donté plans to pursue a master’s in business administration. For more information, visit www .secondchancetutoring.yolasite.com and www.nfte.com.

insurance

Marketplace

COSMETICS

PUBLIC NOTICE

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MARKETPLACE RATES Place your MarketPlace line ad here – up to 20 words for $25. Additional words are $3 per block of five words (maximum 45 words). Boxed Ads (with up to 3 lines bold headline): $35 plus cost of the classified ad. Send ad copy with check or credit card information and contact phone number (if different from ad) to MarketPlace, CrossRoadsNews, 2346 Candler Road, Decatur, GA 30032, or e-mail to marketplace@crossroadsnews. com. Our deadlines are at noon on the Friday one week prior to publication, unless otherwise noted.

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CrossRoadsNews

November 22, 2014