CrossRoadsNews, June 21, 2014 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COMMUNITY

Cruising the South River

Training with the Saints

Evicted veteran Mark Harris and Occupy Our Homes protesters will get a jury trial starting Aug. 6. 2

Discover the flora and fauna of South DeKalb on a 5.5-mile canoe trip along the South River – and no canoeing experience is needed. 4

Tucker High standout Seantavius “Stretch” Jones, an undrafted free agent, is training with the New Orleans Saints in Metairie, La. 8

Eviction protests

YOUTH

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

June 21, 2014

Volume 20, Number 8

www.crossroadsnews.com

1,456 of DeKalb’s 2014 class failed to graduate By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

In May, when DeKalb School Board members released diplomas to the Class of 2014, they didn’t have any for 1,456 students, or 24 percent of the class. Those seniors, who marched up to podiums in cap and gowns with their 4,498 classmates who received high school diplomas, were just picking up certificates of attendance. The seniors who failed to graduate could fill Druid Hills High, which had an enrollment of 1,459 during the 2013-2014 school year, or populate Browns Mill Elementary School – which had 687 students – more

than twice. The 2014 class of nongraduates was even larger than 2012, the year that caused an uproar in the county. That year, 1,194 seniors did not graduate. Contacted by CrossRoadsNews about the high number of students who failed to get diplomas, Dr. Melvin Johnson, School Board chairman, said they continue to be concerned. “We are always bothered when students don’t graduate for whatever reason,” he said. “And it’s not always academics. Some of it is economic factors, mobility, and so on.” Still Johnson said there is really no excuse for the large number of students who leave

without diplomas. “We should graduate these students whatever the reason is,” he said. “We should address them. Perhaps, if they had taken summer school in the 11th grade, they would graduate on time.” The dismal graduation picture crystallized when the number of graduates, obtained from the School District in June, was compared with the number of seniors attending school in May. In May, the district had 5,954 seniors. In June, when it released the graduates, there were 4,498 on the list. This year, only two of DeKalb’s 25 high schools – DeKalb Early College Academy

with 37 seniors and DeKalb School of the Arts with 67 seniors – graduated their entire senior class. Arabia Mountain High in Lithonia graduated 293, or 97 percent, of its senior class. Only eight students did not make the grade there. For the remaining 22 high schools, 13 percent to 87 percent of their senior class did not graduate. Seven schools – DeKalb Alternative School, Elizabeth Andrews, Gateway to College, Destiny Achievers Academy, Miller Grove, McNair and Southwest DeKalb – did Please see STUDENTS, page 3

Center for Civil and Human Rights opens June 23 Museum offers multimedia, ‘immersive’ tour By Ken Watts

The long anticipated National Center for Civil and Human Rights opens its doors on June 23 with interactive exhibits designed to lure thousands of visitors to Atlanta, the “cradle of the civil rights movement.” The privately funded museum, built at a cost of $75 million, rounds out the offerings of downtown Atlanta’s tourist district. It is neighbor to the World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium on Pemberton Place and is within walking distance of Centennial Olympic Park and CNN Center. Chief Operating Officer Doug Shipman said the 42,000-square-foot museum immerses visitors in the U.S. fight for racial equality and other human rights movements in America and around Doug Shipman the world. The distinctive curved structure with its green moss roof houses hundreds of photographs, period tapes, and artifacts that illustrate the fight for rights from the 1950s to the present. Civil rights icons John Lewis and Andrew Young previewed it recently, as did other select local guests and random tourists who wandered to its doors. Shipman said the exhibits capture both the subject matter and the feel of the civil rights movement. “It brings the stories to people who don’t know them,” he said. As visitors enter the expansive atrium, they are greeted by a colorful multi-language mural expressing themes of justice, freedom and solidarity. To the left of the mural is the entrance to the first gallery, Rolls Down Like Water: The American Civil Rights

Visitors to the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta watch a panoramic view of the 1963 March on Washington.

Movement. The self-guided tour featuring archive sound and video uses multimedia and interactive technology to give visitors an “immersive experience” of the black freedom struggle of the 1950s and ’60s, from the Atlanta perspective. As he sat at a segregated lunch counter and walked by “whites only” signs, Lewis wept. “I know it happened but sometimes it’s hard to believe that people were so vicious, so mean,” he told WSB-TV. The civil rights gallery is curated by Tony Award-winning playwright and director George C. Wolfe, who is best-known for directing “Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk,” “Angels in America – Millennium Approaches” and the play “The Colored

Museum.” It begins with a compact anteroom papered with everyday scenes from the pre-civil rights era. On the right, in neon script, is the word “Colored” over photos of nightlife on Auburn Avenue, the Black Crackers baseball team and church services. On the left under “White” are similar scenes – featuring bobbysoxers and college football. Those scenes are followed by a wall emblazoned with Jim Crow laws banning interracial marriage and requiring separate restrooms for white and black customers of public facilities. Visitors then pass through “portals” that depict defining moments of the movement such as the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation case.

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Another portal with sound and archive film immerses the viewer in the middle of the 1963 Birmingham demonstration when police dogs attacked protesters. When triggered by motion sensors, a life-size re-creation of a Freedom Rider bus, covered with portraits of actual Freedom Riders, morphs into a screen showing a documentary about brave volunteers who desegregated interstate transit in the early 1960s. In one dramatic exhibit, visitors sit down at a lunch counter and put on headphones to experience a simulation of a sit-in. Over the phones they hear taped voices making threats, and a vibrating jolt gives the impression that someone has just kicked the Please see MUSEUM, page 5

CrossRoadsNews

Community

June 21, 2014

“I feel like I’m in combat. I feel like unexpected things are going to happen that I can’t control.”

Evicted homeowner, Occupy Atlanta supporters facing jail time By Ken Watts

An evicted disabled Army combat veteran and three housing rights activists facing criminal trespass and obstruction of the law charges for occupying a foreclosed home in Avondale Estates will get a jury trial starting Aug. 6. Mark Harris, the evicted homeowner who lived in the house for 18 years, and Tim Franzen of Atlanta, Mariam Asad and Daniel Hanley are facing 12 to 24 months in jail over a protest. They lost their bid on June 16 to get the case dismissed. DeKalb State Court Judge Dax Lopez ruled that the case will proceed. Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis, who is defending the four, had argued that protesters were not breaking the law when they staged their protest at the house on 1164 Dunwick Drive on Aug. 9, 2013. Harris, 52, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, had lived in the house with his 75-year-old mother, Carol Hinton, and was her caregiver. Both were evicted after a foreclosure, but supporters set up tents and spent the night in the front yard with Harris. DeKalb marshals and Avondale Estates Police returned the next afternoon and warned the protesters that they had 30 minutes to leave. Four people, including Harris, refused to do so and were arrested. Occupy posted a video of the incident at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkbxgi1YS3w. Davis, a partner in the Decatur-based Davis Bozeman Law Firm, said Fannie Mae, the holder of the Harris mortgage, is owned by the federal government. “The demonstrators had a First Amendment right to voice their concerns there because it was owned by the government and public property,” he said. Lopez rejected that argument, saying that since the federal conservancy was not permanent, Fannie Mae could not be considered a government entity. While Davis argues his First Amendment case, about 25 Occupy Our Homes members picketed the courthouse outside with signs that read “Fannie Mae Is the Real Criminal” and “No More Homeless Veterans.” Defense lawyers called Candy Lasher, Fannie Mae’s regional vice president, as a witness. Lasher testified that she was aware of Harris’ eviction because of Occupy demonstrations in front of her house in Atlanta but did not know the details of his case.

Evicted veteran Mark Harris and other demonstrators with Occupy Our Homes Atlanta picket outside the DeKalb County Courthouse before a hearing in their eviction protest.

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

Harris told CrossRoadsNews on June 17 that he has made payments of $2,100 a month for 14 years and never missed a payment until he was laid off from his job as a driver for UPS in 2010. He says he continued to make sporadic payments until June 2012, when he was laid off again. His house was foreclosed in October 2013. Harris says he started negotiations with Fannie Mae for a loan modification in November 2012 and made a good faith payment of $2,800. He said the mortgage lender offered him two options: Either sign a two-year lease for the home on which he had been making payments for 18 years or take $1,500 to move out of the house. He says he refused both offers and filed a wrongful foreclosure lawsuit, which he lost. He was in the process of appealing the lawsuit when he was evicted.

Throughout the negotiations, Harris says Fannie Mae added so many costs to his mortgage that the amount he owes is now much higher than the property’s worth. Fannie Mae did not respond to requests for comments at press time Thursday. Harris, who says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, served with the Army’s 335th Chemical Detachment during the first Gulf War in the early 1990s. His unit was specially trained to protect U.S. troops from the effects of chemical weapons attacks. He said the battle over his house reminds him of war. “I feel like I’m in combat,” he said. “I feel like I’m in the same kind of defensive posture that you would be in if you were in a combat zone. I feel like unexpected things are going to happen that I can’t control.” Since the eviction, Harris and his mother have been living with relatives.

Georgia Perimeter offers accelerated half-semester for quick credits

Debora Constable

Students seeking transferable college credits can get them in four weeks at Georgia Perimeter College this summer. Starting June 30, GPC is offering half-semester academic courses that allow students to earn fulltime, transferable credit in four weeks. Because of the shortened and more rigorous schedule, classes meet every day for four weeks. New material is presented every day, and tests are held every week.

More than 50 courses are being offered at the college’s Clarkston, Decatur and Dunwoody campuses as well as online. Selected half-semester courses also are offered on GPC’s Alpharetta and Newton campuses. Registration ends on June 26. To enroll, visit www. gpc.edu. Debora Constable, a GPC accounting professor, said students can take advantage of the quick pace of the courses and their transferability to the

All Your Legal, Accounting & Tax Services

Benefit concert for scholarships

Under One Roof! “There Is No Better Time to Plan Your Legal & Tax Strategies”

Padgett Business Services

students’ original institutions. She teaches first- and second-half accounting courses that are required for business majors. “Our accounting classes are for all business majors in the U.S. – they have to take Accounting 1 and 2 courses,” she said. To supplement her half-semester online course, Constable uses online resources and YouTube videos. For more information, visit www.gpc.edu.

Law Office of E. Noreen Banks-Ware, P.C.

Mount Welcome Missionary Baptist Church is hosting its annual Myrtice Bell Memorial Scholarship Fund benefit concert on June 28. The concert begins at 6 p.m. at the Decatur church. It is part of the church’s initiative to support youth who are seeking postsecondary education. Admission is free, and donations are welcome.

The scholarships can be used to offset tuition cost, room and board, food and books. Since 2001, Mount Welcome has supported more than 30 students attending two- and four-year colleges throughout the United States. The church is at 581 Parker Ave. For more information, contact Rose Porter at 770-279-2999.

Specializing in:

(770) 593-9849 • Small Business Monthly Accounting Family Law (Divorces,Child • Personal and Business Taxes Support Modications, Custody), (Electronic Filing) • Business Consulting: Payroll Service, Business Law (Incorporations, LLC, Business Litigation Defense), Business Plans & Audit Service) (770) 593-9848

Wills, Probate, Estates, Personal Injury

“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.

E. Noreen Banks-Ware Attorney

Salem Panola Library

Ware Professional Building

3636 Panola Road • Lithonia, GA 30038 (Across from the Salem Crossing Shopping Center)

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 Matthew Ware

Accountant/CEO “We are building far beyond our years.”

Rev. Dr. Mark A. Lomax

June 21, 2014

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“We have got to reach back and find out what is going on. It’s not acceptable for failure to continue at this rate.”

Georgia Piedmont breaks ground on transit training expansion By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

By 2016, Georgia Piedmont Technical College could be graduating 2,000 students from its Transit Training Facility in Lithonia. Dr. Jabari Simama, the college’s president, said Thursday that they will more than triple the 600 students now being trained at the facility with the help of a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. He said the college landed the grant because there is a shortage of transit workers to fill all the open positions in metro Atlanta and the region. “We had a 13-acre facility and a track record with our commercial driving program,” he said. “That is why we got the grant.” The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant will fund expansion of the college’s Regional Transit Training Facility on Marbut Road. Simama said they’re adding 1,000 square feet to an existing 3,000-square-foot facility. He broke ground on the expansion June 19 with the help of MARTA CEO Keith Parker, Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson, GDOT and transit officials, other stakeholders, and community and business leaders. Simama said the facility will offer training for bus drivers and supervisors to MARTA, its largest partner, and to the Cobb and Gwinnett transit systems. “From here to Savannah, we are the only accredited college offering this training,” he said. Parker said the program is extremely important to MARTA. “About 700 of our current employees have come through this training,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony. “Another 20 are scheduled to start next week. Right now we have several hundred positions open that we’re looking to fill. Everything from bus operators, rail mechanics, station agents, you name it we’re looking to fill it.”

Georgia Piedmont President Jabari Simama (red tie) and stakeholders break ground June 19 on expansion of the college’s Transit Training Facility.

Construction is expected to be completed by May 2015 and the grant requires the college to train at least 380 students by 2016. “We expect to exceed that number,” Simama said Thursday. “We plan to train displaced, and under-employed workers, and we will be aggressively recruiting displaced workers who are interested in learning to drive and repair buses and work in transit management.” The industry-recognized training program will prepare students for careers in Transportation Management, Capital Project Development & Planning, Vehicle Maintenance, and Bus and Rail Operations with annual earning potential of $41,000 to

$86,000 a year. The college says the new Transit Training Facility will offer students direct, hands-on instruction for the mobility/light vehicle, bus maintenance technician programs, transit electronics and electrical power equipment technician programs. Diplomas can be completed in one to two years and certificates in one to two semesters. Simama said the next class starts on Aug. 20. “Right now, if we can get them, we can accommodate 300 students for the Aug. 20 class.” He said they also will be seeking trained technicians to be instructors. Jackson, Lithonia’s mayor, said that even though the facility is located just outside her

High number of nongraduates raises concerns STUDENTS,

from page

Dismal graduation rates for some high schools

not graduate 30 percent to 87 percent of their For the 2014 Class, 1,456 DeKalb Schools seniors, or 24 percent of the class did senior class. not graduate. Below is the list of DeKalb’s 25 high schools, their senior class, number of At three schools – Elizabeth Andrews, graduates, and those who did not get high school diplomas. Miller Grove and Martin Luther King Jr. Did not % did not High – more than 100 students each did not School Seniors Grads graduate graduate get diplomas. DeKalb Alternative School 8 1 7 87 At Elizabeth Andrews, it was 190 seniors; Elizabeth Andrews HS 244 54 190 78 at Miller Grove High, 113; and at MLK Jr. High, 108 ended their high school career Gateway to College 26 9 17 65 without a diploma. Destiny Achievers Academy 42 22 20 48 Southwest DeKalb, which ranks seventh Miller Grove HS 333 220 113 34 from the bottom of the list, failed to graduate McNair HS 170 113 57 34 94 students, or 30 percent, of the 2014 senior SW DeKalb HS 310 216 94 30 class of 310. Martin Luther King Jr HS 368 260 108 29 Answering a question about the district’s Stone Mountain HS 231 165 66 29 dismal graduation numbers, three of the canClarkston HS 280 201 79 28 didates vying for School Board seats in the Towers HS 217 157 60 28 July 22 runoff election told the audience at a Lithonia HS 273 206 67 25 June 17 candidate forum at the Community Columbia HS 262 202 60 23 Achievement Center that the low graduation Druid Hills HS 308 239 69 22 number is not acceptable. Tucker HS 406 317 89 22 District 5 candidate Vickie Turner, who is opposing incumbent Thad Mayfield, said Cross Keys HS 211 169 42 20 students have disengaged from education. Stephenson HS 363 292 71 20 “We have got to reach back and find out Redan HS 275 222 53 18 what is going on,” she said. “It’s not acceptCedar Grove HS 204 167 37 18 able for failure to continue at this rate.” Chamblee Charter HS 323 272 51 14 Mayfield said that everyone in the room Dunwoody HS 319 271 48 15 should be concerned about the low graduLakeside HS 376 326 50 13 ation rate. Arabia Mountain HS 301 293 8 3 “The bottom line is that if we don’t figure DeKalb Early College 37 37 0 0 out what the problem is, we will be having DeKalb School of the Arts 67 67 0 0 this same conversation about the numbers Total: 5,954 4,498 1,456 24 next year,” he said. Michael Erwin, the District 3 incumbent, said the School Board wants the best educa- most of the students who did not get diplo- said. At press time Thursday, the district had tion for students and will spend $5.3 million mas end up going to summer school. “Many of the students are able to make not responded to a June 11 request for the again this year on textbooks. Johnson, the School Board chairman, said that up and are able to graduate later,” he number of 2014 seniors in summer school.

city’s limits, it will still be accessible to its residents. “It will provide an opportunity to increase their job skills level and enter into the field of transportation, which is going to be critical to the growth of not just DeKalb County but the entire state,” Jackson said. Simama said the expansion will enable the college to train more minority, women and nontraditional students for transit careers. “This is of tremendous significance,” he said. “We can do tremendous outreach to minority and women.” Ken Watts contributed to this story.

Two candidate forums coming up for runoff Voters can hear the views of candidates for state school superintendent and the DeKalb School Board at forums on June 21 and June 26 in Decatur. The runoff elections take place July 22. Early voting starts June 30 at the DeKalb Election Office on Memorial Drive in Decatur. The DeKalb NAACP has invited candidates in the primary runoff election for state school superintendent to a forum on June 21. It takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the South DeKalb Office Park, 3015 S. Rainbow Drive, in the conference room. The NAACP nonpartisan candidate forums aim to increase awareness and participation in the full political process. For more information, email naacpdek@ comcast.net or call 404-241-8006. Its for Them DeKalb is hosting a runoff forum for DeKalb School Board candidates on June 26 at DeKalb Medical. The panel-style question-and-answer forum, moderated by Linda Torrence, takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. It is free and open to the public. The candidates are Michael Erwin and Atticus LeBlanc, District 3; Karen Carter and Jim McMahan, District 4; and Thad Mayfield and Vickie B. Turner, District 5. To learn more about the candidates, visit http://itsforthemdekalb.org. DeKalb Medical is at 2701 N. Decatur Road.

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 Graphic Design Curtis Parker Staff Writers Jennifer Ffrench Parker Ken Watts Copy Editor Brenda Yarbrough Advertising Sales Kathy E. Warner Cherie Esteves Billing Clerk Kelli Ffrench-Parker Circulation Manager Jami Ffrench-Parker

“The Allied invasion was a turning point in modern history and set the stage for freedom and progress.”

Rashad, Leon starring in new play Theatergoers can party with Phylicia Rashad, Kenny Leon and Chris Coleman on June 26 at the Estate as True Colors Theatre Company welcomes Leon home after back-to-back Broadway shows. The party, presented by Tony Conway and A Legendary Event, takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. The Estate is at 3109 Piedmont Road N.E. in Atlanta. For tickets, call 404-532-1901, Ext. 216. Rashad and Leon, both Tony Award winners, are starring in “Same Time Next Year” at Southwest Arts Center from July 8 to Aug. 3. It is directed by Coleman. It tells a fresh, touching, and hilariously funny story of lovers Doris and George who are married to other people. They meet by chance while on separate business trips in 1951 and vow to rendezvous each year in the same place and end up finding a connection that transcends the initial spark of passion to span a quarter-century of love, loss, joy and friendship. It is written by Bernard Slade. The New York Times cites it for “delicious wit, compassion, a sense of humor and a feel for nostalgia.” Leon and Rashad will join post-show discussions after the July 13 and July 20 performances at 2:30 p.m. and the July 23 performance at 11 a.m. Southwest Arts Center is at 915 New Hope Road in Tony Award winners Kenny Leon and Phylicia Atlanta. For tickets, visit www.truecolorstheatre.org or Rashad are starring in “Same Time Next Year” at the call 1-877-725-8849 or 404-375-2104. Southwest Arts Center from July 8 to Aug. 3.

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 advertisments, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

L CA ! LO RCH A SE

L ITA NG! G I D ETI RK MA

www.crndigital.com

KES Day of Inclusion KES Day Inc.’s annual Community Day of Inclusion takes place June 28 at the Redan Recreation Center in Lithonia with food, resources, entertainment and games. The event, which is in its 11th year, gets under way from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. KES Day provides housing and support services for physically and developmentally disabled children and adults. KES founders Kenneth and Sandra Browner created the Day of Inclusion to engage the community with its disabled residents. The Redan Recreation Center is at 1839 Phillips Road. For more information, visit http://kesinc.org or call 678252-8430, 404-454-4063 or 770484-2112.

D-Day valor awes Johnson

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.

June 21, 2014

The South River Watershed Alliance is host for the 5.5-mile excursion by canoe on June 28. Canoeing experience is not required.

Tour South River in canoe Nature enthusiasts can paddle 5.5 miles down the South River in a canoe on June 28 and learn about South DeKalb’s flora and fauna. The canoe trip, hosted by the South River Watershed Alliance, takes place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The excursion takes off from Panola Shoals to Klondike Road. Canoeing experience is not required. For cost and other information, contact Jackie Echols at 404-2853756.

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson paid tribute to the late Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy and Nimrod McNair of Stone Mountain as he saluted ser vicemen and women as part of the Hank Johnson 70th anniversary of D-Day in World War II. Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, represented Georgia as part of a congressional delegation to Normandy, France. More than 215,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded during D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the ensuing three months it took to secure the capture of Normandy.

Deadline looms to honor women Businesswomen, educators, legislators, homemakers, activists and others who made outstanding contributions to the state and continue to inspire present-day Georgians through their legacy can be nominated for Georgia Women of Achievement recognition. Three women who have been dead for more than 10 years will be inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement Hall of Fame in March 2015. They will join 81 other Georgia Women of Achievement who have been recognized since 1992 when the program was founded to honor women’s contribution to Georgia’s history. The deadline for nomination is June 30. Nominations received after this date

will be considered for the 2016 Induction Ceremony. Nominees must be Georgia natives or clearly identified with the state and must have made exceptional and enduring contributions in their field of endeavor that inspire future generations. Nominations will be reviewed by a Board of Selections consisting of scholars and experts from throughout the state. Nomination forms are available at www. georgiawomen.org/nominations. They can be mailed to Georgia Women of Achievement, P.O. Box 8249, 4760 Forsyth Road, Macon, GA 31210 or emailed to info@georgia women.org. For more information, call Leigh Goff at 678-643-1981.

Johnson said it was a humbling experience to lay wreaths and pay homage at the Normandy American Cemetery where soldiers who died in the invasion are buried. “Seventy years later, we come to pay tribute to the soldiers who fought and died here to secure our liberty,” Johnson said. “The Allied invasion on the beaches of Normandy was a turning point in modern history and set the stage for the freedom and progress we enjoy today.” Johnson, who represents the 4th District, said he was “humbled and awed” by soldiers’ sacrifice. He said the troops fought to save the world, “men like civil rights icon the Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy of Atlanta and Stone Mountain’s Nimrod McNair, who fought during World War II with valor so we could all live free.”

‘Stir the Pot’ quilts tackle social issues “Stir the Pot: An Exhibit of Socially Relevant Issues,” featuring quilts by local and national textile artists, opens June 28 at ART Station in Stone Mountain. The opening reception takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the gallery. “Stir the Pot” is hosted by the Ebony Stitchers Quilt Guild. It explores issues of justice, health care and politics through a quilter’s eye. “American Springs: A Cause for Justice,” an exhibit that has traveled nationally, also is featured. The exhibit runs through Aug. 16. ART Station is at 5384 Manor Drive. For more information, email ebonystitchers1@bellsouth.net or call the ART Station at 770-469-1105.

index to advertisers Cade-Hill Insurance - State Farm................... 11 Candler Pharmacy.......................................... 7 Dee Knows Phones........................................ 11 DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court......................9 DeKalb County Office of CEO.........................9 DeKalb Schools Office of Federal Programs... 5

Circulation Audited By

Earth Canvas Painting.................................... 11 Emory Asthma Clinical Research Program.....6 Fabric Joint, LLC............................................. 11 First African Presbyterian Church.................... 2 Flaming Grill & Supreme Buffet...................... 5

Ga. Health Services Network........................... 7 Johnson Hopewell Coleman LLC.................. 11 MARTA............................................................ 3 Norman Davis............................................... 11 Padgett Business Services............................... 2

The Law Office of B.A. Thomas..................... 11 Best Buy Co. Inc......................................Inserts Dish Network..........................................Inserts Walgreen’s..............................................Inserts Gregory B. Levett & Sons...................... Online

Put CrossRoadsNews to Work for You! Call 404-284-1888 for Advertising Rates & Information

CrossRoadsNews

June 21, 2014

Community

“This has been an incredibly humbling experience. It has been an honor to put this together.”

Events to focus ‘We’re still fighting for human rights all the time’ attention on National Center for Civil and Human Rights at a Glance visitor’s chair. elder abuse A panoramic curved screen puts viewers in the middle of the 1963 March on WashMUSEUM,

DeKalb Solicitor General Sherry Boston is hosting a series of Safety in Numbers bingo events across the county to educate seniors about elder abuse. Boston and members of her Special Victims Unit will discuss the signs of elder abuse and what seniors can do to get help or assist a friend who may be Sherry Boston in danger. Boston says abuse ranges from neglect to physical, sexual, emotional, and/or financial abuse. Warning signs include frequent unexplained injuries, fear of a caregiver or family member, and social isolation. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was observed June 15. In the United States alone, more than 500,000 cases of abuse against elderly Americans are reported every year, and experts believe there are many more cases that are not reported. Bingo events will be held: n June 24: Atlanta/DeKalb Senior Center, 25 Warren Street, Atlanta – 12:45-2:15 p.m. n June 25 : Toco Hills Senior Center, 5238 Peachtree Road, Chamblee – noon-1:30 p.m. n June 30: Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia – 1-2:15 p.m. To report elder abuse, call 911 if there is immediate danger. For more information, visit www.ncea.aoa.gov or call the National Center on Elder Abuse at 1-800677-1116.

from page

ington. A stained-glass window honors the memory of four girls – Denise McNair, 11, and 14-year-olds Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robinson and Addie Mae Collins – killed in a Birmingham church bombing, and vintage TV sets and high-tech screens flash 1968 broadcasts of the news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination and the riots that followed in cities across the country. Karen Kelly, who lived through Atlanta’s desegregation era, was impressed with what she saw when she visited on June 18. “It’s very emotional, looking for friends, looking for people I’ve known Karen Kelly here through the years who were part of it and who are still part of it because it doesn’t end,” said Kelly, who works at Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta. “We’re still fighting for human rights all the time.” Tawana Scott, a native Atlantan, said she appreciates the museum’s use of interactive technology. “I think people learn by doing,” she said. “So when people are able to hear about things through the speakers or headTawana Scott phones, they’re sometimes able to understand it better and feel the emotion that comes with it.” In a separate gallery named Spark of Conviction: The Global Human Rights Movement, the center shows how the movement

n Cost: $75 million n Size: 42,000 square feet n Parking: World of Coke deck. n Permanent collections: The King papers on loan from Morehouse College. Seven portraits of human rights “heroes” by Atlanta painter Ross Rossin; a series of paintings of U.S. Rep. John Lewis by folk artist Benny Andrews. n Programs: One of the first programs will be on human trafficking in Atlanta, presented by the Women’s Solidarity Initiative, a group of local leaders. n Opens: June 23, 2014. n Hours: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week. n Admission: Tickets $15; senior/student/educator, $13; children (3-12), $10; 2 and under, free; military (active and retired), free; military family: adult, $7.50; senior, $6.50; youth, $5. 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. n Information: 678-999-8990, www.civilandhumanrights.org/.

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

The Spark of Conviction: The Global Human Rights Movement gallery shows lasting impact.

inspired the fight for women’s rights in the 1970s; protections for the disabled; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender movement; and freedom struggles in Iran, China, South Africa and many other countries. Six illuminated figures dominate the main room. They are “human rights defenders.” Their life-size portraits were captured by

New Yorker magazine photographer Platon and mounted on light boxes. These figures stand like monoliths in the open area. They include Anastasia Smirnova, who works for LGBT rights in Russia; Denis Mukwege of the Congo, who has spent the past 15 years treating women who have been traumatized by rape; and Sussan Tahmasebi of Iran, who campaigns to abolish laws that discriminate against women. On its lower level, selected artifacts from the Martin Luther King Papers Collection are displayed. There is an edited draft of “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” and, in King’s tiny script on torn sheets from a notebook, the words to his “Drum Major Instinct” sermon, delivered just months before he was killed on April 4, 1968. Shipman said organizers hope the center will teach in an accessible, informal way and serve as meeting place to discuss human rights issues and solutions. “This has been an incredibly humbling experience,” he said. “It has been an honor to put this together.”

10% OFF

Seniors 60+, Military, Police, College Students (Show ID) Dine In Only

Fresh • Healthy • Delicious

Attention!!!

The DeKalb County School District will host the following meetings for parents and community:

Consolidated Local Education Improvement Plan (CLIP) & ESEA Flexible Learning Program Federal Funding Plans & Priorities Review of Funding & Funding Restrictions

3455 Memorial Drive • Decatur, GA 30032 404-288-8806 Open 7 Days a Week

Monday - Thursday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday: 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

3455 Memorial Drive • Decatur, GA

$1.50 OFF

ADULT LUNCH BUFFET

Tuesday, June 24, 2014 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm Come and provide your input and suggestions… Administrative & Instructional Complex Auditorium 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083 For additional information or questions, contact Office of Federal Programs at 678.676.0329

with Purchase of a Drink

3455 Memorial Drive • Decatur, GA

$2.00 OFF DINNER BUFFET

with Purchase of a Drink

Dine in Only. Adults only. Maximum 4 adults per coupon. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discounts. Not valid with kids price. Not valid on holidays. Expires 7/20/14.

3455 Memorial Drive • Decatur, GA

LUNCH OR DINNER

with Purchase of $30 or more

15% OFF

with Purchase of a Drink

Dine in Only. Adults only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discounts. Not valid with kids price. Not valid on holidays. Expires 7/20/14.

$5.00 OFF

Dine in Only. Adults only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discounts. Not valid on holidays. Expires 7/20/14.

CrossRoadsNews

Wellness

“Everything we do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for changes under way will help us safeguard our children’s future.”

5K raises awareness about youth issues Kid and adults can take part in the 5K Run Walk 4 Youth on June 28 at Stone Mountain Park to raise awareness about high school dropout rates, childhood obesity, and juvenile deliquency. The event, hosted by DUKES Foundation Corp., seeks to increase graduation rates among African-American and Hispanic students in metro Atlanta. The current “status dropout” rate for black males is 8.7 percent compared with 5.4 percent for white males and 19.9 percent for Hispanic males, the foundation says. It is also concerned about obesity, which affects 40 percent of Georgia’s children. Horace Dukes, the foundation’s founder and CEO, said there will be refreshments, an awards ceremony, and entertainment. Participants should enter the park at the West Gate. The start/finish line is at Old 78 West. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and the walk/run kicks off at 8. To register visit http://5krunwalk.dukesfoundation.org. For more information, email dukesfoundation@ dukesfoundation.org or call 404-419-6452.

New TV channel for Children’s patients Kids being treated at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta can now view a new entertaining and educational TV channel courtesy of a partnership with San Diego Zoo Global. The partnership was unveiled June 20 in the Zone at Children’s at Scottish Rite in Atlanta with Rick Schwartz, San Diego Zoo Global’s ambassador, and a visit with live animals, including a kinkajou, eagle owl and raccoon. Children’s Healthcare is among five hospitals across the nation getting the channel through a gift from Denny Sanford. For more information, visit www.choa.org.

Bike Rodeo for kids at Mall at Stonecrest Kids ages 6 to 14 can ride their bikes and participate in biking clinics at the DeKalb Police Bike Rodeo on June 21 at the Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia. The fun takes place from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Kohl’s parking lot, bottom level. The rain date is July 12. There will be a repair shop, instruction on riding techniques, registration, and safety information. Parents or guardians must accompany children. Lawn chairs are encouraged. The Mall at Stonecrest is at I-20 and Turner Hill Road. For more information, contact the East Precinct at 770-482-0300.

Chikungunya case confirmed in Georgia The first human case of chikungunya, a disease spread through mosquito bites, has been confirmed in Georgia. The patient was infected during a recent trip to a Caribbean nation. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 60 confirmed cases of chikungunya in the United States and says the number is growing. All infected U.S. patients have traveled to countries where the virus is circulating. The Georgia Department of Public Health says that chikungunya is not spread through human-to-human contact. Its most common symptoms are fever and severe joint pain, especially in the hands and feet. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash. Symptoms usually begin three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, with most patients feeling better within a week. However, joint pain can persist for months. Chikungunya symptoms can be severe and disabling but do not often result in death. Travelers to the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and islands in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific are at risk for the virus. Anyone with chikungunya symptoms should seek medical attention and make their health care provider aware of any travel history outside of the country. Dr. Cherie Drenzek, state epidemiologist, said it is important that patients who are infected keep guard against additional mosquito bites. “During the first week or so of infection, chikungunya virus can be passed

As tornadoes, wildfires, floods and hotter summers sock the country, a new EPA report says that climate change is already impacting residents’ health and the environment across the United States. The third edition of Climate Change Indicators in the United States, released May 28 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, pulls together data on key measures of the environment, including U.S. and global temperature and precipitation, ocean heat and ocean acidity, sea level, and length of growing season. Using 30 indicators that include more than 80 maps and graphs showing long-term trends, the report demonstrates that climate change is already affecting society and the environment.

Take part in a Clinical Research Study! Consider joining a research study at Emory University / Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to improve asthma treatments for African Americans/Blacks. Qualified participants will receive: • Asthma medications • Pulmonary evaluation • Compensation for time and travel

For more info, contact:

Jennifer Dodds

jcdodds@emory.edu 404-727-5176

A mosquitoborne virus causes chikungunya. Travelers to the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and some Indian and Pacific islands are at risk.

‘Five D’s of Prevention’ Fight mosquito-borne diseases with the Five D’s of Prevention. n Dusk/Day/Dawn – Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus usually bite at dusk and dawn. Avoid or limit outdoor activity at these times. Mosquitoes carrying chikungunya virus bite during the day. n Dress – Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants to reduce the amount of exposed skin. n DEET – Cover exposed skin with an insect repellent containing DEET. n Drain – Empty any containers holding standing water. They are excellent breeding grounds for virus-carrying mosquitoes. n Doors – Make sure doors and windows are in good repair and fit tightly. Fix torn or damaged screens to keep mosquitoes outside. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya.

from an infected person to another mos- other people.” Drenzek said that human-to-human quito through mosquito bites,” Drenzek said in a June 19 statement. “An infected infection has not happened so far in the mosquito can then transmit the virus to United States.

EPA: Climate change affecting health, environment

Does your child have Asthma?

To participate in this study, you must: • Be 5-21 years old • Have at least one grandparent of African descent

June 21, 2014

Alice Bruce

alice.bruce@emory.edu 404-712-1773

Shaneka Douglas sdougl5@emory.edu 404-727-7687

Janet McCabe, the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation acting assistant administrator, said the indicators make it clear that climate change is a serious problem and is happening in the United States and globally. Janet McCabe “Everything we do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the changes that are already under way will help us safeguard our children’s future,” McCabe said. The report shows evidence that: n Average temperatures have risen across the contiguous 48 states since 1901, with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Seven of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998. n Tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico has increased during the past 20 years. n Along the U.S. coastline, sea level has risen the most along the mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf Coast, where some stations registered increases of more than 8 inches between 1960 and 2013. n Glaciers have been melting at an accelerated rate over the past decade. The resulting

loss of ice has contributed to the observed rise in sea level. n Every part of the Southwest experienced higher average temperatures between 2000 and 2013 than the long-term average dating back to 1895. Some areas were nearly 2 degrees warmer than average. n Since 1983, the United States has had an average of 72,000 recorded wildfires per year. Of the 10 years with the largest acreage burned, nine have occurred since 2000, with many of the largest increases occurring in Western states. n Water levels in most of the Great Lakes have declined in the past few decades. The report also looks at some of the ways that climate change may affect human health and society using key indicators related to Lyme disease incidence, heat-related deaths, and ragweed pollen season. For example, unusually high summer temperatures have become more common, which can lead to increased risk of heatrelated deaths and illness. Higher temperatures and later fall frosts also allow ragweed plants to produce pollen later into the year, potentially prolonging allergy season for millions of people. For more information, visit www.epa. gov/climatechange/indicators.html.

Free rapid tests for National HIV Testing Day Free rapid HIV testing will be available on June 28 with Recovery Consultants in Decatur in observance of National HIV Testing Day, which will be June 27. The annual observance, which began in 1995, promotes testing for the human immunodeficiency virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that about 1.14 million people in the United States are living with HIV and that one in five doesn’t know he or she has the infection.

Testing leads to treatment and treatment leads to better health outcomes for those infected and lower rates of transmission. Members of 100 Black Women of DeKalb are participating in the 10 a.m.-to-3 p.m. HIV testing event as one of its Health and Wellness initiatives. Recovery Consultants is at 3426 Covington Drive. For more information, call 404-2890313.

June 21, 2014

Wellness

CrossRoadsNews

“Diabetes is costly in human and economic terms. It’s urgent that we take swift action to treat and prevent this disease.”

29 million Americans have diabetes; 1 in 4 doesn’t know it More than 29 million Americans have diabetes and one in four doesn’t know it, a new CDC report shows. The previous estimate was 26 million in 2010. The National Diabetes Statistics Report 2014, released on June 10 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is based on health data from 2012. It found that 86 million adults – more than one in three U.S. adults – have prediabetes and one in 11 has diabetes. Ann Albright, director of the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, called the new numbers alarming and said they underscore the need for an increased focus on reducing the burden of Ann Albright diabetes in the country. “Diabetes is costly in both human and economic terms,” she said. “It’s urgent that we take swift action to effectively treat and prevent this serious disease.” Pre-diabetes exists when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. The CDC says that without weight loss and moderate physical activity, 15 percent to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within five years. Key findings from the report include: n 29 million people in the United States (9.3 percent) have diabetes. n 1.7 million people 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2012. n Non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native adults are about twice as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as non-Hispanic white adults.

Diabetes is a serious disease that can be managed through physical activity, diet, and appropriate use of insulin and oral medications to lower blood sugar levels.

n 208,000 people younger than 20 years have been diagnosed with diabetes (type 1 or type 2). n 86 million adults 20 years and older have prediabetes. The percentage of U.S. adults with prediabetes is similar for non-Hispanic whites (35 percent), non-Hispanic blacks (39 percent), and Hispanics (38 percent). Diabetes is a serious disease that can be managed through physical activity, diet, and appropriate use of insulin and oral medica-

tions to lower blood sugar levels. Another important part of diabetes management is reducing other cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and tobacco use. People with diabetes are at increased risk of serious health complications, including vision loss; heart disease; stroke; kidney failure; amputation of toes, feet or legs; and premature death. In 2012, diabetes and related complications accounted for $245 billion in total

medical costs and lost work and wages. This figure is up from $174 billion in 2007. For information on the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program, visit www.cdc. gov/diabetes. Through the Affordable Care Act, more Americans can find and choose health care coverage to fit their needs and budget, including preventive services like diabetes screening that may be covered at no additional cost. Visit Healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY/TDD 1-855-889-4325).

Ready Georgia mobile app upgraded The Ready Georgia mobile app for emergency preparedness now includes shelter information. The governor’s special task force on severe weather and preparedness recommended the upgrade.

NOW OPEN CANDLER PHARMACY The Ready Georgia mobile app has been upgraded for residents who want to stay informed during emergencies. Upgrading the app was one of the recommendations of the governor’s Severe Winter Weather Warning and Preparedness Taskforce. State officials unveiled the improved app on June 16. Gov. Nathan Deal said that when severe weather hit the state this year, he called the state’s Emergency Management Agency to upgrade the app with shelter information, alternative transportation routes and other emergency-related information. “The Ready Georgia app already served as a good resource for Georgians, but now that its capabilities have been expanded, it will keep us better informed when emergency situations arise,” he said. The 2014 hurricane season started June 1. The upgraded app features geo-targeted severe weather and emergency alerts to notify users’ phones before disasters strike, traffic

information, and a live traffic map with incident reports from the Georgia Department of Transportation. An enhanced shelters map displays the location of open Red Cross shelters and approved “good Samaritan” shelters. It also provides directions from the users’ current location. The app allows users to keep checklists of emergency supplies, create customized disaster plans for their families, and check flood risk levels and historical tornado data near their location. It has contact information for local emergency management agencies. Charley English, GEMA/Homeland Security director, said the app is an important tool to communicate with Georgians and help them stay informed. “We are really pleased with the new features that we have added as part of this upgrade,” he said. The Ready Georgia mobile app is available at www.ready.ga.gov/mobileapp. For more information, visit www.ready.ga.gov.

Free Delivery • • • • • •

Free Prescription Pick Up

Flu-Shots Most Insurance Plans Accepted Diabetic Supplies & Education Vitamin & Supplies Check Out $1 Department Greeting Cards, Candies & Snacks

678-705-5283 1769 Candler Road • Decatur, GA 30032 Mon-Fri. 9am-6pm • Sat. 9am-2pm • Sun. Closed

Youth

CrossRoadsNews

June 21, 2014

“I am learning by example. If I am doing something wrong, they will come up and set me straight. They are giving me great advice.”

Tucker Tigers’ Seantavius ‘Stretch’ Jones training with Saints By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Wide receiver Seantavius “Stretch” Jones grew up watching football with his dad, Othello, and his mother, Twinette, and fell in love with the game pretty early. “I was about 11 when I decided that professional football was what I wanted to do,” he said. The Tucker Tigers alum, who went on to play for Valdosta State University, is now an undrafted free agent in the New Orleans Saints training camp in Metairie, La., preparing for a professional football career. Jones, who has been a quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back, began playing football at age 11 with the North DeKalb Chargers recreational team. He graduated from Tucker High in 2010 and was on the Tucker Tigers Class AAAA State Champion team in 2009. He helped lead the Valdosta State Blazers to the NCAA Division II national championship and finished his college career with 149 receptions for 2,374 yards with 33 touchdowns. During his sophomore year, he earned a second team All-Super Region 2 and first team All-Gulf South Conference honors. In his senior year, he was the VSU State Player with the Gulf Conference Player of the Week and Blazer of the Week Nov. 2, 2013. Jones is one of 17 college free agents vying for a spot on the Saints’ 53-man roster in the fall. He says it has been amazing to train with players he used to watch on television. “It’s been a blessing to be so close to a dream that I have always had,” he said. NFLDraftScout.com rated Jones 79th out of 325 wide receiver prospects and he carried a seventh-round free agent grade. He missed the May 8-10 draft, but right after it ended, his phone started ringing. As a free agent, his mother said he could have gone with the Indianapolis Colts, the Washington Redskins or the Atlanta Falcons but ended up going with the Saints. “It wouldn’t have mattered where he went as long as he was pursuing his dream,” Twinette Jones said. “He loves playing football and he is really good at it.” Jones left for training camp on May 11. Twinette Jones said family and friends who went to all his football games in high

Seantavius Jones, who helped lead the Valdosta State Blazers to the NCAA Division II national championship, is an undrafted free agent in the New Orleans Saints training camp in Metairie, La.

school and college are pleased to see him pursuing his dream. She said they held draft parties at their Lithonia home every day during the three-day draft season last month. “Friends and famTwinette Jones ily came over and we ate, drank and watched the draft on television.” When Seantavius, their youngest of four children, didn’t make the draft, she said her husband told him not to give up. “He told him that it’s not over until it’s over,” she said. “Right after it ended, his phone started to ring.” He broke a 20-year single-game touchdown record with six touchdowns in a game against Delta State on Nov. 2, 2013. That feat, which cemented his place in the GSC record books, also broke the record for most points – 36 – scored in a game by an individual.

Jones said he always knew he wanted to be part of a team. Growing up, the Chicago Bears was his favorite team, but he is happy to be training for the Saints. He said major league training is no different from training camp for college ball, just a little bit more detailed. “I am learning by example,” he said. “If I am doing something wrong, they will come up and set me straight. They are giving me great advice.” Fellow Valdosta State free agent Lawrence Virgil also is in Saints training camp with him. They join four or five other Valdosta alumni who made it to the NFL. Right now, Jones said he is focused on making the roster after preseason games. Football analyst Will Osgood, writing for bleacherreport.com, gives him a B grade. “If the odds were taken right now for the undrafted free-agent wide receiver most likely to make the Saints’ final roster, Jones would not possess the greatest odds but there

is a lot to like about him,” Osgood wrote May 14. “His quickness allows him to blow by defenders. He is raw, but there is a ton of skill just waiting to be tapped. … With a little coaching, Jones could become Marques Colston’s replacement.” Jones’ mother, who went down to Metairie to visit him last week, said they are just so excited for their baby. Jones was also a standout in track and field and was on Tucker’s championship 4X400 relay team. The school established a Track and Field Award in his honor, which all runners strive to achieve each year. Twinette Jones said their traveling team of eight to 10 family and friends plans to be at the first preseason game on Aug. 8 when the Saints play the Rams in St. Louis. They also are expecting family members from her hometown of Springfield, Ill., to drive down. She said Tuesday that it still hasn’t sunk in yet where her son is. “But when he runs out on that field, it will sink in,” she said. Jones, who is 6 feet 3 and tips the scales at 200 pounds, earned the nickname “Stretch” while at Tucker. He said his coach gave it to him because he “was stretching the field” during a game. Because his father was a security officer for apartment complexes when he was growing up, the family moved a lot to live in the complexes where his father was assigned, so Jones played a year with the Stone Mountain Pirates, a year with the Stephenson Jaguars, and two years with the Tucker Tigers. Through it all, he had the unwavering support of family. In addition to his parents, sisters Fanchon and Dashaw and brother Sean, his mother’s co-workers from DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry’s office were always there cheering him on. “All we do is travel,” Twinette Jones said. “We go anywhere he goes. We are there to support our son. With backing from your parents, you can achieve anything. You just have to have a strong support system.” Jones says he is giving the opportunity his best shot. “I’m blessed to be here,” he said. “It’s great to watch and learn from these experienced players.”

CrossRoadsNews

June 21, 2014

Youth

“I’ll be batting somewhere in the middle of the order. They expect me to be a power hitter and drive in a lot of runs.”

Decatur High’s Nic Wilson drafted by Tampa Bay Devil Rays By Ken Watts

City of Decatur native Nic Wilson, who declared at age 3 that he would be a professional baseball player, is now with a minor league team in Princeton, W.Va. He was picked June 14 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 24th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. Wilson, grandson of Elizabeth Wilson, Decatur’s first African-American mayor, and the son of Valarie Wilson, a candidate for state school superintendent and her husband, Carter, is a 1972 graduate of Decatur High. Nic Wilson was the 727th player taken out of 1,215 players in a total of 40 rounds. Some baseball observers thought he would go higher in the draft, considering his spectacular senior season at Georgia State University. But Wilson, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound right-handed power hitter, is happy to be where he is. He signed with the Devil Rays this week and immediately reported to training camp to begin playing for the Princeton Rays in Tampa Bay’s minor league organization. Before heading to a workout with his new club on June 18, Wilson said it’s a dream come true. “As a ballplayer, all you ask for is another chance to advance your career and they’ve given me that,” he said. “I couldn’t be more excited about it and feel very blessed to be where I am.” Wilson, 21, has only five credit hours left to complete his political science degree at GSU. He hopes to finish his studies in the offseason. A first baseman, he made first team AllSun Belt Conference and second team Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball All-America, batting .322. He was fourth in the nation with 18 home runs, the third-highest season total in GSU history. He stands among national collegiate leaders with 20 doubles, 52 RBIs in 56 games, 35 walks (a team high), .683 slugging and a .423 on-base percentage. Before GSU, Wilson played his freshman year at Hofstra before transferring to play one season at Eastern Arizona College, where he earned all-conference honors and posted .326 batting average with 32 RBIs and two home runs.

Nic Wilson, 21, who was picked by Tampa Bay in the 24th round, is playing with the Princeton Rays, a minor league team in Princeton, W.Va.

Wilson’s parents are thrilled with his opportunity. Carter Wilson, one of Georgia’s most respected prep basketball coaches and currently Decatur High’s athletic director, said that he is extremely Carter Wilson proud of his son. “There is not a player in the country that’s worked as hard as Nic has,” he said Tuesday, adding that his son was disappointed that he only hit .247 his junior season and was not selected in the draft in 2013. “Last year, on the last day of the draft, we sat in a restaurant in Sanford, Maine, wondering what he needed to do to get drafted,”

he recalled. “He called his coach and the coach said, ‘You need to hit .320 and hit 18 home runs.’ That was exactly what Nic did with a lot of hard work. You couldn’t ask for more of a fairy-tale ending.” Valarie Wilson, who Valarie Wilson served on the Decatur School Board from 2002 to 2013 and is now in the July 22 Democratic runoff for state school superintendent, said Nic has aimed for a baseball career since he was a 3-year-old tee ball player at Oakhurst Park. “I’m elated,” she said. “My child has worked for that all of his life. So for him to be drafted is like a dream come true.”

The Princeton Rays play in the Appalachian League, classified as a “rookie league” on the second-lowest rung of the minor league ladder. There are five more levels to climb before Nic Wilson can become only the third Decatur High player to reach the majors, but he says he’s ready for the challenge. This week he was focused on helping his club win its June 19 season-opening game against the Bristol Pirates, a Pittsburgh Pirates minor league team. Wilson said he’ll contribute any way he can throughout the season. “I know I’ll be batting somewhere in the middle of the order,” he said. “They expect me to be a power hitter and drive in a lot of runs.”

public notice

Legal Notices 6/7,6/14, 6/21, 6/28

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV5628-7++ Melissa Hamilton filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on May 29, 2014 to change the name of the following minor child from: Che’lynn Malea Cunningham to Che’lynn Malea Hamilton. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the petition was filed. Dated: May 29, 2014 Melissa Hamilton 5009 Galleon Xing Decatur, GA 30035 (310)462-4627 6/14,6/21, 6/28, 7/5

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV5631-7++ Princetta Sumner filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on May 30, 2014, to change the name from: Princetta Edward to Princetta Sumner. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after he Petition was filed. Dated: May 30, 2014 Princetta Sumner Petitioner, Pro se 2670 Kelley Chapel Rd Decatur, Ga 30034 (404) 444-6120

6/14. 6/21, 6/28, 7/5

Notice

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV3591-3++ Hopic S. Long Plaintiff Vs. Kelia D. Willis Defendant By Order of the Court for service by publication dated May 30, 2014 you are

hereby notified that on April 1, 2014 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Legitimization. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Hopic S. Long, 3766 Memorial Drive, Decatur, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of May 30, 2014. Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 2nd day of June, 2014 6/14. 6/21, 6/28, 7/5

Notice

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV5697-4++ Benita Wynn Plaintiff Vs. Nicolas Ngom Defendant 3641 Berry Parkway, Apt 12-B Kennesaw, GA 30249 By Order of the Court for service by publication dated June 4, 2014 you are hereby notified that on _____2014 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against

Candidate Sought for Temporary Appointment to Commission District 5 of DeKalb County

you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Benita Wynn, 2051 Flat Shoals Rd SE, Apt O-10, Atlanta, GA. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of June 4, 2014 Witness the Honorable Gail C. Flake, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 2nd day of June, 2014 6/21, 6/28, 7/5, 7/12

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

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 14CV5631-7++ Yasima Smith filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on June 17, 2014, to change the name from: Yasima Smith to Yasima Anderson. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after he Petition was filed. Dated: June 17, 2014 Yasima Smith Petitioner, Pro se 1491 Kilmuir Way Stone Mountain, Ga 30083 (404) 246-9761

The Governing Authority of DeKalb County seeks a qualified candidate for temporary appointment to serve as Commissioner representing District 5 on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners (the “Candidate”). The Commission primarily functions as a seven (7) member board that is a policy-making or rule-making body. The Commission holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month and regularly holds additional meetings on a weekly basis. The Candidate must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age, a citizen of this state, qualified and eligible to vote and a resident of the geographic area encompassed by District 5 at the time of application for appointment. The Candidate must have been a resident of DeKalb County for at least twelve (12) months prior to appointment and must remain a resident of the geographic area encompassed by District 5 while serving. The Candidate must be eligible for the office and not barred by any disqualification under the law. The term of service for the Candidate will commence upon selection by the Governing Authority and continue until Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis’s suspension is terminated or the need for the Candidate ends, whichever is earlier. The Candidate shall receive compensation for the term of service at the normal salary rate of an elected commissioner. Thorough knowledge of the DeKalb County Government, federal, state and local law, including but not limited to the DeKalb County Code and Code of Ethics is preferred. Strong communication skills, oral and written, and experience in public service is also preferred. Please email your cover letter and resume to district5@ dekalbcountyga.gov by July 3, 2014.

CrossRoadsNews

Scene

June 21, 2014

“It’s very popular. Whenever we perform it, others request it. I have done a lot of musicals and cantata all my life.”

Kwok to discuss latest novel ‘Hallelujah’ at Stonecrest Library By Erica Relaford

ate with honors in English and American literature. Jean Kwok, winner of After graduation, she Woman’s Day Best Books of earned a Master of Fine 2014, will discuss her latest Arts in fiction from Columnovel, “Mambo in Chinabia University. town,” on June 25 at the DeIn between degrees, she catur Library. worked as a professional The talk, part of the Georballroom dancer for Fred Jean Kwok gia Center for the Book’s FesAstaire Studios in New tival of Writers, begins at 7:15 p.m. York City. “Mambo in Chinatown” tells the “Mambo in Chinatown,” which heartwarming story of Charlie Wong, will be published June 25, is Kwok’s a 22-year-old American-born Chinese second novel. woman who lives in New York’s ChinaHer first, “Girl in Translation,” town with her father and young sister. was published in 2010 in 17 counWong worked as a dishwasher and felt tries and was a New York Times best trapped in the dead-end job. When she seller. is offered a new job as a receptionist at a Critics call Kwok’s works captivatballroom dance studio, she must choose ing and superbly written. Blog writer which duties are more important – her Marie Burton gives her five stars. family or her future. “There is something in Jean Kwok, who was born in Hong Kong, Kwok’s writing that sinks under your moved to Brooklyn with her family skin and takes shape as it blooms into when she was 5. They spoke no English something unexplainably beautiful,” and her parents worked in a Chinatown she said June 14 in Burton Book sweatshop for the majority of her child- Review. hood. The library is at 215 Sycamore St. Kwok received early admission to in downtown Decatur. For more inHarvard University, worked four jobs formation, call 404-370-3070 or visit simultaneously, and managed to gradu- www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

Party at Wizard Rock Concert Pop culture fiends and book lovers ages 12 and older can party like rock stars at the June 27 Wizard Rock Concert at the Decatur Library. The event, which kicks off at 6 p.m., is part of the Huffleroit Tour. Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills and Tonks and the Aurors will perform. Fran Dotson, youth services librar-

ian, says teens will sing about popular young adult books like “Hunger Games,” “The Fault in Our Stars” and the Harry Potter series. “It just gives the youth a fun way to enjoy literature and the event is free to the public,” she said. The library is at 215 Sycamore St. For more information, call 404370-3070.

By Erica Relaford

“Hallelujah: In That Great Gettin’ Up Mornin’,” a musical about the hardships faced by AfricanAmericans during slavery, will be showcased at the Stonecrest Library in Lithonia on June 27. A cast of 40 from the Lou Walker Senior Center Performing Arts Group will sing and dance in the two-hour production. It begins at 2 p.m. Gwendolyn Thomas, the writer, director and choreographer, says the four-act musical was first written for a Black History Month performance in 2003 and they perform it all the time. “It’s very popular,” she said. “Whenever we perform it, others request it.” At the Stonecrest Library, they will perform the first two acts. The multi-talented Thomas, who plays the piano, organ and violin, said the musical was inspired by her grandfather, Richard Anderson, who was born a slave.

“He lived to be 109 years old,” she said. She rearranged all the music for the production, her seventh at the center since she became a member in October 2010 after relocating from Los Angeles to be with her daughter and two grandchildren. By December 2010, Thomas, who retired from a career as a paralegal, had formed the Lou Walker Performing Arts Group and was on her first production. “I have done a lot of musicals and cantata all my life,” she said, adding that she has played in church orchestras and produced plays as a hobby. Now a dedicated Lou Walker volunteer, she says “Hallelujah” enlightens the community about the importance of black history and culture and about the Performing Arts Group whose members are 55 to 90. The Stonecrest Library is at 3123 Klondike Road. For more information, call 770-482-3828.

Praise with ‘Polly, Friends, Family’

Rainbow Park fetes pastor on birthday

Music fans can join “Polly, Friends and Family” for a musical tribute of classical, traditional gospel, and show tunes on June 28 at Mount Zion AME Church in Decatur. The fundraiser includes DeKalb Choral Guild members and starts at 5 p.m. Adrienne “Polly” Nelms Hickman, who has been Mount Zion’s minister of music for more than 40 years, has assembled people she has worked with for the concert. “I am blessed by God to have this memorable, precious and unforgettable opportunity to sing with my friends, my church family and my family in a single evening’s performance all while rejoicing in God’s name and presence,” she said. Tickets are $10. The church is at 2977 La Vista Road. Call 404-633-2288.

Church members, family and friends will help the Rev. Steven N. Dial Sr. celebrate his 50th birthday on June 21 at Rainbow Park Baptist Church. Church member Kimberly Jones said there will fellowship and refreshments in honor of Dial, known as the “GED Pastor” for championing literacy Steven Dial Sr. programs for people who did not graduate from high school. The church offers free tutoring, GED, ESOL and adult education classes. Dial has written four books and founded the Rev. Clifton Dial Sr. Scholarship Foundation. The celebration takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. The church is at 2941 Columbia Drive in Decatur. For more information, call 404-288-1910.

One-order, one-invoice, multi-newspaper placement service!

Reach more than 15 million households served by over 1,020 suburban and community newspapers around North America and Canada. 25-word ad starts at $240 weekly. Discount Contact Rates Available. For more information, call 404-284-1888 Autos CASH FOR CARS! Any Make, Model or Year. We Pay MORE! Running or Not. Sell Your Car or Truck TODAY. Free Towing! Instant Offer: 1-888-545-8647 CARS/TRUCKS WANTED! Top $$$$$ PAID! Running or Not, All Makes!. Free Towing! We’re Local! 7 Days/Week. Call 1-800959-8518

Business Opportunity Make Up To $2,000.00+ Per Week! New Credit Card Ready Drink-Snack Vending Machines. Minimum $4K to $40K+ Investment Required. Locations Available. BBB Accredited Business. (800) 962-9189 AVON- Earn extra income with a new career! Sell from home, work,, online. $15 startup. For information call: 888-423-1792 (M-F 9-7 & Sat 9-1 Central)

Education & Training AIRLINE JOBS Start Here-Get Trained as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Housing and job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 844-210-3935

Employment Opportunities HELP WANTED!! Make up to $1000 A Week Mailing Brochures From Home! Helping Home

Workers since 2001! Genuine Opportunity! NO Experience Required! www.needmailers.com VOID IN WI GREAT MONEY FROM HOME! With our FREE Mailer Program. Live Operators On Duty Now 1-800-707-1810 ex 601 or visit www.pacificbrochures.com

Financial Guaranteed Income For Your Retirement Avoid market risk & get guaranteed income in retirement! CALL for FREE copy of our SAFE MONEY GUIDE Plus Annuity Quotes from A-Rated companies! 800-669-5471 PROBLEMS with the IRS or State Taxes? Settle for a fraction of what you owe! Free face to face consultations with offices in your area. Call 855-970-2032 GET CASH NOW for your Annuity or Structured Settlement. Top Dollars Paid. Fast, No Hassle Service! 877-693-0934 (M-F 9:35am-7pm ET)

Health & Fitness CASH for unexpired DIABETIC TEST STRIPS and STOP SMOKING ITEMS! Free Shipping, Friendly Service, BEST prices and 24hr payment! Call today 877 588 8500 or visit www. TestStripSearch.com Espanol 888-440-4001

Canada Drug Center is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90% on all your medication needs. Call today 1-800-4188975, for $10.00 off your first prescription and free shipping.

Control FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1-888-698-8150

Medical Guardian - Top-rated medical alarm and 24/7 medical alert monitoring. For a limited time, get free equipment, no activation fees, no commitment, a 2nd waterproof alert button for free and more - only $29.95 per month. 800-617-2809

One call, does it all! Fast and Reliable Plumbing Repairs. Call 1- 800-796-9218

PELVIC/VAGINAL MESH LAWSUITS: You may be entitled to compensation if you experienced transvaginal mesh implant surgery complications. Call attorney James C. Johnson at 1-855-4844075 or www.jamescjohnsonlaw. com LOSE UP TO 30 POUNDS in 60 Days! Once daily appetite suppressant burns fat and boosts energy for healthy weightloss. 60 day supply - $59.95. Call: 888-628-6051

Appliance Repair - We fix It no matter who you bought it from! 800-934-5107 One call, does it all! Fast and Reliable Electrical Repairs and Installations. Call 1-800-908-8502

Items Wanted TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD ROLEX, PATEK PHILIPPE & CARTIER WATCHES! DAYTONA, SUBMARINER, GMT-MASTER, EXPLORER, MILGAUSS, DAY DATE, etc. 1-800-401-0440 TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920’s thru 1980’s. Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg, and Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. 1-800-401-0440

Home Improvement

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED! Top $$$$$ PAID! Running or Not, All Makes!. Free Towing! We’re Local! 7 Days/Week. Call 1-800905-8332

All Things Basementy! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing ? Finishing ? Structural Repairs ? Humidity and Mold

Get a complete Satellite System installed at NO COST! FREE HD/ DVR Upgrade. As low as $19.99/ mo. Call for details 877-388-8575

Misc. For Sale

KILL ROACHES! Buy Harris Roach Tablets. Eliminate BugsGuaranteed. No Mess, Odorless, Long Lasting. Available at Ace Hardware & The Home Depot. KILL BED BUGS & THEIR EGGS! Buy Harris Bed Bug Killer Complete Treatment Program or Kit. Available: Hardware Stores, Buy Online: homedepot.com DIRECTV starting at $24.95/mo. Free 3-Months of HBO, starz, SHOWTIME & CINEMAX FREE RECEIVER Upgrade! 2014 NFL Sunday Ticket Included with Select Packages. Some exclusions apply - Call for details 1-800-8974169

Miscellaneous My Computer Works. Computer problems? Viruses, spyware,

email, printer issues, bad internet connections - FIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help. 1-800-681-3250 Advertise your product or service nationwide or by region in over 7 million households in North America’s best suburbs! Place your classified ad in over 570 suburban newspapers just like this one. Call Classified Avenue at 888-486-2466 DISH TV Retailer. Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available.) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 800-2781401 DirectTV - 2 Year Savings Event! Over 140 channels only $29.99 a month. Only DirecTV gives you 2 YEARS of savings and a FREE Genie upgrade! Call 1-800-2793018 Protect Your Home - ADT Authorized Dealer: Burglary, Fire, and Emergency Alerts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! CALL TODAY, INSTALLED TOMORROW! 888-858-9457 (M-F 9am-9pm ET)

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

CrossRoadsNews

June 21, 2014

Scene

“It’s a touching, long-overdue tribute to these men whose modesty appears ill-placed when their roster of hits tumbles down the screen.” The Second Street Children’s Festival and Community Concert features the Georgia Brass Band.

Funk Brothers impact on Motown The story of the Funk Brothers, who backed up many of Motown’s greatest hits between 1959 and 1972, will be screened June 27 in the documentary “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” at the Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library in Decatur. The two-hour film, released in 2002, explores the lives of the unknown and largely unheralded musicians who helped shaped the sound of Motown music over 14 years. The lowly session men, recruited from the ranks of the Deep South’s blues and jazz musicians, supplied the sound for the songs of Motown. The string of No. 1 hits on which they worked included “My Girl,” “Baby Love,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and “Dancing in the Streets.” They sang background on more hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and Elvis Presley combined. That feat was largely unheralded until 41 years later in 2000 when they were reunited in Detroit. “Standing in the Shadows of Motown,” directed by Paul Justman, tells their saga through archival footage, still photos, narration, interviews, re-creation scenes, 20 Motown master tracks, and 12 new live performances of Motown classics with the Funk Brothers backing up Chaka Khan, Ben Harper, Bootsy Collins, Montell Jordan, Meshell Ndegeocello, Joan Osborne, and Gerald Levert. Critics say Justman’s revelatory documentary is a long-overdue celebration of unsung musical heroes whose backing gave Motown and its stars their unique appeal. While Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, the Supremes and Stevie Wonder were

Kids fest, concert in Stone Mountain African drumming and old-time entertainment, including storytelling, sack races and musical chairs, will abound at the Second Street Children’s Festival and Community Concert on June 28 in Stone Mountain Village. The festival, which begins at 5 p.m., and a patriotic concert at 7 p.m. are part of Stone Mountain’s 175th anniversary celebration. The festivities take place at Second Street between East Mountain Street and Manor Drive. Children can bring their bikes to decorate for a Bike Parade, and local vendors will offer light snacks and drinks. Mary Beth Reed, chair of the anniversary organizing committee, said members wanted to bring some history into the mix and focus on activities that children might have been doing in the village in the past. At 7 p.m., a Bike Parade will lead children and families to the Pavilion for musical entertainment by the Georgia Brass Band and a choir drawn from Bethsaida Baptist Church, Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Stone Mountain First Baptist Church, Stone Mountain First United Methodist, St. Michaels & All Angels Episcopal Church, and St. Paul AME Worship Center. Jack Sartain, who is directing the community choir, said everyone is invited to celebrate the city’s milestone. “Bring a picnic, spread out a blanket and enjoy an evening of music in the village,” he said. For more information, visit www.stonemountainvillage.com or call 678357-5202.

“Standing in the Shadows of Motown” screens on June 27 at the Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library.

household names, no one had heard of the likes of Richard “Pistol” Allen, Eddie “Bongo” Brown, bassist extraordinaire James Jamerson, and white guitarist Bob Babbit. Surviving brothers reminisce about what it was like to play on million-selling records but have to augment sessions with gigs to make ends meet. Tim Evans, writing for Sky Movies, said the cheerful, down-to-earth bunch comes across as a tightknit family cutting across racial divides. “It’s a gentle, touching, long-overdue tribute to these men, whose modesty appears ill-placed when their roster of hits tumbles down the screen in the closing credits,” he said. The screening starts at 1:30 p.m. The library is at 1282 McConnell Drive. For more information, visit www.dekalblibrary.org or call 404-679-4404.

MARKETPLACE RATES

Marketplace HELP WANTED Drivers: Local/Regional/OTR. New Enhanced Pay, Package Based on Exp. Excellent Benefits. Consistent Miles. Daily/Weekly/ Bi-Weekly Hometime. CDL-A 1yr OTR exp 855-842-8498 Drivers: 2015 Petes 579! Solos $.48/Mile! O/O’s $1.50-$3/Mi.

Dedicated Runs! Elmira, NY to Allentown, PA+. Macon to Allentown+. 25yoa; CDL-A, 3yrs recent exp. 855-203-7044 Drivers: Local/Regional/OTR. New Enhanced Pay, Package Based on Exp. Excellent Benefits. Consistent Miles. Daily/Weekly/ Bi-Weekly Hometime. CDL-A 1yr OTR exp. 855-842-8498

attorneys

financial

School Law Attorney Representing Teachers

The Law Office of B.A. Thomas, LLC 404-525-6902 www.TheTeachersLawyer.com

Swimming in Debt? Eliminate that debt!

Free no-obligation analysis shows you how. Schedule Your Free Life-Transforming Analysis Today! Call

1-888-473-7775, ext. 1

arts

Earth Canvas Painting

HOME SERVICES New Carpet $200.00 per room (includes carpet, padding & installation). Carpet cleaning 5 rooms $100.00 (Free pre-treat & deodorizing). Visit our showroom inside 285 Flea Market. Blue Bubble Home Services, www.bluebubbleservices.com. 404-286-3945.

insurance

We Furnish the Art Supplies; You Supply the Fun!

CLASSES FOR AGES 4 TO ADULT • Special Events • Birthday Parties • Family Gatherings • Girls Night Out • Date Night

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice of Abandoned Motor Vehicle: Silver 2005 Chrysler Town & Country UN. VIN No. 2C8GP44R25R217779. The above automobile was abandoned at 4649 Red brand Dr, Decatur, GA 30035. In Possession Ms. Griffin. Phone # 404-707-1065. The vehicle is deemed abandoned under O.C.G.A.40-11-2

Call 770-771-9749 to reserve an art session! 4810 Flat Shoals Parkway Decatur, GA 30034 www.earthcanvaspainting.com

fabrics / upholstery

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.

FABRIC

Providing Insurance & Financial Services

LIFE INSURANCE • Universal Life • Whole Life • Term Life • Final Expense AUTO • HOME • COMMERCIAL MOTORCYCLE

Terri Cade-Hill State Farm Agent Since 1992

Cade-Hill Insurance Agency Inc. 628 Moreland Avenue, SE Atlanta, GA 30316-3850 www.terricadehill.com 404-663-8426 (m) • 404-622-0551 (o)

Your Source for Neighborhood News

DISCOUNT FABRICS & UPHOLSTERY

Call 404-284-1888 for Advertising Rates & Information

attorneys

phone service / repair

JHC

GRAND OPENING!!!

DeeKnowsPhones.com

Johnson Hopewell Coleman, LLC

LOW COST PHONE REPAIRS

“EXPERIENCED LAWYERS, EXPERIENCED MINDS”

REPAIRS STARTING AT $30 3372 MEMORIAL DRIVE SE DECATUR, GA 30032 ERE BELVED

LER

ALSTON DRIVE SE

GLENWOOD ROAD

Bankruptcy • Personal Injury & Workers Comp • Family Law/Divorce/Custody Wills/Probate/Trusts • Criminal Defense • Corporate & Business Law

4153 Flat Shoals Parkway | Bldg C Suite 322 | Decatur, GA 30034

P:404.289.2244 F:404.289.2888 www.bjhlawyers.com

PLAZA

FREE

FABRIC WITH UPHOLSTERY

OFFER OFFER EXPIRES EXPIRES03/31/14 5/31/14

WE HAVE MOVED TO A BIGGER AND BETTER LOCATION! ADDRESS : 3372 MEMORIAL DRIVE DECATUR, GA 30032 PHONE : (404) 284-1543 • (404) 966-8320 HOURS : MONDAY - SATURDAY 10AM - 6PM E-MAIL : FABRICJOINT@GMAIL.COM WEBSITE : FABRICJOINT.COM

• SCREEN REPAIR • JAILBREAKING • BUY • COLOR CHANGE • ACCESSORIES

• UNLOCKING • WATER DAMAGE • SELL • PHONE FLASHING

5754 Covington Hwy. Decatur, GA 30035 Located INSIDE the Citgo Gas Station CALL OR TEXT 404 939-7792 Find Us on Instagram

CrossRoadsNews

June 21, 2014