CrossRoadsNews, October 4, 2014

COMMUNITY

YOUTH

SCENE

Early voting begins in DeKalb County on Oct. 13, and seven early voting polls will open across the county, including Sunday voting at three sites. 3

The Gifted Hands Academy in Lithonia is now an Accelerated Christian Education Model Status school. 7

Tickets are now on sale for the 10th annual “Stompin’ at the Savoy” taking place Nov. 8 at the Holiday Inn Perimeter/Dunwoody. 11

Early voting around the corner

Excellence in education

It’s ‘Savoy’ time

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

Copyright © 2014 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

October 4, 2014

www.crossroadsnews.com

Volume 20, Number 23

Ellis: ‘I never promised anything’ to county vendors

By Ken Watts

On Oct. 1, suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis took the stand to counter allegations that he strong-armed county vendors for campaign contributions. He denied exploiting contractors.

Ciber Inc. Ellis allegedly threatened to pull business from Ciber if it didn’t contribute.

Speaking publicly for the first time, Ellis faced the jury and said he was told that Ciber would not donate until it learned whether it would receive a contract with DeKalb.

“Had I known they had [a bid], I wouldn’t have called for a contribution,” he said. “I never asked anything in exchange for a campaign contribution. I never promised anything.”

Ellis testified that he wanted to give vendors credit, not for contributing to his cam-

Suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis took the witness stand in his own defense on Oct. 1, seeking to personally introduce himself to the jury that will decide his fate and counter nearly three weeks of prosecution testimony that painted him as a corrupt county official.

Ellis is fighting a 13-count felony indictment that accuses him of strong-arming DeKalb vendors for donations to his 2012 re-election campaign.

Under oath, Ellis denied exploiting contractors, specifically the IT consulting firm Please see ELLIS, page 5

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Property values slow to rebound in South DeKalb DeKalb Board of Equalization member Phyllis Vann talks with Ricky and Ilane Warren during their Sept. 23 hearing on their 2014 property assessment which tripled their 2013 values.

Unincorporated areas still impacted by foreclosure crisis

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Property values are on the rebound for DeKalb County, but not so much in South DeKalb.

County Chief Appraiser Calvin Hicks says that after a flat digest in 2012 and 2013, real estate values are up 6 percent to 7 percent in 2014.

“This is the first increase since 2008,” Hicks said.

But the growth is propelled mostly by the county’s cities. Hicks says that the incorporated areas had a higher percentage increase.

“Chamblee with annexation had a 34.7 percent increase,” he said. “Decatur is growing by leaps and bounds. I just have to go outside my office to see them building on every available space. They are taking out older houses and building new ones in their place.”

The rebound in property values comes after four years of decline.

But while the cities are enjoying a big rebound, Hicks says the unincorporated areas, especially those south of Memorial Drive, have increased less than 2 percent.

The big reason – South DeKalb was ground zero for the foreclosure tsunami that hit DeKalb County between 2009 and 2012 and wiped out millions of dollars of real estate value.

As banks and other financial institutions divested themselves of vacant and sometimes vandalized foreclosed properties, Hicks said the sheer number of below-market value properties took their toll on the hard-hit unincorporated areas.

“A large number of properties placed on the market take control of the market,” he said. “If you are in a neighborhood with 200 houses and 30 percent are foreclosed on and

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

are being sold at bargain prices, your values will go down and you will have a difficult time selling.”

At the height of the foreclosure crisis in the summer of 2010, Georgia ranked eighth in the nation for foreclosures, and DeKalb County, with 13,903 foreclosed homes, ranked third statewide for the highest number of foreclosed properties behind Fulton and Gwinnett counties.

In June 2010, the dismal situation prompted then District 7 County Commissioner Connie Stokes to push for a 90-day moratorium on pending foreclosures to give property owners additional time to pursue counseling, loan modifications and other workout plans from HUD-approved counseling agencies.

In October 2010, the DeKalb Board of Commissioners approved a Foreclosure Registry ordinance to help fight the blight brought on by the proliferation of boarded vacant and abandoned buildings. The ordinance required owners of foreclosed properties to pay a $175 fee to register the property with the county or face fines of $1,000 per

day per property.

The law capped the fines per property at $100,000 per calendar year. The registry opened with 528 properties, but by 2011, registry manager Tonza Clark said it had 4,793.

Last year, the number of properties in the registry declined for the first time to 2,203.

Through September this year, it has 10,494 registered properties.

The first hint of recovery came in September 2013, when the Atlanta Regional Commission reported that the number of “seriously delinquent” homeowners – those 90 days past due or already in the foreclosure inventory – had declined below the December 2010 to March 2013 rates.

At that time, Georgia ranked seventh among the top 25 metro areas nationally for overall decline in serious delinquency rate.

property values rebounded to $10.2 billion for an average price of $59,769 per parcel.

In contrast, the property values in the county’s cities went from a high of $9.1 billion in 2008 to $7.8 billion in 2013. This year, the assessed value of the cities’ 64,732 parcels is $8.9 billion for an average price of $137,490 per parcel, more than twice the value of a parcel in south DeKalb County.

Between 2008 and 2014, the number of parcels in cities more than doubled from 31,067 to 64,732 with annexations and the formation of two new cities, Dunwoody and Brookhaven.

But Hicks said that’s not the whole story.

For example, he said a building boom in the city of Decatur also has helped that city’s property values go up.

“When I go outside of my office, I see new houses going up everywhere,” Hicks said. “Decatur has really blossomed. EveryAssessed values creeping up again where you go, new construction is under way From a high of $14.9 billion in 2008, the where old buildings once stood, and these are assessed values of unincorporated DeKalb’s $500,000 homes.”

170,657 parcels declined to their lowest level – $6.3 billion in 2013. This year, the assessed Please see ASSESSMENTS, page 3

2

CrossRoadsNews

October 4, 2014

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October 4, 2014

Community

“We are concerned the county’s revised proposal does not achieve a framework that will lead to our mutual success.”

Y withdraws from partnership The Metropolitan YMCA has withdrawn from the public/private partnership to renovate and expand the South DeKalb Y. In a Sept. 9 letter to DeKalb interim CEO Lee May, the Y’s president and CEO, Edward Munster, asked to withdraw its master agreement from the formal vote of the Board of Commissioners.

“We are concerned the county’s revised proposal does not achieve a framework that will lead to our mutual success,” he wrote.

Munster said the Y’s executive committee voted to pursue alternate approaches to funding for its service to South DeKalb residents.

Under the agreement, the county would have purchased the 18-acre South DeKalb YMCA for $4.9 million and leased it back to the YMCA for $1 a year for 50 years.

But opposition to the proposal prompted changes, including requiring the YMCA to offer free access to the membership-based Y. Munster said that the Y, which has served South DeKalb residents since 1970, remains steadfast in its commitment to the community and that its membership fees will remain sensitive to household incomes.

In a joint Sept. 17 letter to Y members and the community, the South DeKalb Y’s executive director, Curtis Winston, and board Chair Maurice Evans Jr. said the YMCA has to withdraw because the changed framework “would cause the YMCA to change the very

essence of who we are.”

They said the YMCA is fully committed to enhancing the South DeKalb Y facilities.

“Efforts are presently under way to develop another option that will allow us to accomplish the end results we were seeking in the partnership with DeKalb County,” they said. “During this process, we welcome your comments and suggestions.”

DeKalb delegation sets three dates for town hall meetings The DeKalb House Delegation is hosting three town hall meetings across the county to hear from residents before the new legislative session starts.

All three meetings take place 7-9 p.m. n Oct. 13 at Brookhaven City Hall, 4362 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven. n Oct. 21 at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. n Oct. 28 at the Porter Sanford Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur.

For more information, contact Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick at dkendrick@kendrickforgeorgia.com.

The number of boarded up foreclosed that proliferated during the foreclosure crisis are on the decline in South DeKalb.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Voters can cast early ballots for the Nov. 4 general election at seven polling sites.

Early voting begins Oct. 13 Early voting begins in DeKalb County on Oct. 13, and seven early voting polls will open across the county.

On Oct. 26, voters also will be able to cast ballots on a Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at the DeKalb Voter Registration & Elections Office, the Gallery at South DeKalb and the Chamblee Conference Center.

The in-person early voting sites are open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the following locations: n The Gallery at South DeKalb, 2801 Candler Road, Decatur. n DeKalb Voter Registration & Elections Office, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur.

n Tucker Recreation Center, 4898 LaVista Road, Tucker. n Chamblee Civic Center, 3540 Broad St., Chamblee. n Brookhaven City Hall, 4362 Peachtree Road N.E., Brookhaven. n Clark Harrison Building, 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. n Berean Community Center, 2440 Young Road, Stone Mountain.

On Nov. 4, Election Day, all precincts are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find your polling place and see your sample ballot, visit My Voter Page at www.sos.state.ga.us or www.dekalbvotes.com. For more information, call 404-298-4020.

Appeals swamp Equalization Board ASSESSMENTS,

from page

1

The foreclosure effect on South DeKalb was so deep and broad, property values are taking a long time to rebound. Hicks says the effect will lessen as the volume of foreclosures continues to decline.

“If there is no product available at discounted rate, the value has to rise,” he said.

“We now have a significantly lower number of foreclosures than in 2013, which is leading to the increase in value.”

As assessments improve, the DeKalb Board of Equalization has been swamped with appeals.

After a two-year decline from 19,540 appeals in 2011 to 7,776 appeals in 2013, appeals are up to 10,976 this year because some South DeKalb property owners have seen their assessments jump as much as 600 percent in one year.

Stone Mountain couple Ricky and Ilane Warren saw assessed value of their fourbedroom/two-bathroom home in Carroll Woods Estate more than triple this year to $82,000 from $25,000 in 2013.

On Sept. 23, they went to the Board of Equalization to try to get it decreased.

The Warrens say they bought the house in 1993 for $78,000. By 2007 at the height of the South DeKalb housing boom, it was assessed for $125,000.

While waiting for their hearing with Board 7 on the fourth floor of the county’s Callaway Building in downtown Decatur, the couple said they didn’t understand the reason for such a big jump in a single year.

“How can that be,” asked Ilane Warren.

“Where is the value coming from? What

made it change?”

She said they know why the values dropped during the housing crisis.

“That was the foreclosures,” she said.

“That area definitely hasn’t come back. It doesn’t have that value.”

When it was their turn before the board, Ricky Warren asked board members Beryl Glenn, Helen Baily and Phyllis Vann how the value of their house could jump that much.

“How could that happen in one 12-month period,” he asked.

His wife told the board that a foreclosed house across the street from them sold for $19,000.

“The area is depressed,” she said. “There are a lot of rental and Section 8 properties.

Does that affect our values?”

County appraiser Gorthel Smith, who appraised the Warrens’ home, told board members that he used comparable 2013 sales in their neighborhood, which he said was 12 miles around their house.

While he couldn’t find any sales on their street, Smith said he used sales of comparable houses on High Meadow and Colony East to determine the value of the Warrens’ house.

He said those houses sold for $30.55 to $41.60 per square foot.

Ricky Warren wanted to know if he would get that valuation if he were to sell his house.

“If I put my house on the market, can I ask $82,000,” he asked.

Everyone in the room laughed.

“You can ask what you like,” board member Vann said.

After a brief consultation with a fellow board member, Glenn, the board’s chair-

Fall Convocation

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

To All Alumni of DeKalb Area Vocational School (1961 - 1963) DeKalb Area Technical School (1963 - 1972) DeKalb Community College-Technical Division (1972 - 1986) DeKalb Technical Institute (1986 - 2000) DeKalb Technical College (2000 - 2011) Georgia Piedmont Technical College (2011 - 2014)

Please join President Jabari Simama for

fall Convocation

Bridging from Our Past, Building for Our Future

Thursday, october 23, 2014 11:00 a.m.

Georgia Piedmont Technical College Conference Center, DeKalb Campus 495 N. Indian Creek Drive Clarkston, GA 30021

RSVP by October 16, 2014, to Seddrick Hill at hills@gptc.edu or (404) 297-9522 ext. 1828 Celebratory lunch to follow

4

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 Copy Editor Brenda Yarbrough Advertising Sales Kathy E. Warner Billing Clerk 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.

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CrossRoadsNews

October 4, 2014

“Now, there is a chance for police and the community to hear each other.”

Foreclosure crisis closing door on American Dream

By Martin Luther King III

Last year, my family and I were honored to join millions around the world in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the landmark March on Washington. Beyond the powerful exhortation against racism of my father’s “I Have a Dream” speech, however, the organizers were demanding economic justice along with civil rights for AfricanAmericans and all who were being shut out of the American Dream.

Today, the disproportionate impact of the foreclosure crisis in communities of color – 17 foreclosures per 1,000 homes in minority ZIP codes as opposed to 10 per 1,000 in white communities – underscores the collateral damage of the greed-fueled push to force struggling families of all ethnicities to forfeit their own pieces of the “Dream.”

My father, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., spent a lifetime working to combat the destructive trifecta of poverty, racism and violence. In our view, the growing dissolution of homeownership, the primary opportunity for building net wealth for hard-working Americans, constitutes nothing less than “economic violence” being perpetrated against the most financially vulnerable constituency.

In the context of the foreclosure crisis, it occurred to me that the six steps for nonviolent social change that my father used in many of his most successful campaigns could be applied to launch an inclusive movement to address the issues

“In our view, the growing dissolution of homeownership, the primary opportunity for building net wealth for hard-working Americans, constitutes nothing less than ‘economic violence’ being perpetrated against the most financially vulnerable constituency.”

Martin Luther King III

around foreclosures.

Nonviolence is a time-honored process with the following phases: (1) Information Gathering; (2) Education; (3) Personal Commitment; (4) Discussion/Negotiation; (5) Direct Action; and (6) Reconciliation. The objective is to defeat injustice through reasoned and non-hostile compromise. That is our mission.

In January 2013, we participated in a national community outreach effort sponsored by the Independent Foreclosure Review, an entity established by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve and the Office of Thrift Supervision, to assist in providing remediation for affected homeowners. Although nearly 8 million people were reached through churches nationwide, we were shocked to learn that the IFR was abruptly terminated before it could even help a single borrower.

Since the beginning of the housing crisis, some 4.9 million homeowners are in foreclosure and 1.9 million families continue to struggle to stay current on their mortgages. A large percentage of them are “under water.”

With so much suffering – and

homeownership at its lowest level in two decades – it is abhorrent that certain powerful hedge funds and insurance conglomerates are pushing hard for more foreclosures rather than sustainable resolutions that would allow families to keep their homes. This pro-foreclosure campaign seeks to unravel the reduction objectives in federal remediation settlements and block the use of loan modifications to restore stability in communities.

The real eye-opener is that it is a $9.4 trillion problem affecting some 9 million citizens. The growing erosion of wealth and equity is bankrupting minority and other disadvantaged citizens whose aspirations for homeownership are being jeopardized by huge corporate financial institutions whose callous indifference to the plight of struggling families is reprehensible.

Unfortunately, there is still a widespread misperception that the devastating subprime scandal is behind us. But Beyond Broke, a report prepared by the Washington-based Center for Global Policy Solutions, analyzes the systemic roots of the economic disparities manifested in the continuing housing crisis.

With homeownership remaining

the “key driver of wealth,” the farreaching adverse consequences of foreclosure are inevitable.

We have recently reached out to Attorney General Eric Holder and urged his intervention to counter the aggressive pro-foreclosure campaign that is disproportionately undermining the stability of minority communities and exacerbating neighborhood blight. (See the full text of my letter to Holder at http://www.mlk3.com.)

We are reminded that Title VIII of the 1968 Civil Rights Act, also known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex (and as amended) handicap and family status. President Lynden Johnson rallied support for the bill as a fitting tribute to my father’s legacy, exactly one week after he was taken from us.

Today, some 46 years later, there is still much more work to be done.

But the stakes are even higher now.

After generations of hardship and hard work to pursue the better life promised by the American Dream, disadvantaged communities are now headed toward certain bankruptcy with the loss of their most significant net wealth asset – homeownership.

Policy-makers, regulators and fiduciaries overseeing the mortgage market simply cannot allow that to happen when so many have sacrificed so much to open the door to that “Dream.”

Martin Luther King III is the older son of the late civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Building partnerships between police and community

By Ben Jealous

What is community policing?

In the wake of increased shootings in Ferguson, Mo., and around the country, there has been a renewed public interest in the role of police, the extent of police brutality, and the prevalence of racial bias.

These are not Ben Jealous new issues, and in fact a number of organizations have been working for decades to increase trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Among these is the National Coalition Building Institute, a nonprofit leadership program headquartered in Washington, D.C., whose leaders I spoke with recently.

Founded in 1984, NCBI focuses on eliminating prejudice and resolving inter-group conflict. They work in cities across the U.S. and overseas to build the capacity of local leaders in schools, college campuses, police departments, and environmental organizations to lead prevention-oriented work-

shops and to intervene in the face of tough inter-group conflict. One of NCBI’s key programs, the Law Enforcement Community Citizen Project, focuses on building productive relationships between police and the communities they serve.

Some communities have contacted NCBI when white police officers and people or neighborhoods of color are singled out by police.

NCBI has learned that it is best to offer communities a preventionoriented, trust building approach.

This way, law enforcement and community activists work in partnership to increase safety for all citizens in the community.

Fabienne Brooks, NCBI’s Law Enforcement Program co-director, says an important part of community policing occurs when an officer recognizes that they are part of a community, and the community understands the same about the officer.

“It includes forming empathetic relationships between law enforcement and community members, which results in increased officer safety and safety for all members of the community,” she said.

Brooks, a retired chief of de-

tectives for Seattle’s King County Police Department, was the first black female officer hired as a deputy. Throughout her career, she says she made a point to immerse herself in the community she served. The neighborhood she patrolled was the same neighborhood where she attended church and raised her family. After 26 years on the job, she retired and joined NCBI to continue her passion for community policing.

Brooks says that the NCBI Law Enforcement Community Partnership project builds trust between law enforcement and community leaders by helping each side to understand the daily realities of the other.

Each has a key story to tell. Each deserves respectful listening. By teaching listening skills and conflict resolution practices and by helping each side see the humanity and legitimate concerns of the other, trust and partnership increase.

NCBI also teaches skill sets that help each side confront the biases they have learned about each other that get in the way of equitable treatment of the entire community – particularly the equitable treatment of people from different

racial groups. It believes in practices that will bring about institutional change, – not one-time trainings or quick fixes.

In Ferguson, Brooks sees an opportunity for an effective community-policing program to emerge from the chaos and violence of the past few weeks.

“Now, there is a chance for police and the community to hear each other,” she said. “The focus needs to be on how people are treated. If you can train officers how to treat ALL people with dignity and respect – that is a victory.”

Guillermo Lopez, who co-directs with Brooks, says community policing cannot be accomplished with the wave of a wand.

“You don’t go in trying to change a whole department,” he said. “You go in trying to change a few people, who eventually come to change the whole department.”

For healing to happen, Brooks says police officers and the community have to hear tough things, say tough things and confront their prejudices together.

“This is how we will move forward,” he said.

For more information, visit www.ncbi.org.

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October 4, 2014

Community

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CrossRoadsNews

“A vibrant, economically robust downtown is a sign of an actively engaged community.”

Stone Mountain Village wins economic development award The city of Stone Mountain recently nabbed outstanding achievement in urban design, economic development, organizational projects and downtown promotions at the 2014 Georgia Downtown Conference Awards of Excellence ceremony.

The Stone Mountain Downtown Development Authority and ART Station Contemporary Arts Center received a Silver Award in Economic Development for the partnership to create, promote and develop an arts incubator program with a mission of refurbishing vacant and at-risk properties in the downtown area. The program not only refurbished the spaces, it also provided an arts studio and gallery in each space.

It was among 13 Georgia cities that received gold, silver or bronze awards in each of the four categories. The city of Cartersville won the prestigious Downtown Development Program of the Year award. More than 50 communities statewide competed this year.

Gov. Nathan Deal, who announced the

From left Billy Peppers, Anita Jordan; Michael Hidalgo and David Thomas, Faruk Kaiyum; Mechel McKinley, Mayor Pro Tem Chakira Johnson and Tommy Lowmon.

winners at an Aug. 21 ceremony in Decatur, said downtowns are the heart of communities.

“These award-winning cities set the standard for downtowns across the state and nation,” he said. “A vibrant, economically robust downtown is a sign of an actively engaged community committed to enhancing its economic competitiveness and its

quality of life.”

Gretchen Corbin, Georgia Department of Community Affairs commissioner, said great downtowns are huge economic assets.

“These awards recognize the effort and dedication of many people – elected officials, staff, volunteers and citizens – and encourage other communities to explore ways to enhance their downtowns,” Corbin said.

SDIA raising funds for cityhood study The South DeKalb Improvement Association is raising $5,000 to pay for a feasibility study for cityhood for South DeKalb.

The group says that the creation of new cities in the northern part of DeKalb County will have a financial impact on South DeKalb residents and that without a good commercial base in the southern part, property taxes will go up. To donate, visit http://www. southdekalbcityhood.blogspot.com and click on the Donate button or www. facebook.com/southdekalbcityhood and click on “Donate to Cityhood for South DeKalb.”

For more information, email CityhoodSD@gmail.com.

Ellis character witnesses include a congressman and former ambassador ELLIS,

from page

1

paign, but for providing financial assistance for DeKalb events like the State of the County address and the county’s employee picnic.

He said “points” would go to vendors who were “good partners.”

Ellis said Purchasing Director Kelvin Walton, an unindicted co-conspirator who secretly taped their conversation for the District Attorney’s Office, offered to help him raise money for his re-election campaign.

Walton, the prosecution’s star witness testified for three days last week. He was caught lying to a special purpose grand jury that was investigating alleged corruption in the Department of Watershed Management.

Prosecutors objected to the line of questioning about the Walton fundraising offer, but defense lawyer Craig Gillen said it illustrates that Ellis delegated authority.

“It shows Ellis was pushing power away, rather than bringing it in,” Gillen said.

Asked how he raised money for his county commissioner campaign and for his first term as CEO, Ellis said he had his own contacts.

“I built a network of family and friends,” he said. “You start making phone calls to those folks. You reach out to people you know, and ask them to reach out to people they know. You ask people to contribute. You have to ask.”

During cross-examination, prosecutors played a recorded conversation between Ellis and Walton.

“I’m about to bring in some good strong brothers into this government, where maybe I had white people in place before,” Ellis said.

Ellis explained what he meant.

“I went out looking for the best people,” he said. “A number of talented AfricanAmericans happened to stand out.”

The first few minutes of Ellis’ testimony , District Attorney Robert James repeated objected to Gillen’s line of questioning.

James took issue with Gillen’s efforts to get Ellis to talk about his family and professional background and questioned the relevance of the information.

Before Ellis took the stand, his wife, attorney Philippa Ellis, testified as one of several character witnesses.

She said the relationship between her husband and Walton was a “jovial frat brother kind of thing” and that Walton often called Ellis late at night on county business.

Former Chief Administrative Adviser Richard Stogner said that it’s not unusual for the CEO and commissioners to meet with vendors and that as an employee he felt no pressure to donate to Ellis’ campaign.

“I trusted him,” Stogner said. “I think

he’s truthful.”

Stogner said he “had no idea” that Walton had taken money from vendors to help Ellis’ special assistant Nina Hall.

Former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young testified briefly Wednesday. He said Ellis’ “reputation has been very good.”

Congressman testifies U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) testified Tuesday. He said that he has known Ellis since the early 1990s. As lawyers, Johnson said they were members of the same bar association.

He testified that Ellis “is an honest individual, a man of good character.”

“Would it surprise you to know that he equated employees keeping their jobs to them giving to his campaign?” asked James, referring to secret recordings of Ellis talking with Walton in 2012.

“I’d be surprised if there was not a reasonable explanation for whatever utterance you’re attributing to him,” Johnson said.

Defense attorney Dwight Thomas objected when the prosecution posed the same question to character witness Jan Selman.

The political consultant who has lived in DeKalb for 50 years said she had known Ellis since he was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2000.

DeKalb Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson allowed the questioning to continue.

Former Commissioner Judy Yates, who served on the County Commission for 12 years, was the first defense witness called to the stand. Ellis’ lawyers wanted to use Yates’ testimony to show that other elected officials used vendor lists for political purposes.

Yates, who was elected to the board in 1992, ran unsuccessfully for CEO in 2004, the year Vernon Jones won.

Yates described what she said was a strange encounter with Walton at a county government open house event at the Holiday Inn in Decatur. She said it was about two months before the June primary.

“I was getting ready to leave when Walton

came over to me and asked, ‘How are you raising your money?’” she said.

She told Walton that she had a list of longtime contributors.

“He said, ‘You should be using the county vendor list. Tell you what, I’ll get you one. You may as well have it. Everyone else does.’”

Yates said a 30-page vendor list was delivered to her office the next day.

“I felt it was very strange and inappropriate for someone working for the Purchasing Department to be handing out a vendor list,” she told Thomas.

James attacked Yates’ credibility on crossexamination.

“How do you know it wasn’t a certified list off the county Web site?,” he asked. “Your testimony is that you don’t know who generated the list.”

Yates said she wasn’t there when he got it.

“But I got it from Kelvin Walton,” she said.

Closing arguments could come as early as Monday.

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Attend a GPC Open House.

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A BETTER WAY FORWARD

6

Youth

CrossRoadsNews

October 4, 2014

“Parent engagement is the key to success and these students have outstanding support from their families.”

REACH Scholarships for four Bethune students Four Bethune Middle School students are among eight students from two DeKalb schools who have been awarded $10,000 REACH Scholarships each to attend colleges and universities in Georgia.

Ly’Asia Henderson, Deion Kelly, Ciandra Lowe and Eternity Snead received the awards in a ceremony on Sept. 24 in the DeKalb County School District board room.

The other recipients are Samantha Cruz, Debajyoti Das, Jennifer Godoy and Thuan Tran of Sequoyah Middle School.

The needs-based grants require each student to sign a contract to maintain a certain grade point average; remain crime-, drug- and behavior-issue free; and meet with a volunteer mentor until they graduate from high school.

Their parents also signed a contract to support their students through their education.

Superintendent Michael Thurmond commended the middle schoolers “for their commitment to academic and personal growth.”

“Parent engagement is the key to success and these students have outstanding support from their families,” he said.

Students who applied for the grants were selected by the principals from each school in consultation with teachers and counselors.

Selection was based on academic achievement, references and teacher recommendations.

Several Georgia institutions, including the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State University, have committed to matching twice the REACH Scholarship amount.

The REACH Scholarship program is funded entirely with private money raised by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt foundation. It is housed at the Georgia Student Finance Commission, the state agency that provides financial aid for higher education for Georgia students.

The Dottie Bridges 10 and Under Team captured the USTA Atlanta City Champion title over the summer.

Kindergarten, first grade learn French, German Kindergarten and first-grade students are learning French and German at three DeKalb District schools.

The language immersion programs, which are in their second year, are offered at Rockbridge Elementary in Stone Mountain, Evansdale Elementary in Doraville and Ashford Park Elementary in Atlanta.

Rockbridge and Evansdale students are learning French, and German is being taught at Ashford Park Elementary.

As part of their studies, the students learn math and science content in French and German.

The language immersion programs are funded by three grants from the Georgia Department of Education that were awarded to the school district in 2013.

For more information, visit www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/school-

Dottie Bridges 10u Team wins USTA title The Dottie Bridges 10u Tennis Team is the 2014 USTA Atlanta City Champion.

The team of 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds from Meadowbrook Glen and other South DeKalb subdivisions competed over the summer at Druid Hills Country Club, Ansley Golf Club, and Peachtree Station of Norcross.

To claim the championship, the team members – Jeremiah Todd, Kennedy Talbert, Logan Butts, Declan Butts, Aria Adams, Kenedy Hampton, Myla Somersall, Isaiah McBean, Camille Irvin, Terrell Small, Sierra Harrison, and Ajani Claxton-Warner – defeated Kennesaw’s Paces Club, Marietta’s Chimney Springs squad and Alpharetta’s Glen Abbey.

The championship victory caps a remarkable 2014 season in which the team had five wins and one loss during the regular season.

The Dottie Bridges 10 and Under Team adds to a record of winning. In 2013, the 8u Team won the USTA Georgia State Championship. In 2012, the 10u Team finished first in the USTA Atlanta-South Atlanta Division and won the quarterfinal playoff round against Jones Creek in Cumming.

Since 2012, five Dottie Bridges 18u Team members who attended and played at Southwest DeKalb High have received athletic scholarships to play collegiate tennis.

The center’s teams are coached by Lance Davenport, Foster Bolton, Herman Lawrence and Keith Taylor.

The Dottie Bridges Tennis Center is at 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur.

For more information, contact Lance Davenport at 404-610-1840 or visit www.dbtenniscenter.com.

The semifinal and final rounds were held on July 20 at Harrison Tennis Center in Marietta.

October 4, 2014

Youth

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CrossRoadsNews

Young white adults are about twice as likely as their black peers to earn a college degree.

Regional summit on education

Gifted Hands Academy founder and principal Sharon Pringle hugs students from left Natalia John, Kalyn Anderson, Sabra Stewart, Olivia Blackman and MiSharee Coleman.

Gifted Hands gets accreditation The nonprofit Gifted Hands Academy in Lithonia is now an Accelerated Christian Education Model Status school.

The home school, with enrollment of 13 students from pre-k to 12th grade, was founded by former college professor Sharon Pringle in 2011. Its Scripture-based ACE curriculum incorporates state-of-the-art, computer-enhanced education and focuses

on Christian character training and high academic accomplishments.

This year, the average student’s grade in all subject areas is 98 percent.

Students learn at their own pace through self-instructional “PACE” workbooks.

The academy is at 7337 Covington Highway. For more information, visit http://giftedhandsacademy.org or call 770-484-7373.

Dr. Rod Paige, the nation’s first African-American secretary of education, will address regional education leaders and decision-makers at the Southern K-14 Education Innovation Summit on Oct. 16-17 at Georgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkston.

The summit, which Rod Paige begins at 1 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the conference center, is presented in partnership with the Center for Digital Education and the Technical College System of Georgia.

Dr. Jabari Simama, president of Georgia Piedmont, is host and convener.

Paige will give the keynote address at 9 a.m. on Oct. 17, and he will participate in a plenary session on education as a 21st century civil right. The presentation will be timely given that this year is the 60th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education landmark decision.

Based on results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and other studies, African-American students score below 75 percent of white students on most standardized tests, and young white adults are about twice as likely as their black peers to earn a college degree and nearly three times less likely to land in prison.

Paige served in the first George W. Bush administration from 2001 to 2005, championing student achievement and employing “best of breed” solutions to raise national standards of educational excellence. As a member of the Cabinet, he spearheaded the implementation of the historic No Child Left Behind Act with the

goal of reinvigorating America’s education system.

He is the author of “The War Against Hope” and “The Black-White Achievement Gap: Why Closing It Is the Greatest Civil Rights Issue of Our Time.”

Summit discussion topics include Defining Student Success and Learning Outcomes; Innovation in Education, Technology, STEM, Pedagogy and Distance Education; Education as the Modern Civil Rights Issue – Closing the Achievement Gap; Preparing Millennials for a Post-secondary and Work-Ready Environment; and Overcoming Barriers to Change in K-14, Partnerships With Business and Community.

There also will be dialogue on early college and career academies, charter schools and cyber academies, innovative STEM partnerships between k-12 and community and technical colleges, accelerated learning to employment programs, and other innovative initiatives.

Community colleges and k-12 organizations have long sought better relationships and programs to provide pathways for high school graduates to achieve greater success in higher education, and this event provides a forum to share some of the results, organizers say. To register, visit https:// erepublic.secure.force.com/eventreg?event_ id=a0ma0000004FTOe or contact Raquel Figueira at rfigueira@centerdigitaled.com or 916-932-1341.

For sponsorships, contact Heather Earney at hearney@centerdigitaled.com or 916- 932-1435.

Georgia Piedmont Technical College is at 495 N. Indian Creek Drive. For more information, visit http://www.centerdigitaled. com/events/Southern-K-14-EducationInnovation-Summit.html?page=home.

Register Today!

October 16-17, 2014 Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with influential decision-makers and thought-leaders to discuss innovation within the K-12 and community/technical college space!

2014 KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Dr. Rod Paige

Former U.S. Secretary of Education

CONVENOR & HOST:

Dr. Jabari Simama

President, Georgia Piedmont Technical College

DISCUSSION TOPICS:

Defining Student Success and Learning Outcomes

Innovation in Education, Technology, STEM, Pedagogy and Distance Education

Preparing Millennials for a Post-Secondary and Work-Ready Environment

Education as the modern Civil Rights issue—Closing the Achievement Gap

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Policymakers, Practitioners Implementing Initiatives, and Industry Partners

Overcoming Barriers to Change in K-14, Partnerships with Business and Community

Technical And Community College Presidents and Senior Staff

K-12 Superintendents and Senior Staff

JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION —REGISTER TODAY! HTTp://www.CENTERDIGITAlED.COm/EvENTS/SOUTHERN-K-14-EDUCATION-INNOvATION-SUmmIT.HTml (NO COST TO ATTENDEES)

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Wellness

October 4, 2014

In Georgia, more than half of the new cases of hepatitis B are occurring in adults between 19 and 40.

Millions infected with chronic hepatitis and don’t know it Viral hepatitis is often a silent disease, and many are unaware of their risk or of being infected until many years later.

So should you be tested or vaccinated for hepatitis?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an online Hepatitis Risk Assessment at www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/RiskAssessment/index.htm. It takes about five minutes to complete and will let you know if you should take further steps.

Hepatitis, which means inflammation of the liver, also refers to a group of viral infections that affect the liver. The most common types are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Viral hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplantation.

An estimated 4.4 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis and most do not know they are infected.

The CDC says that baby boomers – those born between 1945 and 1965 – should be tested for hepatitis C regardless of risk.

Nearly 75 percent of chronic hepatitis C cases are among baby boomers.

Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for children beginning at age 12 months and adults who are not already immune. A vaccine is available to prevent hepatitis B. Most children are now vaccinated against hepatitis B as infants.

All types of viral hepatitis can cause inflammation of the liver.

However, hepatitis B and C infections can result in a lifelong, chronic infection – leading to severe complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Worldwide, more than 1 million people die each year from viral hepatitis. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 400 million people have chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections.

In the United States, the hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses are two of the most common bloodborne pathogens, diseases spread

Disease Burden from Viral Hepatitis United States, 2001 Disease Burden

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

New infections

93,000

78,000

25,000

Chronically infected persons

None

1.25 million

2.7 million

Chronic liver disease deaths

None

5,000

8-10,000

Ever infected

31.3%

4.9%

1.8%

through blood contact.

Hepatitis A is transmitted primarily through contaminated food or water.

Globally, an estimated 1.4 million cases of hepatitis A are diagnosed annually.

Cases of hepatitis A are most common in countries that lack safe drinking water and have poor sanitation.

Although rare, foodborne outbreaks of hepatitis A still occur in the United States.

Contamination can occur at any point – growing, harvesting, processing, handling and even after cooking. There is a vaccine available to prevent hepatitis A infection.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through sexual contact and/or blood exposure. About 65 percent of new (acute) hepatitis B infections are sexually transmitted and hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV. About 10 percent of adults who become infected with hepatitis B will develop a

chronic infection.

If infants are infected with hepatitis B virus (it can occur during childbirth), they have a 90 percent chance of developing a chronic infection. Fortunately, there are precautions that can be taken at birth to prevent transmission from an infected mother to her baby.

Chronic hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer in the United States. There is no cure for chronic hepatitis B; however, there are antiviral medications to suppress the virus and slow progression of the disease and therefore reduce the risk of developing severe liver complications.

A vaccine is available to prevent hepatitis B. Most children are now vaccinated against hepatitis B as infants. However, many adults still remain unvaccinated and are susceptible to becoming infected with hepatitis B virus.

In Georgia, more than half of the new

cases of hepatitis B are occurring in adults between 19 and 40.

Hepatitis C is transmitted through exposure to infected blood. About 80 percent of those infected with hepatitis C will develop a chronic hepatitis C infection, which may lead to liver disease and liver cancer.

The most common means of transmission is through direct passage through the skin – primarily through sharing needles, syringes and/or drug preparation equipment.

In fact, 50 percent to 80 percent of injection drug users will become infected with hepatitis C virus within five years of starting to inject drugs.

It also can be spread when personal items are shared, such as glucose monitors, nail clippers and tattoo equipment.

Most people do not have any symptoms when first infected with hepatitis C. For many, it is not until decades later that they begin to experience complications of the disease.

There have been tremendous advancements in hepatitis C therapy in recent years.

Oral therapies with few side effects are now available that can cure hepatitis C. The CDC and the U.S. Preventative Task Force now recommend that anyone born between 1945 and 1965 be tested for hepatitis C regardless of risk.

If you were born between 1945 and 1965, talk to your health care provider about hepatitis C and get tested. For more information on hepatitis C, visit www.cdc.gov/ knowmorehepatitis.

Globally, at least 185 million people have been infected with hepatitis C, being most prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The highest prevalence of hepatitis C infection is in Egypt, followed by Cameroon, Uganda, Uzbekistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Pakistan. Although the prevalence may be lower in countries with a higher population, nearly 30 million people in China and more than 18 million in India are infected with hepatitis C.

Grant to help reduce infant deaths

ATLANTA SENIOR RECREATION CENTER

7316 Covington Highway • Lithonia, GA 30058 770-912-0415 “Our Seniors Are The Cornerstone Of Our Community” Days of Operation Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. Until 2 p.m.

Membership $25 Per Month • Complimentary Parking • Light Snacks & Lunch

For More Information, Call Sabrina Hughes @ 770-912-0415 Call to Register For A Complimentary (FREE) Day With Us

The Center for Black Women’s Wellness has a $532,933 grant to reduce infant mortality and improve women’s health.

It is part of a five-year funding initiative for $3.5 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Nationally, HHS awarded $65 million to 87 organizations in 33 states to redesign the Healthy Start program to focus on more evidence-based strategies and improved program performance.

To land the grant, Atlanta-based CBWW presented programming to increase access to care, promote quality services, strengthen family resilience, achieve collective community impact, and increase program accountability.

HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said the Healthy Start funds will help to empower pregnant women by giving them the resources they need to improve their own health and the health of their babies.

“More than 56,000 women and children will benefit from these services,” she said.

Jemea Dorsey, CBWW’s CEO, said the grant will enable the nonprofit to scale up critically important services and serve 500 women and infants annually.

The Atlanta-based Center for Black Women’s Wellness received $532,933 from HHS to

“We will strengthen our efforts to address health beyond pregnancy, to engage fathers, and to forge new partnerships and work collectively to address the myriad of issues that contribute to poor health outcomes,” she said.

For more information, visit www.cbww. org or contact Natasha Worthy at nworthy@

Candlelight vigil for mental health Friends and family members of mental health patients can join advocates for an Oct. 9 candlelight vigil at the Decatur Square Bandstand.

The vigil, which is free and open to the public, is in observance of National Mental Health Awareness Week.

It takes place from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Arrive early to get a candle, provide the

first name of a person or people to be honored, and participate in a raffle.

The vigil is sponsored by NAMI DeKalb, an affiliate of the National Alliance for Mental Illness, which supports education and advocacy programs.

The rain venue is Holy Trinity Episcopal Parish, 515 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. in Decatur.

Visit http://www.namidekalb.com for more

Finance

Employers will be hiring or discussing current and future employment opportunities.

Vets the focus of career fair All job hunters can attend the second annual Career Expo on Oct. 8 at Mount Welcome Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, but military veterans will have priority.

The 10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. expo is organized by the Veterans Unit of the Georgia Department of Labor’s DeKalb Career Center and Goodwill of North Georgia and will be focused on the employment needs of vets.

Employers will be hiring or discussing current and future employment opportunities, and educational institutions and resource agencies will provide assistance to job seekers.

Participating companies include Aflac, Apollo Staffing, the Atlanta Hawks, Department of Juvenile Justice, Family Dollar Stores, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Frito-Lay, Georgia State Veterans Upward Bound, Goodwill’s Human Resources Department, Health Staff Services, New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Atlanta, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Prime America, Schneider, Teachers R Us Education Placement, and the University of Phoenix. Applicants should bring plenty of resumes and be prepared to interview for available jobs.

Mount Welcome Missionary Baptist is at 581 Parker Ave. For more information, contact Kenneth Dinkins at 404-298-5248 or the Goodwill Decatur Career Center at 404-728-8605.

Metro jobless rate rises to 8 percent in August Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate rose to 8 percent in August, just shy of the state’s jobless rate of 8.1 percent. It was up one-tenth of a percentage point from July’s 7.9 percent.

The national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.

Despite the rate increase, the number of jobs in metro Atlanta increased by 5,900 to 2,470,600, and the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits

dropped 22.9 percent from July.

The Georgia Department of Labor said on Sept. 25 that the monthly job gains came in state and local government, 6,900; private education and health services, 4,000; manufacturing, 500; and construction and other services, 400 each.

In DeKalb, there were 2,356 new claims for UI benefits filed in August, a decrease of 598 or 20.2 percent from July. In August 2013, there were 2,589 new claims, for an

Adults who are tired of living paycheck to paycheck can get help on Oct. 4 at a Financial Fitness Workshop series at the Flat Shoals Library in Decatur.

Part I: Pressing Toward Your Financial Destiny takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Topics include basic budgeting, financial goal setting, monitoring day-to-day spending, maximizing what you have and going

beyond what you see.

It is presented by Adrian Arnold, who has been teaching financial empowerment classes for the past 12 years.

The series, funded by Friends of the Flat Shoals Library, is open to the first 70 participants.

The library is at 4022 Flat Shoals Parkway.

For more information, call 404-244-4370.

DeKalb SCORE needs volunteers Retired business leaders are needed to volunteer with the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce’s SCORE. The outreach organization coaches new business owners to help them avoid some of the main pitfalls.

Nationwide, volunteers donate more than 1 million hours annually to help businesses

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV8667-7++ Frank Hudelleston, Jr., filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on September 4, 2014, to change the name from: Frank Hudelleston, Jr. to Johnny Frank Huddleston. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: September 3, 2014 Johnny Frank Huddleston Petitioner, Pro se 425 Saint Ives Street Stone Mountain, GA 30083 (404) 501-9677

++ 14CV8709-10++ Ashley Thompson Plaintiff Vs. Christopher Pittman Defendant

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 15, 2014 you are hereby notified that on September 8, 2014 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you to change the name of a minor child. 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: Ashley Thompson, 951 Pine Roc Drive, Stone Mountain, GA. 30083. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of September 15, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Tangela M. Barrie, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 15th day of September, 2014

9/27, 10/04, 10/11, 10/18

9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4

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

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV9251-1++ Gary Yvonne Broughton, filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court to change the name from: Gary Yvonne Broughton to Gail Yevonne Irvine. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: September 18, 2014 Gary Yvonne Broughton Petitioner, Pro se 1899 Meadow Lane Decatur, GA 30032 9/27, 10/04, 10/11, 10/18

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

Civil Action Case Number:

over-the-year decline of 233 or 9 percent.

Metrowide, there were 14,862 new claims for UI benefits in August, a decline of 4,409 from 19,271 in July. Most of the decrease in claims came in manufacturing and administrative services. Over the year, claims were down 15.4 percent from the 17,563 claims filed in August 2013.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.4 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest rate at 10.7 percent.

Series targets money management

grow. There are more than 11,000 volunteers in 320 chapters.

SCORE also has chapters in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus and Savannah.

For more information, visit www.SCORE. org or contact Chamber President Katerina Taylor at ktaylor@dekalbchamber.org.

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV4132-3++ Jermere A. Miller Plaintiff Vs. Rosie Miller Defendant To: 3693 Church Street Clarkston, GA 30021

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated July 21, 2014 you are hereby notified that on April 17, 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: Jermere A. Miller, 1883 Singer Way, Lithonia, GA 30058. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of July 21, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Clarence Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 22nd day of August, 2014

9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV8666-9++ Timothy Johnson Plaintiff Vs. Sheryl Denise Johnson Defendant To:

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 9, 2014 you are hereby notified that on September 4, 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: Timothy Johnson, 4446 Sims Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294.

Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of September 9, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Mark Anthony Scott, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 9th day of September, 2014 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV4468-7++ Kallie Dunovant Plaintiff Vs. Saymar Peters Defendant To:

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 11, 2014 you are hereby notified that on April 25, 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: Kallie Dunovant, 3222 Christian Springs Drive, Lithonia, GA

Class offers tips on home buying Prospective homeowners can get tips on purchasing a home at an Oct. 11 seminar at Antioch AME Church in Stone Mountain.

The 10 a.m.-to-1 p.m. seminar, “The Keys to Your Dream Home Await You,” is presented by Vintage Realty Group Inc. and RBS Realty.

The session will cover the steps in the home-buying process, the benefits of buying versus renting, affordability of home ownership, how to qualify for a mortgage, the difference between short sale and foreclosure, and options of owning a home with minimum out-of-pocket cost. It also will offer credit restoration information.

Antioch AME is at 765 S. Hairston Road. For more information, contact Bernadette Seabrook at bgseabrook2166@

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: Carla Knowlton, 320 Halton Drive, #D, Scottdale, GA 30079.

Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of September 10, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 11th day of September, 2014

Legal Notices 9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/04

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CrossRoadsNews

October 4, 2014

10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25

30038. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of September 11, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Daniel M. Coursey, Jr., Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 11th day of September, 2014 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV4468-7++ Towanda Warren Plaintiff Vs. Lacris Davenport Defendant To: Lacris Davenport

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 10, 2014 you are hereby notified that on September 4, 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: Towanda Warren, 3406 Longleaf Drive, Decatur, GA 30032.

Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of September 10, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 11th day of September, 2014 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV8483-2++ Carla Knowlton Plaintiff Vs. Shawn Giles Defendant To: Shawn Giles

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 9, 2014 you are hereby notified that on August 19, 2014 the above-named Plaintiff

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV8513-4++ Erica Liggians Plaintiff Vs. Erin Liggians Defendant To: 04 Eaton Street Buffalo, NY 14215

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 22, 2014 you are hereby notified that on August 29, 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: Erica Robinson Liggians, 1287 Old Countryside Circle, W., Stone Mountain, GA 30083. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of September 22, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Gail C. Flake, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 25th day of September, 2014 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV1348-10++ Janene M. Holmes Plaintiff Vs. Theodore J. Holmes Defendant To:

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 24, 2014 you are hereby notified that on Jan. 16, 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: Janene M. Holmes, 1103 Fairington Club Drive, Lithonia, GA 30038. Answer in writing within sixty (60)

days of September 24, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Tangela M. Barrie, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 25th day of September, 2014 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV7545-4++ Cori Mathis Plaintiff Vs. Jonathan L. Mathis Defendant To: Jonathan L. Mathis 2189 Sammertown Drive Norcross, GA 30071

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 23, 2014 you are hereby notified that on July 30, 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: Cori Mathis, 3547 Cherry Ridge Trail, Decatur, GA 30038. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of September 23, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Gail C. Flake, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 25th day of September, 2014 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV7313-4++ Sinafkesh Getachew Plaintiff Vs. Dawit Shferew Bekele Defendant To: Dawit S. Bekele 4043 Bayside Cr. Atlanta, GA 30340

By Order of the Court for service by publication dated September 22, 2014 you are hereby notified that on July 23, 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: Sinafjesh Getachew, 4043 Bayside Cr. Atlanta, GA 30340. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of September 22, 2014.

Witness the Honorable Gail C. Flake, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 25th day of September, 2014

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CrossRoadsNews

Scene

October 4, 2014

The book offers the first full account of an event in 1870 that electrified the South at one of the most critical moments in the history of American race relations.

B.J. Novak will discuss his new kids book on Oct. 7 at the Decatur Library beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Novak’s book relies on funny words, songs and statements – no pictures.

Muslim Journeys to discuss Quran Imam Plemon El-Amin will lead a discussion of “Story of the Qur’an: Its History and Place in Muslim Life” by Ingrid Mattson on Oct. 7 at Scott Candler Library.

And on Oct. 8, the library will host a screening of “Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World.”

The two-hour book discussion, part of Let’s Ingrid Mattson Talk About It: Muslim Journeys, gets under way at 6 p.m.

Mattson is the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. She earned a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999.

Participants will learn about Mattson’s examination of translated passages from the

Islamic holy book as well as scholarly sources and stories from the time of Muhammad that give readers a sense of the language, imagery and rhythm of the Quran.

El-Amin is imam emeritus of the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam.

Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association.

The 90-minute “Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World” documentary will be screened from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 8.

The 2011 film, narrated by Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon and directed by Rob Gardner, transports viewers over nine countries and across 1,400 years of cultural history to reveal the astonishing riches of Muslim arts, crafts and architecture.

To register, call 404-286-6986 or visit the branch at 1917 Candler Road in Decatur.

Legal thriller probes 1870 abduction Michael Ross will talk about his legal thriller, “The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case: Race, Law, and Justice in the Reconstruction Era,” on Oct. 8 at the Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta.

His reading and book signing, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. in the theater.

Set in the 19th century, the book offers the first full account of an event in 1870 that electrified the South at one of the most critical moments in the history of American race relations. Ross traces the crime from the moment it was committed through the highly publicized investigation and sensationalized trial that followed, all the while chronicling the public outcry and

escalating hysteria as news and rumors surrounding the crime spread.

Ross paints a vivid picture of the Reconstruction-era South and the complexities that faced the newly integrated society.

Lawrence N. Powell, author of “The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans,” says Ross’ book has all the elements readers might expect from a legal thriller set in 1800s New Orleans – child abduction and voodoo, “quadroons,” a national headline-grabbing trial, plus an intrepid Creole detective.

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is at 441 Freedom Parkway.

For more information, visit www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov or call 404-865-7100.

Kids book plays joke on adults Writer, producer and stand-up comedian B.J. Novak will discuss his irreverent and irresistibly silly “The Book With No Pictures” on Oct. 7 at the Decatur Library.

The book with no cloying baby animals, no peekaboo flaps, and no educational checklists, is Novak’s first book for children. “The Book With No Pictures” offers page after page of words and statements like, “My only friend in the whole wide world is a hippo named Boo-Boo Butt;” a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast; and a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY. The joke is that the grown-up has

to say every outrageous thing on the page, which makes the kid feel like an evil genius.

Novak is also the author of a book for adults, “One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories.” He spent years writing for the NBC show “The Office,” where he was a co-executive producer and played the role of Ryan, the temp who turned into an incompetent MBA. Novak has appeared in “Punk’d,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Saving Mr. Banks” and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”

The book talk, which starts at 7:15 p.m., will appeal to kids and parents alike.

The library is at 215 Sycamore St. in downtown Decatur.

For more information, visit www.dekal-

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11

CrossRoadsNews

October 4, 2014

Scene

The Roaring ’20s event is the main fundraiser for the nonprofit Howey Hudson Lowe Foundation.

Fans of jazz, blues and R&B can get their fill at the annual “Stompin’ at the Savoy” event coming up Nov. 8 at the Holiday Inn Perimeter Hotel in Dunwoody. The popular event raises funds for the Howey HUdson Lowe Foundation.

Emory gets new dean of chapel The Rev. Bridgette Young Ross is the new dean of the chapel and spiritual life at Emory University.

As dean, she will preach and provide leadership on ethical issues; engage students, faculty and staff in spiritual questions; and B. Young Ross respond to issues of religion and the human spirit at a church-affiliated university steeped in a rich diversity of faiths.

Young Ross, an ordained elder with standing in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, is former associate pastor at Cascade UMC and Mount Bethel UMC and associate director of missions, ecumenical and ethnic ministries for the North Georgia Conference.

She is a former director of the Wesley Fellowship and United Methodist campus minister at Georgia Tech and has served as assistant general secretary of the United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville, Tenn.

She is no stranger to Emory. From 2000 to 2009, she was associate dean of the chapel and worked alongside the former dean, the Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe, who left Emory in February to lead the UMC General Board of Church and Society in Washington.

Emory President James Wagner said Young Ross “will continue to strengthen the vibrant and formative interfaith dynamics that are a hallmark of Emory as a research university.”

For more information, visit www.emory. edu.

‘Stompin’ at Savoy’ fundraiser coming up Tickets are now on sale for the 10th annual “Stompin’ at the Savoy” taking place Nov. 8 at the Holiday Inn Perimeter/ Dunwoody in Atlanta.

The Roaring ’20s event featuring an array of jazz, blues and R&B artists is the main fundraiser for the nonprofit Howey Hudson Lowe Foundation.

Tickets are $55 per person and include entertainment, a sit-down dinner, dancing, gifts, and the best-dressed contest.

Performers include jazz funk violinist Delores Major, trumpeter Melvin M. Miller, vocalist Charlena Nutall, and Groove Cafe Productions Inc. featuring Edwin Williams and Friends.

Williams played for more than 20 years at Dante’s Down the Hatch Jazz Club. His friends include vocalist Theresa Hightower; guitarist Roy Lee Johnson, composer of “Mr. Moonlight”; Levi Barcourt; Leonard Julian; and vocalist Oscar “the Smooth One” Shep-

pard.

The Beulah Boys and Hillside dancers also will perform.

Trailblazing awards will be presented to DeKalb Superintendent Michael L. Thurmond and DeKalb Probate Judge Jeryl Debra Rosh.

The hotel is at 4386 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Atlanta.

For tickets or more information, call 770-981-4756.

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12

CrossRoadsNews

October 4, 2014

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