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by Daniel [email protected]

DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mannand ormer CEO Vernon Jonesace each other in a runoff elec-

tion July 22. In the primary elections inMay, Mann received approximately 39percent o the overall vote with Jones

trailing at approximately 22 percent.Mann has worked or the DeKalb Coun-ty Sheriff s Offi ce or more than 14 yearsand replaced outgoing Sheriff TomasBrown, who lef to run or Congress.Jones served as DeKalb County CEOrom 2001-09 and prior to that servedin the Georgia House o Representativesrom 1993-2001.

For Te Championsquestion and an-swer article, both candidates were askedto limit their responses to 50 words orthe responses would be cut afer theypassed the 50-word mark.

What qualifications do you have thatmakes you the best choice to run theDeKalb County Sheriff s Offi ce?

Mann: I have worked within the DeKalbCounty government or more than 20years, creating and maintaining good

working relationships with the Board o

Commissioners, constitutional offi cers,to include judges, as well as county de-partment heads. Tis experience gives

me a level o insight on how to work

with the judicial

Jones: I love DeKalb County, and Ilove the people who live here. We are adiverse and aithul community, ull oresilience and the perseverance to over-come the many challenges laid beore usover the years. As CEO, I led our countythrough the largest economic expansion

in our nearly

What lessons did you learn through-out this campaign?

Mann: Voters are sincerely interested inunderstanding the relative roles o theSheriff s Offi ce and the police depart-ment, and when discussed, appreci-ate the cooperation between the twoagencies but understand duplication oservices is not in the best interest o thecounty. Conduct yoursel as the chielaw enorcement offi cer o

Jones: I have been impressed by thegrassroots efforts o neighborhoodgroups and the aith-based community

banding together to stop crime in their

championnewspaper championnewspaper champnewspaperchampionnews

hechampionnewspaper.com

Were SocialFRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2014 VOL. 17, NO. 13 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.

FREEPRESS

Sutton:I am good with everything Ive done

A Q&A with DeKalb County sheriff candidates

A runoff election will be held July 22 between DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mann and formerDeKalb CEO Vernon Jones. Photos by Travis Hudgons

See Q&A on page 15A

See P-card on page 15A

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

Classified .......................20A

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

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

QUICK FINDER

LOCAL, 6A

SOUTH DEKALB

YMCA VOTE

DELAYED

LOCAL, 11A LOCAL, 14A

DORAVILLE

NEIGHBORHOOD GETS

HISTORIC STATUS

FORMER

COUNTY POLICE

CHIEF DIES

by Andrew [email protected]

here has been no mis-use, no overspending.

hats what DeKalbCounty Commissioner Sha-on Barnes Sutton told he

Championon June 16 about

he handling o her budget,which was $274,400 or 2013nd is $262,800 or 2014.You can sensationalize thepending i you dont look atll o the numbers.

As the FBI and the coun-y ethics board are lookingnto how DeKalb Countyommissioners handle their

budgets and county purchas-ng cards (P-cards), Suttonaid she has been iscallyesponsible.

Sutton admitted thatthere have been some re-eipts that have been lost,

but added she now has a

plan in place to better savereceipts and to record themmuch sooner.

One o the receipts thatwere missing when heChampioniled an OpenRecords Request was or a$239.97 purchase rom Bed,Bath & Beyond in September2013. Suttons P-Card loglists the purchase as a chair,but Sutton said, I dontknow what chair that was.hats a typo. I dont know.

Sutton recollected thatshe purchased a an, oicesupplies and air reshenerrom the store or her oice.

On Sept. 3, 2013, she alsospent $1,465 at Oice Depotto set up her home oice.Although no receipt wasprovided to he Champion,Sutton said she purchased

urniture, including a desk,printer table and side table.I was setting up my

home oice ater all theseyears, said Sutton, whobegan serving as a com-missioner in 2009. I wassupposed to do that my irstyear, but I was using my ownequipment. It was so old thatit wouldnt support todaystechnology and sotware, soIset up my home oice.

Since commissioners P-card usage has been underthe public microscope, Sut-ton said she has learned thatthe county needs to have

Sutton

I was setting up my homeoffi ce after all these years.

Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014 PAGE 2ALOCAL NEWS

Explore GPC thissummer and fall.

Learn more at gpc.edu

A BETTER WAY FORWARD

Did you know there is still time to apply and/or register for

second-half summer and fall classes? Maybe youre already

taking a summer class at GPC and want to continue. Perhaps

youve been accepted recently and havent yet enrolled, or

youre thinking about applying. Visit our website to see how

you can jump-start your educational journey.

. :

See Sanitation on page 14A

by Lauren [email protected]

A countywide pilot pro-gram has been launched toease traffic and streamline

waste collection in DeKalb.The county sanitation

department is experiment-ng with single-stream col-ection of recyclables andeducing pickup servicefor

all wasteto once per week.This is in contrast to thecurrent system where gar-bage is collected twice perweek and recycling and yardwaste collected another day.

That is more than mostplaces have, said BurkeBrennan, the chief commu-nications officer for DeKalb.

And, we have not had a ratencrease since 2004.Brennan said the county

was forced to reevaluate itspickup program and eitheradjust service or raise ratesrom the current $268 per

year. Through surveys con-ducted through the countyand through Kennesaw StateUniversity, a majority of

residents said they wouldsupport additional recyclingefforts to decrease trashpickup to one day per week,according to county Com-missioner Kathie Gannon,who champions recyclingfor DeKalb residents.

The county selected28,000 homes in every area

of the county, in each cityand in unincorporated ar-eas for a three-month trialrun of single-day pickup ofgarbage, recycling and yardwaste.

What we want to showis what we know intuitively:if you are recycling we dontneed two-day-a-week trash

pickup, Gannon said.In the pilot program,

garbage is picked up in onetruck, while another comesfor recycling and anotherfor yard waste. The mixedrecycling is put in one truckand separated out at a pro-cessing facility. If the studyproves this method feasible,

DeKalb authorities will con-sider making the single-daypickup for all customers.

You get your garbagepicked up twice a week. Ifyou subscribe to recycling

services, thats another day,and yard waste another day,Brennan said. The trucksare coming by four timesper week over the course ofthree days. This might be abetter way of doing it andhas the added benefit ofkeeping the garbage trucksoff the street but for one daya week.

Residents participatingin the pilot program havebeen providing feedback toa third-party vendor whowill then share the results

with the county. Accordingto the sanitation website, theresults will determine howDeKalb proceeds with itssanitation services.

County sanitation cur-rently serves 165,000 house-holds, with approximately33 percent of those house-holds participating in recy-cling. Gannon said the goal

Sanitation pilot program tests streamlined trash pickup

DeKalb County is exploring new ways to collect residential waste through a pilot program collecting trash ononly one day per week. Photo by Travis Hudgons

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014 PAGE 3A

Alzheimers patients make new memories delivering Meals on Wheelsby Andrew Cauthen

[email protected]

Alzheimers and dementia patients in Deca-ur have something new to think about as they

volunteer with Senior Connections Meals onWheels program.

Every other Thursday, up to 10 residents ofPeregrines Landing at Emory Heights, a memorycare community, deliver meals house to houseo other seniors that are also in need of assistance

and are still able to stay home, said ZannetteAustin, memory care program director for theesidential care facility.

We were always told that we needed vol-unteers to come into our building, Austin saidabout the programs initiation. However, Ihought,Why not volunteer outside the build-ng, which gives our residents a sense of meaning

and purpose?In its second year, the Meals on Wheels work

allows the residents to leave the residential facilityand the volunteer activity also helps the residentso jog their memory, Austin said. They have

delivered more than 300 meals to DeKalb Countyesidents.

It allows them to be able to still do some ofhe things they used to do, Austin said. It brings

back memory for some of our residents that haveactually participated in Meals on Wheels or have

been volunteers in their lifetime.

It gives them a chance to be able to still expe-rience everyday life and be able to see theyre giv-ing back and theyre helping someone else, Aus-tin said. They dont feel like theyre always theone in need, but they can help someone else alongthe way, and that life doesnt stop at this point.

The program gives seniors a chance to helpother seniorssomeone thats in their agerange, she said. They can relate to some of thepeople they encounter.

Jenny Dobbs, Peregrines executive director,said residents who are normally reluctant to par-ticipate in group activities are enthusiastic abouthelping others.

Even if some of our memory impaired resi-dents do not remember all of the details later, Inotice an improvement in their mood, Dobbssaid. The experience of working together to dosomething for others increases their sense of selfworth. Recipients of this service also benefit byreceiving a meal, having a visitor and having thechance to socialize.

I think its inspiring to see the joy that ourresidents get from helping others despite theircognitive impairments, said Wayman Parks,community relations director for PeregrinesLanding, located at 475 Irvin Court in Decatur.

When you think about memory care, Austinsaid, you think that most of the people wont

remember what theyre doing or remember the

event But our residents can tell you that they lovegoing out on Meals on Wheels [deliveries].And you would think that its something that

they cant remember since its something thatsbeen going on for a while, but you can see that itsactually carving a time stamp for them, Austinsaid.

The activity also reduces behavioral problems,keeps the residents active and gives them some-thing to look forward to, she said.

It allows for a calmer atmosphere, and it re-duces even depression for some of the residents,Austin said.

During the volunteer activity, the residents eatout at a fast food restaurant.

It brings back memories, Austin said aboutthe meal. If you ask most residents whats onething they want to eat when they go out on anouting, theyll tell you pizza or hamburgers.

At the restaurant, residents talk about theirexperience of being out doing Wheels on Mealsand then theyll reminiscence about going to thatparticular restaurant, she said.

It engages their long-term memory as well asfortifies their short-term (memory), Austin said.

Our residents can do a lot more than bingo,Austin added. Most people would be surprisedby how much.

Beverly Brown, a resident of the Peregrines Landing at EmoryHeights memory care community, delivers a meal as part ofMeals on Wheels. Photos provided

Residents of Peregrines Landing gather after delivering Mealson Wheels.

From left, Alice Stringfellow and Dorothy Busky.

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ONE MANS OPINION

LETTER TO EDITOR

Doctoring Jekyll so tourists wont hide

Shinsekis departure from the VA is a blow

Jekyll Island has become the bestand soundest investment which the statehas ever made, all of which is a resultof Gov. Thompsons keen foresight andacumen, from a resolution by the Geor-gia General Assembly,April 2, 1963,n honor of former Georgia Gov.M.E.Thompson, who served from 1947-48.Thompson purchased Jekyll for the stateof Georgia using a writ of condemna-ion in 1947.

Summertime and most any beachrip conjure warm childhood memo-

ies of Jekyll Island. I suspect manyGeorgians who grew up in the 60s or70s feel a similar kinship to this bar-ier island and state park. But after ex-

periencing some heady Georgia tour-sm heydays, the 90s and more recent

decades brought a tourism droughto Jekyll. The once vibrant Summer

Waves Water Park-struggled to attractvisitors, while aging and poorly main-ained hotels closed and the islandsole seaside restaurant was shuttered.

The island is still beautiful, but thebulk of its tourism product had growntale, mildewed and largely vacant,

with the exception of the spectacular

and historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel in

the historic village on the islands riv-erside. Thankfully, more recent devel-opments, following a decade of battlesprimarily with island locals, regionaltree huggers and those who prefer theisland as a semi-private refuge for mi-grating retirees, have finally allowedthe completion of a beautiful new con-

vention center and nearly 1,000 newhotel rooms to move in the pipeline orfinal stages of completion.

First came a mid-priced beach-front Hampton Inn, operated by theteam behind the Jekyll Island Club,and soon a new 200-room Westinwill open oceanside, adjacent to theconvention center. Nearby a retail/restaurant development of two dozenshops will replace the current tempo-rary trailer park cluster of merchants

housed there since the demolition ofJekylls aging retail strip center.Another 670 new hotel rooms will

follow, utilizing the existing footprintsof previously closed and demolishedproperties. Hyatt, Courtyard Marriottand SpringHill Suites are all slated toopen prior to the end of next year. Andthe Holiday Inn brand is also slated forreturn, renovating and reopening thegutted and vacant Ocean Suites towardthe islands north end.

All Jekyll projects are height lim-ited, and there will be no toweringbeachfront highrise condos, as havebecome the norm along the Alabama,Florida and even Mississippi Gulf

coasts. No more than 35 percent of theislands land mass can be disturbed inany fashion by man, and this includesthe golf courses, soccer fields, bikeand walking trails and even the accesspaths to the beach.

If the island had been left in its nat-ural state, as still exists at it northerntip, most modern beach views wouldbe obscured by naturally created sanddunes. Ill-informed development re-moved most of those dunes from theisland during the 60s and 70s, yetnow a handful of NIMBY (not in mybackyard) transplants are fighting topreserve those views as well as thosemost often empty beachfront parkinglots.

The marketing challenges facedby the island are still current and

real. The College of Coastal Georgiarecently abandoned plans to take overmanagement and operations of theclosed ocean-side eatery as an adjunctoffering of its culinary and businessschools to be staffed by students andrecent graduates. The college will notreopen the restaurant, despite alreadyhaving $150,000 in funding committedto the program in hand.

If a quality beachfront eatery, witha price point located between CaptainDs and the Red Lobster cant makeit, there is still lagging demand in themarket. Hotels and restaurants are la-bor-intensive industries, most typicallyoperated with low double-digit profit

margins, and single-digit franchisefees paid by the owners.

Hotels require annual occupancyat or above the 65 percent range tooperate at a profit at all. Though in mychildhood it was not difficult to findbeachfront rooms for $39.00 a night,those days and rates are gone with thewind. The latest attack on new Jekylldevelopment is about the affordabilityfor average Georgians of room ratesfor the new hotels.

Just two miles west of Interstate 95,and not far from Jekyll, is the Hostelin the Forest (www.foresthostel.com),operating and hosting students andinternational travelers since 1975. Thehostel does require reservations, canhouse up to 40 and the $25.00 dailyrate does include meals. Accommo-

dations are unique and a bit spartan,there is no air conditioning, showersare communal and the quaint treehouse cottages use composting toilets,but if you want to get close to natureat an affordable price, this might beyour kind of place.

Bill Crane also serves as a politicalanalyst and commentator for Channel2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as a col-umnist forThe Champion, ChampionFree Press andGeorgia Trend. Craneis a DeKalb native and business owner,living in Scottdale. You can reach himor comment on a column at [email protected].

Bill Crane

Columnist

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2014 PAGE 4AOPINION

by Stephen R. Steve Bradshaw

It saddened me to learn of EricShinsekis recent resignation as theU.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs.When I knew him he was Col. Shin-seki, commander of the 2nd Brigade,3rd Infantry Division, and I was 1st

Lt. Bradshaw, executive officer ofAlpha Company, 1st Battalion, 69thArmor. As he was my brigade com-mander to say that I knew him is abit of a stretch. Its not like we werehanging out together at the Kitzin-gen, West Germany Officers Club,throwing back beers (although Idid do my share of that). Generallyspeaking colonels and lieutenantsdont hang out together. But from mylowly position I was able to observea leader in action. What I saw was acalm, professional, highly competentleader who struck me as being com-pletely not full of himself.

Several months before the end of

my tour, I was promoted to the rankof captain and assumed the role ofBattalion S-1 (personnel and admin-istration officer). As such it fell uponme to organize and execute a dining

out or formal dinner. On such occa-sions, we all got decked out in ourdress blue uniforms, and I have toadmit that we looked pretty sharp.Our wives looked pretty good too.But since the Army had trained meto be a tank commander as opposedto an event planner, the prospect of

discharging this mission stressed meout to no end.At any rate, the mission date

arrived and things seemed to beevolving quite well, but as you mightimagine, I was unable to com-pletely relax and enjoy the evening.I anticipated that at any momentsomething could go wrong. Maybehe sensed my uneasiness becauseat some point during the eveningCol. Shinseki surreptitiously showedme the victory suspenders he waswearing under his uniform. I re-call them being these multicoloredthings that were anything but Armyregulation, and it made me smile.

This was indicative of a great senseof humor on his part. Also, I thinkhe had been an S-1 sometime priorin his career, so he had a firsthandappreciation of what I was going

through that evening. He went outof his way to make a young captainfeel a little less stressed which madea considerable impression on me.

Needless to say, I was not sur-prised to learn that several years laterCol. Shinseki had achieved the rankof four-star general and then became

Army chief of staff. Even though Ihad been out of the Army for a num-ber of years at that point, I could notthink of a better man to serve in thatrole.

Several years after that, I wasvery pleased when President Obamapicked Gen. Shinseki to lead theVeterans Affairs Department. Mythought was, Who would be bet-ter than a wounded war veteran anddistinguished general officer to leadthat department and look out for theinterests of fellow veterans?

Of course the recent revelationsregarding the Veterans Affairs De-partment have induced nearly uni-

versal shock and outrage, and rightlyso. If it holds that the leader of anyorganization is ultimately responsiblefor everything that organization doesand fails to do, Secretary Shinseki

had to step down. Frankly, that wasnot even a close call. Moreover, evenif he now has the solutions to fixthe problems his ongoing presencewould have served as cannon fodderfor politicos of all stripes, especiallyin an election year.

Ill leave it to others to get under

the hood and put together the orga-nizational, personnel, program andincentive changes required to turnthe department around. But, for therecord, I would personally love to beengaged in helping my fellow veter-ans in any way possible, and I willseek out those opportunities.

Finally, to Gen. Shinseki, if Icould I would say the following: Sir,I hope that you manage to enjoyyour retirement. You have most cer-tainly earned it. I hope that you cantake comfort in a lifetime of dedi-cated and distinguished service toour country. Thank you for making astressed out young captain feel a little

bit better some 25 years ago. And Ihope you have a beer on me.

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Without a doubt, one of the bestkept secrets in DeKalb County is theoutstanding educational value thatGeorgia Piedmont Technical Col-ege (GPTC) brings to residents of

DeKalb and surrounding counties,under the outstanding leadership ofDr. Jabari Simama.

Recently, I witnessed the gradu-ation ceremony of the 2014 class forGPTC. The nearly three-hour cer-emony was special for three reasons:he 2,700 students were the largest

graduating class in the colleges

52-year history; Rev. C.T. Vivian, acivil rights legend, and recipient ofhe Presidents Medal of Freedom

Award, was commencement speak-er; and Simama, the colleges firstBlack president, presided.

Vivian set the tone and issuedhe principle charge to the graduates

when he told them, And, here youare. You have what America needs athis moment. Thats not an accident.

Thats a plan larger than the plansthat we think of. You are going tobe greater in America than you nowthink. America cannot revive itselfwithout you.... It used to be whatAmerica gave to us. Now, its what

we will give to America.Presenting his commencementremarks with a blend of preach-ing, teaching and fatherly advice,Simama built upon the metaphor ofthe Sankofa Bird, and cited lessonsfrom the life of Vivian.

Following are some excerptsfrom his remarks: At Georgia Pied-mont Technical College, we do notonly aspire for educational excel-lence, but also, to be excellent globalcitizens who operate under the phi-losophy of the Sankofa Birdthebird that always returns home tohelp bring along others who havenot made it on their own.

History is a reminder of whatonce was and a cautionary tale ofwhat can be if we are unwilling tolisten and act accordingly.

The Rev. Vivian understandsthe struggle continues. Maybe notin the streets of Selma, or Jackson orAlbany; but in board rooms of manyof our Fortune 500 corporations; inthe battle for access to our nationstop educational institutions; in the

ongoing fight for economic justice,universal healthcare, the eradicationof poverty, and the right to love andlive as free Americans.

Dr. Vivian also knows that edu-cation has been and always will be

the key to true liberation. The 21stcentury battle for civil rights is abattle for authentic education of ourchildrenall of our children.

At GPTC, we are committed tothe principles and values represent-ed by the Sankofa bird. As we moveforward we intend to inspire great-ness within every person who walksonto our campus.

We intend to meet the chal-lenges of the 21st century globaleconomy by providing the besteducation possible. But, we will notleave anyone behind.

Like the Sankofa Bird, keepyour eyes fixed forward, but keepreaching back to bring othersalong. Georgia Piedmont knows itcan count on you to be excellent inwhat you do in life, but also followin the example of our leaders likeDr. Vivian who never forgot thosewho were left behind and was will-ing to forgo the luxury of cynicism,apathy, and self-absorption in orderto make the world a better place forall.

Go in this spirit. Keep your headto the sky. Rememberyour at-titude will determine your altitude.Fly high like a Sankofa Bird. Now itis time to leave the nests, fly over thedesert, fly over the river Jordan and

enter into the Promised Land. Thisis my hope. This is my prayer. Flyhigh Sankofa Birds. Fly high.

Simamas message is one for the21st century. Indeed the civil rightsstruggle today is for the mindsand education of our children. Hewants to educate all, leaving no onebehind. We can help by spreadingthe word and sending students tohim who we know can benefit fromreceiving a first-rate education andwork skills necessary to be powersfor good in our communities.

To find out how to register forclasses at GPTC or for scholarshipinformation visit www.gptc.edu.

OPINIONTHE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014 PAGE 5A

Gene Walkerk

Columnist

Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinionsfrom its readers. Please write to us and express yourviews. Letters should be brief, typewritten and contain

the writers name, address and telephone number forverification. All letters will be considered for publica-tion.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347,Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send email to [email protected] To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: ( 404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one weekprior to publication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contribut-ing editors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor orpublishers. The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel anyadvertisement at any time. The Publisher is not responsible forunsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher:John Hewitt

Chief Financial Offi cer: Dr. Earl D. Glenn

Managing Editor: Andrew Cauthen

Production Manager: Kemesha Hunt

Photographer: Travis Hudgons

Staff Reporters: Daniel BeauregardCarla Parker

Lauren Ramsdell

Advertising Sales: Louise Dyrenforth Acker

The Champion Free Press is published eachFriday by ACE III Communications, Inc.,

114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA. 30030Phone (404) 373-7779.

www.championnewspaper.com

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FREEPRESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHERWe sincerely appreciate the discussionsurrounding this and any issue of interest toDeKalb County. The Championwas founded in1991 expressly to provide a forum for discoursefor allcommunity residents on all sides of anissue. We have no desire to make the newsonly to report news and opinions to effect a

more educated citizenry that will ultimatelymove our community forward. We are happyto present ideas for discussion; however, wemake every effort to avoid printing informationsubmitted to us that is known to be false and/orassumptions penned as fact.

[email protected]

Graduates forgo cynicism to revive America

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COMMUNITY

If you would like to nominate someone

to be considered as a future Champion

of the Week, please contact AndrewCauthen at [email protected]

or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.

TERRI RICHARDSON

ChampionoftheWeek

NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

The DeKalb County School District has tentatively adopted a millage rate whichwill require an increase in property taxes by 6.54 percent.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this tax increase to be

held at 6:00 p.m. June 25, 2014, DeKalb County School District J. DavidWilliamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain,Georgia

Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase are at:

11:00 a.m. (NEW TIME) July 7, 2014, DeKalb County School District J. DavidWilliamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain,Georgia

6:30 p.m. July 7, 2014, DeKalb County School District J. David WilliamsonBoard Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 23.98 mills, an increase of1.471 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more

than 22.509 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market valueof $150,000 is approximately $69.87 and the proposed tax increase fornonhomestead property with a fair market value of $250,000 is approximately$147.10.

by Daniel [email protected]

DeKalb County commissioners andesidents were clearly divided June 10 on

whether to approve a $5 million public/private partnership with the South DeKalbYMCA to help the facility implement im-provements.

The Board of Commissioners did nothave the required votes to pass the item,which will come before the board again June24.

I encourage you to ask why is it theYMCA can raise money on a regional basisor facilities in certain areas of the county

but for some reason they think that theycant raise money for facilities in southDeKalb County, Commissioner Jeff Rad-

er said.If approved, the partnership will beunded through the use of county parks

bonds designated for green space acquisi-ion. Rader said the partnership was a busi-

ness decision, not a public policy one, andcounty taxpayers should not be required tooot the bill.

Additionally, Rader said, the SouthDeKalb YMCA would not be performingany drastic renovations to its facilities.

I think that its regrettable that thepeople of DeKalb are being polarized in thisway, Rader said.

Commissioner Kathie Gannon, who vot-ed against the proposal, said the partnershipwas not made public until several monthsago when the item appeared on the commis-ioners agenda.

There is a lot of emotion going aroundhis room and when youre encouraged to

make decisions based on emotions insteadof facts, you get in trouble, Gannon said.

Additionally, Gannon said there are

parks and recreation centers in disrepairlocated throughout the county in disrepairbecause there isnt money to update their

facilities.Im not going to support this; I cannot

support this, the facts do not allow me tosupport this, Gannon said.

Decatur resident Mary Shellman, whois a member of the countys parks bondscommittee, said the deal needs to be studiedfurther.

Im not convinced this is a solid invest-ment for the county, and I still dont feelthat I have all the facts, Shellman said. Thegreater Atlanta YMCA should pay for theseupgrades themselves like they did with theother Ys in the area instead of coming to thecounty for a taxpayer handout.

At the June 10 commission meeting,

several residents supporting the partnershipsaid the proposal is no different than thecountys partnership with the Wade WalkerYMCA several years ago. DeKalb Countyinterim CEO Lee May said the partnershipis an identical deal.

However, Shellman said the deal betweenthe county and the Wade Walker YMCAwas different, stating the facility was built onpark land owned by the county. Addition-ally, she said that the Wade Walker YMCAwas built in a needs assessed area and thecounty already had plans for a recreationcenter in the area.

Commissioners Larry Johnson and StanWatson both expressed their support for theproposal, as well as DeKalb County NAACP

President John Evans and representativesfrom the DeKalb County School District.

Its a win-win-win for everyone in-volved, especially for the Y in terms ofbuilding capacity, said Eston Hood, chiefoperating officer of the YMCA of Metro At-lanta.

Commissioners postponeYMCA vote yet again

Terri Richardson,DeKalb Medicals managerof cancer data services,was recently installed asthe president of the Na-tional Cancer RegistrarsAssociation (NCRA) at itsannual educational con-ference in Nashville, Tenn.

NCRA is a nonprofitorganization that repre-sents more than 5,500cancer registry profes-

sionals, data informationspecialists that capture acomplete history, diagno-sis, treatment and healthstatus for every cancer pa-tient in the U.S.

In her role as president,Richardson will representthe organization at region-al and national meetingsand support its mission topromote education, cre-dentialing and advocacyfor cancer registry profes-sionals.

An active memberof NCRA for more than

17 years, Richardson hasserved as treasurer, juniortreasurer and as an advo-cacy and technical prac-tice director.

I started doing volun-teer work with the organi-zation because I was hold-ing the top position for myfield here at the hospital,so there was really noplace to grow profession-ally within the [hospital]because there are only sixof us herein the profes-sion, Richardson said.

Richardson will focusher year as president onpromoting issues of im-portance to her and thecancer registry profes-sion. She will concentrate

her efforts on pursuing aclassification code withthe Department of Laborfor Medical Registries,seeking opportunities forstreamlining processes tocreate an efficient workenvironment and findingnew ways to promote theuse of cancer registry data.

Richardson also hasbeen active at the statelevel, serving as both the

secretary and educationchairwoman for the Geor-gia Tumor Registrars As-sociation.

Her volunteer workwith NCRA helps thehospital in the fact that Iget to meet with variousstandard setters that deter-mine the standards for theway we report cancer, shesaid. I get to give inputon changes that are beingmade and sometimes itallows us to have a betteroutcome on what we think

the standards should bechanged to.It allows me to be a

voice for hospital regis-trars.

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COMMUNITY

AROUNDDEKALBAtlantaGroup offers free summer lunch atocal high school

Family Choices Inc. is providingree lunch to all children ages 18 or

younger without charge at McNairHigh School, located at 1804 Boulder-rest Road in Atlanta.

The group is offering meals at thehigh school from June 2-July 25 from2:30-4 p.m. as part of the SummerFood Service Program.

AvondaleEstates

City to hold crime preventionraining class

Crime traditionally increases in

he summer, so brush up on your safe-y and crime prevention knowledgen this one-hour training class at city

hall, states an announcement fromAvondale Estates.

The community is invited to hearuggestions on personal, home andautomobile safety from the AvondaleEstates Police Department.

It doesnt take much to be a victimof a crimeattend this class and learnpreventative tips that everyone shouldbe practicing to deter crime, the an-nouncement states.

The class will be Wednesday, June25, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Avon-dale Estates city hall, 21 North Avon-dale Plaza, Avondale Estates.

Holiday signs and T-shirtsavailable for pre-ordering

City of Avondale Estates 4th of Julyigns and T-shirts are in production

and ready for pre-ordering.The cost is $15 for shirts and $25

or signs. White T-shirts are availablen sizes youth small through large, and

adult small through XXX large.Contact Karen Holmesat

[email protected] to pre-order.

DecaturFree yoga classes on Decatur square

The Decatur Active Living Depart-ment will host a free yoga programune 21, at 9 a.m. at the old court-

house square, to celebrate the begin-

ning of summer and this years sum-mer solstice.Marti Yuraand Cheryl Burnette

will host the morning event, whichwill include several different yogaposes and chanting exercises.

The event is free but donationsfor the Decatur Youth Fund will beaccepted. Attendees are required tobring their own mat and RSVP byemailing [email protected] or calling (678) 553-6541.

Library hosts Book Buddies bookclub

Friends of the Decatur Library ishosting a monthly book club July 15,from 4-5 p.m., for early chapter bookreaders at the Decatur Library, locatedat 215 Sycamore Street in Decatur.

The event is geared toward chil-dren between 7-8 years of age and fea-tures a book each month, followed byactivities, snacks and discussion.

Those interested in participatingcan sign up at the front desk of theDecatur Library or call (404) 370-8450.

The book club is open to the first10 participants to sign up.

Sports centers to offer summerbreakfast, lunch

Sport Center Academy, located at5330 Snapfinger Woods Dr., Decatur,and CheerTyme Allstars of GA, lo-cated at 2575 Park Central Blvd., De-catur, are offering free breakfast andlunch to DeKalb County children ages5-18 through the U.S.D.A. summerfood service program.

Breakfast will be served from 8a.m. to 9 a.m., lunch will be fromnoon to 1:30 p.m. through Aug. 8.

For more information, call (770)593-3149.

Church concert to fund scholarships

The Mt. Welcome MissionaryBaptist Church of Decatur will pres-ent Love in Any Language, a benefitconcert.

The concert will feature sopranoSherryDukes, and classical, spiritualsand inspirational selections by JeanDerricotte-Murphy, Ruth Randalland Zipporah Taylorwith accompa-nist Ella Lewis.

The event is a fundraiser for thechurchs Myrtice Bell Memorial ScholarshipFund to help youth attend college orany other certified program.

The benefit concert will be held atthe church, located at 581 Parker Av-enue in Decatur, on Saturday, June 28,at 6 p.m.

The admission is free and dona-

tions will be collected. For more infor-

mation, contact RosePorterat (770)279-2999.

DunwoodyLibrary to host memoir writingworkshop with local coach

The Dunwoody Public Library ishosting a writing workshop to helpresidents put their memories on thepage. Local writing coach WayneSouth Smithwill instruct writers oncrafting their memoirs, including howto write real-life characters and scenes.Smith will discuss research, dialogue,revision and the memoir format.

Just like life, writing memoirs isa personal exploration with choices,Smith said. My goal is to encouragewriters, whatever their experience, toset aside blocks and hindrances. Thesecan be healed in the process so theycan connect to their passion for per-sonal stories and write them.

More information can be found bycontacting the Dunwoody Public Li-brary at (404) 508-7190.

Annual restaurant week promises

good food, full bellies

The third annual Dunwoody Res-taurant Week is June 21 through June28. Area restaurants will showcasetheir culinary creations for lunchand dinner. Thirteen restaurants areparticipating in the lunch special,while 19 are signed on for dinner. Themenus will be price-fixe, with lunchprices ranging from $10 to $25 anddinner prices in the $20 to $45 range.

Some of the participating restau-rants include The Viceroy, Alons,McKendricks Steak House and VinoVenue. Some restaurants will require a

reservation, which can be made onlinethrough OpenTable.com

More information can be found atwww.cvbdunwoody.com and hoveringon the Things to Do tab, followed byclicking Annual Events.

LithoniaCity to launch EcoDistrict project

Lithonia was one of three commu-nities selected by Sustainable Atlantato be part of the EcoDistrict project.The goal of the is to develop strategies

and a model for creating communi-ties that are economically vibrant andenvironmentally sustainable. Thelaunching of the project will be heldJune 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Lithonia

First United Methodist Church, 3099

Stone Mountain St. For more informa-tion, visit [email protected].

Stone MountainCity to host childrens festival

Stone Mountain will host the Sec-ond Street Childrens Festival June 28from 5 to 7 p.m. The festival is a partof the citys 175th anniversary celebra-tion. The day will also include a com-

munity concert on the Baptist Lawnfrom 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more informa-tion, visit www.stonemountainvillage.com.

Nonprofit group to hold annualblock party, charity ride

The Beverly Cunningham Out-reach Program will hold its third an-nual Domestic Violence Block Party &Charity Ride on June 21.

The motorcycle riders will arriveat the parking lot of Berean ChristianChurch, 2201 Young Road, StoneMountain, between 12:45 p.m. and 1

p.m.The focus of the event is to edu-cate, empower, provide resources forvictims/survivors, and raise fundingfor domestic violence and economicempowerment programs.

Contact StephanieLeefor moreinformation at (770) 906-2636 or viaemail at [email protected].

CountywideSuperior Court offers free notary

trainingDeKalb County Superior Court

Clerk Debra DeBerry and the Geor-gia Superior Court Clerks Coopera-tive Authority are hosting two freenotary training sessions Aug. 1, from9-10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The workshop will take place at theMaloof Auditorium, located at 1300Commerce Drive in Decatur, and isopen to the public.

For more information or to RSVPcontact Twinette Jones at (404) 371-2250 or [email protected].

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Doraville proposed budget includespublic safety, library increases

Restaurant InspectionsEstablishment Name: Zoes KitchenAddress: 2490 Briarcli Road, Suite 48Current Score/Grade: 84/BInspecon Date: 06/11/2014

Establishment Name: Hunan Dragon IIIAddress: 1248 Clairmont Road, Suite 4-DCurrent Score/Grade: 83/B

Inspecon Date: 06/10/2014

Establishment Name: Tianys Popcorn CafeAddress: 6124 Covington HighwayCurrent Score/Grade: 98/AInspecon Date: 06/10/2014

Establishment Name: McDonaldsAddress: 370 North Deshon RoadCurrent Score/Grade: 97/AInspecon Date: 06/10/2014

Observed employees engaging in food prep with bracelet andwatch on wrists. Informed employees other than plain weddingband, no jewelry is allowed on hands, arms or wrists whileengaging in food prep. Advised employees to remove jewelry. COS-employees removed jewelry. Corrected On-Site. New Violaon.Observed employee handle French fries with loose ponytail.Informed employee hair must have an eecve means of restraintwhile engaging in food prep. Advised employee to restrain hair.

COS- employee restrained hair.

Establishment Name: 3 Dollar CafeAddress: 4034 Glenwood RoadCurrent Score/Grade: 81/BInspecon Date: 06/10/2014

Observaons and Correcve AconsCold-held potenally hazardous foods not maintained below 41F;no me controls/documentaon in place.PIC advised that proper cold hold temperature shall not exceed41F. COS- PHF were removed from white cooler at 50F and PICwere placed on ice. Corrected On-Site. Chemicals stored in amanner that presents a contaminaon risk to food, equipment,utensils, linens, and/or single-service arcles. Observed Windexand Ajax next to to go plasc bowls for soup, papertowels and togo plates. COS- chemicals were relocated. Corrected On-Site. NewViolaon. Correct By: 06/20/2014In-use utensils for hot-held potenally hazardous foods not storedin a container of 135F water. Advised PIC to remove utensils from

stagnant water at 83F and place on a dry clean plate and cleanevery 4 hours. COS- utensils were removed from water and placedon a dry clean pan. Corrected On-Site. New Violaon.Boom screen door in back kitchen not eecvely protecng theestablishment from weather or the entry of pests. Advised PIC toplace sweep at the boom of the screen door and to close maindoor to prevent pest entry. COS- PIC closed door.

Establishment Name: Super China RestaurantAddress: 374 North Deshon Road, Suite BCurrent Score/Grade: 96/AInspecon Date: 06/10/2014

Establishment Name: Charlies Wings & FinsAddress: 4779 Rockbridge RoadCurrent Score/Grade: 99/AInspecon Date: 06/10/2014

Establishment Name: Atlanta WingsAddress: 4421 Glenwood Road, Suite 300Current Score/Grade: 85/BInspecon Date: 06/11/2014

Observaons and Correcve AconsObserved PIC removing raw beef philly from deli paper and placingonto grill and then removing hoagie bread from package andplacing on grill, then PIC proceded to take o gloves. Advised PICaer handling raw meats, gloved must be removed to wash handsimmediately prior to working with ready to eat food. PIC was alsoobserved sweeping oor and not washing hands prior to touchingfrench fry bag to place french fries in fryer. COS- PIC washedhands.Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potenally hazardous food preparedand held in the establishment for more than 24 hours not clearlymarked to indicate the date by which the food must be consumed,sold, or discarded. Advised PIC to date mark fried boneless chicken(6/9), egg rolls, sweet n sour chicken (6/9), general tsos chicken

(6/9), sliced cheeses (6/10), watermelon (6/9). COS- PIC datemarked foods.


The City of Pine Lake has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in

property taxes by 10.04 percent.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase which will be held asfollows:

June 12, 2014 beginning at 7:00 AM in the Courtroom located at 459 Pine Drive, Pine Lake GA

June 12, 2014 beginning at 7:00 PM in the Courtroom located at 459 Pine Drive, Pine Lake GA

June 24, 2014 beginning at 7:15 PM in the Clubhouse located at 300 Clubhouse Dr. Pine Lake

GA

The meeting at which the millage rate will be set is scheduled for June 26, 2014 beginning at 7:30

PM in the Clubhouse located at 300 Clubhouse Dr. Pine Lake GA.

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 29.824 mills, an increase of 2.722 mills.

Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate would be no more than 27.102 mills. Theproposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $150,000 is approximately $153 and

the proposed tax increase for a commercial/non-homestead property with a fair market value of

$200,000 would be approximately $188.00.


Doraville has big plans

or its 2015 budget.Starting with promotingone of its part-time librar-ans to full-time, adding a

part-time librarian and hir-ng five more police officers,he city is attempting to dot all while still lowering the

millage rate.Doravilles budget was

irst read June 2, reada second time June9 and was approvedune 16. The budget

predicts a total gen-eral fund of $10.5million.

The budgetooks really good this

year, said ShawnGillen, Doravilles city man-ager. We are being veryconservative in our revenueestimates because of the an-nexation.

Doraville will gain anexpanse of industrial landouth of the current cityimits effective Dec. 31.

We have to do someexpansion of public safetyand public works to meethe needs of the annexation

area, Gillen said. We aregoing to be adding five ad-ditional police officers overhe next six to 10 months

and doing some really ag-gressive capital improve-ments in that area. We be-

lieve we are able to do thatand still lower the millagerate.

An additional area of

focus for the budget is theDoraville library. One is-sue is its lack of accessiblebathrooms for handicappedpatrons.

At the June 2 meeting,Councilwoman Pam Flem-ingsaid the city has a ten-dency to neglect the library.

The library has 6,000

patrons they serve eachmonth, she said. They arethe largest service entityin our city, even above ourcourts and above the policedepartment.

Fleming recommendedpromoting the librarys part-time employee to full-time,adding an additional part-time employee and renovat-ing the bathrooms to makethem accessible.

Gillen said the June 9budget proposal includesthese changes. At the June2 meeting, he said biddingfor library renovation wouldbegin as soon as the budgetand its amendments are

passed. He told TheCham-pionthat the city plans topay for the improvementsand hiring by shifting mon-

ey from other funds into thelibrary budget.One of the issues we had

was with the pay increasesas well, so we lowered thecost of the pay increase,he said. There were someminor changes to some lineitems, but it wasnt a lot ofmoney to come up with. We

are just rearrangingthe priority in thebudget.

The pay increasewas a proposed 3percent across theboard pay increasefor all city employ-ees, who have nothad a raise in several

years. Gillen said the newproposal is for merit-basedraises for employees, inorder to shift some of thatmoney elsewhere.

We want to rewardpeople; we dont want peopleto think theyre not appreci-ated, said CouncilwomanMaria Alexanderat theJune 2 meeting. We thinkthat something can be com-promised here, but I dont

think we can do 3 percentacross the board.If we tell people we are

bringing something to theboard, it is better than whatwe have now, she said.

The budget looksreally good this year.

-Shawn Gillen

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The City of Chamblee has tentatively adopted a new millage rate of 6.40 mills for the portion of the City annexed on December30, 2013.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the Chamblee Civic Center located at3540 Broad St, Chamblee Georgia on June 12, 2014. There will be one hearing at 11:30 AM and another at 6:00 PM.

An additional public hearing on this tax increase will be held at the Chamblee Civic Center on June 30, 2014 at 6:00 PM.

This tentative new millage rate of 6.40 mills for the newly annexed properties will result in an increase of 6.40 mills. Without thistentative tax increase, the millage rate will be 0 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $125,000 isapproximately $320.00 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $450,000 isapproximately $1,152.00.

State of Georgia statues do not specifically address the setting of the initial millage rate for a newly annexed area by a municipality but the City of Chamblee isadvertising a Notice of Property Tax Increase, with associated public hearing notification, in order to ensure full disclosure of its intent to levy property taxes in thearea annexed on December 30, 2013. The millage rate of 6.40 proposed for the annexed area is the same as that proposed for the rest of the City and is below therollback millage rate and therefore would no t constitute a tax increase for the rest of the City.

The CityofChambleeCityCouncil doesherebyannouncethatthemillageratewillbeset atameetingtobeheldattheChambleeCivic

Centerlocatedat3540BroadStreet,Chamblee,Georgia onJune30,2014at6:00PMandpursuanttotherequirements ofGa. Code

48532doesherbypublishthefollowing presentationofthecurrentyear's tax digestandlevy,along withthehistoryofthetax digest

and levyforthepastfiveyears.

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Real&Pers ona l 575,089,705 533,197,959 797,623,949 729,978,100 723,574,965 996,371,051

MotorVehicles&HeavyE qui pment 16 ,11 8,77 0 1 4,546 ,77 0 1 4,1 31, 410 22, 076, 110 27 ,471 ,83 0 23, 809, 872

PublicUtilities 10,769,822 9,563,181 11,087,937 9,128,386 9,726,659 10,289,198

Gross Diges t 601,978,297 557,307,910 822,843,296 761,182,596 760,773,454 1,030,470,121

Less Exemptions 44,074,131 44,896,783 88,432,680 8 3,119,557 86,685,769 1 35,524,124

AdjustedNetDig es t 557,904,166 512,411,127 734,410,616 678,063,039 674,087,685 894,945,997

Gross MillageRage 6.31 7.95 7.4 7.4 6.4 6.4

NetTaxes

Levied 3,520,375 4,073,668 5,434,639 5,017,666 4,314,161 5,727,654

NetTaxes$Increase 762,814 553,293 1,360,970 (416,972) (703,505) 1,413,493

NetTaxes%increase 27.66% 15.72% 33.41% 7.67% 14.02% 32.76%

CURRENT 2014 TAX DIGEST AND FIVE YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY

NOTICE

by Carla [email protected]

Young boaters planningo hit the lakes this summer

must take a class beginning

uly 1, according to a newtate law.The Georgia Department

of Natural Resources (DNR)Law Enforcement Divisionannounced June 6 that boat-ers born on or after Jan. 1,

998, that plan to operateany boat on Georgia watersmust complete a boater edu-cation course approved byhe Georgia Department of

Natural Resources prior toboating.

In an effort to providea mechanism for ensuringhat Georgia boaters are

knowledgeable, boaters willbe required to complete aboating education course,aid DNR Lt. Col. Jeff

Weaver, assistant director ofaw enforcement. After all,ragedy can happen quickly

and making an effort toearn boating laws, rules andegulations can potentiallyave a life, including your

own.Some of the topics that

will be taught in the class

New state law will require young boaters to take classes

include life jacket safety, the100-foot law, minimum agelimits for boat operators,boating under the influence

and more.Exemptions for the class

are people who are licensedby the Coast Guard as a

master of a vessel, operatinga boat on a private lake orpond, or nonresident whohas in his or her possession

proof that he or she hascompleted a National Asso-ciation of State Boating LawAdministrators (NASBLA)-approved boater educationcourse or equivalency exam-ination from another state.

According to the 2013boating statistics from theGeorgia Department ofNatural Resources, therewere 112 boating incidentson Georgia lakes, with 160boating under the influence(BUIs) incidents. There were27 drownings, 59 injuriesand 16 fatalities across thestate.

At Lake Lanier, a populardestination for metro At-lanta residents, there were30 boating incidents with43 BUIs, 15 injuries and five

fatalities.For information on themandatory boater educationrequirement, visit www.gad-nrle.org/node/42.

State Rep. BillyMitchellD-Stone Mountain) will

host a town hall meetingon gun safety on Thursday,une 19, at 7 p.m. at the

Wade Walker YMCA in

Stone Mountain.Mitchell will review HB60, the controversial gunbill, and representativesfrom the police departmentwill be present to teach con-tituents about proper gun

use, storage and safety. Onlyaw enforcement officers

will be allowed entry witha firearm as Wade WalkerYMCA is a gun-free zone.

For more information,contact Emily Ohat (770)362-0123 or [email protected].

Staterepresentativeto hold town hallmeeting on gunsafety

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Public Hearings on the proposed tax increase have been scheduled as follow:

June 12, 2014 beginning at 7:00 am in the Courtroom located at 459 Pine Drive, Pine Lake, GA

June 12, 2014 beginning at 7:00 pm in the Courtroom located at 459 Pine Drive, Pine Lake, GA

June 24, 2014 beginning at 7:15 pm in the Clubhouse located 300 Clubhouse Drive, Pine Lake, GA

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 29.824 mills, an increase of 2.722 mills. Without this increase

the millage rate would be no more than 27.102 mills. The property tax increase for a home with a fair market value of

$150,000 would be approximately $153 and the proposed tax increase for a commercial/non-homestead property

with a fair market value of $200,000 would be approximately $188.

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-32 the City hereby publishes the following presentation of the current year's tax digest

INCORPORATED 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Real & Personal 23,763,315 23,212,367 19,484,475 15,898,594 12,792,852 14,339,521

Motor Vehicles 1,246,900 1,182,020 1,119,240 1,141,400 1,177,580 977,730

Mobile Homes

Timber - 100%

Heavy Duty Equipment

Gross Digest 25,010,215 24,394,387 20,603,715 17,039,994 13,970,412 15,317,251

Less M& O Exemptions 1,063,817 1,069,933 1,059,679 1,003,602 968,437 927,770

Net M & O Digest $23,946,398 $23,324,454 $19,544,036 $16,036,392 $13,001,975 $14,389,481tate orest an ss stance

Grant Value 0

Adjusted Net M&O Digest 23,946,398 23,324,454 19,544,036 16,036,392 13,001,975 14,389,481

Gross M&O Millage 14.300 17.100 20.604 24.190 29.824 29.824

Less Rollbacks

Net M&O Millage 14.300 17.100 19.600 24.190 29.824 29.824

Net Taxes Levied $342,433 $398,849 $383,063 $387,210 $387,770 $429,152

Net Taxes $ Increase/Decrease -$10,226 $56,416 $15,786 $3,489 $1,014 $39,169

Net Taxes % Increase/Decrease -2.90% 14.00% -3.90% -0.79% 0.02% 10.04%

CURRENT 2014 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEV

NOTICE

at the Pine Lake Clubhouse located at 300 Clubhouse Drive, Pine Lake, GA 30072 on June 26, 2014 beginning at 7:30 PM

The Mayor and Council of the City of Pine Lake hereby announces that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be held

and levy, along with the history of the tax digest and levy for the past f ive years.

Golf tournament raises$300,000 for Jewish centerprograms, scholarships

The Marcus Jewish Com-munity Center of AtlantaMJCCA) presented the

MJCCA BB&T Harry Ma-ziar Classic, an annual golfournament on June 2 at the

Atlanta Country Club inMarietta. The tournamentaised $300,000 throughponsorships, contributions

and auction items.Each year, the tourna-

ment honors an outstandingmember of the community.This years tournament hon-ored Doug Hertz, presidentand CEO of United Distribu-ors, in appreciation of his

dedication to Atlantas Jew-sh community.

Proceeds from the golfournament help the MJCCA

provide more than $500,000a year in scholarships andinancial aid. The MJCCAurrently has the highest

user rates in its history anderves more than 55,000

people every year throughts innovative programs and

vital services, including pre-chools, sports leagues, sum-

mer camps, programming

or people with special needsand more.A record 140 golfers

played in the tournament.Tournament winners

nclude putting contest, Mi-chael Coles; longest drivemale), Jay Dermer; longest

drive (female), VirginiaHepner; first-place team netcore, Paul Freeman, Adam

Freeman, Jay DermerandScott Alterman; second-place team net score, Gar-ett Van de Grift, Russell

Breier, Michael ElmoreandBob Crean; third-place teamnet score, DavidJohnson,Tom Bethel, Ben Wilsonand Chad Burchfield; andourth-place team net score,

AndrewSteinberg, JimPfeifer, LeoYerashunasandKeith Brennan.

Clarkston City HallAnnex receives historicpreservation award

The Clarkston City Hall

Annex received the Excel-

ence in Rehabilitation awardrom the Georgia Trust forHistoric Preservation duringts 37th annual Preservation

Awards ceremony in Cart-

ersville recently.The city hall annex is

located in a house previ-ously owned by longtimeClarkston resident Mary

Morriswho passed away inlate 2011. Built sometimein the 1850s, the house waspurchased by the city inApril 2012 and renovatedto provide additional officespace.

The citys intent withthis project was to not onlyprovide adequate space forcity administrative func-tions but also preserve thehistoric character of theproperty and building,stated Clarkston City Man-ager Keith Barker. The city

realized the potential for thestructure as an importantcommunity landmark andtried to maintain as much ofthe historical architecture aspossible.

The project was complet-ed in June 2013.

See Briefs on page 17A

DA chides judges decision toreject Lewis plea agreementby Daniel [email protected]

In recently filed courtbriefs, the DeKalb CountyDistrict Attorneys Officeaccused the trial court ofbreaching its promise re-garding a plea agreementwith former DeKalb CountySchool SuperintendentCrawford Lewis.

According to briefs filedwith the Georgia Court ofAppeals, the state expectedthat Lewis would receive thenegotiated plea agreementarranged before the trial be-gan. Additionally, prosecu-

tors stated that it is clear thatthe trial court bound itself inaccepting Lewis plea.

It appears equally clearon the record that Lewis wasnever given an opportunityto withdraw his plea as amatter of right, the briefstates. It appears clear thaton Dec. 9, 2013, the trialcourt breached the negoti-ated promises that had beenratified and certified by the

trial court on Oct. 16, 2013,both verbally and in writ-ing,

Lewis has appealedDeKalb County SuperiorCourt Judge Cynthia Beck-ers decision to reject a pleaagreement he made withprosecutors in the trial in-volving him, former schoolconstruction chief Pat Reid,and her former husbandTony Pope.

At the time he was sen-tenced, Becker said she hadchanged her mind regardingLewis plea agreement basedon the testimony he had of-fered during the trial.

I disagree with the statesrecommendation, Beckertold Lewis. You are a publicofficial and this was on yourwatch and for you to havehindered their investiga-tion to the detriment of theDeKalb County School [Dis-trict] is abhorrent.

According to prosecutors,Lewis agreed to serve as akey witness for the state andin return was told he would

avoid jail time for the charg-es against him. However, atLewis sentencing hearing,Becker rejected the agree-ment last year and sentencedhim to serve a year behindbars.

Lewis originally facedcharges including violationof the Racketeer Influencedand Corrupt OrganizationsAct and three counts of theft.Becker said if the state choseto, it could prosecute himunder its original indictmentand he could face up to 65years in prison.

The other thing thathappens is, not only will

you be subject to that pros-ecution, but in fact youvealready testified so they canuse that testimony againstyou in further prosecution,Becker said.

Defense attorney MikeBrownhas argued that whenLewis plea agreement wasdiscussed in Beckers cham-bers, the judge had ampleopportunity to challenge itand Becker did not.

News Briefs

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Doraville neighborhood granted historic statusby Lauren [email protected]

Doraville resident JohnMaloneywas born on Stew-art Street in the Northwoods

neighborhood. During his62 years, he has lived in fourdifferent houses on that sametreet.

I have always lived here,Maloney said. My grandpar-ents ran a dairy by the Gener-al Motors facility back in the40s and granddaddy ran anAmerican Oil filling stationn downtown Doraville in the50s. Ive just got a lot of con-nections here, and its alwaysbeen a good place to live.

That kind of history andense of place has paid off

for Northwoods, which wasofficially recognized on theNational Register of HistoricPlaces June 3. The designa-ion recognizes buildings that

are associated with importanthistorical events; the livesof historical figures; haveyielded or may be likely toyield historical information;or that have distinctive char-acteristics of a time period,particular style or work of amaster craftsman, accordingo the registrys website.

In the case of North-woods, it is the latter. The

neighborhood was firsttarted around 1949-1950 as

part of Georgias first plannedcommunity. In the postwaryears, many cities withincities sprang up across thecountry to account for thecivilian rush to the suburbs.These communities weredesigned with residentialblocks, churches, a businessdistrict and shops within easywalking or driving distance.

It was started for theGeneral Motors executivesat the Doraville plant, saidBonnie Flynt, presidentof the Northwoods AreaNeighborhood Association,or NANA. The reason theychose this location was itwas right smack-dab in themiddle between the plant andhe PDK Airport.

The J.A. Jones Construc-ion Company, based in

Charlotte, N.C., snatched uphe land, betting on Atlantasapid growth. They hired

Walter Tally, a local builder,who then hired two GeorgiaTech graduates, Ernest Mas-inand John Summer, pro-

ponents of the then-radicalanch house with open floor

plans and ample yards.In developing North-

woods, lenders initially

refused to front the moneybecause the style was so out-landish. However, once hous-es began selling before theywere even built, Tally was ableto secure funding and wild

success.Northwoods and its sur-rounding neighborhoodsare a perfect representationof a mid-century modernneighborhood due to the

high integrity of the district,the strong history, and theeagerness of the homeownersto designate and protect thesense of place they so love,reads the historic district in-

formation form, initially sub-mitted to the state of Georgiafor the states historic placesregistry.

Helping Northwoodsachieve this designation is a

small act our class can do.Those lines were written byRichard Laub, the directorof Georgia State UniversitysMaster in Heritage Preserva-tion program. Students in

that program became inter-ested in the community afterthe Army Corps of Engineersdid a floodplain study in thearea in 2009. The report cameto the attention of the Geor-

gia Department of NaturalResources, and then to Laub.

Because of its age andbecause people did live thereso long, or moved there fromsomewhere else and stayed,

we have people who are alivenow who were there in the50s and 60s, Laub said.Thats something you dontget in preservation very often,those people are often long

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393police ofcers

youYou may not see us, but were nearby.Maybe just a few seats away. To make

sure you have a pleasant, uneventfulride. We could use your eyes, too. Ifyou see something thats not right,

call us. Well take it from there.

Chief Wanda Dunham

SeeSay

something

something

If you

Use MARTAsSee & SayApp.

Txt MPD: (404) 334-5355

orCall (404) 848-4911if you see something out of the ordinary.


Brook Run Dog Park in Dun-woody is under fire again from parkneighbors and city councilmembers

who want it moved.Citing environmental damagend noise concerns, those opposedo the current dog park location

wish to have it moved to anotherpart of the park. Supporters ex-pressed their love of the communitynd the dog parks draw to members

of other municipalities.Established in what was original-

y unincorporated DeKalb, the dogpark is four acres of fenced, heavilywooded land in the western part ofhe park, off of Georgia Way. Dog

park supporters tout the shade castby the mature trees as a unique ben-fit of the park, while opponents citerborists surveys that demonstrateree damage from overuse.

Supporters and opponents in ap-proximately equal numbers packedhe chamber for the public comment

portion of the June 9 DunwoodyCity Council meeting. The ultimateate of the dog parkto move it or

maintain it where it currently lieswill be voted on June 24.

I have lived on Lake VillageDrive since 1989, said residentBeverly Armento. I urge you toaccept your park managers recom-mendation to move the dog park toan alternative location in Brook Run

Park. If we keep the dog parkwhere it is, all the remaining treeswill be dead in seven to 10 years.

The seven to 10 years statisticcomes from a report commissionedby the council to study the effects ofthe dog park on the standing trees.Further studies by arborists com-

missioned by the Brook Run DogPark Association (BRDPA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, found there was nodamage to trees.

Supporters, including many fromthe BRDPA wore red to make a vi-

sual impact, according to the asso-ciations Facebook page.Resident Saul Slomansaid he ap-

proached the chamber dressed as atomato in support of maintainingthe park where it is.

I have lived here for 14 years,and my parents have lived here since1982, he said. The proposed newlocation is in full sun. The currentlocation requires little maintenancewhile the new location would re-quire regular re-sodding. We wouldbe trading one problem for another.

The proposed new dog parklocation would be moved closer toPeeler Road, away from residents in

Lakeview Oaks but toward houseson Peeler Road.

Moving the park has been dis-cussed since at least 2013, when itwas included in the city budget tothe tune of around $195,000. In De-cember of 2013, BRDPA memberspresented a compromise plan thatceded moving the fence away from

Brook Run Dog Park location again up for debate

Supporters of the Brook Run Dog Park wore red to the June 9 council meeting to make avisual impact according to the Brook Run Dog Park Associations Facebook page. Photoby Lauren Ramsdell

See Brook Run on page 18A

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WEEKPICTURESIn

Searching for Our Sons and Daughters:

For a programming guide, visit www.yourdekalb.com/dctvNow showing on DCTV!

Finding DeKalb Countys MissingStories of our missing residents offer profoundinsights and hope for a positive reunion.

DCTV Your Emmy Award-winning news source of DeKalb County news. Available on Comcast Cable Channel 23.

Photos brought to you by DCTV

Representatives of the Clarkston Farmers Market recently received a $500 grant from AgSouth Farm Credit.Photo provided

At former police chief Bobby Burgess Sr.s burial, DeKalb County Policehelicopters offered a salute in a ve-copter flyover. Photo by LaurenRamsdell

Geese frolicking in the South River at Panola Shoals. Photo by Carla Parker

Stone Mountain Park prepares for the summer season with an improved laser show. Photo by TravisHudgons

Mural at Fellinis Pizza in Decatur. Photo by John Hewitt

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s to increase that percentage to 40,around the national average.

Brennan said that recycling is im-portant in the long run for DeKalbsanitation services. According to

DeKalbs sanitation website, morehan half of the waste destined forhe county landfill could have beenecycled. Recycling has been freen DeKalb since 2012, but residents

must register with the county andeceive county-approved recycling

bags and bins.Its certainly the earth-friendly

and green solution, he said. Themore stuff we keep out of the land-fill, the longer our landfill lasts, thelonger we can keep our rates low bycomparison.

The Seminole Road Landfill inEllenwood, the only one operatedby the county, was built in 1975and should be able to continue inoperation until 2071, according to

the county sanitation departmentwebsite. The landfill also acceptsrecycling from county residents, in-cluding specialty items such as scrapmetal and tires.

We started recycling in 2005,so weve been at it for a long time,Gannon said. We make a little bit ofmoney selling the recycling, about$600,000 in revenue, but every littlebit helps.

She also said that while participa-

tion rates continue to increase, theyare still not where they could be.

When we dropped the fee forrecycling and just in that we saw54 percent increase from those thatwere recycling, she said. Hopefully,through the pilot it will increaseeven more since there will be morepublicity and focus the benefits tothe county and also to the personrecycling.

Sanitation Continued From Page 2A

Former DeKalb County police chief dies at 83by Lauren [email protected]

Retired DeKalb PoliceChiefRobert BobbyT. Burgess Sr.,passed

away June 6 of naturalcauses. He was 83.

Burgess was a 45-yearveteran of the DeKalbCounty Police Department,ncluding a 22-year stint as

chief of police until his re-irement in 2001. The munic-pal building at 3630 Camp

Circle, next to the jail, wasenamed the Robert T. Bur-gess Building in his honor.

Funeral services wereheld June 10 at AvondaleFirst Baptist Church with theburial at Melwood Cemeteryn Stone Mountain. The

burial included bagpipe ren-ditions of Marines Hymnand Amazing Grace, abugle delivery of Taps,a 21-gun salute and a ve-copter yover.

Burgess was preceded indeath by his rst wife, BettyB. Burgess; father, Theron

S. Burgess; and mother,Doris C. Burgess. He is sur-vived by his wife, Shirley;hree sons, Robert Theron

Jr.and Kathy BurgessofDacula; Joel S. Burgessof Decatur; David B.andKayren Burgessof Dacula;two stepdaughters, SandyPendleyand TerryPendley;a stepson, Robby Lanier;seven grandchildren andthree great-grandchildren.

A DeKalb native, he wasultra conservative, lovedAmerica and never livedmore than three miles fromthe DeKalb County Court-house, according to his on-

line obituary.Bobby Burgess was agood man whose life wasguided by a deep and abid-ing faith and a commitmentto public service, said inter-im DeKalb CEO Lee Mayina statement. His incredible45 years in DeKalb Countyspanned ve decades. Hemeant a great deal to us alland served as an inspirationwith his ongoing efforts togive back and improve hiscommunity, about which hecared so deeply.

DeKalb County Commis-

sioner Larry Johnsonsaidin a statement, Burgess setthe standard he was a trueservant-leader and he leaves

a legacy of dedicated servicenot only to the police depart-ment but to the citizens ofDeKalb County.

Bobby Burgess was ahands-on leader who careddeeply about DeKalb Coun-ty, stated DeKalb CountyCommissioner Elaine Boy-er. Throughout his years ofservice he was always fullof energy and willing to dowhatever was needed to keepDeKalb residents safe. Hewas a tremendous communi-

ty servant who will be sorelymissed.Comments on the web-

site of A.S. Turner and Sonsfuneral home remembereda man committed to publicservice and as an old schoolcops cop who never for-got anyone with whom heserved.

He was a natural leaderwho ran a tight ship, saidformer county CEO LianeLevetanin a statement. Healways fought to ensure thatDeKalb County had the best-equipped police force. My

thoughts and prayers remainwith his family during thisdifcult time.

Members of Bobby Burgess Sr.s family mourns at his burial June 10.

ormer DeKalb police chief Bobby Burgess Sr. was amember of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Ofcers and honor guards attended the burial. Burgess was preceded by hisrst wife, Betty Burgess. Photos by Lauren Ramsdell

Bobby Burgess Sr. worked in the county policedepartment for 45 years, before retiring in 2001.

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Q&A Continued From Page 1A P-card Continued From Page 1A


neighborhoods. But they cant do itlone. Tey need a sheriff who will

work hand in hand to create a saferommunity. Im ready to work withhem.

s there a particular anecdote or ex-perience you recently had with a resi-dent in DeKalb County that made anmpression on you?

Mann: I was moved by the sense ofelief a citizen expressed regarding the

mental health care and the appropriatereatment her son received while in theail. She was most impressed with themount of resources our agency com-

mits to mental health care and treat-ment, to include counseling services,patient

ones: I was brought to tears when Iheard the story of the home invasionnd shooting death of a nine-month-

old baby in Stone Mountain. Tis

rime was tragic and shocking, and ithas motivated me more than ever towork hard every day to make our com-munity safer. Tis should

How have you prepared yourself tomanage the more than $70 millionbudget of the DeKalb County Sher-ffs Office?

Mann: As chief deputy sheriff, I di-ectly managed the budget, with fiscalestraint and without a hint of mis-

management or financial impropriety.have a good working relationship

with the CEO and the Board of Com-missioners as evidenced by my en-dorsements. Tese relationships areritical to effectively manage the Sher-ffs Office.

ones: Leading DeKalb County dur-ng the largest economic expansion in

DeKalb Countys history gave me thekills and experience to manage a large

operation. We had an annual budgetof close to $1 billion, with 7,000+ em-ployees, the highest triple AAA bondating, and Im proud to say that welways

What areas of the budget would youhange to save taxpayer money?

Mann: We have managed an austere

budget over the last 14 years, savinghe taxpayers millions of dollars. oeduce the amount of overtime at local

hospitals, I intend to bring more healthelated services directly to the jail that

will greatly reduce the transportationbudget and the officer resources that

ones: We have to be more efficient athe Sheriff s Office. Tere is an over-ap in the duties performed by sworn

deputies and civilian personnel. Welso must make tracking down the

most egregious of the 17,000+ out-tanding warrants, collect those fees,nd take the most violent offenders offhe street...

What is your experience in law en-orcement? Do you think its impor-ant for the DeKalb County sheriff to

have prior experience in law enforce-ment?

Mann: I represented the DeKalb PoliceDepartment and Sheriffs Office in le-gal matters for 8 years. I have workeddirectly for the Sheriff s Office the past13 years, obtaining peace officer certifi-cation (POS) in 2006.

Jones: As CEO of DeKalb County, Iwas commander in chief of the policeand fire forces. I created the first home-land security office for our county andmanaged a force of 1,000+ people. Fi-nally, I established the police insurancefund that compensated the families ofofficers who lose their lives.

What did you do to connect withresidents, such as attend debates orpolitical forums, or go campaigningdoor-to-door?

Mann: I listened as many citizens aspossible. I attended 13 sheriff s politi-cal forums during the special election;

campaigned door-to-door; visitedchurches and synagogues, dialoguedwith faith based and communityleaders about the prevailing needs ofDeKalb citizens, telephoned citizens;attended meet and greets in citizenshomes and attended numerous home-owners

Jones: I have spent as much time aspossible speaking one-on-one withthe people of DeKalb. Politicians loveto talk and tell everybody what theirplan is. And I have a plan - but I ammore interested in listening. Te ideasthat will solve our crime spree willcome directly from

What is the first thing you will do tomake the DeKalb County Sheriff sOffice a better place to work?

Mann: Te Sheriffs Office is a na-tionally recognized agency with theNational Sheriffs Association ripleCrown Distinction, which only onepercent of sheriff s offices in the nationmaintain. Notwithstanding, increasingdetention officer pay will be the num-ber one priority.

Jones: I will end nepotism and crony-ism and institute a fairer system thatwill respect the rights of workers undermy command. Commanders get re-

spect when you treat your soldiers withrespect.

Do you think that deputies should beprovided a county-issued, take homevehicle? Why or why not?

Mann: Undercover deputies alreadyhave take-home vehicles. If the bud-get allows for a sufficient number ofmarked vehicles to be purchased foruniform deputies, those deputies livingwithin the county will be allowed takehome vehicles.

Jones: Visibility and presence in acommunity is the simplest crime pre-vention measure we can undertake.

Trough GPS tracking and fuel ef-ficient upgrades to our vehicles wecan ensure appropriate use of sheriffproperty and save money on longercommutes.

clear policies that are applicable to theposition of the person with the P-card.

One of the problems that we hadwas that policies were designed for em-ployees of the CEO, Sutton said. Whatis appropriate for an employee whoonly maybe orders supplies in a depart-

ment and maybe travels once every fiveyearsis different from what an electedofficial does.

Business trips areinvaluable

Suttons summary of travel expensesfor the past three years shows that heroffice spent $16,496 in 2011; $1,648 in2012; and $6,431 in 2013.

In March 2013, Sutton spent $170 inbaggage fees, $52 for taxis, $48 for mealsand $1,276 for a hotel room during atrip to Washington, D.C., for the Na-tional Association of Counties (NACo)legislative conference. Such trips are in-valuable, she said.

hat is where you get to get all ofyour legislative and policy training, Sut-ton said. If you do not do that, yourenot fully able to represent your con-stituents. You know nothing about themost current legislation that affects yourpopulation.

During the same trip, Judy Brown-lee, Suttons chief of staff who is also amember of NACo, had another hotelroom with a $1,311 price tag. Sharing aroom was not an option, Sutton said.

Im a 54-year-old woman, Suttonsaid. Why am I going to roommatewith my staff? I dont think anyonewould ask the governor if he shouldshare with his chief of staff. Would you

ask Congressman Johnson if he shouldshare with his chief of staff?

Laundry charge appropriateDuring that same trip, Sutton

charged $47 for room service and an-other $43 for laundry.

I didnt have a washing machine inmy room and something spilled on myclothes, she said about the expense. Ididnt think [taxpayers] would want meto represent them with clothes that weredirty.

I think thats an appropriate ex-pense, Sutton said. If I had not beenaway working, it would not have beenan issue. I would have put them in mywashing machine and washed it myselfor I would take it to the dry cleaners. Ihad no other option. hey had the ser-vice available. o have them cleaned, Idont think that theres a problem withthat.

Wine charge was anoversight

A $61.72 receipt for a lunch meetingin July 2013 with first responders at BlueRibbon Grill shows that two glasses ofwine were purchased with BrownleesP-card.

Normally when we have wine witha dinner, they are paid for separately.hat must have been an oversight, Sut-ton said about the lunch at Blue RibbonGrill. Normally whoever has the alco-hol pays for the alcohol.

From Jan. 1, 2013, to April 1, 2014,Suttons office spent $1,077 for lunchand dinner meetings at various restau-

rants. When asked how lunch meetingswere more helpful than office meetings,she said, It depends on the meeting andthe time of day and the locationandthe purpose of the meeting.

here are times when its appropri-ate to meet in the office and there are

times when its appropriate not to, shesaid, especially when youre workingwith people that you want support andhelp from and youre going to inconve-nience them and they have to squeezeyou in around a meal time, I think youshould go on and pay for the meal.

Donation supports approvednonprofit

In October 2013, Sutton spent$1,100 at a silent auction supportingthe Africas Children Fund. he money,which Sutton said was a donation to thenonprofit, bought a picture of PresidentBarack Obamafor her office.

Based in Chamblee, the Africas

Children Fund provides assistance tounder-served children and their familiesto improve the quality of their lives andcivic contribution through educational,medical, housing and nutritional pro-grams, according to its website.

Tats a charity that the county sup-ports, Sutton said. We have supportedthat charity for many years. Tat yearwe were not able to support them at thelevel they requested through the generalfund. Tey were having a fundraiser,and I committed to at least $1,000 frommy budget.

I could have just given the $1,100straight from my budget, she added.

Sutton believes she is apolitical targetSutton said she believes she is abso-

lutely being targeted for her P-card use.Its for political reasons and [by]

people with controlling naturesto fur-ther political agendas, she said, addingthat she knows who has been targetingher but would not name the person.

For years when people have beendoing disingenuous stories about meand misrepresenting the facts, Ive beensilent, Sutton said. But at this point inmy life, Ive got to set the facts straightand set the record straight.

Te commissioners arent the onlyelected officials that use the county P-

cardsbut our usage has been targeted,Sutton said. I cant say one way or theother if there has been improprieties inanybody elses P-cards, but when youonly target a small number of peopleseven, and only a couple out of thesevenyoure being disingenuous.

Sutton said she has handled her bud-get well and even saved the county mon-ey, underspending by $19,366 in 2011;$11,354 in 2012; and $26,073 in 2013.

As people follow the money, I wantpeople to understand it and I want themto follow my service and see how well Iserve the people of this district, Suttonsaid.

I am good with everything Ivedone, she said.

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Stone Mountain couple to host learningstation at Juneteenth celebration

by Kathy [email protected]

As the nation commemorates theAmerican Civil Wars 150th anni-versary, many Americans are takinga special interest in the role their an-cestors played in the pivotal conflict.

Although Rob Williamslives inhe shadow of Stone Mountain withts famous carving commemorating

Confederate heroes, his interest is ineducating people on the role Blackpeople played in Americas warsespecially the American Revolutionand the Civil War.

There is so much that peopledont know about Black involve-ment in the military, said Williams,

who was a civilian employee of theDepartment of the Army before heetired in 2007. Williams said that

a prominent historian in the 1920swrote that Blacks are the only en-laved people who played no role se-

curing their own freedom. He saidwe just sat around train stations play-ng banjos and waiting for Unionoldiers to come do something for

us. Many people believed that untilhe [1989] movie Glorycame out.

Williams now spends much of hisime teaching about Black soldiers

who fought on both sides in the CivilWar. People dont want to believe

hat there were Black soldiers in theConfederate Army, but there were,he said.

Many Blacks joined the UnionArmy because they were guaranteed

the opportunity to learn to read,

write and understand numbers. Blacksoldiers may have been critical inthe Union victory because so manyWhite soldiers were wounded orkilled or went home after their tourof duty was up. The Union desper-ately needed men. Lincolns deci-

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