Fresh Loaf

• Editor’s note: A special treat for you! This week’s profilee, Pastor D.L. Foster, was kind enough to stop by our office for a podcast interview. CL Online Producer Alejandro Leal recorded the interview and edited it with the author of the profile, Tammy Vinson.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Pastor D.L. Foster ministers at Forest Park’s Praise Power Ministries, where he counsels people struggling with their sexuality. He credits Christ with turning him away from homosexuality, “reactivating” his feelings for women and helping him find his wife.

Foster is often labeled as “ex-gay,” but he prefers to use biblical terms such as “transformed” or “healed” to reflect his spiritual change.

Living as a homosexual, he says, was like “chasing a ghost” because he thought a stable, perfect relationship with “Mr. Right” was not going to happen for him.

On the difficult process of turning away from homosexuality: “I would say, ‘I’m not going to go to the club again,’ ‘I’m not going to see Johnny again,’ ‘I’m just not going to feel this way again.’ It would last two or three weeks until, you know, my white knuckles would release themselves and I would go back to it.”

“I had to look to a power that was greater than myself.”

On his wife: “When I met her, the feelings that I had toward her were feelings I’d never felt before and it wasn’t a passing thing.”

Don’t forget to listen to our podcast interview with Pastor D.L. Foster.

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The alleged bank robber who caused Thursday’s car-to-car search on Interstate 75 is now in custody.

According to 11 Alive, Thomas Lagano, 23, turned himself in to Jasper County sheriff’s officials after police identified him as a suspect. Police were able to identify Lagano from bank surveillance photographs and a fingerprint left by Lagano. He is being held on a $25,000 bond at the Cobb County Jail for robbing a Wachovia Bank on Windy Hill Road on Thursday.

According to WSB, Cobb County police first attempted to catch Lagano by conducting a car-to-car search on Interstate 75 that shut down southbound lanes.

The reason for a car-to-car search you might ask? According to WSB:

During the robbery, a bank teller slipped a tracking device into the bag. Using the device’s transmission, police concluded the robber was in a vehicle headed south on Interstate 75.

Officers on foot conducted a car-to-car search but in the end had no suspect, thousands of angry commuters and a police chief who wondered why his commanders had resorted to such a tactic at that time of day.

Also reported by WSB, Cobb County police spokesman Dana Pierce says either the device quit working or Lagano disabled the device during the search. Pierce admits that the tactic was a big mistake.

“Given the same set of circumstances, I don’t think we would do the same thing again,” Pierce said.

Let’s hope not. Atlanta has enough traffic problems without police-mandated car-to-car searches during rush hour traffic.

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Local government officials seem to be on a mission to take all the fun out of Atlanta’s nightlife. In 2003, the problem was in Buckhead after a fatal shooting. The solution was requiring Atlanta bars to close at 3 a.m. and changing last call to 2:30 a.m. Last week DeKalb County commissioners called for changing DeKalb clubs and bars’ last call to an hour and 55 minutes earlier. This week Atlanta City Council has passed a new ordinance stating that anyone under 21 is not allowed to work or enter a business where alcohol is consumed.

According to the AJC:

Councilwoman Cleta Winslow, who wrote the ordinance, said she is troubled by the city’s law that allowed 18-year-olds to work in businesses where people are drinking. It does not affect restaurants where alcohol is served, nor supermarkets or convenience stores.

Also according to the article:

Winslow said teenagers working in strip clubs are more likely to fall into prostitution or taking drugs.

“We need to help our young ladies feel like they have some self-worth,” said Winslow, 55, who said she worked three part-time jobs while in college. “We need to be more about protecting our young people. Even at 18 because the mind is not as mature at that level.”

This ordinance could go into effect as early as next week.

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Robert Hiestand has sold roses at the intersection of West Paces Ferry Road and Northside Drive since 1986. His shop consists of an umbrella and a bucket of roses placed between lanes of traffic. He began selling roses on the street for the Sunshine Floral Company in 1977. He works for himself now.

Hiestand’s formula for roadside rose-selling success: “Take a good corner, invest time and the patience to build a corner; a little bit of elbow grease, a little bit of sticking with it.”

He says he sold 72 dozen red roses, 56 dozen colored roses and 13 mixed-flower bouquets last week.

His first job was working at a metal fabrication shop. There his boss gave him advice he still lives by today: “Find a place where you fit, and fit there.”

Hiestand’s first roadside stand was at Northside Drive and Interstate Parkway North.

His stand has never been robbed, but someone has attempted to grab a couple of his flowers.

Hiestand says he loves “cheering people up with the flowers.”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Two subcultures, the Furries vs. the Klingons (or the Trekkies), battled for the bowling championship title in their second annual bowl-off this past Saturday at Midtown Bowl.

Click here for one participants’ photos.

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Through his work with the Atlanta Enterprise Center, Dennis Dunn helps ex-convicts and homeless find and get employment. In the last five years, AEC has helped more than 2,200 people obtain self-sufficiency through job training and placement. In October, AEC will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Dunn encourages ex-cons to utilize the skills they learned in prison or from their criminal backgrounds to help them in the workforce. “There’s a job for everyone,” Dunn says.

“Just tell them you can handle money in a fast-paced environment and you have great customer-service skills.” That was Dunn’s advice to a former prostitute and stripper interviewing for a cashier position.

“[The advice] was kind of in left field, but the point is everybody has some kind of skills. What we try to do is talk to them about it.”

“I told this one woman, ‘You couldn’t go [to an interview] dressed the way you are because you’re just way too flashy.’ She said, ‘That’s not fair,’ and I said, ‘Fare is what you pay to get on a bus. There’s nothing fair out there.’”

The average hourly wage for the jobs obtained by AEC clients is $9.

(Photo by Andisheh Nouraee)

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Dominique Gordon stands next to Pleasantdale Road in Tucker advertising pizza specials with a large poster board. The 18-year-old took the first job he could find after moving from Milwaukee three weeks ago. He makes $7 per hour.

“To turn my life around,” he replies when asked why he moved here.

For four hours every day, he holds a sign promoting $5 pizzas. “Really, all we have to do is keep the sign moving,” he says.

Gordon listens to rap on his MP3 player while working. “[The music helps with] ignoring the heat and keeping me focused,” he says.

Passers-by sometimes give him the finger. Some stop and give him cold drinks. He says people will even drive by and shout, “I know it’s hot; you need a cold beer?”

Dominique says he’s looking for a better job. “Something inside at least.”

(Photo by Andisheh Nouraee)

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Sales begin today for the Michael Vick dog chew toy.

Is it different you ask? You bet it is! The Vick Dog Chew Toy is made of state of the art “dog” material. The Vick Toy Doll is so strong and flexible, it will challenge every breed. Especially The Pit Bull.

Unlike Vick, our manufacturer is so sure of its durability they guarantee it against the most playful dog destruction. It Bends. It Bounces. It Flies. It Floats. And best of all, it lasts through the whole season and more!

— The Official “Vick” Dog Chew Toy blog

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Last weekend, my 6-month-old black Lab and I came across a row of zealous dog lovers on our usual Saturday morning trip to Piedmont Park’s off-leash dog park. Right outside of the dog park, about 15 demonstrators were chained to individual dog houses making a statement against owners who chain their dogs.

Tammy S. Grimes (above), founder and executive director for Dogs Deserve Better, put on the event and stood proudly outside of her dog house.

Kelly Hamilton (above), who came all the way from Kentucky to participate in the event, sat happily with my puppy while I took some photographs.

Photos by Tammy Vinson

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Marietta’s Jason “Lefty” Williams never let being born without a right hand hold him back from playing guitar. Performing full-time professionally for two years, he strives for big jazz chords, deep lyrics and danceable grooves with blues and funk orientations.

Before he was old enough for grade school, Williams developed a unique way to play the guitar: “I tore apart one of my prosthetic arms and made my first pick out of the prosthetic arm.

“For me it’s really not about getting famous; I’m happy as long as I get to play my guitar and I can pay my bills. I love playing music, and it wouldn’t matter if there were five people in front of me or 1,000 people in front of me.”

He gives his band, known (go figure) as the Lefty Williams Band, credit for polishing his original songs: “They take it and make it cool.” Casual Fiasco and Diesel Jones open for the Lefty Williams Band this Friday, June 22, at Smith’s Olde Bar. Doors open at 8 p.m.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

For a podcast with Lefty Williams, click below. Pictures of Lefty performing at CL’s offices after the jump.

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The United States of America Rock Paper Scissors League has crowned the winner of its 2007 tournament in Las Vegas. Winner Jamie Langridge’s hand action paid off as he went home with much more than just a first-place championship title. “With a powerful paper, Jamie covered David’s rock and went home from Las Vegas with the Bud Light Trophy and fifty thousand dollars,” according to the league’s website. Langridge was one of 298 competing in the tournament, which will air July 7 on ESPN2.

If I would’ve known you could win that much money playing rock paper scissors, I definitely would have put in more practice hours as a kid.

Check out their website for more information: USARPS League

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Two teenage boys are being held in a juvenile detention center in a small Kansas town for holding up a Dollar General. Their weapon of choice: a purple squirt gun wrapped in black electrical tape. According to Kansas City’s KMBC-TV, “the purple plastic toy was recovered from the downtown Dollar General store by officers who caught the suspects, ages 11 and 14, within minutes of the holdup, police said Tuesday.” KMBC-TV also reports, “No one was injured in the holdup Monday afternoon, and the water pistol was empty.”

If the ages of the squirt-gun-wielding attempted robbers don’t shock you, it probably will shock you that a baby received an Illinois gun card. According to CBS News, the 10-month-old was issued a card that “lists the baby’s height (2 feet, 3 inches), weight (20 pounds) and has a scribble where the signature should be.” As unreasonable as it seems, there is no age restriction on gun cards according to Illinois law.

Read more: “Boys Accused of Holding up Store With Squirt Gun” and “Baby Issued Illinois Gun ID Card”

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The U.S. Postal Service can’t seem to stay off the bandwagon, that is, the hike-in-prices bandwagon. The postal worker at the post office informed me today that while I slept, last night’s prices not only went up on postage stamps but bread, gas and milk among other things. He was surprised that I was shocked because the cost of mailing a package to the same place went up approximately $4 in exactly a week. In fact, the package I sent last Monday to California cost me a little over $8 and was promised to arrive in two to three days. The package I mailed today, of the same weight and to the same place, cost $11.95 for seven-day delivery or $16.95 for two to three day delivery.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, “the new price structure will create a more efficient mail system so that the overall cost of using the mail is as low as possible.” I guess we will see if their reverse theory will actually work.

New Prices Effective May 14, 2007: Shaping a More Efficient Future

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Berkeley Park’s neighborhood slogan, “Putting the ‘Unity’ Back Into Community,” was proven true at yesterday’s first Chili Cook-Off. It was a pleasant afternoon in the northwest Atlanta neighborhood with a good-old Fourth-of-July feeling — hamburgers, hot dogs, children playing and lots of people enjoying each other’s company. Live music was provided by Drivin’ Possum, the Biggie Rats, and Kimberly Morgan and Brad Morgan of the Drive-By Truckers.

In addition, there was a raffle drawing with a great selection of door prizes including gift certificates to the new Six Feet Under on Northside Drive, Rising Roll Sandwich Company, Little Azio Pizza and Pasta and several other local businesses.

All proceeds of the Chili Cook-Off went to Berkeley Park’s park fund to build a neighborhood playground. The event helped raise about $1,600 for the playground fund. After attending such a successful event in my own neighborhood, I can definitely say I am proud to be a neighbor in the Berkeley Park community.

Photos by Tammy Vinson

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One of Atlanta’s hottest nightspots also has one of the coolest websites, seriously. Take my advice and check it out. Make sure to start at the beginning to get the full realm of entertainment.

Blake’s On The Park

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