CrossRoadsNews, October 14, 2017 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

FINANCE

YOUTH

High value training

Gardeners in the making

Women and minority business owners in the fashion world can build marketing and other skills at Macy’s annual workshop. 4

Kids from Stoneview and Marbut elementary schools are planting fruits and vegetables at Lucious Sanders Rec Center. 8

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

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

October 14, 2017

Volume 23, Number 24

www.crossroadsnews.com

New mobile health clinic to visit kids at four DeKalb schools By Rosie Manins

DeKalb Schools Superintendent Dr. R. Stephen Green, who cut the ribbon, said it was a momentous occasion for the county, the school district, and the students and families who will benefit. “I was concerned about wrap-around services and what we can do beyond the classroom,” he said. “We think this is going to sustain us for years and years to come.” The KDOW clinic and its customized RV, worth about $140,000, will initially visit just four DeKalb elementary schools – Snapfinger, Flat Rock, Fairington and Panola Way – with a combined student population

DeKalb Schools Superintendent Dr. R. Stephen Green (third from right) cuts the ribbon on Kids Doc on Wheels along with health and education professionals on Oct. 12.

An unconventional new medical clinic for children is about to hit the road in DeKalb County, providing free health assessments and treatments for students with little or no access to paid services. The nonprofit Kids Doc On Wheels (KDOW) mobile medical clinic, launched in conjunction with several of the county’s top doctors, dentists, nurses and other health professionals, begins operation on Oct. 16. It will see its first DeKalb Schools patients the following week. More than 30 people attended the Oct. 12 ribbon-cutting ceremony in Stone Mountain. Please see CLINIC, page 2

Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

Abandoned hotel will mar Stonecrest no more Eyesore removed to make room for new lodging By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The unfinished shell of a hotel that had marred the landscape and hotel row at the Mall of Stonecrest for 11 years was reduced to rubble this week. A crew from Stockbridge-based Zenon and Zenon Contractors Inc. knocked the abandoned six-story hotel to the ground to make way for one or two new hotels that Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary says the new city needs to provide accommodations for the people and tourists he is expecting. He said that the structure’s demolition fulfills a promise made to Stonecrest residents when he sought office. Jason Lary “One of our first commitments to citizens was that we would take this building down this year,” he said. “We are keeping our word.” When Eagle Hotel Management Co. began construction on the 97,350-square-foot hotel at 7840 Stonecrest Square in April 2008, it was to be a 122-room Holiday Inn & Suites Conference Center with 10,000 square feet of meeting space. But in the midst of the economic depression and real estate bust that swept the country in mid-2008, the complex, then estimated to cost $16.2 to $16.5 million was never completed. Lary said part of having a new city is to take control of zoning and planning. “This would not stand in Buckhead,” he said. “It wouldn’t stand in Brookhaven and it won’t stand in Stonecrest.” The demolition came after the city issued a letter of code violation of the city’s abandoned building ordinances to the property’s

Jennifer Ffrench Parker/ CrossRoadsNews

The unfinished hotel building was abandoned in 2008. Demolished began Oct. 11 and was expected to be completed Oct. 13.

owners and gave them 90 days to comply. Al Ferrell, Stonecrest code enforcement manager, said that shortly after speaking with the owners, he noticed an application for demolition and a schedule to comply with the ordinance. Orlando Zenon said Thursday that it would take his company two days to demolish the structure. He expected to finish “bringing it down” by Friday. Lary, armed with large blue-handled sledgehammer, had hoped to put the first

blow to the cinder block and steel structure on the morning of Oct. 11 before television cameras, but he held off to await the arrival of demolition equipment, which did not arrive until late afternoon. Stonecrest’s hotel row currently has a 71-room Comfort Suites that opened in 2008, a Fairfield Inn & Suites that opened in November 2006, a Hilton Garden Inn that opened June 2005, and the Hyatt Place that opened in December 2002. Lary said that for Stonecrest to bring the

type of development and tourism it is planning, it must have more hotel space. Developers have announced a $200 million, 200-acre Atlanta Sports City development that is expected to get underway before the end of the year. Lary said that Rupa and Yash Patel, who own the 3.34-acre property, are meeting with hotel franchises to determine the hotel brand that will be built. “They will start moving the dirt in December,” he said.

CrossRoadsNews

Community

October 14, 2017

One neighbor said that a tree fell on the house a year ago, and that they contacted the man’s family about it but got no response.

Sheriff Mann to appeal revocation of his POST certification

By Rosie Manins

DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann is planning to appeal the revocation of his law enforcement certification, which was unanimously approved by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council on Sept. 27. Jeffrey Mann A spokeswoman from Mann’s office confirmed his appeal plans Wednesday, but said that he will have no statement to make on the matter. The Georgia POST Council gave Mann 30 days to appeal its Sept. 27 decision, after he indecently exposed himself in Piedmont Park in May this year. With the revocation of his POST certification, Mann, who has been DeKalb’s sheriff

since 2014, faces the prospect of being forced out of his job. If removed from office, a special election will likely be held since Mann was re-elected to a full four-year term just last November. The council, in its case summary, credits Mann’s attempts at evading arrest during the Piedmont Park incident, and the fact that he drove a DeKalb Sheriff ’s Office vehicle to the park, for its unanimous vote. Revoking certification is the council’s harshest penalty. Council chairman Mike Yeager and Probable Cause Committee chairman Mike Jolley signed off on the decision, citing Mann’s violation of state laws. Mann, 55, was arrested at 11:06 p.m. on May 6 on charges of public indecency and obstruction after a uniformed Atlanta police officer saw him masturbating in an area of Piedmont Park known for sexual activity

after dark. The council’s case summary says Mann was illuminated by street and sidewalk lights and the officer could see him feeling his penis outside his pants. Mann was walking in the officer’s direction, when he shone his flashlight on him and identified himself as a police officer. Mann fled on foot, disregarding the officer’s orders to stop. The officer chased him across several streets and through the neighborhood before catching up to him and putting him in handcuffs. Police found two condoms in Mann’s front pants pocket. The foot chase was caught on a home owner’s video camera and broadcast on WSB-TV. Mann suspended himself for one week for violating his office’s code of conduct. He was suspended for 40 days by a governor-

appointed committee, following a panel review by his peers. On July 27 Mann pleaded guilty to an ordinance violation. He was sentenced to 80 hours community work, ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, and banned from Atlanta parks for six months. He did not know the Georgia POST Council was considering his case and learned of the revocation of his certification through news media reports. Mann was a former assistant county attorney in 2001 when former Sheriff Thomas Brown appointed him first as his director of labor relations and legal affairs and then his chief deputy in 2004. When Brown left the office in February 2014 to run for Congress, he appointed Mann interim sheriff. In May 2014, Mann won the special election against six opponents.

Murderer and serial rapist gets life for terrorizing DeKalb women

By Rosie Manins

Terique Dwayne Hall, who bound, gagged and raped two DeKalb County women and murdered one who was pregnant, is going to prison for the rest of his life. Hall, 25, pleaded guilty on Oct. 4 to charges of murder, rape and weap- Terique Hall ons offenses when he appeared before DeKalb Superior Court Judge Tangela Barrie for a scheduled motions hearing. Hall, whom prosecutors called a “serial rapist,” used to work as a driver for MV Transport, providing mobility transTangela Barrie portation for MARTA. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms

plus five years in prison. Prosecutors said he terrorized three women in DeKalb over the course of a week in November 2016. Ashley Mays, 20, of Lithonia was raped and strangled by Hall on Nov. 18 in her room at Quality Inn and Suites in Lithonia. Hall bound her hands and feet with zip ties and gagged her with a black Ashley Mays bandanna. The cleaning staff of the hotel on Snapfinger Park Drive discovered Mays’ body later that morning. She was nine weeks pregnant. Mays, who loved to dance, also had a young son. Hall had met Mays for sex through online ads on backpage.com and had tried to videotape himself suffocating her. Police found a photo of Mays, gagged and hog-tied, on his phone.

Video surveillance captured images of him entering her hotel room and calmly exiting less than an hour later. He fled in a dark colored car parked in a wooded area near the hotel. Seven days earlier, Hall attacked another woman in a similar fashion – entering her Lithonia townhouse, pulling a gun on her, forcing a black bandanna into her mouth, zip-tying her hands and feet, and raping her in her child’s bedroom. Hall, who also contacted that woman on backpage.com, stole electronics and money from her before fleeing. He reportedly also poured bleach on her, telling her she was “lucky” he didn’t also have rubbing alcohol. The combination makes chloroform, a dangerous chemical that can damage the nervous system, eyes, lungs, skin, liver, kidneys and other organs and may cause cancer. Three days later, in Tucker, Hall tried to attack another woman at America’s Best

Value Inn on Crescent Centre Boulevard, but was run off by her gun-wielding pimp after she screamed for help. The pimp fired shots at Hall’s car. Hall was arrested after police connected him to the crimes through an internet phone that had been loaded with prepaid debit cards. The number was connected to Hall’s email address, which began “teriquehall.” He initially denied the crimes, pleading not guilty in February to a 22-count indictment. DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston said the case underscores the dangers associated with sex trafficking. “It is neither a one-dimensional issue nor a victimless crime,” she said Oct. 5. “Hall preyed upon these women and attacked when they were most vulnerable.” Boston said she is pleased Hall decided to accept responsibility and spare his victims and their families the pain of going through a trial.

Kids Doc on Wheels attracting interest Identity of skeleton sought CLINIC,

from page

of about 3,460. It will also visit metro Atlanta YMCAs with early learning programs. The initiative, believed to be the only pediatric school-based healthcare model of its kind in Georgia, cost about $1.6 million to set up and is expected to cost about $1.2 million to run each year at its current size. More RVs and medical staff are expected to be added as demand grows. To start, the mobile clinic will spend a morning or afternoon at each participating school twice a week, offering students general medical assessments, basic health and dental care, immunizations, behavioral help and referrals for additional treatment, if needed. Organizers expect it to reduce students’ sick time away from class. They say it will ensure that students don’t fall through the cracks because they lack health coverage or access to care. Tele-medicine equipment will also allow participating health practitioners to do basic consultations with students while they’re off-site. Kids’ Doc on Wheels Inc. was established to provide basic health care to the poorest children in DeKalb County and the wider metro Atlanta area, following a series of meetings last year that explored a school-based medical clinic locally. In May 2016, pediatrician Dr. Lynette Wilson-Phillips of Decatur Pediatric Group came up with the idea of a mobile clinic on wheels and a business plan was created. L. Wilson-Phillips “The need has been there in De

Kalb County for a long time,” she said. “Many children are getting fractured care, not comprehensive care.” Wilson-Phillips and fellow pediatrician Dr. Melinda Willingham are the KDOW medical co-directors. They are joined by nurse practitioner Cindy Lebiecki, also from Decatur Pediatric Group, as well as a dentist, dental hygienist, medical assistant and behavioral expert. KDOW executive director Keisha Dudley said most children who will use the service have Medicaid which they expect will fund about 30 percent of operations. Community fundraising and corporate sponsorship will fill the gap. Dudley said staff will help enroll Keisha Dudley eligible children in Medicaid, and that even those without medical coverage of any kind will be treated. “We will not turn any children away,” she said. “We’ll be able to manage preventive conditions that many of our children are living with like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.” WellCare of Georgia is the initiative’s number one sponsor. It is also supported by Oakhurst Medical Centers, BB&T, United Way of Greater Atlanta, YMCA of Metro Atlanta and CHOICES. Already the concept has attracted interest from other school districts. Dudley said they are already making plans to expand. “We know this is going to take off,” she said. “This is the launch pad so we can work out the kinks, see what our capacity is, and see how much demand there is in the community.”

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By Rosie Manins

Mystery surrounds the discovery of the skeleton of a man found lying in bed in a house on Telstar Drive in Ellenwood. Police were notified of the skeleton by a neighbor on Oct. 2, after a homeless man scavenging around the house on Sept. 29 saw the skeleton through a window. The DeKalb Medical Examiner’s office is now working to determine the cause and time of death of the man, whose identity is not yet known. Shiera Campbell, a police department spokeswoman, said verification is needed. “We believe we know who it is, but that needs to be confirmed,” she said. “That will take some time because the skeletal remains were there for so long.” The remains have been sent to the FBI facility in Quantico, Va., for identification through DNA. Police suspect the skeleton belongs to a man in his mid-40s who lived at the address and has not been seen for two years. They are treating the death as suspicious, as is common in cases of found skeletal remains. Investigators are baffled about how anyone’s death could go unknown for such a long time. Neighbors told WSB-TV News that a disabled man moved into the house about four years ago, with help from two sisters, years after their parents, who had owned the house, had died. Neighbors said they couldn’t recall seeing the man in the past two years. Before that, they said, he appeared to be sick and only occasionally stepped outside. One neighbor said that a tree fell on the house a year ago, and that they contacted the man’s family about it but got no response. The neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said the man’s sisters used to visit twice a week, bringing him food and taking out his trash, but that the visits stopped about three years ago. The neighbor said they assumed the man had moved out. A police report shows that DeKalb Code Enforcement visited the address about three weeks ago, but that no one went onto the property or inside the house.

October 14, 2017

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“Families in my district shouldn’t be paying more in taxes so Republicans can add trillions to the deficit giving tax breaks to billionaires.”

Commissioners set to vote on Confederate monument resolution The DeKalb Board of Commissioners is set to Oct. 24 on a resolution authorizing the county attorney to investigate the legal ownership of a 30-foot-tall Confederate monument in downtown Decatur. The four members of the BOC’s Planning, Economic Development and Community Services (PECS) Committee voted unanimously to move the resolution out of committee on Oct. 10 – a clear indication that it has wide support on the commission. District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson introduced the resolution calling for the county to use its resources to determine ownership of the Lost Cause obelisk. Davis Johnson’s resolution, if approved at the Oct. 24 meeting, would empower the county to lobby for a full repeal of the relevant legislation during the 2018 legislative agenda. “This is one of the most diverse counties in Georgia so I feel good that this effort is

being made and will continue to move forward,” Davis Johnson said Tuesday. The resolution says the monument in the Decatur Square creates a public safety concern because it is the subject of much public outrage and debate, that it has been vandalized at least twice recently, and could become a flash point for violence, as occurred in Charlottesville, Va., in August. A petition with thousands of signatures calls for the removal of Jim Crow-era monument. Hundreds of people have also marched against the monument and held vigils calling for its removal. At Tuesday’s meeting, County Attorney OV Brantley said research on the monument has so far failed to confirm its ownership. The United Daughters of the Confederacy created the monument which “glorifies and praises soldiers of the Confederacy,” for placement outside the historic DeKalb

Johnson: Tax plan will hurt families President Donald Trump’s proposed tax reform will cost some DeKalb County families an average of almost $10,000 a year in lost local and state tax deductions, Congressman Hank Johnson warns. Hank Johnson Johnson, who represents Georgia’s 4th Congressional District, said the tax framework unveiled by the president and Republican leaders on Sept. 27 would dramatically increase the tax burden on many local families. The Trump administration’s tax proposal was introduced by House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top lawmakers in an effort to cut taxes for “hardworking Americans,” simplify the tax code, reform the tax system so small businesses can gain a competitive edge over foreign counterparts, and to “take bold steps” to bring jobs and profits from overseas to America. Ryan said Sept. 27 that the proposal moves a step closer to fixing “our broken tax code” because it puts Americans first. “This is our best opportunity in a generation to deliver real middle-class tax relief, create jobs here at home, and fuel unprecedented economic growth,” Ryan said. But in an Oct. 6 statement, Johnson said the planned changes would mean many families in his district, which covers about 700,000 people in portions of DeKalb, Rock-

dale, Newton and Gwinnett counties, would no longer be able to get annual state and local tax deductions. He cited analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center showing the average fourth district family could lose out on about $9,100 a year in tax deductions under the GOP’s changes. He said that more than 44 million American households claim the state and local tax deduction each year. The proposed tax framework lowers the corporate rate from 35 to 20 percent and the rate for “pass-through” businesses to 25 percent, down from what it currently is under the individual code. The plan would turn the seven existing personal tax brackets into just three: 12, 25 and 35 percent. It would almost double the standard deduction and also increase the child tax credit. Republicans aim to pass a budget resolution in both chambers and hope the conservative House Freedom Caucus members will sign on by the end of the month. Johnson said he hopes that doesn’t happen. “I call upon all my Georgia Republican Congressional colleagues to join me in opposing this inexplicable provision to raise taxes on working people,” he said. “Families in my district shouldn’t be paying more in taxes so Republicans can add trillions to the deficit giving tax breaks to billionaires.”

County Courthouse, where it still stands, just a stone’s throw from the new county courthouse. District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson, a member of the PECS Committee, said that while he supports the monument’s removal from the public space, it would not eliminate race issues in the community. “Removing the statue does not deal with the systemic, institutionalized racism that we have to deal with in our society,” he said. “What it will do is remove it from the square where people have to look at it but it won’t deal with the main issues – what my daughter and grandkids still have to face as people of color.” District 2 Commissioner Jeff Rader, who chairs the PECS committee, said Lost Cause and other Confederate monuments were specifically designed to reinterpret the Civil War’s history, and that the main objective of

succession was to preserve slavery and the economy that depended on it. “Interpretation is essential here and we need a context for someone that would walk up and look at that monument and say is that really true, what’s on it?” Rader said. He reiterated that removing the monument would not involve its destruction, but rather its relocation to an appropriate location. “We don’t want people to get the idea that we’re going to go at it with sledgehammers and destroy it because that in itself would be destruction of a valid artifact of history that we need to continue to remind us of the fact that the place where we live and love was inhabited by people with very different ideas,” he said. The Oct. 24 meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the Maloof Auditorium at 1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur.

Voters to query Lithonia candidates The four candidates seeking three open seats on the Lithonia City Council will take questions from voters at an Oct. Ric Dodd Diane Howard Tracy-Ann Williams Amelia Inman 17 Candidate Forum at the Lithonia-Davidson Library. News, takes place 6:30 pm. To 8 p.m. Incumbents Ric Dodd, Diane Howard The library is at 6821 Church St. in Liand Tracy-Ann Williams and political thonia. newcomer Amelia Inman are seeking the Early voting starts Oct. 16, weekdays three at-large seats up for re-election on through Nov. 3 at the DeKalb Elections OfNov. 7. fice, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur. All polls The forum, sponsored by CrossRoads will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 7.

Finance

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 Editorial Intern Rosie Manins Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams

CrossRoadsNews is published every Saturday by CrossRoadsNews, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers. The concept, design and content of CrossRoadsNews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. Advertisements are published upon the representation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject matter of such advertisements, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

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October 14, 2017

“We want to become one of those great brands that came out of metro Atlanta like Home Depot.”

Macy’s small-business workshop seeks applicants

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Fashion business owners can apply now for the 2018 Macy’s Workshop that mentors and fosters the growth of up-and-coming minorityand women-owned businesses. The annual Workshop at Macy’s, which first launched in 2011, helps the business owners picked for the program to achieve and sustain positive and successful vendor relationships with the retailer. Each year, nine to 22 business owners have been admitted to the program. With the end of its seventh class in May, 101 businesses have graduated from the program. Applications are being accepted at macysinc. com/workshop through Jan. 28, 2018. Last year, Macy’s purchases from minorityand women-owned businesses topped more than $1 billion for the third consecutive year. The retailer said that the workshop and its Supplier Diversity Program help it to present distinctive assortments of unique merchandise in its stores which set it apart from its competition and make its stores the “go-to” destination for shoppers wanting fresh and exciting choices. “Additionally, working with a wide spectrum

Successful applicants will get an all-expensepaid trip to New York City for the four-and-a-halfday workshop.

of vendors helps Macy’s support the economic health of the communities where we do business,” the company says. Eligible applicants must be at least 21 years old and be a woman or of black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-Indian or Asian-Pacific descent. They must own 51 percent or more of their U.S.-based business that produces goods for resale in a department store environment for at least two consecutive years. Applicants also must be a U.S. citizen or be a permanent legal resident alien with a current U.S. passport, U.S. birth certificate, naturalization papers, or green card.

The all-expense-paid workshop is a fourand-a-half-day intensive training course that takes place in New York City. Applicants must be able to travel to Manhattan to participate in the program. Participants will learn to present a product line to senior merchants, build an impactful brand strategy, identify the customer, obtain successful capital acquisition, and achieve excellence through best practices, among other things. Macy’s says the workshop will most benefit owners who demonstrate the ability to think critically about their business, and whose businesses have growth potential.

DeKalb program ready to lend to county-based businesses By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

DeKalb-based small businesses can apply for up to $35,000 from DeKalb County’s new revolving loan program. The program which launched Sept. 28, is offering loans of $15,000 to $35,000 for up to seven to 10 years at 5 percent interest rate. Barry Williams, NSP manager, says the loans are only available to companies located in or expanding in DeKalb County. Since its launch, Williams said he has had

dozens of inquires and three completed applications. The loan program, which is in partnership with Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE), is open to for profit sole proprietorships, general or limited partnerships, sub chapter S corporations and corporations with a minimum credit score of 560. Loans are available for an array of things including to purchase machinery, equipment, supplies and inventory; an existing business; purchase of real estate, construction, renovation

and rehabilitation; and for working capital to purchase inventory. Eligible businesses must provide financial statements and tax returns for at least two years of operations, and start-up companies must demonstrate significant expertise in their industry and create or retain jobs. Applications are available at aceloans.org/ dekalb-county-rfl/. For more information, contact bbwilliams@ dekalbcountyga.gov or loans@aceloand.org or call Barry Williams at 404-371-3217.

Incubator to support entrepreneurs at Stonecrest The new AEI Startup Factory in Stonecrest, a shared work facility for small business owners and entrepreneurs, has been developed in the former Barnacles location on Stonecrest Concourse.

Photo Courtesy AEI

The AEI Startup Factory in the Stonecrest Mall Plaza is due to open in November 2017.

By Rosie Manins

New and start-up businesses can find a home at the AEI Startup Factory, a new business incubator set to open in November in a long-vacant building near the Mall at Stonecrest. The 15,000-square-foot building at 7310 Stonecrest Concourse once housed a Barnacle’s restaurant. It has been vacant for more than a decade but will now house offices and meeting rooms for up to 150 businesses at monthly costs of $150 to $350. AEI – the Allen Entrepreneurial Institute on Evans Mill Road in Stonecrest – acquired the building about four years ago, and began creating the Start-Up Factory at the start of this year. Matthew Hampton, who is overseeing the initiative with his wife Maria, said the new city of Stonecrest is a perfect location for the venture. “We have a brand new dynamic mayor and a dynamic new city that is poised to be the entrepreneurial mecca for black folks,” he said during an Oct. 5 open house. Hampton, who is the AEI’s director of entrepreneurial programs, said business owners will pay a base membership of about $150 monthly

to access the shared spaces and resources, and teaching, mentoring and workshops that will be offered by seasoned guest entrepreneurs. For $350 a month, premium members will get their own dedicated workspace. Hampton said the facility’s potential is unlimited because nobody is “doing this, in this kind of way.” “There are not a lot of places like this in the suburbs and we think we have something very unique that will pull people from all over, including inside the Perimeter,” he said. Hampton said an exact opening date in November has not yet been set but the factory is taking applications at http://www.aeiinternational.com/start-up-factory. He said the Stonecrest location could be the first of five to 15 locations in Georgia. “We want to become one of those great brands that came out of metro Atlanta like Home Depot,” Hampton said. AEI, which operates globally, is aiming to increase the size and number of AfricanAmerican, minority and women-owned businesses worldwide. It was established in 2001 by Lecester “Bill” Allen and his family, who initially brought together school-aged entrepreneurs and leaders

Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

Maria and Matthew Hampton will welcome small businesses when the AEI Startup Factory opens.

from throughout the country to develop their skills and potential during week-long camps. Now AEI has several programs, including the student camps, opportunities for HBCU students, a legacy fund, and mentoring workshops. Since 2014 it has also partnered with Clark Atlanta University in hosting the Mandela Washington Fellows of the Young African Leaders Initiative – comprising top leaders and entrepreneurs aged 25 to 35 from across Africa who get to hone their skills at American colleges and universities before returning home to launch their careers.

CrossRoadsNews

October 14, 2017

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Wellness

CrossRoadsNews

October 14, 2017

Between 2003 and 2016, at least 1,671 Georgians were killed in domestic violence incidents.

Candlelight vigil for victims, survivors of domestic violence By Rosie Manins

As dusk falls on Decatur Square on Oct. 19, hundreds of candles will be lit in remembrance of Georgians who have died at the hands of their domestic partners. The 26th annual Candlelight Vigil, organized by Decatur-based Women’s Resource Center to end Domestic Violence (WRCDV), will be held at the Decatur Square bandstand from 7 p.m. The vigil is held on the third Thursday in October, which is observed nationally as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It remembers victims of domestic violence, celebrates survivors of partner violence, and renews efforts to end domestic violence. Kim Frndak, Women’s Resource Center’s community outreach director, says more than 200 people generally attend the vigil and they anticipate as many coming out this year. “It’s meant to be a way to honor people who have lost their lives, and their families, and at the same time it’s a way to get the community to recommit themselves to being part of the solution,” she said Sept. 27. The vigil, which lasts for just over an hour, will include a speech by a domestic violence survivor and Women’s Resource Center client. There will also be drumming and other musical performances and speeches.

Gary Meek

Vigil participants will call out the names of people who were killed by their domestic partners.

Participants will hold lighted candles, and call out the names of women and men who were killed by their domestic partners. The Georgia Commission on Family Violence says that between 2003 and 2016, at least 1,671 Georgians were killed in domestic violence incidents, ranking Georgia eighth in the nation for its rate of men killing women. Each year, an average of 130 Georgians die

from domestic violence. Last year, firearms were used in 71 percent of the 121 recorded domestic violence fatalities in Georgia. Nationwide, one in four or a quarter of all women, and one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. Between 1994 and 2010, four in every five

U.S. domestic violence victims were women, and in the past year, an estimated 15.5 million American children witnessed domestic violence at least once. The nonprofit Women’s Resource Center was established in 1985 in the wake of the death of Gwendolyn Grimmette, who was shot dead in front of her 11-year-old son by her estranged husband, just days after he had been released from jail in early June 1985. At the time, Grimmette was seeking police protection from her abusive ex, who had repeatedly threatened to kill her. Her death led to the establishment of the DeKalb County Domestic Violence Task Force, which determined a need for additional domestic violence resources, system changes and a greater emphasis on community education. The county was granted $10,000 to create a victim service agency – the Women’s Resource Center – which helps survivors of domestic violence in metro Atlanta. Center staff help victims find places to stay, exercise their legal rights, explore options and create accountability for batterers. Victims are connected with support services and offered more than a dozen programs at the center, from group counseling to personal finance training and legal advice. For more information, visit www.wrcdv. org or call the 24/7 hotline at 404-6889436.

Sex trafficking forum to offer safety tips, resources By Rosie Manins

Teens and adults can get tips on staying safe in the face of metro Atlanta’s growing sex trafficking industry on Oct. 19. Tips, advice and information will be available at the Towers Action Group (TAG) Safety and Human Sex Trafficking Community Forum at Bethune Middle School in Decatur. Speakers for the 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. forum will come from the DeKalb District Attorney’s office, DeKalb Police, and DeKalb Homeland Security. Metro Atlanta, including DeKalb County, is one of the top sex trafficking destinations in the United States. Every year, thousands of minors are recruited from the city and sub-

urban areas and transferred to other counties or states for sex trafficking. In 2007 the sex trade generated $290 million in Atlanta. Statewide, some 374 girls are commercially exploited monthly; 5,000 girls are at risk of being sex-trafficked at any one time; 12,400 men pay for sex with a young woman; and 7,200 of them end up exploiting an adolescent female. The average age of entry into the commercial sex market for girls in Georgia is 12 to 14 years. About 65 percent of men in Georgia who buy sex with young females do so in and around suburban and metro Atlanta, with 9 percent near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – the world’s busiest

airport. Authorities say Atlanta’s airport, major ground transportation routes, and convention facilities all exacerbate the sex trafficking problem locally. Forum sponsor TAG is a communityled initiative supported by the DeKalb County Department of Human and Community Development. It is part of the county’s Sustainable Neighborhood Initiative and it aims to foster a collaborative, community-based approach to improving the quality of life throughout the county. Bethune Middle School is 5200 Covington Highway. For more information about the forum, visit www.towersactiongroup.org or call TAG at 678-632-5952.

Don’t Forget Your Behind Pink reminds us to screen for breast cancer. But screening for colon cancer is important, too! It’s the third leading cause of cancer-related death in women – following lung and breast cancers.* At age 50, everyone should get a screening colonoscopy – earlier if you have a family history or other risk factors. Cover all your assets. Talk to your doctor about getting screened.

Decatur 678.553.0226

Lithonia 770.817.0224

www.atlantagastro.com *American Cancer Society AGA, LLC and its affiliates are participating providers for Medicare, Medicaid and most healthcare plans offered in Georgia. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn.

Hazardous waste recycling will be offered from 8 a.m. to noon at the Central Transfer Station at 3720 Leroy Scott Drive in Decatur.

Free household hazardous waste recycling available DeKalb homeowners and residents can safely and properly dispose of dangerous domestic chemicals during a county-run recycling event on Oct. 21. The biannual DeKalb County Sanitation Division household hazardous waste recycling event takes place from 8 a.m. to noon at the Central Transfer Station at 3720 Leroy Scott Drive in Decatur. It is free and open only to DeKalb County residents. Residents can dispose of aerosols, batteries, adhesives, flammables, lawn care products, fluorescent light bulbs, photo chemicals, artist supplies and paint and paint-related products. There is a 10-gallon limit per vehicle for paint. Items not accepted include agricultural waste, ammunition, pharmaceuticals, radioactive materials and biohazardous or biomedial waste. The household hazardous waste recycling event is held in partnership with MXI Environmental Services. For more information, contact sanitation@dekalbcountyga.gov, visit www.dekalbsanitation.gov or call 404-294-2900.

CrossRoadsNews

October 14, 2017

AN HIV EVENT THIS INSPIRING DOESN’T COME TO ATLANTA EVERY DAY. Informative sessions and workshops • Interactive exhibits Health & Wellness booths

OCT 21 SATURDAY

Join the conversation about setting — and getting to — your new goals to do more than be undetectable.

Reserve your spot today.

11 AM to 2 PM

LOUDERMILK CONFERENCE CENTER 40 Courtland Street NE Atlanta, GA 30303

Youth

CrossRoadsNews

October 14, 2017

“The garden is teaching the kids about healthy eating and growing their own foods.”

Lucious Sanders students growing food with help from S. DeKalb Rotary By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Fall is here and cool weather fruits and vegetables are sprouting at Lucious Sanders Recreation Center under the stewardship of the center’s gardening clubs. Twenty kids from Stoneview and Marbut elementary schools who attend afterschool programs at the center planted strawberries, collard greens, carrots, radishes, broccoli, swiss chard and romaine lettuce on Sept. 28 with the help of Wylde Center. The fall planting and addition of extra gardening beds is made possible with a $1,000 grant from the Rotary Club of South DeKalb. Marcus Byams, Lucious Sanders’ director, said the Rotary District 6900 grant is helping the center do more with the gardening club. “It is helping us enhance the program so that we can teach kids to plant food, grow, harvest and eat good food,” said Byams. Lucious Sanders Recreation Center, located on Bruce Street in the city of Lithonia, launched its gardening club in spring 2016 with two 10-foot by 4-foot raised beds donated by the Home Depot. Byams said the Rotary grant is buying them two 8-foot by 4-foot beds and technical assistance from Decatur-based Wylde Center, formerly Oakhurst Community Garden Project, which is teaching the children proper planting techniques and care of the plants. The Wylde Center promotes and collaborates on programs and projects that improve and protect the environment. Byams said they plan to include food demonstrations to show the children how they can prepare the food they grow in delicious ways. Next year, he hopes to partner with Lithonia’s Farmers Market and Collard Greens Festival so the kids can sell some of what

Wylde Center greenspace director Josh Daniel showed the children how to put in the seedlings with proper spacing, and how to fill the boxes with good soil for growing.

they grow. On Sept. 28, Wylde Center greenspace director Josh Daniel showed the children how to put in the seedlings, and taught them proper spacing. He is also helping them set up with new beds and filling them with good soil for growing. Ceasar Gaiters, president of the South

DeKalb Rotary, said the club is happy to help the Lucious Sanders Center expand its community garden. “The garden is teaching the kids about healthy eating and growing their own foods,” he said. “They want to sell some of what they grow to raise funds for other things they are doing on the center. We are helping teach

our community to be self-sufficient and selfsustaining.” Gaiters said the total grant to Lucious Sanders Center is $1,500. The rest of the funds will be for basketball scholarships and to take the children to see a drama production at Champion Middle School. Ceasar Gaiters For 2017, the Rotary Club, whose motto is “Service Above Self,” is also donating $1,000 to Stephenson High School’s Robotics Program, and $1,500 to Chapel Elementary School Reading Program to purchase 500 books for students.

Wolverines hosting Battle of the Bands Frank Bates memorial scholarship High school bands from across metro Atlanta will compete in the Miller Grove High School Marching Wolverines Battle of the Bands Gym Jamboree on Oct. 21. The seven participating bands for the third annual event are from Jonesboro, Salem, Forrest Park, Redan, McNair, Clarkston, and Creekside high schools. Perfomances begin at 1 p.m. in the Miller Grove Gym at 2645 DeKalb Medical Parkway in Lithonia. There will also be a live DJ, dance teams, concession stands, and

giveaways. The jamboree is open to family, friends and fans. “To show appreciation for their third annual Battle of the Bands’ Gym Jamboree, Miller Grove has assembled area high school marching bands who will be bringing their ‘A-game’ performances,” said Merilyn Davis of the Wolverine’s Booster Club. For more information, contact, Booster Club President Kadijia Gordon at mgmarchingwolverines@gmail.com or 860869-0448.

Starting in 2018, a DeKalb student could be going to Fort Valley State University on a Frank Bates Memorial Scholarship. The new annual scholarship was established this week by family and friends of the late civil rights activist, who died suddenly of a massive heart attack on Sept. 30. Bates, a longtime resident of Lithonia, was 69. Frank Bates DeKalb School Board member Vickie Turner, a longtime family friend who will serve on the scholarship board, said everyone who knew Bates wanted his memory to live on by helping to send students to his beloved alma mater where he received a bachelor’s degree in history and political science and established many lifelong friendships. A memorial service for Bates took place Oct. 5 at Fairfield Baptist Church in Lithonia.

He was buried in his hometown of Crawfordville, Ga. Bates’ civil rights activism started when he led a student walkout in high school and protested the firing of five black teachers. Turner, who said she has known the Bates family for more than 50 years and grew up with one of Bates’s niece and four other girls who were dubbed “The Cliftons of Cincinnati,” said they decided to establish the scholarship in honor of “Uncle Frank” as he was affectionately called. “The Bates family will manage and oversee the scholarship, and I will sit on the Board (representing the Clifton girls),” Turner said. Bates loved Fort Valley State University and attended homecoming annually. This year, Turner said she and “the girls” will attend the Oct. 22-28 Fort Valley homecoming to share information about the scholarship. For more information and to donate to the scholarship program, call Tammy Bates at 678-642-2912.

October 14, 2017

Ministry

CrossRoadsNews

I had to realize that gangs are competing for the lives of young people seven days a week in the community.”

Greenforest celebrating Pastor Berry’s first year on Oct. 22

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

A year ago this month, the Rev. Dr. Emory Berry Jr. took the helm at Greenforest Community Baptist Church and the time just seems to have flown. “It’s been an incredible year for us,” said Emory Berry Berry, who turned 40 years old on Oct. 10 and will be celebrating his first anniversary as pastor of the Decatur church on Oct. 22. Berry’s tenure has exceeded expectations all around – his, and the congregation’s. In the last 12 months, 180 new members

joined the church. Berry baptized more than 50 people, from ages 5 years to 60-plus, and attendance at Sunday services has increased by more than 400 weekly. Berry is the church’s second pastor since the death of the late George O. McCalep, who built Greenforest into an economic powerhouse in the 1990s. He credits his quick success at the church to his decision to maintain the flavor of Greenforest, while infusing it with a more energetic worship service and placing a greater emphasis on outreach. “We continued a lot of the traditions,” Berry said. “What helped me is that I was able to put to bed any fears that I was going to change things.” The church hired William Callaway, a

Inspiring story at Ousley Men’s Day The Rev. Romal Tune, a dynamic young preacher with a powerful message of redemption, will be the featured speaker at Ousley UMC Men’s Day on Oct. 22. Tune, who was the son of a single, 17-year- Romal Tune old crack- and alcoholaddicted mother, had to survive the rough streets of “Killer Crest Side” in Vallejo, Calif. From gangbanging to drug selling and a family filled with dysfunction, Tune tells an inspiring story filled with hope and promise that your beginning does not have to determine your ending. He graduated magna cum laude from Howard University and from Duke University School of Divinity. Today, Tune is a missionary, author, philanthropist, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and founder and executive director of Faith for Change. Tune’s book “God’s Graffiti: Inspiring Stories for Teens,” published in June 2013, highlights the stories of at-risk youth in the Bible who overcame challenges to walk in God’s purpose. He also shares his own story of growing up in poverty amid crime and violence. The book was nominated in January 2014 for a NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Literary Work Youth/Teens category.

The theme of Ousley’s 2017 Men’s Day is “Christian Men – Equipped to Win in the 21st Century.” Part of Tune’s message is that if the church is to compete with gangs for the lives of young people, it must go out into the neighborhood where young people are and bring them back. Tune said that while speaking about why he wrote the book at Trinity UCC in Chicago in July 2013, he asked, “Why is that gangs are larger than youth ministries?” “I had to realize that gangs are competing for the lives of young people seven days a week in the community,” he said. “They know where every young person is, and I said, when does the church recruit?” Tune said gangs provide their recruits with food, shelter, and family and they do it outside. “If a gang was to come inside, one day a week in a building, the gang would die,” he said. “Because in order to recruit they have go outside and engage people and offer what they offer. In order for us to change the lives of young people in our neighborhood, we have go out into the hood and reach out to some young brothers and sisters.” Tune will speak at Ousley’s 10 a.m. service. Ousley Male Choir will sing contemporary and traditional gospel songs. The church is at 3261 Panola Road in Lithonia.

‘Relief party’ to assist Puerto Rico Church members, supporters and residents can volunteer to help load pallets of food and other necessities for Puerto Rico hurricane victims at Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church on Oct. 21. During the noon to 4 p.m. “relief party” volunteers will sort donations, load and shrink-wrap pallets for shipping to the Caribbean island that was ravaged by Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20. Three weeks after the hurricane, more than 55 percent of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million people are still without drinking water, most of the island continues to be without electricity, and many are struggling for food. The Grove is teaming up with RL Carriers Global Transportation to ship much-needed supplies to Puerto Rico which was flooded by

storm surge and homes and businesses were destroyed by 150-mile an hour winds from the Category 4 hurricane. The relief party will be in the Family Life Center. The pallets will be picked up on Oct. 23. Chianti Harris, the church’s staff pastor for Outreach & Community Development, said the church still need donations of bottled water, cleaning supplies, diapers for infants and adults, pull ups, baby formula and toiletry items. “We need financial donations to help us cover the cost of shipping,” Harris said. The church is at 1879-1903 Glenwood Ave. S.E. in Atlanta. For more information, contact Chianti Harris at E|charris@greaterpineygrove.org and 678-409-0539.

5K Walk/Run team seeks members Cancer survivors, their families, friends and supporters can join Transforming Faith Church’s team at the Uniting DeKalb for a Cure’s 2017 Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run/Walk on Oct. 21 at Northlake Mall. Lead pastor Lee May says the new church is joining DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond and Susan G. Komen Foundation for the walk that is raising funds to fight breast

cancer. The walk kicks off at 9 a.m. Registration is $10 to be a part of the team at www. crowdrise.com/transforming-faith-church--transformers/fundraiser/leemay2 “That’s the equivalent of a cup of coffee and a croissant from Starbucks,” he said. Northlake Mall is on LaVista Road at I-285 in Tucker.

new minister of music whom Berry had worked with in his home state of Florida, and it followed his lead, increasing tithing by more than $500,000 in the last year, and in donating $27,000 towards Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. “They just think I am young and crazy,” said Berry with a laugh. Berry also had lots of one-on-one conversations with the members, hugged a lot of the older ladies of the church, and kissed a lot of babies. He also engaged members in conversation around the church and in the parking lot, and in the tradition of McCalep, who had great recall of names, he became intentional about learning members’ names. In return the Greenforest family has embraced Berry and his family. He said it has showered, not only him, but his wife and

kids, with lots of love and support. The theme of the Oct. 22 first anniversary celebration is “The Year of Growth.” The Rev. Adrian S. Taylor, senior pastor of Springhill Baptist Church in Gainesville, Fla., will preach at the 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. worship services. An anniversary reception takes place in Adrian Taylor Fellowship Hall, Building 1, after the 10:45 a.m. service. The church is at 3250 Rainbow Drive in Decatur. For more information, visit or call 404486-1120.

5 churches aiding hurricane victims A coalition of five churches – First Afrikan The addresses are: Presbyterian, Greater n First Afrikan n New Life St. Paul, Love Beyond Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church Walls, Pulse and New 5297 Salem Road 6600 Old National Highway Life Presbyterian – are Lithonia, GA 30038 College Park, GA 30349 collecting relief supplies 770-981-2601 770-996-7159 through Nov. 1 to aid n Love Beyond Walls n Greater St. Paul and support individuals 3270 Main St. AME Church and families impacted College Park, GA 30337 315 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. by Hurricanes Irma and 678-631-8414 Boynton Beach, FL 33455 Maria in urban areas in 770-981-2601 n Pulse Church Florida. 645 Grant St. S.E. Donations of packAtlanta, GA 30312 aged and ready-to-eat 866-587-7515 food, diapers, baby formula, comfort kits, first-aid supplies, medical gloves, feminine cords, hammers, shovels, utility knives and hygiene products, shampoos and condi- bottled water can be dropped off at any of tioners, hand sanitizer, socks, extension the churches.

CrossRoadsNews

Scene

October 14, 2017

“I need the churches to come together to help. I am not going to sit here twirling my fingers. You can count on that.”

NAACP’s 61st Freedom Gala celebrates community servants Dr. Thomas Coleman and Beatrice Williams are the 2017 John Evans Lifetime Achievement Awardees. The two are being recognized for their lifelong commitment to fighting for equality for all. The award will be presented at the DeKalb NAACP 61st Annual Freedom Fund Awards Gala on Nov. 4 at the Stone Ridge Event Center in Stone Mountain. The award is named for civil rights fighter and retired DeKalb NAACP President John Evans, who led the chapter for 16 years. Current president Teresa Hardy the gala’s theme is “Standing United in the Face of Injustice.” “The NAACP DeKalb County Branch is honored to recognize the significant contributions of community leaders who represent our diverse DeKalb County population,” she said. The Freedom Fund Awards Gala is a major fundraiser for the branch which formed

Evans recuperating at rehab center Civil rights warrior and retired longtime phone calls to encourage people to make donations to hurricane victims, DeKalb NAACP president John Evwhich is being collected at Berean ans has been under the weather. Christian Church. Evans, who is founder of Op“I need the churches to come erations LEAD, was hospitalized together to help,” he said. “I am at DeKalb Medical for five days not going to sit here twirling my the end of September and has been fingers. You can count on that.” undergoing rehabilitation at Manor Evans, 84, was hospitalized Care Rehabilitation Center in Dewhen employees of a local grocery catur since Oct. 2. store found him slumped over his “I am doing a little exercise to John Evans strengthen my legs and they are stabilizing shopping cart and called 911. “Turned out I was sicker than I thought,” my blood pressure,” he said this week. In between treatments, Evans is making he said. 62 years with the mission of advocating for equality for all citizens, as well as eradicating political, educational, social, and economic racial injustice.

Talk Radio personality Dr. Rashad Richey will host this year’s gala. Comedian Hurricane Andrew and saxophonist Antonio Bennett & Neo4 Band will perform. The chapter will also present the Benjamin L. Hooks Business Award, David C. Albert Award, Narvie J. Harris Education Award, Patricia C. Jones Community Service Award, Faith Based Award, Earl T. Shinhoster Youth Services Award, Thurgood Marshall Award, and Medgar Wiley Evers Freedom Legacy Award. The event starts with a VIP eception at 5:30 p.m.; the Awards Gala is at 7 p.m. Stone Ridge Event Center is at 1750 Stone Ridge Dr., Suite A, Stone Mountain, GA 30083. For tickets and sponsorships, visit http:// naacpdekalbcounty61stfreedomfundawardsgala.eventbrite.com or contact naacpdek@ comcast.net or 404-241-8006.

Cop talk to unite police and public

HelpPages offer resource lists to help

By Rosie Manins

DeKalb Library patrons can now find shelters, employment, legal aid, food pantries, transportation and other resources at dekalblibrary.org/helppages . The library developed the online HelppPages – a directory of community resources and facilities for people in need – after fielding a multltude of questions from people who keeps turning to it for help. HelpPages, launched by the New Librarians Committee , assist patrons who need help beyond what the library can provide. Its listings include the organization’s address, phone number and a link to its website, when available.

Police are partnering with communities in Tucker and Stone Mountain on an Oct. 21 “community cop talk” event aimed on reducing youth crime and juvenile delinquency. Officers from DeKalb County’s Tucker precinct will participate in the 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Stone Mountain Seventh Day Adventist Church. The discussion seeks to bridge the communication gap between law enforcement and residents, for the ultimate goal of tackling youth crime and juvenile delinquency. Detectives and officers from various police

units will give presentations on youth crime and the legal process for when crimes are committed. Participants will discuss scenarios designed to help citizens and officers better understand how to de-escalate encounters between young people and police. Attorneys from the DeKalb County Juvenile Court will join a panel discussion about the juvenile court system. The event is free to attend. The church also invites participants to its noon service, which will be followed by lunch. Stone Mountain Seventh Day Adventist Church is at 1350 Silver Hill Road in Stone Mountain.

Martin Bennett, a committee member and librarian at the Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg branch, says he and his colleagues, who have been with the library system less than a year, are committed to ensuring that the listed information is reliable. “We plan to keep the site up to date,” Bennett said. “It’s easy for us to change and even includes an e-mail address patrons can use to notify us if they find outdated information.” HelpPages users can also add resources that are not on the list by sending an e-mail about additional community organizations. For more information contact Janet Florence at FlorenceJ@dekalblibrary.org or 404-508-7190 ext. 2224.

(60) days of Sept. 22, 2017. Witness the Honorable Linda W. Hunter, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 29th day of Sept., 2017 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/04

Legal Notices 09/23, 09/30, 10/07, 10/14

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM3867-2 Lissett Beasley PLAINTIFF VS Ronald Jerry Beasley DEFENDANT To: RB Beasley Atl. Taskforce Shelter 477 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Sept. 14, 2017. You are hereby notified that Aug. 28, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Lissett Beasley, 6588 Bradford Court, Stone Mountain, GA. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Sept. 14, 2017. Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 19th day of Sept., 2017 09/23, 09/30, 10/07, 10/14

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM9587-7 Helen Okhuos filed a petition on Sept. 08, 2017 in the DeKalb County Superior

Court to change name from: Helen Okhuos to Helen Beulah Favor. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Sept. 05, 2017 09/30, 10/07, 10/14, 10/21

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10086-8 Notice is hereby given that the Petitioner, Daniel Levi Johnson filed this petition to the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia on the 25th day of September, 2017 that his name be changed as follows: Daniel Levi Johnson to be change to Daniel Levi Crenshaw. Objections must be filed with said Court within 30 days of said Petition was filed. This the 25th day of September 2017 09/30, 10/07, 10/14, 10/21

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM9737-1 Egbert Samuels PLAINTIFF VS Hyacinth Samuels DEFENDANT TO: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Sept. 25, 2017. You are hereby notified that Sept.

14, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Egbert Samuels, 4213 Wingfoot Court, Decatur, GA 30035. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Sept. 14, 2017. Witness the Honorable Courtney L. Johnson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 26th day of Sept., 2017 09/30, 10/07, 10/14, 10/21

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM8543-4 Larry D. Callaway PLAINTIFF VS Jennifer N. Belser Callaway DEFENDANT TO: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Sept. 25, 2017. You are hereby notified that Aug. 09, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Larry D. Callaway, Jr., 2374 Emerald Falls Dr., Decatur, GA 30035. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Sept. 25, 2017. Witness the Honorable Gail C. Flake, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 26th day of Sept., 2017 10/07, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28

Notice of Petition to

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10024-3 Notice is hereby given that the Petitioner, La’Shante Ayeisha Esty filed this petition to the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia on the 22nd day of September, 2017 that the name be changed from: LaShante Ayeisha Esty to La’Shante Ayeisha Prendes. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections with in 30 days after the Petition was filed. This the 22nd day of September 2017

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10326 Sharon Hudson PLAINTIFF VS Grayling Eric Roberts DEFENDANT TO: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Sept. 26, 2017. You are hereby notified that Sept. 22, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Sharon Hudson, 3506 Cameron Hill Pl, Ellenwood, GA 30294. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Sept. 26, 2017. Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 4th day of Oct., 2017

10/07, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28

10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/04

CHANGE Name of ADULT

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Notice of Petition

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10054 Constance G. Codio PLAINTIFF VS Paul Dimi Codio DEFENDANT TO: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Sept. 22, 2017. You are hereby notified that Sept. 21, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Constance G. Codio, 3172 Marcello Court, Decatur, GA 30034. Answer in writing within sixty

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10326 LaShante Esty PLAINTIFF VS Vito Forman DEFENDANT TO: Vito Forman 5841 Strathmoor Manor Cir., Lithonia, GA 30058 By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Oct. 04, 2017. You are hereby notified that Sept. 22, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: La’Shante Esty, 5841 Strathmoor Manor

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Circle, Lithonia, GA 30058. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Oct. 04, 2017. Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 4th day of Oct., 2017 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/04

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10413-4 Notice is hereby given that the Petitioner, Asa Walker, Jr., filed this petition to the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia by and through his undersigned counsel, praying that Petitioner’s name be changed as follows: Asc Walker, Jr. to Asa Walker, Jr., Notice is hereby given pursuant to law to any interest or affected party to appear in said Court and to file objections to the name change requested in this Petition. Objections must be filed with said Court within 30 days of said Petition was filed. This the 2nd day of October, 2017 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/04

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM10346-9 Notice is hereby given that the Petitioner, Ruth Ann Murrell filed this petition to the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia on October 2, 2017 to change the name from: Ruth Ann Cox to Ruth Ann Bragg. Objections must be filed with said Court within 30 days of said Petition was filed. This the 6th day of September 2017

CrossRoadsNews

October 14, 2017

Scene Living books to spar conversations at Decatur library DeKalb Library patrons can check out “living books” on Oct. 23 at the Decatur Library. Living books are real people who belong to groups in our community who are exposed to stigma, prejudice, and/or discrimination. They get to talk frankly about life from their point of view. So far, the confirmed participants are a Muslim, a transgender woman, a blind person, a police officer, a social worker, a pagan and a man who spent 27 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The library says the number of living books for Oct. 23 could grow as more confirmations are received. The Decatur Library’s Living books, which takes place 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., is part of the Human Library Project in partnership with the Emory University IDEAS program. The Human Library provides a safe space for people to engage in one-onone conversations with others whose life experiences may be very different from their own and is a place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered. It promotes understanding by offering participants the opportunity to “explore the stereotypes and prejudices that separate them and the similarities that connect us.” The Decatur Library is at 215 Sycamore Street in downtown Decatur. For more information contact Janet Florence at florencej@dekalblibrary.org or 404-508-7190, ext. 2224.

The Human Library provides a safe space for people to engage in one-on-one conversations with others whose life experiences may be very different from their own.

Pink and Black gala celebrating breast cancer survivors

Shay Adams

Naomi Benson

Julie Black Fuzell

Ramona Golphin

Sabrina Holmes

Leona Jackson

Demetrica Jefferis

Charlotte Jones

Doris Jones

Margaret Jones

Opal Miller

Keisha Pooler

Dionne Simmons

Donnetta Turner

Michael Turner

Khaleelah Williams

LaTonya Wilson

Sixteen women and a man who have all battled breast cancer and came out on top, will be celebrated at the 12th annual “Pink and Black Ball” on Nov. 4 in Atlanta. The black-tie gala, is a signature event of the nonprofit 100 Black Women of DecaturDeKalb, takes place at Hilton Atlanta Northeast hotel in Peachtree Corners. The 7 p.m. event will feature dinner and dancing. Veteran broadcaster and former WSB-TV news anchor Monica Pearson will be mistress of ceremony. This year’s honorees are Shay Adams, Naomi Benson, Julie Black Fuzell, Ramona Golphin, Sabrina Holmes; Leona Jackson, Demetrica Jefferis, Charlotte Jones, Doris Jones, Margaret Jones, Opal Miller, Keisha Pooler, Dionne Simmons; Donnetta Turner, Khaleelah Williams, LaTonya Wilson, and Michael Turner. Tickets are $100. Part of the proceeds will benefit the “Thriving & Surviving” breast

cancer support group. The Hilton Atlanta Northeast hotel is at 5993 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. For information, tickets and sponsorships, visit www.ncbwdekalb.com or contact Nicole Lee at sherrielee76@gmail.com or 770841-1518.

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October 14, 2017