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WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, NOV. 30, 2012 VOL. 15, NO. 36 FREE

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Piper playsat sundown

See Bagpipe on Page 15A

Every Saturday for the past two months, a different lone bagpiper has played by the gazebo in Stone Moun-tain village. Each piper is a member of the Atholl Highlanders Pipes and Drums USA. Geno Summers, whocomes from a family of bagpipers, played on the square Nov. 24his wife and son are also members of theAtholl Highlanders and have performed at the gazebo. Photos by Travis Hudgons. SCAN THE QR CODEABOVE TO VIEW VIDEO or visit www.youtube.com/championnewspaper.

Bagpiper plays

to celebrate and

remember those

forgotten

by Daniel [email protected]

Every Saturdayfor the past twomonths, as the sunsets, the sound of a

one bagpiper can be hearddrifting from the gazebo inStone Mountain Village.

The bagpipes have hada presence in Stone Moun-ain for more than 30 years,ince a resident founded Atholl Highland-

ers Pipes and Drums USA. Each year, StoneMountain Park also hosts the Scottish HighlandGames, at which the pipers perform.

Its just a great tradition to draw people todowntown, Rich MacPhee, business managerof the Atholl Highlanders said. MacPhee, whohas performed under the gazebo before, said thegroup consists of approximately 40 bagpipersiving in the Atlanta area.

Its a great chance for everyone in the bando go out and play a solo engagement like that,

MacPhee said. Its also good for us to giveback to the community.

Although the Atholl Highlanders is a non-profit organization, MacPhee said the groupcharges the city a modest stipend to pay for ex-penses.

The bagpipe is an instrument not often seenn this part of the world but MacPhee said play-ng the pipes is a tradition dating back hundreds

of years. MacPhee also noted that the instru-ment is so versatile that its as likely to heard ata wedding as at a funeral.

The pipes always bring a kind of solemn-ness and some joy. Its wonderful what it canbring on these Saturday afternoonsthese tunescan be a bit lighter but always end with a bit ofemembrance, MacPhee said.

Those who want to dedicate a song to a loveone who has passed away or someone they wanto remember can provide a donation and the

Geno Summers


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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 Page 2ALocal News

DunwoodyCity Councilconsidersschool system

What is it that makesus different here?

Maybe its just knowing when to help. Here in Georgia, some people are

having trouble paying their bills. You can help us help them. Just make

a small donation to Project SHARE on your next Georgia Power bill.

Or give online at GeorgiaPower.com/ProjectSHARE. Together with theSalvation Army we can show everyone what makes us different here.

2012 Georgia Power

Ellis names new deputy development chiefDeKalb County CEO

BurrellEllis announced theappointment ofLuzBor-rero as deputy chief operat-ng ofcer of development

effective Nov. 19.In the current economic

climate, characterized by anational recession and a de-clining tax digest, I believehat it is extremely impor-ant to engage in activitieshat encourage and promoteobs creation, economic vi-ality, and increase the coun-ys tax digest, Ellis said.

The appointment unieshe various functional areashat have responsibilities to

promote community devel-opment, economic devel-opment and jobs creation

under a multi-year strategicplan, according to a mediaelease.

Ellis has assigned the

following departments toreport to the deputy chiefoperating ofcer of de-velopment: planning andsustainability, economicdevelopment, communitydevelopment and work-force development. In ad-dition, Borrero will serveas DeKalb Countys liaisonwith related authorities.

Borrero brings morethan 22 years of profes-sional experience to DeKalb

County. Since December2010, Borrero has workedas vice president of Pur-pose Built Communities,an Atlanta-based organiza-tion that seeks to transformstruggling neighborhoodsinto vibrant and sustainablecommunities. From 2004-10, she was Atlantas deputychief operating ofcer.

Borrero has also workedfor the Southern RegionalCouncil and Big Brothers

and Big Sisters of Metro At-lanta, among others.

Borrero has a law de-gree from the Universityof Santiago de Cali and apostgraduate degree in inter-national economics from theUniversit de Montpellier inFrance.

With her depth ofknowledge and experience, Iam excited that Luz Borrerohas accepted this position,Ellis said.


Each year the DunwoodyCity Council identies itemshat are legislative prioritiesn a list given to the citysocal representatives in the

General Assembly.Councilman Terry Nall

said although there has beenno specic talk about thecity of Dunwoody creatingts own school system, thedea was added to the list.

I raised the question

because if we ever in the fu-ure want to consider having

a school system, wed haveo change the constitution to

permit the creation of newschool systems, Nall said.

Currently Georgiasconstitution doesnt allowfor the creation of any newschool systems in the state.Nall said the idea was addedo the list of legislative pri-

orities simply to pave wayfor discussion of the possi-bility in the future.

There has long been

conversation in the com-munity about us having ourown school system and I

See Dunwoody on Page 3A

Borrero


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Page 3A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012

DunwoodyContinued From Page 2A

Judge sets trial datefor Lewis criminal case

Doraville searches fornew city manager


DeKalb County Judge

Cynthia Becker has seta start date of April 15,2013, for the racketeeringtrial against former DeKalbCounty School Superinten-dent Crawford Lewis.

Lewis, his former con-struction chiefPatriciaReid and Reids ex-hus-band Tony Pope are beingcharged along with himfor conspiring to defraudthe DeKalb County SchoolDistrict (DCSD) of approxi-mately $2.4 million throughllegal contracts.

Reid allegedly used her

role as the districts con-struction chief to awardcontracts to then husbandPope. According to ofcialsand court documents, Lewissigned off on contracts andknowingly participated inthe conspiracy.

Lewis and Reid also arecharged with taking ticketsfrom contractors to profes-sional and college sportingevents, shows and balls.

Becker said she is reserv-ng three weeks for the case,

which was supposed to start

at the end of this year butwas pushed back.Earlier in November,

the DeKalb County schoolboard voted to waive a poli-cy setting the indemnity cap

for Lewis legal representa-tion at $100,000.

According to district of-cials, the boards decision

to waive the cap also relatesto a civil case involvingconstruction rm Heery In-ternational, which is closelyrelated to the criminal case.Lewis is expected to be oneof the main witnesses totestify in the civil trial, onwhich the DeKalb CountySchool District has alreadyspent nearly $30 million inlegal fees to date.

Since both of the casesinvolve issues regardingdecisions made when Lewiswas superintendent, schoolspokesman Jeff Dickerson

said the district has a legalobligation to pay for Lewisrepresentation.

Theyre lifting that capbut we dont know whatthose fees are going to looklike, Dickerson said.

The board also votedthat any more costs to beincurred by Lewis legalrm Goodman, McGuffey,Lindsay and Johnson, wouldcome before the board and

be approved on a monthlybasis. Additionally, theboard has the right to im-

pose further caps if it deemsit necessary.Board chairman Eugene

Walker said that raising thecap was in the best interestof the district.


Last year voters in Doraville passed a referendum al-lowing the city to change its form of government to onewith a part-time mayor and a full-time city manager.

Doraville is one of the last citiesin DeKalb County to convert to sucha form of government.

The change means that MayorDonna Pittman will share some ofher powers with whoever is hired tobe the city manager. Pittman said thatalthough the change means she willhave less power, it will be importantfor her to maintain a close relation-ship with residents. She said is im-portant for residents to continue tohave the opportunity to speak openlywith their mayor.

I think its very important that you maintain therelationship that [residents] enjoy with the mayor. [Resi-dents] like that one-on-one, and I think thats very im-portant, Pittman said.

In 1981 Doraville changed from a city manager to afull-time mayor form of government by way of a refer-endum.

The city has hired Colin Baenziger and Associates,a local executive search rm, to conduct a search for thenew city manager. Luke Howe, Pittmans assistant, saidthe rm has interviewed the mayor, city council mem-bers, department heads and residents, and held a townhall meeting.

Baenziger said they have received 92 applications forthe job.

Weve got some really good people, Baenzigersaid.

Since Doraville is a city that is transitioning from astrong mayoral form of government to one run primarilyby a city manager, Baenziger said his rm is looking forsomeone who has served as a city manager in a similarsituation.

Were looking for someone who has been a citymanager and ideally were looking for someone who hasbeen [an inaugural] city manager, Baenziger said.

Baenziger said the alternative is to have a candidatewho has been both a mayor and a city manager at somepoint in their career. The rm began screening applicantsat the beginning of November; Baenziger said the rmwill present the semi-nalists for the job to the DoravilleCity Council Dec. 10.

After the city council has narrowed down the list itwill conduct one-on-one interviews and announce its top

choice for the position on Jan. 14; the council will alsosubmit the top three candidates for the job for publica-tion.

Baenziger said ofcials hope to have made an ofcialdecision on the new city manager no later than Feb. 1.

Dunwoody Policelooking for man whotried to entice child

The Dunwoody PoliceDepartment is looking fora suspect who attempted toentice a child while in therestroom of the Perimeter Mall.

On Nov. 12 atapproximately 7 p.m., a15-year-old male was inthe restroom when he wasapproached by the suspect,according to a media releaseby the Dunwoody PoliceDepartment.

The suspect displayed awad of cash to the victim andasked him for sexual favors.The victim ed the scene andreported the incident to mallsecurity, according to therelease.

The suspect, who was last

seen running from the mall,is described as a Black male,approximately 6 feet and bald.He was wearing a puffy jacket,black dress pants and shoes.He is in his late 30s to early40s.

Anyone who recognizesthis individual or has anyfurther information regardingthis incident should contactDetective RobertBentivegnaat (678) 382-6911. Anonymouscrime tips can be submittedvia the Submit a Crime Tipbutton on the left side of theDunwoody Police webpage

at www.dunwoodypolice.com, or via text messages toCRIMES (274 637). Use thekey word DPDTIPS at the startof your message.

trust that conversation hasalso gone in some of theother small cities as well,Nall said.

Nall said that since Dun-

woody is working well sinceit became a city and thereason it was founded wasbased on the premise of lo-

cal control, its not unusualto discuss the creation of itsown school system.

Its a natural conversa-tionto talk about local

control of schools, Nallsaid. The city limits alsomash up very well with theelementary, middle school

high school feeder systemalready in place.

With Dunwoody beingcreated fairly recently, alongwith other small cities in the

area such as Brookhaven,Nall said it is logical todiscuss the possibility of al-lowing the creations of new

school systems.We believe that this

isnt just about Dunwoodyas a city, this is about everycity in the state of Georgia

and there are over 500,Nall said.

Nall said if the constitu-tion is eventually changed to

allow cities to establish newschool systems, the legisla-ture could still create restric-tions such as making themgo through an approval pro-

cess for a charter system.

Lewis

Pittman


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Dont cut our kids out of the budgetAmericas security and prosperity depend on our childrens

ability to drive the economy of the future.

Home alone

A 13-year-old DeKalb Countygirl who is accused of stabbing her2-year-old sister to death may beried as an adult. What a tragedy.

What this young adolescent needss intensive counseling and psy-

chiatric evaluation until she is 21.She too is a victim.

Victim? How can one in hisor her right mind call this allegedcold-blooded teen killer a victim?Easily. Bill Cosby said it best.

Hurt people hurt people. Thisyoung girl is as much a victim ashe young life she allegedly took.f she is guilty, there is no excus-ng what she did, but there are

many plausible explanations thathe authorities hopefully will geto the root of. Either way, 13-year-

old Tyasia Jackson is aloneagain, possible being charged asan adultlike the burden that was

thrust upon her young shoulders ofcaring for three siblings.

Questions: Why is a 13-year-old saddled with the responsibilityof carrying for three young sib-

lings? How often did this occur?Why is she so angry? Why wasthat anger directed only at herhalf-sisterSasha Lamaya Ray?What is the relationship betweenthe stepfather and the young teenand her mother? As the eldest ofnine with the youngest 17 yearsmy junior, I can say with all can-dor that I sometimes resented theresponsibility of diapering, feed-ing and hauling around so manyyounger siblings in our parentsabsence. The difference, however,was the love modeled in the homeby our mutual mother and father.

We parents dont begin tocomprehend the conflict that oc-curs as a result of our blendedfamilies. Since the beginning ofhumankind, sibling rivalries havebeen commonplace. Those rival-ries, however, are most often ex-acerbated by different blood lines.

Case in point: I once attendeda mother-daughter retreat up inNorth Georgia as a featured speak-er. During the breakout sessions,

the question was put to the par-ticipants, What would you wantyour mother to know that you hadnot expressed to her before? Onewell-groomed, articulate young

15-year-old shared with her moth-er that she felt like she was allalone. She went on to explain thather father and his new wife andchildren had their family and thather mother with her new husbandand children had their family. Sheconcluded by saying she felt likeshe didnt belong anywhere.

Mind you, this was a situationthat on the surface appeared to beworking. There were no issues ofabuse or obvious dysfunction inthe home. But deep in this youngteens heart was a feeling of lone-liness that no one would begin tounderstand. All of her physicaland material needs were being metin fine fashion. She was perform-ing well in school and seemed tobe coping wel l with her mother intheir blended family environment.Still, in what was seemingly theoptimum circumstance, this younggirl felt alone. Her mother wasmoved to tears by this startlingrevelation.

As we adults go our merry

ways seeking our own happinessaway from spouses weve grownapart from and who we vowed tostay with until death do us part,we seem to forget the toll our

disposable relationships have onour children. Do we unwittinglyforce our children to put up brave,adult-like facades of acceptancefor our new husbands, new wives,male friends and lady friends dujour? Are we creating generationsof detached, cold-hearted, unfeel-ing robots who have no real senseof family bonds?

Talk to anyone. On first intro-duction, some of their first words,good or bad, is about their homelife. Psychologists say repressedfeelings turn to unexpressed an-ger. Tyasias anger was apparentlyunleashed last week and now sheis alone again. So many of ouryoung people are home alone, notin the literal sense, but emotion-ally. African proverb: The ruin ofa nation begins in each home.

Steen Miles, The Newslady, is aretired journalist and former Geor-gia state senator. Contact SteenMiles at [email protected].

by Marian Wright Edelman

Barack Obama won his re-election fight because Americanswho are committed to moving for-ward turned out in recordnumbers to vote, espe-cially in battlegroundtates.

But we cant goforward unless Congressits down and makes the

hard decisions requiredo create a just budgethat invests in children,

and creates jobs for theirtruggling parents while makingure those who have benefited from

huge tax cuts pull their weight.Exit polls on Election Day

made it clear: A clear majority ofvoters agree that the richest Ameri-cans need to pay higher taxes.

Children, the poor and themiddle class cannot afford more

devastating cuts and instability ashey continue to struggle againsthunger, homelessness, joblessnessand loss of summer school andegular school days as a result of

this long economic downturn.To move forward, Americas

security and prosperity depend onour childrens ability to drive theeconomy of the future. If a major-

ity of our kids cant read andcompute at grade level, wewont have a strong econo-my.

Our leaders face cru-cial budget decisions. Theymust craft solutions that willprotect the already poroussafety nets on which somany children and familiesrely, and invest in the health,

early childhood development andeducation of our children.

The fundamental principle ofprotecting children and other vul-nerable populations has been a cor-nerstone of deficit reduction sincethe bipartisan Balanced Budget Actof 1985. Every automatic budgetcut mechanism of the past quarter

century has exempted core low-income assistance programs fromany cuts triggered when budgettargets or fiscal restraint rules weremissed or violated.

The American people stillstrongly support this principle.Last year, a Gallup poll found that55 percent of Americans opposecutting spending on anti-povertyprograms. A Public Opinion Strate-gies poll showed even larger num-bers of l ikely voters oppose cuts toMedicaid (73 percent) or education

programs (75 percent).Cutting children from the bud-

get now will cost us all more in thelong run.

On the other hand, economistsagree that investing in childrenpromotes economic growth. Forexample, investments in educa-tion that raise high school gradu-ation rates have been shown toyield a public benefit of $209,000per student in higher governmentrevenues and lower governmentspending, and an economic benefitto the public purse that is 2.5 timesgreater than the costs.

Children constitute the poor-est age group in the United States.More than 16.1 million children inAmerica live in poverty morethan one in five of all children and

more than one in three children ofcolor so special efforts must bemade to address the needs of thesemost vulnerable among us.

Poor children lag behind theirpeers in many ways beyond in-come: they are less healthy, trail inemotional and intellectual develop-ment, are less likely to graduate

from high school and to find steadywork as adults, and are more likelyto head poor families. Every yearwe keep these millions of childrenin poverty costs our nation at leasthalf a trillion dollars in lost pro-ductivity, poorer health and in-creased crime.

Rather than imposing strict aus-terity measures without regard forthe human consequences, we mustinvest now in children to preparethem for the future and help createjobs.

Be careful what you cut. If ourchildren arent ready for tomorrow,

neither is America.Marian Wright Edelman is the

president of the Childrens DefenseFund.

Wright Edelman

Page 4A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 23 , 2012Opinion

The Newslady


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Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinionsfrom its readers. Please write to us and express yourviews. Letters should be brief, typewritten and containthe writers name, address and telephone number forverification. All letters will be considered for publication.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347,Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send E-Mail to [email protected]

FAX To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior

to publication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributingeditors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers.The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement atany time. The Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher: Dr. Earl D. Glenn

Managing Editor: Kathy Mitchell

News Editor: Andrew Cauthen

Production Manager: Kemesha Hunt

Graphic Designer: Travis Hudgons

The Champion Free Press is published each

Friday by ACE III Communications, Inc.,

114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA. 30030

Phone (404) 373-7779.

www.championnewspaper.com

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FREEPRESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER

We sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding this and any

issue of interest to DeKalb County. The Champion was founded in1991 expressly to provide a forum for discourse forallcommunityresidents on all sides of an issue. We have no desire to make the newsonly to report news and opinions to effect a more educated citizenrythat will ultimately move our community forward. We are happy topresent ideas for discussion; however, we make every effort to avoidprinting information submitted to us that is known to be false and/or assumptions penned as fact.

One Mans Opinion

It is the eternal struggle be-ween these two principlesright

and wrong. They are the two prin-ciples that have stood face to facefrom the beginning of time and willever continue to struggle. It is theame spirit that says, You work

and toil and earn bread...and Illeat it.PresidentAbraham Lin-coln (1809-1865), Americas 16th

president.

This is the Tale of Two Bak-ersone is Hostess Brands, whichfailed. Founded in 1930, and mostecently based in Irving, Texas, it

had 18,500 employees, 5,500 de-ivery routes and operated 33 bak-

eries, 553 distribution centers and527 bakery outlet stores, sellingbrands including Wonder Bread,Merita, Natures Pride, Dolly Mad-son, Drakes Cake and Hostess

cupcakes, Twinkies, SnoBalls andHoHos as well as Ring Dings andDing Dongs (Im not kidding).

Further south, the baker with

quite a few buns still baking hot inhe oven is the lesser known Flow-

ers Foods, based in Thomasville,

Ga., and founded in 1919. Flow-ers has 9,400 employees, operates43 bakeries and sells its productsprimarily regionally through an

extensive direct-store deliverynetwork across the mid-Atlantic,southeast, southwest and selectmarkets, including California andNevada. Flowers Foods productsinclude Sunbeam Bread, NaturesOwn, Roman Meal, Tastykakeand Honey Buns to name only afew. Flowers has not only gobbledand consolidated, over the decadesit has also spun out enterprises andholdings, including the KeeblerCompany and Mrs. Smith Pies,which continue to exist to thisday, under different ownership. Sowhat is a bakers primary secret

ingredient or recipe for success? Aspecial yeast? Billions in brand ad-vertising over decades?

Perhaps it is in reality as simpleas the cost of a loaf of bread. In itsfar flung operations, Hostess had372 collective bargaining agree-ments that covered 15,000 of its18,500 employees. The efficiencyof some of these agreements, in-cluding one of the Teamstersfavorites, required that bread andpastries heading to the exact samelocation, at the same time must doso in separate trucks, each with itsown driver. In the end, the bakersand their unions rejected Host-

ess managements final offer byvoice vote. Almost immediately15,000 Hostess workers lost their

jobs. Hostess will maintain roughly3,200 non-union workers and man-agers to wind down operations andliquidate assets. This headcount

will also continue to drop, up to94 percent over the next 16 weeks(four months) of the shutdown. Byearly 2013, other than some poten-tially surviving products and facili-ties, the worlds largest baker willbe but a memory.

Flowers Foods has been botha privately held and now publiclytraded concern. Flowers has twolarge operating divisions, onewhich focuses on direct store de-livery of bread and its perishablebaked goods, and the other thatproduces frozen products for gro-cers and vending companies. Since

going public in 1968, Flowers hascompleted more than 100 acquisi-tions, while maintaining a solidbottom line. With the demise ofHostess, Flowers is now the na-tions second largest baked goodsproducer, with 7.9 percent of theindustry. Flowers has only a hand-ful of bargaining agreements withits employees, yet a very stableworkforce and all but 900 of itsemployees are non-union.

The most likely new owner ofthe indestructible (some say in-digestible) Twinkie and a few ofits cousins? Flowers Foods. Thecompany is at least getting ready

to increase its appetite. On Nov.19, Flowers amended and extendedits $500 million line of credit loan

facility. During 2011, Flowers saleswere $2.8 billion. Wall Street hasrecently awarded Flowers a 10percent spike in i ts share price, for

its record of stewardship as well aspotential increase in market share.

So back to our Lincoln quoteregarding rights and wrongs. Wheredo you see the major difference inpaths to success among the Flowersand Hostess enterprises?

If bread is still a staff of life, Icant help but come to the conclu-sion that a high starch and sugardiet shared by both greedy workersand management, gorging on carbsand sweets, ultimately took Host-ess down, while Flowers continuesto grow in the sunbelt. There maystill be room for more in the Flow-

ers pantry, but as their prior wiseacquisition of other assets overtime has demonstrated, be carefulwhat you swallow, and be sure toallow time for full digestion beforeeating again. Hope yall had a goodThanksgiving, too.

Bill Crane also serves as a politi-cal analyst and commentator forChannel 2s Action News, WSB-AM

News/Talk 750 and now 95.5 FM, aswell as a columnist forThe Cham-

pion, Champion Free Press andGeorgia Trend. Crane is a DeKalbnative and business owner, living

in Scottdale. You can reach him orcomment on a column at [email protected].

A tale of two bakers

The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 Page 5AOpinion


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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 Page 6ACommunity

Champion ofthe Week

if you would le to nomnate someone to be

onsdered as a future champon of the Wee, please

ontat kathy Mthell at [email protected] or at(404) 373-7779, ext. 104.

Ana Guimaraes

TOGETHERWERE

Hunger is closer than you think. Reach out to

your local food bank for ways to do your part.

Visit FeedingAerica.org today.

HGEREE ORRETEVET,

TOO.1 6 AmERA

TRGGE WTH HGER.

For more than a year, AnaGuimaraes has served as a vol-unteer librarian for the DeKalbHistory Center.

Guimaraes, a college librar-ian who had done some workwith archives, began volunteer-ing with the center while shewas looking for fullme work.Sorng through approximately50 years of donaons, Gui-maraes catalogued referencebooks, se ng aside duplicates

and works that did not fit theDeKalb History Centers missionof collecng, preserving andsharing the history of DeKalbCounty.

Some of the books Gui-maraes weeded out have beensold at book fesvals and libraryfundraising events while oth-ers have been donated to otherlibraries including the StoneMountain genealogical library.

We made them a huge do-naon, Guimaraes said.

Guimaraes, who volunteersat the center four hours a week,is also relabeling many of theremaining books stored at thehistory center making surethat the collecons are acces-sible to the public, she said.

Many of the books Guima-raes is cataloguing were dona-on as early as the 1950s. Andas more donaons come in, theDeKalb History Center is try-ing to focus the donaons sothat they are relevant to DeKalb

County, Guimaraes said.Guimaraes also volunteers

at the Decatur Book Fesvalon behalf of the DeKalb His-tory Center and helps with theDecatur Tour of Homes makingsure visitors have correct infor-maon about the homes on thetour and about Decatur.

Guimaraes and her husbandmoved to Decatur in 2011. Shehad lived in the state of NewYork for approximately 10 years.

Ive really goen involved

with the life of the city of De-catur in a way that I wouldnthave if I didnt volunteer, shesaid.

Guimaraes, who has part-me jobs as a reference librar-ian at Kennesaw State Uni-versity and at the Pie Shop inBuckhead, said, The reason Istarted [volunteering] is differ-ent from the reason I stay.

She started volunteering tostay current in the library fieldand connues because of therelaonships she has formed.

Ive built nice relaonshipswith the ladies that I work

with, she said. Volunteeringmade me feel like Decatur is ahome. Decatur is a great place.

Guimaraes said she is alwaysspreading the word about theDeKalb History Center and hasconvinced some associates tobecome due-paying members.

Any history centerpar-cularly one with a rich his-toryneeds to be preserved,Guimaraes said. We connectpeople to the past. Its impor-tant work.

Located inside the historicOld Courthouse on the Squarein downtown Decatur, thecenters archives and museumare open to the public TuesdaythroughThursday. Visitors canresearch many local historytopics including genealogy andfamily history, cemeteries, his-toric homes and properes, theCivil War and the Civil Rightsmovement and DeKalb cies.


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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 Page 7ACommunity

AtlAntA

Superintendent to address

Chamber membersThe DeKalb Chamber of Com-

merces First Monday Luncheon onDec. 3 will feature DeKalb CountySchool District SuperintendentDCSD) Dr. Cheryl Atkinson. She willdiscuss the districts progress towardhe goals and initiatives outlined in theive-year strategic plan to the busi-ness community. During the address,DCSD will also unveil new initiativesplanned for 2013.

The luncheon will be held 11:30a.m. -1:30 p.m. at the Holiday InnAtlanta Perimeter, 4836 ChambleeDunwoody Road, Atlanta. Tickets pur-chased by November 30, are $35 for

members and $45 for non-members.For additional information on thechamber or the luncheon, visit www.Dekalbchamber.org or call (404) 378-8000.

Church to hold pre-Christmasamily event

Shallowford Presbyterian Church

will hold its annual Joy of Giving pre-Christmas event Saturday, Dec. 1, 10a.m. - 2 p.m. It will include a visit withSanta, the Secret Santa Shop, facepainting, crafts to make, homemadebaked goods for sale, a silent auctionand more. Admission is free; the com-munity is invited to attend. Children

can visit with Santa, shop for theirparents in the Secret Santa Shop,have their faces painted and makeholiday crafts and enjoy the BounceHouse. Adults can visit the silent auc-ion and raffles, snack at the food

concessions and take home goodiesrom the bake sale. Shallowford Pres-byterian Church is located at 2375Shallowford Road, Atlanta. For morenformation, call (404) 321-1844 orvisit www.shallowfordpreschool.net.

brookhAven

Holiday decorating class set

Sarah Brodd of the UGA Cooper-ative Extension will demonstrate wayso create holiday decorations using

materials from the yard and aroundhe house. The demonstration, De-

signing Holiday Greenery, will be held

at the Brookhaven Library, Wednes-day, Dec. 5, 3 - 3:45 p.m. It is open tofirst 25 participants. The BrookhavenLibrary is located at 1242 N. Druid

Hills Road, NE, Atlanta. For more in-formation, call (404) 848-7140.

DecAtur

Musician to perform at library

JaNaan comes back to DecaturLibrarys Musical Bookings stage Sun-day, Dec. 9, 3 - 4:30 p.m., with herjazz ensemble, BeatN-Sync, to usherin the festive season with holiday clas-sics, old and new. Family and friendsof all ages are welcome. Decatur Li-brary is located at 215 Sycamore St.,Decatur. For more information, call(404) 370-3070.

Church to hold Advent Festival

Gingerbread houses and holidaydecorations will take center stage asColumbia Presbyterian Church hostsits annual Advent Festival on Sunday,Dec. 2, in Hazelwood Hall, beginningat 4 p.m. The festival is open to thepublic and children especially are in-vited to attend the event. There alsowill be a Christmas Eve CandlelightCommunion Worship on Dec. 24, at6 p.m. in the sanctuary. ColumbiaPresbyterian Church is located on 711Columbia Drive, Decatur. For moreinformation, call (404) 284-2441, orvisit cpcdecatur.org.

Author to speak on Richs depart-ment store

Jeff Clemmons, author of thenew book, Richs: A Southern Insti-tution, will join the DeKalb HistoryCenter for a special lecture and booksigning on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Clem-mons will trace Richs 137-year his-tory, including the true stories behindPenelope Penn, Fashionata, TheGreat Tree, the Pink Pig, Richs fa-mous coconut cake and much more,including how events at the down-town Atlanta store helped John F.Kennedybecome Americas thirty-fifth president.

In 1867, less than three years af-ter the Civil War left the city in ruins,Hungarian Jewish immigrant MorrisRich opened a small dry goods storeon what is now Peachtree Street in

downtown Atlanta. Over time, hisbrothers Emanuel and Danieljoinedthe business; within a century, it be-came a retailing dynasty.

Although born in Alabama, Clem-mons considers himself an Atlantan,having lived in the metropolitan areafor the past 26 years. His family hasan even older connection to the city,with his great-great-grandfatherAr-chibald Clemmons having fought inthe Atlanta Campaign, including theBattle of Atlanta, during the AmericanCivil War.

Signed copies of the book will beavailable for purchase.The free event will be held Dec. 4,5:30 6:30 p.m., at the DeKalb His-tory Center located in the historicDeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. CourtSquare, Decatur, second floor, supe-rior courtroom.

For more information, contactContact Melissa Forgeyat (404)373-1088, ext. 22.

Library fundraiser to feature wife-husband duo

The DeKalb County Public Librarywill present prize-winning storytellerCarmen Deedyand her Grammy-nominated musician husband JohnMcCutcheon Monday, Dec. 3, fora special evening of storytelling andmusic to benefit the DeKalb LibraryFoundation. Carmens delightfulbooks, including her latest, Returnof the Library Dragon, 14 Cows for

America and The Cheshire Cheese

Cathave won her fans all over theworld. John is one of folk musicsgreatest living storytellers and instru-mentalists with more than 20 albumsand thousands of in-person perfor-mances to his credit, according toan announcement from the library.The DeKalb Library Foundation raisesfunds to help buy books and supportprograms at DeKalb County PublicLibrary. The event will be at 7 p.m.at First Baptist Church Decatur, 308Clairmont Ave., Decatur.

lithoniA

Writers group to meet

Stonecrest Writers Support Groupwill meet Tuesday, Dec. 4, 6:30 - 8p.m., at the Stonecrest Library. Theorganization offers writers encourage-

ment and feedback on their works-in-progress as well as completed proj-ects. Writers and those aspiring to bewriters are afforded the opportunity to

read and/or discuss their work. Read-ing/discussion time is limited basedupon attendance. Attendees areasked to participate by providing posi-tive comments and useful evaluations.All writers are welcome. StonecrestLibrary is located at 3123 KlondikeRoad, Lithonia. For more information,call (770) 482-3828.

Area residents invited to createmini-scrapbooks

Lithonia area residents are invitedto Salem-Panola Library on Saturday,Dec. 1, 1 - 2:30 p.m., to come andcreate mini-scrapbooks. Life is full ofgreat memories. Make a gift of those

memories by creating a mini-scrap-book, states an announcement fromthe library. Participants should bringphotos. All other materials will beprovided. Funding is provided by theFriends of the Salem-Panola Library.Salem-Panola Library is located at5137 Salem Road, Lithonia. For moreinformation, call (770) 987-6900.

Stone MountAin

FODAC to hold Breakfast withSanta fundraiser

Friends of Disabled Adults andChildren (FODAC) will hold its annual

Breakfast with Santa Saturday, Dec.8, 10 a.m. noon, at Evergreen Marri-ott Conference Resort in Stone Moun-tain Park. The ballroom festivities willinclude a gourmet breakfast buffet,free park admission, an all attractionspass for the park for each person (a$27 value), a toy for each child, andan opportunity to meet and take pic-tures with Santa and his favorite elves.Special guest host is WSB traffic re-porter Captain Herb Emory. Ticketsare $30 for adults and $20 for childrenages 5-11. Children younger than 5are admitted free. All proceeds benefitFODAC. Evergreen Marriott Confer-ence Resort in Stone Mountain Parkis located at 4021 Lakeview Drive,

Stone Mountain. For more informa-tion, visit www.fodac.org or contactPam Holley, [email protected] or(770) 491-9014, ext. 112.

ArounD DekAlb


8/24


by Kathy Mitchellkathy @dekalbchamp.com

Anthony Joseph left hisnative New Orleans in 2005n the wake of Hurricane

Katrina. While his old Loui-siana neighborhood has beencompletely destroyed, Josephbrought one thing with him toAtlanta that no storm couldwipe outhis knowledge ofLouisiana cooking.

My grandmother raisedme because my mother was,well, caught up in anotherworld and my father was aBlack Panther, so I grew upn my grandmothers kitchen.

She loved to cook and I wouldask her, Grandma, how doyou cook this, how do youcook that?

Now a chef at EmeritusSenior Living in Decatur, Jo-seph takes pride in preparingfood the residents enjoy. Youcould just warm up the beansand serve them and that wouldbe all right with some peoplewho cook at places like this,but I like to add some onion,some garlicgive it someaste, he said.

His specialty is shrimpambalaya, made from a

recipe he developed himself.Each time I made it I wouldry a little something differ-

ent, he said. It seems the

more I experimented the morepeople like it.

Anthonys shrimp jamba-aya is as tasty and authentic

a recipe as any in New Or-

leans, said Rachel Kohl,regional director of operationsat Emeritus at Decatur. Theresidents just love it.

Joseph tried driving a truckfor a while, but said, It was

just a way to make money; Ididnt love it. I love cooking.Most truck drivers stop on theroad and eat at a restaurant. Iwaited until I got home andcooked my own food.

When he placed his daugh-ter, whos now 11, in nurseryschool he asked the kitchenstaff lots of questions abouthow the food was prepared.They ended up hiring him tocook there. They told me, Itdoesnt pay much, and I said,Thats OK. I cook for thesmiles. I cook for the enjoy-ment.

Youngsters at the schoolraved so about the food Jo-seph prepared that parentsstarted asking questions.How did you get my kid toeat carrots? a parent asked.He never eats carrots athome, but he loves your car-rots.

After his daughter was inelementary school she toldher dad that he should cookfor the school, and that oppor-tunity came. For career day,Joseph came to the school andtalked to his daughters classabout his work as a chef. He

brought beignets (pronouncedbeen-YAY), a New Orleansfried dough pastry, tradition-ally sprinkled with powderedsugar. There was powdered

sugar everywhere. They lovedit, he recalled.

All the parents have toput in a certain number of vol-unteer hours, Joseph contin-ued. When they found out I

cook, thats what they wantedme to do.Joseph said he uses little

salt in his jambalaya becausetheres plenty of taste in

there already. He also nevermeasures. I have a talentfor gauging amounts withoutmeasuring, he said. I cantell half a cup just by lookingat it.

At restaurants where hesworked over the years, Josephsaid, he has created his owndishes and developed his ownsauces and seasonings. Ev-

eryone has something they areblessed to do well, he said.I believe we are supposed touse the gifts we are given tomake life nicer for other peo-ple. With me, its cooking.

For Anthony JosephsJambalaya Recipe, visit ourwebsite at www.champion-newspaper.com.

Cook brings New Orleans flavors to Decatur senior community

Its almost time for the biggest games of the season. Dont miss outon all of the game-day highlights in next weeks Sports section.

Complete the subscripon form below to start your subscripon. One Year (52 issues) at just $39.00.

Return to:The Champion, P.O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347

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For addional informaon, call 404.373.7779 or visit us online at championnewspaper.com

HEY

FOOTBALLFANS!

Anthony Joseph prepares green beans for Saturday dinner at Emeritus Senior Living. At bottom right, peeled shrimp are ready to go into the jambalaya, cooking at bottomcenter. The nished jambalaya is pictured at top right; at top center, Joseph places freshly heated rolls in a pan for serving. Photos by Kathy Mitchell


9/24


PUBLIC NOTICE

Te Mayor and City Council of the City of Chamblee, Georgia will hold a public hearing on Tursday, December 13, 2012 at the Chamblee CivicCenter, 3540 Broad Street, Chamblee, GA 30341 at 6:00 p.m. to receive public comments regarding the following zoning matters:

1)Pursuant to Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance, Article IX Civic Design, Section 902 B and as illustrated in the Streetscape Guidelines:Street Designations requires the landscape zone to be placed immediately adjacent to the curb. Te landscape zones along Clairmont Road,Peachtree Boulevard, and Buford Highway require tree planting and pedestrian lighting within the landscape zones (which are typically within theGeorgia Department of ransportation (GDO) right-of-way. Te street sections along state roads must be approved by GDO and require thatstreet trees and lighting be located in a manner not to obstruct site distances for pedestrians and vehicles. Te City of Chamblee, Ga seeks to modify

the zoning text as well as the guidelines in order to be consistent with GDOs standards by moving the street trees and lighting behind the sidewalkwhen conditions do not allow for placement a minimum of 14 behind the back of curb along State Highways as required by GDO.2)Pursuant to Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance, Article II, Administration, Section 202.A.1 the City of Chamblee, GA seeks public com-

ments regarding proposed text amendments to the Industrial ransitional Zoning Standards.3)Pursuant to Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance, Article II, Administration, Section 202.A.1 the City of Chamblee, GA seeks a zoning map

amendment to rezone the following properties to the Industrial ransitional (I) District:

Address Parcel ID Current Zoning Proposed Zoning3768 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 034 CC I3770 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 034 CC I3776 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 034 CC I3780 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I3782 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I3784 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I3786 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I3790 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I3792 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I3794 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I

3796 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I3798 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 033 CC I3808 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 040 CC I3816 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 040 CC I3818 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 040 CC I3820 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 040 CC I3824 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 040 CC I3830 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 032 CC I3832 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 032 CC I3838 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 032 CC I3840 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 032 CC I3842 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 032 CC I3844 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 032 CC I3856 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 031 CC I3860 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 031 CC I3864 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 031 CC I3870 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 031 CC I3872 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 031 CC I3876 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 029 CC I3900 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 029 CC I3910 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 041 CC I3920 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 041 CC I3924 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 028 CC I3934 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 028 CC I3929 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 027 CC I3925 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 027 CC I3913 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 027 CC I3808 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 027 CC I3901 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 026 CC I3899 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 026 CC I3889 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 048 CC I3875 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 025 CC I3855 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 024 CC I3851 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 024 CC I3849 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 024 CC I3847 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 024 CC I3843 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 024 CC I3839 Green Industrial Way 18 323 03 054 CC I2303 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 037 CC I

2327 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 048 I I2329 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 048 I I2375 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 036 I I2377 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 036 I I2379 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 036 I I2381 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 036 I I2344 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 044 I I2348 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 044 I I2356 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 044 I I2364 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 045 I I2368 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 045 I I2370 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 045 I I

Address Parcel ID Current Zoning Proposed Zoning2376 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 045 I I2378 John Glenn Drive 18 323 05 045 I I3680 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 102 I I3684 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 100 I I3688 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 095 I I3690 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 101 I I3678 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 032 I I3676 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 099 I I3674 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 097 I I3670 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 103 I I

3666 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 089 I I3668 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 096 I I3672 North Peachtree Road 18 309 02 098 I I3739 North Peachtree Road 18 309 07 050 NC-2 I3733 North Peachtree Road 18 309 07 050 NC-2 I3727 North Peachtree Road 18 309 07 051 NC-2 I3727 North Peachtree Road 18 309 07 047 NC-2 I4859 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 066 CR I4899 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 101 CR I4917 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 124 CR I4917 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 065 CR I4959 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 064 CR I4983 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 063 CR I4985 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 062 CR I4993 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 061 CR I1050 Vijay Drive 18 278 03 060 CR I1054 Vijay Drive 18 278 03 060 CR I5007 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 060 CR I1025 Vijay Drive 18 278 03 060 CR I1051 Vijay Drive 18 278 03 060 CR I1053 Vijay Drive 18 278 03 060 CR I1055 Vijay Drive 18 278 03 060 CR I1057 Vijay Drive 18 278 03 060 CR I1061 Vijay Drive 18 278 03 060 CR I5025 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 058 CR I5043 New Peachtree Road 18 278 03 058 CR I3428 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 081 VC I3420 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 079 VC I3410 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 079 VC I3400 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 079 VC I3394 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 078 VC I3386 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 077 VC I3378 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 076 VC I3372 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 075 VC I3370 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 099 VC I3358 West Hospital Ave 18 298 04 035 VC I2272 Munday Drive 18 298 04 035 VC I2274 Munday Drive 18 298 04 035 VC I2278 Munday Drive 18 298 04 035 VC I

2280 Munday Drive 18 298 04 035 VC I2273 Munday Drive 18 298 04 037 VC I2277 Munday Drive 18 298 04 036 VC I3342 Munday Drive 18 298 04 014 VC I3359-61 West Hospital Ave 18 298 05 032 VC I3371 West Hospital Ave 18 298 05 032 VC I3367 West Hospital Ave 18 298 05 034 VC I3365 West Hospital Ave 18 298 05 034 VC I3361 West Hospital Ave 18 298 05 035 VC I3320 Cumberland Drive 18 298 05 033 VC I3220 Cumberland Drive 18 298 05 031 VC I3210 Cumberland Drive 18 298 05 030 VC I3200 Cumberland Drive 18 298 05 029 VC I

REQUESTFORBIDSRockdalePipelineissolicitingquotesfromanyCertifiedLSBEDekalbandLSBEMSAfor

ITBNo123100316WaterlineReplacementGroupOneBrairlakeRoadandHendersonRoadprojectforDekalbCounty. BidDateDecember10,2012.SubmitproposalstoRockdalePipeline

byDecember7,2012.Attn:RickRearden4049200081orfaxto4049200082

Please recyclethis paper


10/24


Children taken bynoncustodial motherwill remain with her

Church member files lawsuit againstpastor of Greenforest churchby Andrew [email protected]

A led lawsuit against Greenforest Commu-nity Baptist Church, Inc., its pastor, deaconsand bylaws committee contains allegations ofa power struggle and misuse of church funds.

The lawsuit was led in October by attor-ney SylviaGoldman, a minister at the church.

According to the lawsuit, the defendantshave proposed changes to the churchs cur-

rent bylaws which eliminate the membersas stockholder and decision makers in thechurch and cede sole decision making au-thority to the pastor, Rev. DennisMitchell.

Neither Goldman nor Mitchell returnedcalls by TheChampion to discuss the lawsuit.

James Chester, a human resource managerat the church, said church officials would notcomment on the lawsuit unless it goes before a

judge. Chester said the church is trying to avoidthe courts and are trying to resolve this in a

biblical fashion, in a quiet fashion.According to the churchs website, Mitch-

ell was called to serve as interim pastor ofthe church in January 2007 after the death ofGreenforests previous pastor. Mitchell, who

served as the churchs executive pastor from1996-98, was selected in November 2007 to bethe churchs senior pastor.

With a membership of more than 4,000,Greenforests 94-acre campus includes theGreenforest-McCalep Christian AcademicCenter which houses an early learning centerfor children ages 6 weeks to 4 years and an ac-credited academy for grades K-12; the GreenForest Community Development Center; a161-unit apartment complex; and a federallychartered credit union.

The church is located at 3250 RainbowDrive in unincorporated Decatur.

According to the lawsuit, the pastor hascontinuously violated the churchs current

bylaws.

The proposed bylaws attempt to legitimizethe pastors decisions and behavior that vio-late the churchs current bylaws, the lawsuitstates. Several church members have voicedand written objections regarding the various

violations.The defendants mingled the church funds

with personal assets and those of corporate andother business entities in which they exercisecontrol and interest over and used the fundsfor their personal benet, the lawsuit stated.

Goldman states that in June she made awritten request of the churchs CEO and headdeacon to call a special meeting of the mem-

bers to initiate the process of terminating thepastor. That request was denied in September.

On Sept. 7, Greenforest members were no-tied by email about proposed bylaws reviewsessions scheduled for Sept. 11 and 22. Themeetings were to discuss proposed changes tothe current bylaws of Greenforest CommunityBaptist Church, Inc. that are not amendmentsto the current bylaws but a new set of bylaws.

In her lawsuit Goldman stated that churchmembers were not given sufcient time toread, question and know the necessity for the

proposed changes detailed in the 150-pagedocument.

The pastor will have the sole power to uni-laterally make decisions, the lawsuit states.The proposed changes to the bylaws willdeprivethe members of the right to hold the

pastor accountable for his decisions and be-havior.The churchs bylaws committee has not

provided any explanations for the proposedchanges and [their] intended impact, the law-suit states.

The proposed changesseek to changethe structure and the operation of the churchfrom spiritual to a secular corporate structure,contrary to [the] purpose of the nonprot cor-

poration status, the lawsuit states.Goldman led a request for temporary re-

straining order against Mitchell and the otherdefendants which would restrict them fromconvening any meetings or votes and fromselling, disposing of, or encumbering church

property and funds.

The restraining order would also keepMitchell from functioning in the capacity of

pastor of the church pending the determinationof [the] court or ordering a special meeting forthe members to vote to terminate his service.

by Andrew [email protected]

A woman accused taking her four children toTexas in violation of a child custody agreementwill keep the children for now.

Melisa Ivey, of Carrollton, TX, appeared incourt Nov. 19 for a hearing on her emergency pe-tition to change custodial custody of her childrenages 14, 12, 11 and 10. The children were in thecustody of their fatherMicah Parker, and Iveysex-husband, from 2006 until Ivey took them inJune.

Superior Court Judge Courtney L. John-son ordered that the children remain with theirmother until a February hearing when a rulingwill be made in the case. A guardian ad litemwill

be appointed to oversee the younger childrenswelfare.

During the hearing Ivey, said she was con-cerned about her childrens safety.

It was an unsafe environment and they werein danger physically, Ivey said. They were mis-treated and physically abused. They continued tocall me tell me what they were subjected to.

Ivey said she took her children because shewas concerned they would end up being anotherstatistic because of the things that they had en-dured and the pain that they have experiencedliving with their father. She said she noticed abruise on child.

Ivey, a self-employed hairstylist, testied thather children have not been dissatised or ex-pressed a desire to return to their fathers home.

When she returned to Texas with the children,Ivey said she notied Texas Department of Fam-ily and Protective Services.

Parker, who said he had neither seen nor spo-ken to his children since June 10, said the wel-fare of his children has never been questioned.Although the Department of Family and ChildrenServices (DFCS) has been called to home, DFCShas never opened a case involving him, he said.

Under cross examination, Daniel Meachum,Iveys attorney, asked about various alleged inci-dents of abuse which Parker denied.

Parkers attorney, Kimberly Beard, presentedseveral character witnesses for Parker.

Celeste Howard, a former teacher of one ofParkers children, described Parker as very lov-

ing and caring.I really admire Mr. Parker with how involved

he wasin everything they did, said Howard,who has known him for ve years.

Obelia Hall, principal of Stephenson MiddleSchool, where two of the children attended, saidParker, was a mainstay at the school, servingon the schools PTSA and starting a morningreading program. He is very concerned abouthis childrens welfare.

In his testimony, Parkers pastor, RobertJackson, said, I know that [Parker] loves thekids immensely. I see him as a serious family.

I have a great deal of respect for [him], saidJackson, who has known Parker for approximate-ly ve years. I see him as a serious father.

A member of Greenforest Community Baptist Church on Rainbow Drive is suing the church and its pastorover alleged funds mismanagement and leadership issues. Photo by Andrew Cauthen


11/24



Vestina Inanahazwe re-eived a call Nov. 15 from

her mother in Burundi whoold her that her brother is

missing.Inanahazwe, a refugee

from Burundi, has been liv-ng with her two childrenn Clarkston for the past six

years. Her mother, brother

and sisters are living in Bu-undi and her father is inTanzania.

Burundi right now is notafe, Inanahazwe said. I

dont even know what to do.She said her mother told herhat one day her brother wento the store and never came

back.Although Inanahazwe

ikes Atlanta, she said itdoesnt matter where sheives because her family isnt

with her and she feels likehe lacks the support systemhe needs in her life.

Its hard because I cannotgo to school and sometimests hard for me to keep a job

and I have bills to pay, Ina-nahazwe said.

Inanahazwes husband,who is also the father of herchildren, came to Clarkstonwith her when she was grant-ed asylum but began drinkingheavily and stopped working.He left four years ago and thelast she heard he was home-less.

Its not good to be withno family, she said.

Each day as her daughtersarrive home from school,

Inanahazwe is getting readyto carpool to Gainsville withher coworkers. Like manyrefugees in Clarkston, sheworks nights at a chicken

processing plant, leaving at 4p.m. and returning home wellpast midnight. If she cantnd a baby sitter she is un-able to work.

The Refugee Resettlementand Immigration Services ofAtlanta (RRISA) has recentlyreopened its refugee reuni-cation program, which had

been closed since 2008. Now,Inanahazwe has a chance of

reconnecting with her familyif they are granted asylum.

It was pretty successfuland what actually happenedwas, they put it on hold be-

cause they decided to useDNA testing and there werea lot of mismatches, saidLesley Ediger, immigrationservices manager of RRISA.

Ediger said relocatingInanahazwes family will bea lengthy process but that hermother, brother and sistersare eligible for asylum. Herfather will have to move toanother country because he isineligible for the program as

long as he lives in Tanzania.A lot of people are inter-ested in the program but theymight not be eligible for dif-ferent reasons, Ediger said.

Many of the people whowere reunited before the

program closed in 2008were biological relatives ofthose who had already beengranted asylum. However,Ediger said there are someexceptions such as a familythat has taken in and raisedan abandoned child.

Inanahazwe hopes to soonbe united with her family

and has been speaking to hermother every couple of daysto get updates on her brother,whom they believe is stillalive.

Program works to unite

refugees with family members

Vestina Inanahazwe is a refugee from Burundi who lives in Clarkston with her two children. Inanaha-we is trying to reunite with the rest of the family through a program run by the Refugee Resettlementnd Immigration Services of Atlanta. Photo by Daniel Beauregard

by Andrew [email protected]

A man suspected of steal-ing DVD players from a

Lithonia Walmart died Nov.25 after a confrontation withemployees.

DeKalb County Po-lice were dispatched to theWalmart located at 5401 Fair-ington Road at approximately1:45 p.m. Ofcers found aWalmart security ofcer andanother employee detaining aman on the ground, accord-ing to an incident report.

The Walmart employeestold police that the suspectwas violent and attemptingto swing on them, the reportstated. As an ofcer placed

handcuffs on the suspect, henoticed that the suspect wasunresponsive and limp.

The ofcers checked for a

pulse and signs of breathing,but did not nd any. Theythen called for an ambulance.

According to the report,the incident began when aWalmart employee called amanager to report that a manwearing a black hat and blackhoodie had placed two Blu-ray DVD players in his bag.

When the suspect wasasked for a receipt, the manran into the parking lot whereemployees grabbed him bythe hoodie and slammed himdown to the ground, accord-ing to the report.

As the suspect got up andfought back, one employee

pushed him into a car and asecurity ofcer rushed thesuspect, causing the employ-

ees and the suspect to fall.The security ofcer

placed the suspect in a head-lock to calm him down

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Suspected Walmart thief diesduring confrontation


12/24


Light Up DunwoodyDunwoody residents celebrate the start of the Christmas season with a tree-ighting ceremony that dates back to the early 1990s. Dancing girls fromOnce

Upon a Balletand other dancers in brown reindeer outts from Atlanta JazzTheatre, the tree lighting at Cheek-Spruill Farm House, a parade, caroling andSanta were all part of this years Light Up Dunwoody celebration. Photos byDavid DiCristina


13/24


employees are being treatedpoorly by their employer.

They just want basic rightsand dignity, she said. Allworkers should have a goodliving wage and be able towork full time, have access to

health care and things like that.According to the yer that

was being handed out, MakingChange at Wal-Mart, and otheractivism groups are demand-ing that Wal-Mart employees

be paid at least $13 per hour,have predictable scheduling, beoffered expanded health carecoverage, and be given full-time work.

Misty Novitch of OccupyAtlanta said most workers arenot making enough money tomake ends meet.

Most Wal-Mart workersare on government aid even

though they are working 35hours a week, she said.

The group also wants work-ers to have the freedom tounionize without retaliation.

Workers are trying to orga-nize unions all over the coun-try but they are being retaliatedagainst or red, Novitch said.

A lot of us are supportive ofunions because we know thatworkers tend to work betterwhen they have a union.

Adelman said she hasntspoken with Wal-Mart em-ployees directly about theworking conditions and form-ing a union, but said otherorganizers have spoken withthem and were told that em-ployees are afraid to organizea union.

Theyre afraid of losingtheir jobs, and in this economyif you lose your job its noteasy to go and nd another

one, she said.Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has

asked the National Labor Rela-tions Board for a ban againstprotests staged by the UnitedFood and Commercial WorkersInternational Union that havesprung up at stores nation-wide, the Wall Street Journal

reported.We are taking this action

now because we cannot al-low the UFCW to continue tointentionally seek to create anenvironment that could directlyand adversely impact our cus-tomers and associates, Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovarsaid in a statement this week.If they do, they will be heldaccountable.

In response to protesterscomplaints about working con-ditions, Wal-Mart said it has250,000 associates who haveworked for the company for

more than 10 years, that it pro-moted 165,000 hourly employ-

ees last year, and its turnoverrate of 37 percent is lower than

the retail industry average of44 percent.

by Carla [email protected]

While shoppers wereearching for the best deals athe Wal-Mart on Memorialn Decatur on Black Friday,

members from Occupy Atlantawere across the street boycot-ing the major chain store.

Approximately 10 protest-ers gathered in the parking lotof Aarons across the streetholding signs and passing outyers about the nationwideprotest in support of Wal-Martemployees organizing for theirights. The protest also in-

cluded an alternative to shop-ping, where people could pickup clothing items and toys forfree.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. hasoughly 1.3 million U.S. work-

ers. Shayan Adelman of Oc-cupy Atlanta said Wal-Mart

Occupy Atlanta protests in support of Wal-Mart workers rights

Send your comments and/or concerns regarding Comcasts current performance underthe current franchise agreement and/or the future cable-related needs and interests ofyour community to www.dekalbcountyga.gov.

DeKalb County Wants to Hear From YouRegarding the Proposed Franchise Agreement Renewal

with Comcast Cable Communications

Occupy Atlanta participatedin the nationwide protest ofWal-Mart in support of Wal-Martemployees organizing for theirrights during Black Friday onNov. 23. Photos by Carla Parker

Last12/6 First12/20

The Northeast will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain and snow today

through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 57 in Germantown, Md. The Southeast

will experience mostly clear to partly cloudy skies with a few showers today through

Saturday, with the highest temperature of 83 in Punta Gorda, Fla. In the Northwest, there will be partly

cloudy to cloudy skies and widespread rain today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 62

in Colville, Wash. The Southwest will see isolated showers today, mostly clear to partly cloudy skies

Friday and Saturday, with the highest temperature of 80 in Gila Bend, Ariz.

THURSDAYSunny

High: 59 Low: 42

New

12/13

The Champion Weather Nov. 29, 2012Seven Day Forecast

Local UV Index

WEDNESDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 62 Low: 41

TUESDAY

Partly CloudyHigh: 64 Low: 45

MONDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 68 Low: 46

SUNDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 67 Low: 48

SATURDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 64 Low: 49

FRIDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 62 Low: 48

In-Depth Local Forecast Today's Regional Map

Sunrise

7:22 a.m.7:23 a.m.

7:24 a.m.

7:25 a.m.

7:26 a.m.

7:26 a.m.

7:27 a.m.

Sunset

5:29 p.m.5:29 p.m.

5:29 p.m.

5:29 p.m.

5:29 p.m.

5:29 p.m.

5:29 p.m.

Moonset

8:09 a.m.8:56 a.m.

9:39 a.m.

10:19 a.m.

10:56 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

12:04 p.m.

Moonrise

6:31 p.m.7:22 p.m.

8:15 p.m.

9:10 p.m.

10:07 p.m.

11:04 p.m.

No Rise

Full

12/28

www.WhatsOurWeather.com

Weather History

Nov. 29, 1969 - Dense fog

along the Jersey Turnpikeresulted in a chain reaction of

vehicle collisions during the

morning rush hour. A propane

truck jackknifed and was

struck by a trailer truck. Other

vehicles continued to pile into

the fiery mass.

Weather Trivia

Tonight's Planets

What is the blinding effect of

a blizzard called?

Answer: White out.

?

Day

ThursdayFriday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

National Weather Summary This Week

Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

StarWatch By Gary Becker - Small Moon Rising

Today we will see sunny skies with a high

temperature of 59, humidity of 62%. Eastwind 5 mph. The record high temperature for

today is 75 set in 1949. Expect mostly clear

skies tonight with an overnight low of 42. The

record low for tonight is 17 set in 1955.

Nov. 30, 1989 - Squalls

produced heavy snow in the

Lower Great Lakes region,

with 15 inches reported at

Chaffee, N.Y. and at Barnes

Corners, N.Y. Tropical Storm

Karen drenched parts of Cuba

with heavy rain. Punta Del

Este reported 14 inches of rain

in 24 hours.

The week starts with the moon heading towards its full phase on Wednesday, November 28. Then, coincidentally, five hours later, Luna will be at its farthest distance from

Earth. The moons phase period is about 29.5 days. During this interval we see our nearest neighbor slowly emerge from the suns glare in the west as a fragile, thin wax-

ing (growing) crescent. Then the moon blossoms from first quarter, when it is half on and half off, into a waxing gibbous moon, where Lunas limb and its terminator, both

appear bulbous. The moon reaches its full phase just under 15 days after it was new and invisible. Lunas phase cycle then repeats itself in reverse, first diminishing into a

waning gibbous moon, then a last quarter moon, and finally a waning crescent before once again becoming invisible at its new phase. While the phases are occurring, there are many othercycles happening right before our very eyes that are more difficult to detect. Take, for instance, the distance of the moon from the Earth. Luna orbits the Earth in the shape of an ellipse

(oval). This means that its distance from the Earth is continuously changing. When it is closest to our planet and moving with its fastest orbital speed, the moon is said to be at perigee.

When farthest and traveling the slowest, Luna is at apogee. Just like any object which is seen as its distance varies, its size or angular diameter will decrease when it is farther away and

increase when it is closer. For the moon this difference in size is 1/15 degree, nearly impossible to observe with the human eye, but easily recorded with a camera. I already have my perigee

full moon image, and now I only have to hope that the early evening of November 28 cooperates with clear skies, so that I can snap my apogee picture and contrast the two. The compar-

ison will be posted if successful. Clear skies to you and to me! www.astronomy.org

Rise Set

Mercury 5:48 a.m. 4:31 p.m.Venus 5 :04 a.m. 3:59 p.m.

Mars 9:50 a.m. 7:36 p.m.

Jupite r 5:38 p.m. 7:47 a .m.

Saturn 4:51 a .m. 3:52 p.m.

Uranus 2:13 p.m. 2:27 a.m.

3 50 - 2 4 6 8 107 9 11+

UV Index

0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate,

6-7: High, 8-10: Very High

11+: Extreme Exposure

Atlanta

59/42

Decatur

59/42

Doraville

58/42

Dunwoody

57/41 Lilburn

58/42

Snellville

59/42

Lithonia

60/42

Morrow

60/42

Smyrna

58/42

Hampton

61/43

Union City

60/42

College Park

60/42

*Last Weeks Almanac

Date Hi Lo Normals Precip

Tuesday 68 46 62/42 0.00"

Wednesday 69 40 62/42 0.00"

Thursday 67 38 61/42 0.00"

Friday 71 37 61/41 0.00"

Saturday 50 33 61/41 0.00"

Sunday 58 26 60/41 0.00"

Monday 66 29 60/41 0.00"Rainfall . . . . . . .0.00" Average temp . .49.9

Normal rainfall . .0.98" Average normal 51.2

Departure . . . . .-0.98" Departure . . . . .-1.3*Data as reported from De Kalb-Peachtree Airport

while another employeegrabbed the mans legs, theeport stated.

The man was transportedo DeKalb Medical Center

where he was pronounceddead.

The victim has not been

dentied and detectives arewaiting on autopsy resultsfor the cause of death and todetermine if any charges willbe led, according to DeKalbPolice spokeswoman MekkaParish.

Several familiesdisplaced aftercondo fre

A Nov. 23 re at a DeKalb

County apartment build-ng has left several familiesdisplaced after destroyingeveral units at the Brannon

Hills Apartments complexon Brannon Hills Road inClarkston.

When, DeKalb CountyFire Rescue personnel weredispatched to 6508 BrannonHills Road at 7:14 p.m., theyfound heavy smoke and aworking re, said DeputyChiefNormanAugustin.

Approximately 30 peoplewere displaced, but no resi-dents suffered injuries in there, Augustin said. One re-ghter had a medical eventunrelated to the re, he said.

The cause of the re is un-der investigation.

BriefsContinued From Page 11A


14/24


Judge bars Sneiderman from havingcontact with live-in male friend

NOTICE OF

NONDISCRIMINATORY

POLICY

AS TO STUDENTSThe Piedmont School of Atlantaadmits students of any race, color,national and ethnic origin to all therights, privileges, programs, andactivities generally accorded ormade available to students at theschool. It does not discriminate onthe basis of race, color, nationaland ethnic origin in administration

of its educational policies,admissions policies, scholarshipand loan programs, and athleticand other school-administeredprograms.

Nias Place provides safe haven forvictims and children of domestic violenceby Carla [email protected]

Domestic violence hasa lasting effect on not justhe victims but also on the

children of the victims. Anestimated 3.3 million to 10million children witness theabuse of a parent or adultcaregiver each year, accord-ng Trauma, Violence, and

Abuse, a book on the subject.Research also indicates

children exposed to domesticviolence are at an increasedisk of being abused or ne-

glected. Children living in vi-olent homes may experiencehigher teen pregnancy ratesand lower self-esteem, andmales raised in violent homesare more likely to behave vio-ently in their future intimateelationships.

Prevention centers such asNias Place Supervised Visita-ion and Exchange Center in

Decatur are doing what theycan to help domestic violencevictims and their children

avoid the negative effectsof domestic violence. NiasPlace, in cooperation withDeKalb County, provides su-pervised child visitation andexchange for families affectedby domestic violence in theAtlanta area.

Nias Place services areavailable to families affectedby domestic violence, childabuse, sexual assault, andtalking.

Jean Douglas, executivedirector of the Womens Re-ource Center to End Domes-ic Violence, said the center is

all about keeping children andhe domestic violence victimsafe.

Nias Place has a homefeel to it, she said. Itsopen and very child-friendly.When the mothers leave theirchildren there they know thattheyre leaving them in a safeplace.

The idea of Nias Placecame in 2005, when theWomens Resource Center

joined a coalition of domesticviolence advocacy organiza-tions and DeKalb Countygovernment agencies to in-

vestigate the availability ofsupervised visitation and ex-change services in Atlanta.

Approximately two years,with a grant from the Officeon Violence against Women,the coalition recognized theneed for services in the At-lanta and Decatur area andcreated a plan for their provi-sion.

The Womens ResourceCenter was asked to lead theimplementation project and in2007, the Office on Violenceagainst Women granted ad-ditional funds for the creation

of Nias Place through theSafe Havens program.

Douglas said the nameNias Place come from thedefinition of Nia.

Nia means purpose, shesaid. And thats what NiasPlace is, a place of purpose.

Nias Place is the onlyvisitation and exchange pro-gram in Georgia with a focuson the specific safety needsof families impacted by do-mestic violence. Nias Placeis currently working with 46families and the WomensResource Center works withmore than 11,000 victims ayear, Douglas said.

The numbers have in-

creased over the years andwe expect it to increase somemore, she said. More andmore people are becomingaware of the resources and areseeking help.

The center accepts do-nations such as snacks andtoys for children to play withwhile they are visiting with aparent.

Our hope is that the chil-dren bond and have a positiveinteraction with the parent,

Douglas said.To make a donation to

Nias Place, visit www.nias-visitation.org.

Nias Place Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center in Decatur provides supervised child visitationand exchange for families affected by domestic violence in the Atlanta area. Photos by Carla Parker


A DeKalb County judgepresiding overAndrea Snei-dermans upcoming murdertrial has ordered her to stayaway from a witness pros-ecutors said is her live-in

boyfriend.Sneiderman was alleg-

edly having an affair withher boss Hemy Neuman,who later admitted to killingher husband Rusty Sneider-man. However, during a

Nov. 16 hearing prosecutorssaid Joseph Dell may havealso played a role in Sneider-mans alleged plot to murderher husband.

Dells name was includedin an updated witness list

presented by prosecutorsNov. 16. Chief AssistantDistrict Attorney Don Gearysaid he believed that Dellleft his wife while she wassix months pregnant to begina relationship with Sneider-man.

Neuman later admittedto killing Sneidermans hus-

band in November 2010 andwas found guilty and sen-tenced to life in prison.

In the indictment againstSneiderman, prosecutors saidshe and Neuman conspired tokill her husband to claim hisnearly $2 million in assets.

Prosecutors said Sneider-man may have convinced

Neuman to kill her husbandso that she and Dell could betogether. However, defenseattorney Thomas Clegg saidDells relationship with thedefendant will have no bear-ing on the outcome of thecase.

They are close friendsand at this time Mr. Dell is

providing invaluable assis-tance for Mrs. Sneiderman,Clegg said.

In an order dated Nov.26, Judge Gregory Adamsinstructed Sneiderman not tohave any contact with Dell

pending the outcome of thetrial, unless otherwise or-dered by the court.

Lawyers have until Dec. 7to le any additional motions

before setting a trial date.

DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis reminds you

of the Best Practices for Proper Disposal of

Plumbing and sanitary sewer systems are simply not designed to handle the F.O.G. that accumulatesin pipes. When it gets into the pipes and hardens, blockages occur and cause sewage to backup andoverow out of manholes or into homes. This is expensive for you, and for the County.The damages caused by fats, oils and grease in the sewer system are costly to repair. Over time,they increase the costs of our water and sewer services.

F.O.G. enters plumbing through garbage disposals, sinks and toilets. It coats the inside of plumbingpipes and also empties into DeKalb Countys sewer system. Here are three simple guidelines to help

keep F.O.G. out of our pipes and sewers:

1.

2.

3.

POURfats, oils or grease into a sealable container, allow it to cool and throw it

in the trash. Do not pour down the drain or toilet.

SCRAPEplates and cookware before washing. Do not throw scraps of any kind

down the drain. Instead, place them in waste containers or garbage bags.

WIPEexcess grease from all plates, pots, pans, utensils, and surfaces with a

paper towel before washing. Throw the greasy paper towel away.


15/24


BagpipeContinued From Page 1A

piper will perform a song in thepersons honor.

The idea to have a piper onhe square each Saturday was

presented to Susan Ryles, theexecutive director of Main StreetStone Mountain, by resident ChrisStrawbridge.

I was actually leaving a citycouncil meeting and it was aroundduskoff in the distance I heardome bagpipe music and I looked

across the street and the bagpip-ers were practicing in the churchparking lot, Strawbridge said.

Strawbridge, who collaborateswith the nonprofit Georgia Foun-dation for Public Spaces, said hehas been working with the cityand presenting different ideas tobring more people into the com-munity and bring people closer

ogether. He proposed the idea ofhaving a lone piper play at sunsetand, Ryles said, so far, there hasbeen a very positive response.

We kind of brainstormed andgot some donations for the firstmonth and we started solicitingdonations from the community tohave this be an ongoing presencen the village, Ryles said.

So far, they have gottenenough donations to fund the

weekly pipers through the endof January 2013. Ryles said theresponse to the bagpipers hasbeen interesting. Some residentswill wander over to the gazebo towatch the performance and pass-

ing cars will slow down to seewhats happening.

We havent had huge crowdsyet but we feel that its somethingthat will grow, Ryles said.

MacPhee said the pipers pres-

ence beneath the gazebo is a sym-biotic relationshipgood for theAtholl Highlanders and the city.

Were a nonprofit and peoplegive up a lot of time to do this,MacPhee said.

As the sun sets, bagpiper Geno Summers plays Amazing Grace by the gazebo in Stone Mountain Village. Photo by Travis Hudgons


16/24


brings awareness to the need for more adoptive parents.Its just wonderful to see all the beautiful families

here, said Debra DeBerry, DeKalb Countys clerk of Su-perior Court, who started the DeKalb event last year.

Adoptions are probably the greatest thing we do in thisoffice, DeBerry said. Its a joyous and happy occasiono provide a warm, nurturing home for a child who doesnt

have one.DeBerry said there are more than 1,000 children wait-ng to be adopted in DeKalb County. Nationally, 4,500

adoptions were expected to take place on adoption day.Our purpose is not only to celebrate the families who

have joyously opened their hearts and opened their homeso provide a family for a child, but to also bring recognitiono the event and to urge others to consider doing the same,he said.

Families that adopt children are special people, De-Berry said.

Theres no greater love and service that a family cando than to adopt a child. Its a beautiful, wonderful thing.

Patrickand AmandaONeill of Tucker, adopted Mor-gan, now 20 months old, from China.

Its been a very rewarding process, Patrick ONeillaid. We look forward to starting the process again next

year.Patrick ONeill offered advice to people considering

adoption: Definitely do your research. Definitely find anagency you believe in and feel good with and go for it. Itsbeen a wonderful journey.

It was love at first sight, Amanda ONeill said. Wedont even think of her as adopted. Shes just our daughter.

Devon and DianMott of Conyers finalized the adop-ions of three DeKalb County children, Raven, 8; Justin, 6;

and McKeithan, 5.The Motts, who have been foster parents since 1996,

worked with a private agency, Community Connection ofStone Mountain, during the adoption, which began in Janu-ary.

We love children, Dian Mott said. We have twogrown children of our own. When these kids came into

our home, we loved them so much we didnt want them togo anywhere else. We just wanted them to be a part of ourfamily.

Justin said he was glad to be a part of the new familybecause my mom cant work with memy other mom. Sowent from house to house to house.

During the adoption finalization, one by one each fami-y was called into Judge Adams chambers where they wereworn in by an adoption attorney who questioned them tonsure they understood the adoption process.

[Do] you understand that you have certain rights andobligations to the childrenfood, clothing, shelter, educa-ion, things that parents do for children? asked Attorney

WillieHamilton. Youre doing that already becauseheyre living in your house. Youre going to continue to dohat.

Judge Adams asked, Mr. and Mrs. Mott, is there any-hing you want to tell me before I excecute the final judg-

ment? You cant turn back.After the couple said they had no questions, the judge

aid, I grant your request. Congratulations. It is final.Adams, who spent several minutes posing for pictures

with the new family, said, We do adoptions year-round.ts probably one the highlights of the things we do as a su-

perior court judgebringing families together. I was morehan willing to do this because I think its very important to

have families united so that children will have support. Itsust the right thing to do.

Adoptions generally take approximately a year, but canange from a few months to several years, Adams said.

Some of the adoptive parents are adopting childrenwith special needs, Adams said. That is a need within thegreater community for people to step forward and help.

Adams said adoptive parents are to be commended.Im doing the easy partbringing them together and

igning the legal documents, he said. Theyre doing theeal workrolling up their sleeves and providing a loving

home, safe environment, nurturing environment.

Adoption Continued From Page 1A DoravilleContinued From Page 1A

Kash, Beautiful and Diamond await the nalizations of their adop-tions. Kash and Diamond were adopted by Delois Spencer, whileBeautiful was adopted by Gwendolyn Lee. Photos by Andrew Cau-then

From back left, Devon and Dian Mott pose for a picture with JudgeGregory Adams in his chambers after the adoption nalization ofJustin, McKeithan and Raven.

Creek and Sandy Springshave application fees rang-ing from $100-300. Al-though the licensing feehas dropped signicantly,

Bergthold said he didntexpect it to be an indicatorthat more adult businesseswould begin moving to thecity.

I wouldnt anticipatethat at all, Bergthold said.Number one, Doravillehas a very strong regulatoryordinance and number two,its such an investment thatthe amount of the licensingfee isnt going to be a sig-nicant issue.

Doraville City Council-man Brian Bates said thereare concerns with the club

being within city limits butthat Doravilles ordinancesfor adult-related businessesprohibit them from servingalcohol.

I think that will play alarge part of whether theywant to move into the city,Bates said.

Resident Cindy Brad-ford, a cofounder of theCitizens for Progress groupin Doraville, said she hasheard concerns from resi-dents about the club becom-ing part of the city. Brad-

fords said her main concernwas that the annexation,which will expand the citysborders by approximatelya half square mile, was -nalized without an impactstudy being done.

We dont even knowhow much this is going tocost us, Bradford said.

Bradford also said she

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