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AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 VOL. 13, NO. 4 8 FREE

FREEPRESS A PUBLICATION OF ACE III C OMMUNICATIONS

Octogenarian

re-launchesartistic career

by Gale Horton Gay

Creating art is second na-ture to Corrine Workmaster.

Growing up with parentswho were teachers, she recalls

that the familys dining roomtable was always covered withcrayons and paper. Asked

when she started working asan artist, she replies, Since Ican remember.

Workmaster is now 84years old and following a ca-reer as an artist and a 10-year

hiatus, shes at it againcreat-ing and exhibiting. Her workis on display at The Seen Gal-

Congressman John Lewis received the Medal of Freedom, Americas highestcivilian honor, from President Barack Obama at a ceremony at The White Houseon Feb. 15. Lewis was among the 15 2010 recipients of the Medal of Freedom.He was cited for his work during the Civil Rights Movement. Among those in at-tendance were Atlanta Mayor Kaseem Reid, radio personality Frank Ski, formerfi rst lady Barbara Bush, United States Attorney General Eric Holder and AtlantaFalcons owner Arthur Blank. Photo courtesy of the White House.

Medal of Freedom

Photos by John Hewitt

See Art on Page 15A

by Robert [email protected]

As newly appointed chair-man of the DeKalb CountySchool Boards budget com-mittee, Dr. EugeneWalkerhas some extra motivation tobegin his new duty.

Walker and the other bud-get committee members willbe dealing with a budget thats not expected to have a

shortfall.

I feel good about it andlook forward to it, Walkersaid. This is the fi rst year in awhile were not talking about adefi cit on the front end. Thats

due to good fi nancial decisionsmade at an earlier time. Wewant to clearly minimize a hiton personnel and programs.

Interim school superin-tendent RamonaTyson tolda gathering last week at thestate of the system addressthat there will be no shortfallin the 2011-12 budget andno millage increase. Thesystem entered this schoolyear with an $85 millionshortfall, but trimmed $104

With no budget shortfall, Walkereager to tackle school budget

See Budget on Page 15A

Tyson Walker

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 PAGE 2AneWs

Decatur court clerk arrested

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

DeKalb County Community Development Department

2010 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)

The DeKalb County Community Development Department is preparing to submit its Consolidated

Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) to the United States Department of Housing

and Urban Development (HUD). The report covers the status of activities and programs carried

out through the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment

Partnerships Program (HOME), and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds during the most

recently completed program year that ended December 31, 2010.

The Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report is available for citizens review

and comments from February 24, 2011 through March 10, 2011 at the following address:

DeKalb County Community Development Department

150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330

Decatur, GA 30030Telephone: 404-286-3308 Hearing Impaired (TDD) (404) 286-3336

The office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The document may also be reviewed at the libraries listed below.

Please contact the libraries for hours of operation.

(Written comments should be submitted to the 150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue address.)

All locations are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Chamblee Branch

4115 Clairmont Road, Chamblee

(770-936-1380)

Redan-Trotti Branch

1569 Wellborn Road, Redan(770-482-3821)

Decatur Branch

215 Sycamore Street, Decatur

(404-370-3070)

Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Branch

2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur(404-286-6980)

EQUAL HOUSINGOPPORTUNITY

Former sheriffs employee cleared of chargesby Andrew [email protected]

A former DeKalb Sher-ffs Of ce manager

was found not guilty lastweek of two counts ofacketeering charges,

while her co-defendantwas convicted of thecrime.

Dorcas Jernigan, aformer manager in thecivil process unit of theheriff s of ce, had beenndicted for 81 alleged

acts of theft, forgery,bribery and false swear-ng from November 2007hrough July 2008. A jury

cleared her of the chargeson Feb. 17.

Nathan Hoyte Joneswas convicted on allcharges and will be sen-enced by Superior Court

Judge Daniel Coursey onFeb. 25.

Jones and another indict-ee Shandarrick Barnes,were accused of using theircompany, Refund Solu-

tions, to fraudulently obtainfunds that should have beenreturned to people who hadposted cash bonds.

When a person uses cashfor bond, the money is heldby the sheriffs office untilthe case is completed. Theperson putting up the bondmoney then has five years to

obtain the funds before themoney is turned over to thestate.

Assistant District At-

torney John Melvin saidRefund Solutions had apattern of racketeering.The company would presentforged documents to Jerni-gans unit to fraudulently

obtain funds due to otherpeople, Melvin said.

During the trial Jerni-gans attorney, Keith Ad-

ams, portrayedJernigan as a victimof the fraud of Jonesand Barnes.

Adams said thereis no evidence thatJernigan knew thatthey were creatingforged documents,that she assistedthem in creatingforged documents,that she told themto come and presentthese documents,[or] that she toldanyone to turn ablind eye.

There is not oneshred of evidencethat she was in-volved in their fraud

at all, Adams said.Barnes pled guilty in

2010 for his role and wassentenced to 10 years inprison, 20 years probationand was ordered to pay

$412,000 in restitution.DeKalb SheriffThomas

Brown, who testi ed in thetrial, said he does not regret ring Jernigan because sheviolated policies regardingthe use of his signature onchecks. Jernigan was not al-lowed to use Browns signa-ture stamp on refund checksof $5,000 or more.

My standard operatingprocedure was quite clear,Brown said.

Brown, who originallyhired Jernigan to work inthe jail division, later pro-moted her to manage thecivil process unit, whichholds cash bonds until theassociated court case hasbeen disposed of.

In court on Feb. 15,Brown told the jury thatJernigan was promoted tothe position because heneeded a quick learner to llthe position.

I put her over there spe-ci cally to watch my back,Brown said. She violatedmy trust.

There is not oneshred of evidence that

she was involved intheir fraud at all.

Keith Adams

by Andrew [email protected]

A court clerk with theDecatur Municipal Courthas been charged withfelony theft after attentivecoworkers becamesuspicious about missingfunds.

On Friday, Feb. 18,Sonequa L. James, who

has worked for the courtsince 2006, was arrestedby the Decatur PoliceDepartment for the allegedcrime that occurred withinher capacity as court clerk.

Andrea Arnold,Decaturs assistant citymanager for administrativeservices, said Jamescoworkers becamesuspicious when theydiscovered paperworkfor two deposits but nofunds associated with thepaperwork.

Arnold said a persontold the court that he hadreceived a noti cation

from the Departmentof Driver Services thathis license would besuspended for nonpaymentof a traf c ne. Theindividual was able toproduce a receipt fromJames showing that he hadpaid in cash.

James was suspendedwithout pay on Feb. 14when the investigation

began. She was arrestedon Feb. 18 and hertermination process hasbeen initiated, Arnoldsaid.

The city will nottolerate behavior thatundermines the publicstrust in our government,Arnold said in a pressrelease. We intend toprosecute Ms. James tothe fullest extent possibleunder the law.

Additional chargesmay come from anongoing investigationby the Decatur PoliceDepartment.

News Brief

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www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

Four reghters demotedfor drinking incidentby Robert [email protected]

Four DeKalb CountyFire Rescue employeeswere demoted last weekafter a month-long investi-gation concerning allegeddrinking on duty duringthe January snowstorm.

Assistant ChiefJosephTinsley was demoted tocaptain; Capt. MarcusReed was demoted tworanks to reghter level 2;and re apparatus opera-torWilliam Corbett andreghterJoshua Craw-ford also were demoted,according to Fire ChiefEddie OBrien.

The incident happenedon Jan. 11. Several re-ghters met at SavagePizza in Avondale Estatesfor dinner and consumedalcohol, then most of themwent to Twains Billiards& Tap in Decatur wheremore food and alcoholwere consumed, accordingto the report.

Reed was found guiltyof conduct unbecomingand possession of alcoholat a place of work; Corbettand Crawford also werefound guilty of possessingalcohol at a place of work.

Tinsley was exoner-ated of the charge of con-duct unbecoming and acharge of neglect of dutywas deemed unfounded,according to the report.Tinsley admitted to hav-ing one beer at Twainsand was not intoxicated,which is not a violation ofcompany policy, accord-ing to the report. On theneglect of duty charge, itwas determined that heimmediately notied a

supervisor of his involve-ment in the incident.The investigation

showed that Corbett andCrawford drank alcoholat their re station andwere seen there with openbottles of beer. Reed ad-mitted to having too muchto drink at Savage Pizzaand Twains. The bill atSavage Pizza was $102.81and the bill at Twains was$12.99, according to thereport.

Due to the amount ofalcohol I had consumedwhile at Savage Pizza andat Twains, I dont remem-ber much after leavingTwains, Reed said in the

report. I am ashamed andembarrassed by my ac-tions of that night. I wasway out of line and wayout of control.

Reed, Corbett, Craw-ford and Anthony Smithall had their blood-alcohollevel tested the follow-ing morning because theywere on duty then.

The initial test showedthat Reed had a blood-alcohol level of .054 andCorbett registered .02.DeKalb County PublicSafety has a No Toler-ance policy for any testresult at .02 and higher.Because of the initial testresults, both Corbett and

Reed were placed on ad-ministrative leave withoutpay pending the comple-tion of the investigation.

It was later determinedthat Corbett was not un-t for duty, but he andCrawford were foundguilty of having beer atthe rehouse. On the wayback from Twains to therehouse, Corbett boughta 12-pack of beer andbrought it into the re-house.

Both Corbett andCrawford were founddrinking in the re sta-tion. They went into thecaptains ofce, openeda window and pouredout the beers, but keptthe bottles because theydidnt want the bottles tobe found in the trash cans,according to the report.

Smith was exoneratedof misconduct after headmitted to having beerbut tests revealed he wasnever intoxicated, whichis not a policy violation,according to the report.

A total of 10 reght-ers were investigated forthe incident. Capt. AllenGarcia and Capt. StevyDuke, who were not de-moted, both were foundguilty of misconduct.They did not notify theirchain-of-command andact in a prompt manner toremedy the policy viola-tions that occurred intheir presence.

Deputy ChiefWilliamSmith, who has sinceresigned from the depart-ment, was exonerated onone charge while threeothers were deemed un-founded in the investiga-tion.

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With seven sewer spillssince Feb. 7, DeKalbCounty workers have hadto deal with approximated

395,000 gallons of rawsewage spills so far thisyear.

That makes 38 reportedspills for the rst sevenweeks of 2011. The latestspills include a major onethat occurred on ValentinesDay in the Aviara OaksApartments complex,located at 3200 OakwoodVillage Lane in Chamblee.County workers estimatedthat nearly 18,000 gallons ofsewage spilled.

Rob Clemmons, whoworks for complex and who

reported the spill, said amanhole was overowingand took less than an hourto x the clog which was onthe private property of theapartment complex.

Theres no way it was18,000 gallons, Clemmonssaid of the spill.

A 7,800-gallon spill atthe Hidden Hills Golf andCountry Club at 5001 BifeRoad in Stone Mountain

was caused by grease.County workers used rodsto unstop the blockage.Sewage from this spillentered Snapnger Creek,according to county reports.

Grease and rags in apipe were the cause of a5,660-gallon spill on Feb.7 at 5349 New PeachtreeRoad in Chamblee. Countyreports state that the sewagefrom this spill never reacheda creek or storm drain. Theproperty owners had to calla plumber to the x theproblem.

Two days later, debris ina pipe caused 5,270 gallonsof sewage to spill nearthe Northlake Ofce Parklocated at 3330 NorthlakeParkway. Sewage from this

spill entered Burnt Creek.Other recent spills

include 2,880 gallons at2877 Brandywine Road inAtlanta and a 1,980-gallonspill on Panola IndustrialBoulevard in Lithonia.

Grease was the causeof both incidents. A1,575-gallon spill on Feb.17 on Cottonwood Drivein Decatur was caused bybroken infrastructure.

In December, DeKalbCounty agreed to pay a$453,000 penalty from theEPA for excessive sewagespills. Since 2006, therehave more than 840 countysewer spills.

After a vote last monthby the countys Board ofCommissioners, water andsewer rates will increase

by 11-percent each yearfor three years beginningin 2012. This increase willfund a $1.345 billion projectto x the countys agingwater and sewer system.

2011 sewer spills nearing 400,000 gallons

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FREEPRESS

The Newslady

DeKalb firstsGwen Keyes Fleming

Improve infrastructure, create jobsby Judge Greg Mathis

You have no doubt heard a lot about

President Obamas proposed federalbudget in the news lately. With an eyetoward reducing the nations trillion-plus-dollar defi cit, the president suggestssome diffi cult-to-swallow bud-get cuts while still investing inAmericas future. Its not muchdifferent from what a strug-gling corporation would do, ora family. One of those proposedinvestments would not onlymodernize our nations high-ways and railways, it will alsocreate millions of jobs.

Over the last several years,bridges across the United States

have collapsed, gas lines have explodedand streets have deteriorated to unsafelevels. The president proposes that weshore up our infrastructure and put Amer-icans to work at the same time. How? Byspending just more than $50 billion tobuild a high-speed rail system and by in-vesting slightly more than $330 billion inour nations highways. Obamas advisorsestimate the plan would create more thanfi ve million construction jobs and 10 mil-lion additional jobs in related industries.

Yes, this is a lot of money. However,investing in America and its infrastruc-ture is the smart thing the right thing to do. Americans will be able to travelfrom place to place, knowing that bridges

and roads are sound. High-speed railwill connect towns and cities and, overthe long term, improve our environment

since there will be fewer cars on the road.Lastly, the new jobs this investment willhelp create will bring the unemployment

rate down from its record high levels.Of course, the proposal has its critics.

They say theres no way the governmentcan pay for it. The president thought of

that, too. Currently, the gaso-line tax raises about $35 billiona year. That money is used topay for highway projects. Thepresident wants to use that fundto offset the infrastructure proj-ects and raise additional revenuethrough various other taxes andtolls.

There is no doubt that thepresidents plan is a strong one,with past success to back it up.

The 2009 stimulus package includedmore than $130 billion in infrastructurespending; this spending created 8 millionjobs. So we know this is the right way togo. Money spent now, would improve theeconomyand our bridges and roadsandposition the country for a more prosper-ous future.

Write your Congress men and women;tell them to support the presidents planto create jobs by improving our nationsinfrastructure. Visit www.usa.gov if youneed help locating your elected offi cialscontact information.

Judge Greg Mathis currently provideslegal advice to more than three million

listeners on the Steve Harvey MorningShow and also on his website, www.ask-judgemathis.com.

Mathis

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS

NEWSPAPER

When she took the oath ofoffice in January 1999, GwenKeyesFleming made DeKalbCounty history as the first AfricanAmerican, the first female and theyoungest solicitor general. Latern 2005, the New Jersey native

would become the first AfricanAmerican and first female districtattorney of DeKalb County.

She was re-elected

o the post in 2008. LastSeptember, President Obamasadministration tapped KeyesFleming to head up theEnvironmental ProtectionAgencys Southeast Region. Asdistrict attorney, Gwen managedan $11 million budget, 13,000

cases a year and 165 employees.As EPA administrator for theSoutheast Region, Keyes Flemingis responsible for eight states,

including Georgia, and six tribalnations.Keyes Fleming is a woman

of stellar achievements modeledfrom a rich family history. Herlate father was one of the famedTuskegee Airmen, which wasa source of great pride. KeyesFleming takes great pride in hercommunity involvement. Thereis not room here to list all of herawards and recognitions. Thereare some programs and projectsshe initiated that became apassion.

During her first term asdistrict attorney she created a pre-

trial diversion program, expandedservices for victims and createda unit focusing on crimes againstwomen that was a continuationof her commitment as solicitorgeneral to fight domesticviolence. While solicitor, KeyesFleming increased resources in

the Domestic Violence Unit andincreased use of the offices ElderAbuse and Consumer Fraud Unitsby obtaining numerous federal

awards and grants.In 1999, Keyes Flemingcoordinated a pilot project withthe DeKalb County SchoolBoard called DUI: Truth andConsequences. A judge heldcourt in a local high school andintroduced students to the legalconsequences of risky drivingbehavior. A pilot video thatgrew out of that project receivedinternational acclaim and is stillused today.

Also in 1999, Gwen initiateda faith-based coalition to enddomestic violence in DeKalbCounty. The project was designed

to not only educate members ofthe faith community about thedynamics of domestic violenceand the counseling resourcesavailable, but also providetraining and assistance toreligious leaders who wished toestablish their own counseling

programs or shelter facilities.Keyes Fleming received a

bachelor of science degree infinance from Douglass College,

the all womens college affiliatedwith Rutgers University.Later, she attended the Emory

University School of Law andgraduated in 1993. The GeorgiaAssociation of Women Lawyerspresented Keyes Fleming with itsOutstanding Law Student Awardfor high academic achievement,dignity, integrity and commitmentto the law. Keyes Fleming ismarried to Randall Fleming andthey have two young sons. KeyesFleming has her place in DeKalbCounty history. Its fair to predictthat there is some national firstin her future.

Steen Miles, The Newslady,is a retired journalist and formerGeorgia state senator. ContactSteen Milies at [email protected].

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 PAGE 4AOPINION

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Raise my taxes, please!William C. Crane, 1974-1992 One Mans Opinion C. William Bill Crane, 2009 - ?

The only things certain in lifeare death and taxes.Benjamin Franklin, in a letter toJean-Baptiste Leroy (Nov. 13, 1789)

No one, including me, likes topay taxes. On the other hand, we allwant safe streets and neighborhoods,quality schools and working infra-structure. Those things all cost lotsof money. The question of course

remains how much is too much, andwhen do good government pro-grams and initiatives grow into theunsustainable monstrosities, whichmany have become? I wont havehat answer for you today.

DeKalb County, despite its morehan occasional fl aws, operates aeaner-than-many county govern-

ment. Our public services are notperfect, but having lived in manyother municipalities and counties,ours are more reliable and responsivehan most. DeKalb CEOBurrell

Ellis, as well as commissioners, ad-mirably cobbled together a budgetast year that did notrequire a tax in-

crease. It should also be noted, thatby a margin of one vote, the DeKalbCounty School Board also held theline in 2010.

The federal stimulus funds are

gone, or soon will be spent. Georgiais facing its tightest state budget indecades. Many counties across thecountry, now paying the price of badmanagement in good timesor thecosts of promises they cant keep(such as sky-rocketing employeehealth care and pension funds)arenow leading many local govern-ments to the brink of bankruptcy.

A stark reality of politics, de-spite Mr. Franklins wise words ofmore than two centuries ago, is thattax increases are never popular andmany an incumbent has been oustedfor supporting same. That brings

us to the brink of a vote on DeKalbCountys 2011-12 budget as cur-rently presented by DeKalb CEOEllis, and awaiting changes and afi nal approval by the DeKalb CountyCommission.

The budget offered by the CEOrequires a millage rate increase of2.32 mills. Balancing the budgetwithout that increase will require anadditional $28 million in budget cuts.The majority of those dollars wouldcome out of DeKalbs public safetybudgets. The water department isfunded directly by its customersand related bond issuances, and theschool systems funding comes from

the property taxes paid to the DeKalbCounty tax commissioner and sepa-rate millage rates set by the DeKalbSchool Board.

DeKalb SheriffTom Brown (a

longtime fi scal conservative whotypically returns unspent funds tothe commission each year), andDeKalbs new district attorney, Rob-ertJames, are joining the CEO inadvocating for this slight millageincrease to avoid drastic cuts in thecourts and public safety budgets.

It should be noted, without blam-ing the DeKalb Police Departmentor Sheriff s Offi ce that murders inDeKalb County in 2010 rose by analarming 41 percent. Solving andprosecuting those cases will also re-quire a strong police department andjudiciary. The trial load in county

courts during 2010 increased 22 per-cent, and is expected to rise another12 percent during 2011. Delayedcriminal trials could likely exposethe county to additional litigationcosts brought on by the lack of ac-cess to a speedy trial.

County voters are unlikely tosupport another Special PurposeLocal Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)in the near term, and record foreclo-sures and bankruptcies unfortunatelywill place the burden of paying thesebills on a decreasing number ofDeKalb taxpayers and households.That is clearly unfortunate too, butlife is simply not fair. Unless we

choose a path of decline, deteriora-tion and fi scal irresponsibility, weneed to look to our leadership, andthe DeKalb County Commission tomake the tough choices as we move

ahead together. Better economictimes are ahead. This millage rateincrease may be rolled back in a yearor three, but to hold our ground andmaintain our community this year weall need to dig a little bit deeper.

Clearly, there is fat still to betrimmed in some areas, particularlyamong executive salaries, and hid-den benefi ts or golden parachutesupon their departure. Review ofthose concerns does not end with thisbudget. But the law requires a newand approved budget within a mat-ter of days. And when we leave ourhouses next Monday, we expect our

schools to be open, and our streets tobe safe. When we turn on the water,we expect it to fl ow. Keeping thoseexpectations turning into daily realitywill require a bit more self-sacrifi cefor the next few years, so Mr. CEOand commissions, raise our millagerate ever so slightly, if you please.

Bill Crane is a DeKalb Countynative and business owner, living inScottdale, Georgia. He also servesas chief political analyst and com-mentator for 11Alive News and WSBRadio, News/Talk 750. Contact BillCrane at [email protected].

www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 A Section Page 5A

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Page 6A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

My favorite Republican

by Donald Kaul

Columnist

Eisenhower's farewell address sounds like aspeech not merely from another era but fromanother planet.

Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper

The following comments are pulled straight from our website andare not edited for content or grammar.

Avondale Publix development on hold

IDevelopments are BUST from Downtown At-lanta to Buckhead to Brookhaven but the DeKalbCEO Burrell Ellis is in Washington DC on my dimewasting my money trying once again to revive theDoraville GM Property Bad Deal !

Have you ever been in that area during Morningand Evening Traffi c ? If the existing roads couldnot handle the GM Employees with extra traffi chow can the area handle the traffi c from any grandplan from CEO Little Lord Faunteroy ?

Iva Ben Hadd posted this on 2/16/11 at 5:48 p.m.

Old school becomes new movie set

Great question cynic, perhaps it will be used topay the new public relations person. Since Im surehis salary is twice that of the former person DaleDavis. Or maybe DCSS wont have to cut morejobs from the bottom to pay Tysons salary? Ormaybe they will use the money to pay for the redis-tricting scam and the superintendent scam searchsince Tyson is the boards Girl! More of the sameBlack on Black crime. Stay tuned DeKalb!

Loreen Booker Brown posted this on 2/16/11 at6:56 p.m.

It would have been nice to include in this storyhow much DCSS is being paid for the use of thisschool, and where those $ are going.

cynic posted this on 2/13/11 at 9:52 a.m.

Proposed county budget cuts fi ve recreationcenters

As for the recreation centers - good riddance. Ihave spent 50 years in DeKalb and never usedthem once. They are largely irrelevant.

The Evangelist posted this on 2/18/11 at 7:30

p.m.

Theres been a gooddeal happening latelyneeding immediate at-ention, but its not tooate to recognize the 50th

anniversary of one of ourgreat presidential speech-esDwight D. Eisenhow-ers farewell address.

The only part of itmuch remembered is hisadmonition to avoid un-warranted influence byhe military-industrial

complex. Thered been

a military-industrialcomplex operating sinceWorld War I, but Ike washe first to name it.

Whats striking abouthe speech today is itsone of balance and mod-

eration. It sounds like apeech not merely from

another era but from an-other planet.

Near the top the presi-dent said:

Like every othercitizen, I wish the newPresident [John F. Ken-nedy, a Democrat] andall who will labor withhim Godspeed. I pray thathe coming years will be

blessed with peace andprosperity for all.

Our people expectheir president and the

Congress to find essentialagreement on questionsof great moment, the wiseesolution of which will

better shape the future ofhe nation.

Can you imagine aRepublican leader sayingomething like that now?

Not if the leader is MitchMcConnell, John Boeh-ner, Sarah Palin, JonKyl orEric Cantor. Hadke been that kind of Re-

publican hed have said:I want our new presidento be a one-term president

and I expect our party inCongress to work to makehim so.

Eisenhower was thevery model of Republican

probity (yes, Virginia,there was such a thingback then) and somethingof a national father figure.As a five-star general andthe commander of AlliedForces in Europe, he ledus to victory in WorldWar II. As president, he

brought an end to the un-popular armed conflict inKorea.

He had perhaps thebest campaign slogan ofany American politician:I Like Ike. And we did.Even liberals liked himpersonally, if not politi-cally.

His farewell had a kindof Polonius lilt (Neithera borrower nor a lenderbe), embodying time-honored conservativeprinciplesidealism, cau-

tion and moderation.Throughout Amer-icas adventure in freegovernment, he said,[our] basic purposeshave been to keep thepeace; to foster progressin human achievementand to enhance lib-erty, dignity and integrityamong peoples and na-tions.

Then he warnedagainst overreaching:

There is a recurringtemptation to feel thatsome spectacular and

costly action could be-come the miraculous solu-tion to all current difficul-tiesBut each proposalmust be weighed in lightof a broader consider-ation; the need to main-tain balance in and amongnational programs.Good judgment seeks bal-ance and progress; lack ofit eventually finds imbal-ance and frustration.

His warning againstthe military-industrialcomplex took only amoment of the speech,but carried the testi-mony of a man whoselife had been devoted

to military service:We have been com-

pelled to create a perma-nent armaments industryof vast proportionsInthe councils of govern-ment, we must guardagainst the acquisition of

unwarranted influence,whether sought or un-sought by the military-in-dustrial complex. The po-tential for the disastrousrise of misplaced powerexists and will persist.

The speech is a virtualcritique of the present. Al-most everything he fearedwould happen, happened.

I wasnt a fan of Eisen-hower as president. Hewas too conservative forme, too ineloquent. I castmy first vote against him.

I cant imagine whatI was thinking. For allhis faults, Ike was a finepresident. If one were toseek to name his lastingaccomplishments, oneneeds look no further thanthe Interstate highwaysystem, the largest publicworks program in our his-tory.

Yet far more than that,he was the last Americanpresident able to look themilitary-industrial com-plex in the eye and makeit blink. For that, if for

nothing else, we shouldhonor him and rememberhis words.

A perfect president?Hardly. But a damn goodone.

OtherWords columnistDonald Kaul lives in AnnArbor, Michigan. www.otherwords.org

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Michael and Eunice ShinnChampion of the Week

If you would like to nominate someone to

be considered as a future Champion of the

Week, please contactKathy Mitchellat

[email protected] or at404-373-7779, ext. 104.

Gail Smith feels thatthe work her pastor andhis wife, Michael andEunice Shinn, do in

the community goes sofar beyond what wouldnormally be expected ofpeople in their positionthat they deserve spe-cial recognition.

I know people wouldsay that these arethings a church is sup-pose to do, and theyreright, but their effortsmake it possible for usto do so much more.We have no money;what we have is Pas-tor Shinn and his wife,

Smith said. She addedthat because of thetime and effort theyput in New World Har-vest Church in StoneMountain, which hasbeen around for a littlemore than 10 years, iseven able to help otherchurches.

We could neverforget where Godbrought us from andthe many days ourparents struggled tomake ends meet for ourfamily. During those

days families along withchurches would cometogether to assist othersless fortunate than ourfamily, Michael Shinn

said. Now days thedemand has becomegreater and of coursethe middle class and

poor always get hit thehardest.

Among the projectsthat keep the Shinnsbusy are ones thatprovide food baskets,clothing and healthinformation in the com-munity. They host Fri-day night family movienights and give awayback-to-school items inthe fall and toys duringthe Christmas season.

They are especiallyinterested in the well

being of children in lo-cal shelters, schools,hospitals and the StoneMountain community.They seek to providelove, acceptance, guid-ance and encourage-ment to those whomay have felt abused,abandoned, overlookedor misunderstood,according to MichaelShinn.

They also help theyouth build their self-es-teem by teaching themhow to improve their

problem-solving abili-ties, how to interact withothers socially, and beprepared for the workforce, the couple said.

Chamblees annexation brings changesby Andrew [email protected]

A year ago during histate of the city address,

Chamblee MayorEricClarkson told the city thathere might be a referendum

on annexation on the ballotsn November 2010.

The vote came and 58percent of the residents inhe Huntley Hills area votedo be annexed into the city.

In this years address be-fore the Chamblee BusinessAssociation, Clarkson saidhe recently annexed area

now has a governmenthats much closer to the

people.After adding 6,000 resi-

dents and 1.5 square mileso the city, Chamblee startshe year off approximately

50 percent larger. Beforethe annexation, the city wasapproximately 3.5 squaremiles with about 12,000residents.

There were some folksthat were not in favor of it[the annexation] and putout a fairly large campaignto try to stop it, Clarksonsaid.

Clarkson, who has beenChamblees part-timemayor since 2005, said hehas received several e-mailsfrom new residents who saythey are pleased with theirnew municipal residency.

Because of the an-nexation, Chamblee had tohire additional employeesbringing its workforce to104. Among the additionalworkers, the city hired 12police ofcers and four 911

ofcers.The citys 2011 budget

is $13 million and Cham-blee is expected to bringin $13.7 million, Clarksonsaid. With the $700,000in unbudgeted funds, thecity will be able have ap-proximately $2.4 million inreserves.

Were still below wherethe city would like to be,Clarkson said.

Clarkson said he hopesChamblee ofcials will beable to lower the 7.95-mill-age rate later this year.

Its just a shame thatweve had to balance ourbudget on the backs of ourproperty owners, Clarksonsaid. For just way too longnow the millage has goneup. I think that it is time forit to come back down.

Chamblee mayor Eric Clarkson speaks to the Chamblee Business Association about the positive

changes that have happened in the city since annexation. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

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The weapons wereused in various felonies inDeKalb County and con s-cated by the investigatingjurisdiction, James said.

After the district attorneysof ce gets a conviction incases involving weapons,the weapons are usually

held for a few years untilthe appellate process hasended. Some of the weap-ons destroyed were from10-year-old cases.

We are ecstatic about taking these weaponsoff the streets [and] gettingthem destroyed, James

said. Were lessening theopportunity for bad peopleto do bad things with theseweapons.

James said that althoughthe weapons were just a

fraction of those availableon the streets, each onecon scated makes DeKalbsafer.

By taking these off thestreets, I believe DeKalb isa safer place, James said.Were safer 200 times.

James said that many ofthe weapons were obtainedillegally by repeat offenders.

These arent Boy Scoutscommitting these offenses,James said. These are peo-ple who have been in prisonbefore. Theyre not gettingthese weapons at Walmart.Theyre not getting theseweapons at a reputable pawnshop. Theyre buying theseweapons off the street.

District attorney destroys 200 weaponsy Andrew [email protected]

Three years ago, TajuanGurvin, 22 of Decatur, wento an apartment complex in

Clarkston, and red an AR-5 assault ri e in the air. Hehen entered an apartmentnd held ve people captive

while threatening to shoothem. Gurvin assaulted onef the victims with the buttf the weapon before eeinghe scene.

Gurvin was later ap-rehended, convicted andentenced to 10 years forggravated assault, falsemprisonment, burglary andriminal damage to property.

The weapon he used inhe crime was one of 200

evolvers, ri es and semi-utomatic con scated gunset to be destroyed by the

DeKalb County district at-orneys of ce.

We have entirely toomany weapons on thestreets, said District Attor-ney Robert James duringa press conference Feb. 17.When you have weap-

ons on the streets, badpeople gain access tothose weapons and theydo bad things.

The weapons will beshredded at Newell Re-cycling in Doraville.

We basically recyclethem as scrap metal,James said. Theyregone and youll neversee these weapons againon the streets after weredone.

Every time we take agun off the streetthatsone less gun that can be

used against a youngmother or a police of ceror someone caught in thecross re when theyre goingto church, James said.

DeKalb District Attorney Robert James handles one of the 200 confiscated weapons set to be destroyed by James office. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

By taking these offthe streets, I believe

DeKalb is a saferplace.

Robert James

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Outsourcing provides best health care for inmates

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

School DecommissioningPublic Hearings

DeKalb County School System proposes to decommission six education facilities: (1) Atherton ES, (2) Glen Haven ES, (3) Gresham Park ES, (4) Peachcrest ES,

(5) Medlock ES, and (6) Sky Haven ES and to place two schools in inactive status: (1) Avondale MS and (2) Avondale HS. Students from these schools will berelocated to other existing nearby schools, as listed in Table 1 and Table 2, and this will take place by August 2011 for the 2011-2012 school year. Theproposed use for each affected building is listed below in Table 1.

All existing school sizes and grade configurations will remain the same and no new facilities or expansion of existing facilities are proposed as part of theserelocations and closures. Attendance lines will be redrawn for some of the receiving schools and their adjacent schools in order to accommodate the relocatedstudents within each existing schools capacity limits.

Thursday, March 3, 2011 6:30 P.M.Administrative and Instructional Complex Board Room

1701 Mountain Industrial BoulevardStone Mountain, GA 30083

Tuesday, March 1, 2011 6:30 P.M.Administrative and Instructional Complex Board Room

1701 Mountain Industrial BoulevardStone Mountain, GA 30083

Table 2. Receiving Schools, Size and Configuration

Receiving

Schools

Address

2010-11 EnrollmentAfter School

Decommissioning

Configuration

Avondale ES 10 Lakeshore Dr Avondale Estates, GA 30002 593 PK-5

Bethune MS 5200 Covington Highway, Decatur, GA 30035 1,002 6-8Canby Lanes ES 4150 Green Hawk Trail, Decatur, GA 30035 650 PK-5Clarkston HS 618 N. Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston, GA 30021 1,399 9-12Clifton ES 3132 Clifton Church Rd. S.E. Atlanta, GA 30316 466 PK-5

Druid Hills HS 1798 Haygood Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30317 1,334 9-12Flat Shoals ES 3226 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur, GA 30034 533 PK-5Freedom MS 505 South Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088 1,119 6-8Laurel Ridge ES 1215 Balsam Drive, Decatur, GA 30033 342 PK-5McLendon ES 3169 Hollywood Drive, Decatur, GA 30033 512 PK-5

McNair DLA ES 2162 Second Avenue, Decatur, GA 30032 984 PK-5Meadowview ES 1879 Wee Kirk Road, Atlanta, GA 30316 404 PK-5Midway ES 3318 Midway Rd, Decatur, GA 30032 734 PK-5

Rowland ES 1317 S. Indian Creek Drive, Stone Mountain, GA 30083 479 PK-5Druid Hills MS 3100 Mount Olive Drive, Decatur, GA 30033 1,082 6-8Snapfinger ES 1365 Snapfinger Road, Decatur, GA 30032 926 PK-5Towers HS 3919 Brookcrest Circle, Decatur, GA 30032 1,109 9-12

Table 1. Decommissioned Schools

School Building Address2010-11 Resident Students

Transferred and Where Proposed Use of Building Funding/Source

1. Atherton ES1674 Atherton DriveDecatur, GA 30035

Canby Lane ES (76), Rowland ES (143),and Snapfinger ES (81)

Decommission Facility $0

2. Glen Haven ES1402 Austin DriveDecatur, GA 30032

Midway ES (320), Rowland ES (80), andSnapfinger ES (15)


3. Gresham Park ES1848 Vicki Ln, SEAtlanta, GA 30316

Clifton ES (27), Flat Shoals ES (49),McNair DLA ES (21), and

Meadowview ES (88)Decommission Facility $0

4. Peachcrest ES1530 Joy LaneDecatur, GA 30032

Midway ES (85) and Knollwood ES (127) Decommission Facility $0

5. Medlock ES2418 Wood Trail LaneDecatur, GA 30033

Avondale ES (71), Laurel Ridge ES (60),and McLendon ES (104)


6. Sky Haven ES1372 Sky Haven Rd, SEAtlanta, GA 30316

McNair DLA ES (159) andMeadowview ES (51)


7. Avondale MS3131 Old Rockbridge RdAvondale Estates, 30002

Bethune MS (293), Freedom MS (8),Shamrock MS (184)

Put in inactive status $0

8. Avondale HS1192 Clarendon RoadAvondale Estates, GA 30002

Clarkston HS (4), Druid Hills HS (174),Towers HS (374)

Put in inactive status $0

by Nigel Roberts

The United States Supreme Courtdeclared more than three decadesago that prisoners have a constitu-ional right to quality health care. At

a time when budgets are tight andhealth care costs are skyrocketing,ounty of cials seek the best way toomply with the law while spendingax dollars wisely.

Outsourcing inmate health care,aid DeKalb County SheriffThom-

as Brown, is the most cost effectiveuse of public funds. In January, thedepartment contracted with CorrectCare Solutions, a Nashville Tenn.-based company, to provided healthare to county jail inmates.

CCS services, which includemedical, dental and mental health,

ost the county about $13 million ayear. Its expensive, said Brown,but the law requires that we pro-

vide quality health care to our pris-oners.

Brown said he could not recalla time during his long career whenhealth care was handled in-house.But he estimated that in-househealth care would cost perhapsa little less than the amount theounty pays CCS. However, sev-ral factors, including recruitment

and purchasing liability insurance,would drive up our in-house costs,he explained. By outsourcing, themedical vendor assumes the re-ponsibility for medical malpracticeuits. This protects the Sheriffs

Department and the taxpayers,Brown continued.

After declining to renew its con-ract with a different health care

vendor, the department signed a ve-year contract with CCSthethird-largest correctional health careprovider in the country.

On a typical day, CCS healthcare providers have more than3,000 patient contacts, said PatrickCummiskey, a CCS executive vicepresident in charge of client de-velopment. These patient contactsinclude screening new inmates, sick

call service, daily medication ad-ministration, chronic care manage-ment, medical records management,chronic care management and otherservices.

This patient population is oftenskewed toward individuals who

have not traditionally taken goodcare of themselves, said Cummis-key. This is often driven by mentalillness, challenges with addiction orsimply limited access to health careservices.

He added that inmates typicallycome from a segment of the generalpopulation that is noncomplianton their treatments or newly di-agnosed. Consequently, DeKalbs

inmates, as well as other prison pop-ulations, tend to have a higher thanaverage rate of chronic illness, HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases,Cummiskey explained.

Providing a higher level of healthcare to inmates than many in the

general population have is oftencontroversial. Nevertheless, thecourts have been largely steadfastin protecting prisoners health carerights. The constitutional underpin-ning of the Supreme Courts 1976decision in Estelle v. Gamble is thatan inmates untreated illness couldresult in pain and sufferinga vio-lation of the Eighth Amendmentprohibition of cruel and unusualpunishment.

As Cummiskey explained, Na-tionally, incarcerated populationstend to be very litigious. Lawsuitsand complaints from inmates andinmate advocacy organizations haveled courts throughout the nation tointervene on the behalf of prisoners.In some instances, the courts haveordered jails and prisons to increase

staf ng or to enlarge its range ofhealth care services.Brown said he had concerns

about the quality of care the previ-ous health care vendor provided.Our previous medical providerfailed to meet our standards of per-formance measures, he said, andthat didnt serve the taxpayers.

So far, the sheriff is pleased withthe quality of care CCS providesto county inmates. He highlightedthat the company is a leader in theelectronic medical records industryand has made signi cant progresstoward transforming the jails oldpaper les. The sheriff said the com-pany also impressed him when itproactively placed its staff in ho-tels near the jail so that they couldreport to work during Januarys in-clement weather.

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Traffic accident victim

ran red light, police say

Leaders discuss state of Black DeKalbby Andrew [email protected]

Many of the ills of theBlack community have oc-curred because of the negli-gence of Blacks, accordingo one community leader.

We as a people have al-owed a whole lot of thingso take place in our commu-

nity, said Gil Turman, pres-dent of the South DeKalb

Neighborhood Coalition.Community leaders have

allowed drug businesseso thrive and have turned a

blind eye to people casingheir neighborhoods, prepar-ng to rob homes, he said.

These comments came

Feb. 21 during one of sevenpanel discussions on TheState of Black DeKalb: HowFar Have We Come? Theevent, sponsored by DeKalbCounty CommissionerStanWatson in recognitionof Black History Month,brought together an estimat-ed 200 Black government,chool, business and commu-

nity leaders.There were panel discus-

ions on education, econom-c development, community,eligion, health care, politics

and the future of DeKalb.Charles Peagler, presi-

dent of the Kings Ridge Ho-meowners Association, saidconcerned DeKalb residentsmust participate in all levelsof schools, churches andgovernment to make DeKalb

a solid community.Go to the PTA meeting

whether you have a child inthat school or not, Peaglersaid. Go to your homeown-

ers association and voiceyour opinion. Participate inyour government. Voting isone of those things that makeyour neighborhoods strong.

Community is foremosta mindset, said John Leak,of the Columbia Valley com-munity.

When you ask Whitepeople where they live, theysay I live in Druid Hills,Leak said. You ask Blackpeople, they say Well, I stayover by South DeKalb Mall.Theres a difference in liv-ing and staying. And for ourcommunities to improve, wehave to live in our commu-nities. Live, work, play andshop.

During the panel dis-cussion on community,John Evans, president ofDeKalbs NAACP, said thatmany problems in the county

would improve if the countywere cleaner, aestetically.

Our communities are notclean, Evans said. If youdont have a clean commu-nity, nobody wants to comeinto your community. If itsnot clean it saysdontcome in here.

Evans said that cleanli-ness does not require much

funding.You dont have to have

a whole lot of money to dothat, Evans said. Grandmaused to sweep the dirt in the

front yard just to keep itclean.

James Murphy, ofthe Churchill DownsCivic Association, saidone problem in the com-munity is that parentsand leaders need to havemore of an interest in thelives of young people.

We have to teachour young people corevalues, and we have tobring them to a placewhere they understandwhat integrity is, Mur-

phy said.Commenting duringthe religion panel discus-

sion, Timothy McDonald,pastor of First Iconium Bap-tist Church, said the Blackchurch is still the hope of thecommunity.

Weve got everything weneed to begin to solve ourproblems in the church, butwere underutilized, Mc-Donald said. Teachers andbusiness leaders need to join

churches in addressing theproblems of the Black com-munity, he added.

However, Andre Grier,pastor of Union Mission-ary Baptist Church, said thechurch is not the answer toevery problem in the com-munity.

You want us to solve thecrime problem. You wantus to solve the domesticviolence problem. You wantus to have all the answersto political and social andeconomic needs, Grier said.But we need help. We arenot the end all, be all for ev-ery ill in our society.

Grier said that he hopesand prays that the Black

church is still a viable part ofthe community.If it is not, I think that all

of us are in trouble, Griersaid.

In a summary commentduring his panel, Peagler saidDeKalb County is one of thegreatest counties in the na-tion.

Im not going anywhereuntil I retire and cant paythese high millage rates,Peagler said.

Weve got everythingwe need to begin tosolve our problems inthe church, but were

underutilized.


The woman whose car struck a DeKalb County Policecruiser last weekend ran a red light, according to the policedepartments initial investigation, spokeswoman MekkaParish said.

The driver of the car, Cheryl Blount, 51, and 56-year-old Shelley Amos were killed after the vehicle T-boned thepatrol car of of cerKristina Hambie.

Hambie was driving westbound on Covington Highwayust outside Avondale Estates when her cruiser was struck

by a 2001 Nissan Altima driven by Blount, according topolice. Amos was pronounced dead at the scene and Blountdied after being taken to an area hospital.

Drugs or alcohol were not a factor in the accident, ac-cording to Parish. It is not known how fast Blount was trav-eling when her car struck Hambies vehicle, she said.

Hambie was taken to an area hospital for injuries, but isrecovering at home. She is on leave while recovering, Par-sh said. The nature of Hambies injuries is not known, Par-sh said.

Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd, right, and a few Trees Atlanta volunteers kick-off tree planting festivi-ties at Decatur Cemetery on Feb. 18, Georgias Arbor Day.

Timothy McDonald

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At rst glance, WesleyRuland thought he had justbid $75 for a heap of trash.

The 10-feet by 20-feetstorage unit was piled witholls of carpet backing, a

washer and dryer in ap-parently poor condition,electronics with the cordscut and garbage bags full ofmiscellaneous junk.

Looks like Ill be doinggood to get the $75 back,Ruland said before enteringhe unit.

But after rummaging

hrough the unit with busi-ness partnerDoug Jordan,he Redan High School

graduate was more hopeful.There were mattresses thatmay be able to be salvaged,wo pieces of furniture that

may be sellable after a goodcleaning and some interest-ng smaller items, includ-ng an old-fashioned rotary

phone and an articial cusree.

This is a classic exam-ple of getting your money to

work for you, Ruland said.If we can get these chairscleaned up and if the mat-tresses are in good shape, itmight be worth something.

Ruland won one of fourauctions held recently atStorage World on Panthers-ville Road in Decatur. Thebusiness holds monthly auc-tions on units that have beendefaulted on by renters.

Rulands unit was thelargest up for bid at the mostrecent auction, but it drewthe lowest bid. Three other10-by-10 units were won for$300, $135 and $220.

Since the debut of the

popular A&E televisionshow Storage Wars, interestin the auctions has doubled,said Storage World managerLatasha Dozier.

The auctions are a neces-sary part of the business, butit is not something Dozierand her employees take joyin. The down economy hasincreased the number of de-faulted units.

Weve been here since2004 and we used to getabout 25 to 30 people at

the auctions. Now we getaround 50, Dozier said.

If no payment has beenmade on a unit after 60days, the lien process be-gins, Dozier said. They cansell the contents of a unit ifno payment has been madeafter 90 days.

For the most recent auc-tion, the businesss parkinglot was full with trucks andtrailers nearly 30 minutesbefore the auction began.Vehicles also were lined upon the shoulder of Panthers-ville Road as more than 60people came to try to nd

hidden treasure.Before the auction be-

gins, interested buyers areallowed to walk past theopen door of a unit, but arenot allowed to go in a unit.

We average about10 units up for auctioneach month, Dozier said.Weve had as many as 15units up for auction and thebids can get into the thou-sands for a 5 by 10 unit.

After a few minutes ofinvestigating their unit, Ru-land and Jordan were happyat the prospect of doublingtheir $75 investment. Both

men live in McDonough andtake anything of value theynd at auctions to a largeea market in McDonoughto sell.

Ruland, who is in the realestate business, has beenbidding on storage units forabout a year since leavingthe Army.

I was inspired by theTV show, he said. Youdbe surprised at what peoplewill buy. We had one unitthat had 30 or 40 bags fullof clothes, and people werebuying entire bags.

TV show causes spike in storage unit auctions

Your competitor is likely a member!DeKalb Chamber of Commerce

100 Crescent Center Pkwy., Suite 680. Tucker, GA 30084 (404) 378-8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

PUBLIC NOTICE

The proposed Capital Improvement budgets for the City of Pine Lake will be availablefor public review at the Pine Lake City Hall, 462 Clubhouse Drive, Pine Lake, Georgia

during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, beginning the week of February

28, 2011.

The City Council for the City of Pine Lake will conduct a Public Hearing to solicit citizen

input on the proposed budgets during the regular City Council meeting scheduled for

March 14, 2011, beginning at 7:30 PM. The Public Hearing will be held in the

Courtroom/Council Chambers located at 459 Pine Drive, Pine Lake, GA 30072.

All interested citizens are invited to attend and be heard.

Wesley Ruland found an old-fashioned phone among the pile of items in a storage unit he and business partner Doug Jordan won recently at the monthly auction at StorageWorld in Decatur. Photos by Robert Naddra

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Photo by Travis Hudgons

GEORGIAPOWER.COM

Congratulations to anAmerican Hero.

To be granted the highest civilian ho nor, is not only a testament to his work, bu t proof that his struggles were

not in vain. Georgia Power is proud to congratulate Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Civil Rights

leader and Congressman, Representative John Lewis.

Setback does not stopDunwoodys music hall effortsby Andrew [email protected]

Despite getting a setbackfrom the Dunwoody CityCouncil, its still full steamahead for a bid to bring theGeorgia Music Hall of Fameo the city.

Dunwoodys city councilon Feb. 15 voted down aplan to raise its hotel exciseax by 1 percent. Under the

proposal, revenue from theax would have collected

$1.2 million over threeyears. That money wouldhave been used to help -nance the Georgia MusicHall of Fame.

But members of the Dun-woody Music Conservancy,organized to try to bring thehall to Dunwoody, are notgiving up the ght.

Were still movingahead as forcefully as westarted, said Danny Ross,chairman of the conservancyand a Dunwoody city coun-cilman. Ross did not voteon the hotel tax increasebecause of his role with theconservancy.

This is the right thing forour community and we needo make this happen, Ross

said.Currently, the hall of

fame, which opened in 1996,s located in Macon, the

birthplace ofLittle Richard,Otis Redding and Southernrock. The hall of fame at-racts approximately 20,000

visitors annually and is de-pendent on state funding.

Because of the states -nancial troubles, lawmakersare planning to stop subsi-dizing the hall. In addition toDunwoody, representativesfrom Athens, Woodstock and

Macon are bidding to get thehall.

The Dunwoody MusicConservancy wanted the taxncrease to show that it had

money in hand and supportfrom the city government.

All of the other biddershad money in hand, Rosssaid. Our proposal was al-ways to fund it through pri-vate sources. Im very con -dent we can raise funds.

Ross said he and othermembers of the conservancyhave extensive experience

raising large amounts ofmoney. One member, Wil-iam McCahan, served as

chief marketing of cer forhe 1996 Olympics in At-anta, raising more than $900

million.Ross said the citys ve

hotels supported the taxbecause of the tourists theMusic Hall of Fame wouldbring to the city.

It gives them a venuethey can promote, Rosssaid.

Ross said he believes thehall in Dunwoody wouldattract 250,000 visitors andadd about $50 million to the

economy of the two-year-oldcity.

That would bring$550,000 in taxes to thecity, Ross said. It wouldincrease our tax incomewithout increasing the prop-erty tax rate.

The governing board ofthe hall is expected to choosea new city for the attractionby April 15.

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County commissioners reject tax increase

Send your comments and/or concerns regarding Comcasts current performance underthe current franchise agreement and/or the future cable-related needs and interests of

your community to [email protected].

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

with Comcast Cable Communications


There will not be a

ax increase in DeKalbCountyat least not now.

DeKalb Countys Boardof Commissioners voted5-2 to reject the proposed$563 million budget of thecountys chief executiveofficer, which called fora property tax increase of2.32 mills, or 12 percent.

Instead, the boardsubstituted its own zero-ncrease budget while

stating that it will continueo review the budget and

amend it if necessary

before it is implemented inwo months.County officials said

he boards vote will forcehe county to shut downhe police helicopter,

eliminate 80 police andfire recruits, and 800positions throughout thecounty.

Eddie OBrien, chiefof the countys firedepartment, said that thebudget would force thecutting of at least 125positions.

Our whole service

model will have tochange, OBrien said.

The budget cuts theposition of director ofpublic safety held byWilliam Miller, whosaid all public safetydepartments will sufferwithout his position.

I can truthfully sayhat DeKalb County public

safety officers respond in amore coordinated fashionand a more efficientfashion since Ive beenhere, Miller said.

Commissioners KathieGannon and Jeff Radervoted against the budget.

CommissionerLee Maysaid the administrationstill needs to look at wayso provide services more

efficiently.I dont think you want

us to put more money intoa bag with holes in it,May said.

In addition toeliminating the proposedax increase, the

commissions budgetcontinues to fund the five

recreation centers, theUniversity of Georgiasextension program for

DeKalb and partially fundsthe tax commissionerssatellite officesall ofwhich were threatened bythe county administrations

proposed budget.A resolution associated

with the commissionsbudget also calls forthe privatization of thecountys emergencymedical services.

In DeKalb County,because of cross-training,paramedics are firefighterswho provide emergencymedical services, so

a cut in paramedicsis essentially a cut infiremen, OBrien said.

The budget passed bythe board is $33.64 millionless than the one proposedby CEO Burrell Ellis.

During an impromptupress conference beforethe boards vote, Ellissaid the draconian cutswill have the impact of

shutting down the peoplesgovernment.

Weve cut ourspending more than $109million since Ive becomeCEO, Ellis said. I thinkweve done more than any

local government in theAtlanta metro region.

But a tax increase isstill needed, Ellis said.

Therell be no way

that we can continue todeliver those servicesat the same level as wehave in the past withoutsome adjustment in ourmillage, Ellis said.

Last

2/24

First

3/12

The Northeast will see isolated rain and snow today, widespread rain and snow Friday,

partly cloudy to cloudy skies Saturday, with the highest temperature of 61 in

Carbondale, Ill. The Southeast will see mostly clear to partly cloudy today, isolated

thunderstorms Friday, mostly clear skies Saturday, with the highest temperature of 81 in Ft. Myers, Fla.

The Northwest will see widespread snow today and Friday, isolated snow Saturday, with the highest

temperature of 44 in Brookings, Ore. The Southwest will see mostly clear skies today, scattered rain

Friday and Saturday, with the highest temperature of 77 in Carlsbad, N.M.

THURSDAY

Mostly Cloudy

High: 65 Low: 54

New

3/4

The Champion Weather Feb. 24, 2011Seven Day Forecast

Local UV Index

WEDNESDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 64 Low: 42

TUESDAY

Few Showers

High: 64 Low: 48

MONDAY

Few Showers

High: 69 Low: 51

SUNDAY

Few Showers

High: 69 Low: 52

SATURDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 66 Low: 48

FRIDAY

Showers Likely

High: 68 Low: 42

In-Depth Local Forecast Today's Regional Map

Sunrise

7:12 a.m.

7:10 a.m.

7:09 a.m.

7:08 a.m.

7:07 a.m.

7:06 a.m.

7:04 a.m.

Sunset

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:31 p.m.

6:32 p.m.

6:33 p.m.

6:34 p.m.

6:35 p.m.

Moonset

11:12 a.m.

12:04 p.m.

1:01 p.m.

1:59 p.m.

2:58 p.m.

3:56 p.m.

4:53 p.m.

Moonrise

12:58 a.m.

2:00 a.m.

2:56 a.m.

3:45 a.m.

4:28 a.m.

5:06 a.m.

5:39 a.m.

Full

3/19

www.WhatsOurWeather.com

Weather History

Feb. 24, 1936 - Vermont and

New Hampshire received

brown snow due to dust from

storms in the Great Plains

Region. A muddy rain fell

across parts of northern New

York State.

Weather Trivia

Tonight's Planets

What was the biggest

recorded tornado out-

break?

Answer: On April 3rd and 4th of

1974, 148 tornadoes traveled across

13 states.

?

Day

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

National Weather Summary This Week

Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

StarWatch By Gary Becker - Vega and the Prince

Today we will see mostly cloudy skies with a

slight chance of showers, high temperature of

65, humidity of 68%. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

The record high temperature for today is 77

set in 1982. Expect cloudy skies tonight with a

50% chance of showers, overnight low of 54.

Feb. 25, 1989 - Thirteen cities

in Florida reported record low

temperatures for the date,including Jacksonville with a

reading of 24 degrees. Severe

cold in Florida claimed three

lives and resulted in 250 to 300

million dollars crop damage.

When I was a volunteer astronomer at Chaco Culture near Nageezi, NM, I worked with a former Exxon executive named Johnny Prince. Prince headed Exxons initiative

to clean up the Alaskan coastline after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in March of 1989. Johnny could be quite a fistful, and on those rare occasions when his demeanor seemed

more like a boardroom CEO, our little cadre would gently remind him that he had been responsible for releasing two friendly seals that Exxon had spent hundred of thou-

sands of dollars rehabilitating. It was a huge media event which deflated immediately when one of the mammals was eaten by a killer whale. In all fairness, Johnny Prince

was really a decent guy, and I enjoyed his camaraderie, especially when we were observing or photographing the night sky. On one such occasion, Johnny was having trouble with his com-

puterized drive. He had a beautiful refractor, but the drive which allowed the scope to follow the stars was a handful. After tinkering with it for hours he realized that he had forgotten a

book containing star positions and couldnt initialize the mount without it. So he yelled matter-of-factly to me, inquiring whether I knew the precise coordinates of Vega, the bright star that

was nearly over our heads. I smiled because I knew the precise coordinates of only one star in the entire sky and that was Vega, the star from which the message was transmitted back

to Earth in the movie, Contact. I closed my eyes and watched Jodie Fosters surprised look as she realized the radio telescopes were picking up ET. Her lithe body jumped into the drivers

seat of her convertible. Reaching for her walky-talky, she (I) screamed, Right ascension 18 hr., 36 min., 56.2 sec.; declination +36 deg., 46 min. 56.2 sec. Confirm! Okay, Jodie was off

just a little, but Johnny Prince never asked me for another stellar coordinate again. www.astronomy.org

Rise Set

Mercury 7:19 a.m. 6:24 p.m.

Venus 4:55 a.m. 3:08 p.m.

Mars 7:05 a.m. 6:05 p.m.

Jupiter 8:40 a.m. 8:53 p.m.

Saturn 9:31 p.m. 9:18 a.m.

Uranus 8:19 a.m. 8:17 p.m.

3 50 - 2 4 6 8 107 9 11+

UV Index

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

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

11+: Extreme Exposure

Atlanta

65/54

Decatur

65/54

Doraville

64/54

Dunwoody

63/53 Lilburn

64/54

Snellville

65/54

Lithonia

66/54

Morrow

66/54

Smyrna

64/54

Hampton

67/55

Union City

66/54

College Park

66/54

*Last Weeks Almanac

Date Hi L o Normals Precip

Tuesday 63 34 57/36 0.00"

Wednesday 65 42 57/37 0.00"

Thursday 71 42 57/37 0.00"

Friday 68 48 58/37 0.00"Saturday 75 47 58/37 0.00"

Sunday 63 46 58/38 0.00"

Monday 72 45 58/38 0.00"Rainfall . . . . . . .0.00" Average temp . .55.8

Normal rainfall . .1.19" Average normal 47.4

Departure . . . . .-1.19" Departure . . . . .+8.4*Data as reported from De Kalb-Peachtree Airport

8/7/2019 Free Press 2-24-11

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 PAGE 14Ahealth

State legislators step forwardto raise lupus awarenessby Kathy [email protected]

Its been more than 50 yearssince a new drug to treat the diseaseupus has come on the market. Rep-

resentative of the Lupus Foundationof America, Georgia Chapter, wereoined at the state Capitol Feb. 16

by a number of state lawmakers,ncluding several from DeKalb, to

underscore that fact.More than 100 lupus patients and

their family members came fromacross the state as part of the fourthannual Lupus Awareness Day in theGeorgia Capitol Rotunda. The eventwas hosted by two of the newestmembers of Georgia Legislature,Sen. Jason Carter and Rep. ElenaParent, both of whom representparts of DeKalb County.

Lupus is one the most misun-derstood diseases. We must takeadvantage of every opportunity toshed light on this disease and edu-

cate the public about this seriousthreat to Americans safety, Cartersaid.

The effects of lupus reach be-yond the patient and into their fami-

lies and support systems at home.Its an honor to work with thosedevoted to fighting the disease andI hope researchers will continue tomake advancements in treatmentand eventually cure lupus, Cartersaid. Even though Im 35 yearsold, I have known a number of peo-ple affected by lupus.

Former Sen. David Adelman,now U.S. ambassador to Singapore,hosted the previous Lupus Aware-ness Days. Carter holds the senateseat formerly occupied by Adelman.

We need to do everything wecan to make people aware of thislife-threatening disease, said Par-ent, who added that several mem-bers of her family have had the dis-ease, including one who died fromits complications. It can strike atany level from slightly debilitatingto deadly.

Rep. Michele Henson said thatshe, too, has had a number of peo-ple close to her with lupus. Your

coming here will help legislatorsunderstand the issues and keep themon the forefront of their agendas,she told the Lupus Foundationmembers.

Sen. Gloria Butler said that shewas glad to see that the group repre-senting the foundation was gettinglarger and louder. She promisedto roll lupus awareness into thisyears rendition of an annual parkevent that she sponsors.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmunedisease that attacks the bodys cellsand tissues resulting in inflamma-tion, pain and tissue damage tovirtually any organ in the body, es-pecially the skin, joints, blood andkidneys. The word lupus, whichmeans wolf, refers to the brightred rash resembling a wolf bite thatoften comes with the disease.

The disease affects primarilyyoung women in their childbearingyears, but is also can affect men,children and women of all ages. Tomake the point that not all lupussuffers are young women, Rep.Calvin Hill came to lectern to an-nounce that he has a form of thedisease.

Lupus affects more than 55,000Georgians and 1.5 million Ameri-cans.

Members of the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter, gathered from across the state to raise awareness among stateegislators of the life-threatening disease. Georgia lawmakers who came to the lectern tin support of the Lupus Foundation in-

clude, at right from top, Sen. Jason Carter, Sen. Gloria Butler, Rep. Michele Henson, Rep. Elena Parent and Sen. Steve Henson.Photos by Kathy Mitchell

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www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 A Section Page 15A

Ellis discusses GM plant with Washington leadersby Gale Horton [email protected]

A three-day trip to Washingtono focus on economic growth and

development for DeKalb Countyhas been termed a success by

DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis.Ellis traveled to the nations

capital last week as part of aix-member delegation from the

Atlanta Regional CommissionARC). Ellis, who serves on the

ARC board, traveled with ARCChairman Tad Leithead, ARC ex-ecutive directorCharles Kraulter,Norcross MayorBucky Johnson,whos also head of ARCs Trans-portation Roundtable, and twoARC staff members.

Ellis said one of the purposesof the trip was to convey to Wash-ngton offi cials that leaders in

DeKalb County and metro Atlantaare working collaboratively in fi nd-ng solutions to some of the areas

most pressing issues. In regionalssues, such as the common agenda

of sustainability, it is imperative wespeak with one voice, said Ellis.

He added it is vital to show aunited front when seeking federalgrants.

We werent there asking forany specifi c pot of money, said

Ellis. However he noted that duringhis fi rst year in offi ce in 2009, hetraveled to Washington nine times,which resulted in securing $174million in stimulus funding.

DeKalb County is well knownon Capitol Hill, he said.

Ellis met with CongressmanJohn Mica, chairman of the HouseTransportation Committee andDerek Douglas, special assistantto President Barack Obama onthe White House Domestic PolicyCouncil (DPC) on urban and met-ropolitan policy issues. Accord-ing to a press release, Ellis con-

veyed his willingness to partnerwith the Obama administration topromote livability and long-termsustainability of the Atlanta metro-politan region.

I wanted Congressman Mica tohear fi rsthand what our transporta-tion needs are in DeKalb County,so he will be knowledgeable whenappropriations are recommendedin his committee, said Ellis in astatement.

In addition, the CEO met withCongressman Hank Johnson onstrategies to bring unspent stimulusfunds to DeKalb County, and JohnFernandez, assistant secretary overthe Economic Development Admin-istration in the U.S. Department ofCommerce, as well as other senioradvisors regarding the funding forthe redevelopment of the GeneralMotors site in Doraville. He alsomet with representatives of the De-partment of Transportation as wellas the Offi ce of Management andBudget. Ellis said they were verywell received.

Of his meeting with Congress-man Tom Price on potential rede-velopment of the General Motorssite in Doraville, Ellis said Pricereassured him that he understood

the signifi cance and impact of re-developing the site and emphasizedthat all the congressional leadersrepresenting parts of DeKalb knowwhats going on with it and movetogether on it.

We learned there may be an

opportunity for funding to help tofacilitate the redevelop [the GMsite] said Ellis. We told them weexpect this to be a public/privatepartnership. Everybody realizesthis is a tremendous economic de-velopment opportunity. The pub-lic sector really has to drive thisthing.

The CEOs trip was not withouta chance to socialize. On Feb. 15he was a guest of Vice PresidentJoe Biden and his wife at theirhome for a celebration of BlackHistory Month. He also attendeda reception for Congressman John

Lewis, who was awarded the Presi-dential Medal of Freedom during aWhite House ceremony.

This was a very successfultrip, said Ellis.

lery, 415 Church St., Decatur.Workmaster describes her layered

paper works as dimensional draw-ings. They are her artistic interpreta-tions of Victorian houses, buildings,gardens, windows, etc.

Shes a self taught artist and saidshe fought with art offi cials not to have

her work categorized as a craft. Sheviews it as fi ne art.

And while her work may ap-pear complex, the tools that she usesarenta dental lab knife, Elmersglue and the paper. Theres even astory in that paper.

After trying different papers,Workmaster fell in love with a 100percent rag paper from the Beckettpaper company. When the companydecided to discontinue that particularcard stock, they contacted her and hadstacks and stacks of the surplus paperdelivered to her Ohio home. She stillhas two boxes of the paper that she

says cuts like butter.In describing the process she uses,Workmaster said, I feel like I amdrawing with my knife when I ambuilding these things. I love it because

its a challenge every time.During her prime, Workmaster

traveled the country exhibiting atshows and winning awards as well ascompleting numerous commissionedpieces for clients such as Disney Worldand Dayton Kettering Hospital.

Although she struggled at fi rst, in

time, she said she was able to supportherself and her family, which includedsix children.

One complaint she received fromone of her children was about whythey couldnt have a dining room tablelike other families with an arrangementof fl owers and candles on top.

Bill Bibb, co-owner of The SeenGallery, said that he and his partneragreed to represent Workmaster anddisplay her work.

We were struck immediately howexquisite the work was, said Bibb,noting Workmasters composition andpresentation.

The fi ve Workmaster pieces at thegallery are available for sale, rangingfrom $100 to $350. He said feedbackon her work from patrons has beenmarvelous.

Art Continued From Page 1A

million in expenses, she saidWeve been very conservative

with our spending and we have an in-crease in our reserves so that regard-less of the decrease of the propertytax digest we will not need a millagerate increase, Tyson said.

The cuts that eliminated theshortfall were across the board, saidschool spokesman Walter Woods,but included trimming down the num-ber of employees in the central offi ce.

I dont think its sunk in topeople the number of major cutsweve made at the central offi ce,Walker said. We eliminated a num-ber of administrative positions. Ouradministration now is lean.

[Tyson] has reorganized and cut

a number of key administrative posi-tions, Walker continued. The ladyhas quietly and effi ciently made sig-nifi cant changes that have had a posi-tive fi nancial impact on the system.

Part of savings have come fromthe Tysons redistricting and consoli-

dation proposal, where eight schoolsare slated to be closed instead of 14schools in the original plan. The con-solidation plan will save the countyan estimated $12 million annually.

The lack of a shortfall in the com-ing budget also means that furloughswill be eliminated, Tyson said.

Ten- and 11-month employeeswill get all their furlough days backand 12-month employees will get 11of 15 furlough days back, Tyson said.

Budget Continued From Page 1A

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16/24

8/7/2019 Free Press 2-24-11

17/24

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 PAGE 17Aeducation

International Community School wins nationaltheater award

DeKalbs International Community School won national recognition athe 2011 Junior Theater Festival held in Atlanta last month. A cast from the

school won the Freddie G. Broadway Junior Spirit Award for performingselections of Disneys The Jungle Book KIDS. Also, ICS student GezaiEta won both the Outstanding Individual Male Performance Award andhe Junior Slam Award. As a result, an ICS teacher will attend the Freddie

G. Theatre Experience in New York this summer, which includes theaterworkshops and performances. ICS consists of 400 students in grades

kindergarten through sixth grade.

Tyson makes inuential list

DeKalb County School System Interim Superintendent Ramona Tysonhas been named to the Atlanta Business Leagues 100 Top Black Womenof Inuence.

The honorees are women in the community who have inuenced largepublic bodies politically and in government, or are leading entrepreneursn their industry. The Atlanta Business League also recognizes women

who have demonstrated commitment to the residents of metro Atlanta bymaintaining signicant involvement and participation in community andcivic activities. Tyson was among those recognized Feb. 22 at the 16thannual Women of Vision breakfast.

Tyson also was chosen by the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce

o receive the Sirius Star Award, which recognizes her dedication andcommitment to public service. Tyson took over as interim superintendent inFebruary 2010 and is contracted to continue serving in that capacity untilJune 2012.

Dunwoody baseball team helps refugee group

Members of the Dunwoody High School baseball team assisted the Cityof Refuge Outreach program last month by cleaning and organizing theagencys warehouse, and loading boxes of food for families in need. TheAtlanta-based agency offers both life-saving resources and life-buildingools for Atlanta families in need.

Wynnbrooke Elementary class wins Jeopardyclassroom contest

Cynammon Walden-Smalls fth grade class at Wynnbrooke

Elementary Theme School in Stone Mountain recently won theWXIA/11Alive Jeopardy Classroom Contest. The class received theclassroom edition of Jeopardy! The students posted a song on YouTube thathey wrote and performed, explaining why they should win the contest and

how they would use the game if they won.

by Daniel Beauregard

Southwest DeKalb High Schoolwas recently recognized by the Col-

lege Board as one of 14 top schoolsin the nation with the most African-American students scoring a threeor higher in Advanced Placementtests in 2010.

According to the CollegeBoards seventh annual AP Reportto the Nation released on Feb. 9,Southwest DeKalb was recognizedfor having exemplary AP scoresin both Macroeconomics and U.S.History.

Southwest DeKalb is an ex-ample of a school thats doing thesort of work [needed], to reach outto African-American students and

prepare them in earlier grade levelsso that theyre ready for AP oncethey get to be a junior or senior andthen helping them succeed oncetheyre in AP, said Trevor Packer,vice president of the AdvancedPlacement Program for the CollegeBoard.

Principal Angela Bethea saidone of the reasons why the schoolhas been recognized this year, aswell as in previous years, is due inlarge part to the teaching success ofa core group of AP teachers.

Our numbers have grown be-cause the teachers are helping us getgreat results, so parents of course

want their children to be a part ofthat, Bethea said. We have a poolof advanced placement teachershere who are veterans at this point,and we do push our [students] totake more rigorous courses so wecan ll up these classes.

Bethea also mentioned that theschool has seen a rise in the numberof students enrolled in AP classes atthe school.

Were increasing the number of[AP] classes we offer; this year weoffer 15 courses but in the summerwere training additional teachers inorder to offer 18 courses next year,

she said. We also reach out to theparents and ask them to place theirstudents into more rigorous coursesso we can get our numbers up.

Georgia was also recognized asone of the top 10 states that had thegreatest ve-year increase in seniorsscoring three or higher on AP testsduring high school, an increase of4.7 percent.

I will say that Georgia is doingmuch, much better than almost ev-ery other state in the nation in help-ing a greater percentage of African-

Americans students, Packer said.According to a College Board

report of AP test results for DeKalbCounty, there has been a signicantrise in the number of students tak-ing AP tests, an increase of approxi-mately 3,000 students since 2005.

Although there has been an in-crease in African-Americans takingAP courses and scoring three or bet-ter on AP exams, they still remainsignicantly under represented de-spite the progress that has occurredover the past decade, Packer said.He explained that this under rep-resentation is the most signicant

equity gap in advanced academicsin U.S. high schools.In the nation, 14.6 percent of

students in the high school class of2010 are African-American but forevery 100 test takers that score athree or better, only 3.9 of them areAfrican-American students, Packersaid. Now in Georgia, for every100 students that score a three orbetter on an AP exam, 11.6 are Af-rican Americans, and Georgia ranksthird in nation behind Maryland andDelaware for having the greatest in-crease in African-American studentsuccess on the AP exam.

Since 2005, Southwest DeKalb

High School has also been recog-nized as an exemplary school ineach of the College Boards AnnualAP Reports to the Nation, except in2008 when the data only highlight-ed state achievements rather thanthose of specic schools.

Top teachers help Southwest DeKalbearn top AP scores, principal says

Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper

National recognitionSouthwest DeKalb has been rec-ognized by the College Board forbeing one of the top schools inthe nation for having Black stu-dents score three or higher on AP

exams in the following subjects:U.S. History: 2005-07; 2009-10Calculus: 2007English langauge andcomposition: 2007Macroeconomics: 2010

(data doesnt exist for exemplaryschool breakdown in 2008)

8/7/2019 Free Press 2-24-11

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AROUND DEKAATLANTA

DECATURTUCKER

LITHONIA

STONEMOUNTAINWind ensemble concert to beheld at Emory

Emory Wind Ensemble will givea free concert Saturday, Feb. 26, at8 p.m. in the Schwartz Center forPerforming Arts, Emerson ConcertHall, 1700 N. Decatur Road, At-anta. The Emory Wind Ensemble isa select ensemble dedicated to the

study and performance of literatureor wind bands. It sponsors an ac-ive commissioning program, hostsguest artists and tours nationallyor internationally. For more infor-mation, call (404) 727-5050, [email protected], www.arts.emory.edu.

Registration for spring classesat Callanwolde opening soon

Callanwolde Fine Arts Centerannounces that registration openssoon for day, evening and week-

end classes and workshops foradults and children of all ages.Classes and workshops will beoffered in visual arts, pottery, mu-sic, dance, yoga, jewelry making,writing, photography, Kindermusikand more. The spring quarter runsMarch through May. Registra-ion begins March 7 and is accept-ed up to the fi rst day of each classf space is available. CallanwoldeFine Arts Center is located at 980Briarcliff Road, NE, Atlanta. Formore information, call (404) 872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org.

Event offers help forunderrepresented students

Georgias fi ve law schools will

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