Champion FreePress 12-4-15

8/20/2019 Champion FreePress 12-4-15

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C HA MP IO NN EW SPA PE R C HA MP IO NN EW S CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER CHAMPIONNEWS

thechampionnewspaper.com F REE P RESS FRIDAY, DecembeR 4, 2015 • VOL. 18, NO. 35 • FREE

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

See YMCA on Page 15A

See Prison on Page 15A

Longtime YMCAexecutive retiresby Andrew [email protected]

Eston Hood, who recent-y retired after 36 years withhe YMCA of Metro Atlanta,aid his career was a “won-

derful ride.”“I found my niche when I

tarted my career with the Yand enjoyed every moment,”aid Hood, who retirement

was the YMCA’s chief operat-ng officer (COO), a position

he had held since 2009.Hood, an Atlanta native,

oined the Metro Atlanta

YMCA family in 1979 as se-nior program director for theSouthwest Family YMCA,now named the Andrew &Walter Young Family YMCAon Campbellton Road inAtlanta. Hood was hired byEd Lee, then the district vicepresident, who became hisfriend and mentor.

Hood later served asexecutive director, districtexecutive director, vicepresident, vice president ofoperations and senior vicepresident of operations, inaddition to chief operating

by Carla [email protected]

It will be 50 years before DevinThomas could be released fromprison.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to

seven of eight charges, including mal-ice murder, in the shooting death of9-month-old KenDarious Edwards Jr. DeKalb Superior Court JudgeAsha Jackson sentenced Thomas onNov. 30 to life in prison, plus 20 years,with the possibility of parole.

Edwards was one of four peopleshot in their home on To Lani FarmRoad in Stone Mountain on May 10,2014. According to Assistant DistrictAttorney Anna Green-Cross, Thomasand two other gang members went tothe home looking for Oslushla Smith,Cutrez Johnson and Kemontay Cul-lins.

Smith, Johnson and Cullins, allmembers of the Bloods gang, werepreviously arrested and indicted forthe death of fellow gang member

Alexis Malone. The May 10 shootingwas in retaliation of Malone’s murder,according to prosecutors.

“After several hours of lookingthroughout the day for those peopleand unable to find Mr. Smith, in par-ticular, Thomas and two other gang

members decided they had to dosomething to send a message aboutthe murder of Alexis Malone,” Green-Cross said.

Green-Cross said Thomas andhis accomplices knew where Smithand Johnson’s mother lived and droveto her home. Living at the home wasEdwards, along with his mother Tan-

yika Smith, his grandmother, TracySmith, and family friend TeniquaClark .

The three women heard Thomasand his accomplices kicking in theback door and called 911 and barri-caded themselves in a bathroom. Thedoor was broken down by Thomasand Watson and then shooting began.

“At least 12 gunshots were firedin that tiny bathroom,” Green-Cross

Gang member sentenced to lifein prison for murder of baby

evin Thomas apologizes to the family. Photos by Carla Parker

evin Thomas looks back at the family of KenDarious Edwards Jr. before he pled guiltyo killing the 9-month-old baby.

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Business .................................17A

Education.........................18-19A

Sports ............................... 21-23A

Opinion ......................................5A

classifed ..............................20A

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IN peRIL’ LIst

Retired Metro Atlanta YMCA executive Eston Hood said he would do his 36-year career all over again if hecould. File photo


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The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, December 4, 2015 LOCAL Page 2A

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The holidays are typi-cally a time for shopping andgiving and unfortunatelyalso a time for increasedcriminal activity.

To prevent residentsfrom becoming victims oftheft or other crimes, theDecatur Police Departmenthas given safety tips to helpkeep residents and theirpossessions safe during theholidays.

While out and about,police suggest shoppers bealert, aware and trust theirinstincts.

“If a situation does notfeel right, pull to anotherpart of a parking lot or walkback into a store,” DecaturPolice’s Lt. Jennifer S. Ross said. “Beware of ‘looking’unaware by talking or tex-ting on your phone, diggingin bags or sitting parked inyour vehicle after arriving orbefore leaving. Predators arelooking for targets that seemto not be paying attention.”

Ross also said shoppersshould park in well-lit, pop-

ulated areas.“Place packages and bags

out of view in your vehicle,either in the trunk or undera cargo shade,” she said. “If

you return to your vehicle tounload items with the intent

to return shopping, moveyour vehicle.”

Package theft has been aproblem in Decatur duringthe holidays in recent yearsas well. Thieves have takenpackages left by front doorsand other visible locations.Last year, thefts occurred atsingle-family homes as wellas multi-unit condo proper-ties.

“Have packages shippedto your office or work lo-cation or to the home ofa friend or relative who ishome during the day,” Rosssaid. “Request that a signa-ture be required to deliverthe package.”

Police suggest that con-sumers use services offeredby shipping companies thatallow for tracking and re-routing packages.

“Track packages and aska trusted neighbor to lookout and take the packagesin when they arrive,” Rosssaid. “When traveling, makesure to ask a family member,friend or neighbor to checkfor packages at your home.

You may have received a giftdelivery you were not ex-pecting.

“If you observe peopleyou do not recognize on a

neighbor’s property, pay at-tention and if it appears they

are removing packages, callpolice immediately and provide a detailed descriptionof the person and directionof travel and description of a vehicle if present,” Ross said.

Residents are encour-aged to secure their homesby making sure all doors andwindows are locked at alltimes.

“If you have a burglaralarm, use it every time youleave and when your familyis in for the evening,” Rosssaid. “Acknowledge knockson your door that you arenot expecting by speakingthrough the door or a win-dow. It is a common tacticfor burglars to knock to con-firm nobody is home beforethey break-in.”

For those headed outof town, police suggestresidents ask a neighbor topark one of the cars in thedriveway and submit an“Out of Town House Check”through the SeeClickFixApp. The app can be down-loaded at www.decaturga.com/residents/make-a-re-

quest. Residents can also callthe police department non-emergency number at (404)373-6551.

Decatur police offerholiday safety tips

Decatur Police offered holiday safety tips for residents.

DeKalb County utility customeroperations center relocating

The DeKalb County Utility Customer Opera-tions Center is moving to a new location. Effec-tive Dec. 7, the center will be located at 778 JordanLane, Decatur. As a result of this move, the 1300

Commerce Drive office will be closed.Hours of operation for the new location willbe Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thedrive-thru and drop box payment options will notbe available at the new location. County utility cus-tomers still can use the more than 70 walk-in loca-tions, which include Kroger, Walmart, and otherlocations throughout the county authorized to pro-cess payments.

For more information, visit the DeKalb CountyDepartment of Watershed Management website atwww.dekalbwatershed.com or call (404) 378-4475.


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Fernbank presents Winter Wonderlandby Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

This holiday season,Fernbank Museum of Natu-al History will host a series

of family-friendly programsand performances for mu-eumgoers.

Fernbank’s holidayprogramming includeshe annual exhibit Winter

Wonderland: Celebrations &Traditions Around the World ,family-friendly Winter Won-derland Celebration Days andWinter Wonderland eveningviewing hours during Marti-nis & IMAX.

On Nov. 21 FernbankMuseum officials invited themedia to attend a preview ofhe annual Winter Wonder-and program.

Festivities and perfor-mances vary each week,ncluding Atlanta Ballet’s

Centre Youth Ensembles ofBuckhead and Powers Ferry,he Fil-Am Christmas Car-

olers, P.A.W.A.G. Filipinodancers, traditional ChineseLion dances by the ChienHung School of Kung Fu, ahands-on Puppet Factory ledby the Center for PuppetryArts, and classic holidaycartoons including A CharlieBrown Thanksgiving , A Char-ie Brown Christmas and Howhe Grinch Stole Christmas.

This year’s event broughthundreds of families to themuseum.

Children had their pic-ure taken with Fernbank’s

Santa-saurus, created theirown Canadian Mountiehats, had story time with aFernbank educator and werenvited to see the screening

of A Charlie Brown Thanks-

giving. The sixth annual Winter

Wonderland includes twofloors of holiday trees anddisplays decorated by cul-tural partners to reflect tradi-tions and holidays celebratedaround the world. There aremore than 30 trees and otherdisplays representing NorthAmerica, South America, Af-rica, Europe and Asia.

The programs will beon view through Jan. 10,2016. Fernbank will also of-fer discounted membershipthroughout the holiday sea-son.

Museum admission is$18 for adults, $17 for se-niors, $16 for children ages 3to 12, free for children ages2 and younger and free formuseum members.

Hundreds of museumgoers watch live performances at Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Fil-Am Christmas carolers, P.A.W.A.G. Filipino dancers and Blaan tribe dancers.

Atlanta Ballet’s Centre Youth Ensembles of Buckhead performing short piecesfrom the Nutcracker.


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th chamion FRee pRess, FRIDAY, Dmbr 4, 2015 OpINION pag 4A

There have been manyimes in my life when my

parents taught me, “Don’t dovil for evil.” That was para-

phrase of a Bible verse that

tates “Never pay back evilor evil to anyone. Respect

what is right in the sight ofall men” (1 Peter 3:9 NewAmerican Standard Bible).

Some protesters at theUniversity of Missourimissed the idea behind thatprinciple earlier this monthwhen they violated thereedom of the press whilexercising their freedoms of

assembly and speech dur-ng a protest against racism,

workplace benefits and lead-rship.

A videorecording of the

protests, which quickly ledto the resignation of the university’s president, shows stu-dents, along with an assistantprofessor of communication,blocking the media’s access

to the protests at the school.In the video, Melissa

Click , the assistant professor,tries to grab the camera ofMark Schierbecker, a Uni-

versity of Missouri student journalist.

To a mass of students,Click says, “Who wants tohelp me get this reporter outof here? I need some muscleover here.” Click and thegroup of students proceed tobadger and push the student journalist.

Click was wrong, and asan assistant professor in thecommunication department,she should have known bet-ter. She should know thesame First Amendment that

gave her and the students

the right to protest and toassemble gave the student journalist the right to docu-ment their protest. Instead,they said he was in their

space, which was actuallypublic school grounds, andthat they did not want to bephotographed, although theywere in a public place wherethey had no legal expectationof privacy.

On Nov. 10, the day afterthe protest, Click apologizedfor her actions.

“I have reached out tothe journalists involved tooffer my sincere apologiesand to express regret overmy actions,” she wrote in astatement. “I regret the lan-

guage and strategies I used,

and sincerely apologize tothe [University of Missouri]campus community, and journalists at large, for mybehavior.”

Hopefully Click haslearned her lesson becausethe assistant professor in thecommunication departmentwas a bad example and heractions were a terrible lecturefor the students she teaches.By trying to uphold oneright, she led others to vio-late another right. That’s whyDr. Martin Luther King Jr.was against violent protestsagainst racism—you don’t doevil for evil.

@AndrewChampNews

Andrew Cauthen

[email protected]

Managing Editor

Don’t do evil for evil


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Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encour-ages opinions from its readers. Pleasewrite to us and express your views. Lettersshould be brief, t ypewritten and containthe writer’s name, address and telephonenumber for verification. All letters will beconsidered for publication.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P.O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send email

to [email protected] • FAX To: (404)370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779 . Deadline for newsreleases and advertising: Thursday, one week priorto publication date.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions written by colum-nists and contributing editors do not necessarilyreect the opinions of the editor or publishers. ThePublisher reserves the right to reject or cancel anyadvertisement at any time. The Publisher is notresponsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher: John Hewitt Chief Financial Ocer:Dr. Earl D. GlennManaging Editor:Andrew CauthenProduction Manager:Kemesha Hunt Photographer:Travis HudgonsSta Reporters:Carla Parker, Ashley Oglesby

The Champion Free Press is publishedeach Friday by ACE III Communications,Inc., • 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur,

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F REE P RESS

STATEMENT FROM THE

PUBLISHERWe sincerely appreciate thediscussion surrounding this and anyissue of interest to DeKalb County.The Champion was founded in 1991expressly to provide a forum fordiscourse for all community residentson all sides of an issue. We have nodesire to make the news only toreport news and opinions to effect

a more educated citizenry that willultimately move our communityforward. We are happy to presentideas for discussion; however,we make every effort to avoidprinting information submitted tous that is known to be false and/orassumptions penned as fact.

Chess for success

Bill Crane

[email protected]

Columnist

ONE MAN’S OPINION

“I have a debt to pay, and’m doing it with my chess-oard.” –Orrin “Checkmate”

Hudson, executive director

f Be Someone, www.beso-meone.org in Atlanta.

My first grade teacher,Miss Rice, challenged ourlass to a contest. Whoeverould read the most books inmonth, and write the titlef each of those books on an

ndex card, piled into a shoeox, would win a mysteriousrand prize.

I had learned to readarly, and this contest justave me a reason to do moref that. I went to the schoolbrary and checked out as

many books as they would letme. I talked my mother intotrip to the Barwick Phar-

macy, where comic bookswere a mere 12 cents each,nd bought a couple bucks

worth. I stacked up everyLittle Golden Book we hadt home and started to readnd write those titles on a bigtack of index cards. I wonhe contest by a healthy mar-in, and began my lifelongove of comic books.

With great fanfare, MissRice brought out the award,long with a blue ribbon, and

t was a rather modest chesset. I had never seen one,nd did not even understandheckers, but with lessons

from my father, I learnedchess before Chutes and Lad-ders or Candy Land, beforeany card game except War,before any organized sportexcept swimming—and I washooked.

I didn’t really know why,but I was amused by howfolks reacted to being askedto play chess by a 7-year-old. I was even more amusedat their reactions when Iwon. I read chess books andwatched others play.

By the end of elementaryschool, I won a few tour-naments. I started playingthree-dimensional checkafter seeing a fictional ver-sion on Star Trek, and started

to appreciate the benefits ofthinking two or three stepsahead of my peers.

By college I noted that

chess had helped me becomegood at logic problems, andtheir cause/effect, linear flow.

Chess is like life in many

ways, particularly if wellplayed, but it is also a gamethat takes time and skill development, and, as a result,is less and less in favor todayin our quick thrills, 3-D,electronic age. But thank-fully, though it may not becurrently in vogue, there arethose making sure chess doesnot become a lost art, andparticularly in some surpris-ing places where it can makeeven more of a difference inthe lives of chess players.

Orrin “Checkmate” Hud-

son was similarly inspiredby the game and an educa-tor early in his life. Hudsonwas a struggling inner-cityBlack youth in Birminghamin 1978 when a high schoolteacher introduced him tochess to help him understandthe importance of everymove, every decision andeach step that we take in life.

“He taught me to think itout, don’t shoot it out. NowI have debt to pay and I’mdoing it with my chessboard.I am reaching young peoplethrough chess. I speak their

language and they listen.And watch. And learn. Andchange,” Hudson said.

The educator assured

Hudson that by makingthe right choices, in time,Hudson could “be some-one.” Hudson fulfilled that

prophecy, later founding anonprofit of the same name,based here in Atlanta.

In the decades since,Hudson has introducedthousands of young men liv-ing a life as he had known tothe joys and benefits of chess,and many of them have sincemade the move to a betterlife.

Hudson has the ambi-tious goal of reaching andimpacting one million youth“one move at a time.” He haswritten a book of the same

title, and teaches hundredsof seminars each year, oftengiving away his time. His sto-ry has been told and retoldby television networks andaffiliates and daily and com-munity newspapers acrossthe country.

Hudson and Be SomeoneInc. sponsor tourneys andchess traveling teams—andthey win. These students arealso coming to the realizationthat learning and hard workcan have great benefit, and asthey are sharpening new skillsets, they are not sharpening

knives or joining gangs.If you want to help

Checkmate, you can donateyour time, your skills or from

your purse (www.besome-one.org/donate). Or inviteOrrin to your neighborhoodschool or church to intro-

duce more kids to chess, andwhichever choice you makealong these lines, you cer-tainly can’t make a bad move.

Bill Crane also serves asa political analyst and com-mentator for Channel 2’s Ac-tion News, WSB-AM News/ Talk 750 and now 95.5 FM,as well as a columnist for TheChampion, Champion Free

Press and Georgia Trend.Crane is a DeKalb nativeand business owner, living inScottdale. You can reach him

or comment on a column [email protected].

th chamion FRee pRess, FRIDAY, Dmbr 4, 2015 OpINION pag 5A


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SHENE’ HEARD

If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Andrew Cauthenat [email protected] or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.

CITY OF STONE MOUNTAIN

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The City of Stone Mountain hereby gives notice that a Public Hearing will be held

to consider Zoning Variance Application for the property located at 565

Rockborough Drive, Stone Mountain.

The Mayor and City Council will hold a Public Hearing on this matter on September

21, 2015 at City Hall located at 875 Main Street, Stone Mountain, GA at 6:00 P.M.

Anyone wishing to attend the public hearing may do so and be heard relative thereto.

Please contact the City of Stone Mountain Administration Office at 770-498-8984

for further information.

Historic Tucker site makes ‘Places in Peril’ listby Andrew [email protected]

A historic site in Tuckerhas made the 2016 top 10Places in Peril list by TheGeorgia Trust for HistoricPreservation.

The Johns Homesteadite, located at 3071 Law-

enceville Highway in Tuck-r, was built between 1829

and 1832 on a 200-acre landgrant received by the Johnsamily in 1827. Johns family

descendants farmed the landuntil the 1980s, said Dave Butler, DeKalb County’sgreenspace environmentalmanager, in a 2014 interviewwith The Champion.

When the family vacatedhe house in the 1980s, it was

one of the longest continu-ally occupied structures inDeKalb County. The historic

armhouse still stands on theproperty. As the Johns fam-ly grew, the family added ono the original structure and

built a second home, Butleraid.

“We ended up tearingthat down because it was inbad shape,” Butler said.

According to The Geor-gia Trust, other historicstructures remain in vari-ous states of disrepair and“budget cuts have left the sitelargely neglected and unse-cured, resulting in vandal-

ism.”In 2004, DeKalb County

purchased the last 23 acres ofthe Johns family property ata cost of $4.72 million withplans of building a park atthe site. In 2006, the countypurchased the adjoiningTwin Brothers Lakes proper-ty for $2.31 million, makingthe park approximately 50acres in all, including othersmaller acquisitions.

The Georgia Trust’s Plac-es in Peril list “is designedto raise awareness aboutGeorgia’s significant historic,archaeological and culturalresources, including build-ings, structures, districts,archaeological sites andcultural landscapes that are

threatened by demolition,neglect, lack of maintenance,inappropriate developmentor insensitive public policy,”according to a news releaseby the organization.

The Georgia Trust usesthe list to “encourage ownersand individuals, organiza-tions and communities to

employ proven preservationtools, financial resources andpartnerships in order to re-

claim, restore and revitalizehistoric properties that are inperil,” according to the newsrelease.

The main house of theJohns Homestead is “a rareexample of a single penturned saddlebag housetype,” according to the Geor-gia Trust.

The property containsmany late 19th century andearly 20th century outbuild-

ings and a historically sig-nificant dairy building.

According to the GeorgiaTrust, the dairy building wasconstructed of “rammed-earth, an ancient construc-tion technique that becamepopular in the United Statesduring the 1800s.” Very fewbuildings of this type remain

in Georgia, and Johns Home-stead contains the only docu-mented one in the state.

Shene’ Heard, a 23-year-old recent college graduatebeams with excitement tomentoring and tutoring stu-dents participating throughCommunities in Schools(CIS). The organization part-ners with DeKalb and FultonCounty public schools tomprove barriers that hinder

students from succeeding.Heard said she was

drawn to the organizationbecause she’s always wantedto give back to the neighbor-hood in which she grew up.

Heard spent much of heradolescent years in the Edge-wood area.

Through CIS Heard as-sists Maynard Jackson High

School students with litera-ture and other subjects.

“The most challengingpart of the work is connect-

ing with students. With thedemographics that I workwith there are students whocome from different types ofbackgrounds. The averagestudent deals with stress orthey’re coming from a dif-ficult living environment,”Heard said.

She added, “My job is toidentify their needs, makethem feel comfortable andhelp the best I can.”

Heard was zoned to at-tend Maynard Jackson HighSchool but decided to attendNorth Atlanta High Schoolafter being accepted into itsmagnet program.

She said, “I can relate tothe [students] because I grew

up in that same neighbor-hood. I’m familiar with thedemographics in the area. Ican actually remember be-ing in high school, trying tofigure everything out, deal-ing with things at home andconstantly thinking what mynext move was.

“Through CIS I want toat least have an impact onone child and assure themthat it is possible to make itout of their neighborhoodand be whatever they want tobe. I want them to know thatthey do have options,” sheadded.

Heard graduated fromClaflin University in 2014with a major in mass com-

munication.She loves reading, listen-

ing to music and attendingtheaters, ballets and muse-ums.

She said she would ad- vise people interested in vol-unteering to start with thingsthey’re passionate about.

“It’s important to play apart in your community be-cause it’s a great way to net-work, meet different peopleand, of course, if you’re ableto impact somebody’s lifealong the way that’s always aplus,” she said.

An 1800s DeKalb County-owned house in Tucker has been labelled as a “place in peril” by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Photos by Andrew Cauthen


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AROUNDDeKalbAtlantaMAX lm featured at Fernbank

Fernbank Museum of NaturalHistory’s IMAX theatre will showNational Geographic Entertain-ment’s screen film Jerusalem, 767Clifton Road, Atlanta, through Jan.7.

Jerusalem explores the intersec-tion of science, history and religionn this ancient, enigmatic place.

Special access is one of the uniqueaspects of the film. Filmmakers

were granted permission to captureaerial images over the Old Cityof Jerusalem, and throughout theHoly Land. A strict no-fly zone hasexisted over the region for years, re-stricting low-altitude filming. Oncepermission was secured, the film-makers launched a campaign in He-brew and Arabic to notify the publicbefore filming began.

IMAX tickets for the 43-minutearge-format film are $13 for adults,

$12 for seniors, $11 for children 12and younger, and $8 for museummembers.

AvondaleEstatesCity to host tree planting

Avondale Estates Tree Boardwill hold its annual tree plantingDec. 5, at 9 a.m. This year’s plant-ng, titled “Save Our Canopy’” aims

to create a tree canopy along Kens-ngton Road. Twenty-two Trident

Maples will be planted in the areabetween the street and the sidewalk,on the north side of the KensingtonRoad. Volunteers will meet at thegrassy triangle bordered by Berkeleyand Kensington Roads. For morenformation, visit www.avondalees-

tates.org.

BrookhavenPublic review meetingsscheduled for park plans

Public review meetings will beheld for each of the parks that arencluded in Brookhaven’s site spe-

cific park plans project. The review

meeting format will allow commu-nity members to review the draftconceptual master plans, ask ques-

tions and offer suggestions. Com-

ments received will be documentedin summary format.For those who are unable to

attend the individually scheduledpublic review meetings, a generalpark comments meeting has beenscheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12,from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Bri-arwood Community Center, 2235Briarwood Way, for the purposeof receiving additional communitymember input.

Meetings on site specificpark plans are as follows: Dec. 5,Blackburn Park 9 to10 a.m., Lyn-wood Community Center; Dec.5, Brookhaven Park 10 to 11 a.m.,

at Lynwood Community Center;Dec. 5, Murphey Candler, 11 a.m.to noon, at Lynwood CommunityCenter; Dec. 7, Lynwood Park, 5:30to 6:30 p.m., at Lynwood Commu-nity Center; Dec. 7, Fernwood Park,6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Lynwood Com-munity Center; Dec. 8, AshfordPark 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., at LynwoodCommunity Center; Dec. 8, Clack’sCorner, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., LynwoodCommunity Center; Dec. 9, Geor-gia Hills Park, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., atLynwood Community Center; Dec.9, Skyland Park, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.,at Lynwood Community Center;

and Dec. 12, Briarwood Park, 9 to10 a.m., at Briarwood CommunityCenter.

Decatur

Wreath-making event supportsnonprot programs

Through Dec. 5 the Wylde Cen-ter will host its first wreath-makingfundraising event at the OakhurstGarden in Decatur, 435 OakviewRoad, Decatur.

Participants will be providedwith Balsam Fir wreaths, along witha variety of garden materials includ-ing dried berries and herbs, pinecones, magnolia pods and more toembellish wreaths and create holi-day decorations for their homes.

The cost is $65 per person andall materials are included. Adultsmust register online in advance andmay choose an evening from Dec.1-5 from 7-9 p.m.

Funds raised at the events willfurther support the organization’scommunity efforts, educational pro-gramming and green spaces.

To learn more about the WyldeCenter visit wyldecenter.org.

School promotes father

involvement

On Dec. 4 Oak View Elementa-ry School will host its annual Guys’Night Out event at 3574 OakvaleRoad, Decatur.

School officials aim to increaseparent involvement by inviting dadsand guardians to attend the eventwith their sons for a night of bond-ing, education and fun.

During the Guys Night Outthere will be basketball competi-tions, soapbox races and informa-tive sessions on teaching boys howto tie a tie and shake hands. The

event will include pizza, wings,chips and refreshments.Event organizers are recruiting

male volunteers for the event to ac-company children without parentsor guardians.

Contact Parent Liaison WendyJackson at (678) 875-1302 for addi-tional information.

Lithonia

Tree lighting celebration set

The city of Lithonia will hold itsannual tree lighting and holiday cel-ebration with Santa Dee on Sunday,Dec. 6, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The event will be held at KellyPark, located at the corner of MainStreet and Max Cleland Boulevard.

Participant will have the op-portunity to enjoy refreshments,Christmas carols and local vendors.For more information, contact Li-thonia City Hall at (770) 482-8136,or send an email to [email protected] or [email protected].

State representative to hostlegislative hack-a- thon

State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick (D- Lithonia) will host the first everLegislative Hack-a-thon on Satur-day, Dec. 5 from 8 a.m to 3:30 p.m.at ITT Tech in Atlanta.

The event aims to get residentsacross the state involved in the poli-cymaking process by giving themthe opportunity to meet with in-dustry experts, legislators, attorneysand community activists to examinespecific issues facing Georgia, anddevelop legislative solutions to ad-dress them. Topics to be discussed

include: child support reform,school discipline, mental health andthe police, technology skills & jobs,

and treatment of the homeless.

This event is supported by ahost committee, which includesJennifer Young , Ashlyn Shockley ,A. Fitzgerald Breland, heron Johnson, ravis Stegall, ravis ownsend, and former State Rep.Yasmin Neal (ITT Tech CriminalJustice advisory board member).

Registration is required andspots are limited. To register, visitwww.kendricksforgeorgia.com. Formore information, contact Rep.Kendrick at (404) 697-8006 or viaemail at [email protected].

StoneMountain

Organization to host breakfast with Santa

Stone Mountain CooperativeEcumenical Ministry will host itsannual Breakfast with Santa eventDec. 5, 8-11 a.m. at St. TimothyUnited Methodist Church in StoneMountain. All proceeds go to ben-efit the Christmas season for Stone

Mountain Cooperative EcumenicalMinistry’s clients. The church is lo-cated at 5365 Memorial Drive. Formore information, www.facebook.com/SMCEM.

Tucker

Community to host Christmasevent

Christmas on Main Street inTucker will be held Dec. 5, 5-9 p.m.Santa Claus will be in attendance

and the Great Tree will be lit. TheTucker Farmer’s Market will beopen during the celebration andMain Street will be lined with craftand food vendors. There will beornament decorating by the TuckerHistorical Society and the Masonswill have hot chocolate, s’moresand funnel cakes. There will alsobe a bounce house for children. Formore information, call Jamey at(404) 556-7666.


8/24


Retiring baby boomers to be a boon to nonprofitsby Kathy MitchellDuring the holiday season many

are inclined to give more to charity,but those likely to be most gener-ous year-round are members ofthe generation known as “the babyboomers,” according to the results ofa recent Merrill Lynch study, Givingin Retirement: America’s LongevityBonus.

The study predicts a potentialgiving surge in the United States overthe next two decades valued nation-ally at an estimated $8 trillion.

Between 1946 and 1965, theUnited States experienced an un-precedented spike in its birth rate.By the time the rate started to taperoff in the mid-1960s, baby boomersrepresented almost 40 percent of thenation’s population, according to his-tory.com.

“This generation has changed orhad an impact on all they’ve touchedas they’ve gone through school andinto the work force. Now they arechanging the face of retirement,” saidBuck Wiley , a private wealth advisorin the Private Banking and Invest-

ments Group at Merrill Lynch.The study, conducted in part-nership with Age Wave, factors inincreasing life expectancy and highrates of giving among retirees. It

found that with more time, savingsand skills to contribute to charitablecauses, the emerging generation ofretirees is positioning itself to makesignificant contributions to thenonprofit community. In retirementbaby boomers are showing an eager-ness to give not just money but timeand expertise to causes they believein.

“The generosity of this genera-tion may come from a number offactors. It may be that unlike theirparents who grew up during the

Great Depression they grew up dur-ing a period of prosperity and aremore confident about giving,” Wileycontinued. Also, he said, historicallythose who came of age in the 1960sand ‘70s have been an activist gener-ation, working to help set the nation’sagenda in such areas as civil rights,foreign policy, women’s rights andother concerns. “It makes sense thatin their senior years they still want towork for the betterment of society.”

He said the $8 trillion impactwill come not only from direct giv-ing but from the value of time andexpertise donated by the current

generation of retirees. Wiley said oneof his clients, Dr. William C. Wood,who retired as chairman of EmoryUniversity School of Medicine’s sur-gery department, is a prime example.

“Like many retiring today, Dr.Wood is not using the time freedup by retirement to play golf orgo to the beach,” Wiley said. “He’straveling around the world buildinghealth clinics and training people toprovide healthcare in places whereit’s really needed. He’s giving the bigthree —time, talent and treasure—tomake this a better world.”

Wood in retirement became thefirst academic dean of the inter-national Pan-African Academy ofChristian Surgeons (PAACS). In this

position he oversees the academicaspects of 10 PAACS-sponsoredresidencies that are currently train-ing surgeons in Africa in an effort toestablish affordable and sustainablecancer care in the continent’s devel-oping countries. Among the PAACStraining centers he visits regularly isSoddo Hospital in Ethiopia, wherehe gives time and expertise to theEmory Global Surgery Program.

“Dr. Wood’s retirement choicesare right in line with what the studyhas found,” Wiley said. “Retireesbring a lifetime of experience whenthey give back. Approximately 84

percent of retirees say an importantreason they are able to give more inretirement is that they have greaterskills and talents compared to whenthey were younger.”

Baby boomers define successdifferently than many in previousgenerations, Wiley said. “The clas-sic definition that associates successwith the accumulation of wealthdoes not apply to many in this gener-ation. Retirees, the study found, arenearly six times more likely to say‘being generous’ defines success forthem rather than ‘being wealthy.’”

Giving for the post-World War IIgeneration is an important source ofhappiness and wellbeing, the surveyindicated. Retirees who volunteer

or donate report a strong sense ofpurpose, high self-esteem, healthand happiness at a higher rate thanthose who do not contribute and arethree times more likely to say help-ing others makes them happier thanspending money on themselves (76percent vs. 24 percent).

Wiley said giving also can bean important source of social con-nections in retirement. Althoughpre-retirees predict a reliable incomeis what they will miss most afterleaving the workforce, in reality thesurvey indicated, retirees say that itis the social connections that they

miss. Eighty-five percent of retiree volunteers say they have developedimportant new friendships throughtheir giving and volunteering activi-ties.


9/24


Two finalists seek to be countycommissioners’ chief of staff

Time to investin yourself.gpc.edu/apply

It’s not too late to apply for Spring classes.

Soon to be part of the new Georgia State University.

. :

by Andrew [email protected]

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has twofinalists to consider for its vacant chief of staff Antwyn

Brown and Arrelle Anderson.Anderson worked as the chief operating officer for

he Clayton County Board of Commissioners from June2013 to October 2014.

While working for Clayton County, Anderson wasecognized by Women Looking Ahead magazine as Wom-

an of the Year and one of Georgia’s 100 most influentialand powerful women.

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners voted3-2 to fire Anderson without giving a reason.

From 2009 until 2013, Anderson was the owner andchief business strategist of the Chandler Strategic Man-agement consulting firm. She was a special assistant,trategist and management liaison officer for the Wash-ngton, D.C., government from May 2005 to June 2009.

Anderson has a master’s of business administrationdegree from the University of Georgia’s Terry College ofBusiness and a journalism degree from Howard Univer-ity.

Brown has served as the DeKalb Board of Commis-ioners’ policy analyst since April 2012.

From 2008 to 2011, Brown was a policy analyst forHOPE Federal Credit Union—Mississippi EconomicPolicy Center. He was an adjunct instructor at VirginiaCollege in Jackson, Miss., from 2008-2010, and an evalu-ator for the Joint Legislative Committee on PerformanceEvaluation and Expenditure Review from 2004 to 2008.

Brown has a master’s of public policy and admin-stration degree with a concentration in policy analysis

and public finance. He has a bachelor’s degree in Englishfrom Tougaloo College. He is a member of the GeorgiaCity, County Management Association and GeorgiaCounty Clerks Association, American Society for Public

Administration and State Fiscal Analysis Initiative.The commissioners’ chief of staff position has been

vacant since Morris Williams left the position in August2013 to become interim county CEO Lee May ’s deputychief operating officer. Williams retired in March.

It is anticipated that the Board of Commissionerswill consider chief of staff candidates at its regular Dec. 8business meeting.

Jenna Black of Decaturhas accepted the nominationas chairwoman-elect of the

Georgia 4-H Advisory Com-mittee.The Georgia 4-H Advi-

sory Committee plays a vitalrole in the development andimplementation of Georgia4-H programming. The com-mittee advises the Universityof Georgia College of Agri-cultural and EnvironmentalSciences and UGA Coop-erative Extension with theplanning of 4-H programsand development of Exten-sion curricula that enhancethe Georgia 4-H partnershipwith formal educational sys-tems.

The committee alsosupports the Georgia 4-HFoundation, informs donorsof current activities and ac-complishments, recognizesdonors, and recruits newdonors. The committee as-sists in evaluation, planning,and improvement of Georgia4-H facilities and works todetermine the need for fu-ture facilities and conductslong-range planning of futurefacilities. The committee alsohelps communicate the value

and accomplishments of

Georgia 4-H to state leaders,as well as the entire state.

Black will serve a two-year term as chairwoman-elect, a two-year term aschairwoman, and a one-yearterm as past chairwoman.She has served alongside herpeers on the Georgia 4-H advisory committee for severalyears and also as president ofthe Georgia Counselors As-sociation.

“I am honored beyondmeasure to be selected toserve Georgia 4-H in this ca-

pacity,” Black said. “I am very

excited for the opportunityto grow the future of Georgia4-H and to give back to the

organization that has helpeddefine me as a person.”Black is a family and con-

sumer sciences teacher anddirector of the Frasier Centerat the Decatur Career Acad-emy.

Her love for 4-H beganwhen she was child watchingher older brothers and sistersparticipate in 4-H. When shefinally reached the minimumgrade, Black eagerly joinedGwinnett County 4-H. Shewon her first contest at thecounty level by sewing anapron her 86 year-old motherstill has.

She became a Master4-H Club member in June1980 by earning a Master4-H Club Scholarship andis a lifetime member of theMaster 4-H Club for livestock judging.

She attended 4-H campevery summer, ultimately be-coming a major interest lead-ership counselor during herthird counselor summer.

Black is married to Clan-ton C. Black III, and theyhave three children.

Decatur woman to chair Georgia4-H advisory committee

thechampionnewspaper.com

Black


10/24


DeKalb County Animal Services issues rabies alert

The DeKalb County Animal Service and Enforcement Divisionhas alerted residents in the Arldowne Drive area that a raccoonwas captured on Nov. 18 and tested positive for rabies.

Those who have been bitten or scratched by a wild animalshould seek medical attention. Residents in the area should moni-tor their pets’ behavior. If pets act unusually nervous or aggressiveor if they have excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth, contactDeKalb County Animal Control at (404) 294-2996, Monday-Fridayfrom 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or (404) 294-2519 during 5 p.m. to 9 a.m.

As a preventative measure, pet owners should make sure theiranimals are vaccinated against rabies yearly.

Former commissioner’s aide pleads guilty

Bob Lundsten, who was former DeKalb County Commission-er Elaine Boyer’s chief of staff, pleaded guilty to three counts ofobstruction of an officer, reduced from making a false statement.He was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay$310.95 restitution and perform 250 hours of community service,according a spokesman for the DeKalb County District Attorney’soffice.

Lundsten’s plea and sentencing were part of a plea agreement.Originally, he had been charged with six counts of theft by takingand three counts of making false statements.

Erik Burton, a spokesman for DA Robert James, released thisstatement: “It is not uncommon for felony cases to be reduced tomisdemeanor violations. The case involving Mr. Lundsten is nodifferent. The prosecutor and defense attorney agreed on the termsof the negotiated plea and presented those terms before the trialcourt judge. The plea agreement was accepted by the judge andLundsten accepted responsibilities for his actions.”

Boyer, who pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of mailfraud conspiracy and wire fraud, was sentenced to 14 months inprison earlier this year.


What began as an investigation of auspicious person, turned into drug bust

at a Brookhaven hotel.Brookhaven Police arrested five peo-

ple Nov. 24 on drug-trafficking charges.Maj. Brandon Gurley said officers werenvestigating a report of a suspicious

person at the Red Roof Inn on NorthDruid Hills Road when they uncoveredeveral grams of methamphetamine,

marijuana and more than $58,000 inash.

“Officers patrolling the area of theRed Roof Inn located a suspicious per-on in the parking lot,” Gurley said.During the course of their investigationhey were led to a specific room at the

motel. The officers were able to receivea search warrant. Their investigation ledo the search of the room and several

vehicles.”Officers found and recovered 62.8

grams of methamphetamine, 13.3 grams

of marijuana and a half gallon of liq-uid methamphetamine along with themoney.

The suspects, named below, were ar-ested and taken to the DeKalb Countyail.

Angel Perez Banuchi, 44, HispanicmaleTrafficking methamphetamine;Possession of a weapon while in viola-ion of Georgia’s Controlled Substance

Act;

-Possession of Alprazolam (schedule IVcontrolled substance); and-Possession of marijuana less than 1ounce.

James alley , 35, Black male-Trafficking methamphetamine;-Possession of Hydrocodone;-Possession of Oxycodone;-Possession of marijuana less than 1

ounce; and-Possession of prescription pills not inoriginal container.

Sandrekius Waters, 39, Black male-Trafficking methamphetamine;-Possession of Alprazolam (schedule IVcontrolled substance); and-Possession of marijuana less than 1ounce.

Juan Carlos orres-Chavez, 26, His-panic male-Trafficking methamphetamine;-Possession of Alprazolam (schedule IVcontrolled substance); and

-Possession of marijuana less than 1ounce.

Aubrey Elizabeth Kruke, 24, white fe-male-Trafficking methamphetamine;-Possession of marijuana less than 1ounce; and-Possession of drug related objects.

Banuchi also was wanted for aggravatedassault in Gwinnett County.

NEWS BRIEFS

Five suspects busted with drugsand money in Brookhaven

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

Allen Lee Garner, 30, has been convicted on six counts in the

rape of an elderly woman at her DeKalbCounty home in April 2014.On April 27, 2014, the 79-year-old

female reported to Chamblee Police De-partment (CPD) that she had been sexu-ally assaulted by an unknown male in thebedroom of her home.

Within 48 hours of the incident, CPDhad identified a suspect.

That person was identified to be Gar-ner, who had been recently released fromprison at the time of the assault.

The GBI Crime Lab determined thatDNA recovered from the crime scene matched the DNA of Garner.

Garner, 32, was charged with one count of rape, one countof aggravated sexual battery, one count of burglary, one count ofabuse of an elderly person, one count of theft by taking and onecount of loitering and prowling.

He was convicted on Nov. 2 and has been sentenced to life inprison.

Judge Hilton Fuller signed the order.

Man receives life sentencein Chamblee rape case

happy

holidays

Perez TalleyKruke Chavez Waters

Garner


11/24


Final cleanup is underway on the one-acre formergas station site at 890 Colum-bia Drive, Decatur.

East Decatur Greenway,a nonprofit whose mission is

o create community greens-pace, began the cleanup inate November.

The cleanup is one of theinal stages in a multi-year

effort by residents to remedyblight and petroleum-basedcontamination at this aban-doned gas station. The non-profit’s goal is to transformhe site into shared greens-

pace for residents and stu-dents at neighboring schools.

Weather permitting,he brownfield remedia-ion should be complete byhe end of the year by En-

vironmental TechnologyResources Inc., the contrac-or selected for the project.

The subcontractor, Aqua-

Terra Recycling, will removeheavily-contaminated soiland groundwater, whilemildly contaminated soilmay be treated onsite. Onceall contamination has been

removed, Aqua-Terra willbring in new soil and com-plete earthmoving activitiesto shape the site for the fu-ture community greenspace.

Since acquiring the prop-erty in 2012, East DecaturGreenway has been workingwith the Environmental Pro-tection Agency, Georgia En- vironmental Protection Divi-sion, and others to determinethe level of contaminationat the site, develop a cleanupplan and complete remedia-tion activities. EPA providedinitial technical assistancethrough a Targeted Brown-fields Assessment Grant. Thecurrent planned remediationis made possible by a three-

year, $200,000 grant from theEPA’s Brownfields program.

For the past year, EastDecatur Greenway has beenworking with residents inMidway Woods and Forrest

Hills, as well as the students,teachers, and administra-tors of the Friends Schoolthe Museum School, and theWaldorf School for input onplans for the future greens-pace.

As a result of these vi-sioning sessions, East De-catur Greenway is seekingfunding to build an outdoorclassroom, seating, bike racksand passive recreation on theremediated site. Addition-ally, the nonprofit is workingwith the PATH Foundationto build a 1.1-mile trail origi-nating at this site. The pro-posed trail will end at Avon-dale Estates MARTA Station.

East Decatur Greenwayfinal cleanup under way

This former gas station has been torn down to make way for greenspace. Photo provided

A warning sign is posted during the development of the greenspace.Photo by Andrew Cauthen

A nonprot organization has secured funding to help develop greenspace on Columbia Drive. Photo by AndrewCauthen


12/24


The 17 Steps

Shop Terrific Thursdays in

Decatur for seasonal sales,

snacks, and extended hours.

Join in the jolly with

free fun and local

cheer all month long.

GET GIFTY!

THISHOLIDAY SEASON

DECATUR Visitors Center113 Clairemont Ave.Tuesday-Saturday

10 am-4 pm

visitdecaturga.comdowntowndecaturdecaturga

Worthmore Jewelers

Sq/Ft

Splash of Olive

The City of Chambleehas adopted a film produc-ion ordinance to help facili-ate commercial movie andelevision projects that shootn Chamblee.

According to city of-icials, Georgia has become

a hub for the entertainmentndustry, with an estimatedtatewide economic impact

of $6 billion from nearly 250movies and television showsilmed during July 2014 toune 2015.

In a Nov. 23 press releaseity officials said Chamblee

offers “a great mix of authen-tic and unique locations forfilming from quiet neighbor-hoods to busy city streets.Chamblee’s location in themetro area, proximity toDeKalb Peachtree-Airport,and vicinity to existing orplanned film production fa-cilities make it a great choicefor any project.”

“With more film proj-ects coming to the area, apermitting process becomesnecessary to address certaininconveniences to the publicthat may result,” the press re-

lease stated.“Chamblee’s straightfor-

ward process will ensure thatproper standards are met, thepublic will be notified of anyimpacts, and that the pro-duction company can main-tain their schedule.”

The permit process willbe administered by the Eco-nomic Development Office.

For more information visit www.chambleega.gov/film or contact Adam Cau-sey at (770) 986-5010 [email protected].

Chamblee adopts film production ordinance


Avondale Estates residentsand business owners wantedo do something honor the

police officers who keep theirhomes and businesses safe.

On Nov. 23, all AvondaleEstates Police Departmentpersonnel attended a manda-ory meeting called by City

Manager Clai Brown. Ac-ording to Police Chief Gary

Broden, the topic of the meet-ng was unknown by the of-icers.

“Mr. Brown went on toxplain that the topic of the

meeting was an expression ofgratitude by the communityo its police department be-ng called ‘True Blue Thanks,’Broden said in a releasedtatement. “Needless to say, all

officers were stunned to hearwhat had been occurring forapproximately the last 30 dayswithout their knowledge.”

Broden said he and theofficers learned that a groupof residents and business own-rs wanted to do something tohow their appreciation andupport of their police officers.

Michael Payne, lead organizerof “True Blue Thanks,” said“True Blue Thanks” was a wayfor them to say “thank you” tothe officers.

“The general thought wasthat all of us take things forgranted and we realize what[the officers] mean to us andwhat they do for Avondale,”Payne said. “We have a greatdepartment and we are thank-ful for them.”

Brown said this all wasstarted by the residents andbusiness owners.

“The community did it,”Brown said. “They wanted toshow their appreciation to all

the police officers. City Halldidn’t have anything to dowith it. We just orchestratedit.”

“Learning that the projectwas a grassroots effort andtotally unsolicited astoundedus all, especially knowing thecurrent climate of the nationinvolving communities andtheir law enforcement agen-cies,” Broden said.

Each officer was presentedwith a personalized letterand gift. Broden said it wasobvious that the officers were

touched by the community’sgenerosity and support.

“The room was quiet andemotions surfaced, smiles andmoist eyes were clearly noted,”he said. “Later we were tolearn that a banner had beenmade and placed in the plazaarea for the community andthose commuting through thecity to see.”

Broden said there werealso hundreds of blue rib-bons displayed on businesses,homes, mailboxes and in yardsin support and appreciation.

“The experience has notonly been appreciated morethan the officers can express,

but more humbling thananything else,” he said. “Werealize that the communitycould choose another agencyto provide their security andservice needs, but we insteadhave the privilege and honorto do such.

“Each officer would liketo personally thank the com-munity for its support, nowand through times to come,”Broden added. “We all real-ize what a special and caringcommunity we serve. Pleaseaccept our expressions of

Residents and business owners put upblue ribbons in support and appreciation ofAvondale Estates police officers.

Avondale shows appreciation to police officersgratitude, knowing that ourfeelings for the community we

serve are a reflection of thosewe receive.”

Residents and business ownersput up blue ribbons in supportand appreciation of AvondaleEstates police ofcers.


13/24


Photo brought t you by DCTV

DeKalb County begins one-day-a-week sanitation collection service July 6, 2015

Residential customers will have same-day garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection

For more info, call or visit:

(404) 294-2900

www.rollingforwardtoone.com

WEEKPICTURESIn

Santa Claus came throughStone Mountain on his red sleighfor the annual Christmas paradeand fireworks event Nov. 27.

Santa was led into town bylocal organizations, churches,youth dance groups, cheerlead-ers, Girl Scout and Boy Scouttroops and politicians. The eventalso included children’s activi-ties, marshmallow roasting, hotchocolate and fireworks.

Photos by Carla Parker


14/24


DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk Debra DeBerry and Superior Court judges Gregory A. Adams and TangelaBarrie hosted the fifth annual Adoption Day in DeKalbCounty on Nov. 20.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & HumanServices, November is set aside as National Adoption Monthto raise awareness about the adoption of children and youthfrom foster care.

During this year’s event, the DeKalb County clerk’s of-fice finalized 14 family adoptions with approximately 75

people. Also attending the event were adoption attorneysand adoption clerks to oversee the adoptions. Judge JohnnyMason Jr. was the guest speaker. Also, DeKalb County Su-

perior Court Judge J.P. Boulee shared his personal story ofadoption.

Clerk of Superior Courtholds fifth annual Adoption Day

udge Tangela Barrie addresses adoptive families during DeKalb’s fth annual Adoption Day.

Clerk Debra DeBerry is offered a chip by a child. Photos provided.

Clerk Debra DeBerry with adoptions staff and Judge Gregory A. Adams

Clerk Debra DeBerry with Judge J.P. Boulee


15/24


YMCA Continued From Page 1A

PRISON Continued From Page 1A

officer. He worked at seven branch locations, in-luding the South DeKalb YMCA on Snapfinger

Road.As COO, he provided leadership to 27 YMCA

ocations and the fast-growing child care pro-gram. Hood and his grant development staff wereesponsible for raising more than $500 million

n government grant funds since 1994 for youthdevelopment programs and early childhood edu-ation.

He joined the staff when the South DeKalbYMCA was “going through some financial dif-iculties.” Under his leadership, the team “turnedhat branch around and [it] went through severalxpansions.”

In 2000, Hood moved to the corporate opera-ions of the YMCA. Prior to joining the YMCA,

Hood was with Atlanta Public Schools. He re-eived his bachelor of arts in history from Mis-ouri State University.

In 2014, Hood negotiated with DeKalb Countyor one of the largest-ever public/private partner-hips, resulting in the Wade Walker YMCA-$18

million family YMCA.“It’s a win-win-win for everybody involved,”Hood said in a 2014 interview with The Cham-pion. “It just makes good business since that wework together to solve social issues in our commu-nity. No one agency can do it all by itself.”

Under Hood’s watch, the county and YMCA

also worked together to establish two childcareacademies, one in 1995 and another in 2000.

Hood said joint response of public-privatepartnerships help to address concerns of commu-nities, and DeKalb County has been ahead of thetrend.

“We started a dialogue with the commissioners

and with county staff as well as the DeKalb CEOand things went forward from there,” he said in a2011 interview with The Champion.

“Back in the 1970s missing and murderedchildren in the Atlanta area were making news na-tionwide,” Hood explained. “We had to find waysto keep our children safe after school. It was diffi-cult for government or private institutions to do italone; combining resources seemed the right wayto go. When we saw how well it was working, wesaid, ‘Let’s keep doing this.’”

As COO, Hood also was responsible for gov-ernment grant compliance, new grant develop-ment and public policy.

Under Hood’s leadership, the YMCA devel-oped after school programs that now engage 6,000

children daily, growing from approximately 1,000in 1984. The YMCA’s early childhood programsserve 3,200 children annually.

Hood said, “I had a wonderful, wonderful,wonderful career and I met some wonderful com-munity leaders.” He recalled working with formerAtlanta mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew

Young , DeKalb County commissioners and schoolsuperintendents, and The Champion Newspaper co-publisher Dr. Earl Glenn, who helped Hoodbecome a member of 100 Black Men of DeKalbCounty.

In 2011, Hood received the Publishers Life-time Achievement Award from The Champion

Newspaper .During his tenure, Hood received the Metro

Atlanta YMCA Sullivan Award, the highest awardpresented to a staff member; Executive of the Year;Outstanding Professional of the Year for ChildCare; the YMCA of the USA Program Develop-ment Award, the National Black Child Develop-ment Institute Award and the Community ServiceAward from the Atlanta Concerned Black Clergy.

“It’s been a story book of opportunities,” saidHood, who lives in Lithonia with wife Shirley .“There are a lot of people that I could thank.”One such person, Hood said, is Phil McGregor,the public policy chairman for the Metro AtlantaYMCA.

“He was with me every step of the way,” Hood

said. “He certainly helped guide the way andhelped me organize the community in responseto a number of the initiatives,” such as response tothe missing and murdered children crisis.

“I would do it all over again if I could,” Hoodsaid about his career. “I enjoyed every minute ofit.”

aid.

Edwards, who was being heldby his mother, was shot five times,ncluding in his head, chest and

back.Green-Cross said Tanyika

mith had eight gunshot wounds,ncluding ones to her face andhest. Tracy Smith had three gun-hot wounds in her arms and legs,

Clark had at least five gunshotwounds to her legs.

“Each woman has had multi-ple surgeries and continues to suf-er pain, mobility problems andomplications from the gunshot

wounds,” Green-Cross said. “Thenjuries were just horrific.”

In her victim impact state-ment, Tanyika Smith said Thomasnd his accomplices took herwhole life away.”

“It’s been almost two yearsand] I still think about it like it

was yesterday—from the timemy best friend told me y’all waskicking at the door, to the time Iwas looking at [Edwards’] lifelessbody,” Smith said.

When he was alive the lasthing I said [was], ‘I love you’ andgave him a kiss,” Smith added. “I

elt like I was doing everything toprotect him with my body shield-

ng him. It wasn’t good enough.”Tracy Smith said Thomasknew her son and friends werenot home at the time.

“Yet you still decided to come

into my home, my sanctuary, anddestroy my family,” she said. “Youtook my grandbaby from me—myfirst grandson.

“I can’t say I’ll forgive you, butwe forgive you because God willhandle this,” she added. “But Ihope you burn in hell.”

Before he was taken out of thecourtroom, Thomas turned to thefamily and apologized to them.

“At the end of the day, we can’tbring no one back and I knowwhat I did was wrong,” Thomassaid. “I felt like this was the bestway to give my life for KenDari-ous. I just want to ask you guys to

forgive me and I’m sorry.”Tanyika Smith appreciated his

apology.“I thought him saying ‘sorry’

would release something, but itdidn’t because that’s not bring-ing my baby back,” she said. “I’mhappy he did say ‘sorry’ and hestepped up.”

The case of Marco Watson,the codefendant in the shoot-ing, is still pending, according toChief Assistant District AttorneyNicole Golden.

“We’re still in talks with himand his lawyer to see what will

happen next, but that case is stillpending,” Golden said.

A family member holds a poster honoring KenDarious Edwards Jr. outside the courthouse.


16/24


CITY OF CHAMBLEE PUBLIC NOTICE

A copy of the proposed 2016 Operating Budget for the City of Chamblee

will be available for review at City Hall on Tuesday, December 8, 2015.

A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held on Thursday,

December

10,

2015

at

6:00

p.m.

in

the

Civic

Center,

3540

Broad

Street.

Any persons wishing to be heard on the budget may appear and be

heard.

The City Council will adopt the budget on Thursday, December 17, 2015.

The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be held in the Civic Center.

Lawyer:

Brookhaven councilmandid not break any lawsby Carla [email protected]

A lawyer found that it isnot illegal or unethical forBrookhaven City Council-man Bates Mattison to beemployed by the Brookhavennnovation Academy (BIA).

However, Mattison mustrecuse himself from all

matters” brought before themayor and city council andhe development authorityegarding BIA, according to

attorney R. Randall Bentley of Bentley, Bentley and Bent-ey.

After reviewing the city’sethics policies and otheraws, Bentley delivered his

decision to city officials Nov.25. Bentley concluded thatMattison’s employment withBIA is not illegal or unethi-cal.

“Upon the advice of [CityAttorney Chris] Balch, itappears that Mr. Mattisonecused and excused himself

from all BIA matters broughtbefore the council and devel-opment authority after Aug.23, 2015,” Bentley said. “Mr.Mattison became executive

director of the BIA on orabout Nov. 5 2015. Now, asan employee of the BIA, Mr.Mattison should recuse him-elf from all matters, includ-ng discussions and votes,

brought before the mayorand council and the devel-opment authority regardingBIA. The best practice wouldbe Mr. Mattison leave thedais and exit any meeting,conference or forum at whichany matter regarding the BIAs befire the council or devel-

opment authority.”

On Nov. 16, BrookhavenMayor Rebecca Chase Wil-iams requested a legal opin-on concerning the ethics of a

council member accepting afull-time job with academy.

“The mayor and coun-cil would like to clarify and

have a better understandingof any legal, ethical or char-

ter problems, violations orconflicts of interest for Mr.Mattison to serve as both aBrookhaven city councilmanand director of the BIA,” Wil-liams said. “That is why I amcalling for an independentinquiry into the questions.”

The BIA Board of Direc-tors voted Oct. 16 to haveMattison serve as executivedirector through “opening ofschool or Sept. 30, 2016.”

However, the board voteda month later to removecommissions from current

Mattison’s contract at his re-quest and setup an executivecompensation committee toavoid a conflict of interest.

“The Board appointedan executive compensationcommittee to look into bestpractices for compensationwithin the nonprofit sector,and ensure compliance withthe Association of Fundrais-ing Professionals (AFP) eth-ics policy which discouragesagainst percentage-basedcompensation based on con-tributions raised,” the boardsaid in a released statement.

“Additionally, the BIA Boardand Mr. Bates acted swiftly toensure that both contributorsto BIA and Mr. Bates con-stituents have full confidencein his respective roles as theBIA Interim Executive Di-rector and Brookhaven CityCouncilman by removing thecommission based part of hisfee structure at their specialcalled Board meeting on Nov.19, 2015.”

Bentley also mentionedthat BIA is “no longer in-terested in occupying the

Skyland Drive property,which was the subject of aproposed bond issue whichlease savings might havebeen constructed as such anincentive.”

As part of its ongoing commitmentto help “the nurses of tomorrow,” DeKalbMedical recently awarded $13,000 to nurs-ing students through the 2015 Dr. W. MarkCoppage Scholarship Fund. The Coppage

Scholarship is funded through private dona-tions, and is given annually to nursing schoolstudents who best represent the legacy of W.Mark Coppage, M.D.

This year’s winners include Phoebe Pare-des (University of West Georgia), CoppageScholar Julie Marciano (Georgia State Uni- versity), Cassandra Leon (Georgia SouthernUniversity), Lacey Causey (University ofWest Georgia) and Julia Kimball (ColumbusState University). Since 1993, the Dr. MarkCoppage Scholarship Fund has awarded over150 scholarships totaling more than $376,500to nursing students.

Coppage died on March 3, 1989, in anautomobile accident in Florida. An anony-mous donor established the Dr. Mark Cop-

page Nursing Scholarship Fund to sustain

his memory and the principles for whichhe stood. Each year, the Coppage’s familymatches the donations, dollar-for-dollar, thatare made to the scholarship.

Scholarship winners must demonstrate

leadership, compassion, concern for human-ity and other qualities exemplified by Cop-page, who was renowned for his compassion-ate care during his career at DeKalb Medical.

“It still amazes me that a single donationover 20 years ago has grown and has helpedso many students fulfill their dream to bea nurse,” said Dee Keeton, director of pa-tient care services and quality. “Dr. Coppagewould be so honored and humbled.”

During the awards presentation, theDeKalb Medical Foundation also recognizedthe members of the Coppage ScholarshipCommittee who all knew and worked withCoppage: Beverly Hutchinson, RN; NancyCurdy , RN; Bill Keeton, M.D.; Dee Keeton,RN; Linda Herren, RN, and Jean Coppage

White.

DeKalb Medical announcesCoppage Scholarship recipients

From left, Jean Coppage White; Phoebe Paredes (University of West Georgia); Coppage Scholar Julie Mar-ciano (Georgia State University); Cassandra Leon (Georgia Southern University); Lacey Causey (University ofWest Georgia) and Mr. Glenn White. Photo courtesy of Jessica Wronker Photography


17/24

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, December 4, 2015 BUSINESS Page 17A

by Kathy Mitchell

Kirkwood resident ChristianEnterkin said she loves the dogshe rescued from the streets in her

neighborhood, but she wasn’t so fondof what the animals were doing toher furniture.

“I found the dogs abandoned andabused at a time when I really didn’twant a dog—let alone two,” Enter-kin recalled. “After I took them in,

quickly fell in love with them, buthey were destroying my furniture,

especially my white sofa. Still, getting

id of them wasn’t an option for meat that point.“When I’m confronted with a

problem I focus on it until I comeup with a solution. I tried a lot ofways to keep my dogs off the furni-ure. I visited pet supply stores and

went online looking for a producthat would help, but nothing I found

worked. I decided it shouldn’t be sohard to keep a clean house with pets,o I started working to invent a prod-

uct to solve my problem,” Enterkinaid.

After creating several prototypesthat didn’t meet her requirements,Enterkin invented a product she’spleased with and is now marketingthrough her new start-up companyPeachtree Pet. The product, calledCouch Guard, consists of sets oftrays with paw-shaped cutouts thatstick up at an angle. “I think theylook menacing to the dogs so they just stay away from them. Even whendogs do climb up on them, they areuncomfortable so they go someplaceelse,” Enterkin explained.

“They are completely safe,” she

emphasized. “The projections can’tpierce the skin; they can’t harm thedog in any way. They also don’t harmthe furniture. That was importantto me. What I came up with had tobe effective but safe. They are alsodurable. They are made of the samematerial used in making bulletproofglass.” The trays can be overlapped sothey fit a variety of furniture shapes,Enterkin added, noting that they arestackable and can be tucked awayunder the sofa when it’s in use.

“Although most of my life I’vebeen creating things to solve prob-

lems,” said Enterkin, who grew upin Georgia, “I never imagined thatI would one day hold a patent on aproduct.” She said the product hasworked with every dog she has testedit with, including dogs five to 80pounds; however, if a customer findsit doesn’t work with her or her dogthe customer can return the productfor a refund.

Enterkin said she is proud thather product, which is manufacturedin north Georgia, helps boost thestate’s economy. “I was working inthe real estate industry when the

recession hit. I saw a lot of people inmy industry lose their ability to earna living. Although some people ad- vised me to have my product manu-factured overseas, I vowed to get itmade in the United States.”

The Couch Guards are hand-made, which Enterkin said is expen-sive and time consuming, which iswhy they are produced in relativelylow numbers. Enterkin said hergoal is to move as quickly as pos-sible to mass production “so we canchurn out more products faster andcheaper. I also want to offer Couch

Guards in a variety of colors so cus-tomers can choose colors to matchtheir furniture.” Mass productionrequires creating a mold, which is ex-pensive, according the Enterkin, whohas launched a fundraising effort tosupplement sales.

While most products offered onthe Peachtree Pet website are madein America, Enterkin also is inter-ested in helping people outside theUnited States earn a living. She haspartnered with Atlanta-based Lion’sThread, an organization foundedby her sister, whom she describes

as “a longtime crusader for positivechange around the world,” to employwomen in Uganda to hand makepet bow ties. Sixty percent of thepurchase price of every bow tie soldthrough Peachtree Pet goes to Lion’sThread.

Peachtree Pet also sells dog-themed holiday cards. Those visitingthe business’s website are urged todonate to Ahimsa House, an Atlantaorganization that helps people andpets escape domestic abuse.

DeKalb Chamber of Commerce • Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, GA 30030 • 404.378.8000 • www.dekalbchamber.org

INFLUENTIAL

Kirkwood resident invents product to keep dogs off furnitureTrays can be arranged in a variety of congurations to t the furniture shape.

The product looks menacing to most dogsso they stay away from it.

Coach Guard is designed not to hurt animalsor furniture.

Christian Enterkin says she loves the dogsshe rescued from the streets, but didn’t likewhat they were doing to her furniture.


18/24

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, December 4, 2015 EDUCATION Page 18A

Decatur students receive DeKalb Clean

and Beautiful awardsGeorgia Perimeter Decatur stu-dents cleaned debris from nearbyDoolittle Creek, and ran sustain-ability workshops for the DecaturCampus. They weeded and plantedvegetables in the Decatur Commu-nity Garden, picked up trash fromocal roads and set up recycling bins

around the area.Their efforts in DeKalb County

did not go unnoticed. On Nov. 20,DeKalb Clean and Beautiful awarded

the GPC Decatur students the or-ganization’s Beautification Group ofthe Year Award. In addition, studentsfrom the Decatur Jaguar ActivityGroup were honored with the KeepDeKalb Beautiful EnvironmentalStewardship award. The awards rec-ognized their “continued service andenvironmental stewardship” for thecounty. The students received theirawards during the DeKalb Clean andBeautiful Volunteer Appreciation

dinner held at the DeKalb Countysanitation administration offices.

The Decatur Campus EarthWeek 2015 and other beautifica-tion activities were a collaborationbetween the Decatur Jaguar ActivityGroup, the Office of Student Life,Homecoming King & Queen, theEarth Club and the Decatur GardenClub.

Receiving the award were Sha-quille Smith, GPC garden work

study student and member of theDecatur Campus Earth Club; KaylaSims, J.A.G. Service chair and presi-dent of the Earth Club; Dr. ScottMitchell, GPC English professor,LeKeisha Jackson, Decatur StudentLife programs coordinator and J.A.G.advisor; and Jada Brown, currentJ.A.G. Service chair.

Youngsters with a knack forooking have a shot to appear on

Fox TV’s culinary challenge Mas-erChef Junior.

An open casting call will be heldn Atlanta for children ages 8–13.

Producers are seeking childrenfrom all types of backgrounds, and

with a range of cooking styles toudition.” The young chef hopefuls

hosen to be featured on the showwill try to impress judges GordonRamsay , Christina osi, and Gra-ham Elliot.

The auditions will be held Dec.

12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Double-tree Atlanta, 160 Ted Turner Drive,Atlanta.

“Whether your child enjoyscooking delightful desserts or heftymain courses, whether they cookfine French cuisine or prefer a greattasting burger, we want to hear fromyou,” according to a notice on theshow’s website.

Prior to attending the auditionsparents or legal guardians shouldcreate a profile and pre-register theirchild. For additional information, visit masterchefjuniorcasting.com.

GPC Decatur students and faculty were honored for their efforts to beautify the county during the DeKalb Clean and Beautiful awards ceremony Nov. 20. From left are GPC students Sha-quille Smith and Kayla Sims, GPC faculty member Scott Mitchell, and LeKeisha Jackson, Decatur Student Life programs coordinator.

‘MasterChef Junior’ to holdopen call auditions


19/24

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, December 4, 2015 EDUCATION Page 19A

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

Georgia Pacific (GP) chemist DexterJohnson hosted his second Saturday sci-ence program of the year on Nov. 21 atMiller Grove High School. Three studentsparticipating in the program–CandonKilcrease, Coi Kilcrease and Zoie Robin-son–orchestrated a winter drive to collectcoats, jackets, hats, gloves and scarves.

The chemist first started the programafter participating in his son’s career day atE.L. Bouie Elementary School. He’s workedfor Georgia-Pacific’s paper chemicals di-vision for 18 years and thought it wouldbe interesting to conduct a paper-makingdemonstration.

Johnson’s career-day demonstrationwas such a huge hit, teachers asked him to

come back to present to the entire schoolover the course of three days.

Johnson contacted the GP Foundation,an organization designed to support com-munity-based programs, volunteer serviceprojects, disaster relief and other initiatives.

The Foundation evaluates proposalsand determines an amount to donate perprogram.

Johnson and his colleague volunteersdecided to dedicate one Saturday a monthand were awarded $5,000 to buy supplies,as well as provide lunch for the kids.

Since the program’s inception the GPFoundation has increased the funding forScience Saturday to $7,500 and participa-

tion has grown from 65 students to approx-mately 90 students from various schoolsthroughout the district.

Johnson said, “We’re just trying to ex-pose students to as many science, technol-ogy, engineering and mathematics (STEM)related careers as possible this year.”

Johnson said this year’s weekly pro-grams will also feature aerospace engineersto teach students about rockets and a com-puter science engineer to talk with the stu-dents about apps and video games.

“We want them to know that there is awhole world of things that they can do ifthey have a strong background in any of theSTEM related subjects,” Johnson said.

During the Saturday Science event on

Nov. 21 youngsters learned about the sci-ence of foods.

Johnson invited a food scientist to in-struct students to create ice cream, flavoreddrinks and conduct experiments on tasteand enzymes in food.

GP volunteer and chemical technicianRacine Hearns has worked with Johnsonsince the beginning of the program.

She said, “This has a really big impact. Ididn’t have a lot of science influence whenI was growing up. To have something likethis is so powerful because we’re lettingthese young girls and boys know that theworld is their oyster.”

“I hope they go back to school on Mon-

day and tell other students,” she added.Saturday Science has garnered supportfrom Emory and Georgia Tech students.

Science Saturdayprogram expands

Dozens of students and volunteers took part in the Science Saturday Program. This is the second year for the Georgia Pacicsponsored activities.

Parent volunteers assist students as they experiment with food coloring.

Youngsters use a dropper to alter the color of fruit juice. Georgia Pacic volunteer poses for a pic-ture before gathering supplies the scienceprojects.

Volunteer portion cups of baking soda for students to use in an experiment.


20/24


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21/24

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, December 4, 2015 SPORTS Page 21A

Weekly Basketball Scores

Nov. 28

BoysGreenforest 77, Norcross 48Morgan County 44, Lithonia 41Miller Grove 64, Columbus (Miss.) 54East Hall 68, Paideia 54Chamblee 72, Therrell 68Arabia Mountain 37, Meadowcreek 32Tift County 65, Tucker 54

GirlsTucker 75, Bolingbrook (Ill.) 65

Nov. 27

BoysColumbia 48, Valdosta 42Lanett (Ala.) 60, Arabia Mountain 55Wesleyan Christian 72, Lithonia 53

GirlsJohn Carroll (Ala.) 71, Miller Grove 69Montevallo (Ala.) 58, Miller Grove 57

Nov. 25

GirlsArabia Mountain 48, Bradwell Institute 38

Nov. 24

BoysNorth Paulding 61, Dunwoody 57St. Pius X 54, Decatur 46Southwest DeKalb 78, Campbell 69Towers 66, Hampton 33

GirlsBeach 52, Arabia Mountain 42

M.L. King 41, Walton 31Miller Grove 53, Druid Hills 34Southwest DeKalb 76, McEachern 69St. Pius X 34, Decatur 31Stephenson 43, Loganville 40

FOOTBALL


everal DeKalb County football players were namedo All-Region teams in their perspective region.

Below are the lists of players named to an All-Regioneam.

Region 2-AAAAAA OffenseQuarterback Will Jernigan, Lakeside;Offensive lineman Rahsaan Crawfo

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