CrossRoadsNews, August 18, 2018 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

SCENE

MINISTRY

Fans of the annual Roaring 20s-themed “Stompin’ at the Savoy” will want to move quickly - the tickets will be gone soon. 4

Associates and neighbors of Greenforest members will be special invitees in the last two Sundays of the church’s monthlong effort. 6

It’s ‘Savoy’ time again

Put Litter in Its Place

FRANGELISM’s outreach

Let’s Do Our Part to Keep DeKalb Beautiful A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE FROM CROSSROADSNEWS

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

August 18, 2018

Volume 24, Number 16

Aretha Is At Rest

It was a good run, but our time is up

Chris Pizzello

Soul icon Aretha Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards during her career and was the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

‘Queen of Soul’ leaves unmatched legacy By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

March 25, 1942 – Aug. 16, 2018 Aretha Franklin, whose iconic voice brought a president to tears and mesmerized and inspired generations for more than 60 years, died Aug. 16. She was 76. In a statement announcing her death from pancreatic cancer, her family called her death “one of the darkest moments of our lives.” “We are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart,” the statement said. “We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family.” When news of her grave illness broke on Aug. 14, tributes for the legendary vocalist poured in from around the country and the world. Fans of the “Queen of Soul” called her “one of a kind,” “a force of nature,” and “a national treasurer.” Georgia Congressman John Lewis said she was a “wonderful, beautiful soul.” “We have lost one of the great spirits of our time,” he told CNN. Former President Barack and Michele

Obama said that through her compositions and unmatched musicianship, Franklin helped define the American experience. “In her voice, we could feel our history,” the Obamas said. “All of it and in every shade – our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. She helped us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, more human. And sometimes she helped us just forget about everything else and dance.” Former President Bill Clinton said Franklin stirred our souls. “She was elegant, graceful, and utterly uncompromising in her artistry,” he said. “She will forever be the Queen of Soul and so much more to all who knew her personally and through her music.” Franklin, who got her start at age 11 in New Bethel Baptist Church, her father C.L. Franklin’s Detroit church, had 73 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, the most among women for nearly 40 years, won 18 Grammy Awards and was the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. At the news of death, singer Elton John said, “The Queen is dead. Long live

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the Queen.” Franklin sold tens of millions of R&B and pop albums with hits like “Respect,” which became both a civil rights and feminist anthem, “Chain of Fools,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Freeway of Love,” “Natural Woman,” and so many others. Franklin sang at three presidential inaugurations – Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama – and at the funeral of her friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. In 2005, President George W. Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In interviews throughout her career, Franklin said the key to her success was being herself. “Being an original sets you apart from everyone else,” she said. Franklin’s family said Thursday that they were “deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support” they received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. “Thank you for your compassion and prayers,” the statement said. “We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on.”

For the past 23 years and four months, it has been our mission to publish CrossRoadsNews so we could tell the stories of the people who live, work and play in south DeKalb County. Over the years, we chronicled the ups and downs of the community, which became our home in 1993; championed its good causes, celebrated its triumphs, documented its missteps, investigated its Achilles heel; and spotlighted the work of people making a difference. But we’ve reached a crossroads of our own, and we had to make a difficult decision. This issue will be our final print edition. Going forward we will be digital-only. Why is this happening? Blame it on the fourth increase in our printing costs since October – the direct result of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian paper mills that manufacture newsprint used by the newspaper industry. These tariffs have resulted in up to a 30 percent increase in the printing bills of newspapers across Georgia and the nation, at a time when we have been been struggling to cover costs in the digital era. Blame it on the migration of advertising revenues to the internet, especially Google, Facebook and other social media. They get the money while we struggle to cover Board of Commissioners, City Hall and School Board meetings with dwindling revenues to pay reporters, newspaper carriers, the light bill and so on. While we were never short of stories to write, very few people wanted to buy advertising – the only product that we sell. And even as our in-boxes overflowed with press releases, many were the days that we opened the doors and made no sale. The bottom line is that even though we have more readers today than ever, in print and online, we have not been able to generate enough revenues to make ends meet. Perhaps because our newspaper was “free” to pick up, few readers never saw us as a normal business with weekly payrolls and printing bills every week. Perhaps if more people saw us as a business, they would have supported us with their advertising and subscription dollars. We are not alone in this new reality. All around us, newspapers are folding because they are no longer commercially viable in the age of the internet and tariffs. Just this April, five Virginia community newspapers – the Hopewell News, the Hanover Herald Progress in Ashland, the Caroline Progress in Bowling Green, the Clinch Valley Times in St. Paul and the Tazewell County Free Press in Richlands, all serving small towns, counties and cities – closed their doors permanently. Compared to them, we are barely toddlers. Their average life span was 134 years, and they had served their communities for a combined 673 years. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know that no business can stay in business if it is not making money. Neither can we. – Jennifer Parker, Editor/Publisher

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“Our community wants single-family homes to add value to our homes. Apartments can’t do this.”

Proposed Candler Road rezoning for 224 apartments irks neighbors Residents who live on or near Candler Road are protesting a proposed 224unit apartment complex on a former dairy property near the the I-20/Candler Road ramp.

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Some Candler Road residents are up in arms about a proposed apartment development that they say could bring more than 500 additional residents to an area already saturated with apartments. Flatiron Partners Inc., a real estate company that develops affordable housing, applied July 5 to DeKalb County to rezone a 12-acre property at 2537 Candler Road from C-1 (local commercial) to MR-2 (medium density residential 2) to built a 224-unit apartment community. Yvonne Jobe, who has lived on nearby La Fortune Drive for 45 years, said she and others in the Kelly Lake community are against more apartments in the area. “Why add 224 more units?” she said. “Our community wants single-family homes to add value to our homes. Apartments can’t do this.” Attorney Kathryn Zickert, who is representing Flatiron, said rezoning will unify the zoning for the former dairy farm

property, which includes multiple parcels zoned both C-1 and MR-2 and falls within the I-20 Overlay district. In an email to her neighbors, Daphne Smith, who lives nearby, said the area does not need another residential development. To add value to the corridor, Smith said the community needs upscale grocery stores, boutiques, restaurants and retail shops. “Anything other than a Family Dollar, beauty supply or auto stores,” she said. Jobe, who helped organize an Aug. 11 protest in front of the property, said they turned in a petition with 116 names at the Aug. 15 District 3 Community Council meeting on Wesley Chapel Road. The Community Council voted to deny the application. It comes before the Planning Commission on Sept. 6, and before the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 25. “We need a lot of people to come to the next two meetings,” Jobe said. Both meetings start at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact yvonne. jobe@yahoo.com or 404-243-9661.

Judge hosting People’s Law School DeKalb residents can hone their knowledge of the courts at People’s Law School this fall. The free school, created by DeKalb Chief Magistrate Judge Berryl A. Anderson, will provide adults with a general Berryl Anderson overview of the court system in Georgia, with a special emphasis on DeKalb Magistrate Court. Anderson said the curriculum will include instruction on civil, criminal, ordi-

August 18, 2018

nance and mental health court matters. Registration, which opened on Aug. 17, ends on Sept. 14. The classes will take place 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Mondays from Oct. 15 to Nov. 5. Participants who complete all four sessions will “graduate” from the People’s Law School. Space is limited. Anderson said the course is not for educational credit and nothing presented should be considered legal advice. To register, visit eventbrite.com and enter “People’s Law School 2018” in the search box, or e-mail dekalbmagcourtpls@ gmail.com.

Facing opposition, Lary withdraws proposal for 275 percent pay hike By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Facing strong opposition from residents and some city council members, Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary withdrew a proposed change to the city’s charter that would have increased his salary 275 percent. T h e a m e n d m e nt , which was seeking to increase the mayor’s compensation to $75,000 a year from $20,000, was one of six proposed charter changes on the agenda Jason Lary for an Aug. 15 Special Called Meeting. It was Lary’s second attempt to increase the office’s compensation. During the 2018 Georgia General Assembly this spring, state lawmakers voted down a similar proposal. Residents who packed City Hall groaned and snickered aloud as City Attorney Thompson Kurrie Jr. read the ordinance to amend the annual salary of the mayor and expense allowance for mayor and council members. Lary said the salary, which would have gone into effect in January 2020 – after the Nov. 5, 2019, municipal elections – would not impact the budget. “We have zero millage rate,” he said. “That doesn’t change. It’s not taking a dime out of your pocket. I don’t know how else to say it.” Upon his withdrawal, the council voted instead for a resolution for an $8,000 a year allowance for the mayor and a $5,000 a year allowance for council members. If approved after a 60-day advertising period and public comments, the resolution will go into effect in January 2020 and will not require receipts for reimbursements. For the mayor, it will replace the $650 a month expense allowance that he currently gets, and which requires receipts for reimbursements.

Geraldine Champion, a longtime resident, said the $55,000 increase in the mayor’s pay was just out of line. “First of all, you knew what that salary was when you signed up for the job,” she said. “And second, he G. Champion hasn’t shown the citizens anything that would warrant him getting a salary increase.” Champion, who was among 75 people in the audience, said the much-heralded Atlanta Sports City is a bust. “Nobody wants to talk about it,” she said. “They don’t have no money. The contractors that was going to put money in have pulled out. And the hotel [the mayor] knocked down still have a lot of junk there. They haven’t even picked up all the rubble. You can’t find any improvement from a year ago.” Champion said businesses are leaving and not one business has come to Stonecrest since it became a city. “He hasn’t done anything to deserve a raise.” Champion asked where the money to run the city is going to come from if it doesn’t have businesses to pay taxes. “It’s going to come from us,” she said. Vivian Pollard, who was also in the audience, said she doesn’t like that Lary continues to pursue the increase in his compensation. “Once the General Assembly denied it, he should have let it alone,” Pollard said. “It doesn’t look good for him to come back with it. It’s like he is trying to go through the back door.” The council also approved resolutions to amend the titles of municipal court judges, cap the millage rate at 3.35 mill, eliminate restrictions on employment for the mayor and city council members, and change the name of the city accountant to financial directors. All of the resolutions will be advertised three times within a 60-day period and public comments will be taken.

FirstNet offers tools to fight crime The DeKalb County Office of Public Safety has joined FirstNet – the nationwide public safety broadband network that gives first responders a reliable and highly secure connection to needed information. It is one of the first large law enforcement jurisdictions in Georgia to join the network being built by AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, established by Congress. Joseph “Jack” Lumpkin, DeKalb’s deputy chief operating officer of public safety, said the county has embraced technology to help reduce crime and improve public safety. “FirstNet will enhance the county’s public safety response by providing unprecedented coverage, connectivity and interaction during everyday situations and emergency events,” he said.

Public Safety, comprising DeKalb County Police, Fire Rescue, Animal Services and Enforcement, 911 Emergency Communications Center, DeKalb Emergency Management Agency and the Medical Examiner’s Office, has more than 1,600 employees. As a subscriber, DeKalb Public Safety agencies will use FirstNet to share data and critical information to enhance public safety, such as criminal records, police database information, photos and surveillance video. FirstNet will complement DeKalb’s recent technology upgrades such as the new E911 software system, which went live in April. DeKalb began migrating to the FirstNet broadband network platform in January. It completed full implementation in July 2018 and is also working with its 12 municipalities to adopt FirstNet countywide.

CrossRoadsNews

August 18, 2018

Community

“Importantly, Hill did not have any weapons and did not make any verbal threats towards defendant.”

Officer who killed naked vet must stand trial after motions denied By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Former DeKalb Police Officer Robert Olsen’s trial in the death of Anthony Hill, a mentally ill U.S. Air Force veteran, is set to proceed after a judge denied motions to dismiss the indictments against him. D e Ka l b Sup e r i or Court Judge J.P. Boulee denied Olsen’s motions in three orders issued on Aug. 14. Robert Olsen In denying Olsen’s motion to dismiss based on self-defense immunity, Boulee said he “did not prove by a preponderance of evidence that he was justified in using deadly force.” The judge also denied Olsen’s general objection, or demurrer, challenging counts one and two of his indictment, and a supplemental demurrer arguing that the Use of Force Policy is inconsistent with the one governing self-defense. Olsen’s trial will now move forward, but a

date has not been set as of press time on Thursday. Hill, 27, was naked and unarmed when Olsen shot him twice and killed him on March 9, 2015. Hill, who suffered from bipolar and posttraumatic stress disorders, J.P. Boulee was honorably discharged from the military after serving in Afghanistan. On the day of his death, he was roaming around his Chamblee Heights apartment complex naked when Olsen arrived on the scene in response to 911 calls about a “naked and demented” person. Hill had no history of violence and family members blamed his behavior that day Anthony Hill on medication he was taking. Olsen, 56, was a seven-year DeKalb Po- each of aggravated assault and making a lice officer when he answered the 911 call. false statement. He fought – all the way He shot Hill twice, killing him within five to Georgia Supreme Court – to have the seconds of arriving on the scene. charges against him dismissed. The justices He was indicted on Jan. 21, 2016, on two unanimously denied his appeal on Oct. 16, counts each of felony murder and violation 2017, and returned the case to DeKalb for of oath by a public officer and one count trial.

Olsen claims self-defense and said he felt threatened by Hill in the seconds leading up to him pulling the trigger. But Boulee said Olsen, who “had a distinct size advantage over Hill, specifically about five inches and 40 pounds,” did not show that it was reasonable to believe that deadly force was necessary to prevent a forcible felony. “Importantly, Hill did not have any weapons and did not make any verbal threats towards defendant,” Boulee wrote. In the Aug. 14 order, Boulee also denied Olsen’s challenge to count one and two of the indictment. Olsen resigned from the DeKalb Police Department the same day he was indicted and pleaded not guilty on June 6, 2016. In September 2016, Boulee also denied Olsen’s request to dismiss the charges against him on the grounds that unauthorized people were present in the grand jury room during the prosecutor’s presentation of evidence. Olsen filed a motion in the Georgia Supreme Court in October 2016 appealing his indictment.

DeKalb has new county attorney and Code Enforcement deputy director Viviane H. Ernstes is DeKalb’s permanent county attorney, and Timothy C. Hardy is the county’s new Code Enforcement director. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond announced their appointments on Aug. 8, subject to confirmation by the county’s Board of Commissioners. Ernstes, who has practiced law for over 30 years, has been interim county attorney since January, when former Overtis “O.V.” Brantley retired.

She is no stranger to the county. She came to DeKalb as a staff attorney in DeKalb County State Court in 1998. Before that she worked for the Of Office of the Fulton County Attorney and served as a part-time municipal Viviane Ernstes court judge for the city of Decatur from 1995 to 2004.

Ernstes earned her bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott College and her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law. Hardy, who has two decades of Code Enforcement experience, will Timothy Hardy serve as the deputy director of beautification over code compliance.

Hardy worked as the lead marshal for the city of Smyrna’s code enforcement division from 2011 to the present. He was also a code enforcement officer in Sandy Springs from 2009 to 2011. Before that he was director of the Atlanta Bureau of Code Compliance from 2006 to 2008, and with the Fulton County’s code enforcement division from 1998 to 2006. He has a bachelor of arts in criminal justice from Morris Brown College.

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CrossRoadsNews

August 18, 2018

The Flat Rock Archives is the only African-American archival facility in DeKalb.

Reception to preview Flat Rock exhibit at History Center 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Staff Writer Jennifer Ffrench Parker 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.

Ninety-one-year-old Patsy Moon, who left Flat Rock and DeKalb County in the 1950s because of racism and segregation, will be the guest of honor at an Aug. 24 reception for an exhibit about the community that will open February 2019 at the DeKalb History Center. Moon, who relocated to Los Angeles to raise her family, will provide live oral history during the reception sponsored by the DeKalb History Center and the Flat Rock Archives. The reception, which takes place at the Historic Courthouse building in downtown Decatur, will announce the opening “The Flat Rock Story of Resilience Deep Roots in DeKalb” exhibit dedicated to one of the county’s oldest African-American communities. The Flat Rock Archives, co-founded in 2006 by Johnny Waits, the late Rev. T.A. Bryant Jr. and Vera Whitaker, is the only African-American archival facility in DeKalb County. Located in the T.A. Bryant Sr. Homestead – which was built in 1917 and includes a barn, smokehouse and outhouse – the archives’ preservation efforts have Johnny Waits earned local and national recognition, and when actor Chris Tucker’s ancestry was researched, it was featured in the 2006 documentary series “African American Lives featuring Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.”

of the coming exhibit and the opportunity to view the history center’s current exhibits. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Johnny Waits at flatrockarchives@gmail.com. The hour-and-a-half reception, which is free and open to the public, starts at 7 p.m. The Historic DeKalb Courthouse is at 101 E. Court Square in downtown Decatur. For more information, contact Fred Mobley at mobley@dekalbhistory.org or JohnnyWaits at flatrockarchives@gmail.com.

Three-mountain Daisy Days hike registering walkers

Historic photos will preview “The Flat Rock Story of Resilience Deep Roots in DeKalb,” coming to the DeKalb History Center in February 2019.

The reception will also feature a video detailing the history of the Flat Rock Community in a “Reclaimed by Nature” Arabia Mountain exhibit. There will also be a small gallery preview

Stompin’ at the Savoy tickets on sale Fans of “Stompin’ at the Savoy” can start gathering their Roaring 20s attire for the annual jazz and dance party benefitting the Howey Hudson Lowe Foundation. Tickets for the 2018 gala on Nov. 10 are now on sale. The 14th annual gala – featuring dinner, dance and live performances – has a new location this year. Brenda Jackson, an organizer of the event, said it will take place at the World Omega Center in Decatur. The musical lineup includes the Melvin Miller Jazz Collective, jazz violinist Delores Majors, guitarist 2unes Woodall, flutist Bertha

Hightower Smith, comedian Willie Brown & Woodie, the Beulah Boys, the Swing Dance Heritage Club, Kantis Simmons and Mr. Big. The Howey Hudson Lowe Foundation, established in 2004, promotes positive growth and development, health and well-being of children, youth and adults and provides outreach to the homeless and scholarships to students attending Georgia Piedmont Technical College. The gala begins at 7 p.m. The World Omega Center is at 3951 Snapfinger Parkway. Only 350 tickets are available and they go fast. Get yours at www.freshtix.com or call 770-981-4756.

Fans of the outdoors can join Arabia Mountain Heritage Area’s first-ever Daisy Days Triple Hike across Arabia, Panola and Stone mountains on Sept. 30, but only if they register now. Tickets went on sale on Aug. 13 for the outdoor adventure that will stimulate the senses and challenge hikers. Expert guides will help hikers discover fields of beautiful daisies and endangered plants on the granite outcrops or monadnocks and encounter local heritage. Participants will also earn a special souvenir they can wear as a badge of honor, and at the end roast marshmallows by a fire to make s’mores. The Daisy Days Triple Hike is supported by the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, Panola Mountain State Park, and Friends of Panola Mountain State Park. For tickets and more information, visit https://daisydays.brownpapertickets.com/.

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August 18, 2018

CrossRoadsNews

miniStry

August 18, 2018

“We must remind the nation that because something works, doesn’t make it right.”

Black churches to stage Day of Action ‘Honey Bea’ Mackins marking 105 rally across from the White House years with multitude of celebrations Black churches nationwide are being summoned to Washington, D.C., to stand against bigotry and xenophobia at a “Call to Conscience – Day of Action” on Sept. 6 across from the White House. Reginald Jackson Bishop Reginald Jackson, president of the Bishops Council of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, said that in “calling the nation to its conscience,” church leaders will challenge not only the American people, but also Congress on policies and legislation that are unjust, divisive and detrimental to the nation. “We are calling pastors, congregants, and citizens from across the country to join us in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 5 and 6, as we call the nation to conscience,” Jackson said. He said that in today’s environment, ideology has become more important than principle, and party more important than country. “Conscience, and the rightness or wrongness of their actions, don’t seem to matter,” Jackson said. “The president lies and pits people against each other because it works to energize his base. We must remind the nation that because something works, doesn’t make it right.” The group has designated Sept. 2 as “Social Justice Sunday,” and is asking every pastor to preach a sermon related to social justice. “There are some who think the Black Church is weak and has little strength or influence,” Jackson said. “This thinking is incorrect. We are at war, and we call all soldiers to active duty.” Jackson said the coming-together will also kick off the black church’s efforts for

Wednesday, Sept. 5th Reid Temple AME Church, 11400 Glenn Dale Blvd, Glenn Dale, Md. n 9am: Strategic Planning Session for Bishops, Denominational Leaders, Pastors, Attendees n 12:30pm: Lunch - Reid Temple

AME Church

n 2pm: Leaders Meet with Congressional Leadership - Pastors, Laity visit their Congressional members’ offices n 7pm: Worship Service - Reid Temple AME Church, 11400 Glenn Dale Blvd, Glenn Dale, Md.

Thursday, Sept. 6th n 9am: Assemble, Lafayette Park Across from the White House n 10am: “Call to Conscience - Day of Action” - Lafayette Park n 12:30pm: Lunch, Metropolitan

AME Church, 1518 M St. NW, WashWashington, D.C.

n 2pm: Press Conference, MetroMetropolitan AME Church, 1518 M St. NW, Washington, D.C.

the midterm elections. “Our priority will be to register, educate, organize and mobilize our people to vote in November,” he said. “If blacks turn out in large numbers, we will determine the outcome in a large number of races.” For more information call 770-2201770.

FRANGELISM Month at Greenforest Greenforest Community Baptist Church is welcoming associates and neighbors for the final two weekends of FRANGELISM Month. Associates Day is Aug. 19, and Neighbors Day is Aug. 26. Sunday services are at 7:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. The monthlong FRANGELISM celebration also welcomed friends and relatives on Aug. 5 and 12, respectively. The church is at 3250 Rainbow Drive in Decatur. For more information, visit www.greenforest.org.

Emory Berry, Jr.

Relda Mackins (left) celebrated her 105th birthday with her daughter, Karen Green, and other family members at the Red Lobster in Tucker, one of many celebrations of her milestone.

For her 105th birthday, Relda “Honey Bea” Mackins had a quiet dinner on Aug. 7 with her only child, Karen Green, and 11 close family members and friends. Green said they took Mackins to Red Lobster in Tucker because she loves shrimp. But the celebration started a week earlier in Indianopolis, Ind., on July 28 when Mackins celebrated her birthday with her great-granddaughters Chelsea and Megan Bostick. On Aug. 9, family and friends also took her to Golden Corral on Highway 78 so she could have their peach cobbler, which she loves, and parties are also planned in Michigan. “She is celebrating all year,” Green said. “When you are her age, you can have as many parties as you like.” On Aug. 12, her pastor, the Rev. Vandy C. Simmons of Antioch AME Church, took communion to Mackins who – when her doctor insisted – finally moved in with her daughter in Hidden Hills in Stone Mountain last October. Simmons thanked God for his grace towards Mackins, and playfully attributed her longevity to being a member of Antioch. His birthday gift to her was $105, a dollar for every year of her life. Mackins, who became a member of Antioch AME in 2006 when she relocated to DeKalb County, also heard from AME Bishop Stafford J. Wicker, who was pastor when she joined the Stone Mountain church. When her daughter noted all the wellwishes she was getting, Mackins told her that such attention comes with age. “You can’t keep the company I do,” Green, 69, said her mother told her. “’You are not

old enough yet,’” For her long life, Mackins credits Jesus Christ for “his guidance to honor your father and mother so that your days will be long here on Earth.” She also exercises daily, riding a stationary bike twice a day for 30 minutes, and “every once and a while,” she indulges with a little grape wine. Mackins, who was born on Aug. 7, 1913, in Jellico, Tenn., remembers living through the Great Depression of 1929-1941. Though things were tight for her family, she said she did not go hungry. Mackins was married to Henry for 66 years. He died at age 97 in March 2007. Before moving to DeKalb County, Mackins lived in Williamsburg, Ky., and in Detroit and Jackson, Mich. She was a beautician and salon owner for 30 years, and was a hospital volunteer until the age of 90. Mackins’ parents died in their 70s and 80s, respectively. While her three siblings died in their 40s and 50 years, she has a first cousin, Irene Maun of Williamsburg, Ky., who is 98 years old. In 2013 when she was 99, Mackins was honored as “DeKalb County Senior of the Year” by the nonprofit DeKalb for Seniors Inc. Green credits her mother’s long life to her love of Jesus Christ, clean living, helping others, and her passion for the word puzzle, “Find the Words.” “She never drank, never smoked, and she is always helping somebody,” Green said. “She has always been that way, and she has been riding her stationary bike for a good 30 years.”

Pastor Hale hosting Tuesday Bible study

Cynthia L. Hale

The Gatherings with Pastor Hale is back at Ray of Hope Church after a summer hiatus. The remaining Tuesday Bible study programs for August take place Aug. 21 and 28 with the Rev. Cynthia Hale. They start at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the Chapel Sanctuary at the Decatur church, at 2778 Snapfinger Road. For more information, visit www.rayofhope.com or call 770-696-5100.

CrossRoadsNews

August 18, 2018

Legal Notices 07/28, 08/04, 08/11, 08/18