CrossRoadsNews, March 3, 2018 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COMMUNITY

YOUTH

DeKalb County Police added 15 officers to its roster after their graduation from the Police Academy on Feb. 23. 5

Four powerhouse speakers gave female students at Southwest DeKalb HIgh Shool tips on choosing a career path . 6

New to the ranks

Priming for success

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

March 3, 2018

Volume 23, Number 44

www.crossroadsnews.com

Greenhaven bill dead, organizers to discuss what’s next By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

It is back to drawing board for organizers of the city of Greenhaven after the bill seeking a referendum on the proposed city failed to make it out of committee on the General Assembly’s crossover day. House Bill 644, which was seeking a referendum on the proposed 126-square-mile city with a population of nearly 300,000, died Feb. 28 without a sponsor, dashing the fouryear hopes of organizers. Dr. Kathryn Rice, who has led the effort since 2014, said that what happened at the Georgia Capitol this week was voter suppression.

“It’s for the people to decide,” she said. “We deserved the right to vote.” In the final days of maneuvering, Rep. Billy Mitchell, who had sponsored HB 644, removed his name from the bill which had no sponsors in Kathryn Rice the Senate. Rice said that DeKalb County’s AfricanAmerican Democrats failed the voters. “I am frustrated and very disappointed in the dysfunction that the DeKalb Delegation showed,” she said. Rice said the Greenhaven Team is meet-

ing March 3 to discuss their options. “HB644 is dead,” she said. “We have to decide if we want to try again next year.” But not everyone was sad about the bill’s demise. Ed Williams Ed Williams, a staunch opponent of Greenhaven, said they do not believe cityhood is the solution to the area’s problems. “We are extremely pleased that the Greenhaven cityhood bill did not make it out of the Georgia House of Representatives,” he

said in a press release. “We do not want to trade our suburban communities for an urban jungle. We do not want more crime, corruption, and government. We want better leadership and collaboration all over DeKalb.” Williams, who is chairman of the Citizens Against Cityhood in DeKalb, said he hopes the Georgia General Assembly will reform the cityhood process before it allows any other cityhood or annexation bills to be passed. “We hope DeKalb County will have completed its study on how cities impact its services and budget before any other cities are allowed to be created,” he said.

First state park for blacks celebrates founders Atkinsons built a refuge despite segregation

John Loyd Atkinson Sr., with the help of his family, built the George Washington Carver Park for Negroes on Lake Allatoona as a place for black people, who were not allowed to enter white state parks.

By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

As a small child, Charles Atkinson frolicked in the cool waters of Lake Allatoona and took boat rides with his siblings and father, John Loyd Atkinson Sr. He was too young to realize the groundbreaking, historic work his family was doing at the George Washington Carver Park for Negroes in Bartow County, Ga. Atkinson, who lived in Decatur for more than 20 years, was born in 1950 – the same year his father became superintendent of Georgia’s first park for blacks. “We had fun riding my daddy’s boat,” Atkinson recalled on Feb. 26, three days after the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention Visitors Bureau recognized his late mother, Bessie Louise Evans Atkinson, with a plaque during George Washington Carver Park Memories Day, held annually in February to celebrate Black History Month. His father, who was the park’s superintendent from 1950 to 1958, got the job after spending five years pushing to create a resort for blacks, who were not welcome at Georgia’s segregated state parks in the 1950s and 60s. A Tuskegee Airman, Atkinson returned to Georgia in 1943 after his discharge from the Army, determined to establish a resort for blacks, similar to America Beach in Jacksonville, Fla. He encountered obstacles everywhere he turned. But when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created Lake Allatoona, he saw his opportunity. Atkinson said his father leased 345 acres on the lake, off U.S. 41 near Acworth and Cartersville, for 25 years from the Corps to create his resort. “But Bartow County would not give him

John Loyd Atkinson Sr. and Bessie Atkinson managed the park until 1958.

a permit to create the resort,” said Atkinson, who is John Loyd Sr. and Bessie’s fourth child. In the midst of protests from black civic groups and returning World War II veterans complaining about the lack of facilities for blacks, Atkinson Sr. was able to convince Gov. Herman Talmadge, a staunch supporter of racial segregation, to establish a state park for Negroes.

Tamadge put Atkinson in charge of it, making him the first black superintendent of a Georgia park for negroes. But though the park was separate, it was far from equal. For one, Atkinson, the family’s historian, said the designation was the sum total of the help that the state provided. His father, with the help of his family, had to do it all. “He wanted to create a beach for blacks to go to,” Atkinson said. “You had no place to learn to swim. There was a pool in Washington Park in Atlanta but not everyone could get there.” His father hauled hundreds of tons of sand, in a pickup he owned, to create a sandy beach on the shores of the lake and pressed his family into spreading buckets of sand along the lake’s shoreline. He also built a clubhouse, beach house, playground, boat ramps, concession stand

and the house his family lived in during the summer when the park was open. On an early trip to the state seeking help to build toilets at the park, Atkinson said a state worker told his father that “y’all can go out there and piss behind a tree.’ “They were ugly back then,” Atkinson said. The family lived in Atlanta in a house his father built, but spent summers at the park. Atkinson said he and his siblings all had to work in the park. “We had chores,” he said. “My older brothers and sister more than me because I was little. We had to clean up the area, pick up trash. Oh yes, we had to work every day.” His father was superintendent until 1958 when illness forced him to quit. Please see CARVER, page 4

CrossRoadsNews

Community

March 3, 2018

“To those inmates tempted to escape, when you are caught, the consequences will be severe.”

Driver charged with vehicular homicide

Body wrapped in plastic identified

By Tekia L. Parks

Ejigayheu Tsagaye, the driver of a Nissan Rogue that struck and killed 8-year-old Tluang Tha Men on Feb. 16, has been charged with first degree vehicular homicide. Ejigayheu Tsagaye DeKalb Police spokesman Shierna Campbell said Feb. 26 that Tsagaye, 38, was also charged with overtaking a school bus, and two counts of failure to yield to pedestrians at a crosswalk. Police say Tsagaye, who had two children in her car at the time, was driving northbound on Rays Road in Stone Mountain at 7 a.m. when she hit the second-grader and

her mother, 35-year-old Dawt Chin Sung, as they entered the crosswalk. Chin Sung was helping her daughter cross the street to a waiting school bus to take her to the International Community Charter School where she was a student. Tluang was pronounced dead a few hours later. Her mother suffered moderate injuries. C a m p b e l l s a i d Tluang Tha Men Feb. 26 that warrants were issued for Tsagaye arrest. Tsagaye was booked at DeKalb County Jail the next day. She remains in custody.

More time for inmate taxi operator A DeKalb County man in the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta got an extra 18 months in prison for running an inmate taxi service and smuggling and selling contraband in prison with the help of his fiancée. Deldrick Jackson U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak said Feb. 22 that Deldrick D. Jackson, 41, will serve the additional year and six months sentence after he completes his current 10 years, eight-month sentence for conspiring to distribute cocaine and conspiring to launder money. Jackson plead guilty to conspiracy to escape from custody on May 16 and Nov. 14, 2017. He and his fiancée Kelly Bass, 38, were indicted April 25, 2017, on conspiratorial and substantive escape charges for ferrying inmates to restaurants, hotels and homes, and returning them to the prison for a fee. Bass, also of DeKalb County, was sentenced Sept. 13 to six months in prison followed by eight months of home confinement. She pleaded guilty to conspiratorial and substantive escape charges on June 5. Pak said that inmates who escape from prison threaten the safety of our communities and undermine our criminal justice system. “In this case, Jackson not only escaped from prison, but shockingly ran a contraband smuggling scheme and a for-profit taxi service for escaped inmates,” he said. “To those inmates tempted to escape, when you are caught, the consequences will be severe.” David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge

of FBI Atlanta, said that Jackson not only escaped from custody and smuggled contraband into a federal prison, but also that he and his fiancée facilitated the escape of other prisoners while profiting from it. “This kind of audacity cannot be tolerated and this additional sentence should send a message to anyone inclined to attempt an escape,” he said. According to Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court, Jackson – who was convicted May 2013 in federal court of conspiring to distribute cocaine and launder money – was an inmate at the medium-security federal prison from July 2016 to April 2017. Between November 2016 and April 2017, Jackson and Bass provided escaped inmates transportation from prison to nearby restaurants, hotels, or residences, and smuggled contraband into the prison on approximately 15 occasions. Jackson and Bass received about $4,000 from the escaped inmates or their families in exchange for rides, and from the sale of the contraband that was sold to other prison inmates. The two were caught on April 13 when law enforcement officers stopped Bass’s vehicle while she was driving Jackson from the prison to a local fast food restaurant. Both were arrested. In a search of her SUV, officers recovered two cell phones, 83 packs of cigarettes, and eight bottles of whiskey. The FBI and Atlanta Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis and Timothy H. Lee prosecuted the case.

The man whose body was found Feb. 19 wrapped in plastic on Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur is 23-year-old Steven Blevins. DeKalb Sanitation workers found Blevins’ body near the Warriors Path intersection, near the Trinity Office Park. The county medical examiner identified the body on Feb. 22, but withheld the release of the man’s name until notification of his next of kin. DeKalb Police spokeswoman Shiera Campbell said Blevins died of multiple gunshot wounds. Blevins’ mother, Portia Blevins, said detectives had her identify her son from pictures they showed her on Feb. 23. She said her son has a tattoo of her name across his neck and “family first” on his hands. She has set up a GoFundMe account to help with burial costs. “This is my heart,” Blevins wrote on the

Steven Blevins, whose body was found Feb. 19 wrapped in plastic, died of multiple gun shots.

page. “He was my best friend. My son I love him. Please help me bury my first born.” Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to call the DeKalb Police Homicide unit at 770-724-7850.

Nursing home workers in custody County Jail. All three The Sheriff ’s nursing home Office said it reemployees inceived the grand dicted in the jury warrants for death of a World the arrests on War II veteran Feb. 22. who was in their The fivecare have been Loyce Agyeman Wanda Nuckles Mable Turman count indictarrested. DeKalb County Sheriff ’s Fugitive Unit ment was returned by grand jurors on Feb. investigators arrested Loyce Pickquet Agye- 20. The charges against women stem from man, 63, at her residence on Parkwood Road the Feb. 27, 2014, death of 89-year-old James in Snellville without incident on Feb. 23. Mable Turman, 62, of Sullivan Road in Dempsey, who was a patient in their care at College Park, was also arrested on Feb. 23, Northeast Atlanta Rehabilitation Center in Brookhaven. at a Jonesboro residence. Hidden cameras installed by Dempsey’s Wanda Nuckles, 61, of Buford surrendered to the DeKalb County Sheriff ’s Office family showed him in respiratory distress repeatedly calling out for help. on Feb. 23. Soon after his distress calls, Dempsey Agyeman, a licensed nurse practitioner, was indicted on charges of felony murder and became unresponsive. The indictment alleges the defendants, neglect to a disabled adult. She was released in varying degrees, failed to provide timely on $10,000 bond. Turman, a certified nurse assistant, was and necessary medical assistance, ultimately indicted for neglect to an elder person/resi- resulting in his death. The video of the incident, which bedent of a long-term care facility. At her booking, charges included murder, came public in November 2017 following a abuse neglect, exploitation of a disabled or civil lawsuit, prompted a joint investigation elder person, and concealing the death of between law enforcement and the District another. Turman is in custody at the DeKalb Attorney’s Office. Dempsey’s family sued the nursing home County Jail. Nuckles, a former licensed practical and received a settlement. The women have not yet entered pleas. nurse, is indicted on charges of depriving The case will be prosecuted by the Disan elder person of essential services. She is also charged with concealing the death of trict Attorney’s Elder Abuse and Exploitation another. Nuckles is in custody at the DeKalb Unit. A trial date has not been set.

Your PRIDE, South DeKalb! Show how Your PRIDE, South DeKalb Show Your PRIDE, Show Your PRIDE, South DeKalb!

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South DeKalb!

h Don’tYour Litter PRIDE, South DeKalb! Show h Mow, Trim & Paint h Don’t Litter

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A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE FROM CROSSROADSNEWS

h Mow, Trim & Paint Don’t Litter h Mow, Trim & Paint h Clean to the Cur A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE FROM CROSSROADSNEWS

CrossRoadsNews

March 3, 2018

Community

“I counted eight big fish and fortysomething little fish.”

DeKalb acted quickly on sewage spill, but needs residents’ help

7K rolls of toilet paper for homeless

Since a Feb. 18 spill that dumped sewage into the lake on Cleavemark Drive, the county has installed a pump to aerate the lake and has been removing dead fish from it.

A number of county departments and schools participated in the drive, which collected rolls of toilet paper for homeless individuals, people in need and those impacted by natural disasters.

By Tekia L. Parks

DeKalb County employees, students and residents donated 7,000 rolls of toilet paper during a February “Love Rolls” drive sponsored by the office of DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. The Feb. 12 to 23 collection drive, done in partnership with 17-yearold Kendall Robinson’s Love Rolls Inc., more than doubled the 3,000 goal that was set. Since its launch in April 2016, the Suwanee-based nonprofit Love Rolls Inc., has collected some 225,000 rolls of toilet paper and distributed them to homeless individuals, people in need and those impacted by natural disasters. Kendall founded the nonprofit after she met a homeless man struggling to make one roll of toilet paper last him a month and it

The cleanup of a 5,300-gallon sanitary sewage spill in Clarkston is being tackled on a variety fronts, DeKalb Watershed Management told Clarkston residents at a Feb. 22 community meeting. Since the Feb. 18 spill at a lake on Cleavemark Drive, county crews have pressurewashed the sewer line to remove the blockage and restore flow in the area. It has also installed a pump to aerate the lake and has been removing dead fish from it. During the meeting at Clarkston City hall, Watershed program administrator Darren Eastall, construction and engineering coordinator Orthelus “T” Perdue, and public relations manager Alicia T. Pennie told residents that the county responded immediately, and has been working constantly to restore the area. Brenda Winston, who lives near the lake, told the officials that she hadn’t noticed any change since the spill. “There’s still a smell,” she said. “There’s still residue.” Anstey Bates, another Clarkston resident, said he was concerned about the dead wildlife he is finding around the lake. “I counted eight big fish and forty-something little fish,” he said. Winston and other residents also expressed concerns that only the upper part of the lake was being treated. “I haven’t seen anybody down on Norman Road,” Winston said. The county representatives said they have no problem revisiting the site and any areas they may have overlooked.

Pennie said the county wants to make sure another spill doesn’t occur, and that Watershed Management is working on ways to educate residents on correct disposal of waste. In a Feb. 21 press release, the county said grease, disposable diapers and wipes blocked the 8-inch sewer main that caused the overflow from the manhole. It said that approximately 60 percent of the county’s sanitary sewer overflows are caused by fats, oils and grease being poured down sink drains, and that residents can help prevent leaks by putting cooled fats, oils and grease into the trash; scraping food scraps from plates and cookware before washing; and wiping excess grease from all dishes with a paper towel before washing. Pennie said that residents should remember three things – “pour, scrape and wipe.” In Clarkston, residents speak 41 different languages and Pennie says the universal symbol of strike-through images could be posted around apartments homes and leasing offices to discourage dumping of fats, oils, grease, diapers and wipes down the drains. “Everyone understands that a red circle with a line through it means no,” Pennie said. Eastall did not have a date for the complete restoration of the lake but he told residents it won’t be long. “Give us a couple weeks,” he said. Once the lake is clean, he said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond plans to restock it with fish. For more information, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/watershed-management/ fats-oils-and-grease-fog.

Business showcase celebrates diversity Dozens of metro Atlanta black-owned businesses will be celebrated March 13 at a Black Business Showcase at the Porter Sanford Center in Decatur. The “Reclaiming Our Roots Black History Celebration” starts at 6 p.m. with Larry Johnson a Business Exchange Networking Reception. It is presented by DeKalb District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson in partnership with DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. The “Historic Celebration of Black Businesses” starts at 7 p.m. Alice Bussey, who is coordinating the event, says it will showcase the diverse blackowned and operated businesses throughout DeKalb and the rest of metro Atlanta. “In addition, a list of these preferred busi-

Michael Thurmond

Alice Bussey

nesses will be documented and marketed through DeKalb County and the state of Georgia,” said Bussey, who is co-owner of Bussey Florist & Gifts. The Black Business Showcase includes an exhibit of limited-edition fine photography of former President Barack Obama taken by Pete Souza, his personal photographer. For more information and to RSVP, email deannabfleming@gmail.com or call 770-808-7166.

made her “think about the things we take for granted.” Love Rolls Inc.’s goal is to collect one million rolls of toilet paper. Various county departments including the offices of District Attorney Sherry Boston and Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling, Cedar Grove High School, DeKalb High School of Technology-South, and Cedar Grove and Flat Shoals elementary schools participated in the drive. Thurmond was pleased with the response to the drive. “Our donation helps the Love Rolls project restore and protect the dignity of the homeless, needy and those who have gone through a natural disaster,” he said.

CrossRoadsNews

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

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“We had to pay them to live there which was so wrong.”

Gate City Bar donates $1,000 to Friends of Carver Park By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

DeKalb Associate State Court Judge Ronald Ramsey, at left, presents Gate City Bar Association check for $1,000 to Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham for the Firends of Carver Park. Charles Atkinson is at right.

The Friends of George Washington Carver Park, which supports the restoration of Georgia’s first state park for Negroes, received a $1,000 donation from the legal unit of the Gate City Bar Association. DeKalb Associate State Court Judge Ronald Ramsey Sr., who chairs the Gate City Bar Association Judicial Section, presented the check to Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham on Feb. 24, during Memories Day at George Washington Carver Park. Benham, who is from Cartersville, where the park is located, lived at the park as a boy from 1958 to the mid1960s, when his father Clarence was the park’s second African-American superintendent. Four years ago, he started a conversation about restoring the park and creating a Bartow County African American Trail celebrating the park and other Bartow County sites.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Historic park now centerpiece of black heritage trail Black families from Atlanta and neighboring counties, and even from other states, flocked to George Washington Carver Park to picnic, fish, boat, swim, camp and water ski. The families of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young and others from Atlanta’s black middle class were regulars.

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.

March 3, 2018

CARVER,

from page

Beach quickly became popular Blacks, hungry for recreation, flocked to George Washington Park, which they called “the beach.” They came from Atlanta and neighboring counties, and even from other states to picnic, fish, boat, swim, camp and water ski. Ray Charles and Little Richard performed there, and the families of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young and others from Atlanta’s black middle class were regulars. Churches, civic groups, Boy and Girl Scout troops, motorcycle clubs and fraternal organizations like the Oddfellows, Masons, Shriners and American Legions planned summer outings to the park. But with no funding from the state, Atkinson said his parents struggled to pay for stuff for the park and to live. He said his father, who died in June 1972, operated a bait shop and sold hot dogs, hamburgers and soda pop to help out. Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham, who lived at the park when his father Clarence became the park’s second superintendent in 1958, said the park gave birth to black boating

clubs, and became home to the Georgia chapter of St. John’s Ski Bees, a black ski club headquartered in Jacksonville. It also hosted an annual jamboree for black Boy Scout troops. Atkinson said before his mother died in August 2017, she told him that the state never paid his father back for the lease he got from the Corps of Engineers, and that it never paid him a salary to be superintendent. “We had to pay them to live there,” Atkinson said. “Which was so wrong. There was so many things that was done wrong back then.”

Plaque for Bessie During the Feb. 24 George Washington Carver Memories Day, a plaque was installed in honor of Bessie Louise Evans Atkinson at the site of Atkinson’s old homestead site in the park. C a r t e r s v i l l e - B a r t ow County Convention & Visitors Bureau, which now Bessie Atkinson manages the park, also planted a red dogwood in her honor. Bessie died on Aug. 21, 2017, at age 92, an

Other black parks After George Washington Carver Park, Georgia created five other state parks for Negroes between 1950 and 1955. n The Yam Grande Park in Swainsboro, in Emanuel Co, off Ga. 57 and U.S. 7. n Lincoln State Park, located near Millen, in Jenkins County on Ga. 7. n A state park for Negroes was also created out of a section of Georgia Veterans Memorial Park on Lake Blackshear, near Cordele. Section B, which was reserved for blacks, had no facilities including restrooms. n Keg Creek State Park, near Augusta in Columbia County. n Gardonia Altamaha. In his Geographic Review article “State Parks and Jim Crow in the Decades Before Brown v. Board of Education,” William O’Brien writes that between the end of World War II and the landmark Brown decision, state park officials oversaw a relative expansion in park facilities for southern blacks as part of a strategy to protect Jim Crow by demonstrating that the “separate-but-equal” principle was being successfully achieved by southern park agencies “to avoid challenges to state park segregation.”

Timeline

1950

As Lake Allatoona was completed, John Loyd Atkinson Sr. convinced Gov. Herman Talmadge to create a park for blacks. The state leased the lake’s shoreline to create the 1,776-acre Red Top Mountain State Park, and the 354-acre George Washington Carver “Negro State Park,” the state’s first. Atkinson is named the first black state park superintendent. The Atlanta Girl Scout Council takes over operation of the Girl Scout Camp for Negroes started by the Atkinsons at Georgia Washington Carver Park. George Washington Carver Park integrated with Red Top Mountain State Park with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Clarence Benham, father of Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham, named superintendent of Georgia Washington Carver Park after John Loyd Atkinson Sr. resigns. Justice Benham lives at the park from age 11 to 16. Bartow County assumes lease of the park land and changes the name to Bartow Carver Park. Bartow County restores name to George Washington Carver Park. Cartersville-Bartow County Convention & Visitors Bureau becomes manager.

1962 1964 1958 1975 2017

hour after the 2017 eclipse. Four of her five children – George, Emma, William and Charles – were present for the plaque installation. John Loyd Jr., the oldest son, was unable to attend. In 1975, in the face of budget cuts, the state of Georgia turned the park over to county, which renamed it Bartow Carver Park. To tap into the heritage tourism market, the county restored the park’s original George Washington Carver Park name in 2017 and transferred management to Cartersville-Bartow County Convention & Visitors Bureau. While there is no twin plaque for John Loyd Sr. at the park, his name is now all over the park’s signage that documents his contributions and the park’s rich history. Today, the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention & Visitors Bureau markets George Washington Carver Park as a day-use events facility with a dining hall for up to 160 guests with wi-fi and on-site AV equipment. Its marketing brochure calls the park “A True Landmark in Georgia’s Civil Rights History,” even as it touts its beach, beautiful lakeside setting and picnic areas. Several organizations are now creating a Bartow Black History Trail with the park at the centerpiece of 10 county sites rich in AfricanAmerican history. All of the sites were selected by Justice Benham, a native son.

CrossRoadsNews

March 3, 2018

Scene

“Being in law enforcement is a team accomplishment. You can’t do this by yourself.”

Fifteen new police officers graduate from academy

Free mammogram for women without health insurance DeKalb County’s newest police officers pledged to uphold the constitution and protect the community during their graduation ceremony at the Maloof Auditorium.

Photos by Tekia L. Parks / CrossRoadsNews

By Tekia L. Parks

Fifteen new DeKalb County police officers took the oath of office on Feb. 23. The freshly minted officers of the 111th class completed 26 weeks of intensive training at the police academy that included instruction in state and federal law, county ordinances, patrol techniques and arrest procedures. More than 200 family members and friends watched and cheered as the men and women, decked out in their navy blue uniforms for the first time, received their badges and some received special class awards. During the graduation ceremony at the Maloof Auditorium, the officers pledged to uphold the constitution and community, and protect members of the community regard-

less of their race, gender, or creed. CEO Michael Thurmond commended the graduates for their leadership and integrity and reminded them that keeping the county safe “is a team effort.” Ralph Coquemar, who won the Instructor’s Choice Award for Outstanding Leadership, said he has wanted to be a police officer since he was 12 years old. “This is something that I dreamed of,” he said. “Being in law enforcement is a team accomplishment. You can’t do this by yourself.” Coquemar, who relocated from Miami, Fla., said he will never take actions based on emotion and will never allow victims to be victimized a second time. The recruits will complete an additional 8-12 weeks of training in the field.

DeKalb hires 47 new fire recruits DeKalb County Fire Rescue hired 47 new recruits in February with funding from a $4.9 million federal grant. The recruits started preliminary classes and will join the next scheduled fire academy in April. The funding for the positions come from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, received in 2017 to support increasing frontline firefighter staffing levels. The new recruits will complete 10 months of rigorous training to include fire operations, fire suppression, hazardous materials, emergency and medical services. Following graduation from the academy, the new firefighters will receive emergency medical technician and state certifications. Jack Lumpkin, DeKalb County’s director

of public safety, said that in addition to the SAFER grant, the county’s special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) approved by 71 percent of DeKalb County voters last year will allow the county to purchase quick response vehicles, build new fire stations and improve fire services for all of DeKalb County. “Improved public safety is a top priority,” he said. DeKalb County Fire Rescue operates 26 fire stations, providing service to all unincorporated areas of the county as well as the county’s 11 cities – Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain, Stonecrest and Tucker. Visit www.dekalbfirerescue.org for more information.

Free mammograms offered by the YWCA of Greater Atlanta Health and Wellness program are made possible by grants from Kaiser Permanente and Heathcare Georgia Foundation.

Uninsured women who haven’t had a mammogram in a year or more can get one free if they meet certain criteria. Eligible women must be 40 to 60 years old and meet income requirements. The YWCA of Greater Atlanta Health and Wellness program is offering the screenings through partners Grady Cancer Center for Excellence and Emory St. Joseph’s Mobile Mammography.

Thomasine Leachman, a YWCA spokesman, said the free mammograms are made possible by grants from Kaiser Permanente and Heathcare Georgia Foundation. If found early, breast cancer is nearly 98 percent curable. To determine eligibility or register for a free mammogram, call 404 835-1632. For more information, visit www.ywcatlanta. org.

School safety is Cultural Exchange topic DeKalb parents and residents can find out what the DeKalb County School District is doing to keep children and staff safe in the wake of recent school shootings at the March 10 Cultural Exchange Breakfast at Greater Traveler’s Rest Baptist Church/ House of Hope in Decatur. The Cultural Exchange Breakfast, held monthly on second Saturdays, is hosted by DeKalb School Board District 5 representative Vickie Turner and her husband, Stonecrest City Councilman Robert Turner. The Turners say the conversation seeks to empower residents with answers.

“Safety is paramount to the success of our schools, our communities and its citizens,” they said. Officials seeking re-election and candidates seeking office will attend, and state representatives will also offer a legislative update. Breakfast will be served at 9 a.m. The discussion begins at 9:30 a.m. The meeting takes place in the H. F. Shepherd Multiplex building which houses the theater. The House of Hope is at 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. For more information, email thedekalbexchange@gmail.com.

Rabid raccoon has residents on alert DeKalb County Animal Control is asking residents to watch pets for unusual behavior in the wake of a recent positive rabies case. A raccoon captured Feb. 23 in the 3200 block of Covington Highway later tested positive for rabies, a deadly virus that affects the brain and can spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. Excessive drooling or foaming at the

mouth is a common sign that an animal has the disease and should be reported to DeKalb Animal Control immediately. Anyone who has been bitten or scratched by a wild animal should seek medical attention immediately. Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets every year and registering the tag with DeKalb County Animal Control. For more information, contact Animal Control at 404-294-2996.

N. Goddard Road to close intermittently Tucker’s Main Street to close for repairs North Goddard Road between Rockland Road and Klondike Road will be closed intermittently to through-traffic through July 2 to facilitate the replacement of a sewer main. Traffic will be detoured onto Klondike and Rockland roads. Lane closure signs are posted in the area

to alert motorists and residents about construction work and local traffic restrictions. The road closures for the project began Feb. 26. For more information, call 1-800-9861108, visit www.dekalbwatershed.com, or email projectinfo@dekalbcountyga.gov.

Road repairs will close portions of to advise motorists of traffic restrictions. For more information, contact the DeKaMain Street in Tucker March 5-8. Signs will be posted between Law- lb County Roads and Drainage Department renceville Highway and Railroad Avenue at 404-294-2878.

Youth

CrossRoadsNews

March 3, 2018

“The purpose of this program is to empower and uplift the female students of Southwest DeKalb.”

Girls urged to resist the box when making career choices

By Tekia L. Parks

Girls have lots of career options and they should think outside the box. That was the message to more than 300 Southwest DeKalb High School girls when four women making waves on the radio, in the Army, and on the stage visited recently. U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Rasheedah Davis told the ninth- to 12thRasheedah Davis graders not to put themselves in a box. “That keeps people in mediocrity,” she said. Davis, life coach and 106 Live Radio personality Shontica Wallace, and professional speaker Talisia Rowell participated in the school’s first Girl Shontica Wallace Empowerment Program on Feb. 15. The “Leading Ladies Leaving Legacies” event was organized by Karita Jenkins, the school’s student engagement coach, to help the girls hone in on career choices. “The purpose of this program is to empower and uplift the female students of Southwest DeKalb and to teach them the power of investing in their futures, and leaving a positive legacy wherever they go in life,” she said. The choice of speakers for the empowerment session was deliberate, Jenkins said. “There are teachers that teach materials to ensure that students are prepared to graduate; however, there is rarely an opportunity for students to get feedback and inspiration from role models and community members that they can identify with,” she said. Davis said she was a good student in high school but was unsure of what she wanted to do when she graduated. “All of my friends knew what college they were going to attend,” she recalled. “I didn’t.”

Talisia Rowell addressed 300 Southwest DeKalb High School female students at their Feb. 15 “Leading Ladies Leaving Legacies” event. During the Girls Empowerment Program, the students heard from dynamic speakers who offered inspiration to help guide their career choices.

Tekia L. Parks / CrossRoadsNews

An Army recruiter helped her make up her mind. Davis said that while her family thought she was crazy to go into the military, she wasn’t afraid. She said the Army is more than fighting in the field. Talisia Rowell “There are architects. There are nurses,” she said. “I’ve traveled all over the world.” Rowell, who calls herself an EmpowHERment speaker, broke into “El” DeBarge’s “I Like It” as she took the stage. She told the girls that when it comes to achieving their goals, they just have to say like DeBarge: “I’ve been thinking ’bout you for quite a while, you’re on my mind every day and every night. My every thought is you, the things you do seems so satisfying to me.” Rowell said it’s important for girls to discover their purpose and that parents shouldn’t ask what their child want to be when they grow up.

“We need to ask, ‘How do you want to impact the world when you grow up?’ ” she said. Jenkins, the teacher who organized the Girl Empowerment event, works with Southwest DeKalb’s Check & Connect Program, which supports students identified by the School District as needing additional support in academics, behavior, or attendance. “One of the key largest behavioral trends that have been identified is lack of student involvement, lack of parent involvement, and student’s inability to invest in their future,” Jenkins said. She said it’s important to plant seeds for the young women. “We may not see the end result of it but at least we can say that we planted the seed to make them successful and to make them feel empowered about themselves as young ladies,” she said. Atomare Allen, a junior, said she plans on using the advice she got. “If I have a daughter I want to teach her

those things, too,” she said. Atomare, who is 16 years old, said she felt empowered by the program and plans to pay forward any knowledge she gets. “I believe girls should help other girls,” she said. The girls also saw a slide show of powerful African-American women in history, created by Leading Ladies Leaving Legacies. Among those featured: Coretta Scott King, who fought alongside her husband Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama; pop star and actress Beyonce; and media mogul Oprah Winfrey. Also featured were women who made enormous strides at the same ages of the students. Among them were Dr. Thessalonika Arzu-Embry, who received her Ph.D at 18 years old; Leanna’s Hair CEO Leanna Archer, who started her natural hair product business at age 9; and Southwest DeKalb alum and Emory University student Chelsea Jackson, who is a 2018 Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.

CrossRoadsNews

March 3, 2018

This the 14th day of Feb., 2018

CHANGE Name OF ADULT

03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24

Legal Notices 02/10, 02/17, 02/24, 03/03

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

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM1674-2 Mary Bassey Asuquo PLAINTIFF VS Michael James Anthony DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: 2532 Tolliver Drive Ellenwood, GA 30294 By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Feb. 02, 2018. You are hereby notified that Jan. 12, 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: Mary Bassey Asuquo, 2532 Tolliver Driive, Ellenwood, GA 30294.

Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Feb. 02, 2018. Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 2nd day of Feb., 2018 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10

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

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM1313-1 Kasin Osman Sheikh filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Jan. 12., 2018 to change the name from: Kasin Osman Sheikh to Kasin Osman Shaale. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Jan. 09, 2018 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10

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

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM2179-7 Phylicia Johnson filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Feb. 14, 2018 to change the name from: Phylicia Johnson to Sunny Deon Johnson. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Feb. 09, 2018 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10

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

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

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

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM1533-6 Saudi Wells PLAINTIFF VS Tamika Wells DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Tamika Wells 6427 Wellington Chase Crt. Lithonia, GA 30058 By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Feb. 14, 2018. You are hereby notified that Jan. 24, 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: Saudi Wells, 1993 Marco Dr., Decatur, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Feb. 02, 2018. Witness the Honorable J.P. Boulee, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM2058-2 Shantine Shopshire PLAINTIFF VS Darryl Green DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Feb. 22, 2018. You are hereby notified that Feb. 12, 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: Shantine Shopshire, 5470 Forest Path Ct., Stone Mountain, GA 30088. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Feb. 22, 2018. Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 22nd day of Feb., 2018 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24

AMENDED Notice of Petition to

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM12320-10 Jonia Antionette Bromell filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Dec. 06, 2017 to change the name from: Jonia Antionette Bromell to Jenia Lalindus Cater. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Feb. 27, 2018 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24

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

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM2367 Evelyn Brown Conyers filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Feb. 21, 2018 to change name from Eiiylene Brown to Evelyn Brown Conyers. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Feb. 14, 2018

DeKalb County Sheriff Office

Jeffrey L. Mann, Sheriff • 4415 Memorial Drive • Decatur, GA 30032

Sex Offender

Anthony Dixon 1221 Richard Rd. Decatur, Ga 30032 Charge of Lewd and Lascivious Battery; Lewd and Lascivious Molestation Convicted May 10, 2006

Sex Offender

Benjamin Boston 1314 Taylor Way Stone Mountain, Ga 30083 Charge of Aggravated Child Molestation Convicted Apr. 27, 1999

Sex Offender

Charles Ward 1734 Johnson Rd. NE, Atlanta Ga 30306 Charge of Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes Convicted Feb. 22, 2016

Sex Offender

Dewayne Cathey 4371 Glenwood Rd. Apt. O6 Decatur, Ga 30032 Charge of Sexual Battery Convicted Jan. 03, 2015

Sex Offender

Dexter Hanson 2366 Green Forrest Dr. Decatur, Ga 30032 Charge of Child Molestation, Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes, Sexual Battery Convicted Aug. 26, 2009

Sex Offender

James Barclift 2854 Cocklebur Rd. Decatur, Ga 30034 Charge of Carnal Knowledge of Child 13 to 15 Years Old Convicted Mar. 12, 1998

Sex Offender

Zackery Phillips 838 Glynn Oaks Dr. Clarkston, Ga 30021 Charge of Statutory Rape Convicted Oct. 05, 2010

The DeKalb Sex Offenders List is published by the DeKalb County Sheriff Office. For more information call the Sex Offender Unit at 404-298-8130.

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CrossRoadsNews

March 3, 2018