CrossRoadsNews, January 4, 2014 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COMMUNITY

One pickup garbage test

New book out soon

About 28,000 households will be selected to participate in a three-month pilot study of one-dayper-week trash collection in DeKalb County. 3

Antoinette Tuff, the McNair Discovery Academy bookkeeper who talked a gunman into surrendering, is publishing her first book. 4

SCENE

Tribute to unsung heroes The De Kalb NAACP honors the unsung heroes of the 1960s civil rights movement at a Jubilee Day celebration. 8

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

January 4, 2014

Volume 19, Number 36

www.crossroadsnews.com

Teen who killed 2-year-old sister sentenced to 12 years By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Ty’Aisa Jackson, a former Cedar Grove Middle School eighthgrader, leaves court after her Dec. 30 sentencing in the stabbing death of Sasha LaMaya Ray in November 2012.

Ty’Aisa Jackson, who stabbed her 2-year-old sister Sasha LaMaya Ray to death in November 2012 and hid her body in the woods behind her family’s Ellenwood townhouse, has been sentenced to 12 years with eight years to serve in custody. The former Cedar Grove Middle School eighth-grader, who is now 14, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in an agreement with the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office. She was originally indicted on six counts, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children in the first degree and a making false statement and was facing 20 years in prison. Please see SLAYING, page 5

Wesley Chapel Road primed for construction Two doughnut shops, two gas stations on deck By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Wesley Chapel Road is about to become construction central with four new projects expected to get under way this year. After years of decline, the corridor could see the construction of two doughnut shops and two gas stations. A Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant is planned for the boarded-up former Three Dollar Cafe building at 2555 Wesley Chapel Road; a Krispy Kreme restaurant is proposed for the former Wachovia Bank building at 2533 Wesley Chapel Road; RaceTrac is returning to the corner of Wesley Chapel and Snapfinger Woods Drive; and Kroger plans a sevendispenser gas station on the site of the Scores nightclub. Charles Peagler, president of the Kings Ridge Homeowners Association, said the projects show that growth is under way. “I am glad to see development,” he said on Jan. 2. “We will be filling up with gas and eating doughnuts, plus we will be getting rid of that nightclub.” Decatur-based Sahil Enterprise Inc. is developing the Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant. Salman Badruddin, the company’s president, said demolition on the old restaurant building will begin before the end of the month, and construction will start before the first of April. The Wesley Chapel restaurant will be the company’s third location in South DeKalb. Badruddin said he opened his first on Memorial Drive in 1997, and in December 2011, he took over the Panola Road space vacated by Starbucks. Badruddin said he picked the Wesley Chapel Road site because his other two DeKalb locations are doing well. “I am happy with those two locations and was looking for another site when this

Photos By Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews

A Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is planned for the old Wachovia/ BDI building on Wesley Chapel Road (above). A Dunkin’ Donuts will be built on the old Three Dollar Cafe site.

“There are only two of the new designs in Atlanta,” he said, “one in Peachtree City and one on Howell Mill Road.” He declined to say how much he is investing in the project but said the restaurant will bring 12 to 15 full- and part-time jobs to the area and a lot more than donuts. “We serve breakfast and lunch sandwiches, frozen drinks, coffee, cappuccinos, lattes, and teas,” he said.

Community meeting set for Jan. 7 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has been trying for more than a year to locate a restaurant on Wesley Chapel Road. Its first location choice was the old Hardee’s building in the Kroger Shopping Center He said he will rent a 1,200-square-foot parking lot, but negotiations fell through became available,” he said. Badruddin plans a 3,000-square-foot suite that will be next door. with the shopping center’s owner. Badruddin said the Dunkin’ Donuts building on the site. Dunkin’ Donuts will Freddy Luster, the Atlanta broker for occupy 1,800 square feet of the building and building will be a new prototype building for the chain. have a drive-through window. Please see WESLEY CHAPEL, page 4

CrossRoadsNews

January 4, 2014

CrossRoadsNews

January 4, 2014

Community

“I want to enhance the morale in the Sheriff’s Department. There has been tremendous turnover and a shortage of personnel.”

ARC offers update DeKalb to test once-a-week trash pickup About 28,000 households in DeKalb on transportation County will take part in a three-month Sanitation Pilot Study for one-day-perplan at ‘pop-up’ week garbage collection. DeKalb residents and other stakeholders who want to learn more about the $61 billion Regional Transportation Plan for metro Atlanta can attend an ARC “pop-up” open house on Jan. 11 in downtown Decatur. The Atlanta Regional Commission is hosting the new style of informational gathering from 3 to 5 p.m. It will transform an empty storefront at 515 N. McDonough St., Suite A, into a come-and-go public meeting. It is the first test-run of an idea ARC received in a community engagement survey last summer. ARC plans to replicate the pop-up conversation in communities all over the region. More than 2,000 survey respondents said they wanted more local choices, different ways to engage and online options, including informal connections, innovation and fun. The gathering is part of the latest update to the $61 billion Regional Transportation Plan, metro Atlanta’s framework for mobility and prosperity. Participants can learn about transportation choices, ask questions and offer critical input on public sessions. For more information, visit http://atlantaregional. com/info-center/arc-events/rtp-pop-up-openhouse.

Legislators to meet Cityhood groups Four DeKalb groups pursuing cityhood have been invited to attend a pre-session meeting with the DeKalb County Delegation on Jan. 9. House and Senate Delegation members will hear from the Lakeside City Alliance, the City of Briarcliff Initiative, the City of Tucker Initiative and the Stonecrest City Alliance. The 10 a.m. meeting takes place in Room 606 at the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, 18 Capitol Square S.W. in downtown Atlanta. Rep. Howard Mosby, the delegation’s chairman, said the groups will present the results of their feasibility studies. Lakeside, Briarcliff and Tucker released their studies, which show that their proposed cities are feasible. Stonecrest Alliance President Jason Lary said this week that he had not yet received his study, but it is widely rumored that the study was returned and it found the proposed city of Stonecrest is not feasible. Placeholders bills have been filed for all four proposed cities. For more information, call 404-656-0287.

During the study, the staff will obtain resident feedback and identify and address service issues for determining the viability of permanently converting to this new collection schedule countywide. Households will be chosen from unincorporated DeKalb, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Chamblee and Lithonia. Those selected will be notified by mail. For all other customers, collection service will remain on its current schedule. Each household in the pilot study will receive a free 65-gallon roll cart container to deposit their garbage and for placement at the curb on the identified collection day. Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May said the benefits and value of conducting the pilot are significant: n Easier for residents – The carts are durable and have wheels on the bottom for ease of use. Garbage will be collected on the same day as recyclables and yard trimmings. n Better safety for employees – Carts will reduce injuries to county employees, reducing the need to lift garbage and reduced

Households in unincorporated DeKalb, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Chamblee and Lithonia will be selected to participate in the three-month pilot study.

exposure to harmful materials. n A “safer” county – Fewer DeKalb n A “cleaner” county – Use of the solid-waste collection vehicles on the carts will reduce litter created by open containers or bags that have been damaged. n A “greener” county – The pilot will reduce the number of total DeKalb Sanitation vehicles on the road throughout the week, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Veteran officer joins crowded field for sheriff by Rep. Hank Johnson. He is expected to vacate the The line to replace Sheriff Thomas Brown just keeps office in March when he qualifies for the race. growing. Smith retired from the Atlanta Police DepartLaSalle Smith, who has 40 years in law enforcement ment in March 1998 after 30 years on the force. with the Atlanta Police Department, the FBI and the He also worked for the FBI in Washington, the GBI, said this week that he, too, has filed a declaration Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Fulton County of intent to run for the office. and was Pine Lake’s police chief. Because of a mix-up between the DeKalb Election He is the former pastor of Bountiful Blessing Office and the Georgia Government Transparency and Christian Ministry, which he closed in 2008. Campaign Finance Commission, his name was not LaSalle Smith Smith says he can further develop the Sheriff ’s listed last week among the potential candidates. Smith, who lives in Lithonia, filed his declaration on Oct. Office into the best in the nation. He wants to staff the office with “the most committed, dedicated, educated, highly 31. He said that he wants to enhance on what Brown has done skilled, qualified and trained personnel.” Smith said that his decades of experience as a successful in office. “He has done a credible job,” Smith said. “But I bring a lot law enforcement trainer and security specialist will help of law enforcement experience. I want to enhance the morale in him to reduce crime in the county and significantly improve the Sheriff ’s Department. There has been tremendous turnover upon the honesty, integrity and professionalism that Brown brought to the office. and a shortage of personnel.” “I want to do all within my power, working in concert Smith joins former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones, DeKalb Sheriff ’s Deputy Chief Jeffrey Mann, retired DeKalb Sheriff ’s Deputy with all concerned entities, law enforcement, other criminal Dale Bernard Collins, DeKalb Police Sgt. Romaldo Tony Hughes, justice agencies, the school system, communities, neighborAtlanta Police Sgt. Melvin Mitchell, and former Georgia Pied- hoods, faith-based organizations, to make DeKalb County mont Technical College Assistant Police Chief Melody Maddox, the safest place in the nation to work, play, and live.” The special election to replace Brown is expected to who have all said they plan to run for the office. Brown, who has been sheriff for 12 years, announced in Oc- take place alongside the 2014 Democratic and Republican tober that he will run for the 4th Congressional District seat held primary on May 20.

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CrossRoadsNews

Community

January 4, 2014

“It has great traffic count and good solid demographics and offers good future prospects.”

Antoinette Tuff publishes book on McNair siege 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

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Antoinette Tuff, the woman who talked down a gunman at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Academy on Aug. 20, 2013, will publish her first book, “Prepared for a Purpose: The Inspiring Story of How One Woman Saved an Atlanta School Under Siege,” on Jan. 21. The 240-page hardcover tome is being published by Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Tuff, who was a bookkeeper at the Decatur school, was in the main office when Michael Brandon Hill toting an AK-47 walked into the school and ordered her to call 911. Her conversation with him was captured on the 911 tape. Hill, who has a history of mental illness, fired at least a half-dozen shots at DeKalb officers and Georgia state troopers. Though terrified, Tuff calmly talked him into surrendering. “I want you to know that I love you,” she told him. “We all go through something in life.” “Prepared for a Purpose” describes how Tuff used her own pain and rejection from the breakup of her marriage to empathize with 20-year-old Hill. He was indicted on Nov. 15 on 13 counts, including aggravated assault against a peace officer, terroristic threats, burglary and carrying a weapon within certain school areas.

Former McNair Discovery Academy bookkeeper Antoinette Tuff is also is featured in a commercial.

The book is written with Alex Tresniowski. In hardcover, it is $24.99. The electronic copy is $19.99. Tuff is also one of 11 women featured in a bing.com/heroicwomen television commer-

cial. She appears with 16-year-old Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban extremists for standing up for the rights of girls to be educated; Britain’s “Iron Lady,” former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who died in 2013; and dancer Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who lost her legs in the Boston Marathon bombing and vowed to dance again. The other women in the commercial are former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head by a deranged gunman; Diana Nyad, who swam from Havana to Key West; Janet Yellen, who was appointed by President Obama to be the first woman to chair the Board of the Federal Reserve; Angela Merkel, the first woman chancellor of Germany; Edith Windsor, who won equality for gay marriage in the U.S. Supreme Court; and Deb Cohan, who danced in the operating room before her double mastectomy. Tuff also is raising $200,000 on gofundme to provide travel for underprivileged children. “We will provide inner-city kids the opportunity to see the world,” she said at http://www .gofundme.com/41fqvw. “If you change their vision, you can change their lives.” In the four months since she launched the campaign, she has raised $111,881 from 2,315 people.

Four new projects will follow overlay district guidelines WESLEY CHAPEL,

from page

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based JDL Castle Corp., said that they have the BDI building at 2533 Wesley Chapel Road under contract and will apply to the county on Jan. 9 to build a free-standing single-story Krispy Kreme store with a drivethrough on the site. Luster, who is with Red Rock Global; Waylon Hoge of Integrity Engineering; and Mike Neal of Colliers International will be discussing the project with the community on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. at the site. The former Wachovia Bank building, which had been vacant for five years, was donated by the bank in 2010 to businessman Creed Pannell for his new nonprofit Business Development Initiative. At the time of the donation, Pannell said the nonprofit would expose middle and high school students to the world of entrepreneurship. In 2011, the community fought to have Pannell remove a chain-link fence that he had erected around the building. Wells Fargo, which merged with Wachovia in 2009, said on Jan. 2 that it was unaware that the property was being sold for commercial use. Jay Lawrence, the bank’s Southeast communications manager, said they donated the building to the nonprofit group BDI to further its youth development aims. “Once we make a donation, it’s up to the nonprofit to use the property to advance the goals of the group and those it serves in the community,” he said. Pannell did not return telephone calls and text messages. At the Jan. 7 meeting, hosted

Circulation Audited By

RaceTrac is returning to Wesley Chapel and Snapfinger Woods Drive (above). Kroger plans a gas station on the Scores site.

by JDL Castle Corp., which builds stores for Krispy Kreme, residents will get to see plans for the utilization of the property and renderings of the building. If approved by the DeKalb Board of Commissioners in March, Luster said the building will be demolished and a 23,000- to 24,000-square-foot building will be constructed on the property. Luster said that Krispy Kreme is interested in Wesley Chapel Road because it is an active commercial corridor. “It has great traffic count and good solid demographics and offers good future prospects,” he said. Luster did not have a dollar figure for the amount the company will be making in the project, but he said that it will “a significant investment.” “And the owners are committed to the CID and in being a part of the community,” he said.

Two gas stations proposed

RaceTrac has submitted plans to the county for its $2.5 million nine-pump gas station at the corner of Wesley Chapel and Snapfinger Woods Drive. The DeKalb Board of Commissioners approved the project in March last year. Margaret Harritt, RaceTrac’s project manager, did not respond to telephone calls and emails about the company’s time line for construction by press time Thursday. The special land use permit for the Kroger gas station was approved by the BOC late last fall. Harold Schraibman, project manager for Roswell-based Paulson Mitchell Inc., which is handling the project for Kroger, said Thursday that Kroger has not yet purchased the building from Scores and that no plans have yet been submitted to the county. “I don’t yet know when things will happen,” he said. “If it is happening, it will be in 2014 and will start within the next six months.”

Photos By Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews

The gas station, which will have 14 pumps, is expected to open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. When completed, the Kroger and RaceTrac gas stations will join four others already on the corridor. Kevin Chapman, president of the Wesley Chapel Curb Appeal Task Force, said Thursday that he is excited about the new projects that will be constructed under the Wesley Chapel new overlay district guidelines. “We will have new attractive buildings and will be tearing down the old buildings,” he said. Chapman said that it is good to know that someone else sees value in the neighborhood. “They are bringing something new to the area for residents to enjoy and will generate some more money for the area,” he said.

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January 4, 2014

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“We are working closely with the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office and will seek to ensure that those involved are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Seven charged with theft, fraud in Breeze card hacking case Seven suspects have been arrested by MARTA Police in an illegal Breeze card hacking scheme. The suspects are Pierre Metteaux, 22, of Chamblee; Jedadia Byrd, 34, of Norcross; Melvin Summers Jr., 45, of Norcross; Christine Carney, 44, of Atlanta; Jedadia Byrd Stephanie Finger, 26, of Norcross; Brenda Small, 42, of Lawrenceville; and Michael Dallas, 33, of Atlanta. Small was released on Dec. 16 on $7,500 bond. They were arrested on Dec. 10, Dec. 13 and Dec. 23 and booked at the DeKalb County Jail as part of an ongoing investigation of fraudulent sales of fare cards.

The transit system said that personal information of legitimate Breeze fare card holders was not compromised. Breeze fare cards should only be purchased at vending Christine Carney Michael Dallas Stephanie Finger Pierre Metteaux Brenda Small Melvin Summers machines in MARTA “We are working closely with the DeKalb rail stations, at MARTA RideStores or online MARTA Police Chief Wanda Dunham said the suspects have been charged with District Attorney’s Office and will seek to at itsmarta.com. MARTA says that selling, theft, fraud and violations of the Racketeer ensure that those involved are prosecuted altering or fraudulently obtaining MARTA Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, to the fullest extent of the law,” she said in a fare media is illegal and that counterfeit cards will not be honored. Dec. 27 statement. also known as RICO. Anyone with information about the To make counterfeit cards, computer Dunham said MARTA takes these crimes very seriously and will continue to investigate hackers bypassed Breeze card security fea- illegal sale of Breeze fare cards can call 404848-4584. tures. each and every case thoroughly.

Conyers man gets seven years as ringleader in fraudulent eBay scheme Jason Christopher Spellen of Conyers, the accused leader of a multi-state operation that sold stolen merchandise on eBay, has been sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to forfeit nearly $1.7 million. Spellen, 28, pleaded guilty in March 2013 to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act conspiracy. U.S. District Judge William Steele imposed the sentence on Dec. 30 in Mobile, Ala. Court documents say Jason Spellen the case was prosecuted in Mobile because an undercover Secret Service agent based in Mobile made purchases from the group. Secret Service agents searched Spellen’s house in Conyers in November 2011 and then began bringing charges. Spellen also will be required to forfeit assets from his home and storage unit and

participate in “residential, comprehensive substance abuse treatment while incarcerated.” Steele also ordered that he serve his prison sentence at a facility “as close to his family in Atlanta, Ga., as possible.” Spellen was described by federal prosecutors as a leader of the “Spellen Enterprise,” a group that sold fraudulently obtained and stolen electronics on eBay and by other means. The operation spanned 26 states and involved 14,000 items, some of which were purchased from retail stores using counterfeit credit cards and driver’s licenses. A dozen others have pleaded guilty in the case and received up to 10 years in prison. Spellen’s sentence was less because he cooperated with investigators. His brother, 23-year-old Raymond Spellen, also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in March and was sentenced in June to three years of probation and six months

Mother still ‘shaky’ after loss of baby and older daughter SLAYING,

from page

Judge Gregory A. Adams imposed the 12year sentence on Dec. 30. The five counts for murder and aggravated assault were merged into a single malice murder count to which Ty’Aisa pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. She also was sentenced to five years for making a false statement and will serve that time concurrently. Her mother, Haneefa Ray, said they are happy with the sentence. “It’s reasonable,” Ray said on Jan. 2. Ty’Aisa was baby-sitting the toddler and sisters Sanai, 5; Shanell, 4; and Sade, 3, on Nov. 19, 2012, over the Thanksgiving break from school when she called her mother and stepfather Shelton Ray at work to report Sasha missing. Her stepfather found the bleeding toddler in woods behind the family’s townhouse on Waldrop Trail. At first, Ray thought the puncture wounds on Sasha’s body were from a dog attack, but police Shelton Ray later told the family that Ty’Aisa, then 13, confessed to stabbing the 2-year-old seven times in the chest and hiding her body in the woods. Ty’Aisa will serve eight years in prison and four years on probation. She has been in custody at a juvenile facility since her arrest and will receive credit for time already served. When she turns 17, she will be transferred to an adult correctional facility.

District Attorney Robert James said there are no winners in this case. “We have a family that is broken emotionally beyond what many of us could comprehend,” he said. “Ty’Aisa and Sasha’s family will forever be changed by this terrible situation.” The family has relocated to Stone Mountain, and Shelton Ray said after the sentencing that they are just taking it one day at a time and leaving everything in God’s hands. “There is nothing Haneefa Ray more we can do,” he said. Haneefa Ray said Ty’Aisa seems to be holding up pretty well, but that it is still tough for her dealing with the fact that her daughter killed her baby. “It’s still shaky for me,” Ray said. Ty’Aisa is still at the juvenile facility on Panthersville Road in Decatur. Her mother said she sees Ty’Aisa when she can and talks to her regularly. “I take all her collect calls,” she said. “And my grandmother comes up from Macon to see her every two weeks. Someone from the family is always going to see her during visitation. When there is some special event, I try to go.” She said Ty’Aisa finished the eighth grade and is now in the ninth grade. She said she is loved by the people at the detention center. Does she realize what she has done? “Honestly, I don’t think it has hit her yet,” her mother said. “But I think it will when they ship her out to serve her sentence.”

of house arrest. Ten defendants were indicted by an October 2012 federal grand jury and charged with operating a RICO conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d). The indictment contained a forfeiture notice seeking a $7,000,000 money judgment. Indicted along with the Spellen brothers were Steven P. Marks of Atlanta; Tariq Rashid Sims, aka Tai, of Atlanta; Corey Timmons of Atlanta; Andrew Valentino Wilson III of Atlanta, Miguel Lawayne Taylor of Arizona; Kevin Maurice Demps of Detroit; Maurice Allen Haggen of Detroit; and Raphael Ward, aka Jayson Taylor, of Detroit. They all faced a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. Jason Spellen also was charged with six additional counts to include money laundering; Taylor also was charged with money laundering and mail fraud; and Marks, Sims

and Timmons also were charged with conspiracy to sell stolen merchandise. The RICO count alleged the Spellen Enterprise fraudulently purchased electronics, such as PlayStation3’s, iPods and iPads, from retail stores using counterfeit credit cards and drivers’ licenses provided by other members of the conspiracy and by use of lines of credit from retail stores. U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown called the scope and sophistication of the fraud scheme “startling” when the indictments were announced on Nov. 15, 2012. “While technological advances may present new avenues for thieves to procure and sell their stolen goods, law enforcement will continue to use every tool at its disposal to bring law breakers to justice,” Brown said. The Secret Service was assisted by the U.S. Postal Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the eBayProAct team. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah Griffin.

Ex-cop banned from police work syth County sheriff and was facing Veteran DeKalb Police Ofa felony aggravated assault charge. ficer Scott Biumi, who pulled He resigned from the DeKalb Police his gun on an 18-year-old Mcforce on April 19 “in lieu of termiDonald’s customer in Forsyth nation.” County, got 10 years probation Forsyth County investigators and community service and is said Biumi got out of his DeKalb banned from serving in law enCounty Police unmarked black forcement for life. Chevrolet Impala, went to the pickHe also can no longer own Scott Biumi up truck in the line in front of him, a gun. Biumi, 48, pleaded guilty to two counts and pointed his service gun at the driver. Investigators said Biumi lunged his head of aggravated assault after he was caught on the restaurant’s security camera point- and shoulders into the customer’s pickup ing a gun at a driver in a McDonald’s during the confrontation. Ryan Mash, a Lambert High School sedrive-through lane in Cumming on April nior, said Biumi flashed his gold star badge 9, 2013. Investigators said the detective sergeant and asked him if he knew who he was messwas upset that the driver ahead of him was ing with. He said Biumi put his hand on his upper taking too long at the window. As part of a plea agreement, Biumi, chest and shoulder area, then he pulled the who was a DeKalb detective for 20 years, gun and put it at his neck area. The negotiated plea, entered in Decemmust do 120 hours of community service ber, also requires Biumi to “take all medicaduring his first year of probation. He was arrested on April 17 by the For- tions as directed.”

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Community

CrossRoadsNews

January 4, 2014

“We the residents need to be better advocates for the county and work for the change that we want to see take place.”

Civic activists, elected officials offer hopes for DeKalb in 2014 I’m just hoping for stability “First, I’m just hoping for stability in DeKalb for 2014. It’ll be good to see everyone get back to the business of what they do without the distraction of school district turmoil, suspension of a CEO or a school corruption trial or charter school controversies. Second, I’m hoping we see commissioners approve an overall strategic plan for growth, which will lead to a stronger economy here and more jobs. We’ve been talking about it for years – now the county is on track to finish the plan in 2014. Third, I’m eager to see the school district regain full accreditation. That’ll go a long way toward promoting a renewed sense of normalcy. Despite our troubles, the DeKalb Chamber’s health is excellent. We’ve had strong revenue growth for the last three years. Now we’re hoping 2014 brings new growth in actual membership.” – Leonardo McClarty, president, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce

Editor’s note: With the dawn of a new year, everyone likes to turn over a new leaf. As we look forward to new possibilities, we ask residents what they hope for our county in 2014. Below are some of the responses. We would love to hear from you too. Email your comments to hopesfor2014@ crossroadsnews.com or post on the Jennifer Parker, editor, Facebook page.

I want good ideas implemented “I would like to see the new juvenile curfew enforced. It is scheduled to start in the new year and we need to enforce it. I want to see Operation 2.0 implemented to improve the curb appeal of the county and to instill better pride in the county. I want to see crime go down. We have had about 10 breakins and two cars stolen in the last two weeks in our subdivision. One woman’s front door was kicked in and she packed up and I’m hoping SACS fully restores accreditationm left. One of the cars was stolen by a juvenile. I hope that would “I’m hoping SACS fully restores DeKalb’s accreditation in 2014 change. after we’ve been on probation for a year. That would remove a lot of I like where the county is going with interim CEO Lee May. uncertainty and help us move forward. We are seeing more being done. Most of all, I’m hoping the state of Georgia removes DeKalb as I would like to see the county become more stable. a ‘donor’ county. Under the Quality Basic Education Act (1986), the I hope to see full accreditation back for the county. state can take funds from counties considered to be property-tax rich I would like to see the Burrell Ellis situation resolved, sooner than later. When you and redistribute them to school systems in poor counties. are paying for something twice, it means that something else is not being paid for. That The state has taken about $100 million from us over the years. money could go to pay police officers or for code enforcement. But our circumstances have changed. With neighborhoods leaving I want the good ideas implemented. I want the landscaping, increased mowing and the county to form cities and after five years of recession and a real more code enforcement officers implemented first. estate bust, we no longer have the tax base to be a donor county and I don’t want Burrell Ellis back in office and you can quote me on that. He gave us it’s weighing heavily on our fiscal resources. We’ve been pushing the state to change our status so that we no longer have the donor the runaround. He would never respond to us. We sent certified mail to his office and county obligation.I think that would be the most positive development for the county in got no response. It’s disheartening when you don’t get even an acknowledgment that he received it.” 2014.” – Kevin Chapman, Jr., president, Wesley Chapel Curb Taskforce – Viola Davis, co-founder of the Unhappy Taxpayer Voter Organization

We should take the opportunity to have a calm and rational conversation about the future of the county “My hope is to see a more cohesive and stable county in 2014. We have been racked with the situation with the School Board and the CEO. The citizens deserve a more stable leadership. With the leadership that is in place now, I am already seeing an improvement in the relationship between the cities and counties. We should take the opportunity to have a calm and rational conversation about the future of the county with the new cities, about the best way of being able to provide better services throughout the county so that we can have high expectation of quality wherever you live. I would like to see an opportunity for existing cities to do annexation to build their revenue base because strong cities contribute to strong counties. I definitely want to see the school system returned to full accreditation. That is important, not only for the education of our children, but it’s important to economic development of the county. The interim CEO is doing a good job, but I would like to see a resolution to the Burrell Ellis situation. It needs to be settled. I am optimistic about the future of our county. DeKalb has enormous potential. We the residents need to be better advocates for the county and work for the change that we want to see take place. It’s not just up to elected officials. It’s up to all of us.” – Deborah Jackson, mayor of Lithonia

January 4, 2014

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“I am extremely hopeful that full accreditation will be back by the end of January. That’s very important.”

Schools, CEO drama, youth, economic development top list We have to clean up the county to attract development “I want the county to implement the plan put in place for Code Compliance, We have to clean up the county to attract development in the county. Property owners have to understand that they have to keep up their property to keep up their values. Citizens have to do more in keeping up their property. The county has to do more for businesses to come here. Code Compliance needs to be adequately funded. It needs to be brought into the 21st century electronically. Panhandling has to go. We need a qualified economic development director who has a strategy. We have been doing hit or miss and we get gas stations and dollar stores. If you have a hit-andmiss strategy, that is all you will get. The county needs to figure out a way to bring development to the old Kmart building and the old Everest site on Wesley Chapel Road. To revive Wesley Chapel Road, we have to get business that bring jobs. What about Sun Systems? What about a data center? We need the Super CID and we need sustainable development. In due time, with the right leadership, that can happen.” – Charles Peagler, president, Kings Ridge Home Owners Association I’d like to see a sharp decline in youth crime and violence “I’d like to see a sharp decline in youth crime and violence in DeKalb for 2014, and we have a plan to help make it happen. We want to get 60 kids off the streets in the new year, but we have to give them positive intellectual alternatives and we have to offer structure. Most of all, we have to retrain their minds with STEM programs, activities in science, technology, engineering and math that could prepare kids for careers in those fields. SCLC will offer a robotics program that could uncover hidden talent among youth described as at-risk. We will set up the program in a space at the North Center Office Park on Covington Highway. DeKalb Supervalu Foods, Big Bear Supermarket, McDonald’s and Vincent Computers are sponsoring the program. Aaron Rents and Comcast will contribute tables and computer equipment. We’re interested in guiding kids’ long-term development similar to what the 100 Black Men organization has done with youth in the community. Eventually, I’d like to see all of the civil rights organizations join forces to reduce youth crime.” – Nathan Knight, DeKalb SCLC

\We need an ecnomic development strategy that is robust and strategic “I feel that many chapters are finishing and I am optimistic that we are going to have a great year. We have more than 700,000 great residents. I feel good about the school system. The cities and mayors need to pull together with the county and the county needs to pull together with the cities and mayors. We need to collaborate. If we don’t, we will end up in the cellar. Want to see what will happen with the GM plant. It could be a great boost to the county. We need something in South DeKalb to create jobs. We must address our economic development. Our economic development strategy must get resolved. We must work together with our cities. Our cities are not the enemy. We need an economic development strategy that is robust, that is strategic, and that works for the entire county. That is a key component of our success. We have got to improve our relationship with the State Capitol. Its not us versus them. It’s got to be we. What is good for Fulton is good for the region. It just means we have to work harder to get them to come to our county. Would like to see the CEO situation resolved one way or the other. It’s important. The indecision of what is going to happen is harmful. We need strong leadership across the board. I feel very strongly that SACS is going to give an objective representation. I am extremely hopeful that full accreditation will be back by the end of January. That’s very important. We have put our money where our mouths are. – Arnie Silverman, chairman, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce

Our focus should be on the Police Department, the school sytem and cleaning up the county “I would like to see us get back on track and sustain ourselves in the best interest of, not just South DeKalb, but of the whole county. We have a lot of work to do. Our elected officials need to focus and have a vision, especially for economic development. Our focus should be on the Police Department, the school system and on cleaning this county up. I want interim CEO Lee May to give police officers an increase after he does a survey to see what surrounding counties are paying. We need to pay our officers well so they won’t leave. We need to do this even if the residents have to pay a small millage increase that goes directly to the police force. We need to ensure that our school system is up to par like in the 1980s when we had a first-class school system in DeKalb County. We have to make the county appealing to development and the interim CEO has to come up with a comprehensive plan to sell business on DeKalb County.” – Joel Edwards, community activist

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CrossRoadsNews

January 4, 2014

“Kids were a big part of the movement all over the South. They jumped in and did what was necessary at the risk of their safety.”

Jubilee Day service honors DeKalb unsung civil rights heroes By Ken Watts

Forty-eight DeKalb residents who labored in obscurity during the 1960s civil rights movement were applauded by a small but enthusiastic crowd on Jubilee Day at Rainbow Park Baptist Church. The annual Jan. 1 celebration, hosted by the DeKalb NAACP, marked the 151st anniversary of the effective date of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which was aimed at freeing the slaves in all territory still at war with the Union. This year it also honored the “unsung foot soldiers” of the civil rights movement who desegregated public schools in DeKalb and helped plan and execute demonstrations that ended Jim Crow laws in metro Atlanta. Nine men and women attended the ceremony and the names of 22 others were read aloud by NAACP members D.E. Smith and Teresa Hardy. Those in attendance were Lavern Woods Baker, Vincent Sanders, Gerald Sanders, Demetria Sanders Evans, Albert Smith, Roger Mills, Olitha McGuire Reid, Teresa Kelly Shy and Barbara Cross. “We love and appreciate you for your service and willingness to sacrifice for us,” D.E. Smith said. “There are many others whose names we got after the printing deadline but we appreciate them as well.” Vincent Sanders of Decatur, who helped desegregate Lithonia High School in 1965, said he’s grateful to the NAACP for making an effort to recognize unsung foot soldiers. “It was a very nice program,” he said. “We feel appreciated and they should make it an annual event.” Minister Jared Sawyer, a speaker at the ceremony, acknowledged his generation’s debt to civil rights-era activists. “You may not be on the pages of history, but what you accomplished is truly amazing,” said Sawyer, who is 16 years old. Lavern Woods Baker of Decatur participated in the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, and had been active in the DeKalb NAACP before that historic event. She said she was an adviser for young people in the DeKalb NAACP and that she helped them prepare for demonstrations at cafeterias, stores, movie theaters and other places in the community that they were trying to integrate. “I instructed them in nonviolent resistance and attitude,” Baker said. “You had to have a positive attitude and let them know that things would change.” Albert Smith of Decatur was president of the DeKalb NAACP’s Youth Council in 1963. He helped staged several demonstrations to integrate the Lithonia city parks. “We expanded into Decatur and did the same thing there,” said Smith, 68. “Then after I graduated from high school and went on to Morehouse College, I started working with SNCC – the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee – with Stokely Carmichael and Julian Bond, and we did demonstrations against some of the segregated restaurants there.” On Aug. 28, 1963, he was among the crowd on the Washington Mall when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Smith said he would like to see greater activism among today’s youth. “In the civil rights era, kids were a big part of the movement all over the South,” he said. “They jumped in and did what was necessary at the risk of their own safety.” The Jubilee celebration honored the service of the foot soldiers and the spirit of the Emancipation Proclamation in song, speeches and music. In the program’s commemoration ceremony, Christopher Smith, a student a Five Forks Middle School in Lawrenceville, delivered a dramatic reading of the Emancipation Proclamation while Elisheva Wimberly, a ninth-grader from DeKalb High School of

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Siblings Demetria Sanders Evans, Gerald Sanders and Vincent Sanders were among civil rights foot soldiers honored on New Year’s Day at Rainbow Park Baptist Church.

The DeKalb NAACP also recognized the contributions of Roger Mills (from left), Albert Smith, and Lavern Woods Baker at the annual Jubilee Day celebration.

Unsung foot soldiers The DeKalb NAACP recognized foot soldiers of the civil rights movement at its Jan. 1 Jubilee Celebration Roger L. Allen William Allen David C. Albert Lavern Woods Baker Wille Bullock James Norris Benefield Barbara Cross Barbara Crawford Minnie Davis James Dean Alvin Dollar John Evans Roger Mills Demetria Sanders Evans Vincent Sanders Gerald Sanders Albert Smith

Bishop M.E. Fowler Charlie Fretwell Vanita Taylor Grogan Marcia Glenn Hunter R.A Knight Mamie Lane Cynthia Major Eugene C. Maner Jr. Steen Miles Roger Mills Rosa Davis Moore Reree Curtis Orr Oscar Reid Olitha McGuire Reid Barry Reynolds Zapora Roberts Judy Starks Roseberry

the Arts in Avondale Estates, lit a candle. The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are henceforward shall be free.” Lincoln wrote the proclamation at the height of the Civil War and it didn’t immediately free a single slave, but after Jan. 1, 1863, every advance of Union troops against Confederate forces expanded the domain of freedom. Another DeKalb School of the Arts student, Clark Davis, performed an interpretive dance and the congregation joined the Rainbow Park choir in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Negro National Anthem.

Lucious Sanders Patricia Shepherd Rosalind Shepherd Bernice Shumake Teresa Kelly Shy Albert Lewis Smith Barbara Smith Willard Strickland Cassandra Smith Sutton Paul Taylor Allison Venable Barbara Loyal Warsama Aletha Kelly Williams Elizabeth Wilson Richard Wilson Drucilla Woods Maggie Carolyn Woods

Derrick Alexander Pope, a prominent Decatur attorney and former Georgia State University law professor who delivered the ceremony’s keynote address, said Lincoln’s proclamation is rightfully a cherished American document but that it could have had even more impact and saved lives had it addressed the notion of white supremacy. “If Lincoln had addressed that sickness, quite possibly we might have never have had to experience the silliness of ‘separate but equal,’ the oddity of Jim Crow, and the craziness of lynchings,” he said. Vincent Sanders, 61, attended the ceremony with brother Gerald Sanders and

sister Demetria Sanders Evans. He said he, Gerald and seven other black students enrolled at the Lithonia school in 1965. “I was the first black student to start in eighth grade and finish at Lithonia High School,” he said. “Being nine students in a sea of 2,000 whites was kind of rough. Some were mean and some were kind. After a while, we learned how to avoid the troublemakers.” Demetria Evans was one of the first black students at Stoneview Elementary in Lithonia. She said it was really frightening. “Kids were really terrible to us,” she recalled. “They were spitting on us and calling us names every day. It was awful. I don’t know how I made it but I did.” She went on to Lithonia High and graduated in 1972. Evans said her grandfather, activist Willie Bullard, encouraged her and her two brothers to attend previously all-white schools and register to vote. “The kids of today take for granted a lot of stuff,” she said. “They don’t realize where we came from. I think they should read their history and realize that any advantages they have today, we had to fight for back then.” The legal battle over DeKalb school integration continued from the mid-1960s until 1993 when the U.S. Supreme Court released the county from federal court supervision. Decatur native Roger Mills was an attorney who joined the school integration effort in 1975 when the schools were resegregating because of white flight and changing housing patterns. He served on the court-appointed BiRacial Committee that organized an alternative integration effort. “The courts refused to allow systemwide busing but did permit a majority-tominority transfer program that allowed black students in South DeKalb to be bused to predominantly white schools in North DeKalb,” Mills said. “At its height, about 4,600 students transferred from black schools to white schools voluntarily.” DeKalb NAACP President John Evans said the organization was pleased with the opportunity to show the foot soldiers that they are recognized and appreciated. “We can say to them, ‘We knew you were there,’” he said. “We may not have known your names but we know we wouldn’t have made it through without you.”

CrossRoadsNews

January 4, 2014

Scene

Orobator uses excerpts from Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” to introduce major themes of Christian doctrine.

Film looks at economic power Weekly study sessions explore “The Next American Revolution” will be screened on Jan. 11 at the Baha’i Unity Center of South DeKalb on Wesley Chapel Road. The film by historian and political economist Gar Alperovitz explores programs from co-ops and community land trusts to municipal, state, and federal initiatives that Gar Alperovitz promote entrepreneurship and sustainability in thousands of communities across the United States. The 11 a.m.-to-3 p.m. screening in the center’s Fellowship Hall is free to attend. It includes a discussion and planning session designed to inspire participants to begin implementing programs to take control of their personal, economic, social and professional lives.

Alperovitz, the Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political Economy at the University of Maryland, draws on years of research to show how bottom-up strategies can work to check monopolistic corporate power and democratize wealth and offers a look at the current economy and a common-sense road map for building a system more in sync with American values. He is co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative and a former fellow of the Institute of Politics at Harvard and of King’s College at Cambridge University, where he received his Ph.D. in political economy. He has served as a legislative director in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and as a special assistant in the State Department. To R.S.V.P., contact Wayne Early at wgearly1@yahoo.com or 404-939-8521. The Baha’i Unity Center of South DeKalb is at 2370 Wesley Chapel Road in Decatur.

‘Theology Brewed in Afrikan Pot’

“Theology Brewed in an Afrikan Pot” will be explored at First Afrikan Presbyterian Church on Wednesdays from Jan. 8 to Feb. 12. The weekly study sessions on the book by Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator will examine key Christian concepts, God-Trinity-Holy Spirit-Ancestors-Saints-Community & Church, from an Afrikan worldview. The book introduces Christian doctrine from an African perspective. Orobator uses a framework of excerpts from Chinua Achebe’s well-known novel, “Things Fall Apart,” to introduce the major themes of Christian doctrine. The engaging book also clarifies the difMark Lomax ferences between an African view of religion and a more Eurocentric understanding of religion and ends with three discussion questions followed by one or two African prayers. Itihari Toure, one of the church’s study guides, said that each week the sessions also will honor the ingenuity of African people as they share a meal cooked in the cast-iron pot that morphed into the infamous cast-iron skillet in the Diaspora. The Jan. 8 class will feature a dramatization by Brother Mel Christopher Young of the “Afrikan Pot” and teaching with the Rev. Dr. Mark Ogunwale Lomax. Other study guides include the Rev. Melva Sampson and Elder Carvel Bennett. Registration is required.

Decatur songstress to ‘White House Down’ screening at library perform at CD launch

Caroline Herring releases “I Will Go Into the Day” Jan. 11 at the Decatur Library.

Decatur-based singersongwriter Caroline Herring will officially release her latest CD, “I Will Go Into the Day,” on Jan. 11 at the Decatur Library. She will perform a mix of fast-paced happy tunes, including jazz, bluegrass, country, western swing, Yiddish and even country blues, from the CD at the 11 a.m.-tonoon event. Most of the songs were written by her, but she also includes “John the Rabbit,” a Mississippi folk song, and “Donna Donna,” a beautiful and plaintive Yiddish folk

song made famous by Joan Baez. This is the seventh album for Herring, an internationally renowned singer and songwriter who has been interviewed on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and has performed on “A Prairie Home Companion.” She also will appear at the Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library at 3 p.m. on Jan. 11 and at the Dunwoody Library at 3 p.m. on Feb. 1. The Decatur Library is at 215 Sycamore St. in downtown Decatur. For more information, call 404-370-3070.

Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx star the 2013 movie that combats attack on the White House.

Film lovers can shake off the post-holiday doldrums at a screening of the action-thriller “White House Down” on Jan. 11 at the Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library. The PG-13 film stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, James Woods and Richard Jenkins. Show time is 2 p.m. Capitol Police Officer John Cale (Tatum) has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer (Foxx). Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House when the complex is overtaken

by a heavily armed paramilitary group. With the nation’s government falling into chaos and time running out, it’s up to Cale to save the president, his daughter and the country. “White House Down,” which was released in 2013, is directed by Roland Emmerich. It runs 131 minutes. It also will be screened at 2 p.m. on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 at the Stonecrest Library in Lithonia and at 2 p.m. on Jan. 25 at the Covington Library in Decatur. The Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library is at 952 Leon St. For more information, call 770-413-2020.

State of Georgia

Legal Notices 12/28, 01/4, 01/11, 01/18

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action # ++13CV12402-8++ Marquitta Wuesteward Plaintiff Vs. John A. Wuesteward Defendant By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated December 16, 2013 you are hereby notified that on December 5, 2013 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 plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Marquitta Wuesteward 5203 Shawn Lane Stone Mountain, Ga 30088. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, December 16, 2013 Witness the Honorable Linda Hunter Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 16th day of December, 2013.

12/14, 12/21, 12/28, 01/4/14

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 13CV12456-9++ Tracey Astin filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on December 9, 2013 to change the name(s) if the following minor children(s): Terri Amanda Harris to Terri Amanda Astin. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed. Dated: November 26, 2013 Tracey Astin Petitioner, Pro se 3666 Stanford Cir Decatur, Ga 30034 (404)-241-2440 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court

of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action # ++13CV10016-10++ Cleveland Alford Plaintiff Vs. Errica Alford Defendant TO: Errica Alford 524 Borton St LaGrange, GA 30241 By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated December 5,2013 you are hereby notified that on November 21, 2013 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 plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Cleveland Alford 2117 Sugar Creek Close Atlanta, Ga 30316. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, December 5, 2013. Witness the Honorable Tangela Barrie Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 5th day of December, 2013.

12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action # ++13CV12226-10++ Carolyn Idleburg Plaintiff Vs. Donald Idleburg Defendant TO: Donald Idleburg 6395 Redan Overlook Lithonia, Ga 30058 By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated December 5,2013 you are hereby notified that on November 24, 2013 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 plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Carolyn Idleburg P.O Box 1136 Lithonia, Ga 30058.Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, December 5, 2013. Witness the Honorable Tangela Barrie Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 5th day of December, 2013. 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County

Civil Action # ++13CV10309-7++ Tamika McFarland Plaintiff Vs. Seneca McFarland Defendant TO: 4964 Central Dr. Apt B Stone Mountain, Ga 30083 By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated December 9,2013 you are hereby notified that on October 23,2013 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 plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is 4900 Central Dr. Apt 154 Stone Mountain, Ga 30083.Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, December 9, 2013. Witness the Honorable Daniel M. Coursey Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 9th day of December, 2013. 12/28, 01/4, 01/11, 01/18

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 13CV12645-10++ Mohammed Hassan filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on December 19, 2013 to change the name(s) if the following minor

children(s): Attib Mohmmad Hassan to Attib Mohammed Adam . Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed. Dated: December 5, 2013 Mohammed Hassan Petitioner, Pro se 1000 Montreal Rd Apt 16-A Clarkston, Ga 30021 (404)-914-3321 12/28, 01/4,01/11,01/18

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action # ++13CV12392-2++ Kishar Hurston Plaintiff Vs. Barrigan Ramey Defendant TO: Barrigan Ramey By Order of the Court service for service by publication dated December 20, 2013 you are hereby notified that on November 21, 2013 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for: Compliant for Divorce with Minor Children You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the plaintiffís attorney whose name and address is Kishar Hurston 1500 North Decatur Road #10 Atlanta, Ga 30306 .Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of, December 20, 2013. Witness the Honorable Asha Jackson Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

CrossRoadsNews

Youth

January 4, 2014

“With my own losses I’ve learned something about myself. I’m stronger than I thought I was.”

Survivor of N.J. crash draws strength from family’s memory By Ken Watts

A year after losing her mother, father and younger brother in an auto crash, Nicole Mallett is rising above the profound loss that haunts her. On Dec. 30 – three days after the first anniversary of the Dec. 27, 2012, tragedy that changed her life forever – she said she has finally reached the point where she can think of her family without breaking down in tears. “Now I can draw strength from their memory,” she said. Nicole, now 19, said she spent Dec. Nicole Mallett 27 with her grandmother, Prudencia Mallett. Nicole; her parents Ainsworth, 52, and Jacqueline, 49; her 12-year-old brother, Drew, a student at Stephenson Middle School; and the family dog were on their way back from visiting her ailing grandmother in Hartford, Conn., when the family’s silver Toyota Camry was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer in a four-vehicle collision on the New Jersey Turnpike in Mount Laurel, Burlington County. The accident closed the southbound lanes for more than five hours. Nicole was the lone survivor. She was treated for minor injuries at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey and released. At the Jan. 5, 2013, homegoing service for her parents and brothers at Tabernacle Assembly of God Church in Decatur, she spoke eloquently from the pulpit. “I believe in God,” she said. “But I can’t find a logical explanation for what happened or why I am alive. I guess

Ainsworth Mallett

Jacqueline Mallett

Drew Mallett

it’s not for me to understand … I just have to wait on God’s plan.” At the time of the accident, the 18-year-old Stone Mountain resident was a freshman at Georgia Southern University. She is now in her second year of premed studies at the university but is contemplating relocating to Los Angeles. Nicole said her mom lost her mother when she was 13. “As painful as it was, it didn’t stop her,” she said. “With my own losses I’ve learned something about myself. I’m stronger than I thought I was.” As they headed back home to Stone Mountain, Nicole recalls chatting with her father about a song that was playing on the radio – rapper Flo-Rida’s version of “Piano in the Dark.” She remembers telling him about how much she liked the song and hearing him say the original 1988 track by Brenda Russell was much better. The accident left a tangle of crushed metal. Nicole says she does not remember anything about the impact. “I do remember that a man came out of the woods afterward and pulled me from the wreckage,” she said. “I had to get a few stitches in my lip and a few in my scalp but that was it. I don’t know how I survived. There was death all around

me, but I came out with a just a couple of scratches.” Because of her fragile health, relatives did not tell her grandmother about the deaths until June, six months later. News of the accident sent shock waves through their Carriage Trace subdivision in Stone Mountain where the family lived and through Lithonia, where her parents had operated a popular Golden Krust Bakery & Grill franchise since 2006. Her mother, who was known as “Miss Jackie,” was also an administrative assistant at Stephenson Middle School. The Malletts relocated to the United States from Jamaica when they were young and had lived in Stone Mountain for 16 years. Their restaurant on Rockbridge Road was a popular hangout for many in the Caribbean-American community. Kay Mills, a manager at the Golden Krust on South Hairston Road, said they were loved. “They were a wonderful family,” she said. “I miss them a lot.” The community held a candlelight vigil outside the Malletts’ restaurant in tribute on Jan. 2, 2013. A few days later, it closed for good. Friends and relatives rallied around Nicole, and after a difficult couple of months, she set her sights on becoming a doctor. “I had been interested in medicine for a long time,” she said. She said her grandmother is recovered from lung and kidney problems that had plagued her last year. While she can’t speak to her parents and brother anymore, Nicole says she feels their presence and that little things bring back pleasant memories of her family. “I finally heard the original version of ‘Piano in the Dark’ and liked it, just like Dad said I would.”

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

Business Opportunity Make Up To $2,000.00+ Per Week! New Credit Card Ready Drink-Snack Vending Machines. Minimum $4K to $40K+ Investment Required. Locations Available. BBB Accredited Business. (800) 962-9189

Employment Opportunities HELP WANTED! MAKE $1000 A WEEK mailing brochures from home! Helping Home-Workers since 2001. No experience required. Start Immediately! www. mailingnetwork.net NOW HIRING!!! $28.00/HOUR. Undercover Shoppers Needed \\ $300/DAY Typing Companies Advertising Online. We provide the training & the jobs to perform. Genuine Opportunity. PT/ FT. Experience Unnecessary. www.HiringLocalHelp.com

Financial GET FREE OF CREDIT CARD DEBT NOW! Cut payments by up to half. Stop creditors from calling. 877-858-1386

Guaranteed Income For Your Retirement Avoid market risk & get guaranteed income in retirement! CALL for FREE copy of our SAFE MONEY GUIDE Plus Annuity Quotes from A-Rated companies! 800-669-5471

Health & Fitness Canada Drug Center is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90% on all your medication needs. Call today 1-800-4188975, for $10.00 off your first prescription and free shipping. Medical Alert for Seniors - 24/7 monitoring. FREE Equipment. FREE Shipping. Nationwide Service. $29.95/Month CALL Medical Guardian Today 866992-7236 CASH for unexpired DIABETIC TEST STRIPS! Free Shipping, Friendly Service, BEST prices and 24hr payment! Call today 877 588 8500 or visit www.

TestStripSearch.com Espanol 888-440-4001

Home Improvement Appliance Repair - We fix It no matter who you bought it from! 800-934-5107 One call, does it all! Fast and Reliable Electrical Repairs and Installations. Call 1-800-908-8502 One call, does it all! Fast and Reliable Plumbing Repairs. Call 1- 800-796-9218 All Things Basementy! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing ? Finishing ? Structural Repairs ? Humidity and Mold Control FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1-888-698-8150

Items Wanted *OLD ROLEX & PATEK PHILIPPE WATCHES WANTED!** Daytona, Sub Mariner, etc. TOP CASH PAID! 1-800-4010440 *OLD GUITARS WANTED!**

Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg, and Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. 1920’s thru 1980’s. TOP CASH PAID! 1-800-401-0440\

Misc. For Sale DirecTV - Over 140 channels only $29.99 a month. Call Now! Triple savings! $636.00 in Savings, Free upgrade to Genie & 2013 NFL Sunday ticket free!! Start saving today! 1-800-2793018

Miscellaneous My Computer Works Computer problems? Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connections - FIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help. 1-866-998-0037 Advertise your product or service nationwide or by region in up to 12 million households in North America’s best suburbs! Place your classified ad in over 750 suburban newspapers just like this one. Call Classified Avenue at 888-486-2466 or go to www. classifiedavenue.net DISH TV Retailer. Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available.) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 1-877992-1237

CrossRoadsNews

January 4, 2014

financial

Marketplace HAIR CARE/SALON NAZILOCKS Certified Consultant Specializing In Sisterlocks Sisterlocks Sisterlocks! Call today for your Free consultation: 770725-0024 Tucker / Watkinsville Holiday Special!

HELP WANTED Drivers: Pam Transport! Company Drivers & Owner Operators Wanted! No Touch Freight,

90% Drop & Hook, dedicated opportunities available. Call Doug 855-891-0354 Also seeking Recent Grads. Call Lavonna 877440-7890 Apply Online: www. driveforpamtransport.com Drivers: Immediate Openings for Class “A” CDL Drivers for Short Haul-Home Every Night! SE Regional & OTR Off Every Weekend! Great Pay & Benefits!

opportunities

THIS SIZE AD FOR ONLY $

30?

Full-Time & Part-Time Your Choice! Call: 1-855-673-2305

MARKETPLACE RATES

Drivers: DEDICATED. Regional & OTR. Start up to $.44/mi + Excellent Benefits. 401K + Bonuses. Excellent Hometime! CDL-A 6mos. exp. 877-704-3773

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

Drivers: Make $63,000.00yr or more, $2,500.00 Driver Referral Bonus & $1,200.00 Orientation Completion Bonus! CDL-A OTR Exp. Req. Call Now: 1-877-7258241

teen services

Landscape / Lawn Care

fashion

Call 404-284-1888 to find out how.

education / training

Parents, are you looking for a FREE, structured program for your child age 13-17? Look no further – Teen Reach, Incorporated is for you. Our program is designed to develop your child’s skills in a variety of life-changing areas – spiritual, social, cultural, personal, professional, community service, and health. Space is limited. Please call Mayfred Nall at 770-482-5333, or email triteens13@yahoo.com. Meets bi-monthly on Saturdays 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 2014 Session begins in February.

Buy ONE get ONE FREE bra sale Ann Nahari Intimates

3 DAY SALE!

Bras from 34D - 46F While supplies last

fabrics / upholstery

FABRIC

QUALITY FABRICS MEETS QUALITY SERVICES

FABRICS UPHOLSTERY DRAPERY ALTERATION

Sale starts Dec. 27 at 10 a.m.

4220 Steve Reynolds Blvd. Suite 17 Norcross, GA 30093

MEMORIAL DRIVE SE

ALSTON DRIVE SE

ERE BELVED

PLAZA

LER

CA AD

“Mount up with wings as eagles!”

678 924-1054

Bring this ad and receive a special gift plus 10% off your total purchase

GLENWOOD ROAD

legal

education / training

Woodruff Medical Training

FREE

FABRIC WITH UPHOLSTERY

OFFER OFFEREXPIRES EXPIRES11/30/13 12/31/13

WE ARE MOVING TO A BIGGER AND BETTER LOCATION! ADDRESS : 3372 MEMORIAL DRIVE DECATUR, GA 30032 PHONE : (404) 963-6485 • (404) 966-8320 • (404) 963-1075 HOURS : MONDAY - SATURDAY 10AM - 7PM E-MAIL : FABRICJOINT@GMAIL.COM WEBSITE : FABRICJOINT.COM

medical

COMMITTED TO YOU!

INTRODUCING

Committed to Your Education… Committed to Your Career…

A CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDY

• Patient Care Technician and Nurse Assisting classes are now forming • Job Placement Assistance • Day & Evening Classes • Financing Available for those who qualify

for people experiencing

CONSTIPATION

404-499-1777

due to prescription

Close to Marta in Decatur

PAIN MEDICATIONS

WoodruffMedicalCareers.com Accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, Approved by the Non Public Post Secondary Education Commission . The nursing assisting program is approved by the Georgia Medical Care Foundation. WIA Approved.

advertising

If This Was Your Ad, Someone Would Be Seeing It Now! Call 404-284-1888 today for rates & information.

Your Source for Neighborhood News

YOU MAY WANT TO SIT DOWN FOR THIS

TO LEARN MORE, SPEAK WITH A MEMBER OF OUR STUDY TEAM

PICR CLINIC Nine Dunwoody Park, Suite 126 • Atlanta, GA 30338 770-986-3885 • picr@picrclinic.com • www.picrclinic.com

Call 404-284-1888 for Advertising Rates & Information

CrossRoadsNews

January 4, 2014

one

daysale saTurday, jan. 4 sHop 9am-1opm (iT’s a sale Too big To FiT in a day!) also sHop Today, jan. 3 From 1oam-1opm

hours may vary by store; visit macys.com & click on stores for local information. free shippinG at macys.com with $99 online purchase. no promo code needed; exclusions apply.

one day sale

deals oF THe day

specially selecTed iTems priced so low you don’T need a savings pass! available all day, boTH days! 1oam-1pm Today! 9am-1pm saTurday

doorbusTers geT Here early, wHile THey lasT

or, EXTrA sAvings today 1oaM-1pM and saturday 9aM-1pM savings pass discounts do not apply to doorbusters.

fri 1OAM-1pM Or sAt 9AM-1pM

(except dOOrbusters Or deAls Of the dAy)

WOW! $1O Off

1o off

ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL

ANd SELECt homE itEmS! yOur purchAse Of $25 Or MOre. liMit One per custOMer.

Also excludes: Everyday Values (EDV), specials, super buys, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, athletic shoes for him, her & kids, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services. Exclusions may differ on macys.com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer, except opening a new Macy’s account. Dollar savings are allocated as discounts off each eligible item, as shown on receipt. When you return an item, you forfeit the savings allocated to that item. This coupon has no cash value & may not be redeemed for cash, used to purchase gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your account. Purchase must be $25 or more, exclusive of tax & delivery fees.

fri 1OAM-1pM Or sAt 9AM-1pM

(except dOOrbusters Or deAls Of the dAy)

WOW! $2O Off

2o off

ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL

ANd SELECt homE itEmS! yOur purchAse Of $50 Or MOre. liMit One per custOMer.

One day Sale priceS in effecT 1/3 & 1/4/2014. OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 20% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible. N3110647E.indd 1

12/26/13 2:56 PM