CrossRoadsNews, September 9, 2017

COMMUNITY

SCENE

Neighborhood heroes

Magnificent images

Ten senior citizens, including 109-yearold Willie Mae Hardy were honored as Kirkwood Legends on Sept. 3. 6

Aldridge Murrell’s breathtaking photographs from Africa will be on display at the Stonecrest Library starting Sept. 8. 8

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

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

Copyright © 2017 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

September 9, 2017

Volume 23, Number 19

www.crossroadsnews.com

100s in DeKalb face deportation in wake of DACA changes

By Rosie Manins

by former President Barack Obama; it provides dreamers temporary legal status.

Georgia’s DCA population is not broken down by county, but local leaders say there are likely hundreds, possibly more than 1,000, DACA recipients living, studying and working in DeKalb.

Their immigration status is now in limbo as the Trump administration ponders a replacement policy. Trump announced a six-month delay in enforcement of the new policy on Sept. 5.

Under DACA, Dreamers receive renewable two-year work permits and the ability

Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) speaks in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy at the Georgia Capitol on Aug. 31.

DACA has since been rescinded

by President Donald Trump.

Hundreds of DeKalb residents face deportation within months, now that President Donald Trump has terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy.

Immigration experts estimate that there are 24,000 DACA recipients in Georgia – young people, referred to as Dreamers, who were brought illegally to the United States by their parents. All would be subject to the change.

They make up about 24 percent of Georgia’s population and up 800,000 adults nationwide. DACA was implemented in 2012 Please see DREAMERS, page 6

Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

Protest presses for removal of Confederate monument Decatur Square obelisk a reminder of Jim Crow era

Beacon Hill NAACP President Mawuli Davis speaks to media Sept. 6 at the “Lost Cause” Confederate monument in Decatur Square, ahead of Sunday’s march and rally to have the 30-foot obelisk removed from outside the historic DeKalb County Courthouse.

By Rosie Manins

DeKalb residents who want the county to rid itself of Confederate monuments will march and rally in downtown Decatur on Sept. 10 to demand the removal of the “Lost Cause” obelisk in Decatur Square.

Hate Free Decatur, organizer of the march and rally, says hundreds of likeminded residents will join members starting at 6 p.m. at the Beacon Municipal Center at 105 Electric Ave. The march and rally is co-sponsored and endorsed by more than 20 groups and organizations including Black Lives Matter; Beacon Hill NAACP; DeKalb County NAACP; Atlanta NAACP; Oakhurst Presbyterian Church; Create Community 4 Decatur; and the Georgia Alliance for Social Justice.

Other groups lending their support include the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights; Black Alliance for Just Immigration; Council on Islamic American Relations; Atlanta Jobs with Justice; Project South; Women Watch Afrika; Disabled Queers in Action; Asian Americans Advancing Justice; GA Not 1 More Coalition; Jewish Voice for Peace – Atlanta; Green Party for DeKalb County; Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition; and Freedom University.

A nationwide movement to remove Confederate symbols from public spaces gathered momentum after the Aug. 12 white supremacy violence in Charlottesville, Va., that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer.

Across Georgia, there are at least 174 public spaces dedicated to the Confederacy, including the largest Confederate monument in the world – the 1.5-acre carving of Confederate leaders on Stone Mountain in DeKalb County.

Sunday’s marchers and protestors will hear from representatives of half a dozen

Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

organizations, including City of Decatur Students, then march to the 30-foot tall Confederate obelisk in Decatur Square where they will rally until 8 p.m.

Many more speakers from various supporting organizations are scheduled to address the crowd, including local branch leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Organizers are expecting several hundred people to participate.

More than 150 people have indicated on Facebook they will attend, and about 740 others say they are “interested” in the event, titled “Nothing Great About Hate: Remove the Symbol to White Supremacy.”

Protesters are encouraged to bring signs condemning the monument and calling on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners to remove it.

District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, who has called for the removal of the monument, is the only DeKalb County Commissioner scheduled to speak at the rally.

Organizers call the obelisk, erected in 1908, a “shameful” salute to the Jim Crow era and a deliberate attempt to intimidate black people at the county’s seat of justice.

At a Sept. 6 press conference at the monument, barely 100 yards from the DeKalb County Courthouse, Sara Patenaude, a Hate Free Decatur founder, said the placement of the monument 109 years ago was deliberate.

“There is absolutely no doubt that the reason why this monument sits where it does today, in front of the old DeKalb courthouse, is because it was a symbol to let black people in DeKalb County know what their place was, and that white supremacists were still in control even after slavery,” Patenaude said.

DeKalb commissioners are engaging with Decatur leaders to determine whether the Lost Cause monument, and other Confederate symbols in the county, should be removed through a state law change.

Mawuli Davis, a Decatur lawyer and Beacon Hill NAACP president, says DeKalb County and city of Decatur commission-

ers need courage to do the right thing and remove the obelisk so it can be kept in a museum.

“It is an insult to my ancestry,” he said Sept. 6. “Young people have to know that what we’re fighting for is the tearing down of white supremacy, not just symbolically, but the systems that continue to lead to mass incarceration, that lead to police brutality, that lead to people being killed in the streets of Charlottesville.”

Among those protesting the monument’s public prominence during Wednesday’s press conference were Decatur High School students Chenoa Tyehimba, 17, and Mario Bembry Jr., 16, both of Decatur.

Mario, president of the “teens in action” group at the Decatur Housing Authority, told reporters that the majority of his peers aren’t paying much attention to the Confederate monument debate but he hopes to “recruit” active DeKalb youth for the cause.

“I think it’s important for me to show them that this issue does actually involve us,” he said. “We are the future.”

CrossRoadsNews

2

Community

September 9, 2017

“I’m on three medications, but I want to know why there’s a delay getting connected to resources.�

VA regional director says agency wants to help vets and their families

By Angelina T. Velasquez

Johnny Williams was 21 years old when he went to fight the war in Vietnam in 1969.

When he returned home he was not the happy-go-lucky young man full of hopes for the future who left for the war. “I left Vietnam, but Vietnam never left me,� said Williams, now 70. “It created a different Johnny than who I am.�

Williams returned home to his wife Dorothy full of anger, frustration, and thoughts of harming himself.

He was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and needed assistance from Veterans Affairs — but it would take 45 years just to get a diagnosis.

During an Aug. 14 Veterans Town Hall meeting organized by retired Army Lt. Colonel Amos King, Williams and other veterans were able to ask Veterans Affairs regional director Al Bocchicchio and staff questions about their benefits. Bocchicchio said he was ready to tackle questions head-on and process claims on the spot. “We’re here because we care,� he said. “We want to be able to help veterans, widows and family members take care of their issues.�

For many of the 35 veterans who filled the auditorium at Wesley Chapel-William C.

Veterans like Johnny Williams (far left) who attended an Aug. 14 town hall at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library got answers about accessing VA medical and pension benefits, appealing denial of benefits, and other information.

Brown Library, the main challenge was getting connected with appropriate resources.

They peppered Bocchicchio with questions about accessing VA medical and pension benefits, appealing denial of benefits, and making the administration more responsive to veterans’ issues.

David Amaker David Amaker, a renal social worker and patient liaison at DCI

METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Notice of Public Hearings Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority will hold public hearings for the purpose of considering the

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1300 Commerce Dr., Decatur, GA 30030

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&OR THOSE PATRONS REQUIRING FURTHER ACCOMMODATIONS INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING THE 4ELEPHONE $EVICE FOR THE $EAF 4$$ AT )N ADDITION A SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER WILL BE AVAILABLE AT ALL HEARINGS )F YOU CANNOT ATTEND THE HEARINGS and want to proVIDE COMMENTS YOU MAY LEAVE A MESSAGE AT WRITE TO -!24! S /FlCE OF %XTERNAL !FFAIRS 0IEDMONT 2OAD . % !TLANTA '! COMPLETE AN ONLINE #OMMENT #ARD AT WWW ITSMARTA COM OR FAX YOUR COMMENTS NO LATER THAN 3EPT TO !LL CITIZENS OF THE #ITY OF !TLANTA AND THE COUNTIES OF &ULTON $E+ALB #LAYTON AND 'WINNETT WHOSE INTERESTS ARE AFFECTED BY THE SUBJECTS TO BE CONSIDERED AT THESE HEARINGS ARE HEREBY NOTIlED AND INVITED TO APPEAR AT SAID TIMES AND PLACES AND PRESENT SUCH EVIDENCE COMMENT OR OBJECTION AS THEIR INTERESTS REQUIRE Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO

Dialysis, said after the meeting that it is common for veterans to receive poor assistance from the VA. “It’s a hard organization to negotiate with,� he said. “The work they do is great, but they need more patient advocates working for these veterans.�

To many veterans it seems the VA does not want to help them. They say they are frustrated and overwhelmed with the endless calls they make to get simple answers. “It’s like they want you to give up,� said Williams, who served in the U.S. Army. “It seems they want you to go away and die.�

Williams said he was diagnosed with PTSD three times since 2014, but that he has not been connected to any pension resources.

The disease, which was also known as combat fatigue, was first recognized as PTSD by the American Psychiatrist Association in 1980.

It became widely known following the return of soldiers from Afghanistan beginning in 2011.

“I’m on three medications, but I want to know why there’s a delay getting connected to resources,� Williams said.

He is one of more than 40,000 veterans living in DeKalb County, and nearly 776,000 statewide.

The 2018 VA budget is $186.5 billion, which includes $82.1 billion in discretionary resources, and $104.3 mandatory funding.

Advocates say the funding is there, but that staffing is the common issue.

Amaker said there needs to be a complete turnaround of the Veterans Administration. “This meeting is really a rich opportunity for them [VA administrators] to learn from the population they serve,� he said.

Veterans left the town hall with more clarity and information than when they entered the room, but they say that only time will tell if the VA can keep its word to the men and women who served in the United States military.

For more information, visit www. va.gov.

September 9, 2017

Community

CrossRoadsNews

3

“We could have, and we will do a better job in terms of inspections, maintenance and repairs of our system.”

11 million gallons in spills accelerate inspection of sewer lines

By Rosie Manins

DeKalb County is ramping up inspections, maintenance and repairs on its aging sewage infrastructure in the wake of two spills dumping 11 million gallons of raw sewage into creeks near Lithonia and Brookhaven in recent weeks.

The latest, and largest, of the two spills in August occurred at Snapfinger Creek in unincorporated Lithonia, where 6.4 million gallons of sewage spewed into tributaries before being contained on Aug. 26.

It followed a 3.9-million-gallon spill at Nancy Creek in Brookhaven, reported Aug. 17 and contained Aug. 22.

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond visited the Lithonia spill site just north of the Snapfinger Wastewater Treatment Plant on Aug. 25, and apologized to concerned residents as more than 40 county contractors worked around the clock to stem the flow.

“I want to assure not just the residents of this community but all DeKalb residents that we are investing all resources needed to do whatever’s necessary to address this spill, to contain all the sewage that’s being spewed and to get this M. Thurmond system up to par,” Thurmond said.

Neither spill polluted the county’s drinking water supply, Thurmond said.

“I know there’s been a concern with residents in this community, as well as in the surrounding communities, but there is absolutely no negative impact on the quality of water in DeKalb County as a result of these spills,” he said.

However, residents are warned to avoid

Photos by Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

the spill sites and keep their pets away from the waterways until further notice.

The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management started source tracking the Lithonia spill July 13, after detecting high bacteria counts in the creek.

It was discovered Aug. 23 near Eagles

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond visits the Lithonia sewage spill site Aug. 25 and talks with, the DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management Deputy Director of Construction and Maintenance, Reginald Wells.

Beek Circle, where workers found a 16-inch diameter tree growing out of a sewer pipe and concrete junction box.

The spill, the largest in DeKalb County in more than a decade, was reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Georgia Environmental Protection Division

on Aug. 24.

Workers have now repaired the concrete box and installed two temporary redundant bypass systems, and permanent repairs are being planned.

Thurmond has directed Watershed workers to inspect all pipes along Snapfinger and Nancy creeks, conduct emergency inspections of the county’s 1,000 creek crossings, and implement a plan of regular inspections of sewer lines.

“We recognize that this problem did not occur overnight,” he said. “We could have, and we will do a better job in terms of inspections, maintenance and repairs of our system.”

The county learned of the Brookhaven spill Aug. 8 after being notified by the city of Atlanta about high bacteria counts in Nancy Creek. It took four inspectors nine days to locate the spill due to its remote location and the large search area.

They discovered a 10-inch pipe that was compromised by soil erosion, causing the spill, which was reported Aug. 17.

Since then 600 feet of root-clogged pipe has been replaced, and the stream bank will be restored and landscaped.

Thurmond said he has no idea how much the spills will cost to contain and repair, but the work comes under the county’s $1.3 billion Consent Decree Program.

“It’s going to be funded through the consent decree,” he said. “We have no other option. We will do everything in our power to prevent situations like this occurring.”

The CEO said DeKalb and other neighboring counties have neglected their sewerage systems in recent decades.

“Whatever mistakes we’ve made in the past, we’ve learned from them and we’re going to move in a new direction,” he said.

CrossRoadsNews

4

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

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Staff Writers Jennifer Ffrench Parker Angelina T. Velasquez Editorial Intern Tekia Parks Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams

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September 9, 2017

“I find it aggravating that it did take the fugitive squad to be involved in securing her and had to go to several different states.”

Mom whose baby died in her hot car denied bond

By Angelina T. Velasquez

Dijanelle Fowler, whose 13-month-old daughter died in her hot car in Tucker on June 15, was denied a $100,000 bond request and is remaining behind bars until her Oct. 14 indictment.

During the Sept. 1 hearing, DeKalb Associate State Court Judge Kiesha Storey said Fowler, who left the child alone in the car for six hours, was a flight risk because detectives spent three weeks looking for her in South Carolina, Florida and New Jersey.

“I find it aggravating that it did take the fugitive squad to be involved in securing her and had to go to several different states,” Storey said. “At this point I do find that Ms. Fowler does present a risk of fleeing. She has no ties to the community.”

Fowler’s attorney Charles Brant said he had hoped she would be granted bond because he believed she would not be a flight risk.

“She came from out-of-state to surrender,” he said. “She knew she was charged with murder, with concealing the death of a child; she knew all these charges.”

Fowler, 25, lives in Summerville, S.C. She is charged with second-degree murder, concealing a death, and second-degree cruelty to a child. She has been in DeKalb County Jail without bond since July 17.

She was in Atlanta for a job interview and she and her baby Skylar were staying with her

Investigators say Dijanelle Fowler left 13-monthold Skylar in her white Hyundai Sonata with the engine running while she was getting her hair done.

Dijanelle Fowler

godparents Marvin and Dana.

She left Skylar in her white Hyundai Sonata with the engine running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. while she got her hair done at the Mahogany Hair Salon on Lavista Road.

At some point during the day, the car’s battery died.

Fowler was not in court for the bond hearing, but the baby’s father, Louis Williams II, who lives in South Carolina, was.

Dalia Racine, DeKalb County Deputy Chief ADA, said Fowler told her hairdresser there was no rush and to “take your time.”

“If you do not have the sense of care for your own child, what sense of care could you have for others?” Racine asked. “From the moment the baby was left she was in the fatal heat range.”

Racine said Fowler told her godmother that a friend was watching Skylar. She then told workers at the salon her daughter was in daycare.

The stories contradict what Fowler told investigators about watching the baby from the running car.

When she returned to the car, Fowler requested help to boost her car battery, searched seizure symptoms on the Internet from her smartphone, and called for medical help for herself, but she never called 911 for help for her daughter.

Racine said Fowler eventually confessed to the baby’s father, who supports the state in denying bond.

Williams, who is an Air Force reservist, did not speak during the hearing, and quickly left with his mother after the bond was denied.

Skylar was the couple’s only child and Fowler had full custody of her.

Brant said Williams joined Fowler during one of their meetings at his office in Atlanta.

“I later found out he alleged he recorded it,” said the attorney. “I guess to use it against her. I don’t know what his motive is.” It is expected that Williams will be asked to testify at the trial on behalf of the state.

Skylar was buried on June 23 at Howe Hall Cemetery in Goose Creek, S.C., where Williams lives.

Parents of four found guilty of first-degree child abuse Darrow Brown and Laura Whitesell, the parents of four children who were beaten and starved while living in a Tucker motel, will be sentenced Oct. 18 after a DeKalb County jury found them guilty of first-degree cruelty to children.

The jury returned a unanimous vote on Aug. 29 against Darrow, 49, and Whitesall, 33.

DeKalb County Superior Judge Tangela Barrie will issue the sentence.

On May 6, 2015, paramedics were called to Room 269 at the Studio 6 Motel on Crescent Boulevard, where the couple’s 13-yearold daughter was found unresponsive in the bathroom where she slept.

The child weighed 52 pounds, 50 percent of the average healthy weight for her age. She was rushed to the hospital where she was treated for weeks in recovery and rehab.

According to the investigation, three of the couple’s other children, who ranged in

age from 9 to 6 years old, were also severely malnourished.

The couple told investigators they were financially destitute with little to no resources, yet evidence presented during trial showed they maintained healthy weights and purchased marijuana weekly.

In 2014 the couple moved from Pennsylvania and lived in various motels.

Yvette Jones, director of communications for the DeKalb District Attorney, said the D.A.’s office is “uncertain how long they resided at that motel.” Detective L.T. Neal, who led the investigation, found the children were routinely beaten and starved as a form of punishment.

The abuse sometimes involved being punched and beaten with pipes until their bodies were bruised and their eyes blackened.

Following the arrest, the children were removed from the motel by the Department

Darrow Brown

Laura Whitesell

of Family and Children’s Services. Two of the children now live with their biological father.

Brown and Whitehall have been in the DeKalb County Jail without bond since their arrest in 2015.

Senior assistant district attorneys Mirna Adrews and Tracy Reeves prosecuted the case with district attorney investigator Angie Marty.

$10,000 reward for woman missing from parents’ home The family of a missing Atlanta woman, who disappeared from her parents’ DeKalb County home on Aug. 19, is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.

Jenna Van Gelderen, 25, was last heard from Aug. 19 when she texted a friend at 2 a.m. to say she was going to bed.

Van Gelderen has not used her phone,

social media accounts or credit cards since.

At the time she was staying at her parents’ Druid Hills home and caring for their cat while they were out of town.

When her brother arrived at the parents’ house on the morning of Aug. 19, he found the house in disarray, the television on, and Van Gelderen and her car missing.

Her toiletries and other personal items

were still in the house.

Now the family is appealing to the public for help.

R o s e a n n e Va n Gelderen, the woman’s mother, says she usually speaks to her daughter once or twice a day, every day.

“She would have never left without telling us where she was going,” her mother said. “She was also Jenna Van Gelderen very attached to the cat, and would never leave it unattended.”

In addition to offering a $10,000 reward for information, the family has set up a Facebook page, “Help Find Jenna Van Gelderen,” to spread the word about her disappearance.

Van Gelderen has long dark brown hair and brown eyes, is 4 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.

Her car is a dark blue 2010 Mazda 6 sedan with Georgia tag PWH-5902.

Anyone with information or tips about Jenna Van Gelderen’s whereabouts can contact DeKalb Police at 770-724-7475 or send an email to FindJennaNow@ gmail.com.

September 9, 2017

Ministry Lee May

Robin May

May, wife launching new church Sept. 10 Pastor Lee May and his wife Robin are launching their new Transforming Faith Church on Sept. 10 in Decatur.

The 10 a.m. service will be in the performing arts auditorium at Southwest DeKalb High School.

May, who is DeKalb County’s ofer Interim CEO and District 5 Commissioner, is launching the church for people who have “been disconnected from church for a while or are looking for more than just a Sunday morning experience.”

Seats are limited and participants should rsvp at https://transformingfaithchurch. eventbrite.com. Southwest DeKalb High School is at 2863 Kelley Chapel Road.

Registration open for walk/run/cycle

First Saint Paul AME Church 14th Annual Feed My Neighbor Walk/Run/Cycle which takes place Sep. 23 is now registering teams and individual participants.

Proceeds of the event helps to feed the hungry and needy. Participants are required to donate canned food.

The church is at 2687 Klondike Road in Lithonia. For costs and to download a registration form, visit www.firstsaintpaul.org or call 770-484-9660.

Dr. Toni Alvarado to speak at Berean

Revivalist Dr. Toni Alvarado will encourage women to walk in their purpose on Sep. 15 at Berean Christian Church’s Women’s Ministry Revival in Stone Mountain.

Alvarado is co-pastor of Grace International Church in Atlanta with her husband Johnathan. She will lead the two-hour revival service which begins at 7:30 p.m.

Berean Church is at 2201 Young Road.

For more information, visit www.bereanchristianchurch.org or call 770-593-4421.

CrossRoadsNews

5

Transforming Faith Church is for people who have “been disconnected from church for a while or are looking for more than just a Sunday morning experience.”

Warm welcome for Antioch’s old pastor, new bishop Bishop Stafford J. Wicker, who was pastor of Antioch AME Church in Stone Mountain for 24 years, returned to his old congregation on Aug. 13 with a “Be At Home” message.

Wicker, who was elected bishop in the AME Church during the 50th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference in July 2016, is now assigned to the 18th Episcopal District in Botswana, Africa.

He is the 137th bishop of the AME Church since Richard Allen founded the AME church and became its first bishop.

AME bishops serve in Episcopal districts in the United States and overseas.

Stafford received a warm welcome from the Rev. Vandy C. Simmons, Antioch AME’s current pastor, and his old congregation.

Oscar-winning ‘Moonlight’ at Victory Church “Moonlight,” which won the 2017 Oscar for Best Picture, will be screened Sept. 15 at Victory of the World Church in Stone Mountain.

“Moonlight” is the coming-of-age story based on Tarell Alvin McCraney’s unpublished autobiographical play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.”

Chiron, the main character, struggles with his sexuality growing up black and homosexual in a rough Miami neighborhood. Through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood he experiences ecstasy, pain and beauty in falling in love.

The movie, which is rated R, stars Mahershala Ali, best known for his role as Boggs in the “Hunger Games” series, Shariff Earp and Duan Sanderson. The film cost $4 million to make and has grossed more than $65 million. Mahershala Ali It is the first movie with an all-black cast and LGBT story to win the Oscar.

The Men’s Fellowship Ministry is screening the movie at 7 p.m. in the church’s Shalom Suite.

Victory Church is at 1170 North Hairston Road in Stone Mountain. For more information, visit www.victoryfortheworld.org or call 678-476-6000.

Bishop Stafford J. Wicker (purple robe) returned to Antioch AME Church in Stone Mountain on Aug. 13. The church’s former pastor is now a bishop assigned to the 18th Episcopal District in Botswana, Africa.

CrossRoadsNews

6

Community

September 9, 2017

“DACA brought them out of the shadows and it’s inhumane to end this program which has propelled them to become active participants in our society.”

Donations pour in for Harvey victims DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry (second from right) receives donated items for Hurricane Harvey victims from (left to right) Ulysses Ponder, Josephine Wooley and Adville Montgomery of Poplar Spring Baptist Church, and JABY Inc. CFO Ceasar Gaiters of Stone Mountain.

By Rosie Manins

Donations for Hurricane Harvey victims in Houston and the Gulf Coast are pouring into collection centers throughout DeKalb County.

DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry and the DeKalb Sheriff ’s Office have received thousand of pounds of donations for everything from water to baby diapers in the wake of launching separate collection drives last week to benefit victims of the vicious storm, which first came ashore Aug. 25 as a Category 4 hurricane.

Harvey dumped more than 60 inches of rain on towns and cities over four days, submerged entire neighborhoods and highways, killed at least 70 people, destroyed homes and businesses, prompted more than 13,000 rescues, damaged more than 100,000 homes and businesses, and displaced thousands of

people. Dozens of church and community groups, businesses, families and individuals are answering the calls for donations. The last day to donate is Sept. 14.

Boxes filled with relief supplies are piling up at the sheriff ’s headquarters and jail at 4415 Memorial Drive in Decatur.

Items can be dropped off at the sheriff ’s headquarters lobby between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays, and at the jail lobby 6:30 a.m. until midnight, through Sept. 15.

A similar scene greets staff at DeBerry’s office, where goods can be left at Room G-140 on the ground floor of 556 North McDonough St. in downtown Decatur through Sept. 14.

There will also be a disaster relief effort sponsored by the Georgia chapter of National Organization of Black Enforcement Executives, and DeKalb Emergency Management is offering advice on how to help.

Willie Mae Hardy (right), 109, and her 92-year-old daughter Cassie Nell Edwards pose with District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson at the third annual Hometown Country Cookout in Kirkwood.

109-year-old among Kirkwood legends When you live a long time, people can’t help but acknowledge you.

Just ask Willie Mae Hardy, who has 109 years under her belt and counting.

Hardy, who was born March 11, 1908, was one of 10 people honored Sept. 3 as Hometown Legends at the third annual Hometown Country Cookout in Kirkwood.

She was joined on the honoree list by her 92-year-old daughter Cassie Nell Edwards, who was born on July 10, 1925.

Other 2017 legends honored were Henry Thomas Austin, Jasper Brooks, John B. Davis, Jesse Dixon, Sarah Fitten, Ross Holmes, Rose Mitchell, Louise Hall Robinson, Velma Speakman, and Thelma Virgil.

The Hometown Country Cookout was founded by 22-year-old Alleah and 19year-old Ayana Salone to honor the legacy of their grandmother Leila Johnson, who became a missionary at age 12 and served

for 50 years.

During the annual cookout, a community street party that takes over Wisteria Way in Kirkwood, the nonprofit celebrates longtime residents who have made positive impacts on the community.

Hardy, who was the oldest 2017 honoree, was born on a plantation in Junction City in Talbot County, Ga. Her grandmother was an enslaved woman. After the Emancipation Proclamation, her family remained on the plantation as tenant farmers.

Hardy and Edwards now live with her granddaughter Veronica Edwards, who is Edward’s seventh and youngest child.

They will honored again twice more this month by separate organizations.

The city of Decatur will honor them on Sept. 15 at the Decatur Band and on Sept.

24, they will be recognized at Ebster Recreation Center at a 5 to 7 p.m. dinner.

DACA residents face uncertainty as protection from deportation ends DREAMERS,

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1

to drive, study and work in the United States with the potential to eventually pursue residency and/or citizenship.

Many DACA recipients, including Dalton, Ga., resident Jaime Rangel, were raised and educated in the United States and fear deportation to unfamiliar foreign lands.

Rangel, who hopes to complete a degree in finance and economics, was an infant when he was brought to North Georgia.

He says he is a proud American and wants to stay in Georgia to enhance the state he calls home.

“I take great pride in my community, I take great pride in where I’m from,” Rangel said Aug. 31.

“I’m glad to say I’m a Southern boy, a Southern boy who grew up eating tortillas and grits at the same time.”

Those with current DACA work permits will be able to continue working until they expire, and renewals will be accepted until October 5, 2017.

New applications will not be accepted.

Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) condemned the rescinding of DACA and thanked all Dreamers for their contribution to the country.

Speaking at an Aug. 31 press conference at the Georgia Capitol, Johnson, who represents the 4th District, said DACA’s end will have a catastrophic effect on local, state, and national economies.

“The Center for American Progress estimates that ending DACA could mean an annual [Gross Domestic Product] loss of more than $1 billion for the state of Georgia,” he said. “Ending DACA would cost our nation more than $460.3 billion over the next decade.”

Johnson reiterated that DACA recipients are background-checked, have completed studies, many have or are serving in the U.S. military, and others provide integral services to the community as teachers, doctors and other highly skilled professionals.

“They are our friends, neighbors, soldiers, new home owners, entrepreneurs, and students,” he said.

“DACA brought them out of the shadows and it’s inhumane to end this program which has propelled them to become active participants in our society.”

Ted Terry, who is mayor of Clarkston, Georga’s most diverse city, said members of the multicultural city, including DACA recipients, are anxious about their future in America.

“There is a lot of concern in Clarkston,” he said. “There’s an unknown factor or uncertainty about what’s going to happen with a

Legal Notices 08/26, 09/02, 09/09, 09/16

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name(S) of MINOR CHILD(REN) in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM7346-3 DeLeon Mosely filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on July 12, 2017 to change the name(s) of the following minor child(ren) from: Darius Josiah Ferguson to Darius Josiah Mosely. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: June 22, 2017 08/26, 09/02, 09/09, 09/16

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name(S) of MINOR CHILD(REN)

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM8758 QuaSheeka Miller filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Aug. 15, 2017 to change the name(s) of the following minor child(ren) from: Madison Eileen Miller-Rhodes to Madison Alana Rhodes; Madelynn Elana Miller-Rhodes to Madelynn Elana Rhodes. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: Aug. 04, 2017 08/26, 09/02, 09/09, 09/16

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

Civil Action Case Number:

17FM8733 Sherry Ann Sands filed a petition on Aug. 8, 2017 in the DeKalb County Superior Court to change name from: Sherry Ann Sands to Sherry Ann Lewis. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: Aug. 08, 2017 08/26, 09/02, 09/09, 09/16

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM8268 Lynn Lockwood PLAINTIFF VS Willie P. Lockwood DEFENDANT To:

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Aug. 08,

2017. You are hereby notified that Aug. 01, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Lynn Lockwood, 118 Greenwood Place, #F, Decatur, GA 30030. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Aug. 08, 2017.

Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 17th day of Aug., 2017 08/26, 09/02, 09/09, 09/16

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM5580-3 Siesta George PLAINTIFF VS Jeffrey George

lot of these deportations, these [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] raids, and now the DACA, and so this is sort of just building upon an immigration rhetoric that is not acknowledging that there are a lot of people here who have come here illegally, who need to have their day in court, or who have been protected under DACA who now have an uncertain future.”

Terry said he does not know how many DACA recipients live in Clarkston, but he said the community’s foreign-born residents are committed to contributing positively to America.

“The refugees, the new Americans, the immigrants that live in Clarkston are some of the most patriotic people that you’ll ever meet,” he said.

“They have great respect for this country, and for the president quite frankly, but they are concerned, they are worried.”

DEFENDANT To: Jeffrey George 3707 Church St. Clarkston, GA 30021

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Aug. 18, 2017. You are hereby notified that May 18, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: 3937 Underwood Rd., Conyers, GA 30013. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Aug. 18, 2017.

Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 21st day of Aug., 2017 09/02, 09/09, 09/16, 09/23

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM8754 Tyanna Owens PLAINTIFF VS Marqious Muckle DEFENDANT To:

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Aug. 21, 2017. You are hereby notified that Aug. 15, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of

Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Tiyanna Owens, 2103 Lown Farm Lane, Lithonia, GA 30058.

Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Aug. 21, 2017.

Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 23rd day of Aug., 2017 09/09, 09/16, 09/23, 09/30

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

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM8666-4 Megan Stewart PLAINTIFF VS Kenneth Stewart DEFENDANT To: 98 S. MLK, Apt. 123 Las Vegas, NV 89101

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Aug. 21, 2017. You are hereby notified that Aug. 11, 2017, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: 4070 Greenstone Ct., Decatur, GA 30035. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Aug. 21, 2017.

Witness the Honorable Gail C. Flake, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 28th day of Aug., 2017

CrossRoadsNews

September 9, 2017

Finance

7

“It stands to reason that we should respect each position and every employee enough to pay at least a livable wage.”

DeKalb Medical adopts $12/hour ‘livable minimum wage’ for all “Our employees DeKalb Medical is now paying its more spend their days carthan 200 employees at least $12 an hour. ing for others and doThe Board of Directors for the nonprofit ing very important, health system, which has hospitals in Libut sometimes underthonia and Decatur, voted unanimously to recognized work,” he adopt a minimum living wage policy that said. “Every position in guarantees all of its employees will earn at our organization plays least $12 per hour. a definitive role in the Bob Wilson, DeKalb Medical CEO and delivery of quality pavice chair of the board, said the new minitient care. It stands to mum wage, which took effect Aug. 13, makes Bob Wilson reason that we should respect each position sense.

and every employee enough to pay at least a livable wage.”

Wilson said that paying a living wage for positions such as environmental services and nutrition services is also a good business decision.

“Our people are the foundation of our ‘product,’ ” Wilson said.

“Stability and retention are primary elements for providing great care and we need engaged employees to deliver really great care. Providing really great care is why we’re

here.”

Georgia’s minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25.

DeKalb Medical says that unlike the federal minimum wage, which sets the minimum that employers can legally pay employees, a “livable wage” is a calculation of what is actually required to provide for basic needs like shelter and food by geographic areas.

It says that in DeKalb County and metro Atlanta, the livable wage as calculated by the living wage index is $12 per hour.

Deadline looms for Heart of South DeKalb vending, scholarship awards Vendors and scholarship applicants who want to participate in the Sept. 29-30 Heart of South DeKalb Festival have until Sept. 18 to sign up.

The annual festival, which is presented

by District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson, is in its fifth year.

It will also honor senior citizens for their “Leadership, Legacy and Love,” and nominations are also needed by that date.

For vending opportunities or to nominate a senior citizen for recognition, contact hosd13@yahoo.com.

The festival, taking place this year at Rainbow Park and the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in Decatur, will have

music, live performances, a job and health fair, car show, vendors, county resources, children’s activities, and prizes and surprises.

It kicks off Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. with “Friday Night Wind Down with Sasha the Diva,” live entertainment and food vendors at Rainbow Park, 3181 Rainbow Drive. Residents are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.

On Sept. 30, the Heart of South DeKalb Festival parade, featuring local high school bands, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. from Exchange Park on Columbia Drive and will terminate at the Porter Sanford Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive.

DeKalb District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson (red cap) honored DeKalb County First Responders at the 2016 Heart of South DeKalb Festival. This year’s festival is being held Sept.

29-30 at Rainbow Park and the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in Decatur.

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CrossRoadsNews

“This was a two-year project. It brings all divisions within the Department of Natural Resources into the same web system.”

Smooth jazz singer Ja’Naan will perform at the Seniors in White Jazz Soiree on Sept. 15.

Photos of Africa at Stonecrest Library Aldridge Murrell’s photographs from the Serengeti include zebras, wildebeests and more.

Jazz at South DeKalb Senior Center Smooth music and classy friends are arts in the community, will perform.

The event takes place 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on tap for the Sept. 15 Seniors in White The Senior Center is at 1931 Candler Jazz Soiree at the South DeKalb Senior Road in Decatur.

Center.

For price and other information, call Jazz singer Ja’Naan, founder of the Jazz Collaborative, whose goal is to celebrate the Sandra Harris at 404-275-5539.

Revamped website entices visitors Fans of the outdoors can now find adventures easier on the state’s updated www. gastateparks.org.

The revamped website opens a world of adventures with the click of a mouse, vivid photography, quick links for locations, reservations, events, activities, things to know, specials, volunteer opportunities, and gatherings, and a more responsive mobile site.

Visitors, who number more than 10 million annually to the Georgia’s 64 parks and historic sites, can download state park maps and resources and easily access information on cabin and campground rentals, glamp-

September 9, 2017

ing yurts, boating, fishing and swimming, ranger programs and golf.

Becky Kelley, State Parks director, says she is excited to offer a new and improved website to guests.

“This was a two-year project,” she said.

“It brings all divisions within the Department of Natural Resources into the same web system.”

Integrated departments include Wildlife Resources, Law Enforcement, Historic Preservation, Environmental Protection, and Coastal Resources.

Visitors can also sign up for the Explore Georgia free email newsletter.

© Aldridge Murrell

Atlanta photographer Aldridge Murrell will exhibit his breathtaking photographs from the Massia Mara National Preserve and the Serengeti in Tanzania starting Sept. 8 at the Stonecrest Library.

Massia Mara images include lions, cheetahs and elephants strolling the rolling hills and plains of southwestern Kenya.

The Serengeti is famous for the annual migration of more than one million wildebeests, as well as zebras and crocodiles. Oct. 2 is the last day to see Murrell’s photos.

Murrell’s love of photography has taken him to Europe, Africa, and South America.

He developed his unique photographer’s eye at the Art Institute in Atlanta where he learned to use professional cameras.

In 2013 he published “Learning to See,” a collection of landscape photographs from around the world.

The Stonecrest Library is at 3123 Klondike Road.

For more information, call 770-4823828.

Tailgate to benefit hurricane victims Football fans can tailgate with a purpose on Sept. 10 while watching the Atlanta Falcons versus Chicago Bears game at Barnacles in Decatur.

DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson is co-hosting the 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. event with Pastor Keith D. Brooks to collect baby and adult diapers, wipes and other supplies for

victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston/ Harris County in Texas.

The tailgate is also co-sponsored by Beta Psi Omega Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc., Peach State Steppers, and All Nations Life and Praise.

Barnacles is at 4975 Flat Shoals Parkway.