the DeKalb FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2019 • VOL.

24, NO 10 • FREE

Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain, Stonecrest and Tucker • A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS

Dunwoodyresident
hopestoincrease
cycling safety
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com

On May 17, 2011, Governor Nathan Deal signed

House Bill 101, also known as O.C.G.A. 40-6-56, into
law.  The law sets guidelines and regulations for cyclist and
motorist stating, “…the operator of a motor vehicle, when
overtaking and passing a bicycle that is proceeding in the
same direction on the roadway, shall leave a safe distance
between such vehicle and the bicycle and shall maintain
such clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.”
The law defines a safe distance as three feet.
Despite the bill being signed nearly eight years ago,
some DeKalb residents said motorists are still unaware of
the law.
Dunwoody native Erik Van Winkle said he wants to
change that by creating an education campaign focused on
Decatur—a bike friendly city. According to Decatur city
officials, Winkle will coordinate an education campaign on
the state’s three-foot passing law.
“Most drivers aren’t malicious. They just want to get
where they’re going,” Winkle said. “If [drivers] knew they
just had to get over a little bit or wait a little bit it could
help with cyclists’ safety. We think the biggest contribution
to cycling safety is the education aspect that goes along
with it.”
For years cyclists and pedestrians have discussed ways Fromlefttoright:co-creatorsofHANDLDJohnnyMaroun,ColinSantoro,EmilioConde,ErikVanWinkleandChrisTruong.
to increase safety. In 2017, there were 5,977 pedestrians
and 783 bicyclists killed in accidents with motor vehicles in
the United States, according to pedbikeinfo.org.
“The education aspect is huge. We want to support
the cycling community and the activism community as a
whole,” Winkle said. “We want to try to help the cycling
community as much as we can.”
Winkle also said he helped create an invention that
should help cyclist everywhere. Winkle is a part of
HANDLD, a startup company with the goal of making
cycling safer across the United States. Winkle helped
develop a device for cyclists that allows them to identify,
record and report violations of the passing law.
Winkle said the device is a series of cameras and a
motion sensor. A back-facing camera continuously films
as a cyclist is riding while a front-facing camera will
automatically take photos of the license plate of a vehicle
that violates the three-foot-passing law.   
Winkle said the images and video include time stamped
data on a smartphone app, which can be sent to authorities.
“This allows cyclists to have a little bit of control while
they’re on the road,” Winkle said. “This is a device that
can help in Decatur and help a lot more people get into
cycling.”

SEE CYCLING ON PAGE 6 A photo of the HANDLD device attached to a bike.

Visit www.TheChampionNewspaper.com for local, real DeKalb County news.

OPINION DEKALB FREE PRESS • FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2019 • Page 4

Litter ruins a near-perfect spring day

Driving around DeKalb County that we in the community have to take active steps in cleaning
on a bright and sunny spring day created and we can solve. their communities. A countywide
can be an inspiring experience. I’ve participated with other community cleanup day is planned
Seeing folks enjoying volunteers in early morning for June 1.
themselves outdoors with foliage in roadside cleanups in my I wholeheartedly support these
bloom reminds us that we live in a
Gale Horton Gay neighborhood that initially left me efforts and encourage other groups
fastgale@hotmail.com
pretty neat place with an abundance feeling great after hours of back- and individuals to follow their lead.
of natural beauty. However, straining work bagging fast food If we want our subdivisions
eventually we encounter sights that wrappers, empty liquor bottles and and neighborhoods to look better,
carelessly discarded.
are far from inspiring—trash strewn an assortment of other discards. we must be willing to roll up
This isn’t a new problem.
along roadsides and sidewalks. After the work was done, our our sleeves and do the work to
Littering has been around for a long
Recently as I was traveling community looked so much better. make it happen. Also let’s start or
time, but it seems that carelessness
along a meandering road on the Sadly, it didn’t take long for the continue conversations with our
about tossing trash from a car
west side of the county, I had this shoulder of the roads to once again young people (and older folks too)
window or dropping unwanted
exact experience. be filled with litter. about valuing the appearance of
items on the ground when walking
The well-traveled road is DeKalb Commissioner our communities and putting trash
has become the norm rather than the
cloaked in towering trees and a Lorraine Cochran-Johnson where it becomes—in a trash can.
exception.
variety of foliage which makes it a recently announced she and a
As much as we as a society like
picturesque ride except this day I community group are partnering
to cast blame on others, especially
couldn’t focus on nature’s splendor for a “guerilla-style” marketing
our government, this is a problem
due to all the waste that people had campaign to encourage residents

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OPINION DEKALB FREE PRESS • APRIL 19, 2019 • Page 5

Vaccination vacillation
“We cannot allow this
dangerous disease to make a
comeback in New York City,” said
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
speaking to the city’s emergency
powers in matters of public health
during a press conference on April
9.  The annual flu vaccine, as an
There are limits to my belief
in modern medicine. Currently
only taking one prescription drug
for elevated blood pressure, lots
of supplements and CBD oil to
deal with a chronic inflammatory
illness. I’m a big believer in
wellness, prevention, chiropractic,
exercise and a near daily yoga
practice to help maintain good
health.
 But the evidence is indisputable
that vaccines have prevented
serious illnesses among hundreds
of millions, saved lives and shrunk
the world of many killer diseases
into a deep freeze in petri dishes
secured within vaults at the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). Undoubtedly, preventative
vaccines have spared both my
children most of the once more
severe illnesses of childhood.  has moved into the broader public-
Yet I did note a significant
increase in both the type and
number of required vaccinations
from the birth of daughter No. 1
in 1992 to daughter No. 2 in 2007;
both children have been spared
the pleasure of the measles and
its German cousin, chicken pox,
mumps and many other maladies
too numerous to mention.   measles vaccine for school-age
And yet, in many parts
of the first world, parents are
increasingly vacillating, or in
many cases simply saying no, to
childhood vaccinations. Some
believe vaccinations harbor
small amounts of heavy metals
such as mercury and other toxins
as preservatives. Thiomersal,
and its trade name, Merthiolate
(patented by Eli Lily in 1928), is a
preservative derived from mercury
and used in the manufacture of
many medical vaccinations.
a return just as measles, chicken broken, must be earned. 
pox and other ailments considered Let’s not gamble again with
‘One Man’s less threatening are occurring–even global public health. Drugs are
Opinion’ to the extent that some parents
hold “measles/pox parties” to
tweaked and re-patented every day
at the molecular level by big pharma
Bill Crane intentionally expose their offspring when seeking the protections of a
bill.csicrane@gmail.com
in hopes of naturally strengthening new patent. It’s time to step up so
their immune systems.  that you help remove the doubts of
thousands of families refusing to
A not small number in the example, is often administered roll up their sleeves and point their
scientific community, thousands of without any preservatives, while child’s foot, upper arm, thigh or
parents and families, and several still sparing millions of Americans other body part at the business end
well-regarded studies have indicated from the serious, and in some cases of a needle. How about a little bit
that Thiomersal may contribute to fatal, malady of the flu. And yet, of self-directed financial pain for a
or cause autism and other illnesses, with that vaccine both inexpensive significant confidence and consumer
including cancer, SIDS and other and almost universally available, trust gain? 
neurodevelopmental disorders.  thousands of adults continue to Don’t vacillate, make the smart
 While parents have the right choose to avoid it. And, Georgia and easy choice.
to make these decisions for their was among the most flu-infested
families and children, we are at states in the nation yet again this
the same time, more and more year. Bill Crane also serves as a
congregating in cities where  The pharmaceutical industry, political analyst and commentator
population density and commonly coming off another year of near for Channel 2’s Action News, WSB-
used surfaces and gathering places record profits, would do well to AM News/Talk 750 and now 95.5
are also more and more the societal make the common sense decision FM, as well as a columnist for The
norm, in the United States and to research and deliver other Champion, DeKalb Free Press and
elsewhere. A current resurgence preservative options. Protective Georgia Trend. Crane is a DeKalb
of the measles in New York City, mothers—like bears and lionesses— native and business owner, living
originating reportedly within are not likely to simply accept in Scottdale. You can reach him
Orthodox Jewish communities who assurances and admonitions of or comment on a column at bill.
do not vaccinate as a matter of faith, “trust us.” Trust, once lost or csicrane@gmail.com. 
school system population.   
New York’s Mayor Blasio
is leading a public awareness
effort, “Don’t Wait...Vaccinate,”
to slow the measles outbreak—
already resulting in hundreds of
hospitalizations—from developing
into a pandemic. The mayor and
city council have mandated the
children within several ZIP codes
in Brooklyn where outbreaks first
occurred. Prior to the public health
emergency declaration, Orthodox
Jewish families in the impacted
neighborhoods and communities
were simply urged to keep sick
children at home.
 Vaccinations, on a global scale,
have all but eradicated the threats of
smallpox and polio; and yet without
continued vaccinations among our
new population, these crippling
and fatal diseases may likely make

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LOCAL
The Easter Bunny, a Brookhaven police officer and a volunteer face painter help children with special needs have holiday fun.
Special eggs assure Easter fun for everyone
By Kathy Mitchell
Among the challenges
children with special needs
may face is participating
in what for many families
are normal childhood
activities—including
hunting eggs during the
Easter season. How does
a child look for eggs if he
or she has difficulty seeing
or walking or has sensory
sensitivity issues?
Mallory Izbicki, event
coordinator with the city
of Brookhaven’s Parks and
Recreation Department,
said she saw a solution at
her previous job with the
Tallahassee, Fla., Parks
and Recreation Department
and was eager to try it in
Brookhaven.
The idea resulted
in Brookhaven’s first
Eggstraordinary Easter Egg
Hunt at Lynwood Park on
April 13, a week ahead of
the city’s annual Easter
Egg Scramble, which is
scheduled for April 20 in
Blackburn Park.
At the Eggstraordinary
Easter Egg Hunt, rather
than being hidden among
grass and leaves, the plastic
eggs—some of which
were oversized—along
with bright-colored bean
bags, were strewn around
Lynwood Park’s wheelchair
accessible outdoor
basketball court behind
the recreation center. Also,
unlike at many traditional
egg hunts, there was no
hard start and finish time; as
children arrived during the
two-hour scheduled block of
time, they could gather eggs
until they reached the limit.
Approximately a dozen
children came with parents
and siblings to participate
in what the city called a
“holiday funfest,” which
featured beeping eggs and
magnetic eggs that could be
located with special wands.
The bean bags were for
sensory-sensitive children
who might not like the feel
of plastic eggs. “There also
are children who aren’t
comfortable with the noise
and high level of activity
at most egg hunts; this is
a little mellower,” Izbicki
explained. “We wanted
to design an event that all
children can participate in
and is open to any child
who can benefit from the
experience.”
The concept of an egg
hunt that’s accessible to
children with special needs
is often attributed to David
Hyche, a Birmingham, Ala.,
dad who while helping a
local church prepare for
its annual Easter egg hunt
in 2005 realized that his
son could participate in the
event, but his 19-month-
old visually impaired
daughter could not. Using
skills acquired through his
engineering background
and ideas from the Blind
Children’s Center in Los
Angeles, Hyche designed
beeping eggs so that his
DEKALB FREE PRESS • FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2019 • Page 6
daughter and youngsters
like her would not have to
miss the fun of an egg hunt.
Accommodations also have
been created for children
with mobility limitations
or other issues that might
prevent their participation in
events such as egg hunts.
The Lynwood Park event
featured child-friendly
tunes, many songs from
Disney movies, playing
softly as children with
bunny baskets collected the
special eggs, which could be
taken to a station where they
were exchanged for treat-
filled plastic eggs.
“We didn’t know what
to expect—how many
youngsters we would have,”
Izbicki said. “This is our came along to help, and like
first year doing this and other siblings he was free to
we’ll probably have a much join in the activities, which
bigger crowd next time. were open to all children.
People in Brookhaven really Crabbe said she learned
enjoy coming out for family about the event from
events.” another parent with a child
In addition to the hunt, at Coralwood School,
there were other activities the only public school in
for the youngsters, including DeKalb County dedicated
cornhole tosses and face to serving children with
painting. The Easter Bunny and without special needs
also was there to pose for between ages 3 and 6 years.
photos with children. Shawn Carrithers, who
Melissa Crabbe, who brought his daughters Luci
brought her 4-year-old and Audrey, said he is
Down syndrome daughter delighted that Brookhaven
Ceci, said the event was not hosted the event. “We
Ceci’s first Easter egg hunt, always come out to support
“but it was the first at which activities like this. That’s
she understood what to do.” the best way to be sure they
Ceci’s older brother Aaron keep happening.”
CYCLING
Continued From Page 1A
The League of American Bicycles
named Decatur an official Bike Friendly
Community. Decatur Active Living also
hosts family and senior community bike
rides.
Winkle said test devices will be
issued to Decatur residents this summer.
To sign up to be a beta tester visit
handldcycling.com.
A bicyclist places flowers at the“ghost bike”
memorialforPaulH.Taylor,abicycliststruckbya
car and killed in Decatur.