Champion FreePress 3-19-15

8/9/2019 Champion FreePress 3-19-15

1/20

championnewspaper championnewspaper champnewschampionnews

thechampionnewspaper.com

FRIDAY, MARch 20, 2015 • VOL. 17, NO. 52 • 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.

F REE P RESS

College FootballHall of Fame A place for fans and non-fans

by Carla [email protected]

For the average collegefootball fan, the CollegeFootball Hall of Fame andChick-fil-A Fan Experienceis like heaven on earth.

The state of the art facil-ity is the closest thing toactually attending a gameand getting the full experi-ence. From hands-on ex-hibits to the actual hall offame, college football fanswill leave likely wanting tocome back.

However, the facilitydoes not only appeal to

college football fans. It isdesigned for everyone—fanor not—to enjoy.

“It’s a really specialplace,” said John Stephen-son Jr., president and CEOof the College Football

Hall of Fame. “It’s a lot tosee and do in here, that’swhether you’re 7 years old

or 70 years old; [there’s]something for everybodyin here. This is an attrac-tion first, with a hall offame that happens to beone of the exhibits. It’s funfor family, it’s fun for kids,it’s even fun for people whoaren’t college football fans.”

The College FootballHall of Fame, located indowntown Atlanta, is athree-story, more than94,000-square-foot mu-seum filled with collegefootball history and arti-

facts. Formally located inSouth Bend, Ind., the Hallof Fame opened in AtlantaAug. 23, 2014.

In 2009, Atlanta HallManagement Inc. partneredwith the National Football

See Football on page 15A

Business ........................16A

Education .....................14A

Sports......................18-19A

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

Classified .......................17A

QUICK FINDER

LOcAL, 2A eDucAtION, 14ALOcAL, 8A

DEKALB

COMMISSIONERS

DISCUSS DISTRICT 5 SEAT

STATE’S FIRST LADY

READS TO WOODWARD

ELEMENTARY

BILL COULD PUT

DRUID HILLS IN

ATLANTA

The College Football Hall of Fame, located in downtown Atlanta, opened in Atlanta August 23, 2014. The most notable feature of the Hall is the Helmet Wall, which features18 helmets of college football teams across the country. Photos by Carla Parker


2/20

Page 2A The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015

LOCAL

Commissioners, interim CEO discuss District 5 seat

See Commissioners on page 6A

Discover your passion.Attend a GPC Open House.

A BETTER WAY FORWARD

#OpenGPC* Advance sign up and student attendance are required to receive

fee waiver. Fee waivers must be used by July 1, 2015. Limit one

fee waiver per household.

March 26 – May 2 • GPC application fee waiver – a $20 savings!*

• Meet GPC faculty, staff and students • Take a campus tour and enjoy refreshments

RSVP online at openhouse.gpc.edu

by Andrew [email protected]

For approximately 20 monthshere has been no one sitting in the

DeKalb County District 5 seat onhe Board of Commissioners.

The Board of Commissionershave voted several times, but havebeen unable come up with enoughvotes to fill the seat. It which hasbeen vacant since July 2013, whenLee May , the elected District 5 com-missioner, was appointed interimDeKalb County CEO by Gov. Na-han Deal, following the indictment

and suspension of DeKalb CountyCEO Burrell Ellis.

At the March 10 board meeting,commissioners had five finalists tochoose from: George Turner, presi-dent of the District 5 CommunityCouncil; attorney Gina Mangham,who ran for the DeKalb Board ofCommissioners in 2012 againstLee May ; Kenneth Saunders III, amember of the DeKalb Parks Bond

Advisory Committee; Kathryn Rice,eader of the movement to incorpo-ate the proposed south DeKalb city

of Greenhaven; and Markus Butts,a member of the DeKalb PlanningCommission.

The closest commissioners goto choosing an interim was the tied

vote for Mangham. May broke theie with a “no” vote, saying, “those

who would support her nomination

here are doing so because they thinkshe would come against anythingthat I would desire.”

In phone interviews, The Cham- pion asked commissioners aboutthe cause of the polarization of theboard and what it will take to get aDistrict 5 commissioner.

What is the cause of the

polarization on the board?District 1 Commissioner Nancy

Jester, the newest member of theboard, said her views are not polar-izing.

“My position about the District5 representative is that we’ve heardfrom a lot of different people on thesubject,” she said. “We’ve heard fromthe different elected officials, but Imaintain that we haven’t heard the

voice of the voters in District 5. Ithink they deserve an election.

“Right now we’re in a situationwhere that can only if Lee May were

to resign so that an election can beheld,” Jester said. “That is definitelymy preference for how that getsfilled. I don’t view that as polarizing;I view that as empowering the citi-zens of District 5.”

District 2 Commissioner JeffRader said, “It seems as though...three of the commissioners areabsolutely supporting May’s [nomi-nee].

“What we’re trying to do is make

the selection on behalf of the peopleof the fifth district,” Rader said.“Some of us would rather have them

vote themselves. Some of us wouldprefer that person to be an indepen-dent person and some of us wouldprefer [the interim commissioner]…to be aligned with and vote in theinterests of the CEO.”

“All I’m looking for is someonewho’s not a proxy of the [interim]CEO,” he said.

Commissioner Sharon BarnesSutton, who represents District 4,said the polarization is being causedby “political reasons.”

“First of all, with that seat vacantthey have more power to control thecounty,” Sutton said. “I’m talkingabout Jester, Gannon and Rader.

“I think that there is an agendato make the county look bad be-cause Rader has aspirations to bethe CEO, and he has to appear as ifeverything is falling apart and thathe’s going to come in and save ev-erybody,” Sutton said. “I think that

they’re purposely being disruptive.There is a concerted effort to ruinthe reputation of the county, theleadership in the county and espe-cially the other commissioners. Ithink that’s appalling.”

Super District 6 CommissionerKathie Gannon said, “We’re notpolarized in everything. We’re po-larized on ethics, reform kinds ofthings,…and around this [District

5 issue] because those are power-related issues.

“I know people want to say it’sBlack and White, but…I think it’spower,” Gannon said.

For Super District 7 Commis-sioner Stan Watson, there is no po-larization on the board.

“I don’t think it’s polarization; Ithink it’s more power,” Watson said.“There’s some things that have beengetting done. The balance of powerright now is what the problem is onthe board.

“There [are] some members ofthe board that have never had anopportunity to lead the board orto make decisions that affects theboard or DeKalb County,” Wat-son said. “They are utilizing thatstrength right now.”

What is it going to take to get aDistrict 5 commissioner?

When asked what it will take to

get a District 5 commissioner, Jestersaid May should resign his commis-sion seat.

“I think that would be the bestthing for District 5,” Jester said. “Inlieu of that, it appeared on our lastboard meeting that one of the can-didates could have gotten four voteshad Lee May voted with three com-missioners. There could have beena representative seated at the last

Gannon Sutton Rader Watson Johnson Jester May


3/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015 Page 3ALOCAL

by Andrew [email protected]

Say goodbye to twice-a-week trash pick-up.

On March 10, theDeKalb County Board ofCommissioners approved aplan of the county’s sanita-ion division to switch to

one-day-a-week solid wasteand recycling collection. Theplan also includes uniform,county-provided trash con-ainers for residents.

“This is a historic vote,and I am pleased that wecan move forward to ensureefficiency of our operationsand confirm our need to re-main fiscally responsible inhe face of rising operating

costs,” said interim DeKalbCounty CEO Lee May .

May recommended theplan to commissioners afteran analysis of customer feed-back from a three-monthpilot program last year. Morehan 28,000 residents partic-pated in the pilot programn unincorporated DeKalb

County and the cities ofBrookhaven, Chamblee,Dunwoody and Lithonia.

According to the data,more than 80 percent of cus-omers in unincorporated

DeKalb and the four citiesupport the initiative.

Under the new plan,esidents will receive a stan-

dardized, 65-gallon greencounty-provided trash con-ainer and all waste (solid

waste, recycling, and yardrimmings) will be collected

on the same day. Residentialcustomers will not experi-ence a rate increase.

The program also willinclude a renewed focuson recycling education forcounty residents and addi-

tional roadside litter collec-tion by Sanitation Divisionemployees.

“After careful delibera-tion and many communitymeetings, I am at the pointof now…to echo the senti-ments of many of the peoplewe have met with in our

community about the sani-tation level changes,” saidDeKalb County Commis-sioner Stan Watson. “What

I’ve heard in our communitymeetings…is that they wantto go forward with this.”

“I think we have acomprehensive solid wastemanagement program goingforward,” he said. “I thinkwe will save a lot of timeand effort as it relates to our

work comp claims for ouremployees.

“This is an upgrade forour services,” Watson said.

Chamblee Public Workshas announced that it willroll out the once-a-weeksanitation schedule on April1.

“Residents are recyclingmore and discarding less,and the new once-a-weekschedule allows Chamblee

to utilize its resources morecost-efficiently,” stated anews release. “We will con-tinue to provide the samehigh quality service residentshave come to expect whilereducing sanitation equip-ment and maintenancecosts.”

Chamblee residentialsanitation customers will beprovided a 95-gallon cart forsanitation, which will be de-livered before once-a-weekservice begins. Residents canalso request a 35-gallon cartfor recycling, but can con-tinue to use their 18-gallonbins. A limited number of65-gallon carts will be avail-able by request on a first-come, first-served basis forthose who generate less gar-bage, or who recycle more.

The once-a-week servicemodel in Chamblee will rollout in two phases. Residentsin Phase I began receivingtheir 95-gallon roll carts be-ginning on March 16. PhaseI includes the areas north ofPeachtree-DeKalb Airport tothe I-285 access road (SavoyDrive); east to the Doravillecity limits and west to theBrookhaven city limits. Thesanitation change for PhaseI is scheduled to begin on oraround April 1.

The change for Phase IIis scheduled to begin on oraround July 1. This phaseincludes the areas south ofPeachtree-DeKalb Airportto the I-85 access road; eastfrom the Doraville city limitsand west to the Brookhavencity limits.

Once a week trash pick-up coming to DeKalb and Chamblee

DeKalb County sanitation director Billy Malone describes proposed changes to the county’s sanitation serviceat a news conference last year. Photo by Andrew Cauthen


4/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015 Page 4AOPINION

Many boys feel like prisoners in school

@AndrewChampNews

Andrew [email protected]

Managing Editor

My first-grade grandsonhas told me several timeshat he hates school.

He is a nice, sensitivekid who is really good withhis hands. Show him a

picture o a Lego creation,and he can make it. He iseally interested in makinghings. Recently, he drew

a diagram o a treehousehe wants us to make. Hepresented it to me one dayalong with a cutout o theproposed treehouse com-plete with doors and win-dows that open.

He loves books and learn-ng new things, yet he hateschool. Recently he said heeels like he’s in prison walk-ng around with chains on

his ankles. I’ve heard similar

statements rom high schoolboys who I’ve tutored overthe years: school is a prison.

First-grade seems tooearly to already be disillu-sioned about school; he hasa long way to go beore get-

ting a high school diploma.

According to the Na-tional Center or Educa-tional Statistics, boys are30 percent more likely thangirls to flunk or drop out oschool. Tey are our to five

times more likely than girlsto be diagnosed with Atten-tion Deficit HyperactivityDisorder. When it comes togrades and homework, boysare outperormed by girls inelementary, secondary, highschool, college, and evengraduate school. Womenoutnumber men in highereducation with 56 percento bachelor’s degrees and 55percent o graduate degreesgoing to women.

Why is this happening toour male students? One ma-

jor reason is the way is how

most boys learn and howschools teach.

Study afer study showsthat most boys are activelearners. Boys are usuallymore active than girls and

have more trouble sittingstill or long times. Go toany daycare or elementaryclass and watch the students.Te boys are the ones “cut-ting up” and getting in trou-ble with teachers who arepredominantly women.

Boys need to move. Teyneed to tear things up, ex-plore, jump and run andtumble, and test the limitso their physical skills. Butmany schools, includinghere in DeKalb County, havecut down on recess, outdoor

play, physical education time

and the like.Tey are labeled “bad”

because they won’t sit still,and they get yelled at byteachers. I hear this practi-cally every time I go to an

elementary school. Over-worked, underpaid teachersget easily rustrated withyoung, active boys who learnbest when they are moving.

Boys eel locked up andstifled when they are con-stantly told to line up, sitdown, be still and shut up.School eels like prison tothem. Boys not only en-

joy play, they need it. Andteachers and schools that arethe most successul are theones that address the needso all their students.


5/20

OPINIONThe Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015 Page 5A

L us Know Wa Yo tink!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encour-ages opinions from its readers. Pleasewrite to us and express your views. Lettersshould be brief, typewritten 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 emailto [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: Jon hwi Chief Financial Ocer:Dr. earl D. GlnnManaging Editor:Andrw canProduction Manager:Kmsa hn Photographer:travis hdgonsSta Reporters:carla Parkr, Asly Oglsby

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

GA. 30030 • Phone (404) 373-7779.

www.ampionnwspapr.om

DISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110

F REE P RESS

STATEMENT FROM THE

PUBLISHERW sinrly appria disssion srronding is and anyiss of inrs o DKalb cony.The Champion was fondd in 1991xprssly o provid a form fordisors for all ommniy rsidnson all sids of an iss. W av nodsir o mak nws only orpor nws and opinions o ff

a mor dad iiznry a willlimaly mov or ommniyforward. W ar appy o prsnidas for disssion; owvr,w mak vry ffor o avoidprining informaion sbmid os a is known o b fals and/orassmpions pnnd as fa.

ONE MAN’S OPINION

“This has to stop now!”former DeKalb CountySheriff Thomas Brown, onFacebook on Feb. 27, fol-owing revelations of theatest DeKalb County gov-

ernment scandal.

Following the murder offormer Sheriff-elect Der-win Brown (no relation)by the incumbent Sheriff Sid Dorsey, as well as hissubsequent conviction, andthe special appointment tofill the unexpired term ofDerwin Brown, I credit andthank then DeKalb Pub-ic Safety Commissioner

and later Sheriff Thomas

Brown for turning aroundthat beleaguered and strug-gling department, movingour DeKalb Sheriff’s Officefrom worst to a series of na-tional ‘firsts.’

In DeKalb, as the shoescontinue to drop faster thancoming off the assemblyine at a Nike factory, along

with declining voter con-fidence and citizen com-mittees racing to form newcities at the pace of Olympicsprinters, Brown remains acalm and steady voice as-serting that we clearly andsimply deserve better thanwe are getting from our lo-cal government.

In response to reportsthat the highly regardedchairman of DeKalb’sDevelopment Authority,Vaughn Irons, is able to sitn that chair, voting on and

awarding his own company,APD Solutions, county andfederal grant funds, due tothe existence of a potentially

fraudulent and obviouslyunfinished DeKalb EthicsBoard opinion, one’s re-sponse at this point is left to,only in DeKalb.

But this Irons fiasco hasmore layers than a VidaliaOnion, and with each peelthere is almost another rea-son to cry.

From recent editions ofThe Atlanta Journal & Con- stitution, as well as WSB’sChannel 2 Action News, ‘An invalid possibly forged,legal document paved theway for a DeKalb official to

win a million dollar countycontract.”

So again, in case you arenot following local newscoverage of this latest un-folding scheme:

After concerns/com- plaints regarding conflictof interest from within the

county purchasing office(no den of angels itself)were ignored–apparentlyfraudulent document whichno one wrote which no onewill admit to signing in draftstamped form, and not a fi-nal version was accepted asactual. The vendor in ques-tion not only receives con-tracts, but comes to be chairof the board which overseesthe incentive bonds and bigmoney bucket.

Okay, I’m not an attor-ney, nor do I play one onTV, but Mr. Irons acknowl-edges seeking such a reviewand ruling from the ethics board and county attorney

as far back as 2009. So let’sassume honesty here, asthere were at least percep-tions of a conflict of inter-est, and such a ruling wasactually sought.

Where is the genuineanswer to the 2009 query?We know things can takea while in DeKalb, espe-cially permitting, but sixyears have passed to get thismemo together.

If anyone was unclear onthe reality/genuine versionof the fraudulent document,how is that question notsettled first, before handingthe vendor/applicant $1.5million in county funds, placing said person on thedevelopment authority andother later higher positionsof authority, responsibilityand power?

If a county commissioner

has reportedly been serv-ing as a paid consultant forseveral years, supposedly onmatters in other states andoutside of DeKalb Countyto this same vendor, couldwe please see a list of proj-ects or jurisdictions wheresaid commissioner’s intel-lectual powers and expertiseoutside of DeKalb Countyhave been helpful for thatsame $6,000 per year?

I’m sure in the propervenue later there will be amuch longer list of ques-tions, but these three are a pretty good place to start.

To start digging our wayout of this hole is going

to require leadership fromfolks who do not play poli-tics primarily based uponrace, and who can viewDeKalb through the prismof seeking the greater goodfor all 700,000 of our citi-zens, as well as hopefully ademonstrated track recordof prior achievements andsuccesses.

And given that DeKalb’s jail is the nation’s thirdlargest, perhaps we shouldconsider prepping a mini-mum security floor on oneof the wings and requiringa direct daily feed of prior-year county commission andschool board meetings onthe ward block TV.

Perhaps to match thecascading number of crimesand appreciating that fromthose of whom we expectthe most, they may also

Bill Crane

[email protected]

Columnist

This has to stop now! bring themselves to experi-ence the least.

I know of at least one person in our still belovedcounty who can handle thisassignment, and he doesn’teven need one bullet in his pocket.

Bill Crane also serves as a political analyst and commen-tator for Channel 2’s ActionNews, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as wellas a columnist for The Cham-pion, Champion Free Pressand Georgia Trend. Crane isa DeKalb native and businessowner, living in Scottdale. Youcan reach him or commenton a column at bill.csicrane@

gmail.com.


6/20


LOCAL

Sheri McCurdy startedvolunteering when she wasa child.

“My mother was myBrownie Troop leader andshe took us to a nursing

home,” McCurdy, of SouthDeKalb said. “I was scaredo death but the individualshat were there were like

my great-grandmother andhey were so happy to see

us. And they made me feelgood and then the next op-portunity I had also mademe feel good.”

Since then, McCurdy

said she has done “a lot ofvolunteer work” throughouther life. That commitmentto volunteerism led to Mc-

Curdy, a long-time employ-ee of Morris, Manning &Martin LLP, being awardedthe law rm’s Wells Awardfor Outstanding Service.

The award goes to an

individual who has goneabove and beyond dedicat-ing time and energy to com-munity organizations andthe rm’s MMMPact com-munity outreach.

MMMPact is the rm’ssocial responsibility initia-tive, which focuses on thecharitable and civic involve-ment of the rm, as well as

individuals within the rm.A legal assistant, Mc-

Curdy has been with therm for 15 years. Duringthat time she has volun-teered with March for

Dimes, Habitat for Human-ity, Project Open Hand,Hands On Atlanta, TrinityHouse, Wilderness Works,Kate’s Club, Susan G. Ko-men 3-Day breast cancerwalk and the company’shigh school internship pro-gram.

“It really doesn’t get any better than helping to give a

hand up, or assist in creat-ing beauty,” she said. “I’vealways been aware that it’sa beautiful world with anabundance of resources, butthat ugliness and lack exist.

If I can spend a little timeto help relieve that uglinessand lack, for myself andothers, I’m all in.

“I am a very fortunate person,” McCurdy said. “Ihave a good family. I livea good life. I like helping people. I just think it’s whatyou’re supposed to do if youcan.”

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.

SHERI MCCURDY

Commissioners Continued From Page 2A board meeting.

“I resent the notion that onlyone candidate that the current CEOwants is the only candidate that wecan come to an agreement on,” sheaid. “If Lee is not to resign and the

commissioners are going to vote ont, then there’s got to be some accom-

modation there.Rader said the commission needs

o “pick somebody that…is not the

nterim CEO’s nominee, for the rea-ons that I articulated from the very

beginning.”The board also should not choose

omeone whose selection would cre-ate a vacancy on another governmentcommission “to be followed by an-other appointment by an appointedofficial,” Rader said.

“I voted for three nominees,”Rader said. “”The majority of thepeople that were up for a vote, I votedfor.

“There is a longer list of peoplewho applied for that position andwe can still make nominations off ofhat list based upon the law that was

passed that said that we had to adver-ise,” he said.

Watson said there needs to be “apecial election called by the legisla-ure with local legislation endorsed

by the governor and signed by thegovernor.

“We can have an election up andrunning in the next 45 days,” Watsonsaid. “This same bill that we utilizedto select District 5 commissioner[candidates] came from the GeorgiaGeneral Assembly in the last fewdays of the legislature last year. Whycouldn’t we do local legislation andhave a special election to fill a tem-

porary seat until such time we knowwhat is going to happen with the in-terim CEO and our CEO?

“That takes the politics out of itwith the commissioners,” he said.

Sutton said, “I have no idea howthis can move forward.”

“First, they [Gannon, Jesterand Rader] said it’s nothing againstGeorge Turner, it’s just the process,”Sutton said. “They were more con-cerned about the process than thelaw. That’s hypocritical. Okay, wewent down the road. We rejected twoappointees so that the commissioncould choose. So now George Turneris unacceptable. There is no reason.

Gannon, Jester and Rader “don’twant anybody who’s capable who willbe independent,” Sutton said. “Thereis not a desire to put someone in thisseat by three of the commissioners

and they will do whatever it takesto keep it open unless they can findsomeone who will vote with them onevery issue.”

Gannon said she is surprised thatthe board is “so entrenched.”

“Once it got past the processproblem, I guess I naively thought theother members of the board wouldwant to embrace a totally neutralcandidate and that’s why I offered

Gina Mangham as a candidate,” Gan-non said. “She’s the only person who’sgotten votes in an election, so peoplein District 5 certainly know her and anumber of them have voted for her.

“When the CEO rejected her witha tie-breaking ‘no,’ and went on tosay his candidate is George Turner,period, end of discussion, it con-firmed for me what my position wasthat I was hoping wasn’t true; thatthey have a power bloc that they wantto put in play. They’ve had that powerbloc pretty much since 2009. Theydon’t want to lose it, and they see usas a threat.

“So where do we go from here onthis issue? I think we just push it backto the state. We can’t do it,” she said.“We go to the state legislature andask them to come up with a cleanerprocess. Election is the real answer,”

Sutton said.

May said he won’t resign

In a statement to The Champion,May said he isn’t planning to resignthe District 5 commission seat.

“The Board’s inability to reach aconsensus on a plethora of issues isits own responsibility,” May stated. “

I have not had a v ote since my ap-pointment as interim CEO some 20months ago, so I am not privy to thecommunication (or lack thereof)between commissioners on any oftheir agenda items.

“I can say as an outsider lookingin that Commissioners Jester, Raderand Gannon are doing everythingthey can to hold onto power whilethey can, disenfranchising 140,000residents in Southeast DeKalb,without regard to the damage that itdoes to the rest of the county,” Maystated.

“I have no plans to resign dueto the BOC’s collective inability to

make a decision. If they can’t dotheir jobs, they should be the onesresigning,” he said.

Commissioner Larry Johnsoncould not be reached for this story.

DeKalb’s commissioners have yet to ll the District 5 seat with a temporary commissioner. Photo by Travis Hudgons


7/20


Atlanta

ounty recreation, parks and cultural affairso hold master plan meeting

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks andCultural Affairs department will host a master

lan meeting for Pendergrast Park, on Tuesday,March 24, 7 p.m., at Briarcliff Wood Beach Club,

830 Morris Landers Drive, Atlanta. The meeting will determine potential uses

or the space and provide the community anpportunity to give feedback regarding park de-igns and facilities to be developed in the park.

For more information, call LaShanda Davis,

ublic education specialist, at (404) 371-3643.

Avondale Estates

Garden club to host meeting

The Avondale Estates Garden Club will havemeeting March 20 at 10:30 a.m. The club’s

newly elected officers will be installed at themeeting. Janet McGinnis, director of the Red-

ud District, will present the installation pro-ram “The Forty Shades of Green” and share herxperiences from living in Ireland. Guests are

welcome to attend. RSVP one week ahead of themeeting by calling Virginia Kinchen at (404)94-4553 or Ruth Osborne at (404) 299-1376.

Brookhaven

ity to celebrate Arbor Day

Brookhaven will celebrate Georgia’s officialArbor Day March 20 at 1 p.m. with the trans-

lanting of a tree in Blackburn Park II. An ArborDay proclamation will be read, and Native tree,

tree spading company, will demonstrate howarger existing trees are spaded and moved. A

ree from the Brookhaven Forest subdivisionight-of-way is being provided for the event anddemonstration. Free tree seedlings will be giveno attendees on a first-come basis. For more in-ormation, email [email protected] or call (404) 637-0558.

Decatur

ommunity service board to meet

The March 26 board meeting of the DeKalbCommunity Service Board is open to all who arenterested in services for mental health, addic-ion and developmental disabilities. The meeting

will be held at 4 p.m. at 445 Winn Way, Room21, Decatur.The advocacy committee meeting will be

held in the same room at 3 p.m. and is also openo the public.

The audit, finance and compliance meet-ing will be held in the same room on Tuesday,March 24, at noon, and is also open to the pub-lic.

Those with disabilities in need of assistanceor accommodations to participate in the meet-ing can notify the community relations office at(404) 508-7875.

DA to host PAWS for the Cause

DeKalb County District Attorney RobertJames will join a host of community partnersand animal lovers for the 2015 PAWS for theCause community awareness event on Satur-day, April 18, at Glenlake Park, located at 1121Church Street in Decatur. The event starts at 10a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. PAWS for the Cause is a

collaborative effort in partnership with PlannedPethood of Georgia, DeKalb County AnimalServices & Enforcement, DeKalb County Dis-trict Attorney’s Office and other organizationto combat crimes against animals by increasingawareness of animal neglect and cruelty.

Event attendees will be entertained by livemusic, food vendors, pet specific vendors, amoonwalk, dog performances, DeKalb CountyPolice Department K-9 demonstration andmore. An onsite veterinarian will administerlow-cost immunizations and microchipping.DeKalb Animal Services and LifeLine AnimalProject will have puppies and dogs available foradoption.

Vendor booth rentals are $40. The event is

free and open to the public. Interested vendorsshould contact Lyn Armstrong at [email protected] or (404) 640-9726 for addi-tional details by April 3.

Keep DeKalb Beautiful to host householdhazardous waste recycling event

Keep DeKalb Beautiful (KDB) will host a

household hazardous waste recycling event onSaturday, March 21, from 8 a.m. to noon. Theevent will be held at the DeKalb County Sanita-tion Division’s Central Transfer Station, 3720Leroy Scott Drive, Decatur.

Participants will have an opportunity toproperly dispose of dangerous household

chemicals that are no longer in use. Hazardousmaterials such as aerosols, batteries, adhesives,flammables, lawn care products, fluorescent lightbulbs, photo chemicals, artist supplies, and paintand paint-related products will be accepted.Items such as agricultural waste, ammunition,pharmaceuticals, radioactive materials, and bio-hazardous and biomedical waste will not be ac-cepted. Participants will be limited to 10 gallonsof paint per vehicle.

Participation is free and open to DeKalbCounty residents only. Proper identificationto prove DeKalb County residency may be re-quested.

Keep DeKalb Beautiful is a unit of theDeKalb County Sanitation Division. For moreinformation on this event or how to plan a beau-

tification project with KDB, contact KDB at(404) 371-2654 or [email protected], or

visit www.keepdekalbbeautiful.org.

Stone MountainTouch-a-Truck set for Greater Hidden Hills

The DeKalb County Police Department,fire rescue department, watershed managementand sanitation departments will participate ina Touch-a-Truck event in the Greater HiddenHills community.

The event will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March21, at the corner of South Hairston and Redanroads, next to Zaxby’s restaurant.

“Touch and explore emergency, construc-tion and service vehicles,” states an announce-ment about the event. “Enjoy live entertainmentand meet local business owners. This fun familyevent is for kids of all ages, and it is free!”

Local businesses and entrepreneurs may setup tables for a small fee: contact [email protected] or call (508) 591-3526.

All proceeds benefit The Greater HiddenHills Community Development Corporation,a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to helping thecommunity prosper and thrive. This volunteerorganization represents the area on zoning mat-ters and advocates for attractive business devel-opment that meets our residents’ needs.

The rain date is scheduled for March 28, 11a.m. to 2 p.m.

Countywide

Program assists students with GED

The DeKalb County Juvenile Court, in part-nership with DeKalb Workforce Development,has recently been charged to service out-of-school youth, ages 16 to 21, in DeKalb County.

“The goal of the Youth Achievement Pro-gram (YAP) is to provide the services to DeKalbCounty youth to aid in the completion of theireducation and provide the tools necessary toultimately lead to a strong and responsible adult-hood,” states an announcement from the pro-gram.

The YAP Program will provide GED classeswhich include one-on-one tutoring, literacy

enrichment, classic literature and projects. Theprogram also provides job readiness trainingwhich includes leadership development courses,MS Office Suite, typing classes and a customerservices certification class. Each participant willhave a case manager who completes an individ-ual plan that will allow for the youth and youngadults to take steps toward completing their edu-cational, training and career goals.

Enrollment is underway for this program.For more information, email [email protected] or call (404) 294-2000.

AROUNDDEKALB


8/20


9/20


Brookhaven addresses tree ordinance concerns

Mystery,

&SuspenseIntrigue,

Satisfy your craving for the

unknown with movie and

play reviews in our

LifeStyle section.

Also get new recipes, gardening

advice, travel news and more.

404.373.7779TheChampionNewspaper.com

Travel

Buying a home? KNOW what you’re geng.Installng a fence? Mark your property lines rst.Need food insurance? Get a FEMA ood cercate.Specializing in residenal & commercial service.

37 years experienceCall us for all your land surveying needs.

Fast, Professional Quality Service(See our GREAT reviews at Kudzu.com)


Balancing new develop-ment while preserving treescan be a difficult task, butBrookhaven officials are try-ng to do that through a tree

ordinance.

The city held its firstBrookhaven 101” workshop

March 16, which focused onhe city’s tree ordinance. The

workshop was designed toexplain how the ordinanceguarantees the right level ofree preservation. A presen-ation was shown about de-

velopment and its relation-hip to the tree ordinance.

In August 2014, the citycouncil adopted a revisedree ordinance designedo preserve the city’s tree

canopy, protect the wooded

character that older treescreate and respect the rightsof private property ownerso manage their trees.

Brookhaven staff andcity council began workingon a proposed ordinanceafter determining that theexisting ordinance, inheritedrom DeKalb County, wasinadequate” for the needs

of the city and its residents.Under the county’s or-

dinance, homeowners areallowed to remove up to fiverees per year for any reason,

with no requirement for

eplacement, managementof increased runoff or otheractors.

The city’s ordinanceprotects specimen trees, cre-

ates standards for preservingtrees as development occurs,discourages clear-cuttingand mass grading of landduring construction thatresults in the loss of maturetrees. If tree loss cannot beprevented, the ordinancecreates standards for re-

planting or financial pay-ment.

However, there are stillconcerns about the ordi-nance. Kay Evanovich, thecity’s arborist and land de-

velopment inspector, saidsome of the main concernsshe has heard from residentshad to do with boundarytrees, and the clear-out oftrees in front of new devel-opments.

“We tried to go overthat with the presentationas to what all has to come

in through that front yard,and within a buildable area,”Evanovich said. “So, a lot oftimes it is difficult to savetrees at the front. So whenyou see them clear thathouse path and the fronttrees it just looks like a clearcut, but they’ve actuallysaved [trees] on the bound-aries.”

Brookhaven residentSally Eppstein said hermain concern is losing old-growth trees.

“I’m all for growth butI’d like to save more of the

old growth trees,” Eppsteinsaid. “I would like for themto save more inches peracre, I think it should be in-creased dramatically. I think

they should work aroundolder champion trees orheritage trees a lot more,and just lower the densitybecause there is just toomuch higher density com-ing in. That high density isaffecting our quality of life,our air and our traffic.”

Eppstein said her con-cerns were not addressed inthe workshop.

“I keep hearing that theywant to consult with the de-

velopers,” she said.Evanovich said the city

is receiving input from resi-dents and developers to cre-ate a “workable ordinance.”

“We want to do the bestto preserve canopy, preservepersonal property rights

and still have good qual-ity growth,” she said. “It’sa balancing act. You try torespect personal propertyrights of both [home] own-ers—those who are alreadyexisting and new owners–asto what they want. For ar-borists in an urban setting,

for us it’s maintaining andpreserving healthy existingtrees and planting new treesto come up so we have thatconstant forest.

“We can’t just only pre-serve and never plant be-cause then eventually thosetrees will die on their ownfor whatever reason, and wewouldn’t have anything toreplace them,” Evanovichadded

Evanovich said the cityhas planted more than 300trees in parks and on cityproperties. The city will con-tinue to meet with residentsand developers to educatethem on the ordinance andto gather more input.

Kay Evanovich, Brookhaven’s arborist and land development inspector, explains the city’s tree ordinance to residents. Photo by Carla Parker


10/20


LOCAL

B e c a u s e y o u g e t

w h a t y o u p a y f o r .

Thanks to the money saving tips on the Georgia Power website, I learned exactly how to turn my renovation into a reward.

First, I got $50 for taking advantage of the Georgia Power Refrigerator Recycling Program. Then, I got a rebate for

purchasing ENERGY STAR® certied appliances, and since these appliances use 10 to 50 percent less energy than

standard models, I get the benet of a lower monthly bill. For more information on tips and rebates, visit georgiapower.com/save.

Certain restrictions apply. Must be a Georgia Power customer. Rebate available through November 30, 2014.

Customer must submit receipt/invoice for the ENERGY STAR® appliance with the rebate form.

That’s why I invested in ENERGY STAR ®

appliances and received rebates in return.


Representatives fromFuqua Development metwith Decatur residentsMarch 2 to discuss phaseI of the Decatur Crossing

project.Fuqua plans to build a

mixed-use retail center athe site of Scott Boulevard

Baptist Church in Decatur.The project will include abank, restaurants, and retailhops.

Phase I, which was ap-proved by DeKalb Countyofficials last year, includesapartments and townhomesand a coffee shop. Accord-ng to a post on Medlock

Area Neighborhood Asso-

ciation, Phase II is currentlyunder consideration and inhe public feedback phase.

“Phase II plans had beenvague because there wasno certainty about Fuqua’sability to purchase homeson Blackmon Drive andextend the development;hose plans had included

owner-occupied townhomesas a buffer between the newdevelopment and exist-ing Blackmon homes,” saidCathy Quinones of MedlockArea Neighborhood As-sociation. “With the Black-mon houses under contract,Fuqua has decided to re-

shape Phase II to removethe townhomes and includeadditional rental apartmentsbuilt to specifications that,should the market later de-mand it, will allow conver-sion to condos.”

Some of the key ele-ments of Phase I and Phase

II combined include 80,000square feet of retail space,15,000 square feet of busi-ness space, and Phase II ofthe development will have450 one-to two-bedroomunits. Phase I includes morethan 250 units in a five-storyapartment building.

Fuqua told residentsthat parking for the resi-dential units will be gatedin multilevel decks. Parkingspaces will be assigned onthe same level where thetenant lives. Most parkingwill be hidden from viewfrom the Scott Boulevardand North Decatur Roadintersection.

Traffic was a concern formost residents when Fuquafirst announced its plansof the development. Fuquarepresentatives told resi-dents at the March 2 meet-ing that there will be threeentrance/exit ways, and aright turn in and right turnout on Scott Boulevard, ac-cording to Quinones.

“A two-lane road will

transect the development,connecting North DecaturRoad and Scott Boulevard,”Quinones said. “It will alignto the proposed light at Sub-urban Plaza. Another lightand crosswalk will alignwith the Blackmon Driveentrance into the Medlockneighborhood.

Developer releases designs for Decatur Crossing

See Fuqua on page 12A

Fuqua Development released its designs for Phase II of the Decatur Crossing project.


11/20


Friends of the park

WEEKPICTURESIn

Photos brought to you by DCTV

23

DCTV Channel 23

@DCTVChannel23

DeKalb County Gov

Ustream.tv/channle/DCTV-Channel-23

VISIT US AT WWW.DCTVChannel23.tv E-mail us at [email protected]

Get your front row seat to all things DeKalb County

through your EMMY Award-winning station

2323

Friends of Flat Shoals Park helda dedication of the park’s commu-nity bulletin board and children’sbook box on March 7.

The community bulletin boardwas an Eagle Scout service projectby Aurie Johnson with consultingprovided by carpenter Ron Evans and labor by Boy Scout Troop 41and parents.

Among those attending the dedi-cation were DeKalb County Com-missioners Stan Watson and Lar-

ry Johnson (District 3), DeKalbchool board member Vickie Turner, and Maurice Hooks, aepresentative of NBE Printing and

Shipping, one of the sponsors of

the bulletin board.Other sponsors of the projects

include Pecos Mexican Cantina andFriends of Flat Shoals Park. Artisticdesign was provided by LucretiaJackson and Rochelle Callender.

Friends of Flat Shoals Park, lo-cated at 4522 Flat Shoals Parkwayin Decatur, is a group of commu-nity volunteers focused on safety, park enhancements, programs andevents. Flat Shoals Park has a play-ground, tness trail, ve grill sta-

tions, pavilion/restrooms, gazebo,four tennis courts and a clubhouse. Photos courtesy of Paul Doug-

lass.


12/20


LOCAL

Chamblee receives ARC grant

Police seeking Peeping Tom

Nookie (ID#24652680) is a supersweet and loving little1 year old goofball

who loves to play andsnuggle with his kennelmates. He hops like abunny when he runsand seems to alwaysbe happy. If you arelooking for a wonderfulnew companion,look no further thansweet Nookie! Come

meet him today, and take advantage of our“Pick a Lucky Charm” promotion. During Marchyou’ll pay an adoption fee of only $40, includingNookie’s vaccines, neuter and microchip. For moreinformation email adoption@dekalbanimalservices.

com or call (404) 294-2165. To view othergreat pets available for adoption visit www.dekalbanimalservices.com.

Pet of the Week

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

City Schools of Deca-tur will begin a nationwidesearch for a new superinten-dent following the March 10announcement that Superin-tendent Phyllis Edwards hasresigned from the positionthat she’s held since 2003.When Edwards assumeddirection of the system,CSD enrollment was around2,500, near an all-time low,with 25 percent of all fourthgraders leaving the systementirely, usually going to pri-

vate schools. Edwards sub-sequently closed two schoolsand spearheaded a reorgani-zation of the school system

into three (now five) K-3schools and a 4/5 Academy.Edwards is only the sys-

tem’s ninth superintendentsince 1900.

Edwards said duringher comments at the boardmeeting that she plans toreturn to Florida, whereshe spent more than twodecades in education beforetaking the Decatur job.

Board Chairman Gar-rett Goebel said the boardwill partner with an ex-ecutive search firm or theGeorgia School Board Asso-ciation to initiate a nationalsearch for Edwards’ replace-ment.

The district is facingthe challenge of managing

increased enrollment. En-rollment projections for thedistrict over the next fiveyears call for a $100 millionproject for facility renova-tions and new construction.Plans devised by Winter Con-

struction and Cooper Carrydesign firm call for eventu-ally adding 124 instructionalunits (to the existing 53). Theschool will be able to serve2,409 students.

The first phase of plan-ning began in 2011-2012school year with the forma-tion of an enrollment com-mittee made up of parents,subject matter experts andstaff members.

At the beginning of the2012-2013 school year, principals and instructional personnel began developinginstructional program andspace needs, taking into con-sideration requirements fromthe Georgia Department ofEducation.

Decatur schoolsuperintendent resigns

by Ashley [email protected]

Dunwoody police areasking the public to assistn the search for a Peeping

Tom suspect believed to beinked to several cases in the

area.Patrick Chiela, 23, is

believed to be homeless, butn the Ashford Dunwoody

area near Meadow LaneRoad, according Sgt.Andrew Fondas in a tatement released on March

10.Chiela has active

warrants for the felonyoffense of Peeping Tom,Fondas said. No detailsabout the alleged crimeswere released.

Chiela has been seenwearing a black puffy jacket or dark gray hoodedsweatshirt, black polo shirtwith black shorts or pantswith a white stripe down theside, according to police.

Anyone with informationon Chiela’s whereabouts isasked to contact detectiveSean Lenahan at (678)382-6911 or [email protected].

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

The city of Chambleeand MARTA received an At-anta Regional CommissionARC) grant for $104,000

o fund a trail concept andfeasibility study on MARTAproperty and extending todestinations throughoutChamblee.

The funds will be usedo expand the Chamblee

Rail Trail.Chamblee Mayor Eric

Clarkson said, “It’s a won-derful opportunity for ourcommunity to partner withMARTA to continue themplementation of a trailystem that was planned in

2000.”

ARC awarded $800,000n its latest round of liv-able centers initiative (LCI)grants to eight metro Atlantacommunities.

The LCI grants assistcommunities to create newplans for quality growth andhelp develop policies thatupport connected commu-

nities.Since its inception in

1999, LCI has assisted 112communities with morehan $194 million in plan-

ning and implementation

grants.The 2015 LCI grant re-

cipients are: Turner FieldStadium NeighborhoodsRegional Center and LocustGrove Town Center. Cham-blee received one of six

remaining grants for supple-mental studies to help LCIcommunities implementtheir existing plans or com-plete updates to older plans.

Clarkson said the projecthas “been a long time in theworks” and has received alot of support from the com-munity.

Clarkson said the expan-sion adds “quite a bit of con-nectivity.”

“A lot of folks that livein the mid-city district anddowntown district like to

have that connectivity toget over to the other side ofPeachtree Boulevard wherewe have quite a bit of greenspace including KeswickPark,” he added.

“There are a lot of peo-ple in single family homesin that area who enjoy theconnectivity to be able to getover to all of the new busi-nesses that are being built inand around the MARTA sta-tion,” Clarkson said.

In a Feb. 25 press releaseARC Chairman Kerry Arm-

strong said, “LCI has helpedmany communities acrossmetro Atlanta reinvent andimprove themselves sinceour board established theprogram in 1999.”

He said, “Our local gov-

ernment partners have usedthese grants to create moreplaces that attract residentsand businesses, improvingtheir communities and theentire region.”

The LCI program isfunded with federal trans-portation dollars. The grantsfund 80 percent of the study,with the recipient making a20 percent match.

“Communities all overthe region are eager to revi-talize their town centers andunderutilized properties to

create places that foster a vi-brant neighborhood feel andenvironment,” said DougHooker, ARC executivedirector, in the announce-ment. “From urban transi-tional areas like the TurnerField neighborhoods to bus-tling suburban downtownslike Locust Grove, LCIgrants help communitiesre-imagine what they can beand then help make those

visions a reality.”

Patrick Chiela, 23, is believed tobe homeless, according to police.Photo provided by Dunwoodypolice

Fuqua will also conducta traffic study. Quinonesaid the audience highlight-

ed the high traffic at Black-mon Drive as commuters

cut through the neighbor-hood

“A Blackmon residentnoted that he has counted400 cars/hours during peak

traffic,” she said. “Fuquaseemed amenable to addingBlackmon to their trafficstudy.”

Residents also had ques-

tions about how pedestriansafety will be addressedwhen Fuqua announced itsplans. Fuqua told residentsthat should Georgia Depart-

ment of Transportation de-cide to widen North DecaturRoad, Fuqua would adjustits footprint to allow side-walks.

Fuqua expects to com-plete the Decatur Crossingproject in spring 2016.

FuquaContinued From Page 10A

Edwards


13/20


by Kathy Mitchell

There is a drive-throughon Columbia Drive wherepatrons don’t pick up pre-criptions or laundry and

are never asked if theywant fries. Those lining upat Rainbow Park BaptistChurch each Monday eve-ning are seeking someone topray with them.

The church’s drive-hrough prayer programtarted in 2011 as part of the

Rainbow Park’s Holy Weekthe week leading up to

Easter) activities, but is nowoffered weekly all year. “Weaw that a church in another

community was doing this

and thought it would be agood thing to offer. Our pas-or has been very supportive

of the idea. Our communitycertainly needs prayer. Ev-ery community does; youust have to hear or read the

news to know that,” saidHattie Washington, a dea-con at Rainbow Park whowas among those initiatinghe ministry.

The church has as manyas 30 volunteer “prayer war-iors,” who pray with those

who use the service. “Wetarted with about six people

and at one point we weredown to just three, but wehave worked with people tomake them more comfort-able praying with peoplehey may not know. We now

have a core of five or sixpeople, but as many of 30who participate from timeo time,” Washington said.

The number of patronsat drive-through prayer alsovaries widely, according toWashington. On an averageevening, she said, there are

0 to 30 cars. “It depends on

many things such as weatherand what else is going on.There have been eveningswhen we had only one car,but we’re there to serve thatperson,” she said.

Drive-through prayernormally is offered 5 to6:30 p.m. standard timeand 5:30 to 7 p.m. duringdaylight-saving time. Ifpeople are still in line whenhe hour and a half timelot closes, the volunteerstay, Washington said. “We

never turn anyone away. Ifomeone drives up after we

have actually closed, we stillhave prayer with them.” Onhot days, those coming forprayer may be offered coldwater.

Although the church isin south DeKalb County,the license plates on carscoming for drive- throughprayer may read Fulton,Gwinnett, Henry and places

farther way, Washingtonsaid, adding that visitorsinclude members of otherchurches, people of otherfaiths and “the unchurched.”

“They don’t all drive up,”Washington said. “Somewalk up; some come onmotorcycles or bicycles. Wehave all ages, including chil-dren. We’ve had children askfor prayer for their parentsor their schoolmates.

“It’s very common forpeople to come to pray forsomeone else—their chil-dren, their spouse or friendsor coworkers. Teacherscome to ask prayer for theirschools and their students.Approximately 90 percentof the people belong to achurch. They may be thereto pray for their church,”Washington said. “We getmore men than you mightexpect. Many come to prayfor their wives. I remembera man who drove up withhis seven children in the

van. He had come to ask usto pray for his children.

“Most are burdened with

a particular problem andsome just ask for ‘generalprayer.’ Even those who sayat first they don’t have aspecial prayer need, when

they become more com-fortable with us, will tell usmore about a special hurtthat’s troubling them, but wenever insist that someonetell us more than they want

to,” Washington noted.She recalled a woman

who was planning her fam-ily reunion and came forprayer because her familyreunions in the past hadbeen marred by bickeringand even physical fights.She said many of her fam-ily members are elderly andfor their sake, especially,she wanted peace and unity.“She came back afterwardand told us the reunion wentsmoothly—not a single ar-gument,” Washington said.“We often have people comeback to tell us their prayerswere answered.”

She cautioned thatprayer whether at herchurch or elsewhere doesnot guarantee a result. “Wehave no power to changeanything. That comes fromGod. We are just his instru-ments. We can supportthose who need to take theirproblems to God, but it isGod who determines theoutcome,” Washington said.

She said there are nospecial plans for this year’s

Holy Week (March 29through April 4), but thechurch may decide to ex-pand the time drive-throughprayer is offered.

Church declares drive-throughprayer meets a community need

County’s watershed

departmentlaunches consentdecree website

DeKalb County’s Department of Watershed Manage-ment’s Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Division recent-ly announced the official launch of its new consent decreeprogram website at www.dekalbconsentdecree.com.

The CIP Division is overseeing a $1.345 billion county-wide capital improvement program which includes therepair and upgrade of the county’s water and wastewaterinfrastructure.

The site features general information about the program,its associated infrastructure improvement projects and

an interactive project finder feature that allows visitors tosearch for active CIP water and sewer construction projects.

The project finder allows users to search for projectswithin a half-mile, one-mile or two-mile radius of a specificaddress, as well as by commission district or keyword. Infor-mation available on each project includes location, budget,schedule, description and current construction phase.

“The new website is one of many communication toolswe are using to ensure people are educated and well-in-formed about the projects included in the consent decree,”said Kenneth Saunders, program director of the CIP divi-sion. “Continuous communication with the residents andbusiness owners affected by the improvement activities is

vital to the overall success of this program.”The CIP Division also launched the “Consent Decree

Connection” quarterly electronic newsletter and a social

media campaign via Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/DeKalb-County-Consent-Decree/611484352307733. Thenewsletter features articles on current and recent projects;the fats, oils and grease program; safety tips; and facts andfigures about the county’s sanitary sewer collection system.

Social media will be used as a real-time communication vehicle to disseminate information to the public. The web-site, newsletter and social media are linked online for addedconvenience.

“By implementing the aforementioned communicationtools, the watershed department’s goal is to provide advancenotification of upcoming construction activity, traffic advi-sories, community meeting details and update the public onthe program’s progress on an ongoing basis,” states a newsrelease from the division.

Deacon Hattie Washington invites passersby to drive in for prayer withRainbow Park Baptist Church’s “prayer warriors.”


14/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015 PAGE 14AEDUCATION

State’s first lady reads at Woodward Elementary by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

Georgia first lady Sandra

Deal was greeted by safety pa-rol students Jeremy Avellane-da and Melissa Cambron whenhe arrived at Woodward El-mentary in Atlanta on March2. Deal visited the school to

promote Read Across GeorgiaMonth, a campaign that Gov.Nathan Deal said supportsncreased childhood literacy inhe state.

First lady Deal introducednd read a new pre-K book, TJ’s

Discovery , written by teacherst the Rollins Center for Lan-

guage and Literacy at the At-anta Speech School to 40-plus

tudents in Woodward’s mediaenter.

A copy of the book will begiven as a gift to every studentn Georgia’s Pre-K Program.

First lady Deal said, “Theeachers, of course, will have toeach the techniques of readingnd the kids have to practice at

home because you have to prac-ice to get good at somethingo we have to have the parents

help too.”The Read Across Georgia

ampaign, launched in 2012ims to support the governor’s

grade level reading initia-ive, which targets to have allGeorgia third-graders readingt grade level or better by theompletion of third grade. In

support of this goal and to pro-mote statewide childhood liter-acy, the first lady will visit andread to Pre-K students across

the state during March.“My goal is to get them in-terested, have mini adventuresand get them excited aboutdoing some things with theirfamilies and being able to talkabout them and participate inreading. It’s important for thekids to understand that read-ing can be a lot of fun, and theycan get a lot of information andlearn things if they just get in-

volved in reading,” said SandraDeal.

She advised parents to“practice, talk to their kids andexplain things to them.”

She added, “Don’t be afraidor shy of acting out scenes toshow the child what it reallymeans to stretch your neckor take a deep breath. Thosethings are easy to do and itmeans something to the child.They won’t forget that becausethey tie all of those conceptstogether in their minds.”

“The teachers can teachthe techniques because they’retrained to know them. Parentscan just practice with their kidsand expose them to opportuni-ties to read and a lot of different

books and subjects and if theyhave that conversation withtheir child and explain thingsto them that plays a big part inteaching a child to read.”

Sandra Deal role plays a scared bunny from the new pre-K book TJ’s Discovery.

Woodward Elementary School teachers, faculty and students take a picture with Georgia’s rst lady Sandra Deal. Photos by Ashley Oglesby

Safety patrol students welcome Sandra Deal to the school.


15/20

Football Continued From Page 1A


Foundation to constructand operate the new Hall ofFame facility. The NationalFootball Foundation pickedAtlanta over Dallas to househe new facility.

Construction begann January 2013 on the

$40 million facility, and itopened 18 months later. Theacility is filled with $15 mil-ion in exhibits.

“It’s new, it’s entertaining,t’s engaging, it [has] sometuff in there you can’t see

anywhere else, unless you’renside these four walls, andhat’s the whole point of this

attraction,” Stephenson said.We’re very, very happy witht. The building is great.”

The two-hour “experi-

ence” begins as visitors walkn at the entry tunnel, whichdisplays digital images ofplayers running onto a fieldrom 11 conference cham-

pions that are updated each

season. The tunnel opensup to the main lobby area,called The Quad, which isanchored by the HelmetWall.

The Helmet Wall fea-

tures 818 helmets of collegefootball teams across thecountry.

“We have room to growfor 50 more helmets,” Ste-phenson said.

Guests check in at theregistration desks in TheQuad, where they can regis-ter their favorite team. Oncea team is selected, the team’shelmet illuminates and theguest will have a personal-ized All-Access Pass creden-tial, making their experienceunique to their favorite col-

lege football team.The Quad also features alarge mural done by Atlantanative Steve Penley .

Next to The Quad is theChick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Skill Zone. The Skill Zoneallows guests to test theirfootball skills, from kickinga field goal, to showing offtheir throwing accuracy inthe quarterback challenge.

It also features an obstaclecourse that tests agility andflexibility.

The second floor featuresall the “fans experience” ex-hibits, which open with theChick-fil-A Why We LoveCollege Football gallery,a 52-foot long, multi-usertouch screen media wall.The gallery also includestrophy cases displaying thenew National Champion-ship trophy, trophies fromthe six bowls comprisingthe College Football Playoff

and a sampling of individualawards given each year toplayers and coaches.

The Game Day Theaterincludes the feature filmThe Game of Your Life. The

film gives guests a behind-the-scenes look into theexperience of a game day, asnarrated through the per-spectives of former playersand coaches.

The Coca-Cola Fans’Game Day gallery chronicleswhat it is like to experiencecollege football from theperspective of its biggestfans, with various exhib-its dedicated to tailgatingfrom the game’s early yearsthrough today, mascots,bands, cheerleaders andsocial traditions. The gal-lery also features the ESPNCollege GameDay desk builtby The Home Depot, wherefans will be able to virtually

join ESPN analysts Chris

Fowler and Desmond How-ard at the College GameDaydesk.

The Under Armour Evo-lution of Equipment exhibitshowcases advances made in

football equipment. Thereare also exhibits that payhomage to Historically BlackColleges and Universities,and the Service Academies(U.S. Air Force Academy,

U.S. Naval Academy andU.S. Military Academy).

The third floor featuresthe actual College FootballHall of Fame. Hall of FameExhibit features 10 virtualreality displays where guestscan select video and imagesof players and coaches fromtheir favorite school.

Admission for adults is$19.99, children ages 3 to 12can get in for $16.99, and se-niors ages 65 and older, stu-dents and military personneland veterans can get in for

$17.99. Children youngerthan age of 3 can get in forfree.

The College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-l-A Fan Experience features various exhibits is a three-story, more than 94,000 square feet museum lled with college footballhistory and artifacts. Photos by Carla Parker


16/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015 Page 16ABUSINESS

The Voice of Business in DeKalb CountyDeKalb Chamber of Commerce

404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite 235, Decatur, GA 30030

Retirees ask ‘where do we go from here?’by Kathy Mitchell

Americans now have awide range of choices as towhere they will live in theiretirement years and some

of the choices they are mak-ng may be surprising, ac-

cording to a recent MerrillLynch study conducted inpartnership with Age Wave,Home in Retirement: More

Freedom, New Choices.The study indicates thatmost Americans cross “thefreedom threshold”—thepoint at which their decisionof where to live is drivenmore by their personal de-ires than by work or family

obligations—at age 61.“How and where our

nation’s aging populationchooses to live will havewidespread implications onhe way homes are designed,he resources people will

need, and how communitiesand businesses nationwidehould prepare,” Andy Sieg ,

head of Global Wealth andRetirement Solutions forBank of America MerrillLynch, stated in notes com-panioning the study.

Merrill Lynch SeniorVice President Howard Joe,a Dunwoody resident andfinancial advisor whose of-fice is in Brookhaven, saidhose approaching retire-

ment would do well to thinkhrough postretirement

living arrangements beforemaking an actual move.

“Sometimes peopledream of moving to themountains or to the beachbut don’t think about whattheir life there would actu-ally be like. I’ve had cli-ents who moved into their‘dream home’ then decidedit was impractical or too farfrom family and others they

care about. If you move tothe mountains, for example,can you get emergencyhealth care when you needit even in periods of badweather?” he asked.

To move and then de-cide it was a mistake andhave to move again can be

very expensive. Everyoneshould go into retirementwith a carefully thoughtthrough plan,” Joe recom-mended.

He suggested that thoseconsidering where they willlive in retirement ask them-selves three questions:

“Who’s going to changeyour light bulbs?” This ques-tion is designed to promptthinking about routinechores that might become achallenge as the householderbecomes less able.

“When you want someice cream, how are you go-ing to get it?” This raises theissue of access to things theretiree—who may no longerdrive—might need or want.

“Who are you goingto have lunch with?” Dur-ing working years or whenthere’s family at home peo-ple become accustomed tosocial interaction that mightnot be there after retirement.

One of the most note-worthy of the study’s find-ings, Joe said, was what hecalled “the downsize sur-prise.” “The assumption that

retirement means downsiz-ing is not always true any-more. Some people remainin the same size home andsome even move to largerhome to have room for

visiting family to pursue in-terests that they didn’t havetime for before retirement.”

The study indicates thatwhile 51 percent of retireesmove into a smaller home,19 percent live in the samesize home and 30 percentmove to a larger home.“People often find that evenwhen they move to a placewith less square footagethey may pay more in livingexpenses because in-townrents can be high and theremay be parking and mainte-nance expenses they didn’thave before.

“What’s old is newagain,” Joe said, noting thatthere are now many mul-tigenerational homes andpeople choosing to remainin or move back to the com-munities they grew up in,

just as people did genera-tions ago.

Whatever the retir-ing person decides is bestfor him or her, Joe said, it’simportant to plan for it fi-nancially. Age 50 is neithertoo soon or too late to planfinancially for retirement, headded.

The new trends in retire-ment have implications for

a number of industries, in-cluding real estate and homeimprovement, Joe said.“Those who remain in theirhomes are likely to remodelto meet their current needs.Owners of split-level homes,for example, may want toclimb the stairs less, so theymay establish a master bed-room on the ground floorand enlarge a first-floorbathroom. They may widendoors to accommodate awheelchair or walker orraise countertops for easier

access.”Joe said that nearly half

of all spending on homerenovations is by homeown-ers age 55 and older. Nation-ally, this age group spendsapproximately $90 billionannually on home renova-tions.

He said a range of priori-ties should be considered aspeople contemplate future

life stages. These may in-clude affordability, climate,proximity to family andfriends, recreational or cul-tural activities, opportuni-ties for continued work andaccess to good health care.

“DeKalb County, in factthe entire metropolitan At-lanta area, is considered a

very desirable area for retir-ees,” Joe said. “The weatheris good most of the year,sports and the arts thrivehere and there are excellenthealthcare facilities.”

Public Notifcation:Our client is proposing to construct two 60-foot positive train control

towers (total height 63-feet) within DeKalb County, GA. The towers

will be located in the following locations along the railroad right-of-

way: #41556 – at the intersection of Old Constitution Rd and Fayette-

ville Rd SE in Constitution, #37199–approximately 100 feet south of

the intersection of Henrico Rd and the railroad near Pull-A-Part Used

Auto Parts in Conley. Golder Associates on behalf of our client invites

comments from any interested party regarding the potential effects of

the project on historic properties. Comments may be sent to Angela

Kappen, Golder Associates Inc., N27 W23960 Paul Road, Suite 210,

Pewaukee, WI 53072 or [email protected]. Comments must be

received 30 days following published date (4/10/2015).


17/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015 Page 17ACLASSIFIEDS

DISCLAIMER: We do not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate, or intend to discriminate, on any illegal basis. Nor do we knowingly accept employment advertisements that are notbona-de job offers. All real estate advertisements are subject to the fair housing act and we do not accept advertising that is in violation of the law. The law prohibits discrimination based on color,religion, sex, national origin, handicap or familial status.

Te Champion is not responsible for any damages resulting from advertisements. All sales final.

RATES: $30.00 for up to 40 words, each additional word $0.60.All ads are prepaid! All Major credit cards accepted!

For Prices, Deadlines and Information

Visit www.championclassieds.com

ClassifiedsTheChampion

Ads Due By Friday - Noonfor next publication date.

AUCTIONS

UPCOMING AUCTIONS – Real EstateAuction 229 Hwy 57, Macon, GA. Online

idding ends March 25th. Quarterly Con-ignment Auction. Trucks Trailers, Equip-

ment & More! Live Auction March 28th. GoOnline for all auctions & more details! 107Oak Valley Drive, Macon, GA. Go Online fordetails. L.W. Benton Company, Inc. 478-744-

027. www.bidderone.com #3215.

ADVERTISE YOUR AUCTION in over

00 newspapers for only $350. Your 25-wordlassified ad will reach more than1 millioneaders. Call Jennifer Labon at the Georgia

Newspaper Service, 770-454-6776.

DRIVERS

ATTN: Truck Drivers! Covenant Trans-port is HIRING! Team & Solo Drivers Need-d. No CDL? We can help! 3wk training avail.

Call Career Trucker today! N. GA 866-494-434; S. GA 866-557-9244.

Own Your Own Truck! Best Lease Pur-hase Deal in the Country!

*You can earn over $150,000 per year*No Credit Check *Late-model Freightliner Columbia*Low Truck PaymentCall (866) 250-5911 to talk to a recruiterApply Now Online @ www.joincrst.com

Are you ready to kick-start your new ca-eer? Now Interviewing Accredited Truck

Driving School Graduates (With CDL-A) forur Entry Level Apprentice Program. Must

have good MVR, Work history and Criminalackground history. Call Chris Blackwell at43-266-3731 to discuss pay and benefits.

www.bulldoghiway.com EOE

25 DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED! Be-ome a driver for Stevens Transport! NO

EXPERIENCE NEEDED! New drivers earn800+ per week! PAID CDL TRAINING!tevens covers all cost! 1-888-749-2303.

Drive4stevens.com

Drivers – No Experience? Some or LOTS

of experience? Let’s talk! No matter whatstage in your career, its time, call Central Re-frigerated Home. (855) 973-9344 www.Cen-tralTruckDrivingJobs.com

Experienced OTR Flatbed Drivers earn 50up to 55cpm loaded. $1000 sign on qualifieddrivers. Home most weekends. Call: 843-266-3731 / www.bulldoghiway.com EOE

Drivers: Run FB with WTI. Be homethrough the week and weekends. Start upto 28% plus fuel bonus. New equipment.

BCBS. Experience needed. LP available. Call877-693-1305.

EDUCATIONAL

TRAINING

Can You Dig It? Heavy Equipment Opera-tor Career! Receive Hands On Training andNational Certifications Operating Bulldozers,Backhoes, Excavators. Lifetime Job Place-ment. Veteran Benefits Eligible! 1-866-990-8421.

AIRLINE MECHANIC CAREERS starthere – Get FAA approved hands on Aviationtraining. Financial aid for qualified students– Job placement assistance. CALL AviationInstitute of Maintenance (866) 564-9634.

MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEED-ED! Become a Medical Office Assistant! NoExperience Needed! Online training can getyou job ready! HS Diploma/GED & PC/Inter-net needed! 1-888-407-7162.

WELDING CAREERS – Hands on train-ing for career opportunities in aviation, auto-motive, manufacturing and more. Financial

aid for qualified students – Job and Housingassistance available. CALL AIM (877) 205-2968.

HELP WANTED

PHONE CALLERS for our Tucker office.Days: Full-time or part-time. Great for senior

citizens. Call Terry at (404) 593-5752 andleave message.

MISCELLANEOUS

Charter Communications. Triple Play Se-lect! TV, Internet & Digital Voice. $29.99/mo.For 12 mos. Sign-up Today – Get FREE DVR.No Contract! Call 1-800-452-7703.

DIVORCE WITH OR WITHOUT chil-dren $125.00. Includes name change and

property settlement agreement. SAVE hun-dreds. Fast and easy. Call 1-888-733-7165,24/7.

SAWMILLS from only $4,397.00 –MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your ownbandmill – Cut lumber any dimension. InStock, ready to ship! FREE info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com. 1-800-578-1363Ext.300N

Meet singles right now! No paid opera-tors, just real people like you. Browse greet-ings, exchange messages and connect live. Tryit free. Call Now 1-800-649-1739.

VACATION

RENTALS

ADVERTISE YOUR VACATION PROP-ERTY, to more than 1 million Georgia news-paper readers. Your 25-word classified ad willappear in over 100 Georgia newspapers foronly $350. Call Jennifer Labon at the GeorgiaNewspaper Service at 770-454-6776 or onlineat www.gapress.org/georgianewspaperservice.html

www.thechampionnewspaper.com


18/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015 Page 18ASPORTS


Like children who loveports, Alan Loper dreamed

of playing professional base-ball.

Although he never had

he opportunity to playprofessionally, he did geto see what it is like to be a

major league ball player athe Braves Fantasy Camp inanuary.

The five-day camp,which is held at BravesSpring Training at ESPN’sWide World of Sports Com-plex in Kissimmee, Fla., al-ows older Braves fans to gethe “ultimate” Braves experi-

ence.Campers get their own

ocker, a uniform and play

on the same fields the Bravespractice on.“It’s just an opportunity

o see how the big leaguesare,” Loper said. “Playingon a major league’s field ispretty different than playingon a high school field. [Thefields] are very well mani-cured. It’s like playing oncarpet.”

Campers also had theopportunity to work withformer Braves players. Therewere more than 10 formerBraves at the camp, includ-ng Javy Lopez, Steve Avery ,

Sid Bream and MarquisGrissom.

“Just talking with themand picking their brainsabout mechanics, how to

hit a little better or throwa little better, or ask themabout their experience in thebig leagues—that was prettycool,” Loper said.

Loper said he enjoyedtalking to Grissom the most.

“He was very approach-able, very knowledgeable,

very low-key and very easyto talk with,” Lober said.

Loper, 56, has been play-ing baseball since he was 8years old at Midway Park.He then went on to playbaseball for Towers HighSchool, where he beganhis coaching career as wellas the junior varsity coachin 1992. He went on toClarkston in 1997 to coachits JV squad, where he spenttwo seasons before going to

Chamblee.He coached Chamblee’sJV baseball team from 1999to 2014. He also plays in amen’s senior baseball league,

where he just finished his25th season. Loper pitchesfor the 45 and older Bulls inthe Atlanta Area Men’s Se-nior Baseball League.

Loper, who played firstbase in high school, got hisfirst shot at pitching at age

30.“It was sort of like a

dream,” he said. “I nevergot the opportunity in highschool. I always thought Ihad a pretty strong arm, andwhen I went to try out forthis new league at age 30 Ithought I would try pitch-ing and it has worked outpretty well. I’ve won over300 games.”

Loper said his love forbaseball started when he be-gan playing sandlot baseballin elementary school.

“I remember playingthere every day of the sum-mer for years and years,”he said. “That’s where it allbegan.”

Although Loper wantedto play in the major leagues,he knew he did not have theskills to make it.

“My foot speed probablywouldn’t have allowed meto play at a higher level,” hesaid. “I’m pretty slow on myfeet, haven’t been blessedwith a lot of speed, butpitchers don’t have to run alot so I’m OK with that.”

If he wants that majorleague experience again hecan go back to the camp,which he plans to do nextyear.

Former DeKalb baseball coachparticipates in Braves Fantasy Camp

by Mark Brock

Two of the top statetournament hopefuls fromDeKalb County flexed theirmuscles in impressive vic-tories at the 2015 Best ofDeKalb Showdown March 7at Tucker.

Stephenson smashed fivehome runs on the way to a12-2 win over rival Redan inthe first game. Coach MarcoJackson’s Stephenson squadalso romped to a 12-2 tri-umph over Newton CountyMarch 4 in going 2-0 on theweek and improving to 2-1overall for the season.

Coach Steve Dennis andthe Columbia Eagles scored

against Tucker for three runsin the bottom of the firstand then to a 6-2 victory inthe nightcap.

Columbia received astellar pitching effort fromsenior Keeshaun Clark inits 6-2 decision over TuckerMarch 7. Clark tossed sixand two-third innings, strik-ing out four and allowingfour hits for the victory.Senior Trent Nash pacedthe Eagle offense, going 2-4with two runs scored, twoRBI and one double. SeniorsJalen Atterburry (2-4),Justin Washington (2-4; 22B), Clark (2-3) and JamalDevine (2-3) also collectedtwo hits each.

Columbia, Stephenson

claim ‘Best of DeKalb’

victories in week 3

ormer DeKalb County baseball coach Alan Loper plays rst base at the Braves Fantasy Camp. Photos pro-ided

Alan Loper

Stephenson pitcher Tekwaan Whyte prepares to throw a pitch.

Columbia pitcher Keeshaun Clark allowed two runs, on eight hits withfour strikeouts and one walk on the mound.

Columbia’s Khaalis King (left) stretches out for rst base as Tucker’sJonathan Beaver makes the catch. Photos by Travis Hudgons


19/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 20, 2015 Page 19ASPORTS

Lakeside freshman pitcher’s debut impressiveby Carla [email protected]

It is not often that a freshmanpitcher starts on opening day.

However, Lakeside freshmanCharlie Ludwick did and turned ina solid performance. Ludwick madehis varsity debut on the mound Feb.21 against Southwest DeKalb andhelped lead his team to a 10-1 win.Ludwick earned the pitching deci-ion, striking out two and allowing

only two hits, one walk and one un-earned run over three innings.

He also finished 1-2 at the plate

with one run and one RBI. Ludwickaid he was a little nervous beforehis debut.

“But on the other [hand] I hado stay focused, play the game and

have fun,” he said“It was awesome,” he said about

earning the decision. “I thought Idid well and thought I deserved it.It felt really good. I was out therehaving a good time, trying not todo too much.”

Ludwick has had two otherstarts this season and has a 2-1record with a 7.22 ERA. He haspitched 10.2 innings and has al-lowed 10 hits, 12 runs and has ninestrikeouts.

He has done well behind theplate this season as well. In eightgames, he has a .304 batting aver-age, seven hits, seven RBIs andthree runs.

Ludwick played at MedlockPark growing up. When he got toLakeside, he said, he did not thinkhe would be starting as a freshman.With three starts under his belt, his

focus is on “staying more relaxed.”He said he is also trying to be a

leader on the team.“[Being a leader] is really good

for me in the future,” he said. “I’vebeen watching the seniors, who areleaders, step up and lead the team.They’re already rubbing off on me.”

With a 6-2 record after eightgames, the team is off to a goodstart as it tries to fulfill its goal ofwinning a state title.

“I hope we make it deep in theplayoffs,” Ludwick said. “We have“State” on the back of our hats be-cause that’s our goal every year.

Personally, I just hope to keep upthe good work this season and getsome good experience.”


St. Pius X’s Asia Durr has againbeen named the Gatorade GeorgiaGirls’ Basketball Player of the Year.

This is the second consecutiveyear Durr has won the award. Theaward is given to a player from eachstate based on athletic productionand impact in the 2014-15 season.

Each winner is also recognized forhis or her academic achievementand exemplary personal character.

Durr led the St. Pius Golden Li-ons to a quarterfinal appearance inthe Class AAAA state tournament

and a 27-4 overall record, including18-0 in regular season region play.The 5-foot-10 senior guard averaged30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds 2.1 assistsand 1.4 steals per game.

Durr shot 51 percent from thefloor and 46 points from three-pointrange. Durr was named 2015 MissGeorgia Basketball for the secondconsecutive year by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club.

Durr finished her career as theleading scorer in school history-male or female-with 2,764 points,706 rebounds, 254 assists, 266 stealsand 75 blocks. She led the Golden

Lions to back-to-back state titles in2013 and 2014.

Durr has also been a member ofthe Team USA U16 and U17 teamsthe past two summers where shewon gold medals with both teams in

2013 and 2014 respectively. She wasthe MVP of the 2013 FIBA AmericasCup Tournament.

Durr will continue her career atUniversity of Louisville.

Asia Durr named Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year

akeside freshman pitcher Charlie Ludwick earned the pitching decision in his varsity debut Feb. 21 against Southwest DeKalb. Photos by Carla Parker

Charlie Ludwick


20/20


LOCAL

Pine Lake eliminates executive sessionsby Ashley [email protected]

On March 9 Pine Lake CityCouncil member George Chidi an-nounced on his Facebook page thathe city had “essentially done away

with executive sessions from this

point forward.”An executive session—some-

imes called a closed meeting—isused to discuss confidential infor-mation such as legal and personnelmatters.

“The city council of Pine Lakehas government bodies are allowedo meet outside of the public’s pres-nce only under a narrow set ofonditions,” Chidi wrote.

“For example, they can have aprivate meeting to discuss hiringnd firing of employees, or to talkbout buying land, or to negotiateheir way through a lawsuit. They

an keep talk about a criminalnvestigation or information thatmight reveal medical informationprivate,” he stated.

Chidi wrote, “We have alwaysntered into executive session with

unanimous votes. And yet, one ofus has chosen repeatedly to disclosehe private information to people

who then broadcast it—in error-idden and slanderous form—on

the In-ternet. So, we’redone withit,” Chidiwrote. “Weno longertrust the

body to beable to keepprivate ourdiscussionsabout le-gal issues

or personnel matters or real estateacquisition. I spoke at length aboutthe breach of trust and what it po-tentially costs us. A majority of thecouncil agrees. Until we know whois responsible, these conversationswill be conducted

Date post:	01-Jun-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	champion-newspaper
View:	218 times
Download:	0 times

Champion FreePress 3-19-15

Documents