CrossRoadsNews, May 26, 2012 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

COMMUNITY

GRADUATION SECTION

A Doraville detective killed by an alleged drunken driver and other police officers are honored at a memorial service. 3A

Nearly 6,000 DeKalb seniors will have plenty of reasons to smile as graduations take place around the county. Section B, Inside

Fallen heroes remembered

Something to smile about

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May 26, 2012

Volume 18, Number 4

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Hearing offers chance for input on 2013 school budget

By Carla Parker

Parents and residents can weigh in on the discussion about the DeKalb School System 2013 budget at a May 30 public hearing at the school district’s central offices. School board members are grappling with some tough choices that include a property tax increase, larger class sizes, elimination of magnet transportation and the addition of furlough days for employees. Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson presented the board with her proposed $760 million budget on May 14. It is now available for the public review at www.dekalb. k12.ga.us/schools-and-centers. The recommended budget reflects a projected budget deficit of $73 million which school officials blame on declin-

also proposed a 2 mil rate increase that would raise $29.6 million. It would cost homeowners an additional $80 a year “I need to hear from the in taxes. southern end of the county. I The cuts include ending transportations for magnet, want people to tell me how DeKalb Early College, and theme school students; cutting Montessori programs; media clerks; overtime extra activity they feel instead of saying I pay; and reducing 10 assistant principals and 10 counselors didn’t get a chance to speak.” through attrition. Jay Cunningham District 5 School Board member Jay Cunningham said the tax increase would offset the cuts. ing property values, increasing healthcare cost, and increas“ I don’t want to see an increase in class size,” he said. “ I ing in expenditures for fuel and utilities. don’t want to see additional furlough days.” To close the gap, Atkinson proposes to cut some programs Cunningham said he is hearing from the people from the and central office positions, as well as increase class sizes by two students to save the district more than $44 million. She Please see BUDGET, page A6

Taking charge while others sit idly

Neighbor steps in to beautify I-20 ramps at Wesley Chapel By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Kevin Chapman Jr. uses the I-20/Wesley Chapel exit daily to get to and from his home and work, and its lack of beauty just got to be too much for him. “It was very frustrating seeing the weeds and the stuff growing along the curb,” he said. “It just doesn’t look inviting.” In January, Chapman, who is president of the Snapfinger Manor Homeowners Association, decided to take action. “I know others see how bad it looks,” he said. “I doubt that they like it, but nobody is doing anything.” He talked his community and its landscaping contractor, Greenwood Group LLC, into helping him add a little beauty to the I-20 west exit and entrance ramps. They also bought and laid pine straw around the trees in the median. Today, there’s a small plot where crape myrtles, boxwood, euonymua, azelas and liriope are growing. Chapman makes regular trips with jugs of water to water the plants. He said he did it so that when friends come to visit him and get off the exit, they are not turned off. He said his association contributed $600 to purchase the shrubs, and Greenwood waived its labor costs to install the plants. Chapman said it’s a small start but that since the county is not doing much to improve the appearance of the county, his community association is hoping others will follow their lead and help beautify the neighborhood. “It’s all about action,” Chapman said. “Maybe we can get some momentum going. Maybe if they see somebody actually doing it they will join in.” Chapman said that it has been painful to watch the area slide into disrepair. When he bought his town home in 2004

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Kevin Chapman Jr. says it took two months to get permission from the county to put landscaping around the ramps I-20 and Wesley Chapel Road.

code enforcement in a gated commuandsanitation de“It’s all about action. nity with lots of partments, and calls young professionMaybe we can get some whenever the medials, the area was momentum going. Maybe if an needs mowing. growing and offered they see somebody actually “I email them much promise. and call them so doing it they will join in.” Now the deteoften they know my Kevin Chapman Jr. riorating is settling name,” he said. in. To make the two small gardens on Wesley “People are moving away,” he said. “They Chapel Road, the homeowners association are going to Gwinnett and other areas where had to get permission from the county. for the same money they can live somewhere nice, where the county cares about the ap- Chapman said it took two months to secure permission. pearance of the county.” “I wouldn’t give up so they finally said to Chapman says he stays on the county’s

go ahead,” he said. Chapman said there was talk this week at the county commission meeting about purchasing a street sweeper. “I hope they do it and use it down here,” he said. “These curbs could do with some cleaning.” His next goal is to invite others to help. “We would like to invite other businesses and community organizations to sponsor a corner at a major intersection along Wesley Chapel Road,” he said. For more information, contact Kevin D. Chapman Jr. at snapfingermanor@gmail. com.

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In 2010, DeKalb Police responded to 77,210 alarm system calls, and 90 percent were false alarms.

Ex-teacher indicted in sex case Former Tucker Middle School teacher Almarcus Dewayne Thomas has been indicted by a DeKalb grand jury on 22 counts for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old female student. The May 24 indictment included child molestation, statutory rape and sexual battery charges. Thomas, who taught seventhAlmarcus Thomas grade math, was arrested Feb. 28 after a parent complained to school police that Thomas was having inappropriate sexual contact with his daughter. Thomas is accused of having sexual contact with the student at the school

and at her home. During the investigation, detectives searched Thomas’ Lithonia home and said they found inappropriate sexual images of the teen on his laptop computer. They also found pictures on his laptop of other students sitting in his lap and photos that focused in on female students’ buttocks. Some of these photos were recovered from the computer’s hard drive. Thomas also had videotaped under the skirt of a former Tucker teacher without her knowledge or consent. He also photographed his mother-in-law taking a bath at his home without her knowledge and consent. Thomas is married and has three daughters. He remains in DeKalb County Jail until his trial.

OUT K C CH E M MER SU L! OUR SPECI Alow e E TI M o up o n B See

May 26, 2012

Companies face fines for false alarms By Mary Swint

Alarm system monitoring companies will soon be held responsible for false alarms in South DeKalb and other unincorporated areas of the county under a new ordinance adopted on May 8. The new alarm ordinance, which will go into effect in September, imposes fines for repeated false alarms from the same location on the alarm system companies, but not on their customers. The fines also will apply to owners of alarm systems that do not use a monitoring service. A majority of false alarms in unincorporated DeKalb County emanate from monitored alarm systems under the control of alarm system companies. The DeKalb Police Department wants to shift some of the cost of responding to the false alarms to those who have the resources to reduce the number of false alarms by modifying their systems or by training their customers. In 2010, DeKalb Police responded to 77,210 alarm system calls, and 90 percent were false alarms. The Fire Rescue Department responded to 7,012 alarm system calls and at least 75 percent were false alarms. False alarms occur when an alarm system is activated as a result of weather, negligence, accident, mechanical failure, electrical failure, or electrical surge. Police Chief William O’Brien told the county commissioners that if the police or fire department is notified to cancel any response prior to being dispatched, the activation of the alarm system would not be considered a false alarm. While there will not be a fine for the first false alarm from a location, the ordinance imposes a $50 fine for the second and a $100 fine for the third false alarm within a year. The fees escalate for subsequent false alarms. The ordinance also provides for an appeal process. Commissioners also passed a resolution authorizing the county to charge alarm system companies a $5 registration fee for each account in unincorporated DeKalb. Owners of alarm systems who do not use monitoring services also would have to register their alarm systems and pay the fee.

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Motorists traveling through Georgia, Alabama and Nevada over the long Memorial Day holiday weekend are more likely to get speeding tickets than in other states, a new national ranking shows. The motorist rights group, the National Motorists Association, which released the rankings this week, said that drivers need to be especially vigilant in Atlanta, which tops a new metro area ranking. The rankings came from analyzing ticketrelated search queries such as “speeding ticket” and “traffic tickets” using Google’s Insights for Search – a public tool that shows search trends across the United States. The same methodology was used to create the original 2010 rankings. After crunching the numbers, the NMA found that Georgia is the second state most likely to issue traffic tickets behind Nevada. Alabama rounds out the top three. In 2010, Georgia and Nevada tied for second place behind Florida. For more information, visit www.motor ists.org.

May 26, 2012

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“We do not take lightly your commitment to our county and we are indebted to you and your families for your service.”

First days of qualifying point to active election season By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

day. Courtney Dillard and ConyThe 2012 primary season ers businessman is going to be busy for some Lincoln Nunally incumbents, and for candiqualified to chaldates seeking the open House lenge Congressman District 93 seat. Hank Johnson in By the end of the second the Democratic day of qualifying Thursday, primary and for Mark Williams Melvin Tukes Glen WiIliams Lincoln Nunally Terrilyn Cannon Kenneth Samuels most announced challeng- Gina Mangham for the Republican ers and couple of new ones had qualified composting plant – qualified to challenge day Thursday. Mark Williams, who says on primary, Greg Pallen and J. Chris Vaughn for the July 31 Democratic and Republican District 5 Commissioner Lee May. his Facebook page that he works for DeKalb qualified. primaries. In the County Commission District 4 Schools and lives in Gwinnett County, qualiIn the nonpartisan judicial and school Qualifying was scheduled to end at noon race, incumbent Sharon Barnes Sutton is fied in the Senator 55 race. board races, DeKalb State Court incumbent on May 25. In the Georgia House, Scott Hughes Dax Lopez was only candidate drawing opbeing challenged by Steve Bradshaw. School As expected, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis Board member Thomas Bowen, who was qualified to challenge Pamela Stephenson for position, from former DeKalb prosecutor will face former police officer and pastor contemplating a run for the office, had not House District 90 seat, and Dexter Dawson Dionne McGee. Gregory Adams and businessman Jerome qualified by end of day Thursday but had and Glen Williams qualified to challenge In the District 4 School Board race, Edmondson. Dar’shun Kendrick for the House District incumbent Paul Womack drew opposition until noon Friday to do it. Tax Commissioner Claudia Lawson is In the District 6 race, incumbent Kathie 93 seat. from James T. (Tom) Gilbert, James “Jim” P. being challenged by Melvin Allen Tukes, who Gannon will face Edmond Richardson, For the new House District 92 seat, three Kinney III, and James McMahan. listed his occupation as senior pastor. As previously announced, Frank Swindle, democrats, former Lithonia city councilIn the open District 6 School Board, Three candidates – newspaper Andre Oretha Brown-Johnson and John Carter, all woman Doreen Carter, Sherri Len Washing- Melvin Johnson, Denise McGill and TerWhite, Victory for the World pastor Ken- qualified to challenge incumbent Clerk of ton, and Rockdale County teacher Doreen rilyn Rivers-Cannon qualified. Incumbent neth Samuels, and attorney Gina Mangham, Superior Court Deborah DeBerry. Williams qualified. Thomas Bowen, who is the school board’s a Lithonia resident who was active in that In the U.S. 4th District, three Democrats vice chairman, is not seeking re-election to State Senator Gloria Butler was the only community’s recent fight against the Greenco DeKalb Senator with a challenger by end of and two Republicans had qualified by Thurs- the seat.

Memorial honors enforcement officers killed in line of duty By Carla Parker

A Doraville detective who was killed by a wrong-way drunk driver in November was remembered May 23 along with other DeKalb police officers killed in the line of during the county’s annual Officers Memorial Service. Detective Robert Wilson, who lived in Conyers, was on his way to work on the night of Nov. 14 when an alleged drunken motorist driving the wrong way on I-20 between Wesley Chapel and Panola roads collided head-on with his vehicle. The memorial service on the grounds of the historic Decatur Courthouse, was attended by CEO Burrell Ellis, members of the DeKalb Police Department and Sheriff ’s Office, elected and public officials, and family members. Wilson’s 9-year-old son Liam recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The ceremony also included a three-gun salute, a rendition of “Amazing Grace” by a bagpiper, and the ringing of a silver bell after the names of the 40 officers were read aloud. Among those remembered were the late Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, who was gunned down in his driveway on Dec. 15, 2000, three days before he was to be sworn into office; Officers Eric C. Barker and Ricky L. Bryant Jr., who were slain in 2008; and 36 other fallen law enforcement officers from the DeKalb Police force. Members from the forces of the cities of Decatur, Clarkston, Doraville and Stone Mountain; and from MARTA, the DeKalb Sheriff ’s Office and the DeKalb Marshal’s Office were also remembered. Ellis said it is important to remember that law enforcement officers are the most “noble among us.” “To those who stand in memory of a fallen officer today, remember that their service was not in vain and their sacrifice will never be forgotten in our community,” he said. “To our law enforcement officers here with us this morning, know that we do not take lightly your commitment to our county and we are indebted to you and your families for your service.” Members of Detective Robert Wilson’s family were on hand for the memorial ceremony.

Jim Hanson, Wilson’s stepfather, said the family was appreciative for the show of support by DeKalb officials. State officials have refused to add Wilson’s name to the Georgia Public Safety Memorial, insisting the officer’s death was not in the line of duty. “My wife and I, having retired from DeKalb police, we got a lot of wreaths here,” he said. “It’s so humbling for our son to be honored here for losing his life in the line of duty.”

Confessed killer gets life without parole Gary M. DeToma Sr. of Decatur has pleaded guilty to killing his 5-year-old son in July 2010, and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. DeToma, 44, entered a guilty plea for felony murder on May 15 in Judge Mark Scott’s courtroom. He was indicted by a DeKalb County grand jury on charges of Gary DeToma Sr. suffocating 5-year-old Gary, and attempting to kill his 4-year-old son, William. DeToma, an electrician, and his wife, Melanie, were going through a divorce at the time of the boy’s death, and DeToma had sought custody. He failed to return the boys to their mother after a weekend visitation, and the older boy’s body was discovered after a co-worker went to his home. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty in the case.

Community 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007

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Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Graphic Design Curtis Parker Staff Writers Carla Parker Jennifer Ffrench Parker Advertising Sales Kathy E. Warner

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May 26, 2012

“This helps to stabilize neighborhoods that have been hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis.”

Foreclosure Registry called effective despite law By Mary Swint

DeKalb administration is downplaying the impact a new state law that limits fees and weakens registration requirements will have on the county’s Foreclosure Registry. The Board of Commissioners adopted a new Foreclosure Registry Ordinance on May 22 because HB 110, which goes into effect on July 1, pre-empts any conflicting city or county requirements for registration of vacant or foreclosed properties. Even though the amendment ordinance is less stringent and caps penalties and reduces registration fees, county spokesman Burke Brennan said DeKalb still has a very effective tool that has been very successful. “We expect it will continue to be,” he said. “There is going to be a financial impact, but we don’t think it will be severe. We don’t think it will have an impact on the [registry] staff for the foreseeable future.” DeKalb’s revised Foreclosure Registry ordinance also will go into effect July 1. It lowers the registration fee a creditor has to pay to $100 from $175 to conform to HB 110. It also caps the fine for failing to register or to update the registration information at $1,000 per violation, versus the $500 monthly fine imposed by the current ordinance. The Foreclosure Registry ordinance applied to creditor and mortgagees who foreclosed on a property in unincorporated DeKalb after Oct. 27, 2010. Through April 30, there were 6,641 properties registered and more than $1.1 million collected through the registry. In October 2011, the commissioners approved a $557,375 budget for the registry, which has five employees. The budget was based on the total amount of fees collected between the registry’s launch on Oct. 27, 2010, and August 2011. All revenues obtained from the registry are added to a special revenue fund under the Department of Planning and Sustainability and used for management and administration of the registry program. Tonza Clark, the registry’s manager, said the reduction in fees will not change this year’s budget and that projections for 2013 will begin in August as part of next year’s budget process. The revised ordinance requires the creditor to register the foreclosed property within 60 to 90 days after foreclosure and within 90 to 120 days after a transfer of the foreclosed property to a related

Changes to DeKalb Foreclosure Registry Ordinance in 2012

Current DeKalb Ordinance

Amended DeKalb Ordinance as of July

House Bill 110

$175

$100

$100 maximum

$500 per month, no cap

$1,000 cap

60-90 days after foreclosure; 90-120 days after a transfer

90 days at least

15 days

30 days

Within DeKalb or 5 contiguous counties

With a place of business in Georgia

Registration Fees Fines for failing to register or update information

Days to comply 30 days (registration) Days to comply (updating information) Location of agent

DeKalb Foreclosure Registry Month or Year 2010 2011 January 2012 Feb. 2012 March 2012 April 2012 Total

Foreclosure Registrations 528 4,793 325 328 354 313 6,641

person or entity. The old requirement was 30 days. The deadline for updating the registry information was expanded from the current 15 days to 30 days in the revised ordinance to match the requirement in HB 110. To comply with HB 110, the DeKalb ordinance was amended to allow for certain transfers of foreclosed properties to be exempt from registration provided the deed is filed with the clerk of Superior Court and with the department managing the registry. Another change mandated by the state law is a new provision for de-registering foreclosed properties after they are sold to unrelated third parties. HB 110 and the revised ordinance require the county to grant or deny the application for deregistration within 30 days. DeKalb added a provision that a property cannot be removed from the registry if it has outstanding warnings or citations for code violations. Another change requires that the listed agent for each property to be the contact in case of problems with the property. The state law allows the agent to be someone with a place of business anywhere in Georgia. The old DeKalb ordinance said the agent had to be located in DeKalb or one of five contiguous counties. Some officials said this might delay maintenance of foreclosed properties in DeKalb. “We can still reach a human being about a problem that needs

Fees Collected $92,400 $838,775 $56,875 $57,400 61,950 54,775 $1,162,175

Registered Foreclosures Inspected 280 76 56 90 502

to be addressed,” Brennan said. “I think in most cases the agent will still be in the metro area. We will have to wait and see if that has an impact.” Because of HB 110’s requirement for an appeal process, the ordinance has been revised to allow an owner of foreclosed property to appeal a violation to the DeKalb executive assistant within 14 days. His decision is due within 30 days, then the owner may appeal to Recorders Court within 14 days. Commissioner Jeff Rader said the state reduced the effectiveness

of the registry. He pointed out during a May 15 committee meeting that there will be additional costs involved in processing appeals and applications for de-registrations. For now the county is not adding fees for de-registrations or appeals, but commissioners will look at the costs involved in administering these provisions. Presiding Officer Larry Johnson expressed pride in the DeKalb Foreclosure Registry, which served as the catalyst for similar registries across the state. H B 1 1 0 ’s sponsor, Rep. Mike Jacobs of DeKalb, said in legislative meetings that the Larry Johnson purpose of the state law was to provide uniformity in registries created by cities and counties, set caps on fees and fines, and protect private property rights. Originally he proposed capping the registration fees at $25 but raised it to $100 after public hearings.

Partnership to fight blight Low- to moderate income families seeking affordable housing and neighborhoods fighting foreclosure blight may benefit from a partnership between DeKalb County and two nonprofits. DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis said the county has approved contracts with Neighborhood Works and Alliance of DeKalb County to provide affordable housing for families with moderate means. The county awarded a $225,000 contract to Neighborhood Works and a $350,000 contract to Alliance of DeKalb County on May 22. “This is part of our continuing effort to help those that have

been most adversely affected by the housing crunch as well as getting foreclosed homes back into marketable condition,” Ellis said. Both groups satisfy requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as Community Housing Development Organizations and will use the funds to acquire and rehabilitate foreclosed properties in DeKalb. “This helps stabilize neighborhoods that have been hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis,” Ellis said. For more information, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/comm dev or call 404-286-3308.

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“There’s no point in training student athletes when they can’t read or write or get a job.”

‘Chats’ to promote transport plan DeKalb residents can participate in a series of “Wireside Chats” on the upcoming Regional Transportation Referendum in June. DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis and Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd will take part in a June 13 chat at 7:30 p.m. The telephone town hall meetings are inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Fireside Burrell Ellis Chats” during World War II. Officials and transportation professionals in each of the 10 metro Atlanta counties will take questions from residents about the July 31 referendum and the 154 projects it will support. Residents in the 10-county region will vote in a July 31 referendum on whether to fund $8.5 billion in transportation improvements across metro Atlanta through a regional 1 percent sales tax. Ellis said they are looking forward to the conversation. “Our goal is to inform DeKalb County

residents about the projects that will impact them most,” he said in a May 23 statement. The telephone town halls are organized by jurisdiction and are free of charge. Participants who register in advance will receive a map they can use to see the location of projects they and other callers have questions about. Residents may register for as many of the chats as they like and ask questions about the projects where they live, work or shop. To register, visit www.wiresidechats. com or call 404-463-3227. Each chat will last for an hour, and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions directly of the hosts. If a question is not answered during the call, the caller will receive a response via e-mail. Several days in advance of the chat, participants will receive an e-mail reminder and background documents for review. For more information, visit www. metroatlantatransportationvote.com.

Help with rent may be available Low-income families may be eligible to receive rental assistance through an agreement between DeKalb County and Nicholas House Inc. The contract provides $250,970 to administer a tenant-based rental assistance program, which will help qualified DeKalb residents with rental assistance, security and utility deposits. Eligible residents must be at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income and meet other requirements. The Atlanta Area Median Family Income is $69,300,

May 26, 2012

according to the DeKalb County Community Development Department. DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis said the county-funded program is part of an overall effort to help the neediest families. “We will be continuing our efforts to engage our partners in the federal government to fund worthy programs like this one,” Ellis said in a May 22 statement. For more information, visit www. dekalbcountyga.gov/commdev or call 404-286-3308.

Summit offers opportunities to secure procurement deals Local business owners can explore contract opportunities at the 2012 Procurement Summit, sponsored by Wells Fargo and 100 Black Men on June 13 in Atlanta. The free 8 a.m.-4 p.m. event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Exhibitors including UPS, Coca-Cola, Walmart, AT&T and Wells Fargo are looking to develop procurement relationships with local business owners who can meet their specifications and standards. Representatives will discuss contractual opportunities locally and nationally. Applicants can walk away with contracts. Even though there is no cost to attend, regis-

tration is mandatory. Visit http://events. r20.constantcontact.com/register/event? llr=lufjyogab&oeidk=a07e5wg3kzef93d5 f46 to register. Participants must meet certain criteria, including a minimum of three years in business with a proven verifiable track record, good financial standing, and the technical capacity to perform the duties efficiently. A pre-qualification review form is necessary and obtainable from the Georgia Association of Minority Entrepreneurs. The Hyatt Regency Atlanta is at 265 Peachtree St. N.E. For more information, call 404-681-0044.

Chancellor to address chamber lunch 35 institutions of higher learning Georgia University System within the state. Chancellor Hank Huckaby will He is a former GOP represendiscuss changes throughout the tative for Georgia House District state University System at the First 113. Monday Lunch on June 4 at GeorThe cost to attend the First gia Piedmont Technical College in Monday Lunch, which is open to Clarkston. the public, starts at $35. Chamber The momthly lunch which is members and friends are encourhosted by the DeKalb Chamber of Hank Huckaby aged to register quickly. Commerce, takes place from 11:30 The Conference Center at Georgia Pieda.m. to 1:30 p.m. Huckaby, who became the system’s 12th mont Technical College is at 495 N. Indian chancellor in July 2011, will talk about the Creek Drive. For more information, visit future of the university system and a discuss www.dekalbchamber.org or call 404-378a controversial consolidation proposal for all 8000.

Decatur to discuss 2012 millage rate Decatur residents can attend public hearings on their city’s tentative 2012 millage rate of 13 mills recently adopted by the City Commission. The rate is the same as the 2011 rate. The commission adopted the tentative rate of 13 mills for general operations, capital improvements, bonded indebtedness and downtown development authority operations at its regular meeting on May 21. It will hold public hearings regarding the issue at 7:30 p.m. on June 4 and June 18. The final millage will be set at the Decatur City Commission meeting on June 18.

The city’s budget estimate for 2011-2012 was $18,815,000, and the revised estimate was $18,809,240, $5,760 less than the approved budget. The budget estimate for 2012-2013 is $20,092,960, $450,820 higher than the revised revenue estimates, according o the proposed budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013. All meetings are held in the City Commission Meeting room, Decatur City Hall, at 509 N. McDonough St. For more information, visit www.decaturga.com or contact Andrea Arnold, assistant city manager, or Peggy Merriss, city manager, at 404-370-4102.

Many prefer taxes over classroom cuts BUDGET,

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northern parts of the county, but not from South DeKalb residents. “I need to hear from the southern end of the county,” he said. “I want people to tell me how they feel instead of saying I didn’t get a chance to speak.” Cunningham said constituents should look at the options posted on the district’s website email him at jay_cunningham@ fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us. At a May 22 public hearing, most of the speakers said they would rather see their taxes increase than suffer cuts in the classroom. Daniel Sobczak, a Lithonia resident and Southwest DeKalb High School teacher, told the school board to “raise my taxes.” “The property values will continue to go if our school system declines,” he said. “[The DeKalb residents] need to share the burden. Everyone needs to pay their fair share.” Lithonia resident Jacqueline Richardson said it’s time for the community to “rise up” and support the school district. “Our superintendent has asked for a millage rate increase which could potentially add millions back into our budget as one of the few ways that does not negatively impact the learning environment,” she said.

Willie Pringle, whose daughter Peri is a Southwest DeKalb 10th-grader, was one of the few opposed to the millage increase. He said the district hasn’t investigated the cuts deep enough. “I’m looking at people that are drawing double salaries,” he said. “We have a senator working under the ‘Gold Dome’ and working for the county. That’s double dipping.” Some teachers voiced their opposition against the proposed class-size increase. Tracey Anderson, a Lakeside High English teacher, said her student roster would rise from 150 to about 190. “Which is beyond impossible ,” she said. “It’s absurd. I don’t even know how one would report the grades.” Molly Bardsley, whose children attend Kittredge Elementary and the DeKalb School of the Arts – both magnet schools – said the district should look at cutting athletics. “There’s no point in training student athletes when they can’t read or write or get a job,” said Bardsley. School spokesman Walter Woods said the school board hopes to approve a final budget by June 11. The May 30 public hearing starts at 6 p.m. The school district’s Administrative and Instructional Complex is at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in Stone Mountain.

CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

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CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

“Reading to your baby is just as important because it helps them with cognitive development.”

Writers fest features espionage, healthy food, more Summer reading The world of espionage, healthy living, family dynamics, and turmoil in Libya take center stage at the DeKalb Public Library’s June Festival of Writers. On June 1, Henry A. Crumpton, the legendary CIA spy and counterterrorism expert, will discuss his spine-tingling, actionpacked autobiography, “The Art of Intelligence: Lessons From a Life in Henry Crumpton the CIA’s Clandestine Service,” at 7 p.m. at the Jimmy Carter Library. Crumpton, a former coordinator for counterterrorism at the US State Department, has worked with the CIA in efforts to combat al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. He also is the recipient of the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA’s highest award for achievement, the culmination of a 24-year career working mostly undercover for the secretive agency. The Carter Library is at 441 Freedom Parkway in Atlanta.

Will Allen built the country’s first urban farm – a food and educational center that now produces enough vegetables and fish yearround to feed thousands of people.

The son of a sharecropper, Allen was an executive at Kentucky Fried Chicken and Procter & Gamble who built the country’s first urban farm – a food and educational center that now produces enough vegetables and fish year-round to feed thousands of people. In the process, his farms have given employment to impoverished and disadvantaged youth and brought entire communities closer together. The Decatur Library is at 215 Sycamore Growing healthy food MacArthur “genius” grant recipient Will St. in Decatur. Allen will talk about his new book, “The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Family identity and relationships On June 5, Jillian Medoff, the acclaimed Food, People, and Communities,” at 7:15 author of “Hunger Point” and “Good Girls p.m. on June 4 at the Decatur Library. The former pro basketball star and busi- Gone Bad,” will discuss her new novel about ness executive is a pioneering urban farmer. family identity and relationships at 7:15 p.m. He has written a powerful plea for the de- at the Decatur Library. “I Couldn’t Love You More” focuses on a velopment of healthy food systems across 38-year-old working mother and stepmother the country.

in Atlanta who is struggling to keep her family functioning when her long-lost first love suddenly appears, throwing the family’s lives into turmoil. Critics call the novel “a captivating page- Jillian Medoff turner” that digs deeply into the intricacies of the human heart. Medoff ’s books have been widely translated, and “Hunger Point” was turned into a Lifetime movie starring Barbara Hershey. English television Lindsey Hilsum journalist and international correspondent Lindsey Hilsum will make her first appearance with the Center for the Book on June 6 at 7:15 p.m. at the Decatur Library. Hilsum has written a powerful new book about the remarkable upheaval in Libya, “Sandstorm: Libya in the Time of Revolution,” based on her reporting from Libya and from throughout the uprisings that have been part of the Arab Spring. She has reported from hot spots around the world, including Iran, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Iraq, for Channel Four television in Britain. For more information, visit georgiacenterforthebook.org or dekalblibrary.org or call 404-370-8450, Ext. 2225.

programs kick off Children, teens, parents and other adults can participate in a summer of reading fun as the DeKalb County Public Library kicks through July 31. The library’s Vacation Reading Program, offers magic, crafts and other activities. It kicks off at 10 a.m. on June 2 at Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. in Decatur; and at 2 p.m. on June 4 at Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library, 5234 LaVista Road in Tucker; at 6 p.m. that same day at Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road in Lithonia. Sharon Deeds, Library Youth Services coordinator, says that while the kickoffs are exciting, it is really important for parents to motivate their children to read all summer long. She said studies show that continuing to read when school is out makes a big difference for children. “Reading just a few books over the summer months can help your school-age children maintain their reading levels so that they don’t fall behind in reading skills when school resumes,” she said last week. “Reading to your baby is just as important because it helps them with cognitive development.” Summer reading at the library isn’t just for children and teens. The library has a program for adults that runs May 29-Sept. 4 and offers those 18 years and older the opportunity to read good books, share opinions about what they have read, and win great prizes. For more information, check at your local branch or visit dekalblibrary.org.

Panola clinics teach hiking, fishing and not getting lost Play billiards for lovers can celebrate national ister in advance at $10 plus $5 parking. For 10 a.m. on June 9, teaches simple techniques a beautiful DeKalb trails,Nature learn the basics of fly fishing and more information, call 770-389-7801. for not getting lost and keeping track of your Residents can shoot pool and quench their thirst for a good cause on June 4 at Twain’s Billiards & Tap in Decatur. The evening out, in support of Keep DeKalb Beautiful, kicks off at 5 p.m. It celebrates the achievements of KDB and its volunteers, who promote environmental stewardship within the county. Twain’s Billiards & Tap is at 211 E. Trinity Place. For more information, visit www.keepdekalbbeautiful.org or call 404371-2654.

discover simple techniques to keep from getting lost at Panola Mountain State Park in Stockbridge in June. The National Trails Day Celebration on June 2, which begins at 9 a.m., features a guided hike through wetlands to upland forest where participants will be able to view stunning outcrops. Hikers should be prepared for all weather conditions and bring good hiking boots. Participants will meet at the nature center 15 minutes before the program begins. Reg-

The Basic Fly Fishing Clinic, at 9 a.m. on June 9, covers casting, safety issues and other tricks of the trade. If time permits, participants may stay to catch the Fish of Fish. The clinic is held the second Saturday monthly until Dec. 8. Instructors suggest wearing long pants/shorts and hiking shoes, and participants should bring snacks, water and sunscreen. A Georgia fishing license is required. Register in advance – $15 or $12 with your own gear plus $5 parking. Lost Person Prevention, which begins at

family when venturing into the great outdoors of Georgia. The session is held on the second Saturday of the month until Dec. 8. The Search and Rescue Dog Team will join the class, unless a SAR activity is occurring. Participants should meet at the nature center 30 minutes before each program. Register in advance – $5 parking. Panola Mountain State Park is at 2600 Ga. Highway 155 S.W. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaStateParks.org or call 770-389-7801.

CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

Wellness

The 4,100 square-foot pool was renovated last fall with a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from DeKalb County. The renovated Milam Park Pool in Clarkston opens this week end through Sept. 3. Clarkston residents get discounted rates to use it.

Clarkston new pool ready for community Families will be cooling off in the new Milam Park Pool in Clarkston this summer. Just in time for the Memorial festivities, the renovated swim facility opened May 25 for fun, exercise and pleasure. The 4,100 square-foot pool was renovated last fall with a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from DeKalb County. It has four 75-foot long lap lanes, a

wading pool and several water features and amenities. The facility also got new furniture including lounging chairs, tables with umbrellas and benches. Summer aquatic program includes swim lessons and aerobics classes. Clarkston residents can sign up for seasonal pool passes. With a city tax or utility bill, they qualify for

resident discounts. The pool is open through Aug. 12 Monday to Saturdays from 11 am to 6 p.m. and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Reduced opening hours take effect Aug. 13 to Sept. 2. Milam Park is at 3867 Norman Road in Clarkston. For more information, call Tracy Ashby at 404-296-6489.

County pools and aquatic center opens this weekend DeKalb residents can splish-splash into summer with the kickoff of swim season May 26 at 10 outdoor pools and an aquatic center operated by the DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs Department. The season runs through Aug. 6 but select pools will remain open on weekends until Sept. 3. Amenities for all ages include a new splash pad at Briarwood pool; zero depth entry pools at Murphey Candler and Midway pool; and a lazy river, two water slides, a zero depth entry kiddie area and splash features at Browns Mill Aquatic Facility. Private, semi-private and group swim lessons also are offered every summer. Pool hours of operation: n Browns Mill Aquatic Facility, 5101 Browns Mill Road in Lithonia. Monday-Saturday 10

a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 1-7 p.m. until Sept. 3. n Lynwood, 3360 Osborne Road, Atlanta. n Gresham, 3113 Gresham Road in Atlanta. Monday noon-6 p.m.; Wednesday and FriTuesday-Saturday noon-6 p.m., Sunday 1-8:30 p.m. n Kelly Cofer, 4259 N. Park Drive in Tucker. Tuesday-Saturday noon-6 p.m., Sunday 18:30 p.m. n Kittredge, 2535 N. Druid Hills Road in Atlanta. Tuesday-Saturday noon-6 p.m., Sunday 1-8:30 p.m. n Lithonia, 2501 Park Drive in Lithonia. Tuesday-Saturday noon-6 p.m., Sunday 1-8:30 p.m. until Sept 3. n Medlock, 874 Gaylemont Circle in Decatur. Tuesday-Saturday noon-6 p.m., Sunday 1- 8:30 p.m. until Sept 3. n Briarwood, 2235 Briarwood Way in Atlanta. Monday noon-6 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday noon-6 p.m.; Thursday and Saturday noon-8:30 p.m.; Sunday 1-8:30 p.m.

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day noon-6 p.m.; Thursday and Saturday noon-8:30 p.m.; Sunday 1-8:30 p.m. n Midway, 3181 Midway Road in Decatur. Monday noon-6 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday noon-6 p.m.; Thursday and Saturday noon-8:30 p.m.; Sunday 1-8:30 p.m. n Tobie Grant, 644 Parkdale Road in Scottdale. Monday noon-6 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday noon-6 p.m.; Thursday and Saturday noon-8:30 p.m.; Sunday 1-8:30 p.m. n Murphey Candler, 1526 W. Nancy Creek Drive in Atlanta. Tuesday-Saturday noon6 p.m.; Sunday 1-6 p.m. until Sept. 3. N.H. Scott is closed for the season due to maintenance. For more information, contact Al Sheppard, recreation program manager,

Viral hepatistis, silent epidemic Millions of Americans have chronic viral hepatitis and most of them don’t know that they are infected, the CDC says. During May, which is observed nationally as Hepatitis Awareness Month, the CDC is reminding health care providers and the public, especially baby boomers, that they should be tested for chronic viral hepatitis which often has no symptoms until serious liver damage has been done. Hepatitis, which means inflammation of the liver, is most often caused by one of several viruses. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. African-Americans are disproportionately affected by hepatitis C. They represent 12 percent of the U.S. population but make up about 22 percent of the chronic hepatitis C cases. Viral hepatitis is a silent epidemic in the United States and more than 4 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis C. Every year, about 15,000 Americans die from liver cancer or chronic liver disease associated with viral hepatitis. The CDC says that as many as 75 percent of people with chronic viral hepatitis do not know that they are infected. Without knowing if they are infected, they cannot receive lifesaving care and treatment. The CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis is developing a national education campaign called Know More Hepatitis. The initiative will be aimed at increasing awareness about this hidden epidemic and encouraging people who may be chronically infected with hepatitis C to get tested. The initiative, which is funded in part by support from the CDC Foundation and CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs and TB Prevention, is designed to complement existing hepatitis prevention efforts. The Division of Viral Hepatitis is developing an online risk assessment that will be launched this month. The online assessment is designed to determine an individual’s risk for viral hepatitis and asks questions based upon CDC’s guidelines for testing and vaccination. The Hepatitis Risk Assessment allows individuals to answer questions privately, either in their home or in a health care setting, and print their recommendations to discuss with their doctor. For more information, visit www.cdc.

Order your personalized engraved brick by June 12, 2012, at one of these branches by making a $100 donation to benefit the DeKalb County Public Library.

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CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

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CrossRoadsNews

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A12

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May 26, 2012

Salute to the Class of 2012 May 26, 2012

Section B

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Path to the Future

5,932 DeKalb seniors up for graduation

Columbia High seniors, who were scheduled to graduate on May 25 at Georgia State University, queue up at a pre-commencement service.

Jami Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

The graduation ceremony for Clarkston High seniors was held on May 24 at Hallford Stadium. They are shown at pre-commencement.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

McNair High salutatorian Stanley Stewart gets help with his tassel at a pre-commencement service.

Carla Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

One of Cedar Groveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 224 seniors adjusts her mortarboard at pre-commencement.

Lithonia High School seniors pose for a photo after a precommencement service. The senior class numbered 266.

Curtis Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Graduation

CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

The class of 2012 is being celebrated for accomplishments that include garnering millions of dollars in scholarship offers.

Pomp and Circumstance Established 1995 2346 Candler Road Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

The 2012 Graduation Special Section is a publication of CrossRoadsNews Inc., South DeKalb’s award-winning weekly newspaper. Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Graphic Design Curtis Parker WizArt by Sharif Reporters Donna Williams Lewis Carla Parker Jennifer Ffrench Parker The content, design and concept for CrossRoadsNews is copyrighted and no parts of it should be copied, reproduced or duplicated without the expressed permission of ‑the publisher.

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Countywide, 5,932 DeKalb County seniors have been picking up diplomas and certificates of attendance at commencement exercises.

2012 Graduations High School Date Arabia Mountain Friday, May 25 Cedar Grove Saturday, May 26 Chamblee High Friday, May 25 Clarkston Thursday, May 24 Columbia Friday, May 25 Cross Keys Thursday, May 24 DeKalb Alternative Wednesday, May 23 DECA Friday, May 25 DeKalb School of the Arts Friday, May 25 Destiny Academy Sunday, May 20 Druid Hills Thursday, May 24 Dunwoody Thursday, May 24 Eagle Woods Academy Wednesday, May 23 Lakeside Friday, May 25 Elizabeth Andrews HS Wednesday, May 23 Lithonia Friday, May 25 Margaret Harris Friday, May 11 Martin L. King Jr. Saturday, May 26 McNair Tuesday, May 22 Miller Grove Wednesday, May 23 Redan Friday, May 25 Southwest DeKalb Friday, May 25 Stephenson Thursday, May 24 Stone Mountain Thursday, May 24 Towers Thursday, May 24 Tucker Saturday, May 26

Time 7 p.m. 10 a.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 2 p.m. 6 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 5 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 9 a.m. 10 a.m. noon 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 10 a.m. 3:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 10 a.m.

Location Greater Travelers Rest Bapt. Church Georgia State University North DeKalb Stadium Hallford Stadium Georgia State University Adams Stadium New Beginning Full Gospel Bapt Church DeKalb Schools AIC Auditorium Avondale Baptist Church DeKalb Schools AIC Auditorium Thomas Murphy Ballroom First Baptist Church of Atlanta Eagle Woods Academy Greater Travelers Rest Bapt. Church New Beginning Full Gospel Church Greater Travelers Rest Bapt. Church School Cafeteria Georgia Dome Greater Travelers Rest Bapt. Church Georgia Dome Georgia Dome New Birth Missionary Baptist Church New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Georgia Dome Greater Travelers Rest Bapt. Church Greater Travelers Rest Bapt. Church

May 26, 2012

Graduation

CrossRoadsNews

“We have one of the smallest graduating classes in number but one of the most powerful in achievements.”

Class of 2012 touts triumphs, achievements in tough times By Donna Williams Lewis

The class of 2012 ends its k-12 journey this week when 5,932 seniors are unleashed from the DeKalb County School System. They leave 26 high schools and centers in graduation ceremonies under way this week through May 26 at churches, stadiums, colleges and the Georgia Dome. Last week, they listened to the advice of inspirational speakers, public officials, local ministers and community leaders at precommencement ceremonies. Dr. Alduan Tartt, a psychologist correspondent for CNN/HLN, spoke at the precommencements for Arabia Mountain High and Columbia High. Tartt said he advised students to follow their passions. “I talked about the three P’s,” he said. “Finding your purpose, aligning it with your passion, and developing perseverance.” Tartt said students shouldn’t base their career choices on where they’ve heard money or jobs can be found, but on their individual gifts. “Go with your heart and your passion,” Tartt said. “Your gift will be your provision.” The final number of 2012 graduates who will get high school diplomas was unavailable at press time Thursday. The senior class ranged from 421 at Lakeside High to six at DeKalb Alternative Night School. Across the district, the class of 2012 is being celebrated for its achievements that include garnering millions of dollars in scholarship offers. Many students triumphed over tough economic and social situations to ascend to the top of their class. Among them is the Stephenson High graduating class, which is one of the smallest in years. It has 352 seniors, a fairly large dip from four years ago, when its class of 2008 had 493 seniors. But head counselor Lolita Richards-Baker said the smaller class size had no impact on its success. “We have one of the smallest graduating classes in number but one of the most powerful in achievements,” RichardsBaker said. Among the 2012 class achievements – more than Brian Bolden $20 million in scholarship offers for everything from art school to academic and athletic scholarships. Stephenson students have enrolled at schools around the country, from Boston University to the University of Hawaii. To help celebrate their scholarships, Stephenson made history with its first ever “Academic Signing Day” on April 18. Principal Brian Bolden enlisted the help of senior Jamari Jordan to put on the event, modeled after the traditional signing days for athletes held annually at schools around the nation. About 45 students who received academic scholarships participated in the ceremony in

Seniors reach milestone

Jami Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Stone Mountain High School seniors preparing to take their seats for their May 20, precommencement service on May 20 at Saint Philip AME Church in Atlanta

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

McNair seniors line up for their pre-commencement service at Beulah Baptist Church.

the school’s theater. They sat in clusters for the colleges and universities they will be attending, near balloons representing their colleges’ colors. After the program, which included speakers, choral and cheerleading performances, and a chance for every student to announce his or her name and their college, the students, their families and friends were treated to a reception. Jamari, who received the HOPE scholarship, is headed to the University of Georgia and plans to become a history teacher. “We’ve had the reputation as a band and football school,” Jamari said. “But people don’t realize the great things we do academically so I thought it was time we were recognized in all three phases.” Bolden would like to see Academic Signing Day duplicated nationwide. “I really wanted to change the focus of this school to academics,” said Bolden, who has been principal at Stephenson for three year. “Academic Signing Day should allow these students who are highlighting their academics to note them in the same manner as our athletes.”

Southwest DeKalb weathers storm Southwest DeKalb principal Angela Bethea told parents on May 21 at the school’s last PTA meeting for the school year that she is very proud of the 2012 class. Seniors received $3.8 million in scholarship offers, including 168 aca- Angela Bethea demic scholarships totaling $2.9 million. There were 16 athletic scholarships, 12 band scholarships, and one fine arts scholarship. Four athletes got tennis scholarships for only the second time in the school’s 36-year history. Jasmine Riddick, Felicia Penn, Kalin Harrison and Odell McCree were awarded $85,000 in tennis and academic scholarships on May 24. Jasmine is going to Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. Felicia will be heading to Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala., and Kalin and Odell are headed to Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn. Bethea said this year was tough with the media camping out at the school every time

DeKalb’s 2012 senior class has 5,932 students, down from 6,130 last year. The number of graduates for the class of 2012 was not available at press time. 2012 School Seniors Arabia Mountain 268 Cedar Grove 224 Chamblee 338 Clarkston 169 Columbia 259 Cross Keys 164 DeKalb Alternative Night School 6 DeKalb Alternative School 9 DeKalb Early College Academy 34 DeKalb School of the Arts 55 Destiny Achievers Academy 42 Druid Hills 366 Dunwoody 381 Elizabeth Andrews 263 Gateway to College 28 Lakeside 421 Lithonia 266 M.L. King Jr. 316 Margaret Harris Comprehensive 7 McNair, Ronald E. 149 Miller Grove 318 Redan 297 Southwest DeKalb 380 Stephenson 352 Stone Mountain 231 Towers 240 Tucker 349 Total 5,932 Source: DeKalb School System

there was a story on FAMU student Robert Champion’s death. The Southwest DeKalb alumnus died last November in Orlando after a hazing ritual on a FAMU band bus. “We are not FAMU,” Bethea said. “We are Southwest DeKalb High School. It’s just been a constant fight all year.” She mentioned the five deaths this school year of a student, two alumni, a beloved custodian and a science teacher that rocked the school community. She said the PTSA and the Fathers Being Involved group were very helpful in dealing with those situations. “You set the tone,” she said. “Thanks for the support.”

Seven Cedar Grove seniors with 4.0 Cedar Grove High’s 2012 class made academic history with seven seniors graduating with a 4.0 or higher. The school’s head counselor, Hycine L. Robinson, said it was a first. “It’s pretty amazing to have seven seniors with a 4.0 GPA,” she said. “That really stood out for me with this class. There are valedictorians at other schools that don’t have 4.0.” Cedar Grove’s senior class of 224 students accrued about $1.7 million in scholarship offers, and 57 seniors were Superintendent Scholars – because they took three or more Advanced Placement courses.

Graduation

CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

“Think about how this will affect your future. Don’t think about what it means today.”

Senior class garners millions in scholarship offers Ronald E. McNair High salutatorian Stanley Stewart has $1.4 million in scholarship offers. That’s more than some schools garnered for their entire senior class. His offers come from 25 schools and seven institutions. The cream of the crop – a Gates Millennium Scholarship – will Stanley Stewart enable Stanley to attend his Ivy League choice, Brown University in Providence, R.I. Stanley is one of 14 DeKalb County students and 88 students from across Georgia who were awarded Gates scholarships this year. Last year, 20 DeKalb students became Gates Scholars. Stanley, 17, has a 3.8 grade point average and will major in international relations and public policy. He plans to become a “social entrepreneur,” opening a business that is focused on making social impact rather than on making money. Stanley’s lengthy list of accomplishments include editor in chief of McNair’s Pegasus Yearbook; journalist of the year; excellence in English, AP World History and World Literature Awards; National Public Radio Youth Commentator; and W.E.B. DuBois Society’s “I Rise” essay competition winner. At Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, the 2012 class got $3.8 million in scholarship offers and the bulk – $2.9 million – is for academics. At Cedar Grove High in Ellenwood, the senior class accrued more than $1.7 million in scholarship offers with senior Shandricka Flowers getting the most offers – $159,000. Below are some of the scholarships awarded to the 2012 class:

Dunwoody High; Deric Long Jr., Westminster High; Elandra Loyal, Valentine Mba, Breyanna Morning, Danielle Reed, Jordan Smith and Erica Williams, Chamblee Charter High; Gabrielle Miller, Lakeside High; Roshaud Turner, Whitewater High; and Tony Weaver, Greenforest Christian Academy High School. For more information on scholarships and other programs, visit the Decatur Alumnae Chapter at www.dstcdac.org.

Carla Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Southwest DeKalb High seniors Jasmine Riddick (from left), Kalin Harrison, Odell McCree and Felicia Penn were awarded $85,000 in tennis and academic scholarships.

Thornton Memorial Scholarships Three Lithonia High students have won $5,200 in James L. Thornton Memorial Scholarships. Jayda Moore won $2,300, Anthony Gordon won $1,700, and Glen Hudson won $1,200. They are exploring a number of college options, including Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, the University of Georgia, the University of West Georgia and Valdosta State University, The scholarship fund, which is in its 10th year, was created in memory of James Thornton, a 2002 Lithonia rising senior who was killed in a car accident in August 2002. The scholarships are awarded annually to Lithonia High graduates by Thornton’s parents, Lovell and Ora Thornton of Lithonia. They must write an essay on ways to improve safety for any form of transportation; have a 3.0 or higher GPA; and be in good academic standing. If they have a driver’s license, it must

be free of moving violations in the past 12 months.

Delta Sigma Theta Scholarships The Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority awarded more than $28,000 in scholarships and book stipends to local students this month. Druid Hills High student Christina Lynne Evans got $5,000, Teryn Thornton of Chamblee Charter High got $3,500, and Henderson Johnson of Chamblee Charter High got $1,500. Twenty-six other finalists will receive a $500 book stipend. They are Jalal Abdul-Azeez, W.D. Mohammad High; Jasmine Bailey, James S. Brown and Elaine Mills, Southwest DeKalb High; Johnna Bateman, Columbia High; Sydny Caldwell and Taylor Saab, DeKalb School of the Arts; Austin Copper, Clarkston High; Jesse Harris, Parkview High; Shannon Hodge, Kierra Jarman, Daria Johnson, Sakinah Muhammad and Kayla Rhynes, Druid Hills High; Jabari Kilcrease and Kamry Mack,

Gladys Cook Scholarships Thirteen DeKalb graduating seniors got $13,000 in scholarships from the Gladys Cook Scholarship program. The 2012 Gladys Cook Scholarship recipients are Kyle Jackson Woumn, Arabia Mountain; Brittany Sherrell Gas, Cedar Grove; Jasmine Alicia Clayton, Chamblee Charter; Makiya Adem Moti, Clarkston; Sydny A. Caldwell, DeKalb School of the Arts; Kip David Lacy, Druid Hills; Kaelyn Tyler Paschal, Lithonia; Stanley Louis Stewart, McNair; Safia Abdirahim Abdirizak, Miller Grove; Kaylin Victoria Ashlyn Riggs, Redan; Demetria Charlaine Dickins, Southwest DeKalb; Jonathan Alden DeBowles, Stephenson; and Frances Claire Lippy, Tucker. The scholarships were awarded April 12 during the Council of PTAs’ annual Spring Scholarship Awards Dinner at Tucker High School. The scholarship program, which is in its 50th year, was founded in 1962 by former DeKalb PTA Council President Gladys Cook. Chamblee Charter High School senior Claudia Holbrook got a special $500 50th anniversary Advocacy in Action award to help further her volunteer work with a local refugee family.

May 26, 2012

Graduation

CrossRoadsNews

“It let me know that all of this hard work paid off. It reaffirmed to me that I have to keep on working hard.”

Fifteen DeKalb students lands coveted Gates scholarship By Donna Williams Lewis

Fifteen DeKalb students will be going to college this fall on full ride Gates Millennium Scholarships amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. They are headed to colleges across the country and could continue their education all the way to masters and doctorates, if they choose. They are among 88 Georgia students and 1,000 nationwide to receive the coveted awards to financially challenged students. Many might not have been able to go to the college of their choice without the award. Redan High’s Brian Motley is among the 2012 DeKalb Schools graduates to nab one of the scholarships. When the large envelope arrived on April 22, he and his mother, Charmaine Hardwick, who raised him on her own, did “the happy dance” at the mailbox in front of their Stone Mountain home for a full five minutes. “We held hands and jumped around in a circle,” he said. “I could say we did it for 30 seconds to make myself look good, but it was for a really long time. We rested and started again. Some people in cars passing by slowed down and looked at us, wondering what was going on.” Brian and his Gates scholarship will be going to Michigan State University this fall. He grew up in DeKalb and wants to try the cooler climes of the North, where he has family. Brian said he wanted a Gates scholarship every since he heard about the program in the ninth grade. “It’s the best thing that has happened to me,” he said. “I really don’t know what I would have done without it.” Stanley Stewart, McNair High’s salutato-

Gates scholarship winners Fifteen DeKalb students were awarded 2012 Gates Millennium Scholarships. They will attend colleges across the country on full scholarships. Student School Anastasia Carter Arabia Mtn Joe Lindsey Arabia Mtn Dejah Ault Chamblee Jasmine Davis Chamblee Henderson Johnson Chamblee Thuy Tran Cross Keys Destiny Andrews DSA* Sydny Caldwell DSA Nicole Hardy DSA Zachia Gray Dunwoody Bryce Rowan Dunwoody Stanley Stewart McNair Brian Motley Redan Tshim Tshimanga Redan Maya Williams SW DeKalb * DeKalb School of the Arts Source: www.gmsp.org

rian, also received one of the coveted awards among a haul of $1.4 million in scholarship offers. He is headed to Brown University in Providence, R.I., and says the Gates scholarship gave him “the best feeling ever.” “It let me know that all of this hard work paid off,” said Stanley, who lives in East Atlanta. “It reaffirmed to me that I have to keep on working hard.” Established in 1999, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program is funded by a $1.6 billion endowment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It aims to get more students from minority groups working in the fields of computer

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science, education, engineering, library science, math, public health and the sciences. Destiny Andrews, a DeKalb School of the Arts graduate, will use her scholarship to attend her dream school, Atlanta’s Spelman College. “It was my only choice,” said Destiny, 17, who admires Spelman for helping African-American women make their marks on the world. “I’ve wanted to go there since seventh grade.” Destiny Andrews With an on-campus price tag of about $35,000 per year, Destiny says Spelman would have been out the question for her without the scholarship. “I was extremely excited,” she said. “I can’t even describe it. I was speechless.” Destiny said she worked hard for the honor, writing the many papers required for the program while taking lots of accelerated classes. She also earned a 3.7 GPA. Destiny, who wants to become a plastic surgeon, volunteers at MedShare, a nonprofit that delivers surplus medical supplies to underserved health care facilities in developing countries. She also hosts a monthly Bible study group for teens and works at soup kitchens through Hands on Atlanta. Classmate and friend Sydny Caldwell, 18, is heading to Howard University on a Gates scholarship. She will major in computer science. Sydny, who has a 3.76 GPA, has been a gymnast for 12 years and is a member of the National Beta Club, National Honor Society for Dance Artists, and the youth usher board ministry at New Birth Missionary Baptist. When she learned that she had become a

Gates scholar, “I was so excited that I cried.” The United Negro College Fund, which administers the program, partners with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund to select and provide service to Gates scholars. The scholarships are renewable annually as long as the scholar maintains satisfacSydny Caldwell tory academic progress. UNCF President and CEO Michael L. Lomax said that the program now provides financial support, leadership training, mentoring and academic and social support to 20,000 young men and women. “We are grateful for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s support of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program because it is not only an investment in the futures of these students, but also in the country’s economic and social strength and competitiveness.”

Gates Millennium Scholarships: Fast Facts n GMS selects 1,000 new scholars each year. n Current Gates scholars attend 723 colleges and universities throughout the country. n Twenty-nine percent of Gates scholars transition into graduate school. n More than 7,900 Gates scholars have completed a degree since the program’s inception.

CrossRoadsNews

Graduation

May 26, 2012

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Southwest DeKalb High senior class (above) wore white to their precommencement exercise at the Ray of Hope Church. At left, Cedar Grove seniors share smiles, and Stone Mountain High seniors are shrouded in light as they enter Saint Philip AME Church for their precommencement exercise on May 20.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Jami Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Chick-fil-A at Turner Hill Road - “Home of the 1,000th Chick-fil-A” Congratulates Our 2012 College Graduates! Q.C. School of Event Planning Diploma Event & Wedding With Honors

Strayer University Associate of Arts Degree Marketing Magna Cum Laude

Congratulates Recipients of $1,000 Leadership Scholarships

Kimberly L. Brown

Tawanna Bembry

Benjamin Michael Watts

Congratulates Our 2012 High School Graduates!

Jekayla Claxton

Stephenson High School University of Georgia

Top 5%, National Honor Society, 3.94 G.P.A.

Michael G. Daise, Jr.

Redan High School Bethune-Cookman University

BETA Club, Superintendent Scholar, 3.5 G.P.A.

Glenda Dowdy

Southwest DeKalb High School Auburn University Top 10%, 3.68 G.P.A.

Emory University School of Medicine

Graduate of Morehouse College

Mary Catherine Driskell

Driskell Home School Academy Georgia State University G.S.U. Honors Program, 3.99 G.P.A.

Jekayla Claxton

University of Georgia

Tandy Sithole

West Georgia University

Kierra Wheaton

West Georgia University

Presented on behalf of S. Truett Cathy, this scholarship goes to employees completing 1800 hours of work and exhibiting leadership qualities. Tony Royal, Owner/Operator Congratulates You!

Congratulates Recipients of $500 Partners in Service Scholarships

Terrance Hewitt

Martin Luther King High School Morehouse College

Top 10%, 3.5 G.P.A., S.G.A. President

Coa-Coa Hinton

Druid Hills High School West Georgia University

Destiny Long

Newton High School Alabama A & M University

Tandy Sithole

Lithonia High School West Georgia University

Briana Clark

S.W. DeKalb * Georgia Southern

Ikeiea Grant

Stephenson * West Georgia

Amberly Grier

M. L. King * West Georgia

Levaun Scott

Lithonia * Furman University

Brittany Streeter

Stephenson High School Bethune-Cookman University

Kierra Wheaton

Miller Grove High School West Georgia University

Sandra White

Carver High School Alabama A & M University

Jason Summerville

Arabia Mountain * Macon State

Imani King

Martin Luther King High School Alabama State University

Lance Sumner

Luther Rice Seminary and University Master’s Degree in Leadership

Andrew White

Arabia Mountain High School Georgia Institute of Technology

Created in 2005 by Tony Royal, this scholarship is presented to students of partner schools that serve others well by being kind, considerate and helpful. The student is selected by the school administrator or college president.

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May 26, 2012

Graduation

CrossRoadsNews

“Think about how this will affect your future. Don’t think about what it means today.”

Outstanding student beat odds with hard work, tenacity By Donna Williams Lewis

Born in genocide-ravaged Rwanda, 17-year-old Alain Dusabe moved to the United States from Cameroon through a refugee resettlement program on May 18, 2007. He spoke no English but was enrolled at Avondale High as an eighth-grader. Alain (pronounced Alan) spent every spare moment at the Covington branch library. He taught himself English with library CDs and books for children. He pored over the dictionary his mother bought him and watched TV programs with English subtitles. By the end of his first school year, he was given his school’s “Most Outstanding Student Award.” On May 11, Alain, a joint enrollment student at DeKalb Early College Academy, graduated from Georgia Perimeter College with a 3.85 grade point average. On May 25, he graduated from DECA with a 3.71 grade point average. And this fall, he starts classes at Georgia Tech, where he plans to work on becoming an actuary scientist. Alain said it’s not about being an overachiever. “I think, at the end of the day, it’s just about me making my mother proud,” Alain said. “I’m doing what she wants me to do. I’m staying on track. I’m staying focused. I’m working hard.” Shannon Thorne-Brackett, a physical science teacher

“I think, at the end of the day, it’s just about me making my mother proud. I’m doing what she wants me to do. I’m staying on track. I’m staying focused. I’m working hard.” Alain Dusabe

at DECA, said the key to Alain’s success is his perseverance. “He has a lot of tenacity,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what challenge he’s faced with – he just takes it and completes it.” That includes walking two hours a day to get back and forth to school, she said. Alain’s rocket ride to success has not been without its rocks. In his sophomore year, he said, he became distracted by his desire to fit in with other students and to have a girlfriend like the other guys. “My mom was furious when she saw my report card,” he said. “She told me that education in this country provides me with the tools to become somebody and that I should not take that for granted.” Alain took her sermon seriously.

He deactivated his Facebook account and distanced himself from people who might take him off course. He reactivates it in summers when he has no classes. Alain works seasonal part time at the GPC bookstore and tutors students on Mondays and Wednesdays to earn money to help out at home. He tutors students in math for free on Fridays at DECA. Thorne-Brackett says he is in high demand from parents who want him to tutor their kids. “He’s like a math genius,” she said. “He explains things so well. You really have to know a concept to be able to explain it in layman’s terms.” But Alain is not all work. He’s a rapper who teaches and inspires through that genre. His rap, “Newton’s Law,” is featured on Thorne-Brackett’s site, www.purplephysics.com. Alain spent his first 10 years moving between refugee camps and semi-permanent homes. He said he hopes to help create financial stability for his mother and siblings who are helping pay for school. His family members are mother, Francoise Kambabazi; sister, Gisele Girishya, 26; and brother, Fabrice Eureka, 23. “I carry my entire family on my back,” Alain said. “I didn’t experience all of the horror they did, so I’m the one who was the least scarred, and my mental state is more stable.” Hard work pays off, Alain said, adding, “I just hope I can keep up.”

Juggling act: High school, college and band duties for Columbia alum By Carla Parker

Columbia High School senior Trevor Lindsay needed more of a challenge. So he enrolled in college. Two years ago, Trevor decided to start his college career early. He enrolled at Georgia Perimeter College, and on May 4 he received his associate degree in math, three weeks before he received his high school diploma from Columbia on May 25. The 18-year-old said it felt “unreal” to already have a college degree before a high school diploma. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it will one of these days,” he said. Trevor entered GPC as a dual enrollment student. Although Trevor was happy with his decision to enter college early, it wasn’t easy juggling his high school work, college work and band duties. “It was difficult to get homework done.”

Columbia senior Trevor Lindsay, with mother Laura Lindsay, graduated from Georgia Perimeter College with an associate degree in math.

diploma while receiving up to 60 hours of college credits toward the degree – but decided against it. “I wanted the normal high school experience,” he said. Trevor graduated from GPC with a 3.3 GPA and will walk across the stage at Columbia’s graduation with a 3.95 GPA. He will begin his junior year at Georgia Tech on a $25,000 National Achievement scholarship in the fall. He plans to major in applied mathematics to become an actuary. He said he’s happy about entering Georgia Tech as a junior. “It feels good to get the hard years [first two years] out the way.” Trevor said if he had a chance to encourage younger students to go the same route he did, he would tell them to think about their future. “Think about how this will affect your He could have attended DeKalb Early tive in joint partnership with GPC that al- future. Don’t think about what it means College Academy – an early college initia- lows students to complete their high school today.”

Graduation

CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

“I’ve always been a lover of nature and I want people to protect and conserve the environment.”

The 2012 Va Most of DeKalb’s 5,932 seniors will receive their diplomas this weekend at graduation ceremonies in stadiums, churches, a university arena, the Georgia World Congress Center and the Georgia Dome. On the next four pages, we feature the valedictorians of the 2012 class. These are the students who rose to

Arabia Mountain (Resident)

Arabia Mountain (Magnet)

Cedar Grove

Clarkston

Desmond Caulley

Joe Lindsey

Jeannie Ossorio

Dhruval Darji

Desmond Caulley’s pride at becoming Arabia Mountain High’s resident valedictorian is understandable. “All of my hard work paid off,” said Desmond, who took his class’s top spot with a 4.3 GPA. Desmond was awarded a Presidential Scholarship to attend Georgia Tech, but like fellow Arabia Mountain High magnet valedictorian Joe Nathan Lindsey Jr., he is headed to Cornell University where he will major in economics and computer science. Desmond said his goal is to become a software engineer and work for the Federal Reserve. “I’ve been in Georgia all my life,” he said. “Cornell will be in a different environment.”

For Joe Nathan Lindsey Jr., becoming valedictorian of Arabia Mountain High School’s magnet program was a surprise. “I didn’t expect it,” says the 18-yearold, who goes by his middle name, Nathan. “I just did my work and I was like, ‘Oh, it happened.’” A 4.2 GPA got him to the top of his class and landed him in the footsteps of his older brother, James, who was Martin Luther King Jr. High’s co-valedictorian in 2008. A gardener since he was 8, Nathan will attend Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on a Gates Millennium Scholarship. He plans to major in international agriculture and travel overseas to explore crop production in other countries.

Jeannie Ossorio was in the ninth grade when she set her sights on becoming valedictorian. She topped her senior class of 224 with a 4.153 GPA, in a historic year for her school – the first time that seven seniors made 4.0 or above. “It’s an amazing feeling,” she said. The 18-year-old will attend Clemson University on a $5,000 scholarship. She plans to major in environmental engineering for a career in green technology. “I’ve always been a lover of nature and I want people to protect and conserve the environment,” she said. Jeannie, who is also a Georgia Merit Scholar, received academic, science and math awards throughout her school career.

Dhruval Darji knows a thing or two about challenges. The India native faced a lot of issues after he and his family moved to America when he was baby. “It’s really challenging being in a different country and trying to maintain your culture,” he said. He found a way and even managed to excel at Clarkston High School, where he was named 2012 valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA. Dhruval, 17, said it was unexpected. Dhruval hasn’t yet decided on the college he will attend, but he plans a major in computer science. He said he is leaning toward Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta but also is awaiting a response from Georgia Tech, where he is an intern in its Computing I-3 Program.

Graduation

CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

Inspired by her brother Keyant, 15, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Korticia wants to be a child psychiatrist.

aledictorians the top by earning the highest grade point average in their graduating class. They will speak to their classmates, teachers, parents, relatives and friends during their graduation ceremonies. This fall, they will be headed to Ivy League schools, private universities and state colleges.

Columbia (Magnet)

Columbia (Resident)

Korticia Howard Education is very important in Korticia Howard’s home. Her mother, Belinda, had her when she was in high school and didn’t want her to follow in those footsteps. Instead, she stressed a focus on studies. Korticia’s obedience led her to the top of her class at Columbia High, where she was named the 2012 magnet program valedictorian with a 4.05 GPA. “I feel like it’s a big accomplishment for me,” the 18-year-old said. She was active in band, Beta Club, the National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society. She plans to attend the University of Georgia and major in biology. Inspired by her brother, Keyant, who has ADHD, Korticia wants to be a child psychiatrist.

Lithonia

(Co-valedictorian)

Danielle Warren

Tametra Ballard

Mamie Dobbs

For Danielle Warren, becoming Columbia High’s resident valedictorian was a big accomplishment. “It feels like I definitely did something good in my high school career,” said the 18-year-old, who was on the swim team and was a member of Future Business Leaders of America. Danielle rose to the top of Columbia’s resident class with a 3.8 GPA and is headed to Georgia Southern on the HOPE scholarship this fall. She plans to major in nursing so she can become a neonatal nurse and work with babies in the intensive care unit.

Tametra Ballard was excited when she found out she and Mamie Dobbs were co-valedictorians at Lithonia High School. “She deserves it just as much as I do,” Tametra said. The 17-year-old is sharing the top spot with a 4.107 GPA and is headed to Georgia Tech in the fall on Pell Grant and Zell Miller scholarships. Tametra plans to major in computer engineering and hopes to work for Microsoft Corp. after college. She is the treasurer of the Beta Club, president of the National Honor Society, and a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and the Technology Student Association.

Becoming the 2012 Lithonia High co-valedictorian was a “great privilege” for Mamie Dobbs. “It feels good to be co-valedictorian,” she said. “I’m happy.” Mamie, 18, and her 4.107 GPA are headed to Howard University on the university’s Legacy Scholarship and a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship. She is currently undecided on a major. Mamie is the battalion commander of the Lithonia High School NJROTC Unit, which was awarded the Bravo Zulu Award from its area manager. She is also a member of the Beta Club and National Honor Society.

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CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

“I was really excited and I feel really good to represent my class. It feels good to finally have this honor.”

The 2012 Valedictorians Martin Luther King Jr.

Miller Grove

Redan

Ronald McNair Sr.

Dimond Gooden

Keyonna Hicks

Kayla Belcher

Santoria Texidor

Dimond Gooden was “honored” to be named 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. High School valedictorian. “It feels like my hard work has paid off,” she said. The 18-year-old nabbed the title with a 4.13 GPA and is headed to Georgia Tech on Zell Miller and HOPE scholarships to study graphic design. Dimond, who has been painting for five years, said she wants to be an art director. “I’ve always wanted to work in media and anything with art,” she said. Dimond is a member of the band and Beta Club and president of the National Honor Society and the yearbook club.

Keyonna Hicks wants to help make the community better. That’s why the Miller Grove High valedictorian plans to study biology and become a pathologist. “I like to study diseases and find a cure,” she said. Keyonna, 18, and her 3.9 GPA are headed to Agnes Scott College in Decatur on a PTSA scholarship. She said she was excited about being valedictorian and giving a speech to her classmates. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Honor Society of High School Scholars, the Miller Grove Reading Bowl team and the Bell’s.

Becoming class valedictorian has been a goal of Kayla Belcher since she was in ninth grade. “It feels very good to achieve my goal,” she said. “I feel very accomplished.” Kayla, 18, nabbed the 2012 Redan High School valedictorian title with a 3.9 GPA. She is headed to Albany State University on a $2,000 band scholarship. She plays the flute and piccolo. She plans to study biology to become an anesthesiologist. “I’ve been wanting to be a doctor since I was 4, when my mom bought me a little toy doctor’s kit,” she said.

When she was 6 years old, Santoria Texidor fell and scratched her face and ended up in the hospital. Ever since she has wanted to be a nurse. Santoria, who is the 2012 McNair High School valedictorian, is headed to Georgia State University to pursue a nursing degree. She rose to the top of her class with a 4.0 GPA. She said it’s “great” being the valedictorian. “It’s a really big accomplishment,” she said. She is a member of the Beta Club, National Honor Society and Students Against Destructive Decisions. She is also a mentor and tutor.

School of the Arts

SW DeKalb (Magnet)

SW DeKalb (Resident)

Stephenson

Nicole Hardy Nicole Hardy felt an “overwhelming sense of accomplishment” when she was named the 2012 DeKalb School of the Arts valedictorian. “With all the hard work I’ve put in, it feels good to receive this honor,” said Nicole, who was active in the Beta Club and the National Honor Society, was co-concertmaster in the orchestra, and plays the violin. Nicole, 17, finished high school with a 4.19 GPA and is headed to Princeton University on a full Gates Millennium Scholarship. She plans on majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering and working for an auto company after college. “I want to make cars aerodynamic and faster,” she said.

Raquel May When Raquel May found out she was the Southwest DeKalb High School magnet program valedictorian, her mind was blown away. “I was really excited and I feel really good to represent my class,” she said. “It feels good to finally have this honor.” Raquel, 18, received the honor with a 4.13 GPA. She is headed to Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, to major in international business and minor in Spanish. She said she wants to do marketing for an international company. Raquel is a member of the Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of America and the varsity cheerleading squad and president of the National Honor Society.

Jaiva Crawford

Joylyn Stroud

Jaiva Crawford thought of one thing when she was named 2012 Southwest DeKalb High’s resident valedictorian. “It let me know that I was one step out the door to college,” she said. Jaiva, 18, and her 3.9 GPA are headed to Kennesaw State University in the fall. She is the recipient of the Horatio Alger, HOPE, Ronald M. Simon and Zell Miller scholarships and plans to major in forensic science. Jaiva is the senior class president and a member of the dance team, the National Honor Society, softball team, and the Spanish Honor Society.

Joylyn Stroud always knew she wanted to work with airplanes. “I wanted to be a pilot but I didn’t want to live in the air,” she said. So the Stephenson High School valedictorian decided to work toward becoming an engineer for Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company. Joylyn, who has a 4.19 GPA, will be attending Georgia Tech in the fall to study industrial engineering and business management. She has a $3,000 Frugal Dad scholarship, a HOPE scholarship and a Pell Grant. The 18-year-old said it feels “pretty great” to top her class. She is a member of the band, basketball team, Beta Club and Students Against Destructive Decisions and president of the National Honor Society.

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CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

Graduation

“I feel like if I do well in engineering I can find a good job. And the job market is good for doctors.”

The 2012 Valedictorians Stone Mountain

Towers

Tucker

Edin Ibrisimovic

Jessica Gutierrez

Mati’n Malikyar

Edin Ibrisimovic felt “honored” and “humbled” when he was named the 2012 valedictorian at Stone Mountain High School. The Bosnia native rose to the top of his class with a 4.04 GPA. Edin, 18, will attend Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta next fall, then transfer to Georgia Tech in 2013. He plans to major in mechanical engineering and says he will work in the auto industry or on airplanes. “I’ve always been crazy about cars and how they work,” he said. “My interest in airplanes grew when I would travel back to visit Bosnia.” Edin is a member of the Beta Club, vice president of the National Honor Society, captain of the soccer team, and the kicker of the football team.

Ever since elementary school, Jessica Gutierrez’s classmates knew she was going to be at the top of her class. “I never really thought about it, but the kids always said I would be valedictorian,” she said. Their prediction came true when Jessica, 17, was named the 2012 Towers High School valedictorian with a 4.032 GPA. She will attend Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, N.Y., on a Trustee scholarship. Jessica plans to major in international business and minor in business to help her connect with countries worldwide on education and better health care. “I want to improve the world as a whole,” she said.

Mati’n Malikyar was “very happy” when he was named the 2012 Tucker High School valedictorian. “It’s a great accomplishment,” he said. “It’ll help me out in my future.” Mati’n will attend Georgia Tech on a Zell Miller scholarship and will major in computer engineering and minor in biology. He said he is deciding between becoming an engineer or doctor. “I feel like if I do well in engineering I can find a good job,” he said. “And the job market is good for doctors.” He is a member of the Beta Club, National Honor Society and soccer team.

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Graduation

CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

“I worked extremely hard to get to the top and to go even further than he did.”

Dad’s honor spurs MLK standout to aim high By Donna Williams Lewis For CrossRoadsNews

Arrion Jackson, salutatorian of Martin Luther King Jr. High School, says two things put him on his mission to reach the top of his class. One was a heavy talk just before he started high school with his mother, Mahalia Jackson, about taking academics seriously. The other was learning that his father, Carl Jackson, was valedictorian of College Park’s Benjamin Banneker High School class of 1998. “I worked extremely hard to get to the top and to go even further than he did,” Arrion said. “I pretty much saw that where I wanted to go in life, I couldn’t mess around. I had to handle my business so I could get to the place that I wanted to be.” Arrion earned a GPA of 4.054 while taking accelerated classes; performing in marching, concert and jazz band; and participating in numerous clubs and organizations, including DeKalb County’s Youth Commission, a teen advisory board with representatives from schools

across the county. He has been accepted to Georgia Tech, where he plans to major in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics. Arrion came into Carl Jackson’s life at the age of 4, when Carl and Mahalia met on the campus of FAMU. Carl was on a music scholarship and was one of the school’s famed Marching 100. Mahalia was a theater major and a music minor. The couple married in 2000 and have four children. Arrion is the eldest. A former DeKalb schoolteacher, Carl said he set his own goal to become high school valedictorian early in high school, but he hasn’t pushed his children to reach the same goal. “For me, it was all about getting the grades and the high test scores,” he said, “but I just encourage them to do their best and then allow them to do that.” “I want them to put more purpose in learning, to think about why they’re learning something and how they can apply it to their lives,” Carl said. “Let Martin Luther King Jr. High salutatorian Arrion Jackson, right, the grades be the end result of it, not with his father Carl,who was Banneker High’s valedictorian in the goal itself.” 1998.

Four DeKalb students named National Merit Scholars Four DeKalb high school students have been named National Merit Scholars and will each receive $2,500. The college-bound students – Jessica Andersen, Dunwoody High; Kevin Bai and Anne Grosse, Lakeside High; and Eron Smith, Decatur High – were among 15,000 finalists. About 1.5 million students applied for the scholarship in their junior year.

Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than 1 percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named semifinalists on a state representational basis. Only these 16,000 semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition. Merit Scholars received more than $35 million in college scholarships.

Congratulations to the Class of 2012 As you embark on your next phase of life’s journey, we encourage you to go out and make a better world. Please work to improve the quality of life in our county, our state and in America. “Working for DeKalb, Working for Communities, Working for YOU!” 1300 Commerce Drive, 5th Floor • Decatur, GA 30030 • 404-371-3681 • www.dekalbcountyga.gov

NMSC, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of annual scholarships are underwritten by about 440 independent corporate and college sponsors. For more information, visit www .nationalmerit.org.

congratulations

You’ve reached an achievement worthy of praise I want to express my most heartfelt congratulations and appreciation on a job well done! You’ve not only completed another successful school year but you’ve also achieved a major accomplishment that will serve as the foundation for future endeavors. Cheryl Atkinson As superintendent, it is my greatest hope that all of our students will one day feel the excitement and profound sense of accomplishment that accompanies graduation day. Graduating from high school is a major milestone, and one that you will always remember. I can still recall my high school graduation and all the hugs and well wishes I received from my family and friends. Many of you are attending some of our nation’s finest colleges and universities. I’m proud to say that this year’s graduating class has earned some $20 million in scholarships for their academic achievement, talent and skills. And others are making a difference in our communities by pursuing careers in the military, entrepreneurial endeavors and other workforce paths. Whatever path you take, I hope you will remember your days in DeKalb Schools and all of the teachers and staff who worked hard to help you along the way. Congratulations again graduates, I wish you all the success that life has to offer.

Congratulations Class of 2012 We applaud your accomplishments!

“Positively Pam”

State Rep. Pamela Stephenson House District 92

Congratulations to Our 25 High School & 20 College/University Graduates in the Class of 2012 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Jesus Christ!”

Romans 15:5 ( NIV)

May 26, 2012

Graduation

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CrossRoadsNews

Fredrick said he is excited about doing gymnastics at the University of Illinois and competing on a team.

Fredrick Hartville, who graduated from Arabia Mountain High, is attending the University of Illinois on a $14,000 academic scholarship. He said that he plans on landing a gymnastics scholarship before his second year in college.

Gymnastics champ also excels in academics When Fredrick Hartville was 4 years old, he wanted to learn how to flip. So his aunt Gayla Tarks enrolled him in a gymnastics camp. Thirteen years later, the 17-year-old is a two-time Georgia State vault and floor champion and is heading to the University of Illinois to join the Fighting Irish gymnastics team. Fredrick, who graduated from Arabia Mountain High School on May 25, is attending the University of Illinois on a $14,000 academic scholarship. He plans to land a gymnastics scholarship before his second year in college. Fredrick said the challenge of gymnastics hooked him.

“It was both fun and challenging,” he said. “It made me want to do it even more.” He began competing in the sport at age 12 with Gymsouth in Fayetteville. He later moved to WorldXtreme gym in McDonough, where he now teaches tumbling to cheerleaders on Saturday mornings. Out of the six gymnastics events – floor, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar – Fredrick excels on the floor and vault. “I’m more of a power guy,” he said. Along with being a two-time Georgia State vault and floor champion, Fredrick has made Regional five times and National twice.

Because the DeKalb School System doesn’t have male gymnastics, Fredrick helped out with the Arabia Mountain girls gymnastics team. He said he would like to see boys gymnastics in DeKalb schools because gymnastics is not just a sport for girls. “It’s a masculine sport as well,” he said. Fredrick said he is excited about doing gymnastics at the University of Illinois and competing on a team. “I’ll be competing against guys who will make me better because I want to win,” he said. Fredrick graduated with a 3.8 GPA and was vice president of Future Business Leaders of America.

Congratulations

Class of 2012

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May 26, 2012

I remember reading ‘Jack and Jill’ over and over again. By the end of the seventh grade, I got a ‘Harry Potter’ book and kept reading it.”

Determined student graduate GPC with double degree

Kadiata Sy, who was born in a refugee camp in Senegal, has two associate degrees from Georgia Perimeter and won a prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship.

Kadiata Sy overcame many trials before graduating May 4 with an associate degree in philosophy from Georgia Perimeter College. Last December, she also got an associate degree in political science from GPC. Sy was born in a refugee camp in Senegal, where her family lived after war broke out between Senegal and her native country of Mauritania. She spent the first 11 years of her life in that camp until her family was allowed to relocate to the United States, where they settled in Atlanta. “When I got here, I didn’t speak any English, and I was placed in ESOL [English to Speakers of Other Languages] classes in Shamrock Middle School [now Druid Hills Middle School],” Sy said. “The teachers were great. I remember reading ‘Jack and Jill’ over and over again. By the end of the seventh grade, I got a ‘Harry Potter’ book and kept reading it.” By the time Sy moved on to high school, she was taking several Advanced Placement classes, including one in English. When she was looking for a good college to attend, a family member recommended GPC. “I planned on taking a few courses and then transferring, but once I was on campus I saw this was a great place,” she said. “I decided to stay.” Sy was enrolled in GPC’s Honors program

and won the 2012 Clarkston Campus President’s Award. She also won campus excellence awards in general humanities and global studies. She served as the president of the Clarkston Campus Student Government Association and founded the campus’s Philosophy Club, all while maintaining 3.78 GPA. She leaves GPC with two associate degrees: political science and philosophy. She also has been active in community service, working with Keep DeKalb Beautiful, Global Village School for Refugee Girls, Fight Against Famine-Somalia and the International Rescue Committee. As she looked for a college to continue her education beyond GPC, Sy decided Emory University was the best choice, but she knew her family couldn’t afford it. As she was about to change her plans, Sy learned she was one of two GPC students to win the prestigious national Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship, which provides up to $90,000 – up to $30,000 annually for three years – to continue her education. “This is more than my family could have ever expected,” Sy said. She will complete dual bachelor’s degrees at Emory University in political science and Middle Eastern studies. Sy plans to one day become a human rights attorney.

32 students complete Youth Leadership DeKalb training Students from 15 public and private high schools in DeKalb and the metro area graduated from the 10-month leadership training program on May 7.

Thirty-two students from the Youth Leadership DeKalb class of 2012 graduated from the 10-month leadership training program on May 7. The students, representing 15 public and private high schools in DeKalb and the metro Atlanta area, received leadership training focused on understanding criminal justice, health, quality of life issues, business and entrepreneurship, government, finance, and civic engagement. Towers High School junior D’Yaneisia DeShay said she gained a wealth of knowledge – including increased awareness of social networking, community involvement and career observations – from the program. “I also had the opportunity to meet new lifelong friends,” she said. “I have also been enlightened to the fact that I can make a difference not just in my community, but in the world.” Created more than 20 years ago by Leadership DeKalb graduates, YLD is a program designed to mentor high school students and to foster their leadership skills and civic engagement. More than 400 students have completed the program.

Salutes

The Class of 2012 We Wish You Good Luck as You Continue Life’s Journey!

Congratulations Jada Akilah Martin Arabia Mountain High School

Class of 2012

We share your family’s pride in your accomplishments! – The Parkers

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May 26, 2012

Graduation

The 15 athletes represent 10 different athletic endeavors, including four who played multiple sports during the school year.

Arabia Mountain’s resident valedictorian Desmond Caulley (above), Southwest DeKalb’s salutatorian Ashley McCray (top right), and Lithonia’s salutatorian Joshua Grosh are among DeKalb County Schools’ scholar-athletes in the class of 2012.

Scholar-athletes tally up honors on field and in classroom By Carla Parker

Playing a sport and studying schoolwork can be difficult, but some of DeKalb’s 2012 top students made it work. Fifteen of the 49 DeKalb School System valedictorians and salutatorians competed in either basketball, competitive cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis or track. That number represents 30.6 percent of those receiving the highest honors at their schools. The 15 athletes represent 10 different athletic endeavors, including four who played multiple sports during the 2011-2012 school year. Arabia Mountain’s magnet and resident

valedictorians Joe Lindsey and Desmond Caulley are among the top sports and academic scholars. Desmond was the Rams linebacker, and Joe participated on the school’s cross country team. Stone Mountain valedictorian Edin Ibrisimovic was the Pirates’ place kicker, finishing the 2012 season third with 37 points. He was also the captain of the soccer team, contributing one goal and four assists. Southwest DeKalb and Cross Keys are the only two schools to have athletes as both their magnet valedictorians and salutatorians. Southwest DeKalb valedictorian Raquel May was a competitive cheerleader, and salutatorian Ashley McCray was on the gymnastics team. Raquel’s competitive

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2012

Best Wishes as you embark on the next phase of your life! Michele Henson STATE REPRESENTATIVE • HOUSE DISTRICT 87

cheer squad finished as the Region 6-AAAA champs and went on to an eighth-place finish in state competition. Cross Keys valedictorian Laura Ramirez was 5-1 in tennis singles play and swam in four events for the Lady Indians swim team. Salutatorian Chandra Dickey competed in the long jump and high jump in track while also participating in cheerleading. Redan had the most athletes recognized for academics and three are co-salutatorians. Guy Dorris played tennis, Tombari Ereba was on the soccer team, and Jared James played football. The other athletic scholars include Columbia resident salutatorian Lateria Slocumb, Lithonia salutatorian Joshua

Grosh, Stephenson valedictorian Joylyn Stroud, Towers salutatorian Brett Oakman, and Tucker valedictorian Mati’n Malikyar. Seven athletes were awarded the Council of PTAs Gladys Cook Scholarships and the Gates Millennium Scholarships. Three cross country athletes – Arabia Mountain’s Joe Lindsey, Cross Keys’ Thuy Tran and Dunwoody’s Bryce Rowan – are 2012 Gates Millennium Scholars. Lithonia’s Kaelyn Paschal; Redan’s Kaylin Riggs; Southwest DeKalb’s Demetria Dickins, a bronze medalist in the Class AAAA shot put; and Tucker’s two-sport participant Claire Lippy were among 13 students awarded Gladys Cook Scholarships from the DeKalb Council of PTAs.

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CrossRoadsNews

May 26, 2012

2012 Pre-Commencement Exercises

Stone Mountain High seniors line up to take their seats for their May 20 pre-commencement excercise at Saint Philip AME Church in Atlanta.

Cedar Grove High 2012 seniors class has the seven seniors with GPA above 4.0, a dirst for the school.

Arabia Mountain seniors line up for the May 20 service in the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gym.

Seniors at Martin Luther King Jr. High at Greater Travelers Rest (bottom far left) and Miller Grove at the school gym (top far left and left) strike poses during May 20 services.

Photos By Newburn Reynolds, Carla Parker, Curtis Parker, Jami Ffrench-Parker and Jennifer Ffrench Parker