CrossRoadsNews, July 22, 2017

COMMUNITY

YOUTH

New courts and such

‘Trek to the River’s Edge’

DeKalb County officials unveiled plans for new playgrounds, fountains and more at four DeKalb County parks. 2

A film documenting the Atlanta Student Movement of the 1960s will be screened July 24 at The Center for Civil and Human Rights. 6

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

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

Copyright © 2017 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

July 22, 2017

Volume 23, Number 12

www.crossroadsnews.com

Landfill accepting large items during one-day ‘amnesty’ DeKalb residents can dispose of furniture and construction and demolition materials without charge at the Seminole Road Landfill on July 29 as part of the county’s “Amnesty Day.” The county will accept the bulky items from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and things like tires, yard trimmings, bagged garbage and appliances can also be disposed at the landfill free of charge.

Hazardous materials are excluded.

“Amnesty Day” is part of DeKalb’s Operation Clean Sweep initiative and is open only to DeKalb County residents who can show proof of residency.

Tracy Hutchinson, Sanitation Division

deputy director, said the event advances CEO Michael Thurmond’s efforts to clean up the county.

“Operation Clean Sweep is remediating blight through beautification and Amnesty Day is an opportunity for residents to help participate in keeping DeKalb County beautiful,” she said.

The multidepartmental Operation Clean Sweep, which focuses on litter removal, illegal dumping, grass mowing, and debris removal from streets, sidewalks, storm water drains and the clean-up of the county’s rights-of-way, has removed

244 tons of debris, cleared 70 miles of roadways of debris, collected 1,017 bags of tossed litter, and cleaned up 49 illegal dumps.

County departments partnering in the initiative include Roads and Drainage, Beautification, Sanitation, Communications and Public Safety.

The Seminole Road Landfill is at 4203 Clevemont Road in Ellenwood.

For more information including a list of items eligible for disposal, visit www.dekalbsanitation.com.

For updates on Operation Clean Sweep, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/ clean-sweep.

The Seminole Landfill will accept furniture, tires, and large appliances from DeKalb residents on July 29.

Calls grow for firing of officer who beat woman Thurmond says investigation must run course

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker and Tekia Parks

In the face of mounting calls for the immediate termination of DeKalb Officer P.J Larscheid, caught on video brutally beating Katie McCrary on the floor of a Decatur convenience store, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond says everyone needs to allow the process to run its course.

“I wasn’t there, none of us was there,” he said July 18. “That’s the first thing I need... the facts. I have trust that the system is going to bring forward a clear accurate report as to what happened and when it happened and how it happened and justice will be done.”

In the week since the cellphone video surfaced of Larscheid beating 38-year-old McCrary, who is homeless and mentally ill, on June 4 with his baton at the Chevron gas station and convenience store at 3364 Glenwood Road, civil rights and faith groups, Congressman John Lewis and state legislators have denounced the beating and added their voices to the chorus calling for swift action.

Larscheid, a 2014 South Precinct Police Officer of the Year, was originally cleared of excessive use of force by a departmental investigation, but the the police department reopened the investigation on July 11 after the video, taken by a bystander, was posted on YouTube and broadcast on the evening television news.

DeKalb Police Chief James Conroy said July 13 that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident.

The Rev. Stephen Dial, director of the DeKalb Pastors Alliance, said he was appalled when he saw the woman being beaten.

“Never in civilized society is that acceptable, at all,” he said at a July 14 press conference at Greenforest Baptist Church.

Dial, who is the pastor of Rainbow

Tekia Parks / CrossRoadsNews

Amid the widespread outcry after video of DeKalb Officer P.J Larscheid beating Katie McCrary (left photo) went viral, ministers and civic and political leaders including DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond (right photo, at left) have called for justice in the case.

Park Baptist Church, was surrounded by Greenforest Pastor Dr. Emory Berry; Tyler Joshua Green, who represented New Life Baptist Church; the Rev. Marlon Harris; DeKalb NAACP President Teresa Hardy; Operation LEAD founder John Evans; and DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson, who represents District 3 where the incident took place.

Dial said police are supposed to protect and care for citizens.

“This officer and his excessive punishment violated his oath of office,” Dial said. “We are asking that he be dealt with swiftly, and justly.”

In his June 5 incident Stephen Dial report, Larscheid said he answered a call from the store about a woman soliciting customers inside the store.

He wrote that he deployed his ASP baton and instructed McCrary, who has mental health issues, to lay down on the floor.

“The suspect refused my command and I then delivered an unknown amount of baton strikes to her left leg,” he wrote.

Larscheid said that’s when McCrary

dropped to the floor and began kicking him.

“I continued my baton strikes to her legs and forearms instructing her to lay down with her hands behind her back,” he wrote.

“One strike inadvertently struck the side of her head as she was moving around.”

McCrary was treated at Grady Hospital and released.

Dial said the pastors’ alliance, which represents 11 congregations across the county, wants to tell the GBI that they won’t let this go.

“This can’t be a slap on the wrist because no man should whup a woman privately or publicly,” he said.

Hardy, the NAACP president, said they are all troubled by the video.

“We want to make sure that justice is prevailed for sister McCrary,” she said. “We are going to make sure that we are staying in communication with our [police] chief, our CEO, as well as Teresa Hardy our DA and GBI. Those meetings are being set as I stand here.”

Hardy said that the civil rights group also plans to educate the community on what it means to have excessive use of force.

“So look for the community forum that we are planning July 27,” she said. “We want to make sure that you know that we have a plan and that we plan to seek justice.”

Commissioner Johnson applauded Thurmond for requesting the independent investigation from the GBI, and said that DeKalb has a very strong, competent police force but that he was standing with the pastors to make sure that “we have the justice that we need.”

“One officer just don’t make up the whole force,” he said. “So we want to make sure that justice is done. We want to make sure that it’s swift.”

Johnson said that he also wants to ensure that McCrary gets the help that she needs and that he has tried to reach out to her to get her into a shelter.

“It’s not about who’s right,” Johnson said.

“It’s about what’s right. We won’t tolerate any unnecessary force.”

At a July 18 press conference outside the county’s Maloof Building, Gerald Rose, founder of the New Order National Human Please see BEATING, page 3

2

CrossRoadsNews

Community

July 22, 2017

Remakes underway at county parks District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw (4th from right) joins residents and stakeholders at a July 7 groundbreaking at Hairston Park.

By Angelina T. Velasquez

More than $657,100 in renovations at four DeKalb County parks – Hairston, Gresham, Henderson and Redan – will provide new playgrounds, water fountains, picnic tables, tennis courts, and football fields.

DeKalb County unveiled the plans at groundbreakings held July 7, 12, 14 and 19.

Hairston Park is getting $157,000 in renovations funded by the county and UPS Foundation; Gresham is getting $235,000 worth; Henderson Park, $155,800; and Redan Park, $109,300.

At Hairston Park in Stone Mountain, where 5,008 square feet of space is being renovated, nine slides, a tilted rock wall, and multiple sliding poles will be installed.

Cconstruction began July 7 with the groundbreaking and is expected to be completed in the fall.

DeKalb District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw allocated $142,000 from his district’s Park Bonds Fund to finance the park improvements.

Gwen Stiegel, Friends of Hairston Park, said more than 100 children voted on the three playground options at a June 24 planning meeting.

“The kids knew exactly what they wanted,” she said.

Jan Costello, Greater Hidden Hills Community Development president, said the park also received a $15,000 grant from The UPS Foundation.

“This 33-acre park is a jewel, and central to thousands of families in the area,” she said.

Costello believes the renovations will raise the quality of life and the area’s economic profile.

Upon completion park-goers will have

a pavilion, fenced dog park, and increased trails surrounding the leisure waterfront area and more to fill their time outdoors.

Across town at Gresham Park, hundreds of children will run across new playground bridges, fly down slides, and create longlasting memories.

District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson allocated more than $235,000 in Park Bonds funds to install the new playground in the park at 3113 Gresham Road in Atlanta.

Last year Gresham Park received a new outdoor fitness station funded by a $8,000 donation from The Atlanta Retailers Association Foundation.

Henderson and Redan parks are getting new tennis courts.

District 1 Commissioner Nancy Jester hosted a July 12 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the four new tennis courts at Henderson Park at 2803 Henderson Road in Tucker. The park’s old tennis courts were demolished and four new courts were constructed in the same locations.

District 7 Commissioner Gregory Adams cut the ribbon on two new tennis courts at Redan Park on July 19.

The new tennis courts replaced old courts that were demolished and rebuilt at the park at 1745 Phillips Road in Lithonia.

Three more ribbon cuttings and dedications are planned at Midway Park on July 26, Exchange Park on July 28 and Wade Walker Park on July 29.

Midway Park, at 3181 Midway Road in Decatur, is cutting the ribbon on a new playground, Exchange Park, 2771 Columbia Drive in Decatur, will dedicate a new football field, and Wade Walker Park, at 5585 Rockbridge Road in Stone Mountain, will dedicate its new playground.

CrossRoadsNews

July 22, 2017

Community

3

“We want the officer terminated, and not just terminated.

He needs to be tried and convicted....”

DeKalb replacing vented manhole covers to help reduce sewer overflows DeKalb County is replacing more than 4,000 vented sewer manholes countywide with new solid covers to block rainwater, stormwater inflow and debris from entering the sewer system.

The county, which has more than 65,000 manholes, says that replacing the covers will help to improve sewer capacity for future projects. The replacement project began in

June and is expected to be completed by year end. The Department of Watershed Management says preventing sewer overflows is a priority. It is encouraging residents to help prevent sewer overflows by properly disposing of fats, oils and grease (FOG), which has been identified as the leading cause of more than 60 percent of sewer overflows.

The county launched a sewer cleaning

program this spring, its first in 50 years. It awarded a $7.2 million cleaning contract on April 11 to Atlanta-based Compliance Envirosystems, which has already removed more than 80 tons of sediment, debris, and FOG. The sewer lines cleaning project is expected to take two years. The county is asking businesses and residents to: n Never pouring fats, oils and grease down

drains or in toilets.

n Pour cooled fats, oils and grease into a

sealed container and place it in the garbage. n Using paper towels to clean up excess grease residue and placing it in the trash. n Placing all food scraps into the trash for disposal.

For more information, visit www.dekalbwatershed.com.

Videotaped assault spurs calls for officer’s termination, prosecution BEATING,

from page

1

Rights Organization, deplored what he called “official silence” about the beating.

“This is where the problem is, we have elected officials that ask for our votes but when things like this come about they are not quick to make a decision,” Rose said.

“Even John Lewis came out and said something about this situation. So where is Larry Johnson, Gregory Adams and also Michael Thurmond? Believe me you are on alert.

We’re not going to stop and are going to get to these voters.”

Had there not been a video of the beating, Rose said the case would have been dropped.

“I have a problem with that,” he said.

“That means if it wasn’t on video it was nonexistent so I have an issue with that. Everybody is quiet. Where’s the DA? At least say something. Make a statement saying that you are concerned. You continue to come into our community and want our vote. Are you hiding behind these chiefs of police. That’s my question.”

Leonard Jones, a protestor with New Order, said it is most important to get justice for McCrary.

Leonard Jones

“We want the officer terminated, and not just terminated. He needs to be tried and convicted so this will send a message to those police officers that may be convinced that this is acceptable, that it is not.”

Jones said they plan to

stay on the case.

“The protests have to continue,” he said.

“Police brutality can be stopped, but people have to speak up about it.”

To elected officials, he said that citizens can do everything they can outside but they have the power to effect change.

“It’s the people on the inside that make the laws that need to make it completely unacceptable to beat unarmed citizens,” he said. “They need to develop a culture that punishes out-of-control police.”

Community activist Josie Dean, who carried a “Black Man, Never Forget” sign, said she won’t stand for the police beating our women.

“The way he beat that women like she was back in the field like a slave,” she said.

“Whether or not that lady was panhandling,

whether she was prostituting, she’s homeless.

Her mind was bad. Was that a reason to beat her like that? We don’t have any masters. We have one master and that’s God.” Jones said that the county’s policing policies and procedures need to be changed.

“We want to make sure the police department and the sheriff ’s department and all of those entities in between that are being paid to police us by taxpayer dollars respect the people that they are paid to police,” he said.

The SCLC DeKalb chapter, which has been protesting in front of the Chevron gas station since July 12, also wants Larscheid removed from the police force.

“We’re asking that the officer that brutally beat Mrs. McCrary be removed permanently from the police department,” SCLC DeKalb president Nathan Knight said at his group’s rally organized with Operation LEAD, the National Action Network, Black Lives Matter Greater Atlanta, National Congress of Black Women, and Muslim Dawah Community.

U.S. Rep. John Lewis, whose 5th District includes Glenwood Road, called the video “alarming.”

“I was shocked and appalled to see such violence towards any person, especially a woman known to have clear mental health

issues,” Lewis said in a statement. “Considering the gravity of this situation, I appreciate DeKalb County’s prompt response and action.”

Georgia state Rep. Renitta Shannon (DDecatur), said at a July 18 press conference that she was “deeply disturbed” by Larscheid’s actions, and that she had scheduled a July 21 meeting with Chief Conroy to discuss concerns about community interactions with police. She said that there needs to be accountability for police in general.

“Sometimes it’s not about the training,” Shannon said. “It’s about the character of the officer.”

State Sen. Elena Parent said she would never want to see an animal treated that way.

Thurmond, who came outside from his sixth floor office as the New Order protest was breaking up, said he may ultimately have to make the decision after the GBI investigation is complete.

“As CEO I’m going to be fair,” he said.

“I’m going to be objective. In order for that to occur I have to maintain the justice.”

Larscheid is on restricted/administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

4

Wellness

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 Staff Writers Jennifer Ffrench Parker Angelina T. Velasquez Editorial Intern Tekia Parks Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams

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CrossRoadsNews

July 22, 2017

“More than a third of U.S. adults have prediabetes, and the majority don’t know it.”

Diabetes now an epidemic Brookhaven man is Diabetes and prediabetes are on the rise among individuals 18 years and older.

A new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than 100 million Americans are living with the disease. In 2015, it said, an estimated 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were reported among adults 18 years and older.

The “National Diabetes Statistic Report: 2017, Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States” finds that an estimated 30.3 million people of all ages – or 9.4 percent of the U.S. population – had diabetes in 2015 and that 7.2 million or 23.8 percent were not unaware of, or did not report, having diabetes.

It also said that an estimated 84.1 million people or 33.9 percent of U.S. population had prediabetes, a condition that leads to Type 2 diabetes within five years if left untreated.

CDC Director BrenBrenda Fitzgerald da Fitzgerald, M.D., said the findings still show some progress in diabetes management and prevention.

“More than a third of U.S. adults have prediabetes, and the majority don’t know it,” she said. “Now, more than ever, we must step up our efforts to reduce the burden of this serious disease.”

The report says diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2015 and that total direct and indirect costs were $245 billion in 2012, the latest year for which statistics are available.

Diabetes is serious but manageable with physical activity, diet and proper use of insulin and other medications to control blood sugar levels.

Ann Albright, CDC Division of Diabetes Translation director, said treatment is very important.

“By addressing diabetes, we limit other health problems,” she said.

Ann Albright To reduce the impact of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, the CDC established the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

For more information about diabetes, visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes.

Health fair offers screenings, giveaways The entire family can get free health screenings, vision tests, and tips on staying fit at the DeKalb Juvenile Court’s Health and Wellness Fair on July 24.

The 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. fair is at the Gregory Adams Juvenile Justice Center in Decatur. Vendors will offer everything from nutrition tips, prenatal and breast cancer

information, and STI and HIV screenings.

Participants will also have the chance to win free school supplies like backpacks, pencils and paper, while supplies last.

The Juvenile Court is at 4309 Memorial Drive, Decatur.

For more information, call 404-2942414.

DeKalb’s 1st case of West Nile for 2017

A 72-year-old man from Brookhaven is in the hospital after contracting the West Nile virus.

The case reported July 12 is the first in DeKalb County this year.

Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, DeKalb County District Health director, said it is unfortunate that one of DeKalb’s residents contracted the S. Elizabeth Ford virus.

“This serves as a constant reminder that everyone should be vigilant in taking the necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites, as they are carriers of the virus,” she said.

To prevent further cases, Christian Sigman, Brookhaven city manager, said the mosquito population is being monitored and storm drains are being treated with larvicide.

The Board of Health is conducting door-to-door campaigns and working to educate residents with online resources.

Last year 2,038 cases of West Nile were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By Aug. 1, 2016, there were no reported cases of the virus in DeKalb, but 13 positive mosquito collections and nine positive mosquito trap locations were identified across the county.

Most people infected with the virus have mild flulike symptoms or none at all, but the virus can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness.

The chance of becoming ill from a single mosquito bite is low. The risk is highest for people over 50 and people with weakened immune systems, but people of all ages can become ill.

The public is encouraged to: n Reduce outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes that transmit West Nile are most active. n Use an insect repellent containing DEET, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. n Spray clothing with products containing permethrin. n Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors. n Reduce stagnant water from around the house and overgrown grass, weeds and vines. n Make sure window and door screens fit tightly to keep mosquitoes out.

For more information, visit www.dekalbhealth.net/ envhealth or call 404-508-7900.

Workshop explores Medicare Part D Senior citizens with costly prescriptions and limited income can attend a free workshop on July 29 to learn about Medicare Part D prescription drug programs at the Flat Shoals Parkway Library.

Christel Finley, Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage account executive, will present the low-income subsidy training from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

She will discuss eligibility requirements and help participants determine if low-subsidy or Medicare Part D is best for their prescription drug needs.

The library is at 4022 Flat Shoals Pkwy.

For more information, call 404-244-4370.

Mental health issues discussed at workshop

Circulation Audited By

Information about mental health will be available at a free workshop hosted by the House of Hope on July 22 in Decatur.

July is national Mental Health Awareness Among Minorities Month and the workshop is part of the church’s observances for the month.

The 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. event takes place in the church’s main cathedral.

Participants will learn to identify common signs of mental illness, ways to help loved ones navigate their illness, and resources to get necessary assistance and support.

The church is at 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway.

For more information, visit www.houseofhopeatl. org or call 404-486-1120.

July 22, 2017

Ministry

CrossRoadsNews

5

More than 2.2 million Americans are in jail or prison, and six million people are under “correctional supervision.”

FAPC hosts film screening and talk about mass incarceration The critically acclaimed documentary “Milwaukee 53206 – A Community Serves Time,” which chronicles the lives of families in America’s most incarcerated ZIP Code, will be screened on July 30 at First Afrikan Presbyterian Church in Stonecrest.

The hour-long film, presented by documentary production company Transform Films Inc., examines the high toll that mass incarceration takes on individuals and families who live Milwaukee’s 53206 ZIP Code, where 62 percent of adult men have spent time in a state correctional facility.

It focuses on the stories of three of the ZIP Code’s residents – Beverly Walker, a mother of five and the wife of Baron Walker, who has been in prison for 21 years; Dennis Walton, a community organizer raised in the ZIP Code; and Chad Wilson, who has spent 15 years in prison – and shares their stories of life during and after prison.

In raw numbers and by percentage of the population, the United States has the most prisoners of any developed country in the world. Across the country, more than 2.2 million Americans are in jail or prison, and six

“Milwaukee 53206” includes the story of Beverly Walker, (at left), a mother of five and the wife of Baron Walker, who has been in prison for 21 years. Dennis Walton of the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative (above) teaches inmates about fatherhood at the Milwaukee House of Corrections.

million people are under “correctional supervision” – in prison, on probation or making their way through the legal system. Most of them are poor, and are African Americans.

“Milwaukee 53206” illuminates the story of people nationwide who live with the daily effects of mass incarceration.

In the film, award-winning producer and director Keith McQuirter followed the three families to show the depths of loss, struggle and trauma, and healing of those impacted by incarceration.

“It was important to find the real stories that allow a rare glimpse into how

incarceration impacts family systems and the community at large,” he said.

First Afrikan Presbyterian Church is at 5797 Salem Road.

For more information, visit milwaukee53206.com. To RSVP, call 770-3676098.

Workshop on business, finance basics MAN-UP mentoring initiative Aspiring business owners can get tips and a better understanding of finances at a July 24 Business 101 workshop at Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain.

Earl Moten, a Berean member, will teach the 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. session offering tips on developing a business plan and saving money to invest in your own business, among other

things.

Participants will meet in the Children’s Worship Center in the lower level of the church.

The workshop is free to attend. The church is at 2201 Young Road.

For more information, visit www.bereanchristianchurch.org or call 770-593-4421.

Back-to-school festival at New Birth The Summer LIFT & Blazing Backto-School Festival takes place July 22 at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest.

The 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. event is sponsored by the church, Savvy Foundation and the city of Stonecrest to celebrate the community of Stonecrest and prepare students and parents for the upcoming school year that kicks off on Aug. 7.

The festival takes place in the Family Life Center/Gym and outside grounds and will

include live entertainment, bounce houses, scavenger hunt, backpack giveaways, food trucks, mental health vendors and screenings.

Amateur bakers will whip up their favorite and most loved cakes, pies, and other scrumptious sweet treats in the bake-off contest.

The church is at 6400 Woodrow Road.

For more information, visit www.newbirth.org or call Bridget Roberts at 404827-8606.

Bible study videos available online Pastors, church and community leaders, adults and students can get a free account to RightNow Media, a huge video library of discipleship content.

The service with more than 18,000 videos is characterized as the “Netflix of Christian Bible Studies.”

More than 15,000 Bible studies can be accessed from a smartphone, tablet or com-

puter.

Right Now Media content comes from more than 250 top Christian publishers and ministries and includes studies and training videos for individuals and small groups.

To sign up for the resource, compliments of Greenforest Community Baptist Church, visit and sign up at www.rightnowmedia.org/ Account/Invite/greenforestcommunity.

Students from sixth-graders to college freshmen can register for Greenforest’s 2017 MANUP Mentoring Initiative.

The program pairs male students with mentors from the church to help them succeed in school and life.

Students wanting to participate as mentees can sign up at http://www.123contactform. com/form-2638292/Student-2017-ManUpRegistration-Form. Men of Greenforest ages 18 years and older can sign up as mentors at www.123contactform.com/

form-2324338/2017-ManUpRegistration-Form.

The church will complete a comprehensive background check including verification of current and previous residences; employment history, education background, character references; drug testing, civil and criminal records from any federal, state, or county criminal justice agency; driving records, birth records, and any other public records.

Greenforest Community Baptist Church is at 3250 Rainbow Drive in Decatur.

CrossRoadsNews

6

Youth

July 22, 2017

Their work exemplifies the cornerstones of the Congressional Award: service to others, initiative and achievement.

Congressional Awards for students Teens needed for leadership confab Madison Castle of Avondale Estates and Kanaan Mills of Covington are the 2017 Congressional Award recipients for the 4th Congressional District.

Both students were recognized for volunteer Madison Castle service.

Madison, who graduated from Decatur High School in May, is headed to the University of Georgia. Kanaan, who was home-schooled, will attend Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. Madison earned a silver medal for her extensive volunteer work in Grenada, where she taught local residents to swim, and in her own community where she helped raise money to purchase swim caps for students she teaches locally. She met the physical requirements for the award by taking a three-day hike on the Appalachian Trail.

Kanaan, who received a bronze medal, built 10 “Little Free Libraries” with local

organizations to provide underserved communities access to books.

He also did extensive work raising awareness of clean streams in the district, which led him to a new passion of kayaking. He used his new pasKanaan Mills sion to fulfill his physical fitness requirements, along with playing a lot of tennis.

Both students received their medals from U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson on July 7. He said their work exemplifies the cornerstones of the Congressional Award: service to others, initiative and achievement.

The Congressional Award is open to young people ages 14 to 23. To earn the award, young people must set and achieve goals in volunteerism, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/ exploration.

For more information, visit http://congressionalaward.org.

Teens 14 to 18 years old can learn leadership skills from black law enforcement and industry executives at the July 31-Aug. 2 Noble Youth Leadership Conference at Saint Philip AME Church.

The conference, which takes place 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, is in its 16th year. It is co-sponsored by the nonprofit National Organization of Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the South DeKalb Police Precinct.

NOBLE, which has 60 chapters nationwide, represents more than 3,000 members.

Marjorie Clay, the South Precinct’s community outreach ambassador, said the conference is a phenomenal opportunity for teens to interact with these executives.

“It’s about defining your destiny,” she said.

“When we change our citizens, we change our communities.”

The conference can accommodate up to

500 teens, and is still taking registration.

Seats are limited and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

To participate, teens must apply now by emailing marjorieclay@bellsouth.net with “Registration” in the subject line.

During the conference, teens will participate in workshops on financial responsibility, strategic planning, community service, leadership, scholarship, and politics. Participants will get a custom messenger bag and two meals and a t-shirt for each day of the conference.

On Aug. 2, they will participate in a community service project and a memorial march.

Saint Philip AME is at 240 Candler Road S.E. in Atlanta.

To register or more information, contact Marjorie Clay at 404-944-4790.

BTS Expo needs volunteers

Documentary explores ’60s AUC student protests

The Let’s Move DeKalb Back-to-School Expo is seeking volunteers for its seventh annual event at Exchange Park Intergenerational Center in Decatur on July 29.

The expo, which is sponspored by the Center for Helping Obesity in Children End Successfully Inc. (CHOICES) and DeKalb District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson, takes place 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will feature fun fitness activities, healthy snacks, nutrition education exhibits, and backpacks and school giveaways, while supplies last.

Volunteers will assist with setup and break-down of the event, guest registration and distribution of food and backpacks. To register, visit http://survey.constantcontact.com/ survey/a07ee463kbdj22owc88/a014mj59w634h/questions.

Brown said it took nearly 20 years The documentary “A Trek to produce the documentary. to the River’s Edge,” which “I have always known this to be a chronicles the Atlanta Student story worthy of telling,” she said. “As Movement of the 1960s, will be a result, Atlanta, Georgia, was transscreened July 24 at The Center formed and played a major role in the for Civil and Human Rights. reconstruction of the South.”

The family-friendly event The screening is part of the Hubegins at 6 p.m.

Directed by Althea Brown, “A Trek to the River’s manity in Action: John Lewis Fellowship Program.

The Center for Civil and Human Rights is at 100 Ivan Allen Edge” tells how students at Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse and Spelman colleges organized, strategized Jr. Blvd. in downtown Atlanta.

For more information, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org and participated in sit-ins and protests for the right to or call 678-999-8990. live as full citizens in Atlanta.

CrossRoadsNews

July 22, 2017

7 name and address is: Bryant K. Daniel, 630 Rufus Henderson Dr., Scottdale, GA 30079. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Jun. 07, 2017.

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

This the 28th day of Jun., 2017

of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM7077-3 Marrie Nee Faust filed a petition on Jun. 27, 2017 in the DeKalb County Superior Court to change name from: Marrie Nee Faust to Marion Juanita Faust`. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: May 18, 2017

Legal Notices 07/01, 07/08, 07/15, 07/22

07/01, 07/08, 07/15, 07/22

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name of ADULT

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name of ADULT

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM6756-8 Tapha Lynetha Jefferson filed a petition on Jun. 01, 2017 in the DeKalb County Superior Court to change name from: Tapha Lynetha Jefferson to Tabitha Lynette Jefferson. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: Jun. 13, 2017

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM6629-8 Celeste Shonte Grady filed a petition on Mar. 30, 2017 in the DeKalb County Superior Court to change name from: Celeste Shonte Grady to Celeste Shonte Duggan`. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: Mar. 30, 2017

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM7054-7 Wray Tucker filed a petition on Mar. 30, 2017 in the DeKalb County Superior Court to change name from: Wray Tucker to Raymond Frank Tucker`. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: Jun. 20, 2017

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

07/15, 07/22, 07/29, 08/05

CHANGE Name of ADULT

Notice of PUBLICATION

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM7048 Cecil Butler filed a petition on Jun. 27, 2017 in the DeKalb County Superior Court to change name from: Cecil Butler to Lucille Cecile Chambers`. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: May 31, 2017

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM6678 Bryant K. Daniel PLAINTIFF VS Carol Ann Daniel DEFENDANT To: Carol Ann Daniel 630 Rufus Henderson Dr. Scottdale, GA 30079

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Jun. 26, 2017. You are hereby notified that on Jun. 19, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce without minor children. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose

07/15, 07/22, 07/29, 08/05

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name of ADULT

07/15, 07/22, 07/29, 08/05

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

07/15, 07/22, 07/29, 08/05

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name of ADULT

07/15, 07/22, 07/29, 08/05

Notice of Petition to

in the Superior Court

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM6542 Ava Willa Brown PLAINTIFF VS Elvis Davis DEFENDANT To:

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Jun. 26, 2017.

You are hereby notified that on Jun. 01, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Ava Willa Brown, 3454 Elgin Drive, Decatu, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Jun. 26, 2017.

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

This the 30th day of Jun., 2017

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Marketplace ABANDONED VEHICLE Abandoned Vehicle/Foreclosure on $300 Lien on: 2000 Chevy truck; VIN 2GCEC19T2Y1284747; Located: 534 Winton Terr., NE, Atlanta, GA 30308; respond by Sept. 29, 2017 or auction will be scheduled.

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CrossRoadsNews

July 22, 2017