CrossRoadsNews, July 30, 2016

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SCENE

BACK-TO-SCHOOL EXPO

Pivotal moments explored

High-flying talent

The complex relationship between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington is highlighted in a major exhibit this summer. 7

Students from Jenae’s Dance Experience took to the skies Saturday at the 2016 CrossRoadsNews Family & Back-to-School Expo. More Scenes, page 8

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

Copyright © 2016 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

July 30, 2016

www.crossroadsnews.com

Volume 22, Number 14

Voters boot Sharon Barnes Sutton, keep Irvin Johnson By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Businessman Steve Bradshaw celebrates his Democratic primary runoff win over incumbent District 4 DeKalb Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton.

supporters at the Village Corner German Restaurant in Stone Mountain. He said his margin of victory indicates that voters rejected Barnes Sutton’s negative campaign tactics. “She took it low, we kept it high,” said Bradshaw, alluding to Barnes Sutton’s negative and racial attacks on him during the election campaign. In 2012 when he ran against her, she received three times the votes he got. Barnes Sutton’s current term of office ends on Dec. 31. “The people have spoken in a resounding

Clarkston businessman Steve Bradshaw unseated DeKalb District 4 Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton in a landslide victory, and voters kept Irvin Johnson as tax commissioner in the July 26 primary runoff and nonpartisan elections. Bradshaw, a Gulf War vet and former adjunct college professor, won the Democratic nomination with 5,853 or 75.4 percent of the vote over Barnes Sutton, a two-term incumbent. He will face Republican Willie Willis in the Nov. 8 general election. Bradshaw celebrated election night with Please see ELECTIONS, page 2 Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Walking builds friendship among retired men 90-minute trek around ‘the loop’ improves fitness

Starline Walkers – from left Claude Hill, Marion Thornton, Willie Lawrence, Melvin Dennis and Howard Baker – walk together daily for exercise in the Candler Road area.

By Donna Williams Lewis

Every weekday morning for the past five years, Howard Baker and his buddies have been walking together in the Candler Road area, attracting attention all along the way. For one thing, they’re men. For another, the oldest is 81 years old. And they all carry golf clubs to ward off the occasional dog. Claude Hill, 78, says they meet a lot of people along their four-mile route. “People have told me, ‘You don’t know me, but I be waiting for you every morning when you walk by my house,’ ” he said. “And if people don’t see one of us, they’ll ask where is so and so?” Led by Baker, the group’s oldest at 81– the men who are all retired – walk in almost any weather. And they are enjoying the benefits. Walking, as a moderate form of exercise, is credited with improving cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, vascular stiffness and inflammation, and mental stress. Studies also show that walking helps to maintain a healthy weight, strengthen bones and muscles, improve balance and coordination, and improve mood. Baker says he hates to miss even one day of walking what they call “the loop.” “When you start, you don’t want to stop,” he said. “Everybody thinks we’re going to play golf,” Hill said, laughing at the thought. “I really enjoy walking. I can’t wait to get out and meet the guys.” Baker, Hill, and their other walking buddies – Melvin Dennis, Willie Lawrence, Marion Thornton and Hilton Wynn Jr. – are known as the Starline Walkers because they all live in the Starline subdivision off Tilson Road in Decatur. They start their walk at 7:30 a.m. every

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Monday through Friday. In cooler seasons, they start at 8. “We’re senior citizens. We got a pace,” said Lawrence, who works part time in security at the Greater Travelers Rest House of Hope Atlanta. “It’s one step a time. No rush.” Thornton, 72, said walking is “just like a regular job” for them. “We enjoy the fellowship of just walking, talking to the people in the community, picking up cans and just having a good time,” he said. The men solve all of the world’s problems as they make their way from Tilson Road to McAfee Road to Candler Road and then on to Ousley Court, Whites Mill Road, Tyler Way, and home. Lawrence, the youngest Starline Walker

at age 66, travels with this crew three days a week. “We tell jokes. We tell lies,” he said. “We discuss what’s going on in the world. These guys start talking about this and that, and before you know it you done made your loop.” They always end their 90-minute walk in a devotional moment with Scripture reading and prayer. Walking together has helped the men stay fit, but just as importantly, it has created a bond that they value and nurture. Hill said they celebrate each other’s birthdays. If one gets sick, the others will take care of his lawn. “The main thing I like about it is the real close friendship we have,” Hill said. “We are

stuck together. We are there for each other. When something happens to one of us, we are there for them. That’s how close we are.” Starline Walkers began with Baker, who started walking because he didn’t want to just sit around the house after he retired in 1999 from a company that makes batteries. After many years of walking alone, Baker was joined first by Dennis, a 76-year-old retired truck driver, and then, over time, by the other men. Baker likes to tell the story that he didn’t know his walking buddies before they joined him but he did know their wives, because as he passed them in their yard, he would speak to them. Please see STARLINE WALKERS, page 6

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CrossRoadsNews

Community

July 30, 2016

“I took an oath to be tax commissioner when Claudia retired. It was not an oath to be interim.”

Vernon Jones wins House District 91; Anderson edges Dawkins-Haigler ELECTIONS,

from page

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manner and I’ll work hard to live up to that,” Bradshaw said. Johnson, the county’s interim tax commissioner, defeated attorney Susannah Scott in both special and Democratic primary runoff elections. He won the special election to finish the term of Claudia Lawson, who retired last December, with 15,142 or 58.8 percent of the vote. He won the Democratic primary runoff with 13,706 or 62.2 percent of the vote. He celebrated his victory at Jessie’s Restaurant & Lounge on Wesley Chapel with about two dozen supporters. Johnson said running for the office was an unlikely journey for him and that he could not have done it without his supporters. “Sixteen years ago when I started at the Tax Commissioner’s Office, I never thought I would be running for tax commissioner, but I think the Lord had other plans for me,” he said. Johnson, who has been interim tax commissioner for seven months, said that he looks forward to continuing to take care of the tax office and to maintaining the office’s reputation for public service and he will continue the technology improvements for which the office is known. Johnson, who took the oath of office on Dec. 23, 2015, said he will not have another

Interim Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson celebrates his first election victory July 26 with wins in both the special election and the democratic primary runoff over Susannah Scott.

Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Tonya Anderson

Lane Flynn

Meagan Hanson

swearing-in ceremony. “I took an oath to be tax commissioner when Claudia retired,” he said. “It was not an oath to be interim.” Lawson’s term ends on Dec. 31. He has no Republican opposition in the

Vernon Jones

Oz Nesbitt

Nov. 8 general election and will begin a full four-year term in January. Voter turnout was very low and only 27,088, or 7.14 percent, of the county’s 379,194 voters cast ballots. In other runoff races, former DeKalb

CEO Vernon Jones won the House District 91 race with 2,062 or 53.99 percent of the vote. Community activist Rhonda Jones received 1,757 or 46.01 percent of the vote. Jones will face Republican candidate Carl Anuszczyk in the Nov. 8 general election. In the Senate District 43 race, former state Rep. Tonya Anderson edged state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler with 4,276 or 50.06 percent of the vote. Dawkins-Haigler received 4,266 or 49.94 percent of the vote. Anderson will face Republican incumbent Janice Van Ness in the fall. In the Republican contests in House District 80, attorney Meagan Hanson defeated Alan Cole. She won with 777 or 50.95 percent of the vote and will face democratic incumbent Taylor Bennett. In District 81, businessman Lane Flynn defeated Jim Duffie with 504 or 71 percent of the vote. Flynn will face incumbent Democrat Scott Holcomb in the Nov. 8 general election. In Rockdale, County Commission Chairman and CEO Richard Oden, who became the first African-American elected to the office in 2008, lost to Oz Nesbitt Sr., a Post 1 county commissioner. Nesbitt won the office with 3,070 or 57.3 percent of the vote. Both attend church in DeKalb County. Oden is a longtime member of Saint Philip AME on Candler Road, and Nesbitt is an active member of Beulah Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur.

Average gas prices in Georgia dip below $2 a gallon Open house set Average gas prices in Georgia are back – the Auto Club Group, said cheaper gas producing a significant amount of fuel, for all schools below $2 a gallon after reaching this year’s will help households with children who are gas stocks have increased to 240 million high of $2.28 on June 7. AAA reports that the last time the state average was under the $2 threshold was March 28. Since that time, prices spent 120 days above $2 a gallon. The Georgia average for a gallon of gas has now fallen for 50 consecutive days. The average price on July 27 was $1.99 per gallon, down 4 cents from last week and about 18 cents less than the same time last month. All average retail prices are for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline. Garrett Townsend, spokesman for AAA

preparing for the new school year. “Although gas prices in some cities outside of metro Atlanta have averaged below $2 for the past few weeks, this is the first time since earlier this year the state average has dipped below the $2 mark,” Townsend said in a July 27 statement. “These low gas prices couldn’t come at a better time since most families are beginning to spend money on back-to-school essentials.” AAA offers these reasons for the declining gas prices: n Increased gasoline supply. Refineries are

barrels, and supplies are at historically high levels for the month of July. n Low oil prices. Oil prices hit their lowest level since early May, making it cheaper to produce gasoline, and U.S. crude oil supplies are about 13 percent higher than a year ago. AAA updates fuel price averages daily at www.fuelgaugereport.aaa.com. Every day up to 120,000 stations are surveyed based on credit card swipes and direct feeds in cooperation with the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express.

The DeKalb School District is holding an open house at all schools to encourage parental involvement. During open house, students can meet teachers and visit classrooms, and parents can sign up for school-related jobs/responsibilities such as PTA and room parent. On Aug. 3, open house will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. for elementary students and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. for middle school students. On Aug. 4, open house will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. for ninth-graders and new students and from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. for high school returning students. Curriculum night will be held the first week of September for elementary schools, the second week for middle schools, and the third week for high schools. For more information, visit www.dekalb. k12.ga.us.

Man convicted in toddler’s death Devin Sawyer, who was baby-sitting his fiancee’s 2-year-old son in 2012, has been found guilty of beating the toddler to death. Sawyer was convicted by a DeKalb County jury on felony murder, firstdegree child cruelty, ag- Devin Sawyer gravated assault and three counts of aggravated battery for the Nov. 24, 2012, death of Michael Weeks Jr. Michael’s mother, Danielle Calhoun, left him with Sawyer at her Ivy Park apartment on Memorial Drive for a short time on the day of the child’s death. Sawyer, 27, who is from Tuskegee, Ala., said he called for emergency assistance when the child wouldn’t wake from a nap. An autopsy uncovered injuries to Michael’s torso consistent with having been struck by an unknown object. He suffered injuries to his pancreas and liver and fatal lacerations to his heart. Sawyer will be sentenced at a later date.

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CrossRoadsNews

July 30, 2016

Community

“We are asking DeKalb County residents and business to proactively address these drought conditions.�

DeKalb County pulls SPLOST Residents urged to conserve water referendum from Nov. 8 ballot Voters will not have a county SPLOST on the Nov. 8 ballot. DeKalb County pulled the resolution on July 19 that would have placed the penny sales tax referendum and an Equalized Homestead Option Sales Tax to replace the current HOST before voters. The DeKalb Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to withdraw the tax that would have raised about $75 million a year to repave the county’s pothole-riddled roads, build a government center on Memorial Drive, repair many government facilities in unincorporated areas, and other projects. The SPLOST/EHOST measures were withdrawn because House Bill 596 passed by

state legislators in 2015 extends the freeze on assessments through the year 2021. HB 596, which was approved the year before HB 215 created SPLOST/EHOST, provides for the assessment freeze to terminate if EHOST is approved by referendum. The county says the conflicting legislation became an insurmountable obstacle to adopting SPLOST/EHOST. District 6 Commissioner Kathie Gannon said commissioners are hopeful they can find a method to fund the county’s road repaving/transportation backlog and other critical needs. “Plan B is go back to Legislature and have the legislation fixed,� she told constituents in an email.

National Night Out observances in S. DeKalb, Belvedere, Clarkston South DeKalb, Belvedere and Clarkston neighbors can observe National Night Out on Aug. 2 at crime prevention programs presented by local police departments and community groups. The 33rd annual community-building campaign promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, better places to live. The DeKalb Police South Precinct and its partner, the Gallery at South DeKalb, are hosting a celebration that begins at 6:30 p.m. in the mall parking lot, 2801 Candler Road in Decatur. There will be live music, department representatives, community contests, a health fair, basketball and games. RSVP attendance to Sheila O’Rear at

scorear@dekalbcountyga.gov. The Belvedere Civic Club presents Family Fun Night Out at 6 p.m. at Shoal Creek II Park, 3643 Glenwood Road in Decatur. The theme is “Belvedere Community Focus on Health, Happiness, and Safety.� For more information, contact Ann Brown at 678-754-3583. The Clarkston Police Department presents its program at 6 .m. in the parking lot of Clarkston International Bible Church, 3895 Church St. The family-friendly event includes community safety information, public safety vehicle displays, and impaired driving simulations. There also will be child booster seat safety and food trucks. Participants can play games with police officers. Visit https://natw.org.

2 indicted in fatal high-speed crash Malanie Denise Putman of Fayetteville and James Gerald Benford of Lithonia have been indicted by a DeKalb grand jury in a 2015 car crash that killed three young children on Moreland Avenue. Putman 27, who is listed as Putnam in DeKalb County Jail records, and Benford, 42, were each charged with three counts of homicide by vehicle and one count of reckless driving for the April 12, 2015, wreck that killed 3-year-old Lauren Coleman and her brothers Jaylen, 6, and Jordan, 4.

On the night of the incident, both Benford and Putman were speeding along Moreland Avenue in separate cars when they struck the car that Cazhara Lovett was driving with her three small children in the back seat. Witnesses said the two cars reached speeds of more than 90 mph before they eventually hit Lovett’s vehicle as she turned onto Constitution Road. Both Putman and Benford were arrested and later released on $175,000 and $160,000 bond, respectively. Both await trial.

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DeKalb interim CEO Lee May and Watershed Management are urging residents to conserve water in wake of unusually dry conditions in metro Atlanta this year. “We are asking DeKalb County residents and business to proactively address these drought conditions by doing everything they can to conserve water,� May said in a July 25 statement. Much of North Georgia is experiencing severe drought conditions, the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District says. DeKalb Watershed Management Director Scott Towler said the county supports the conservation efforts of the Water Planning District and Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The department urges residents to follow current state watering restrictions: n Outdoor watering should be limited to the hours between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day when

more evaporation occurs. n Residents should water lawns according to the odd/even schedule – odd-numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and even-numbered and unnumbered addresses are allowed to water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Water conservation DeKalb offers these tips to save water: n Use a rain gauge to determine how much rain has occurred over the week before watering outdoor plants. n Water lawns and plants in several short sessions instead of one long session to reduce runoff. n Shorten showers and turn off water when shaving or brushing teeth. n Fill dishwashers and washing machines to ensure there is a full load every time. Visit www.northgeorgiawater.org and www.mydropcounts.org.

SWD football coach hospitalized on Thursday that SWD parents, Michael Tanks, head football students and administrators are coach of the Southwest DeKalb planning a vigil at the school to High Panthers in Decatur, is in pray for Tanks’ recovery. The date critical condition at Grady Meand time had not been determined morial Hospital after suffering by press time late Thursday. a massive stroke at his home on Tanks, a 1985 SWD graduate, July 26. played for Godfrey at the school Tanks succeeded SWD’s legbefore playing collegiate football endary coach Buck Godfrey in at Florida State University from 2004. He is said to be on life sup- Michael Tanks port. Hospital officials, citing privacy rules, 1985 to 1989. Just before the stroke, Tanks was busy would not comment on his condition, but social media channels have been buzzing preparing the Panthers for their Aug. 20 as SWD students and alums discuss the season opener against the Redan Raiders at Buck Godfrey Stadium at 2817 Clifton unexpected illness. Former PTA President Greg White said Springs Road in Decatur.

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Scene

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 Writers Jennifer Ffrench Parker Ken Watts Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams CrossRoadsNews is published every Saturday by CrossRoads­News, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers. The concept, design and content of CrossRoads­News are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

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CrossRoadsNews

July 30, 2016

“You can write letters to your community leaders … in a positive way about how gun violence affects you.”

Milestones scores show progress districtwide DeKalb students’ 2016 Georgia Milestones End-of-Course and End-of-Grade test scores show academic progress across the district, the school system says. Significant numbers of students scored within positive performance levels and continue to close the statewide gap in academic growth and achievement. “We are proud of the growth our students are making,” Superintendent R. Stephen Green said in a July 26 statement. “We have built a firm foundation that is beginning to show meaningful results.” The school system says scores highlight student progress in academic proficiency districtwide: n In language arts, 29 elementary schools met or exceeded the state average in the percentage of students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades scoring in the two highest categories, Proficient Learner and Distinguished Learner. Eleven of these schools were Title I schools. n Also, 17 elementary schools met or exceeded state averages in the percentage of students in the highest scoring bands for math. On average, more than 21 elementary schools scored in the highest bands of performance for both science and social studies. There are 84 elementary schools in the district. n In middle school language arts, eight middle schools showed significant proficiency in the percentage of students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades scoring in the Proficient

Learner or Distinguished Learner performance bands, either meeting or exceeding state averages. Four middle schools are designated as Title I. There are 19 middle schools in the district. n On average, 61 percent of students in the district scored within or above the scoring range for Lexile Levels, a scale for measuring the reading ability of a student. n Across the district, at least 32 percent of high school students completing the Ninth Grade Literature and Composition, American Literature and Composition, Biology, United States History, and Economics Spring 2016 End-of-Course assessments scored in state’s highest performance categories, illustrating significant proficiency in the mastery of content standards. n An increase of 8.3 percentage points in high school graduation rates for the class of 2015 continues growth in graduation rates. There are 22 high schools in the district. Schools exhibiting 80 percent or more of their students scoring in the highest performance levels in one or more content areas include: Ashford Park, Austin, Dunwoody, Montgomery, and Vanderlyn elementary schools; Chamblee, Chapel Hill (Title I), Druid Hills (Title I), Henderson, Peachtree Charter, and Sequoyah (Title I) middle schools; DeKalb School of the Arts; DeKalb Early College Academy (Title I); DeKalb Path Academy (Title I); and Kittredge and Wads-

worth magnet schools. For schools that need significant improvement, the district has undertaken the following initiatives to improve academic outcomes: n The Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Accountability – CIA² – task force is rebuilding the teaching and learning foundation to ensure that all students receive rigorous instruction, in all classrooms, in all schools, including the revamping of districtwide curriculum resources. n Family & Community Engagement programs ensure parents are included and supported in their roles in the learning process. This includes parent workshops, training in the use of Academic Parent Teacher Teams, school events, regional Parent Centers, and the district’s pilot of a tool for online family engagement on demand – FAM-FLIX. n Wrap-around services address the social-emotional impacts of the learning process including strategic use of counselors, social workers, student engagement coaches, student success coaches, post-secondary transition specialists, and other critical positions to support students who are dealing with challenges that may impact their learning or matriculation toward graduation. n Incentives and support are in place to recruit, hire, and retain highly effective teachers in schools considered more challenged.

The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is a comprehensive summative assessment program spanning 3rd grade through high school. It measures how well students have learned the knowledge and skills outlined in the stateadopted content standards in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students in 3rd to 8th grades take an end-of-grade assessment in each content area, while high school students take an end-of-course assessment for each of the eight courses designated by the State Board of Education. From lowest to highest, student scores on this new assessment place students into the following performance levels: Beginning Learner, Developing Learner, Proficient Learner, and Distinguished Learner. The Georgia Department of Education will offer credit toward the 2016 College and Career Ready Performance Index scores for all students scoring in the Developing Learners, Proficient Learners, and Distinguished Learners performance levels. Developing Learners are learners who typically require moderate academic intervention to advance to Proficient Learner. On average, 30 percent to 35 percent of students in DeKalb scored in the Developing Learner performance level, indicating that these students require only moderate academic intervention to become a Proficient Learner and significant academic progress is achievable.

Olympic hurdler shares life story with Scottdale kids By Ken Watts

U.S. Olympic hurdler Kristi Castlin is only 28, but gun violence has touched her life twice. When she was just 12 growing up in Douglasville, her father, Rodney Castlin, was shot to death on Dec. 7, 2000, during a robbery at the Wingate Inn off Barrett Parkway in Cobb County where he was a night manager. The killer got away with $300. Seven years later, she and thousands of other Virginia Tech students were forced to shelter in place on April 16, 2007, when a gunman stormed the campus and killed 32 students and professors before taking his own life. Now less than two weeks away from the start of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she carried an anti-gun violence message to students in DeKalb County on July 25. Castlin, who ranks among the top 10 in the world for 100-meter hurdles, was in town this week to attend an event at her old high school – Chapel Hill in Douglasville – to raise funds to send her brother, Rodney Castlin Jr., to Rio de Janeiro to see her compete. She stopped by the Hamilton Recreation Center in Scottdale on July 25 to offer inspirational words on the power of persistence, overcoming adversity and preventing gun violence. More than 40 children who attend a summer camp at the center listened attentively to her story of dedication to the sport she loves. “I train five to six hours a day,” Castlin told them. “After breakfast,

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Brooke Fung Chung (right) of the Flying Eagles youth track club shows U.S. Olympic sprinter Kristi Castlin a CrossRoadsNews article on the club during Castlin’s visit to the Hamilton Recreation Center in Scottdale on July 25.

I go to the track and run, jump, do push-ups, and then I’ll go to the weight room and lift for about an hour and a half. I’m sweating and working hard and I’m pushing myself every day and that’s what continues to make me that fast.” Next the Olympic athlete, who says she is dedicating her Olympic bid to victims of gun violence, turned her attention to the issue that has scarred her life. “I never got over it,” she said. She challenged the children to become young ambassadors for peace in their community. “Sports is my platform to speak out on this issue, but you can do it too,” she said. “You can write letters to your community leaders, your teachers and parents in a positive way about how gun violence affects you because you do have a voice.” In the question-and-answer session with the students, Castlin

asked how many of the children are aware of the issue of gun violence. All the children raised their hands. Many told her that gun violence makes them “angry, sad and worried for the community.” After her talk, Castlin lingered for a while, autographing tiny U.S. flags and posing for photos with the kids. In her honor, the kids ran footraces in the center’s gymnasium on a day when the outdoor temperatures hovered in the upper 90s. Castlin, who has maintained her top ranking for three consecutive years, won multiple championships as a star sprinter at Chapel Hill High from 2003 to 2007. Her personal best for the 100 meter hurdles is 12.50 seconds set on July 8, 2016, during the finals for 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. It earned her a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. She holds a Georgia record in hurdles and graduated in 2006 in

the top 5 percent of her high school class with a 4.0 GPA. She went to Virginia Tech on a full scholarship and graduated with honors and a degree in political science in 2010. Castlin’s father’s death went unsolved for 15 years, but in March, a Cobb County Superior Court jury convicted James Lorenzo Randolph, 32, of the murder. She said never a day goes by that she does not think of her father, who was only 36 when he was killed. Eleven-year-old Brooke Fung Chung, who was in the audience, was very impressed with Castlin. The rising 6th-grader at Path Academy in Brookhaven told Castlin that she is a member of the Mark Trail Flying Eagles youth track club, which won another set of awards at the July 10-16 AAU Club Championship in Orlando, Fla. They are competing July 30Aug. 6 in the AAU Junior Olympics in Houston. Castlin autographed Brooke’s copy of the July 23, 2016, CrossRoadsNews article about the team’s accomplishments and took a photo with Brooke, who will compete in the 3000 meters, the 1500 meters and pentathlon. Brooke called Castlin’s visit to Hamilton both generous and inspirational. “It took a lot of effort to come here and talk with us and I really appreciate it,” Brooke said. “She inspired me to work even harder.” Afterward, Castlin told CrossRoadsNews that she always tries to speak to young groups. “If they can see me, they can emulate what I’m doing. Then I feel like I’ve made a positive impact.”

July 30, 2016

CrossRoadsNews

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CrossRoadsNews

Wellness

July 30, 2016

Vulnerable populations often lack access to healthy food or the resources to acquire it.

Emory team developing personalized breast cancer vaccine Emory University researchers are teaming with Metaclipse Therapeutics Corp. to develop a breast cancer vaccine that targets an aggressive form of the disease more common among young black women. The new cancer vaccine immunotherapy under development targets triple-negative breast cancer. The aggressive type of breast cancer is very difficult to treat because it presents a variety of gene mutations both within each tumor and among different individuals, and thus presents no defined targets for drugs or vaccines to attack. TNBC is more common among young African-American women, and five-year survival rates are lower than for other types of breast cancers. The vaccine uses tissue from the patient’s own tumor.

Metaclipse was previously awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to further validate the vaccine technology in a mouse model of TNBC. The company also received seed grants from the Georgia Research Alliance Venture Lab program and the Coulter Foundation. Emory and Metaclipse have now been jointly awarded a $2.4 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute of the NIH for research to advance the vaccine immunotherapy approach and aid in designing a clinical trial strategy. Co-principal investigators of the grant are Periasamy Selvaraj, Emory professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and Winship Cancer Institute member, and Christopher Pack, director of preclinical research at Metaclipse.

Selvaraj is part of Winship’s Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Program. “Recent FDA approval of anti-cancer immunotherapy drugs for metastatic disease is a promising development that valiPeriasamy Selvaraj dates immune stimulation as an effective way to control or prevent metastatic disease,” Selvaraj said in a July 19 statement. “However, these drugs are only effective in a subset of patients. Many cancers, such as breast cancer, do not respond well to these new drugs, which suggests the need for a personalized approach.” Pack said preclinical studies suggest that patients resistant to currently approved

immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy may respond if the therapies are combined with their personalized immunotherapy approach. “We anticipate that this will extend the benefit of approved immunotherapy products to a wider patient population,” Pack said. Winship breast cancer oncologist Keerthi Gogineni, assistant professor of hematology and medical oncology, and Winship scientist Xiaoxian “Bill” Li, assistant professor of pathology, will collaborate by providing access to tumor tissue from breast cancer patients. Additional Emory and Winship collaborators and advisers include Rafi Ahmed, William Wood and Lily Yang. For more information, visit www.emory. edu.

Food & Fund drives help food insecure families, older residents Families, small church groups and schools as well as large corporations can make a difference in the lives of food insecure families and individuals by hosting a Food & Fund drive for the Atlanta Community Food Bank at any time for any occasion. For every dollar donated, the food bank can distribute over $9 worth of groceries. Food insecurity is defined as having limited access to affordable and nutritious foods. For the third year in a row, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that one in every

six Americans is food insecure. The number has remained at or near 50 million Americans for the past four years. Kyle Waide, food bank CEO, said financially struggling families face some difficult choices. “When those choices Kyle Waide involve food, they often cope by deciding to skip meals. They purchase less expensive

Free diabetes class at Kaiser

A free one-session class, Preventing Diabetes, on Aug. 13 at Kaiser Permanente Panola Medical Center offers guidance to residents with pre-diabetes or a family history of diabetes. Nonmembers are welcome – pre-registration is required at 404-364-7117. The 10 a.m.-to-12:30 p.m. class is taught by a registered dietitian who will help participants understand what puts them at risk and how to take control of their future. Attendees will learn how blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, and blood sugar can work for them instead of against them. They should come ready to set some goals to get started on the right path to good health. The class repeats Aug. 24 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The medical center is at 5440 Hillandale Drive in Lithonia. For more information, call 404-365-0966 or 1-800-6111811.

food because it’s what they can afford,” he said. “Families who are struggling eat food that is packaged and processed because those foods don’t go bad and they don’t have to fear they have wasted their money.” The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 46.7 million (14.8 percent) live in poverty. Feeding America’s 2014 Map the Meal Gap Study shows 18.7 percent of Georgians don’t know where they will find their next meal and 28.2 percent of children 5 and under are living in food insecure households.

‘When I go, I feel like I’m part of something’ STARLINE WALKERS,

from page

1

“Every time one of the men retired, their wives made them get out there behind me,” Baker said. “All of them got jealous and fell in behind me. They’re still scared of me.” Wynn, a 75-year-old minister, said his wife, Sarah Lee, spotted the walkers before he did. “Then I saw them and I didn’t know how to approach them,” he said. He finally timed them so he could catch them and ask to join up, doing so about a year ago. Wynn has enjoyed being part of the group. “This is the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time,” he said last week.

Legal Notices 07/16, 07/23, 07/30, 08/06

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM7136-2++ Sheila Palmer Sanders Plaintiff Vs. Craig Allen Longnecker Defendant To: Craig Allen Longnecker Pursuant to an Order of Publication signed by the Honorable Asha S. Jackson on June 29, 2016, you are hereby notified that a Complaint for Divorce has been filed in the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia on June 28, 2016, Generally, the Complaint alleges that the Plaintiff Is seeking a divorce from you. You may obtain a copy of the Complaint for Divorce from the Clerk of Superior Court of DeKalb County, located at 556 N. McDonough Street, Decatur, Georgia 30032 or by calling (404) 371-2836. After you review the Complaint, you must file your written answers and

objections to the Complaint with the Clerk of Superior Court. You must also serve a copy of your answer upon the Plaintiff, whose address is as follows: 3212 Canary Court, Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia 30032. You answer must be made within sixty (60) days of the date of the Order for Service by Publication. Witness the Honorable Asha S. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Courty. This 8th day of July, 2016 07/16, 07/23, 07/30, 08/06

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM6296-6++ Jerome Mosley Plaintiff Vs. Ruby N. Jones Mosley Defendant To: Ruby N. Jones Mosley By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Jun. 06, 2016. You are hereby notified that on Jun. 03, 2016 the above-named Plaintiff

Vulnerable populations often lack access to healthy food or resources to acquire it. The communities are disproportionately affected by diet-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity. Each Food & Fund drive can be custommade to fit an organization’s abilities. In 2015, 2,000 drives were conducted, collecting 1.5 million pounds of food and raising $497,754 to help families and seniors put food on the table. Visit www.acfb.org/food-fund-drives and http://dph.georgia.gov.

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 address is: Jerome Mosley, 2354 Maryland Ct., Decatur, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Jun. 02, 2016. Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 3rd day of Jun., 2016 07/23, 07/30, 08/06, 08/13

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM7565-9++ Dana Michelle Lutz filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Jul. 12, 2016 to change name from: Dana Michelle Lutz to Donald Peter Lutz. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Jul. 07, 2016 Name: Dana Michelle Lutz 5378 Oxbow Rd.

Stone Mountain, GA 30087 07/23, 07/30, 08/06, 08/13

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++15CV7572-10++ Landy D. Leake Plaintiff Vs. James C. Leake, Jr. Defendant To: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated May 31, 2016. You are hereby notified that on Jul. 20, 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 address is: Landy Leake, 1836 McLain Lane, Dec., GA 30035. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of publication, Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 15th day of Jun., 2016

When one of his legs began hurting really badly on a recent walk, Wynn told the guys to leave him, that he’d have to take a shortcut home. They took the shortcut with him, refusing to see him take off on his own. “I was just overwhelmed,” Wynn said. “I don’t know if I was crying over their concern for me or crying because I was Hilton Wynn Jr. hurting.” He hopes to be able to rejoin his friends soon. “When I don’t go, I feel like I’m missing something, and when I go, I feel like I’m a part of something,” Wynn said. “We’re just a friendly group of men who are dedicated to one another.”

7

CrossRoadsNews

July 30, 2016

Scene

“The exhibition tells the story of the decades of hard work and sacrifice by many dedicated individuals and groups.�

‘Changing America’ documents fight for equality ‘Fire This Time’ Two pivotal events in U.S. history – the Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington – and their complex relationship to one another are highlighted in a major exhibit this summer at the TuckerReid H. Cofer Library. The exhibit opened July 29 and runs through Sept. 3. The DeKalb Public Library is among 50 venues across the country selected to host “Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963.� Library Director Alison Weissinger said the exhibit documents the events that are 100 years apart and revisits the individuals and groups involved. “The Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington are two great people’s movements that grew out of decades of bold actions, resistance, organization, and vision,� Weissinger said. “Through historical photographs and voices from the past, the exhibition tells the story of the decades of hard work and sacrifice by many dedicated individuals and groups that led to these dramatic events and documents their impact on American history and on the expansion of equal rights for all in the United States.�

The 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington are the focus of “Changing America� at Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library.

In addition to the exhibition, the library is planning special programs and activities for the community to further explore and enhance understanding of the two events. The programs get underway with an opening reception at the Tucker Library on July 30 at 1 p.m. that is open to the public. Others include a workshop on the meaning of the Emancipation Proclamation, a documentary detailing the work of abolitionists to end slavery, a film about the fight of a Virginia couple to end laws banning interracial mar-

riage, and a workshop for teens about how the March on Washington motivates young people even today to work for change. “Changing America� is presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The library is at 5234 LaVista Road in Tucker. For more information, including special activities, visit www.dekalblibrary.org.

DeKalb NAACP recognized for membership growth The DeKalb NAACP won national recognition for membership at the 2016 national convention in Cincinnati. The branch received the 2016 Lucille Black Award at the July 16-20 meeting of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The award is presented to the NAACP branch that has the highest total membership production in the past year. Of the more than 2,000 units nationwide, the DeKalb County branch had the second highest number of new members in 2015. The DeKalb delegates on hand at the convention to receive the award were India Sims, Phyllis Blake, Martha Jackson, Bennie Boyd, Cherry Willis, and Teresa Hardy, the branch’s new president.

DeKalb NAACP delegates who received the award are India Sims (from left), Phyllis Blake, Martha Jackson, Bennie Boyd, Cherry Willis, and the branch’s new president, Teresa Hardy.

presents new generation of voices on race

Novelist and essayist Jesmyn Ward will read from “The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race� on Aug. 3 at the Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta. The reading and book signing begins a 7 p.m. in the theater and is free and open to the public. Ward, a National Book Award winner, takes James Baldwin’s Jesmyn Ward 1963 examination of race in America, “The Fire Next Time,� as a jumping off point for a collection of essays and poems about race from important voices of her generation and our time – from Edwidge Danticat, Natasha Trethewey, and Isabel Wilkerson to Mitchell S. Jackson, Kiese Laymon, and Claudia Rankine. Ward teaches creative writing at Tulane University in New Orleans. She held a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University from 2008-2010 and served as the Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi. In 2016, she won the Strauss Living award, a $200,000 prize given every five years by the American Academy of Arts & Letters for literary excellence. Ward’s novels and memoir are set on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where she grew up and still makes her home. Her novel “Salvage the Bones� won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction. The library is at 441 Freedom Parkway. For more information, visit www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov or call 404-865-7100.

Food / Markets

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Room for rent for one person/ Decatur area near S. Dekalb Mall. $500 Monthly. Utilities, Cable, Washer & Dryer included. 404-408-9125.

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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

July 30, 2016

2016 Family & Back-to-School Expo packed them in

Fresh from performing at the Essence Music Festival, Columbia High senior Zion Moore entertained for the third year in a row.

Jan Reynolds and her Icon models showcased back-to-school fashions from Baby Girl Couture at the Mall at Stonecrest and other designers.

Kaiser Permanente mascot Doc Broc wowed the audience with a few moves of his own.

An enthusiastic audience applauds singers, dancers and speakers who took to the stage during the noon-to-5 p.m. expo that celebrated the impending start of the new school year on Aug. 8.

DeKalb School System’s McGruff the Crime Dog posed with a young fan.

Hundreds of people received free blood pressure and blood sugar screenings from Oakhurst Medical Centers (above) and Georgia Piedmont Technical College (left). Ninety-two people received rapid HIV tests from the DeKalb County Board of Health (right). They also received information on STDs.

Lisa Moultrie of the DeKalb Solicitor General’s Office helps a student sign Sherry Boston’s Perfect Attendance Pledge.

DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. ODE shared information about this fall’s Stephen Green, with his grandsons, constitutional amendment to create a brought greetings to the large crowd. state-run school district.

CrossRoadsNews Editor and Publisher Jennifer Parker (left) and expo emcee Lillie Shaw-Lomax (right) pose with grand prize winner Mekia Taylor.

CrossRoadsNews Photos By Curtis Parker, Jennifer Ffrench Parker and Ken Watts

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