CrossRoadsNews, January 14, 2017 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COMMUNITY

SECTION B

‘Day of Gratitude’

Honoring the dream

Members of the Lou Walker Senior Center are giving President Barack Obama an appreciative send-off on Jan. 18. A5

While some will take to the streets on Jan. 16 to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., others will go forth in a spirit of service. Inside

Put Litter in Its Place Let’s Do Our Part to Keep DeKalb Beautiful

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

January 14, 2017

Volume 22, Number 38

www.crossroadsnews.com

Gannon, Rader to lead Board of Commissioners in 2017 By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Gannon last served as presiding officer in 2008. This is Rader’s first time in a leadership Super District 6 Comrole on the board. missioner Kathie Gannon Gannon said she is is the new presiding ofhonored to have been ficer of the DeKalb Board chosen by her peers and of Commissioners and thanked Johnson for his District 2 Commissioner dedicated service. Jeff Rader is her deputy. She said her goal is to Gannon and Rader, improve how the Board of who are white, were electCommissioners, which esJeff Rader ed Jan. 10 to lead the ma- Kathie Gannon tablishes policies, works. jority African-American BOC. “In our form of government, the CEO Gannon replaces Commissioner Larry is responsible for the day-to-day operations Johnson, who has served as presiding officer of the departments,” she said. “The Board of for seven of the past eight years with a break Commissioners establishes policies.” in 2013 when Lee May was presiding. Her election was not without controversy.

Johnson, who sought to retain the position, said he had worked to move the BOC agenda forward to benefit the entire county. “Part of a new day is that we can’t go back to the old ways,” he said. But when District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and new District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw broke ranks and threw their support behind Gannon, Johnson lacked the votes to retain the office. In a press release a day before the Jan. 10 meeting, Bradshaw announced that he would vote for Gannon. He said that over her 12 years as commissioner, she has “successfully represented a broad cross section of DeKalb County, North/South and black/white.” “Commissioner Gannon has committed

to lead the BOC in a more collaborative way,” he said. “This approach more closely aligns with the way I prefer to operate.” Johnson declined Davis Johnson’s nomination to be deputy presiding officer and announced he plans to work to incorporate District 3 into a city of 150,000 people called Prosperity. Gannon, elected to a fourth term in November, said she will have a retreat to get consensus on issues the BOC will address. “There are plenty of issues we must consider: police retention, dilapidated housing, economic development, funding for roads and transportation, and more. … Then I want to use our committees to focus on them, hear from experts and find solutions.”

DeKalb leaders rallying against Trump agenda 4th District Day of Resistance in Clarkston Jan. 15 By Rosie Manins

DeKalb Democratic leaders and other public officials are standing up against the incoming Trump administration and the Republican agenda. They are hosting a 4th District Day of Resistance at the Clarkston Community Center on Jan. 15. The 2-to-4 p.m. protest rally will be led by U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry at the center located at 3701 College Ave. They are expecting to be joined by hundreds of faith leaders, environmentalists, seniors, students and immigration reform supporters. Johnson and Terry are calling on citizens to gather in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ nationwide call to oppose the Republican budget. Opponents say the budget will throw 30 million people off health care, take their insurance away, privatize Medicare, make massive cuts in Medicaid, and give tax breaks to the wealthy. Johnson, whose district includes portions of South DeKalb, is hoping everyone concerned about President-elect Donald Trump and the GOP’s agenda will attend to show a strong united force in opposition. He is worried about the proposed gutting of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare; the rolling back of criminal justice reforms and voting rights; and the backward steps in environmental protections and humane immigration policy as well as plans to privatize Medicare and Medicaid. Johnson is believed to be the only Georgia congressman holding a meeting of this kind, which is why it is being billed as “Our First Stand: A Day of Resistance.” He has created a Facebook page for the

Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry (top, left) and 4th District U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, who are leading the protest rally on Sunday, are expected to be joined by state and local leaders including (bottom, from left) Laura Colbert, state Rep. Karla Drenner, state Sen. Vincent Fort, GALEO Executive Director Jerry Gonzalez, Georgia NAACP President Francys Johnson, Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council President Dewey McClain, 6th Congressional District candidate Jon Ossoff, and DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond.

event and invited more than 500 people through that alone. More than a dozen prominent community leaders, representatives and public figures are scheduled to take part. They include state Sen. Vincent Fort; Georgia’s political director for the Bernie Sanders campaign, Daniel Blackman; Planned Parenthood Southeast President and CEO Staci Fox; Laura Colbert of Geor-

gians for a Healthy Future; state Rep. Karla Drenner; GALEO Executive Director Jerry Gonzalez; Georgia NAACP President Francys Johnson; Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council President Dewey McClain; DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond; Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner; Imam SH Salam Wazir; nationally syndicated radio personality Rashad Richey of V-103 and WAOK; and 6th Congressional District

candidate Jon Ossoff. Members of the Sierra Club, ACLU, AARP, NAACP and GALEO also are planning to attend. Security will be provided and attendees are asked not to bring backpacks or book bags, which will need to be searched. Johnson also is asking attendees to sign up via his Facebook page for the event at www. facebook.com/events/179280729216154.

Community Applications open for study tour to Tanzania

Teachers, college faculty and students can apply for a five-week study seminar in Tanzania through the nonprofit American Institute for Resource and Human Development. Applications are being accepted through 5 p.m. on Feb. 28. Seventeen participants will be picked for the tour that takes place June 23 to July 28 in 2017. The Tucker-based institute received a Fulbright Hayes grant from the U.S. Department of Education to conduct the study tour of Tanzania in East Africa. Selected participants will only pay 10 percent of the costs for economy roundtrip airfare from Atlanta to Tanzania, room and board, and other expenses in the host country. The U.S. Department of Education grant covers 70 percent of the costs and the institute, 20 percent. During the study tour, participants will develop curriculum materials for use in their respective classrooms. The group will be based at the University of Dar es Salaam with organized field trips to Bagamoyo, Zanzibar, Arusha, and other areas that illustrate the multicultural diversity of Tanzania. They will visit schools and teach classes at all levels and be exposed to Tanzanian education, languages, culture, family, and religious systems and have a chance to stay with “adopted” families. For eligibility requirements and to apply, visit www.american-resource.org (hover over Programs, then click Fulbright Hayes Group Projects Abroad). For more information, call Dr. Fredoline Anunobi at 678-313-3090.

CrossRoadsNews

“We want to control the types of businesses … land use and residential development.”

Stonecrest commission planning own CID By Rosie Manins

The newly formed city of Stonecrest is pursuing the establishment of its own Community Improvement District. Jo el T h ib o d e au x , chairman of the Governor’s Commission on the City of Stonecrest, said the CID will initially cover the Lithonia industrial park. Joel Thibodeaux “We are hoping it will also include the mall [at Stonecrest] and other industrial areas,” he said. Thibodeaux, speaking at the commission’s first public meeting on Jan. 5, said boosting Stonecrest’s commercial sector is a top priority. More than 100 people attended

A panel of state lawmakers will discuss legislative initiatives and how to get involved at Economic Justice Forum: Call to Action Under the Gold Dome on Jan. 16 at Lithonia City Hall. The “Use Our Dollars to Make Sense – Legislative Initiatives to Rally Behind” forum is hosted by House District 93 Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick. It takes place 4 to 6 p.m. Emmy Award-winning journalist Karyn Greer of CBS46 and Decatur activist attorney Mawuli Davis are co-moderators. Panelists include state Reps. Roger Bruce of District 61, “Able” Mable Thomas of District 56 and Doreen Carter of District 92. City Hall is at 6920 Main St.

Notice of Public Hearings

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority will hold public hearings for the purpose of considering the

Proposed Bus Service Modifications for April 15, 2017 Proposed routing and/or adjustments and new service for the following bus routes: Route 3: Martin Luther King Jr. Drive/Auburn Avenue; Route 5: Piedmont Road/Sandy Springs; Route 56: Adamsville/Collier Heights; Route 66: Lynhurst Drive / Barge Road Park & Ride; Route 68: Donnelly/Beecher; Route 71: Cascade; Route 73: Fulton Industrial Blvd.; Route 94: Northside Drive; Route 165: Fairburn Road/Barge Road Park & Ride; Route 170: Brownlee Road/Peyton; Route 865: Boulder Park Drive; Route 195: Forest Parkway/Roosevelt Highway.

Mobility: Adjust complementary ADA service to reflect the modified route alignments to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. All route information, a video presentation and comment forms are available at www.itsmarta.com

Fulton County Assembly Hall 141 Pryor St., SW Atlanta 30303

Community Exchange: 6-7 P.M.

HEARING: 7 P.M.

Riding MARTA: Bus Routes 32, 49, 55, 74, and 186.

the meeting held in the community room at DeKalb Medical at Hillandale. “We always believed that our salvation is economic development,” he said. “We want new businesses here with name recognition bringing in new jobs, attracting other businesses that support things, and helping to bring our property values up.” One of six community committees being set up by the commission will focus on economic development. Thibodeaux said some “very good” business owners had already signed up to serve on the committee. “We’ll be discussing different plans to bring business in,” he said. The city’s charter allows for the creation of a CID in which property owners tax themselves to finance beautification and other enhancements not covered by government. Thibodeaux said the boundaries of

Stonecrest’s CID have yet to be finalized. “There’s more work to be done on the CID, but that will be done during this [commission] process,” he said. Commissioners also want to rid Stonecrest of problem properties. “Planning and zoning is another hot topic. We want to control the types of businesses that come into our footprint and the types of land use and residential development,” Thibodeaux said. “We always felt if we could keep the nuisance businesses out of our footprint, that will help to improve the quality of life and standard of living in our footprint,” he said. The commission is meeting weekly on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Radiation Oncology Building Auditorium at DeKalb Medical at Hillandale, 2745 DeKalb Medical Parkway in Stonecrest.

Meeting to focus Fire Rescue safety forum targets on legislative issues churches, other worship centers

METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Monday, Jan. 23

January 14, 2017

Tuesday, Jan. 24 Clayton County Commission Chambers 112 Smith Street, Jonesboro, GA 30236

Community Exchange: 6-7 P.M.

HEARING: 7 P.M. Riding MARTA: Route 193.

Thursday, Jan. 26 Maloof Auditorium

1300 Commerce Dr., Decatur 30030

Community Exchange: 6-7 P.M.

HEARING: 7 P.M.

Riding MARTA: Walk one block west of Decatur Rail Station

Copies of the proposed Bus Service Modifications will also be available for public viewing at MARTA’s Headquarters Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324 during regular business hours, Mon-Fri 8:30 am to 5 pm. For formats (FREE of charge) in accordance with the ADA and Limited English Proficiency regulations contact, (404) 848-4037. For those patrons requiring further accommodations, information can be obtained by calling the Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 404 848-5665. In addition, a sign language interpreter will be available at all hearings. If you cannot attend the hearings and want to provide comments you may: (1) leave a message at (404) 848-5299; (2) write to MARTA’s Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324-3330; (3) complete an online Comment Card at www.itsmarta.com; (4) or fax your comments no later than February 2, 2017 to (404) 848-4179. All citizens of the City of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Gwinnett whose interests are affected by the subjects to be considered at these hearings are hereby notified and invited to appear at said times and places and present such evidence, comment or objection as their interests require. Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO

Clergy, leadership members, church administrators and maintenance personnel, and child care administrators can attend a fire safety forum on Jan. 24 at DeKalb Fire Rescue Department headquarters in Tucker. The 10 a.m.-to-3 p.m. Faith in Fire Safety: Preventing Fires in Church and Worship Centers Forum will be held in the fifth floor conference room at 1950 W. Exchange Place. To register, contact Kristi Hill at kdhill@dekalbcountyga.gov or 770-414-2124 by Jan. 23. The department says church fires are a serious problem in America, and there are measures that can be taken to prevent

fires in places of worship. When churches burn, the contents and valuables that are lost are priceless articles that cannot be replaced, and reducing a church vulnerability to arson or fire is important. Fire Rescue personnel will provide information on fire safety, arson prevention, fire marshal inspections, and fire safety requirements for properties that operate child care programs. Lunch, sponsored by SafeKids of DeKalb County, will be provided. For more information, contact Sharon Newsom, Public Education Unit of DeKalb Fire Rescue, at sanewsom@dekalbcountyga. gov or 678-406-7491.

CrossRoadsNews

January 14, 2017

Community

Narvie J. Harris Traditional Theme School needs positive male role models to volunteer for its 11th annual Men Do Read Day.

20 candidates qualify for Stonecrest mayor and council seats By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Douglas Favors

Charles Hill

Jason Lary

Twenty candidates qualified this week for the March 21 Stonecrest elections for mayor and five council seats. The slate includes 12 of the 13 people who previously announced they would run, and men outnumbered women nearly 2-to-1. The qualified candidates are 13 men and seven women. They are seeking to lead the new city of 50,000 residents that was approved by voters in November last year. The candidates for mayor are businessman Douglas Favors II; Charles Hill II, a vice president of Rooms Around Campus LLC and a Yale graduate student; and Stonecrest city organizer Jason Lary. Hill, who had first announced that he was running for the District 5 seat, qualified instead for mayor, and his father, a DeKalb ophthalmologist and owner of Hill’s Eye Clinic in Decatur who had said he was considering a mayoral run, did not qualify. In District 1, the candidates are

Gas pipeline work closes portion of Cook Road Cook Road between Gresham Road Southeast and Flat Shoals Road is closed to through traffic for gas transmission pipeline maintenance through the end of January. The closure is scheduled to end at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31. Signs will be posted advising motorists of construction work. Questions about the closure should be addressed to Bobby Conner with Southern Company Gas at 404-427-0248.

Jimmy Clanton

Charles Ross

Plez Joyner

G. Champion

Jay Cunningham Mary-Pat Hector

Alexis Morris

Gretchen Torbert

Rob Turner

Jazzmin Cobble

Eric Hubbard

Jonathan Phillips

George Turner

Diane Adoma

Lloyd Morrison

Richard Stone

Charles Ross, an educator and business owner, and Jimmy Clanton Jr., a web developer/graphic designer. In District 2, the candidates are businessman Plez Joyner; Alexis Bethel Morris, a high school social studies teacher; Gretchen Jones Torbert, an educator and life coach; and program manager Rob Turner. The District 3 candidates are Eric Hubbard, outreach director for U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, and Jazzmin Randall Cobble, an operations manager for the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.

District 4 has five candidates – police detective Geraldine Champion; former DeKalb School Board member Jesse “Jay” Cunningham; Mary-Pat Hector, a Spelman student and National Action Network Youth director; Jonathan “JP” Phillips, nonprofit executive; and community advocate and retired MARTA employee George Turner Jr. In District 5, the candidates are businesswoman Diane Daniels Adoma; Tammy L. Grimes; Lloyd Morrison, an educator and business owner; and Richard Stone, a retired DeKalb County Police detective.

Men needed to read to Narvie Harris students Men are needed to read to kids at Narvie J. Harris Traditional Theme School on Jan. 27. The school needs fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, uncles, brothers, cousins, School District employees, and other positive role models to volunteer for its 11th annual Men Do Read Day.

The deadline to sign up is Jan. 19. Men Do Read Day takes place 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 27. Books will be available in the Media Center, and readers also can bring their own books. Readers sign up for 15 to 30 minutes. After reading, they are asked to share with the class why reading is

important, what reading has done for them, and what reading can do for the students. Last year, more than 100 men responded to the call. The school is at 3981 McGill Drive in Decatur. To volunteer or for more information, call 678-676-9202.

CrossRoadsNews

Community

2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker General Manager Curtis Parker Assistant Editor Brenda Yarbrough Staff Writer Jennifer Ffrench Parker Editorial Intern Rosie Manins Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams CrossRoadsNe ws 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.

January 14, 2017

“Any individual who has served and is willing to help out additional vets with their treatment can be a mentor.”

DeKalb launches new treatment court for veterans By Rosie M anins

Veterans having a hard time with substance abuse, mental disorders and criminal activity in DeKalb are getting a helping hand from the judicial system. The first DeKalb County Veterans Treatment Court was set to open on Jan. 13 with five clients. Those veterans are now part of a two-year program aimed at giving them a second chance in leading healthy, productive lives. They must attend individual and group counseling, obtain a veteran mentor, submit to random drug screens and appear weekly in court before DeKalb Superior Court Judge J.P. Boulee, who initiated the treatment court. Executive Director Fredericka Dent said the organization is unique among other veteran treatment courts. “We are going to take veterans with honorable and dishonorable discharges. Most programs only

take vets that were honorably discharged, but we are making it a priority to take all, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria,” she said. She also is looking for other veterans within the county to serve as mentors for program participants. “Any individual who has served and is willing to help out additional vets with their treatment can be a mentor. They can relate to the veterans in the program more because there are various issues and things they may have experienced that the rest of us can’t understand.” Veterans in the program receive psychiatric support services, food, housing, job placement, transportation, family counseling sessions, trauma support services, and medication maintenance and adherence. To be eligible, veterans must be charged with a felony offense where the cause of the criminal behavior is related to a substance use and/or a co-occurring disorder. The program does not cater to defendants with borderline per-

sonality disorders or those charged with murder, rape, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, kidnapping with bodily injury, armed robbery, aggravated sexual battery, felony sexual battery or any sex crime requiring the defendant to register as a sex offender. Boulee, an Army veteran, is excited to see the court up and running. “I’m hopeful that it will work as intended, to help give those who have bravely served us all a second chance at leading healthy, productive lives,” he said. The veterans treatment court is funded by a $116,946 grant from the Council of Accountability Court Judges. DeKalb Superior Court provided an additional $12,994 in matching funds. Dent said more veterans will be accepted when funds allow, providing they meet criteria. “We are going to service as many as we possibly can if they meet eligibility and are motivated

Senior housing on Candler approved

The 187-acre Friendship Forest Wildlife Sanctuary is a half-mile from the Clarkston town center. The makeover will redevelop the green space and provide visibility and accessibility.

By Rosie Manins

Construction of a $24 million senior housing complex in South DeKalb is one step closer. DeKalb County has partnered with the Benoit Group to build 170 residential units on the corner of Candler Road and Mellville Avenue. Development entity Candler Senior Village LP is under contract to purchase five lots on 12.6 acres adjacent to the South DeKalb Senior Center and Scott Candler Library. The total development cost of the project is $24,180,159. It is aimed at addressing shortfalls in housing for seniors living in the area. DeKalb County is contributing $300,000 in federal grants received through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Program. Community leaders are hoping the housing development’s close proximity to the senior center and Scott Candler Library in Decatur will encourage residents of all ages to mingle and learn from each other. The DeKalb Board of Commissioners passed a resolution at its Dec. 13, 2016, meeting approving the acquisition of additional land for increased parking and access to the facilities.

Registration for adult kickball underway

Registration is now open for adult kickball at the DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs’ athletics office. The seven-game season begins March 12. Games take place Sundays at 2 p.m. and Thursdays at 7 p.m. There will be no play on April 16. The deadline to register is Feb. 10. Teams of up to 15 players can register for $420. Non-DeKalb residents will pay an additional $20 fee. The athletics office at 1950 W. Exchange Place in Tucker is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 770-414-2111.

Circulation Audited By

for treatment,” she said. “We have had numerous referrals.” Other partners who helped establish the treatment court include the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Sheriff ’s Department, Magistrate Court, and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Many other community stakeholders also are involved in the alternative sentencing model. The treatment court says that DeKalb veterans are returning home in different mental and physical states from when they left. This is an opportunity for the county to deal with the “revolving door” of the criminal justice system that awaits many veterans. Latest census data show there are about 40,000 veterans living in DeKalb, roughly 5 percent of the county’s total population. Veterans interested in learning more about the program or being mentors can contact coordinator Rachael Newsome at rnewsome@ dekalbcountyga.gov.

Friendship Forest getting $1.3M makeover A neglected public asset in Clarkston is getting a $1.3 million makeover. The 187-acre Friendship Forest Wildlife Sanctuary will be redeveloped in 2017, starting in late February or March. Residents have recently been involved in a public hearing on the proposal, which was unanimously approved by the Clarkston City Council at its Dec. 6 meeting. The council has been seeking public opinion on the green space since 2015. It is located just half a mile from the Clarkston town center, but Councilman Awet Eyasu said it has largely been underutilized due to its underdeveloped condition and lack of visibility from the street. “Although Friendship Forest is located on East Ponce de Leon, which is the main thoroughfare and busiest street in Clarkston, very few people know that it exists,” Eyasu said.

“Construction of a trailhead and parking facilities along with developing the green space will provide visibility and accessibility to what we think will be an important community asset.” Public engagement included the appointment of a steering committee and three community meetings at which residents discussed their vision for the forest. A master plan was developed and submitted to the City Council in January this year. The estimated $1,350,000 cost of the project includes design, permitting, construction, and financing and legal fees. In order to obtain funding, the council will exercise its powers under Georgia’s Urban Redevelopment Law. On Dec. 6, it adopted a resolution designating the Friendship Forest Wildlife Sanctuary as an urban redevelopment area.

index to advertisers Coast Dental Services Inc..............................A6 DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court....................A6 DeKalb County Watershed Mgmt..................A3 DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office...A2 Feld Entertainment, Inc................................A5 First African Presbyterian Church..................A7 Johnson Hopewell Coleman LLC..................A7

Macy’s...........................................................A8 MARTA..........................................................A2 Marten Transport..........................................A7 Mechanixx Corporation.................................A7 Nursing Companion, LLC..............................A7 Orange County Dept. of Law........................A6 Talk of the Town Soul Food..........................A7

Top Class Tutoring, LLC.................................A7 Wright Vision Care........................................A5 SECTION B Comcast........................................................ B7 Committee to Elect Henry “Hank” Johnson....B11 Committee to Re-Elect Howard Mosby.........B8 Georgia Piedmont Technical College............ B3

Georgia Power..............................................B9 Macy’s...........................................................B5 SPECIALTY Rite Aid...................................................Inserts Walgreens...............................................Inserts DeKalb County Watershed Mgmt........... Online Feld Entertainment, Inc......................... Online

January 14, 2017

Scene

CrossRoadsNews

Black Heritage stamp called “a proud moment in NCNW history and a lasting tribute to Dr. Dorothy I. Height.”

New stamp honors Dorothy Height

The 40th stamp in the Black Heritage Series honors civil rights icon Dorothy Irene Height, who dedicated her life to fighting for racial and gender equality. Height (1912-2010) was the fourth national president and national chair of the National Council of Negro Women and served for more than 50 years. Although she rarely gained the recognition granted her male contemporaries, she became one of the most influential civil rights leaders of the 20th century. The stamp features artist Thomas Blackshear II’s gouache and acrylics on board portrait of Height. The painting is based on a 2009 photograph shot by Lateef Mangum. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp. Ingrid Saunders Jones, the current NCNW national chair, called the stamp “a proud moment in NCNW history and a lasting tribute to Dr. Dorothy I. Height.” “She will never be forgotten,” Jones wrote in a December Dorothy Height was president email to members and friends. and chair of the National New 2017 Forever stamps include a booklet that showCouncil of Negro Women. cases Ezra Jack Keats’ most beloved story, “The Snowy Day.” Written and illustrated by the celebrated children’s author, it was one of the first prominent 20th-century picture books centered on an African-American child. Each of the four new stamps in the 20-stamp booklet features a different illustration of main character Peter exploring and playing in his neighborhood while wearing his iconic red snowsuit. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps with Keats’ original art. For more information, visit usps.com/stamps.

Stamp It! Stamp Collecting Is Fun! Adult patrons can learn all about stamp collecting at a Jan. 23 special event in the Doris K. Wells Heritage Festival at the Hairston Crossing Library in Stone Mountain. It begins at 7 p.m. One of the special hobbies of the festival creator, the late Doris K. Wells, was Black Heritage stamp collecting. Wells was DeKalb Public Library’s first African-American librarian. The American Philatelic Society says stamp collecting is an extremely popular and diversified hobby, and about 5 million people in the United States are stamp collectors. The hobby is also very popular in Great Doris Wells Britain, China, India and Singapore. It is estimated that China alone has one-third of the world’s collectors. The library is at 4911 Redan Road. For more information, call 404-508-7170.

CALL 404-284-1888

Lou Walker Senior Center members will honor President Barack Obama on Jan. 18 with a program of songs and dances, a display of Obama-related items, and a speech-a-thon.

Seniors thank Obama with ‘Day of Gratitude’ Members of the Lou Walker Senior Center will say thank you to outgoing President Barack Obama on Jan. 18 with “President Obama Day: A Day of Gratitude for Our 44th President.” The program, which is free and open to the public, begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Victory Room and includes a display of

souvenirs, photos and other memorabilia. The Lou Walker Talkers Toastmasters Club will present a speech-a-thon, and there will be songs and dances and a viewing of video clips. The center is at 2538 Panola Road in Lithonia. For more information, visit louwalkercenter.com or call 770-322-2900.

CrossRoadsNews

Wellness

January 14, 2017

“Lung cancer due to radon can be prevented by testing, and if needed, fixing your home.”

Forums seek to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in DeKalb, Fulton Adults and youth can participate in interactive groups at the FultonDeKalb Hospital Authority’s Community Health Forums on HIV/AIDS on Jan. 26 in Decatur and Feb. 2 in Atlanta. Admission is free, and the goal is to help at- Larry Johnson tendees discover, discuss and implement positive solutions to “Build Healthier Communities.” A diverse panel of speakers and community organizations will be available to provide

resources to help raise awareness and reduce HIV/AIDS in DeKalb and Fulton counties. DeKalb District 3 Commissioner Larr y Johnson moderates the Jan. 26 forum, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Melanie Thompson Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive in Decatur. To register, visit https://2017fdhadekalbforum.eventbrite. com. Dr. Melanie Thompson, principal inves-

tigator at the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta and chair of the Prevention and Care Committee of the Fulton County Task Force on HIV/AIDS, moderates the Fulton forum, which begins at 6 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the Good Samaritan Health Center, 1015 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway N.W. in Atlanta. To register, visit https://2017fdhafultonforum. eventbrite.com. DeKalb had 422 new HIV diagnoses in 2014, the latest figures available from the Georgia Department of Public Health show. Among them, 82 percent were male and 71 percent were black. DeKalb’s 2014 number is down by 19 percent from 519 new cases

recorded in 2012, but it’s an increase of 9 percent since 2013, when there were 390 new cases. DeKalb had 9,039 people living with HIV and 4,873 living with AIDS in 2014, and Fulton had nearly double DeKalb’s numbers. Georgia was ranked fifth highest in the nation for the number of people living with HIV in 2013, with the highest numbers coming from Fulton and DeKalb. Three of the five core metro Atlanta counties – DeKalb, Fulton and Clayton – are among the top counties nationally in rates of new HIV diagnoses. For more information, visit www.thefdha. org or call 404-334-3680.

DeKalb woman shares polio journey at History Center’s Lunch and Learn Shelia Wilkins Harkleroad will share her life story of growing up with polio in Decatur and DeKalb County at the Jan. 17 Lunch and Learn at the DeKalb History Center. “Polio – The Journey,” which is free and open to the public, begins at noon in the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, second floor. Also presenting is Olen M. Kew, Ph.D., retired senior science adviser of the CDC’s Polio and Picornavirus Laboratory Branch, who will share information on the history of polio and eradication efforts. Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a crippling Courtesy of Shelia Wilkins Harkleroad and potentially deadly infectious disease. It Shelia Harkleroad and her parents, Bennie and is caused by the poliovirus, which spreads Elizabeth Wilkins, circa 1954.

from person to person and can invade an infected person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis. Harkleroad, a DeKalb History Center board of directors member, contracted polio during the second half of the 20th century and was recruited as the face for Shelia Clubs. The clubs were created as Decatur and DeKalb’s local March of Dimes fundraiser efforts to engage children in collecting funds for the fight against polio. Harkleroad was born at Emory Hospital in 1946 and returned there in 1954 as a polio patient. She attended Decatur City Schools, graduating from Decatur High in 1965 and

Residents urged to test for cancer-causing radon Exposure to radon in indoor air is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and public health agencies are urging all residents to test their homes during National Radon Action Month. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that seeps up through the ground, is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Jon Edwards, director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, said January is the time to remind everyone to “test, fix and save a life.” “That’s because lung cancer due to radon can be prevented by testing, and if needed, fixing your home,” Edwards said in a Jan. 4 statement. “It’s a simple and important way to help safeguard your family’s health.”

Edwards said testing is inexpensive and the easy-to-use test kits are readily available online and at many home improvement and hardware stores. “Reducing your family’s exposure to radon provides peace of mind, knowing that you’re doing the right thing to help avoid the toll taken by radon-induced lung cancer,” he said. An estimated 21,000 Americans die from lung cancer due to radon exposure every year. There’s only one way to know whether a home has an elevated radon level: testing for it. If the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter – pCi/L – of air or more, the U.S. surgeon general and EPA recommend taking action to fix the home – the homeowner should contact a qualified radon mitigation

contractor. A professionally installed radon reduction system, using a vent pipe and exhaust fan, will help prevent the radon from entering the home and will discharge it outside. Reducing exposure to radon is a long-term investment in one’s health and home. A mitigation system in good working order is a positive selling point when placing a home on the market – in many areas, radon testing is a routine part of a home sale. The National Radon Action Plan, launched in November 2015, coordinates radon reduction efforts and resources. Its goal is to prevent 3,200 lung cancer deaths annually by 2020. Visit https://www.epa.gov/radon or call 1-800-SOS-RADON.

Agnes Scott College in 1969 with a degree in English. Her career started at Agnes Scott, serving as the alumnae secretary and class news editor for the Agnes Scott Alumnae Quarterly. She moved on to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1980 until her retirement in 2005. Her service included positions in the National Center for Infectious Diseases and CDC University, the CDC’s training component. The center is at 101 E. Court Square in Decatur. For more information, visit www. dekalbhistory.org and click on Events & Programs.

Seeds, knowledge, more shared at annual swap Gardeners and farmers can share seeds, cuttings and knowledge at the Annual Seed and Scion Swap on Jan. 22 at the Decatur Library. The event, hosted by the Wylde Center, Park Pride and the DIGG Seed Library, is free and open to all gardeners. To RSVP, visit wyldecenter.org/seed-and-scion%20swap. Participants will check in at the library at 2 p.m. to drop off seeds, books and live plants for exchange, then listen to an educational talk by Tor Janson from Seed Savers Exchange starting at 2:15 p.m. The seed and scion exchange begins at 3:30 p.m. at the Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore St. in downtown Decatur, adjacent to the library. All types of seeds and cuttings for fruit trees (scions) will be swapped, including heirloom seeds, seeds saved from plants, and extra seeds that may have been purchased, and there will be individuals on hand to answer questions about how to save seed and how to graft cuttings. The library is at 215 Sycamore St.

Place Your Legal Notice Here Call 404-284-1888 for Rates & Information

12/24, 12/31, 01/07, 01/14

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM12513-1++ Julius D. Watson Plaintiff Vs. Angenola Watson Defendant To: 5864 Quebec Ave Minneapolis, MN By ORDER of the Court for service by publication dated Dec. 09, 2016, you are hereby notified that on Dec. 06, 2016, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court and to service upon the plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: 2323 Ousley Ct., Decatur, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days Dec. 19, 2016.

Legal Notices Witness the Honorable Courtney L. Johnson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 13th day of Dec., 2016 12/31, 01/07, 01/14, 01/21

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM12294-3++ Noelani Reynoso-Carrasco Plaintiff Vs. Nicholas Davis Defendant To: Nicholas Davis 2821 Zane Gray Dr. Atlanta, GA 30316 By ORDER of the Court for service by publication dated Nov. 28, 2016, you are hereby notified that on Nov. 23, 2016, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior

Court and to service upon the plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Noelani Reynoso-Carrasco, 3539 Robins Landing Way, Apt. 8, Decatur, GA. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days Nov. 28, 2016. Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 16th day of Dec., 2016 12/31, 01/07, 01/14, 01/21

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM11769-3++ Tceeola Smith filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Nov. 03, 2016 to change name from: Tceeola Marquita Smith to Iceeola Marquita Livingston. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the

Petition was filed. Dated: Nov. 03, 2016

CrossRoadsNews

January 14, 2017

Finance

Businesses also may use the mobile unit for interviewing, training, pre-employment screenings or recruiting.

Range of jobs at career fair DeKalb Chamber seeks nominees for awards Job seekers can attend the Admiration Lodge No. 25’s annual Career Fair & Diversity Job Expo on Jan. 18 at the Community Achievement Center in Decatur, The hiring event, which is free and open to the public, takes place 1 to 4 p.m. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/admiration-lodge-25-career-fair-diversity-job-expo-tickets-29917703657. Human resources managers from a wide variety of fields and employers ranging from AT&T, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Diaz Foods, the Department of Transportation, and law enforcement to logistics and customer service will attend. Candidates should wear professional attire, bring resumes, and be prepared to speak directly with hiring personnel. The 250th person who arrives at the career fair will receive a $50 gas card. More than 230 job hunters attended the 2016 fair. The inaugural fair in 2015 attracted more than 159 job seekers. The center is at 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway. For more information, contact Miguel Ramos at ramosmi78@gmail.com or call 678-9074181.

Oceans Ballroom of the Georgia Aquarium, The DeKalb Chamber is seeking nomi225 Baker St. N.W. in Atlanta. nations for its Sirius Award and Economic He will discuss Paradise, Nev.-based MGM Development Project of the Year Award to be Resorts International and what a destination presented at the annual meeting on Feb. 23. casino resort could mean for Georgia. Deadline to submit nominations is 5 p.m. If the General Assembly and then voters on Feb. 10. approve a proposed constitutional amendThe Sirius Award recognizes an individual ment to allow casino gambling, MGM Resorts or business that subscribes to the following has expressed interest in developing a unique characteristics and outstanding public service: resort in metro Atlanta, creating thousands of integrity, work ethic, vision and values. The Bill Hornbuckle Economic Development Project of the Year Award will jobs and generating tens of millions of dollars in annual highlight development projects in mixed-use, brown- spending with local businesses. At the meeting, outgoing Chair Diane McClearen, field, industrial, office developments, adaptive reuse or rehab projects, and resident projects (must include a director of Community & External Relations at commercial component). The project must have been Oglethorpe Power, will pass the gavel to incoming board Chair Frederick L. Daniels Jr., chief credit officer completed in DeKalb County. Bill Hornbuckle, president of MGM Resorts Inter- and executive vice president at Citizens Trust Bank. For more information, visit www.dekalbchamber. national, will keynote the 79th Annual Meeting and Business Luncheon, which takes place 11:30 a.m. in the org or call 404-378-8000.

Employment help at Jobs Bus stops

SBA offers contracting classroom

DeKalb residents who need job search assistance can drop by the Mobile Career Center stationed at locations throughout the county in January. They will have access to services such as workshops, training, and resume writing and interviewing tips. Businesses also may use the mobile unit for interviewing, training, pre-employment screenings or recruiting. The Jobs Bus also offers assistance to residents interested in applying for the DeKalb year-round internship program, which provides short-term internship opportunities for low-income young adults ages 16-24

Prospective and existing small businesses can learn the basics about contracting with government agencies through a series of free online courses offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The federal government buys nearly $100 billion worth of goods and services from small businesses each year. The contracts can offer significant opportunities for small businesses, but selling to the government requires a very different approach from selling to the commercial sector. The Government Contracting Classroom is for entrepreneurs who are just

who are seeking employment and not enrolled in school. Two staff members in the unit can assist in the application process. Upcoming stops, which take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., include: n Jan. 17, Department of Family and Children Services, 178 Sams St. in Decatur. n Jan. 18, Redan-Trotti Library, 1569 Wellborn Road in Lithonia. n Jan. 19, Villages of Eastlake, 460 Eastlake Blvd. in Atlanta. Visit www.worksourcedekalb.org or call 404-687-3400. People with hearing impairments may call 1-800-255-0135 or 711 TYY.

getting started or looking for ways to compete in the government contracting marketplace. These self-paced courses include audio and take about 30 minutes to complete. Participants can exit a course at any time. Before entering a course, participants may be prompted to complete a registration form, which includes a few short questions and takes less than a minute. For more information, visit https:// www.sba.gov/contracting/resourcessmall-businesses/government-contracting-classroom?platform=hootsuite.

“Come on and be a part of the vision” First Afrikan Church is an Afrocentric Christian Ministry that empowers women, men, youth and children to move from membership to leadership in the church, community and the world. Praise & Devotion Worship Service Sundays at 10 a.m. Join us for Bible Study Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

5197 Salem Road Lithonia, GA 30038

770-981-2601 “We are building far beyond our years.”

Rev. Dr. Mark A. Lomax

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home services

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

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CrossRoadsNews

January 14, 2017

ONE DAY SALE

SHOP 1OAM-1OPM FRI, JAN. 13 & SAT, JAN. 14

HOURS MAY VARY BY STORE. VISIT MACYS.COM AND CLICK ON STORES FOR LOCAL INFORMATION.

50-80% OFF

STOREWIDE + FREE SHIPPING ONLINE AT $25 VALID 1/13-1/14/17. PLUS, FREE RETURNS. EXCLUSIONS APPLY; SEE MACYS.COM/FREERETURNS

PLUS, DEALS OF THE DAY AVAILABLE ALL DAY, BOTH DAYS!

OR, USE THIS SAVINGS PASS FRIDAY OR SATURDAY UNTIL 2PM EXTRA DOLLARS OFF SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE CLOTHING & HOME ITEMS

1O OFF

YOUR PURCHASE OF $25 OR MORE. LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER.

VALID 1/13 ’TIL 2PM OR 1/14/17 ’TIL 2PM

EXTRA DOLLARS OFF SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE CLOTHING & HOME ITEMS

2O OFF

YOUR PURCHASE OF $50 OR MORE. LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER.

VALID 1/13 ’TIL 2PM OR 1/14/17 ’TIL 2PM

Excludes ALL: cosmetics/fragrances, Deals of the Day, Doorbusters/web busters, electrics/electronics, Everyday Values (EDV), furniture/mattresses, Last Act, Macy’s Backstage, rugs, specials, Super Buys, Breville, Coach, Dyson, Fitbit, Frye, Hanky Panky, Jack Spade, Kate Spade, KitchenAid Pro Line, Le Creuset, Levi’s, Locker Room by Lids, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors Studio, Michele watches, Natori, Sam Edelman, Samsung watches, Shun, Stuart Weitzman, The North Face, Theory, Tumi, Vitamix, Wacoal, Wolford, Wüsthof, Tory Burch, UGG, littleBits, 3Doodler, Movado Bold, M by Macy’s Marketplace, athletic clothing, shoes & accessories, designer jewelry/watches, designer sportswear, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, previous purchases, select licensed depts., services, special orders, special purchases, tech watches/jewelry/accessories, 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 and 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 $50 or more, exclusive of tax and delivery fees.

ONE DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 1/13-1/14/2017, EXCEPT AS NOTED. 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. N6120008E.indd 1

1/4/17 10:01 AM

January 14, 2017

Section B

www.crossroadsnews.com

Dr. King’s birth home reopening Jan. 16

Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews

The first floor of the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta will stay open until further notice. The home was closed in August 2016 for repairs.

By Rosie Manins

The birth home of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which closed in August 2016 for repairs, will reopen to visitors on Jan. 16 – but only partially. The National Park Service says the first floor of the historic home on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta will reopen on the King national holiday and stay open until further notice. The home is a featured attraction at the 42-acre Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site that includes the crypts of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King; the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church; the King Center; the Visitor Center; and Historic Fire Station No. 6. Judy Forte, superintendent of the Historic “It will remain open until we prepare adSite, said visitors will only ditional studies for work to be done on the be able to tour the first Judy Forte upper level,” she said. floor of the two-story Queen Anne-style King, who grew up to lead the 1960s civil frame house. rights movement that fought for voting and

More than 30 homes and buildings around the birth home (left) are being preserved to enable visitors to see what Auburn Avenue looked like when King, right, and his family (above) lived there.

human rights for African-Americans, was born on Jan. 15, 1929, in an upstairs bedroom of the home at 501 Auburn Ave. He lived there until age 12 with his parents, Martin and Alberta Christine; his big

sister Christine King; his younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams King; and his grandparents. Please see HOME, page B11

IN THIS SECTION

Crusader against violence

It’s a day on...

Hope for the future

Father Michael Pfleger of Chicago will headline the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church. B3

Volunteers across DeKalb and metro Atlanta will honor Dr. King by serving their communities on his national holiday. B8,B9

Children who volunteer to serve others at Hosea Helps’ annual King Day dinner warm the heart of CEO Elisabeth Omilami. B10

CrossRoadsNews

King Holiday

January 14, 2017

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any updates. We are still waiting on the deposit to start production.”

King statue in limbo as sculptor awaits funds 2346 Candler Road Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007

www.CrossRoadsNews.com editor@CrossRoadsNews.com

The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Special Section is a publication of CrossRoadsNews, Atlanta’s award-winning weekly newspaper. Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Graphics Editor Curtis Parker Reporter Jennifer Ffrench Parker Copy Editor Brenda Yarbrough Editorial Intern Rosie Manins 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 © 2017 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

By Rosie Manins

Six months after Georgia named Cherrylion Studios sculptor Martin Dawe for the King statue to be placed at the State Capitol, there has been no movement on the project. Cambria Russell Herrera, Cherrylion’s manager, said Jan. 4 that it could be some time before things get moving. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any updates,” she said. “We are still wait- Martin Dawe ing on the deposit to start production.” The project is expected to cost $100,000 to $300,000 in private donations. When completed, the bronze statue of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will occupy a prominent spot outside the Georgia State Capitol building in Atlanta. The 8-foot bronze statue will stand on the northeast corner of the Capitol, a short distance from Auburn Avenue where King was born on Jan. 15, 1929, where he grew up, and where Ebenezer Baptist Church where he was co-pastor with his father is located. Auburn Avenue is also the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which King co-founded, and the home of the King Center, established by his widow, the late Coretta Scott King, to carry on the work he started. Gov. Nathan Deal and Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) announced Dawe’s selection in August 2016. He was chosen after a nationwide selection process involving the Georgia Capitol Arts Standards Commission. Dawe replaced Andy Davis, the first sculptor, who was named in 2015 to create the statue.

Cities, nations with King sculptures n July 3, 1976: The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Dallas, Texas, dedicated its King statue as part of the U.S. Bicentennial Celebration. n Jan. 16, 1986: A bronze bust of King by artist John Wilson unveiled in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda leading up to the first observance of the new national holiday honoring King. n 1989: A bronze life-size statue of King, in his doctorate clerical robe, by sculptor Abbe Godwin was installed in the King Memorial Gardens in Raleigh, N.C., the first public park in America solely dedicated to the memory of King and the historic civil rights movement. n 1994: A bust of King by Wilbur Lee Map was erected on the southeast corner of South Elm Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Greensboro, N.C. King was scheduled to speak at the AME Zion Church in Greensboro, a few blocks from the statue, on April 4, 1968. He canceled his visit to stay in Memphis, Tenn., where he was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. n July 1998: Westminster Abbey in London unveiled a statue of King by sculptor Tim Crawley. It stands above the west entrance to the abbey with nine other Christian martyrs of the 20th century. n Jan. 17, 2004: A bronze statue of King by Paul di Pasquale was unveiled in Hopewell, Va. It commemorates King’s historic civil rights visit to the Hopewell courthouse on March 29, 1962. n Jan. 15, 2009: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New York unveiled a statue of King in wax.

Davis was killed in a motorcycle accident in July 2015 after starting the work. At Dawe’s announcement, Deal called the memorial project “long overdue.” Smyre, who is working with the Georgia Capitol Arts Standards Commission, the Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Commission, and the King Estate, had hoped the statue’s unveiling would be in early 2017. Neither of them responded by press time Thursday to questions about the project’s status. Georgia is late with its statue. Around the country and the world, cities and nations have erected statues in honor of King.

Morehouse College, where King did his undergraduate studies, erected its own King statue in 1984. Civil rights leaders and a number of state representatives have fought for years for a public memorial honoring King in the city of his birth. House Bill 1080, or the King Monument Bill, which authorized the King memorial, was signed into law on April 29, 2014. Deal first announced plans to erect a statue on the Capitol grounds in 2015. Plans call for the statue to sit on a pedestal inscribed with quotes from King speeches and sermons on all four sides.

CrossRoadsNews

January 14, 2017

King Holiday

“He is a shining example of a true modern-day activist and social warrior.”

Chicago’s Father Pfleger to headline MLK service at Ebenezer By Rosie Manins

Father Michael Pfleger, who fought gang bloodshed in Chicago with basketball games, will headline the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Service on Jan. 16 at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who ran for president in 2016, will deliver a special tribute. The ecumenical service, which engages members of various religious traditions as well as state, national and international governments, is in its 32nd year. Bernie Sanders It commemorates what would have been King’s 88th birthday. It takes place annually on the national holiday created to honor King, in the church where he was baptized as a child, and where he served as co-pastor with his father. Pfleger, senior pastor of the Faith Community of Saint Sabina in Chicago, is a well-known warrior of responsible gun ownership, which has irked the National Rifle Association. He started a weekly basketball league in one of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods and lured rival gang members to battle on the court instead of on the streets. “We need to talk it out rather than shoot it out,” Pfleger said in an August 2013 ABCTV interview. King Center CEO Bernice A. King said she is proud to host Pfleger as the keynote speaker for this year’s ceremony. “He is a shining example of a true modern-day activist and social warrior,” said King, who is the Dr. King’s daughter. Sanders, who challenged Hillary Clinton

Father Michael Pfleger, senior pastor of the Faith Community of Saint Sabina in Chicago, brought rival gangs together in a basketball league.

for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 election by tapping into a populist frustration over the growing gap between the super wealthy and the rest of the country, campaigned on a platform of a political revolution to transform American politics. Other program participants include Sen.

Johnny Isakson, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Japanese Consul General Takashi Shinozuka, the Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, actor Tyrese Gibson, and Royce Mann of the Paideia School. Special performances will be provided by

Darlene McCoy, Minister Micah Stampley, the Korean Christian Children’s Choir, the Craig Lewis Band, and tap dancers Freddie and Teddie. The service will be held in the Horizon Sanctuary at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 101 Jackson St. N.E., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.

INTELLIGENCE PLUS CHARACTER

”

- that is the goal of true education. ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Equal Opportunity Institution

www.gptc.edu 404-297-9522

CrossRoadsNews

King Holiday

“We do it to keep his name, his legacy and what he did for black folks alive.”

Thousands to march in remembrance By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Thousands of adults and children will be marching on Jan. 16 in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the ideals he stood for on the 32nd national holiday in his honor. King parades will take to the streets in Lithonia, Conyers, McDonough and the city of Atlanta. Families, individuals, elected officials, high school marching bands, and a host of civil rights, community, civic, social, fraternal, religious and other groups and organizations will march in memory of the late civil rights leader who fought for voting and human rights for African Americans. The DeKalb NAACP’s 15th annual parade and rally kicks off at noon from Green Pastures Christian Church on Flat Shoals Parkway with high school marching bands, elected officials, and dozens of groups and organizations. The parade will terminate at MLK Jr. High School for a rally. Retired NAACP President John Evans will be grand marshal. He said that it’s important to march in King’s honor every year. “We do it to keep his name, his legacy and what he did for black folks alive,” Evans said. “It’s important for that we remember what he did and be proud of it and appreciate it.” Marchers will gather at 10 a.m. in the church’s parking lot. They will make a right on Highway 155 where citizens can view the parade. In Rockdale County, organizers have relocated the county’s first King March from downtown Conyers to the county’s Government Annex at 1400 Parker Road. Josie Dean, CEO of the Rockdale County Think Tank, which is organizing the march, said they had to move it to the annex because the county could not find enough police officers to man

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Metro Atlanta residents can view King Day parades in Lithonia, Conyers, McDonough and the city of Atlanta that honor the late civil rights leader.

the parade, even after they were willing to pay them. She said the city of Conyers said it will work with her in 2018 to stage the march in the city and assume all responsibilities for security. Thirteen groups, including fraternities; sororities; marching bands from Rockdale, Heritage and Salem high schools; the Rockdale County NAACP, and elected officials will march. Newly elected Rockdale Chairman Oz Nesbitt will be grand marshal. Dean said paraders will march a mile at the annex and end on the annex’s baseball field for a rally. In Henry County, newly elected Henry County District Attorney Darius Pattillo and District 2 County Commissioner Dee Clemmons will serve as a grand marshals for the county’s seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Peace March on Jan. 16. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Henry County Performing Arts Center

on Lemon Street in McDonough. Pattillo, who is Henry County’s first African-American district attorney, said it is an honor to be named co-grand marshal of the parade. “I am proud to be able to serve my community and honor Dr. King,” he said. Pattillo will ride in a convertible with Clemmons. Staff members of the District Attorney’s Office also will march. Its rally begins at 11 a.m. with the Rev. T.J. McBride, senior pastor of Tabernacle of Praise Church International, delivering the keynote address. In the city of Atlanta, marchers will gather at 1:15 p.m. at the intersection of Peachtree and Baker streets for the 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commemorative March & Rally. It kicks off at 1:45 p.m. after the annual King Day Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Marchers will make a left on Auburn Avenue and head to the King Center for the rally.

Drum line to keep beat at King Day 5K run Runners in the King Day 5K Drum Run! Atlanta in Piedmont Park on Jan. 16 can register their school PTA, church or other organization to receive proceeds from the event. The music starts at 8 a.m., and the 5K lineup begins at 8:45. Diverse groups in the beloved community will gather to celebrate King Day in the spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood with fellowship and fitness.

The 5K walk/run will take place entirely in Piedmont Park. The USATFcertified race course and Peachtree Road Race qualifier will be run on grass, road, gravel, wooden bridge and dirt paths through the park. There will be a 3.1 mile drum line along the course and a post-race party. Team Pearls for a Cause, the DeKalb County Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., which is collecting backpacks for elementary and middle

school students in DeKalb, is among race beneficiaries. To become an approved beneficiary, contact race director Chip Owens at mlkday5k@gmail.com or 404-8891142. The park is at 400 Park Drive in Atlanta. To register, visit http://www.active.com/atlanta-ga/running/distancerunning-races/mlk-day-5k-drum-runatlanta-2017. For more information, visit http://mlkday5k.com.

Teen artists revisit civil rights issues at Alliance Teen artists of the Palefsky Collision Project have returned to create a special performance of “A Celebration in Search of an Assumption: The Artist’s Role in Wartime” on Jan. 15-16 for King Day at the Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center. The project explores the issues and ideas that challenge their generation to

change the world. The original work was created in collaboration with Pearl Cleage, Alliance Mellon Playwright in Residence, and director Patrick McColery. It was inspired by the themes found in Walt Whitman’s poem, “Leaves of Grass,” as well as current civil rights issues. High school students reimagined their

AUC to discuss King’s 1967 book Atlanta University Center faculty members will facilitate a center-wide reading and discussion honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1967 book “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community” on Jan. 31. The discussion and a King Collection open house will take place at 5 p.m. at the Virginia Lacy Jones Exhibition

January 14, 2017

Hall at the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library and include an overview of the collection and viewing of documents. “Where Do We Go From Here” was King’s analysis of the state of American race relations and the movement after a decade of civil rights struggles. The library is at 111 James P. Brawley Drive S.W. in Atlanta. For more information, call 470-639-0569.

original script through the lens of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of hope and peace amid civil unrest. The performances, which are free to attend, take place at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 15 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 16 in the Rich Auditorium, Memorial Arts Building. To RSVP, visit http://alliancetheatre. org/content/current-project.

Celebrate the Dreamer On Jan. 16, the nation will observe the 32nd Martin Luther King Jr. Day with volunteer work, parades and speeches. The national holiday celebrates the 88th birthday of King, who was born on Jan. 15, 1929. The Baptist minister led the 1960s civil rights movement that opposed segregation and fought for voting and civil rights for African-Americans. King, who grew up on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, was assassinated at age 39 on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn. Martin Luther King Day, observed the third Monday in January, was first cele-brated in 1986. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

S.C. Confederate flag remover to be at Emory

Community organizer and artist Bree Newsome, who scaled the flagpole in front of the South Carolina Statehouse to remove the Confederate flag after the mass slaying at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, is the speaker and presenter at the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday observance on Jan. 17 at Emory University. The program, which begins at 4 p.m. in Winship Ballroom, third floor of the Dobbs University Center, is free and open to the public. Register at http://aas.emory.edu/home/events/index. htmlaas.emory.edu. During the funeral of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a state legislator and one of nine people killed by white supremacist Dylann Roof on June 17, 2015, Newsome recognized the message being communicated by the U.S. flag and the S.C. state flag at half-staff while the Confederate flag continued to fly. She scaled the 30-foot flagpole in front of the Statehouse, declaring, “This flag comes down today!” Newsome was arrested and the flag was raised again at the Capitol. In July 2015, the Confederate flag was removed and relocated to a nearby state military museum.

Photo display depicts King’s remarkable life A small selection of photographs that document Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s remarkable life will be on display at the High Museum of Art on Jan. 15 to commemorate the civil rights leader’s 88th birthday. A three-hour celebration, which is free with museum admission, gets underway at 1 p.m. King came to prominence as a civil rights leader during the 1955–1956 bus boycotts in Montgomery, Ala. The next year, he moved back to Atlanta and became head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The High Museum’s civil rights photography collection features more than 250 photos of the struggle for freedom and equality and includes a number of photographs of King (1929–1968), popular representations of King delivering speeches and leading marches, but also a more personal side of the leader at home enjoying time with his family. For more information, visit www.high.org.

‘Conversation’ in King Lecture Series

“Where Do We Go From Here? An Intergenerational Conversation” will take place Jan. 25 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. The program in the Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture and Conversation Series begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Bank of America Auditorium, Walter E. Massey Leadership Center. Panelists are Martin Luther King III, Dr. King’s elder son; the Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, spiri-

tual home of Dr. King; state Rep. Stacey Abrams, House minority leader in the Georgia General Assembly who represents District 89; and former Ambassador Andrew Young, a key confidant and strategist to Dr. King, a former mayor of Atlanta, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. The college is at 830 Westview Drive S.W. For more information, contact Dr. Vicki Crawford at kingcollection@morehouse.edu or 470-6390569.

CrossRoadsNews

January 14, 2017

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King Holiday

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January 14, 2017

“Howey Hudson Lowe knows that it is small... but it is big enough to make a difference in the world”

Howey Hudson Lowe to feed homeless, recognize volunteers By Rosie Manins

In the spirit of “drum major” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the nonprofit Howey Hudson Lowe Foundation will feed and clothe the homeless in downtown Atlanta on Jan. 14, and on Jan. 28, it will honor the volunteers who help it serve the disadvantaged year-round. Brenda Jackson, one of the organization’s three founders, said volunteers will take its Operation Deep Freeze service project to Edgewood Avenue and Pine Street at 9 a.m. on Saturday to provide hot soup and winter clothing in honor of King’s legacy. She said they will stay there “until everything runs out.” On Jan. 28, the foundation will host its MLK “Drum Major for Service” Luncheon from noon to 3 p.m. at the Coaxum’s Low Country Cuisine in Conyers. Jackson said they will recognize 30 to 40 men and women who volunteer consistently with the group. “Most of these people have been with us for more than 13 years,” she said. The Decatur-based foundation serves families in need, primarily in South DeKalb. It provides basic living needs, counseling, referrals, employment coaching and toys. Most of its volunteers live in DeKalb, but some are also from Gwinnett and Rockdale counties. Jackson said volunteers – who range from teens to adults The nonprofit Howey Hudson in their 70s – collect, sort and store donations. Lowe Foundation “They also help to sell tickets for our annual fundraisers will feed and and do other things like website maintenance,” she said. clothe the The foundation, established in 2004 by Jackson, Norma homeless in Washington and Goldie Evans-Upshaw and later joined by Atlanta on Jan. Marian Maddox, has helped thousands of children and their 14, and honor families in its 13 years of existence. dedicated “I would say over 3,000 or more,” Jackson said. volunteers on In 2014, it received a Points of Lights Service Award, Jan. 28. which recognizes outstanding organizations and individuals for their commitment to serving others. Jackson says the group works hard to help people in need. “Howey Hudson Lowe knows that it is small and cannot save the world, but it is big enough in spirit and determination to be that drum major to definitely make a difference S.W. in Conyers. For more information and reservations, visit www. in the world,” she said. Volunteer luncheon tickets are $25 each. The reservation howeyhudsonlowefoundation.com or contact Brenda JackThe Coaxum’s Low Country Cuisine is at 1300 Iris Drive deadline is Jan. 20. son at bjaevnt@gmail.com or 770-403-8448.

National Park Service’s King Historic Site hosting special programs

The first floor of Families celebrating civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King’s birth home King Jr. will find a host of public events this year at the Nawill be open for tional Park Service’s King Historic Site that “deeply honors tours on Jan. 16 and serves his life and legacy.” for the first time Park Superintendent Judy Forte said the events will since the home include a volunteer day of service in the park, a tribute conwas closed for cert, storytelling by a King family member, and a collection repairs in August drive in partnership with Arndrea King, Yolanda Renee and 2016. Martin Luther King III that will benefit the Atlanta Homeless Women and Children Shelter at Solomon’s Temple and Hope-Hill Elementary School. Forte said it will a day on rather than a day off. Jan. 15 would have been King’s 88th birthday, and Jan. 16 is the 32nd anniversary of the national holiday that celebrates his legacy. historic site campus on Jan. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. n On Jan. 15, King’s actual birthday, artists will pay tribute A list of events in the park in music, song, dance and spoken word. n About 200 volunteers have registered to participate in a The concert takes place 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the Yolanda D. variety of beautification and preservation projects on the King Theatre for the Performing Arts at the King Center’s

Events in civil ‘Go South to Freedom’ author at History Center rights movement Award-winning author Frye Gaillard will told through arts discuss his book, “Go South to Freedom,” and sign copies at the Atlanta History Center King Day program Jan. 16 starting at 3 p.m. The “as told to” story for middle-schoolers tells of a daring escape to freedom by the Fields family. It was shared with the author by the direct descendant of the family whose story he tells. Frye Gaillard Georgia slaves Gilbert Fields and his family ran away one stormy night, intending to travel north under cover of darkness, only to discover they had been running south instead. They had no choice but to keep going, seeking sanctuary with the Seminole Indians of Florida and later a community of free blacks in Mobile, Ala. The center is at 130 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W. in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.atlantahistorycenter.com/ programs/martin-luther-king-jr.-day.

Orator, civil rights activist and athlete Rashiid Shareef will be featured guest at the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Jan. 25 at the Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia. “An Afternoon of Civil Rights Movement Events, Music, Drama, Dance and Poetry,” which is free and open to the public, begins at 2:30 p.m. The program, presented by the center’s Performing Arts Group, will include narratives, musical arrangements and choreography by Gwendolyn F. Thomas. The center is at 2538 Panola Road. For more information, visit http://louwalkercenter.com or call 770-322-2900.

Freedom Hall. n On Jan. 16, the federal King Holiday, special programs take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. n The first floor of King’s birth home will be open to visitors for walk-through tours for the first time since it was closed for repairs in August 2016. n A “Children’s Corner,” located on Auburn Avenue near the birth home, will feature arts and crafts, a National Park Service photo booth, and the park’s junior ranger program. n Visitors also can step back in time to the mid-1950s to experience the era of the Montgomery bus boycott in a historic MARTA bus that will be on display. n Preservation exhibit stations highlighting the Park Service restoration efforts will be displayed on the porches of some historic buildings in the park. n Historic Fire Station No. 6, the Ebenezer Baptist Church Heritage Sanctuary and the park’s visitor center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/malu.

Judge Hatchett to speak at Ga. State celebration Judge Glenda Hatchett will be the featured speaker at Georgia State University’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Jan. 19. Her talk begins at 4 p.m. in Student Center East, Student Center Ballroom, 55 Gilmer St. Hatchett, the first African American chief presiding judge of Fulton County Juvenile Court, is nationally recognized as an authority on juvenile and social issues and an outspoken advocate for children. She is the national spokeswoman for Court Appointed Special Advocates, a program that works toward representing abused or neglected children in the court. A recipient of the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Glenda Hatchett Award, Hatchett founded the Truancy Intervention Project, which enlists the help of legal volunteers to provide early intervention with truants. She is founding partner of the Hatchett Firm. For more information, visit www.gsu.edu.

January 14, 2017

CrossRoadsNews

“King was a great man. I don’t know a time when he took a day off and we should continue his legacy.” The nonprofit MedShare International in Decatur needs volunteers yearround to sort and package medical supplies that will be shipped to underserved countries.

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Hundreds expected at MedShare By Rosie Manins

More than 300 volunteers will be sorting and packing medical supplies at the nonprofit MedShare International in Decatur that will be shipped to underserved countries around the world. The men and women from 14 churches, businesses, corporations, community groups, and institutions will be donating their time over Jan. 14-16 King weekend. Alvaro McRae, MedShare volunteer program manager, said the groups are coming from all over the community, including from schools and universities. “They will be sorting the medical supplies and equipment we get donated and we’ll be packing up as many boxes of it as we can,” McRae said. MedShare, which collects and redistributes surplus medical supplies and equipment to clinics in Third World countries, including Africa, works with hospitals, health care distributors and manufacturers around the country. To date, it has collected more than

$100 million worth of medical supplies and equipment and, in the process, diverted more than 3 million cubic feet of reusable products from local landfills. More than 40 Kaiser Permanente staff, friends and family members will be among volunteers on Jan. 16. This is the third time the managed-care provider has mobilized employees to participate in King volunteer projects at MedShare. Last year, Kaiser employees also volunteered at Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia, where they cleaned, painted and did minor repairs. Across the globe, the World Health Organization says that millions of children 5 years and younger die annually from inadequate medical care. In the United States, hospitals generate more than 2 million tons of medical waste annually, the majority of which is new, unexpired medical supplies and equipment. The nonprofit needs volunteers yearround to sort and package medical supplies. For more information, visit www. medshare.org or call 770-323-5858.

January 14, 2017

A Day On, N

‘Say that I tried to love and serve humanity’ “If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize – that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards – that’s not important. Tell them not to Martin Luther King Jr. mention where I went to school. I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Feb. 4, 1968, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta

Volunteers to work on seniors’ homes By Rosie Manins

More than 1,000 volunteers will repair, weatherize and do maintenance on the homes of dozens of elderly Oakhurst community residents over the three-day King Weekend. The 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project begins 9 a.m. on Jan. 14 and ends at 5 p.m. on Jan. 16. It is sponsored by the nonprofit Decatur Preservation Alliance in partnership with the city of Decatur and is supported through grants and private financial and in-kind donations. Volunteers 12 years and older are needed. Those younger than 18 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and submit a signed release available at www.decaturga. com/mlk. Organizers are seeking skilled trades peo-

ple, especially roofers, plumbers, electricians and carpenters, to volunteer and bring their tools – hammers, saws, drills, rakes, clippers and other yard work implements – and reusable water bottles to make the project more environmentally friendly. Donations of sandwiches and homemade desserts are needed to feed participants. Volunteers can sign up for one or more shifts from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Monday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Volunteers must meet at the Solarium at the Community Center of South Decatur, 321 W. Hill St. in Oakhurst, at least 30 minutes before their shifts start. The project culminates at 5 p.m. on Jan. 16 with a cookout in the Solarium. To volunteer or donate, contact Lee Ann Harvey at leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or 770-652-8593. First Afrikan Presbyterian members will clean the Lithonia church inside and out on Jan. 16. They also will plant bulbs for the spring.

Members to clean up church grounds First Afrikan Presbyterian Church in Lithonia will get cleaned inside and out on Jan. 16. During the King Day service project, members, friends and supporters will clean the church’s sanctuary, restrooms, kitchen, community rooms, and grounds. They also will pressure wash the building, paint rails, repair the sidewalks and the ramp, and work on the ancestral trails and serenity garden. Volunteers will work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A communal feast will be served after the completion of the work. Elder Lucius Gundy said the church does a lot for the community and this is an opportunity for residents to give back. “We will be doing a lot of work in and around the church itself. We will be planting

bulbs for the springtime and we have an individual coming to talk to us about fruit trees we will be planting in February,” he said. Gundy is expecting up to 45 people to volunteer and would love for others to join in. “King was a great man,” he said. “I don’t know a time when he took a day off and we should continue his legacy. We would certainly like to see the community coming together with not only this effort, but efforts of their own on this day.” This is the second annual King Day service project run by the church, which is located at 5197 Salem Road. To participate or for more information, visit www.firstafrikanchurch.org, email fapc@firstafrikanchurch.org or call Gundy at 404-735-7626.

January 14, 2017

A Day Off

CrossRoadsNews

“It’s important that we use our hands, heart and head to help others.”

Greenforest members taking on 13 King Day service projects By Rosie Manins

Some 400 Greenforest Community Baptist Church members will honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy Jan. 14-16 with volunteer labor at the Decatur church and throughout the community. The volunteers will work on 13 service projects that include cleaning up and beautifying church buildings and grounds; sponsoring a canned food drive; visiting the sick and shut-ins and residents of the Sadie G. Mays Nursing & Convalescent Home; responding to prayer requests; sprucing up the homes of seniors; and visiting children at the Clarkston international refugee center. Dr. Emory Berry Jr., the church’s senior pastor, said the ministry aims to make a positive impact throughout the wider community. “By the end of the day, we will touch a good portion of DeKalb County,” he said Jan. 11. To honor King, who wanted to be remembered as someone who “tried to love and serve humanity,” Berry said it is important to make King Day a day on rather than a day off. “It’s important that we use our hands, heart and head to help others,” he said. Throughout the three-day weekend, church volunteers will contact and spend time with the congregation’s aging members and others confined to their homes or in need of domestic help. They will rake leaves, clean gutters, wash windows, change light bulbs, assist with laundry, move furniture and prepare meals. Volunteers also are collecting hundreds of canned goods to replenish the church’s Social Ministry pantry, which provides food and clothing to disadvantaged families and individuals year-round. On Monday, Jan. 16 – the national King holiday – groups of volunteers will visit nursing homes in the neighborhood and in Atlanta to bring cheer to residents. Some will

Outdoor work at Panola Mountain Volunteers can help spruce up Panola Mountain State Park in MLK Jr. Day of Service projects on Jan. 16. Participants ages 6 and up are needed to help remove invasive plant species and do landscape improvement and roadside cleanup at the park in Henry County. They should come prepared to work and to make new friends during the projects, which begin at 10 a.m. Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes, and bring water and work gloves. Advance registration is required by calling the Nature Center at 770-389-7801. The park is at 2620 Highway 155 S.W. in Stockbridge. For more information, including fees, visit http://gastateparks.org/PanolaMountain.

Morehouse students fanning out to serve Morehouse College students will fan out in metro Atlanta to participate in the Bonner Day of Service on Jan. 16 for King Day. Volunteers will take part in community service projects throughout the area with the kickoff at 8 a.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel on campus, 830 Westview Drive S.W. in Atlanta. The Bonner Office of Community Service at Morehouse seeks to utilize its resources to develop and encourage volunteerism and to perpetuate a culture of service. For more information, contact Monty Whitney at monty. whitney@morehouse.edu.

buried and where his parents, Martin and Alberta Christine, are laid to rest alongside other prominent black leaders. Others will clean and organize rooms and cook food for occupants of the Covenant House boarding facility for homeless youth in Decatur. A team also will visit the women’s metro correctional facility where they will pray, sing and study Scripture with inmates. On Monday, the church’s children will write prayer cards for policemen and policewomen at the South DeKalb Precinct and deliver it to them. They also will tour the precinct and sing for the officers. Husband-and-wife team Ron and June Coleman, who have co-led the church’s Mission Ministry and organized the church’s annual King Day service projects, said church members are always eager to serve. “Our congregation is more than willing,” Ron Coleman said. Greenforest senior pastor Dr. Emory Berry, Jr., and Mission Ministry co-leaders Ron and June After doing the work, he said members Coleman hold signs for King Day Service projects that church members will do Jan. 14 to 16. discuss their experiences. “Most of the time they feel they are more clean and make repairs to buildings on the legacy, sing songs, and share peanut butter blessed by it than the people they went out and jelly sandwiches. church’s Rainbow Drive campus. to serve,” Coleman said, Volunteers also will plant trees at SouthAt the international refugee center in To volunteer, visit www.greenforest.org Clarkston, they will discuss King’s life and View Cemetery, where King was temporarily or call the church at 404-486-1120.

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King Holiday

CrossRoadsNews

January 14, 2017

“Hosea Williams gave his life to DeKalb. He was a commissioner and he lived his whole life here.”

6,000 people expected at Hosea Helps’ King Day dinner By Rosie Manins

Warm meals and many helpful services will be provided by the nonprofit Hosea Helps to thousands of Atlantans in need in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy on the federal holiday in his name. The group expects to feed 6,000 people on Jan. 16 at its 14th annual MLK dinner taking place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center. This year’s theme is “Unity in the Community.” Elisabeth Omilami, the group’s CEO, said the dinner will surpass its Thanksgiving meal to become its largest annual dinner. She said the event continues to spread the love that was in King’s heart. She describes Hosea Helps’ King Day offerings as “a festival of services.” “Sometimes the line for barbers and beauticians or clothing is longer than the line for food,” she said. “There’s a medical clinic, hot showers and a children’s corner, and we deliver over 4,000 meals to the sick and shut-in.” Omilami, who is the daughter of Hosea Williams, a King lieutenant who worked alongside the famous civil rights leader during the 1960s civil rights movement, said their King Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas events cost about $125,000 each to put on. Renting the World Congress Center is about $20,000 alone, she said. Delta Air Lines is the King Day dinner’s title sponsor for the second consecutive year. Coca-Cola also has donated funds to assist. In addition to hundreds of Delta employees, more than 1,000 volunteers will help to staff the event. Omilami said Hosea Helps is blessed to

The Hosea Helps King Day dinner takes place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center. The event includes “a festival of services.”

not depend on governmental support thanks to strong buy-in from the community. “Of course we get some small contributions,” she said. “It’s the working people who know that but for the grace of God that could be them and their families needing help. For many of the working poor, if they miss just one paycheck they could be homeless.” Omilami said Hosea Helps serves about 900 DeKalb residents every year and the organization is committed to the county. “Hosea Williams gave his life to DeKalb,” she said. “He was a commissioner and he lived his whole life here, and we would like to do more here.” At the King Day dinner, a full-course meal will be served. Other Hosea Helps

services will be offered, including a haircut and style; medical care; flu shots; legal aid; federal benefit analysis; employment advice and assistance; and applications for SNAP, Medicare, WIC, Medicaid and more. Clothing, shoes and blankets will be given out, and there will be activities for children. Volunteers also will deliver meals and services to seniors, sick residents and others unable to leave their homes. Organizers still need 300 volunteers and are seeking the donation of a shower trailer, a forklift and four pallet jacks. Omilami said the best part of the annual event for her is watching children volunteers serve other children. “Being able to see children who give

another child a sandwich or make another child a plate of food or give another child a set of clothing, and to know that the transition is going to happen. That’s what’s most important for me right now, that we don’t let this die because it’s a legacy that’s needed,” she said. “More than ever we cannot give up the hope that civil rights leaders had that everybody will have equal opportunity and equal rights.” The dinner takes place in Building A of the Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. N.W, in Atlanta. To donate and volunteer, visit www.4hosea.org or call the organization at 404-755-3353.

Olympic gold medalist Melvin Pender to headline Brookhaven event By Rosie Manins

The courage of Lynwood Park’s pioneering black students who integrated DeKalb County Schools 50 years ago will be recognized at Brookhaven’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day dinner and program on Jan. 16. Olympic gold medalist, author and Lynwood Park alumnus Melvin Pender will deliver the keynote address at the second annual community dinner and program at the historic Lynwood Community Center. It starts at 5 p.m. in the old segregated elementary and high school building at 3360 Osborne Road. The 79-year-old Pender, who won gold in the 4x100 meter relay in the 1968 Summer Games, will be joined by other presenters, including business leader Mac Broughton, who serves on the Brookhaven Affordable Housing Task Force; Lynwood native Edgar Jones, a retired engineer and unofficial Lynwood Park historian; and Edna White, who served as secretary to the principal at Lynwood Elementary School. Comedian George Wallace also grew up in Lynwood Park. Jones, 71, was born and raised in Lynwood Park when it was a newly settled, closeknit, all-black neighborhood. His parents moved to a house in Osborne Road in 1939, where his brother still lives today. Jones has been researching and documenting Lynwood Park’s history for more than a decade and plans to present his indepth knowledge to guests at the dinner. “My objective is to enlighten them on the early history,” he said. “I’m going to go back to when people first moved there and talk about where they actually came from.” Lynwood Park is DeKalb’s oldest black neighborhood and is located off Peachtree Road in Brookhaven. It dates back to 1933 when the first black family moved into the Cates Estate, later renamed Lynwood Park, after Realtor Mel Lynn.

streets were dirt roads. The thing that really kept the neighborhood together was our four churches and our schools.” At last year’s dinner, the city of Brookhaven presented a proclamation to the Lynwood Integrators and facilitated a discussion about their experiences. The Black History event was started by Brookhaven’s District 1 Councilwoman Linley Jones, who represents the Lynwood community. Barbara Shaw, who went to the all-white Cross Keys High in the eighth grade in 1967 and remembers the prejudice she and other black students faced at the time from

white teachers, bus drivers and classmates, helped organize the event. Councilwoman Jones said members of the public are welcome to attend the dinner. “This is a special and unique event honoring the true spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. Day by recognizing those trailblazers in our community who participated directly in integration,” she said. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from the Lynwood Community Center at 3360 Osborne Road or by calling 404-6370534.

Don’t let anything stand in your way Melvin Pender will be the keynote speaker at Brookhaven’s King Day event on Jan. 16.

The King Day event recognizes students from the all-black Lynwood Park elementary and high school who integrated DeKalb County Schools in 1967. It was held for the first time during the 2016 King Day observances. The men and women – called the Lynwood Integrators – were the first black students to attend Cross Keys and Chamblee high schools, 13 years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that racial segregation of public schools was illegal. DeKalb Schools shuttered the Lynwood Park schools in 1969, seven years after Jones graduated. Jones said he is proud of the community and its pivotal role in integration. He remembers when there was “little to no crime” and no homeless people in the area. “It was a close-knit neighborhood where everybody knew each other,” he recalled Jan. 10. “Back in the 1940s, only Osborne Road and Lynwood Drive were paved, all the other

In the spirit of greatness, we salute those who refuse to let adversity deter them from their dreams.

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January 14, 2017

King Holiday

CrossRoadsNews

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“We are excited that a full condition assessment … is scheduled so we can ensure the preservation of this national treasure.”

Old Fourth Ward was a bustling hub of middle-class black life HOME,

from page

The house, built for a white family in 1895, became the Kings’ family home in 1909 when King’s grandfather, the Rev. Adam Williams, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, bought it for $3,500. Williams died of a heart attack in the home on March 21, 1931. The family lived there until 1941, when the King family moved to another home within the Sweet Auburn district at 193 Blvd. Sweet Auburn, where the home is located, is part of the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, which was a bustling hub of middleclass black life when King was growing up. The King family maintained ownership of the birth home at 501 Auburn Ave., converting it into two rental units. In the 1960s, King’s younger brother lived on the upper floor while he was a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church. After Dr. King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, the family began plans to restore the house as a historic museum. It was designated a National Historic Site by Congress in 1980 and was restored to the way it was when King lived there. The birth home, and more than 30 homes and buildings around it, are among 9,600 historic buildings managed by the National Park Service at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. The preservation of the buildings, which are used by park staff and rented to tenants and to a barbershop, enables visitors to see what the street looked like when King lived there. The Park Service closed the home to visitors on Aug. 6, 2016, when a crack – causing the first floor to sag – was discovered in the subfloor of the house. It said at the time that it was temporarily closing the home and suspending tours “for safety reasons as preserving the home and protecting visitors are our primary responsibilities.” After a thorough assessment, Forte said it was decided that the entire floor was in danger of structural failure and that a comprehensive assessment of other repairs is underway. “We are excited that a full condition assessment of the entire home is scheduled so that we can ensure the preservation and

Touring the birth home

Library of Congress

Visiting the home where Dr. King was born and lived until he was 12 years old is one of the highlights of a trip to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site, but it can be one of the hardest things to do because only 15 people at a time can tour the home. The 30-minute tour, which is free, is almost always led by a ranger – except on the King holiday. On the third Monday of January when the federal holiday honoring King takes place, visitors can show up and see the house on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

protection of this national treasure for future generations,” Forte said. She said the full extent of damage and cost of repairs is not yet known. “As soon as we get an assessment done we will know, depending on how soon we can get the funding to do the work. We don’t anticipate having to close very long, but having it closed as long as it takes to get it done right,” she said. While the birth home is being repaired, the National Park Service is offering visitors

The King birth home was designated a National Historic Site by Congress in 1980 and was restored to the way it was when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived there.

Other attractions in the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site include Dr. and Mrs. King’s crypts, the reflection pool, the King Center, the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Freedom Hall, the eternal flame, the Visitor Center, and Historic Fire Station No. 6. The park is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Tips on visiting the birth home: n Visit early in the day. n Be prepared to wait several hours for the next available tour. n Visit early in the week or Sunday morning. Source: National Park Service

other opportunities within the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site to learn about King’s early life. A virtual ranger-led presentation of the birth home is available to guide visitors through the period of King’s childhood in the Sweet Auburn community where he was born and raised. Visitors also can view large photographs of the home’s interior at the Eastern National Museum Store at 497 Auburn Ave., view outdoor exhibits along the block where the

birth home is located to learn more about the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, and watch a 20-minute film, “The Birth Home Story,” at the Visitor Center. To view a full list of daily interpretive activities, visitors are encouraged to stop at the Park Service Visitor Center at 450 Auburn Ave. For more information on the King birth home and the other buildings associated with King in the Sweet Auburn district, visit www. nps.gov/malu.

By the numbers

$3,500

The price King’s grandfather paid for the house where he was born

1909

The year the Rev. Adam Daniel Williams acquired the house

Martin Luther King Jr.’s age when the family moved from the birth home

501

The Auburn Avenue address where Dr. King was born

1895

The year that the King birth home was built

1980

Year that Congress designated the home as a National Historic Site

Celebrating the Dreamer! We must face our challenges today with the same strength, persistence, and resolve as Dr. King, guided by the enduring values of hope & justice embodied by our civil rights leaders – like C.T. Vivian, Dr. Joseph Lowery and my friend & colleague Congressman John Lewis. 8dc\gZhhbVc =Zcgn Æ=Vc`Ç ?d]chdc )i] 8dc\gZhh^dcVa 9^hig^Xi Paid for by the Committee to Re-elect Henry “Hank” Johnson

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CrossRoadsNews

January 14, 2017