CrossRoadsNews, June 23, 2018 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COMMUNITY

PEOPLE

Twelve graduates of the most recent DeKalb Police Academy were sworn in on June 15, bringing the total force to 701. 4

Columbia High graduate Kathy Brown reached a major milestone when she obtained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. 7

One dozen new badges

Worthy of salute

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

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

June 23, 2018

Volume 24, Number 8

www.crossroadsnews.com

BOC violated Open Meetings Act, could face criminal action By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr says misdemeanor criminal action could be brought against DeKalb commissioners for the manner in which they voted themselves a 59.4 percent pay raise on Feb. 27. In a June 20 letter to DeKalb County Attorney Viviane Ernstes, the attorney general said commissioners did not follow the letter or the spirit of the law when they voted 6-1 to increase their base part-time salary by $24,107 to $64,637. “The board’s failure to include their salary increase on the meeting agenda in advance of the meeting not only frustrated the purposes of the Open Meetings Act,” Carr wrote, “it violated the Act’s requirement that ‘all matters expected to come before [the] agency’ should be included

when they are open and available to review by a public with actual notice of the government’s intended course,” he said. Carr was responding to a May 24 letter in which Ernstes defended the BOC’s vote, in response to inquiries from Carr that were prompted by a March 6 complaint filed by Lithonia resident Ed Williams. Ernstes said that leading up to the Feb. 17 meeting, Christopher Carr, Georgia Attorney General the BOC placed a legal notice on Feb 8, 15 and 22 stating that the financial impact of the raise would be an extra $229,660 annually, but that it didn’t put the vote on the in the agenda.” Carr said that while there are some circumstances where the agenda because it thought the General Assembly would modification of an agenda during a meeting may be appropriate, give it the raise. When state legislators didn’t, she said the BOC mema public official is also a trustee of the people and must be judicious in the exercise of his or her privileges and authority. “Matters that involve issues of public concern are best decided Please see MEETINGS, page 2

“The actions of the Board of Commissioners in this instance fell short of the obligations imposed by the Open Meetings Act which are designed to ensure that the public’s trust in its elected officials is not misplaced as they carry out the people’s business.”

Early Childhood Academy for 3-year-olds offered Free program at Terry Mill limited to 200 children

DeKalb Schools Superintendent Dr. R. Stephen Green works on one of the puzzles that 3-year-old students will assemble at the Early Childhood Academy at Terry Mill starting June 21. He says the academy, launched at a cost of $4.3 million, is starting at age 3 because studies show that children who start school earlier are more prepared and perform better.

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

This fall, 200 3-year-olds will attend DeKalb County School District’s new Early Learning Academy at Terry Mill at no cost to their families. The one-of-a-kind academy will serve children who are potty-trained, and whose parents can take them to and from the school at 797 Fayetteville Road N.E. in Atlanta. Enrollment is open on a first-come, firstserved basis to parents who can provide their own transportation. The academy is a first in DeKalb County, and fulfills a dream that Superintendent Dr. R. Stephen Green has had since he came to the district in 2015. Green called it “a new concept community school” that will meet children where they are. “This will be a home and haven for our youngest students,” said Green, who operated three similar regional academies when he led the Kansas City Public School District. DeKalb School District is launching the early learning academy at a cost of $4.3 million – $2.4 million from SPLOST funds to renovate the buildings to accommodate the pint-sized students, and $1.9 million for staffing and materials. The $1.9 million is earmarked in the proposed 2018-2019 budget that the school board is expected to adopt on June 26. On a June 21 media tour of the building, Green said the academy will provide a foundation to develop skills – hands-on learning, social and emotional development, and creative experience – that children need as they grow. Best of all, the academy will be free to the children lucky enough to get a slot. The Early Learning Academy at Terry Mill is being funded entirely by the DCSD. The building is the former home of Terry

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Mill Elementary, the DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts and the Barack H. Obama Magnet. Renovations that are currently underway at the school include installing child-size toilets, lowering bathroom sinks, and furnishing the classrooms with brightly colored mats, beanbag cushions, and tables and chairs sized for small children. Green said students will be exposed to all types of learning at the academy, which he believes to be a first for 3-year-olds operated by a Georgia school district. “There will be the auditory learning,” he said. “Some children learn by touching. Some are visual learners. Some like to touch. We will do it all.” State-sponsored pre-K, funded by the Georgia Lottery, starts at age 4. In 1992, when Georgia launched it, it was nation’s first state-funded universal preschool program. It now enrolls 60 percent of the state’s 4-yearolds, according to the 2016 State of Preschool

Yearbook released by the National Institute for Early Education Research. For the 2017-2018 school year, DCSD served 2,274 pre-K students. Green said the school district is starting at age 3 because studies show that children who start school earlier are more prepared and perform better. “The research is very clear that the earlier you can start them along the journey with quality social and emotional care and academics and have a nice blend of that, students have a greater chance of success as they move through the later years,” he said. The district will also offer wrap-around services to support parents facing economic and other challenges. Green said partners like the Atlanta Food Bank, the YMCA and Big Brothers/Big Sisters will have satellite offices on the premises to serve the families of the students. “We see that it is important to build an entire village around children as they are be-

ing educated and to bring support services, not only to students but to the entire family,” Green said. “Instead of going across town, they will be able to walk down the hall to get what they need.” Academy students will attend the school for two years before transitioning to pre-K at their neighborhood school. Dr. Zack Phillips, the district’s Early Childhood coordinator, said the academy will have 14 classrooms and a 2-to-14 teacher-student ratio. He said all teachers will be certified. Students will attend classes 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Afterschool programs will also be offered. For parents who don’t drive, the academy is about half a mile from MARTA Bus Route 107, which stops on Glenwood Road. Philips said the children will be exposed Please see ACADEMY, page 6

Community

CrossRoadsNews

June 23, 2018

“Property values are rising, homeowner taxes are decreasing and the county is poised to make critical investments.”

South DeKalb gets smallest tax break from EHOST, SPLOST For the next six years, DeKalb County homeowners will get an estimated $110 million annually in property tax relief – but unincorporated DeKalb, Stonecrest and Tucker will get the smallest breaks. The $660 million tax cut, which results from the passage of M. Thurmond the Equalized Homestead Option Sales Tax (EHOST) and the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) in November 2017, is generating tax breaks ranging from 11.7 percent

in South DeKalb to 67.2 percent in Atlanta. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond calls the tax breaks “a rare moment in local governance.” “We are experiencing a harmonic convergence in DeKalb,” he said. “Property values are rising, homeowner taxes are decreasing and the county is poised to make critical investments that will improve our roads, streets, public safety and other infrastructure.” In 2018, the gross tax digest of all taxable property in DeKalb County grew 10.7 percent to $31.3 billion, up from $28.3 billion in 2017. Despite the growth in property values, the county says the application of EHOST tax credits will generate lower property taxes for DeKalb

Town hall to discuss SPLOST, more Stonecrest residents can bone up on a number of important issues at Councilman Rob Turner’s June 28 town hall meeting at the Lou Walker Senior Center. Turner, who represents District 2, will discuss the city’s SPLOST projects, comprehensive plan, neighborhood cleanup,

and film commission. The meeting takes place 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served. The Lou Walker Center is at 2538 Panola Road. For more information, call 470-3818555.

Forum to discuss Hands-Free law The state’s new Hands-Free Georgia Act goes into effect July 1, and motorists and others can learn all of the details at a June 27 forum hosted by Rep. Doreen Carter. The “Getting a Grip on House Bill 673: Everything You Need to Get a Handle on the Hands-Free Law” meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Springfield Baptist Church in Conyers. The law, which passed during the 2018

legislative session, bans motorists from driving with cell phones in their hands, among other things. Carter, DeKalb State Court Judge Ronald Ramsey, and a representative from Georgia’s Public Information Office will provide information about the law and outline what will be allowed and what is prohibited. The church is at 1877 Iris Drive S.E. For more information, email doreen. carter@house.ga.gov or call 404-656-0220.

Estimated Tax Bill for $250,000 Home 2017 County 2018 County Tax Due Tax Due Atlanta $525 $172 Avondale Estates $709 $426 Brookhaven $719 $449 Chamblee $686 $409 Clarkston $719 $460 Decatur $530 $180 Doraville $682 $403 Dunwoody $719 $449 Lithonia $727 $472 Pine Lake $732 $480 Stone Mountain $689 $414 Unincorporated/ Stonecrest/Tucker $1,103 $974 Source: DeKalb County Finance Department

homeowners. The county’s estimate of tax savings for DeKalb homeowners by jurisdiction – based on a $250,000 appraised value of a house – shows that South DeKalb homeowners will pay $129 less. In Atlanta, that homeowner pays $353 less in taxes, and in Decatur, $350 less. Avondale Estates, Stone Mountain, Chamblee and Doraville get 40 percent tax savings, and Brookhaven, Clarkston, Dunwoody, Lithonia and Pine Lake net tax cuts of 34.5 to 37.5 percent. DeKalb’s SPLOST is expected to gener-

Tax Cut $(353) $(283) $(270) $(227) $(259) $(350) $(279) $(270) $(255) $(252) $(275)

Percentage Tax Cut -67.2% -39.9% -37.5% -40.4% -36.1% -66.1% -40.9% -37.5% -35.1% -34.5% -40.0%

$(129)

-11.7%

ate $388 million over six years for capital improvements in unincorporated areas. Municipalities, based on population, will share an additional $249 million for capital projects within their jurisdictions. By law, 85 percent of SPLOST funds must be allocated to transportation and public safety projects. Projects for unincorporated DeKalb include resurfacing 300 miles of roads, replacing and repairing 29 fire stations, buying new vehicles for police and fire, designing a new pubic safety training center, and making repairs to parks, libraries, senior centers, health centers and the courthouse.

Violation may be a misdemeanor MEETINGS,

from page

bers, who currently make $40,530, did not want to miss the last opportunity to pass the raise this year. The raise takes effect set on Jan. 1, 2019. In his complaint, Williams alleged that commissioners violated the Open Meetings Act when they voted for the pay increase without placing it on their Feb. 27 agenda, as Ed Williams required by law. They also voted for the pay raise without discussion or public input. Even though a 90-day deadline to challenge the BOC action in Superior Court has passed, Carr said the Open Meetings Act also provides for misdemeanor criminal action for violations and a fine of up to $1,000 against persons “who knowingly and willfully conduct or participate in a meeting that is in violation of the Act.” “It would be an issue for the local pros-

ecuting authorities to determine whether to proceed in a criminal action to determine whether there has been a knowing and willful violation by members of the commission,” he wrote. DeKalb Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling, who persecute misdemeanors, said June 21 that she will thoroughly review the information and decide if any further action is needed. “I believe in transparency and I am committed to do what is best for the citizens of DeKalb County,” she said. Williams said June 20 that he is “going to insist” that the BOC’s compensation ordinance be rescinded. “I also plan to file a Writ of Mandamus with Superior Court on the Constitutionality of the Ordinance and ask that the DeKalb County Ethics Board find the BOC in violation of the Open Meetings Law, and their oaths of office for their violating the Georgia Constitution,” he said. “The Georgia Constitution specifically excludes a county governing authority from being able to increase their compensation.”

June 23, 2018

CrossRoadsNews

Community

June 23, 2018

“It was mentally and physically challenging. They pretty much broke us down and built us back up.”

12 new officers graduate DeKalb Police Academy One dozen graduates who took the oath of office on June 15 will soon take their place among the county’s force of 701 sworn officers.

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

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Staff Writer Jennifer Ffrench Parker Editorial Interns Rosie Manins Bryce Etheridge 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. Advertisements are published upon the representation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject matter of such advertisements, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

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By Bryce Ethridge

Mischma Pierre wanted to be a police officer since he was a child. He got that chance in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, but it wasn’t enough. He needed a bigger city, a bigger department, and more people to interact with, so he relocated to DeKalb County and enrolled in its 26-week training program. Pierre is one of 12 new officers who took the oath of office at their June 15 graduation promising to uphold the constitution, both state and national, and to protect and serve the county. After eight to 12 weeks of field training, they will take their place among the county’s force of 701 sworn officers. DeKalb Police officers start at $39,295 to $41,261 depending on whether they have a high school diploma or a college degree. They top out at $72,739 a year. Pierre said it was good to achieve the graduation milestone. Not everyone did; 15 recruits started the training on Dec. 18.

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“We – me and my classmates – worked really hard to get to this moment,” he said. “We knew the end goal, so that right there, to this day, we kept pushing forward.” During field training, the newly minted officers will put into practice all the things they learned. Academy instructor and Master Police Officer Tracy Rucker said the recruits were tested both mentally and physically on a daily basis. “Everything that they’re getting ready to face out here in the world – the county – they’ve been prepared for it,” he said. From 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, recruits underwent rigorous physical and firearms training. They also attended classes on Georgia criminal laws which they will enforce, and learned patrol techniques and arrest procedures. At the end, Pierre’s classmates voted him the Spirit of the Class award. Although he never served in the military, Pierre said the training was almost like basic training. “It was mentally and physically challenging,” he said. “They pretty much broke us down and

built us back up.” Classmate Monica Panosian, who got the Instructor’s Choice Award for her “can do” attitude, was one of three females who started the academy, but the only one to graduate. She drove an hour every morning from Milton to the academy, near the Lithonia Precinct in the city of Lithonia. Panosian said it is empowering to complete the training. “I of course wanted my other female cohorts to come with me, but I’m just glad at least one of us made it,” she said. Her parents, Lee and Pam Panosian, who were among families cheering for their graduates, were full of pride. “Going it alone without a peer group, it really tests you,” her father said. “But she never complained once.” The three other top awards went to Miles White who got the Firearms Award for his shooting prowess; Nathan Jones received the Academic Award, and Chandler Lane received the Fraternal Order of Police Leadership Award.

Casting the press as the enemy is a strategy long brandished by creative American politicians.

Fake news proponents undermine the idea of democracy By James A. Mallory

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Once an easily dismissed phrase, “fake news” is now embedded in our public discourse. It is a political weapon whose repetitive use chips away at a foundation stone of our democracy – a free and independent press. Our democracy needs free and independent news media. Not just in Washington, but on the state and local level, too. This includes weekly newspapers and magazines, which, albeit with less frequency than daily media, can provide thorough and objective local news reporting. Such media are in a position to fill a void created by financially challenged daily news outlets operating with fewer staff. But local media also must stay vigilant and trustworthy, watching for those who would insist they march to a specific agenda. In just a year, “fake news” has become the prevailing defense for politicians under scrutiny in the United States and around the world. To spin the news in their favor, they utilize deceptions including false equivalencies, alternative facts and, in some instances, outright lies. These actions are contrary to the idea of American democracy, which embraces the idea of a press independent of political influence. In our current political climate, traditional media are labeled the enemy for political and ideological expediency. Any story published

or broadcasted that is seen as contrary to the interest of the current administration is tagged “fake news.” Manufactured news is a problem, thanks in part to today’s extreme political ideologists and foreign adversaries, but that is a difJames Mallory ferent animal. Charging “fake news” at every opportunity gives the phrase legitimacy through repetition and power of suggestion, sows fear and plays to the myopic political views of people who want only information that confirms their own biases. The ploy to paint the news media as the enemy of democracy is working. A recent poll by Politico/Morning Consult revealed that 46 percent of voters believe the media make up stories about the president and his administration. Thirty-seven percent believe the media do not fabricate the news and 17 percent are uncertain. In November, a major retailer removed from its shelves a t-shirt that said, “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required.” These attacks are not just turning people against the news media. The onslaught against news organizations may also cause others to tune out of the political process. They don’t know who or what to believe. That poses a major problem for local communities, where newsroom staff cuts have left fewer watchdogs looking out for the public good. Independent local media is how we will remain well-informed about school board she-

nanigans, efforts by officials to push through a new development or an elected official’s malfeasance. And remember, the First Amendment allows you to be a part of the news and information process, too, by expressing opinions, raising questions and letting politicians know you are paying attention. Casting the press as the enemy is a strategy long brandished by creative American politicians. Georgia political lore has it that Depression-era Gov. Eugene Talmadge would hire men to sit in trees during speeches and holler down to him, “Tell us about those lying Atlanta newspapers.” We are far removed from the days when a Depression-era segregationist tromped through the rural South using the big city newspaper as his enemy. Today, the leader of the free world uses his social media megaphone as shield and sword to thwart accurate and thoroughly reported accounts of his administration. Worldwide, people envy the freedoms granted by the First Amendment. Many try to mimic us at great cost. Globally, 42 journalists were killed – many of them murdered – and 262 imprisoned in 2017, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Americans who care about a free and open democracy should embrace and defend the First Amendment with the same fervor as do supporters of the Second. James A. Mallory is a former senior managing editor of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, where he worked for nearly 25 years. This column first appeared in the February issue of Hilton Head Monthly. It is reprinted here with permission.

June 23, 2018

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June 23, 2018

“Class sizes are still too big. Thirty-eight in one classroom and two adults – that’s too many.

DeKalb Schools to vote on proposed $1.8 billion budget

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

The DeKalb School Board is set to vote on the school district’s proposed $1.832 billion budget for the 2019 Fiscal Year on June 26. The budget, which includes $1.092 billion for the General Fund, includes $2.077 million for an early childhood learning center at Terry Mill Elementary School that will serve 200 3-year-old children in prekindergarten education; $6.5 million for new textbooks; $3.5 million for summer school; $1.5 million to put a school nurse at every middle and high school; and $860,000 to hire 10 new school resource officers and a new sergeant. The budget also earmarked $3 million to create two new district regions. The meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., takes place at the district headquarters in Stone Mountain. DCSD says the proposed budget focuses financial resources toward transportation; an increase in school resource officers; new textbooks; a new early childhood learning center; and two new administrative regions, among other items. The School Board will also consider approval of the Fiscal Year 2019 final millage rate, which has not yet been finalized. Under the district’s latest proposal, the millage rate will increase by 9.51 percentage points over the rollback millage rate and is expected to remain at 23.28 Mills. Willie Pringle, who lives in Decatur, was one of the residents who lined up to comment at the June 11 budget hearing. He told board members that the district continues to tax residents but tthings are not getting any better. “The school system is really about money,” said Pringle, a Restore DeKalb member and 35-year DeKalb resident. “It’s not about

DeKalb County School District bus drivers stand for better pay, working conditions and retirement benefits during a DeKalb Board of Education meeting in Stone Mountain on May 14.

Rosie Manins/CrossRoadsNews

educating our children, but I’ll tell you, we as taxpayers have to make y’all start being accountable and be responsible. That’s by voting y’all off.” Joel Edwards, another Restore DeKalb member, said the district is not accountable to taxpayers and that if his taxes keep going up, he’s going to have to leave DeKalb County. “I can’t afford to stay in this county where everybody keeps asking for half a cent sales tax, one cent sales tax, SPLOST here, SPLOST there. I mean when does it end?” Edwards said. “When does it end?” The third and final millage rate hearing is set for 6:15 p.m. on June 26. Since 2013, total school taxes levied has increased from $384.8 million to the proposed $554.9 million for the 2018-2019

school budget. Last year, the district levied $498.8 million in taxes. If approved, taxes will increase by $56 million or 11. 24 percent. Other highlights of the proposed budget include an increase to $541,539 for the School Board members, up from $320,178 in 2016. School bus drivers who pressed for better pay and benefits with a three-day sickout April 19-23 are earmarked to get $35.5 million, an increase of $306,981 from the 2018 budget. More than 400 of the district’s 900-plus bus drivers participated in the sickout that stranded hundreds of students at bus stops for up to 90 minutes and caused classes to start late. At the School Board’s June 11 public hearing into the budget, Daniel Sobczak, who teaches social studies at Southwest DeKalb

High School, implored the school board members to add more teachers and reduce class size. “Class sizes are still too big,” Sobczak said. “Thirty-eight in one classroom and two adults – that’s too many. I think the fire marshal may have something to say about that, too. We need to make sure we have enough teachers and not just look at across-the-board averages. It’s not fair to our students to be putting that many children into one class where the teacher doesn’t have the opportunity to really reach the needs of every student.” The district said the final budget could be amended between now and June 26. To view the budget, visit www.dekalbschoolsga.org/superintendent/budget/. – Bryce Ethridge contributed to this report.

Registration open for eligible students Summer After Dark Basketball ACADEMY,

from page

STEMS and coding, and in their second year, to a foreign language. By then, he said, the academy will be serving both 3- and 4-year-old students. “The return on investment will be powerful,” said Philips, a former Zack Phillips teacher, principal, and adjunct college professor. He has been with the school district for more than 10 years and will be academy’s director. Philips said that enrollment, which began June 21, will end when they reach 200 students. Others will go on a waiting list. Parents with eligible students can register at www.dekalbschoolsga.org/onlineregistration. Green said he anticipates that the academy “will be in high demand.” He said he is already thinking about replicating it across the county. Vincent Dallas, who has a 3-year-old son,

heard about the academy and was at the school on June 21 seeking to enroll him in the program. “My son is so smart he should be in school,” said Dallas, who heard about the academy from the principal at Oak Grove Elementary School where he works. Dallas said it will be a big savings for him if his son gets a spot. “I am paying $120 a week for daycare,” he said. While the school district is footing all the start-up costs, Green said they are seeking grants to help with funding and will be recruiting more partners. “Our doors are open to grand opportunity, and also to sponsors,” he said. “We may invite corporate sponsors to help us, philanthropic organizations that want to join and help us expand this model.” Green said the early learning academy is a proven model of success and that he wants to replicate it as quickly as they can. “But at the same time, we have limited resources,” he said. “If we want to see it accelerate, we are going to need help.”

League seeking teen players Teens can participate in Clarkston’s Summer After Dark Basketball League starting June 26. The free league is open to youth ages 14 to 19. It takes place Tuesdays and Thursdays until Aug. 2 and is co-sponsored by DeKalb Police Athletic League and Clarkston First Baptist Church. Clarkston City Manager Keith Barker said the summer league allows the city to check off several boxes on its civic and community engagement goals and objectives. “The city gets to exKeith Barker pand our partnership with Clarkston First Baptist Church, and to partner, for the first time, with PALs, a national organization that already has the infrastructure, experience and abilities to implement and manage this program and league,” Barker said. “We, the city, get to provide additional recreational offerings and lastly, but more importantly, the city continues its efforts to prevent youth violence.” League games will take place in Clarkston First Baptist Church Gym, 3999 Church St.

Game nights include mandatory Life Skills Workshops at 9 p.m., and participants will also learn about local employment opportunities. DeKalb Police Detective Khary Ricketts, program manager and coordinator for PALs Plus, said that attendance and participation in the workshops is mandatory. “During these workshops, each participate will learn from subject matter experts about a variety of topics, including anti-gang awareness, drugs and violence causes and consequences, that Khary Ricketts they will hopefully carry with them throughout the course of their lives,” Ricketts said. “It’s simple; if they don’t attend, they don’t play.” To participate, teens can just show up on Tuesdays and Thursday at 9 p.m. To register and for more information, contact Ricketts at kkricketts@dekalbcountyga.gov or 404-664-1225; or Terry Sanders at tsanders@cityofclarkston.com or 470244-5355.

NAACP Youth Council seeks members Young people interested in joining the DeKalb NAACP can attend the chapter’s Youth Council meeting on June 24 in Decatur. The meeting is open to youth 18 years and younger who are in middle and high school. It starts at 5 p.m. at 2624 Rainbow Creek Drive. The NAACP Youth Council, created in 1935 by Juanita E. Jackson, seeks to develop intelligent and effective youth leadership. Its mission is to inform young people

about the problems affecting African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; to advance their economic, educational, social and political status; and to stimulate an appreciation of the African Diaspora and other people of color’s contribution to civilization. Teresa Hardy, the DeKalb NAACP president, said adults who know young people who can benefit from membership should encourage them to attend and to contact the chapter at 404 241-8006.

June 23, 2018

People

CrossRoadsNews

“I stand here today only by God’s grace and his direction for my life. I am humbled and grateful for this mighty blessing.”

Columbia High graduate is now a colonel in the U.S. Army

By Bryce Ethridge

Twenty-six years ago, Kathy Brown left Columbia High School anxious to make her mark on the world. Today, the Class of 1992 graduate is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. From her high school’s Junior ROTC, Brown went to West Point Military Academy in New York on the nomination of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, blazing a trail that led to master of arts, master of business administration, and master of science degrees from Webster, Temple, and the National Defense universities. She is also a certified project management professional. During her June 16 Promotion Ceremony at the Mary Gay House in Decatur, her former school district was so proud that it proclaimed the day “Kathy Willis Brown Day in DeKalb County.” Brown, whose new rank places her one level below general, told her parents Preston and Mildred Willis, her sister, Adrienne, supporters and former teachers in attendance, that all promotions and direction in life comes from God. “I stand here today only by God’s grace and his direction for my life,” she said. “I am humbled and grateful for this mighty blessing which is his proclamation of more to do in the future.” Throughout her impressive military career, Brown, who is the army’s International Programs manager, has led a multidisciplinary office of acquisition and engineering professionals, managing a budget of $564 million and leading research and development efforts. Her awards and decorations include the Army Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal and Army Service and Overseas Service ribbons. Brown also challenged Columbia High School Junior ROTC Cadets following in her footsteps. “You are the next generation to lead,” she said in her acknowledgements. “Make us all proud in the future.” In her new role, Brown will implement bilateral agreements between the United States and foreign countries; help the generals, whom she calls “strategic thinkers,” to make decisions; and set goals for the organization’s strategic missions. Brown said she wants to make situations better. “Promotions are not about me,” said Brown, who lives in Gainesville, Va., with her husband, Col. Eric L. Brown, and their children Elyssia and Keric. “It’s about the person that comes after me.” Eric Brown believes his wife is the first black female West Pointer from Georgia to make the rank of full colonel. “She’ll probably make general,” said Brown, who is chief of the Army’s Force Protection Division, Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-8

Class of 1992 graduate Kathy Brown, who received her new rank during a Promotion Ceremony on June 16, encouraged current Junior ROTC students to follow their dreams. “You are the next generation to lead,” she said. “Make us all proud in the future.”

Bryce Ethridge / CrossRoadsNews

at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. “She definitely deserves it.” District 7 School Board member Dr. Joyce Morley and DCSD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Vasanne Tinsley witnessed the ceremony. Tinsley said Brown’s accomplishments are “huge.” Morley said Brown’s achievement is the district’s good work coming to pass. “This is exactly the motivational story that our young ladies need to see,” she said. Brown’s journey up the military ranks was not easy. In fact, it was a lonely path because there are still not many women who make it up the ladder. “There are some things you just can’t talk to a man about,” she said. “And also too, men connect with men differently than how they connect with women.” Brown recalled going to meetings where male officers wouldn’t acknowledge her. “People shook everybody else’s hand around the table but mine,” she said. Even so, she said, you can’t shut down and you can’t take a hostile attitude. “Sometimes you don’t know people’s reasons for what they do,” she said. Her sixth-grade teachers Cassandra Harris and Rachel Zeigler, who taught her at Toney Elementary School in Decatur, are glad she soldiered on in the face of isolation. They said they saw her potential even then. “I am really proud of her, but not surprised,” Harris said. “I always knew she was going to go far because Kathy wanted it for herself.” Zeigler said Brown’s accomplishment is one of the paybacks for her years of teaching. “This is the payment that teachers receive on the back end,” she said. “She’s such a role model, and every time I have an opportunity to get her in front of other students to let them know this is what you can do as well and that she is a product of DeKalb County, it’s just a joy.”

Lt. Col. Kathy Brown’s husband, Col. Eric L. Brown (in back), thinks she is the first black female West Pointer from Georgia to make the rank of full colonel.

Bryce Ethridge / CrossRoadsNews

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Legal Notices 2018. You are hereby notified that Feb. 2, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is Aleeda M. Haynes-Kelly, 264 Habitat Circle, Decatur, GA 30034. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of May 29, 2018. Witness the Honorable Courtney L. Johnson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 29th day of May, 2018

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attorney whose name and address is Britany Jones, 2505 Shiloh Dr., Decatur, GA 30034. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of May 24, 2018. Witness the Honorable Ash F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. 06/09, 06/16, 06/23, 06/30

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attorney whose name and address is Carlene Rose Cunningham-Pro Se. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of first date of publication. Witness the Honorable Courtney L. Johnson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 5th day of Jun., 2018 06/16, 06/23, 06/30, 07/07

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Civil Action Case Number: 17FM5998-2 Britany Jones PLAINTIFF VS Ned Voungh Jones, III DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Ned Voungh Jones, III By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated May 24, 2018. You are hereby notified that Aug. 01, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM1572 Carlene Rose Cunningham PLAINTIFF VS Gerald Leonard Cunningham DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Gerald Leonard Cunningham Alexandria P.O. St. Ann Jamaica Wis. By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated 4th day of Jun., 2018. You are hereby notified that the 25th day of Jan., 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM1909-8 Mario Sullivan PLAINTIFF VS Garcia Raven DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Jun. 06, 2018. You are hereby notified that Feb. 6, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to

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

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM5933-10 Gregory Stanton filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Jun. 06, 2018 to change name from: Gregory Stanton to Gregory Paige Stanton. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Apr., 2018

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