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FRIDAY, OCT. 10, 2014 VOL. 17, NO. 29 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

See Wilson on page 15A

See Ellis on page 15A

DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James tells jurors that the case against indicted county CEO Burrell Ellis is about pub-lic corruption. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

Decatur resident wants to be childrens chief advocate

Valarie Wilson, former Decatur school board member, said more money is neededfor public education. Photo by Christopher T Martin

by Andrew Cauthenandrew@dekalbchamp.com

FormerCity Schools oDecatur school boardmember Valarie Wilsonsaid she eels compelled

o run or the state school boarduperintendent position.

While on our [local school]

board, I was consistentlydisappointed at what I elt like wasa consistent deundingo publiceducation, Wilson said. Everyyear rom the time I started serving,here was more and more and morehat was being taken away as it

related to unding, but more andmore requirements or mandates thatwe [had] to deal with.

When she became presidento the Georgia School BoardAssociation, Wilson interacted withdistricts outside o Decatur and sawthe struggles that they were having,particularly in some o our rural

areas, she said.It was difficult, Wilson said. You cant see that level odevastation and not be moved to try to make and impact.I elected, the first thing that

I would like to do is to restore thebudget and bring the budget currentto the needs in the state o Georgiaor our public education system,Wilson said.

A lot o people say that I ocusa lot on unding, and I do, she said.I they travel this state and they sawwhat was happening throughout

this state, they would stop sayingthat.

Wilson said there are schooldistricts that cant have theirschools open or the mandated 180days because they dont have theresources to do it.

We need to make sure that weare appropriately unding publiceducation so that we can stopthese urloughs [and] we can stopovercrowding classes, she said.

Districts dont have enoughmoney to do the things thatthey need to do, Wilson said,so unding is critical. I want to

make sure that we are sensitizing

Ellis fate in jurys handsby Andrew Cauthenandrew@dekalbchamp.com

Afer three weeks otestimony, the ate osuspended DeKalb CountyCEO BurrellEllisis in

he hands o a jury comprised o adozen o his constituents.

Closing arguments were heardOct. 6 in the trial o Ellis, whos acing our counts o criminal

attempt to commit thef byextortion; three counts o thefby taking; two counts o criminalattempt to commit alse statementsand writings; three counts ocoercion o other employees togive anything o value or politicalpurposes; one count o conspiracyn restraint o ree and open

competition; and one count oconspiracy to deraud a politicalubdivision.

A key strategy during the closingarguments by attorneys or indicted

Ellis was to attempt to discredit theestimony o the states key witness.

Deense attorney Dwight

Tomastold jurors that they

should not believe a single wordout o [Kelvin Waltons] mouth.Walton is the suspended chie

procurement officer who has

admitted to perjuring himsel beorea special grand jury.I did a lot o wrong but I did it

with the CEO, Tomas said. Tat

was the first thing that came out o

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

Business ........................20A

Sports......................22-24A

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

Classified .......................21A

QUICK FINDER

LOCAL, 11ALOCAL, 3A

MAKER FAIRE

CELEBRATES

INNOVATION AND TECH

AVONDALE ESTATES

MAYOR RESIGNS

BUSINESS, 20A

NEW CHAMBER LEADER

SAYS COUNTY IS OPEN

FOR BUSINESS

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Page 2A The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014

LOCAL

See Simpson on page 6A

Towers principal journeys from remedial to remarkable

A BETTER WAY FORWARD

Launch youreducational future.

visit gpc.edu/secondhalf

Its not too late to register or apply for second-half classes at Georgia Perimeter

College. You have until September 22 to submit all documents. Nows your chance to

join more than 21,000 students who call GPC home.

Second-half fall classes start October 13, so what are you waiting for?

- . :

by Andrew Cauthenandrew@dekalbchamp.com

Dr. Ralph Simpson, principalof owers High School, said he isjust blessed to be named the 2014

principal of the year for the DeKalb

County School District.I am just amazed by [Gods]

grace because I would have nevermagined that I would be here at this

pointfour years ago, said Simp-on, who was honored by the dis-rict Sept. 27. He received a trophy,

plaque, laptop, printer, $1,000 anda personal library from ScholasticBooks.

Four years ago, Simpson was inrouble.

he Atlanta natives first careerwas in corrections. He worked inAtlanta for a maximum securityprison, then in the jail system.

Simpson majored in criminalustice at the University of WestGeorgia, where he received his mas-ers degree. He earned a doctoraten educational leadership from Ar-

gosy University.Simpson transitioned into edu-

cation, working as an elementaryand middle school teacher, andmiddle school and high school as-istant principal. In 2000, he becamehe principal at Stone Mountain

High School and in 2005 he was theirst principal at Miller Grove High

School. From there he was promot-ed to assistant area superintendentand then demoted to assistant prin-cipal at ucker High School.

In 2007, Simpson wrote a bookitled From Remedial To Remarkable,n which he described his transfor-

mation from a remedial high schooltudent to an assistant area schooluperintendent.

It was the sale of $13,000 ofhe books in local schools that ledo his demotion in 2010 from the

district office back to an assistanthigh school principal. he sale was

deemed a conflict of interest byschool officials.

he demotion and the journeyfrom that point, Simpson said, even-

tually worked to his benefit.Any time you experience some

challenges, initially the first thingyou want to ask yourself is Whyme? or Why did it happen to me?Simpson said. My faith in God is ata point where I dont look at it froma perspective of what happened tome. Its more or less what happenedfor me.

I am just amazed by

[Gods] grace because Iwould have never imaginedthat I would be here at thispointfour years ago. Dr. Ralph Simpson, principal of Towers High School

Ralph Simpson, principal of Towers High School, said he is humbled and amazed to be named principal of the year by theDeKalb County School District. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

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The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 Page 3ALOCAL

Avondale Estates mayor resigns

Ed Rieker

by Carla Parkercarla@dekalbchamp.com

Avondale Estate Mayor EdRieker announced his resignationOct. 2.

In a messageent through thecity hall newsemail, Rieker saidhe accepted a pro-essional oppor-unity that will re-

quire a significantamount of [his]ime and attention.

herefore, I am resigning asmayor effective today. he city ofAvondale Estates and its residentsare unique, charming and vibrant.t has been a privilege and honor to

volunteer and serve as your mayor,Rieker wrote.

According to reports, Rieker ac-cepted a job at Emory University.Rieker has been mayor for sevenyears. He was first elected in 2007and was reelected to a second termn 2011.

Mayor Pro em erry Giagerwill act as the citys mayor. Riekers still officially the mayor until the

city commission accepts the resig-nation. City Manager Clai Brownaid he expects the commissionerso meet soon to accept the resigna-ion.

According to the citys charteron the process and timeline for fill-

ng the mayors vacancy, a specialelection will be held to fill the posi-ion. he city will hold the special

election March 17, 2015.here are three or four dates per

year on which special elections areallowed to be held. he city cannothold the election Nov. 4 becausetate law requires at least 29 days

between the call of a special electionand election date.

o hold a special election onNov. 4, the city would have beenequired to call a special election on

Oct. 3, which was impossible be-cause the city commission must firstmeet to accept Riekers resignationand declare the position vacant.

he city will then notify thecounty Board of Registration andElections of the vacancy, and thecounty will issue the call for the spe-cial election.

Riekers resignation came a day

after he apologized to residents atan Oct. 1 meeting on how he andthe commission handled an annexa-tion bill.

I realized as mayor that I hadmade a mistake, he said to a packedcrowd. Ive been doing this forseven years now. Im learning all thetime and Im sorry that I made mis-takes. Im doing my best.

At a Sept. 22 meeting, residentsquestioned the mayor about HouseBill 1130, filed by state Rep. KarlaDrenner(D-Avondale Estates) thatincluded a proposed annexationmap for the city. Residents werenot aware of the bill when it wasfiled, and the commission neverdiscussed it in a public forum. Resi-dents found out about the bill at aSept. 15 city planning and zoningboard meeting.

he map shows areas west andnorth of Decatur being annexedinto the city. he areas includeneighborhoods of Katie Kerr andForrest Hills, and the DeKalb Farm-ers Market.

At the Oct. 1 meeting, Riekercleared up rumors that Drenneracted on her own in filing the bill.

hats absolutely untrue,Rieker said. We asked her to drop

the bill that was put in last year. Wegave her the map; we asked her todo that as we have many times inthe past for other annexations.

Drenner said the reason sheintroduced her bill on March 7 wasthe Lakeside cityhood bill passedthe Senate on March 3. Her bill waslater pulled because the annexationbillsBriarcliff, Lakeside and uck-erfailed to make it to the Housefloor for a vote in the last legislativesession March 20 and were put onhold until the next legislative ses-sion.

he city will hold anotherpublic work session Oct. 15 forresidents to speak.

Ed Riekers resignation came

a day after he apologized to

residents at an Oct. 1 meeting

on how he and the commission

handled an annexation bill.

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The Champion FreePress, Friday Oct. 10, 2014 Page 4AOPINION

Letter to the Editor

Ten reasons DeKalb vendors demand

Kelvin Walton and Nina Hall be firedIts time or us to come to theeality that our local government

has been in a crisis or ar too long.As a watchdog group, we havecomplained or years about a cloudo corruption that gives DeKalbCounty a bad reputation as wellas a black eye hindering economicdevelopment and decreasing publicrust.

Now we are aced with theerious issue o having local

politicians indicted or illegalactivity and violation o their oathso oice. Yet, a ew politicianscontinue with the same excuseshat interere with the quality oie our community deserves. Our

county employees, police andiremen have gone over ive years

without raises or even a cost oiving increase until this last budget

year. When will the crisis end?When will a high quality o lie andncreased public trust begin?

he title o this article, eneasons DeKalb vendors demand

Kelvin Waltonand Nina Hallbeired, strives to educate the public

on acts they may not be aware o,and apply heat to interim ChieExecutive Oicer LeeMayto takeaction and ire two employees who

have clearly engaged in allegedcriminal activity. he reasons toire Kelvin Walton and Nina Hallnclude:

1. Kelvin Walton unneled cashrom vendors to a county employee

who served on approximately 15election committees or DeKalb

County projects. he employeesname is Nina Hall, ormerly theexecutive assistant/secretary toCEO BurrellEllis.

2. Kelvin Walton headed adepartment that practiced out-o-control nepotism and cronyismthat ueled alleged criminal activity.Kelvin Walton and Nina Hall

violated their job descriptions. Yet,interim CEO Lee May suspendedKelvin Walton and Nina Hallwith pay at a combined taxpayerspayroll cost o approximately$228,800.

3. Kelvin Walton and Nina Hallengaged in acts o alleged criminalactivity that produced conlicts ointerest.

4. Kelvin Walton, under oath,willully lied multiple times duringhis May special purpose grand jurytestimony and Walton admittedunder oath that he lied to the grand

jury.

5. Kelvin Walton and NinaHall both reused to answerquestions and pleaded the Fith,citing the sel-incrimination rule.Kelvin Walton reused to answer343 questions or ear o sel-incrimination. Nina Hall reused toanswer 30 questions or ear o sel-incrimination.

6. Kelvin Walton assisted electedoicials and high sta oicialsin engaging in alleged criminalactivity causing an investigationwhich involves the FBI, U.S.Attorney General, Department oRevenue and the Inspector General.

7. Nina Hall irst denied everreceiving gits or cash rom

vendors under oath. However, sheeventually conessed to receiving

cash rom Kelvin Walton andallegedly MichaelHightower.

8. Kelvin Walton accepted a git/service rom a vendor o cash valuewithout paying or the service.

9. Vendors and employeescomplaints that identiied waste,mismanagement, alleged illegalactivity by contractors and KelvinWalton were ignored.

10. Board o Commissionersand DeKalb County sta membersconlicts o interest that were acause o action or major mediainvestigations were incorrectlybased on advice given by KelvinWalton.

Its time or DeKalb Countytaxpayers, homeowners andbusiness owners to send a messagethat we want the madness to end.he local government shouldocus on the needs o the public,provide a high quality o lie, andrestore public trust.

We need a ull orensic audit toexpose the true inancial pictureand shortalls o Watershed andPublic Works. We need a ull

orensic audit o the purchasingand contracting department. Weneed an answer to the question,Is there any criminal activity thatshould be prosecuted? Vendorsand contractors have requested aull criminal investigation by theFederal Bureau o Investigationinto alleged criminal activity toinclude:

Bid-rigging False documentation

(evidenced by raudulentchecks) Violation of the False Claims

Act Fraud Kickbacks, up-charging and

over-billing Tax fraud

Until we place restoring publictrust as a top priority, taxpayers,property owners, homeowners,and business owners will haveincreased lack o trust in our localgovernment. We ask our Board oCommissioners, those that remain,to demonstrate the value they placein restoring public trust in ourlocal government by enacting theollowing changes:

Establish and fund an internalauditor.

Creation of a new anti-corruption unit withinthe DeKalb County PoliceDepartment, in concert withthe FBI and GBI.

Support the board of ethicsand maintain its independence.

I there are people that valuerestoring public trust and removing

this cloud o corruption, we needyour help in convincing interimCEO Lee May to immediately ireand remove Kelvin Walton andNina Hall rom the DeKalb Countytaxpayers payroll. I the CEOcontinues to reuse to ire KelvinWalton and Nina Hall, we needinterim CEO Lee May to explain tothe rest o us the reason, Why?

Viola Davis, RN BSN

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OPINIONThe Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 Page 5A

Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinions from its readers.Please write to us and express your views. Letters should be brief, type-written and contain the writers name, address and telephone numberfor verification. All letters will be considered for publication.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send email to Andrew@dekalbchamp.com FAX To: (404) 370-3903 Phone:(404) 373-7779 . Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week priorto publication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editors do notnecessarily reect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The Publisher reserves theright to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. The Publisher is not responsiblefor unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher:John HewittChief Financial Ocer: Dr. Earl D. GlennManaging Editor: Andrew CauthenProduction Manager: Kemesha HuntPhotographer: Travis HudgonsSta Reporters: Carla Parker, Lauren RamsdellAdvertising Sales: Louise Dyrenforth Acker

The Champion Free Press is published each Friday by ACE IIICommunications, Inc., 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA.

30030 Phone (404) 373-7779.

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FREEPRESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHERWe sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding this andany issue of interest to DeKalb County. The Championwasfounded in 1991 expressly to provide a forum for discourse

for allcommunity residents on all sides of an issue. We haveno desire to make the news only to report news and opinionsto effect a more educated citizenry that will ultimately moveour community forward. We are happy to present ideas fordiscussion; however, we make every effort to avoid printinginformation submitted to us that is known to be false and/orassumptions penned as fact.

ONE MANS OPINION

And now is the time

Its very important to remindhe American people that the U.S.

has the most capable healthcareystem and the most capable

doctors in the world, bar none,Lisa Monaco, assistant to thepresident or Homeland Securityand Counter-terrorism, at a WhiteHouse press brieing on Oct. 6,2014.

Prior to the White House

tating with assurance late lastweek, Weve got this, I was ohe mind that our public oicials

were taking the appropriate stepso prevent and/or minimize thempact o any outbreak o Ebola

hemorrhagic ever on U.S. soil.his unortunately is the same

administration that assured theAmerican people weeks ago that anEbola outbreak in this country wasall but impossible, and again theame administration who gave ushe Aordable Care Act. Ask most

any physician or hospital CEO whathat has done to our nations health

care inrastructure during the pastew years.

Im not a doctor, nor do I playone on V. I have a great deal o

conidence in my personal medicalteam, but I also understandthat much o my healthcare iscompletely dependent upon myown daily diet, exercise and livingchoices. he doctor treating meor years managing a chronicmedical condition, cannot takemy medication or me, nor payattention to the diet triggers I knowwill cause me trouble. Similarly,neither the president, CDC, norour local attending physician at anearby hospital E.R. can be awareo every human encounter wemake, or steps we take in the evento a larger outbreak here stateside.

Given the growing pandemicin west Arica, the presence o the

worlds largest airport, and severalhealthy settlements o Aricanreugees in DeKalb County andother parts o Georgia and thenation (Liberian population inDallas, exas, is approximately10,000), there will be more sons,daughters, grandchildren andcitizens o Sierra Leone, Liberiaand other nations attempting tolee their shores. hough U.S.troops are building treatmentcenters or an additional 1,700patients to be treated, patientswith ull-blown Ebola symptomsare being sent home daily, as was

the case with the 19-year-old,seven-months pregnant neighborwho Eric Duncanassisted in andout o a cab to a nearby hospital

to seek treatment. Ater beingturned away or lack o acilities,the young mother could no longerwalk on her own, and was vomitingin the cab, where her amily andMr. Duncan were trying to saelytransport and comort her. Shedied, along with her unborn child,several hours ater returning home.

Mr. Duncan, aware o theneighbors diagnosis or not, let thecountry days later, exposed, but notyet exhibiting symptoms rom a

virus that has an incubation periodo up to 21 days. As authoritieson both sides o this controversyconsider prosecuting Mr. Duncan,I am orced to ask the humanquestion, who can seriously blame

him or trying to escape his homecountry where actually comingdown with ull-blown Ebola isessentially a death sentence? Wordhas reached Arica that patientshave been successully treated orcured in the Americas. Duncanhas amily and a son in Dallas. Ihave a hard time believing heintentionally came here to harmothers.

My home in Scottdale is not arrom several reugee communitiesin Clarkston. A warm and riendlyneighbor, Mamma D is romLiberia. She worked or years as

a physicians assistant and mid-wie, she told me recently, clearlysuering the loss, that a physicianshe worked with or decades had

died rom the i llness, treating andtrying to save his patients untilthe end. Her son was in Monroviaat that time, arther away romthe hottest Ebola spots, but thathas quickly changedand he wastrying to secure a visa to cometo the United States. Hundredso local reugees still have amilyoverseas. Dozens are employednearby at Our DeKalb FarmersMarket.

Im clear that contact witha bodily luid o someonedemonstrating symptoms oinection is required or contractingthe virus, but at that point thingsget uzzy very quickly. hetime is now or a major public

awareness campaign, explainingthe symptoms to look or, logicalpreventative steps to take and aseries o actions recommended inthe unlikely event o exposure to apatient with the virus. (continuednext week)

Bill Crane also serves as apolitical analyst and commentatorfor Channel 2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk 750 and now 95.5FM, as well as a columnist forTheChampion, Champion Free PressandGeorgia Trend. Crane is aDeKalb native and business owner,

living in Scottdale. You can reachhim or comment on a column at bill.csicrane@gmail.com.

Bill Crane

Columnist

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Page 6A The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014

LOCAL

If you would like to nominate someone to be

considered as a future Champion of the Week,

please contact Andrew Cauthen at andrew@

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

RONALD ABERCROMBIE

Ronald Abercrombie

Simpson Continued from page 2AOftentimes you dont know

why certain things happen,but had that not happened, itwouldnt have put me in a po-sition to be where I am andI wouldnt have received therecognition, quite honestly, hesaid.

Simpson said his role asowers principal allows him toshowcase his skills and abilities.

Otherwise I may not havehad that opportunity, he said.If I look back four years ago atwhat happened, that was a setup for meto receive the typeof recognition that Ive gotten in

just the short time that Ive beenhere.

Since he took over the reinsat owers High, the level of ex-pectation has improved, Simp-son said.

here appears to be a newlevel of energy with the stu-dents, Simpson said.

he school had the largestgains of any high school in thedistrict in ninth-grade literatureand economics grades, accord-ing to Simpson. owers gradua-

tion rate increased by more than20 percent in a year.

Additionally, all of theschools administrators returnedfor the first time in eight yearsand 96 percent of the teachersreturned, Simpson said.

Returning students hadan opportunity to experiencethe change in culture [and] thechange in climate, Simpson

said.We gave them a reason tofeel proud about their school.We did a better job of makingthem understand that educationis a means to their success, hesaid.

Simpson said the key to hisrecent success is the fortitude,the perseverance, the patienceand the will to continue to workhard and serve children despitethe challenges.

I am more than grateful,more than appreciative and I amhumbled by it because there areso many great principals in ourschool district who could veryeasily have been chosen as prin-cipal of the year, Simpson said.

hree years ago,Ronald Abercrom-bieof Clarkstongarnered an interestn providing housingor lower income in-

dividuals and fami-ies.

He also becamenterested in learn-ng about construc-ion and decided totart volunteering

with Habitat forHumanity-DeKalb, where he is now in providinghousing for lower income people and construct-ng homes. Habitat for HumanityDeKalb, Inc. is

an official county affiliate of the Habitat For Hu-manity International organization headquarteredn Americus.

Since its incorporation in 1988, Habitat forHumanityDeKalb has built or renovated 60

homes, serving about 450 people including about

200 children. Abercrombie, 68, said it was Habi-tats national reputation, along with his interestin construction and helping others that led himto join the Christian organization three years ago.

He has been heavily involved with the orga-nization and has been a house leader once on aconstruction project.

I show up almost every Saturday for oneproject or another, he said. [As house leader] Ihelped organize the work for the volunteers eachSaturday and was able to add a set of helpinghands along the way.

Abercrombie also serves on the CommunityHousing Development Organization board, acommittee that oversees the Community Hous-ing Development funds that Habitat receivesfrom DeKalb County.

DeKalb County receives these funds fromthe federal government (U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development) to help pro-

vide low-income housing, he said. his moneygoes into our cost and is repaid to Habitat over

the length (30 years) of our Habitat mortgages to

the homeowner, and then it is recycled into otherbuilds or renovations. Our mortgages carry nointerest over the 30 years, as is the Habitat policy.

Abercrombie also tutors refugee studentsfrom Clarkston High School.

hese children are the youngsters that callthemselves the Fugees Family, he said. he Fu-gees Family organization was begun by, and hasas its driving force, a young woman by the nameof Luma Mufleh. I tutor math and science forthese high school students.

Abercrombie said he likes giving back to thecommunity where he lives and finds the volun-teer activities to be fun.

Also, it is important at my age to stay busy,he said.

DeKalb County School Districts principal of the year, Ralph Simpson, once worked for amaximum security prison. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

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Page 10A The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014

LOCAL

Old hotel tobe imploded

Avondale Estatesplanning roundaboutdemonstration

by Andrew Cauthenandrew@dekalbchamp.com

he skyline at the corner of I-85and North Druid Hills Road willbe a little emptier in a month

after the implosion of a 19-story building.he vacant Executive Park Motor

Hotel, described in an advertisement inhe 1970s as Atlantas Prestige Suburban

Hotel, is scheduled for implosionSaturday, Nov. 8, amid fanfare, accordingo Patty Gregorypublic relations manager

at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta.An ad announcing the hotels January

1971 grand opening boasted conventionfacilities for 800, a grand ballroom,estaurant and 474 comfort-conditionedooms.

Now, the buildings outdatedconstruction and design led ChildrensHealthcare of Atlanta officials todetermine that renovation was not aviable option for this building, accordingo a news release.

he current structurewould not beable to serve any potential future needs ofhe pediatric health care system, the newselease stated. In addition, removinghe building will contribute to the safety

and beautification of the surroundingneighborhood.

Donnie Reed, vice president offacilities at Childrens, said, We arecontinuing to assess and plan for the needsof our pediatric health care system todetermine future use of the property.

o mark the implosion, ChildrensHealthcare of Atlanta is planning Cape

Day AL for Nov. 7.We are encouraging everyone inAtlanta to wear a cape on Cape Day toshow support for a special superhero-loving patient and other kids like him,Gregory said.

A day doesnt go by at Childrenswithout encountering at least one of ourpatients dressed as a superhero, Gregorysaid. Capes are almost as common ashospital gowns around here. Our patientsfight obstacles every day, challenges mostof us could never dream of, and everyday, they put on their capesliterallyand figurativelyand fight. heir capesrepresent courage, perseverance and hope.

Four-year-old DJ Pittsof Hapevillewore many capes during his six-monthhospital stay at the hospital, including ahomemade cape that said Super DJ.

o celebrate brave kids like DJweare asking Atlanta to show their supportfor DJ and kids in our hospitals by wearinga homemade cape on Cape Day to work orschool, at home or at play.

Our goal is to get the whole city ofAtlanta wearing capes, Gregory said.

DJ will be the one pushing the button toimplode the old hotel building on Nov. 8.

Gregory said she is not aware ofany future plans for the site. After thedemolition of the building, which waspurchased in 2013 January for $9.6million, cleanup of the site will takeseveral weeks, she said.

by Carla Parkercarla@dekalbchamp.com

Residents and commuters who drive through AvondaleEstates will soon see how a roundabout would work at theNorth Clarendon and U.S. 278 intersection.

he city will hold a mock roundabout demonstrationNov. 8 at the intersection for the public to get a feelfor how a roundabout would work. he city receiveda $50,000 Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) from theAtlanta Regional Commission to study the feasibility of aroundabout, road diet and Better Block demonstrationproject.

A road diet involves converting an undivided four laneroadway into three lanes made up of two through lanes

and a center two-way left turn lane.City Planner Keri Stevens said the city wanted tolook into further were a road diet from James Crossingsto Ashton Place, and also looking into intersectionimprovements at the North Clarendon and U.S. 278intersection, one of which could possibly be a roundabout.

he city also received an additional grant for theproject and the total project cost is $62,500.

A part of that project cost, and the money allocated,is to do an actual on-the-ground demonstration project,Stevens said. Its a completely temporary project and itwill generally show the impact of those proposed changes.People can see in real time what it would possibly looklike.

Stevens said the demonstration will have temporary

materials such as cones, chalk and flags to see exactlywhat the physical impact would be size-wise and how itwill function generally.

he roundabout is a little bit more difficult to showfunctionality-wise because you cant actually drive in areasthat might be possibly a part of the roundabout, she said.But, they will at least be able to see how it would impactthat intersection.

Consultants from Nelson\Nygaard ConsultingAssociates are conduction the feasibility study. he firmwill look at the size, what makes it effective and whatimpact it will have on that intersection and the city asa whole. Once the study is completed, a report will becreated, which will show traffic counts and costs associatedwith implementing the project.

he demonstration project is really a public outreachproject, Stevens said. If the community is not in favor ofit, or if the impact is so not great, we will look into otherintersection improvements that will work with the roaddiet.

Example of a roundabout

The 19-story former Executive Park Motor Hotel will soon disappear in a cloud of dust. Photo byAndrew Cauthen

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Page 11A The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014

LOCAL

Maker Faire celebrates innovation and tech in Decatur

by Ashley Oglesby

What constitutes a maker? Bydefinition, the term can applyto artists, crafters or anyonewho creates something. But the

past decade has seen a more specific makermovement emerge, one with robots, drones,bitcoins, gurus and storm troopers.

Maker Faire Atlanta, a self-describedhybrid of science and county fairs that dubstself the Greatest Show (and ell) on Earth,etup shop this year in downtown Decatur

on North McDonough Street and in the largeparking area surrounding the Callaway Build-ng on Oct. 4-5 for its fourth annual innova-ors celebration.

he event is a grassroots effort that began

on Georgia echs campus as the Atlanta MiniMaker Faire and has since grown to be theargest Maker Faire in the Southeast.

[he Makers Faire] is too big to be in onecategory. Its arts and crafts meets popular sci-ence and popular mechanics at DragonCon,aid Roy Craft, director of program develop-

ment at Georgia ech and development direc-or of the Maker Faire Atlanta.

Organizers of this years fair estimatedmore than 20,000 people in attendance com-pared to last years one-day event which at-racted 10,000 people.

Once a Mini Maker Faire reaches 10,000participants, it has the option to become afeatured fair. Atlanta now has joined the ranks

of other cities such as Rome, Paris, Detroitand Kansas City. Unlike these other featuredFaires, however, Atlantas event is completelyfree and is wholly produced by volunteers.

David Sluder, executive producer ofMaker Faire Atlanta said, We do this becausewe care deeply about the maker movementand want to see it take Atlanta by storm.

he upgrade also included exclusivecoverage by MAKE magazine, featured place-ment on the Maker Faire website, and the newmoniker: Maker Faire Atlanta.

his years weekend Faire included aPower Racing Series, guest speakers in theDecatur High School auditorium and hostedmore than 220 creators, innovators, tinkerers,hobbyists and amateur enthusiasts of all ages.

he youngest makers were from he Chil-drens School.

he private Midtown Atlanta elementarychool implemented its play, passion and

purpose benchmark with the Innovators

Playground. A mini Maker faire dedicated to

elementary children was presented by com-munity partners, faculty, staff and families.Although other schools have partnered withthe Maker Faire, he Childrens School is thefirst to do it on a scale of its size.

his is a concept that we had to reallyshowcase how making and tinkering reallyneeds to begin with elementary children, saidNishant Mehta, head of the school.

He added, Its not just about Legos, but itreally is about higher level 3D printing, higherlevels in terms of electrical circuits and so on.

Part of the Maker Faires mission is toeducate the next generation of innovators bypartnering with organizations with renewedemphasis on SEAM (science, technology,

engineering, arts and mathematics) learningin schools and after-school programs all overthe country.

Craft said, Its a part of a bigger move-ment thats really going to transform educa-tion from just abstract theoretical knowledgeto applied and doing stuff.

As the maker movement continues togrow, its community of experts and novices,Sluder recommended anyone inspired to pickup a new tool a start playing around.

A good deal of the process is learninghow to use the tools and then seeing what youcan make after that. He said.

From the eclectic Freeside group in theWest End warehouse to the Geekspace Gwin-nett and the Decatur Makers, there are a half-

dozen maker groups around Atlanta that offerclasses and provide the tools to help amateursstart new projects.

For more information about the MakerFaire Atlanta, visit makerfaireatl.com.

Artists, craftsmen, builders and tinkerers displayed their creations Oct. 4-5 in Decatur for theestimated 20,000 visitors to Maker Faire Atlanta. Photos by Ashley Oglesby

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The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 Page 12ALOCAL NEWS

F C

O ALL ALUMNI OFDeKalb Area Vocational School (1961 - 1963)DeKalb Area Technical School (1963 - 1972)

DeKalb Community College-Technical Division (1972 - 1986)DeKalb Technical Institute (1986 - 2000)

DeKalb Technical College (2000 - 2011)Georgia Piedmont Technical College (2011 - 2014)

Please join President Jabari Simama for

Fall ConvocationBridging from Our Past, Building for Our Future

Tursday, October 23, 201411:00 a.m.

Georgia Piedmont echnical CollegeConference Center, DeKalb Campus495 N. Indian Creek DriveClarkston, GA 30021

RSVP by October 16, 2014, toSeddrick Hill at hills@gptc.edu or (404) 297-9522 ext. 1828

Celebratory lunch to follow

by Nicholas L. Washington

Princeton Elementary Schoolstudents, faculty and parentsexperienced an evening with Atlanta

Falcons tight end McKenna Sean BearPascoe, the Falcons team mascot, Freddie

he Falcon, and the Falcons cheerleadersas they celebrated the opening of theacilitys homework center. Fitness Fun

with the Falcons was the theme of theevent and is an initiative intended toencourage youth to participate in physicalactivities.

According to Dr. Kyia Clark,Princeton Elementary Schools Principal,he center will build a community ofvibrant learners.

his [center] is a wonderful placeor our students, parents and school

community, said Clark as she thankedSCANA Energy for partnering with thechool to host the event.

Im appreciative of them [SCANAEnergy] in what they have done with theprogram and how it has really made thechildren excited about homework, Clark said.

During the visit, Freddie the Falcon ledtudents in stretching exercises followed

by fitness activities, including a footballoss, rope jump and a hula hoop contest.

Pascoe spoke to the children abouthe importance of physical fitness and

explained that it can be fun. He lateroined the students in a football toss,

coached a tug-of- war match, autographedpictures and answered fans questions.

Pascoe explained that giving back to

he community is one of the highlights ofhis football career.he impact Im having on the

tudents feels great, Pascoe said. I love tocome out. o see their faces when I come

out, thats what its all about. he NFL isfun, but giving back is what its all about.

Derauyvein Kleckly, a fifth-grader atPrinceton Elementary was very excitedto meet the NFL star.

I most enjoyed tossing the ball withhim, Kleckly said.

Assistant Principal John Wilsonalsoexpressed appreciation for the visitors.

Id like to thank him [Pascoe] forcoming out and being a positive rolemodel for the children to see, Wilsonsaid.

Its great when the players come out

and visit the children because they geta chance to see what they can become,Wilson said. If they see it, they canbelieve it. When they can believe it, goodthings can happen.

Atlanta Falcons visitPrinceton Elementary

Students pose for a rise up photo to commemorate a visit by an Atlanta Falcons player. Photos by Nicholas Washington

Atlanta Falcons tight end McKenna SeanBear Pascoe (left) visits students at PrincetonElementary to celebrate the opening of a

homework center.

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The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 Page 13ALOCAL NEWS

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 profound

insights 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

ucker held its fifth annual aste of ucker eventOct. 4. Attendees sampled appetizers, entreesand desserts from a variety of local restaurants.

Participating restaurants included Brockett Pub,Longhorn, Local 7, Riverside Pizza and more. he eventalso included live music from the Mike Lowry band and aKids Zone. Photos by Carla Parker

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The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 Page 14ALOCAL NEWS

Upcoming Seminars at DeKalb Medical

For a referral to a DeKalb Medical physician or to reserveyour space for these free seminars, please call 404.596.4772 .Light refreshments will be served. Parking is free.

Doc Talks

www.dekalbmedical.org dekalbmedical

Celebrating Womens Health:

Ladies Night Out toEmpower Women toMake Health a Priority

Tuesday, September 23, 20146:008:00 p.m.Community RoomHillandale campus

Our expert panel of doctors

will offer information on

a wide range of womens

health topics such as healthy

aging, breast cancer, fitness

and nutrition, menopause

and more. Come early andreceive a complimentary

bone density scan of the heel

which indicates whether

you may need further

osteoporosis testing.

Call 404.596.4772or visit

www.dekalbmedical.org.

IWantToBeRecycled.org

by Andrew Cauthenandrew@dekalbchamp.com

K

at Kellywants to give awayher house.

Located in StoneMountain, the mid-1960s

partial brick ranch has threebedrooms, a two-car garage and it sits upon a hill so its really nice, Kelly said. Youcan look over the street which is one of thehings I like about it.

The home, which she occupied from2003 to 2009, was Kellys first Americandream, she said.

The pine floorsI installed themmyself, I made the closet doors in thehouse. I did all the work on it. The houseeally was my baby.

After a failed relationship, Kellyeventually purchased a new house andented the Stone Mountain home.

Most people would [say], Its annvestment property ; thats cool that youremaking a monthly income on it, Kellyaid. But for meI have an emotional

connection to the house. It was my firsthouse. It was where I learned how to dohings.

My hearts not in renting that houseout, Kelly said. I just want someone in itwho loves it and wants to be there. I knowt sounds cheesy but its true.

Approximately a year ago, she decidedhe wanted to raise funds to pay off the

mortgage and give the house away tosomeone who was working but couldnt

afford to do both the mortgage and thegeneral costs that go along with homeownership, but could do one or the other,Kelly said.

Kelly first launched the campaign

through PayPal to avoid the excess feescharged by fundraising sites.

I put it out and I had some interestfrom local media but then I started gettingharassed by people who [said], This is ascam. Youre just wanting peoples creditcard numbers, Kelly said.

For a year, those commentsdiscouraged her from continuing thecampaign. Kelly returned to the idea amonth ago.

Now, Kelly wants to give the house toher current tenants: a young single motherwith a preschool child.

This tenantfeels connected to thehouse, Kelly said. She loves living thereandshe wants to stay there and she wantsto be in a place where she can raise herlittle boy.

When I see them outside I say, Shefits there, Kelly said. She belongs there. Icant say it any other way.

Kellys goal is to raise $110,000 to payoff the mortgage; she would be taking aloss when it comes to the taxes.

Im being led by something thats notfinancial. Its my heart, Kelly said. Mygoal is to inspire other peopleto thinkabout the concept of home and what itmeans and how important it is to somepeople. I want us to think about otherpeople.

I could keep [the house] and treat itlike an investment property, which is whatmost people would do, Kelly said. Forme its about my connection to the houseand about giving someone else the sense ofpermanence and sense of home.

For more information about thecampaign, visit www.makemeahomeagain.com.

Woman seeks to give awayher American dream

Kat Kelly wants to give someone else the sense of permanence and sense of home. Photo byAndrew Cauthen

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The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 Page 15ALOCAL NEWS

Wilson Continued From Page 1A

Ellis Continued From Page 1A

our legislators, our communities, and theyunderstand the relevance and the importance oully unded public education.

Wilson said she also wants to efficiently andeffectively implement Common Core in the stateo Georgia.

I believe in Common Core standards,Wilson said. I think that they are importantand necessary or our children to be successul.

also recognize that we have to be effective andupportive in making sure that there is effective

and efficient implementation. I think weve hada misstep on that. I think that we have to be sure

hat we are providing all o resources and theupport that is necessary and that we are reeingeachers rom the concern o losing their jobs

because they dont meet certain marks at certainimes.

Wilson added that during her first term shewould ocus on bringing parents to the table in a

substantive way.We have go to help parentsrealize how

best to support us in the public education systemin helping their children to be successul, Wilsonsaid.

Wilson is one o our DeKalb residentsrunning or state executive positions, includingormer Lithonia city councilwoman DoreenCarter, or secretary o state; Sen. JasonCarter,or governor; and ormer state senator ConnieStokes, or lieutenant governor.

Tere is an opportunity to get people to thepolls when they recognize that they have our o

their own [running] or statewide office, Wilsonsaid.She is also one o five Black women running

or statewide elected positions.I think that what we see happeningis

we are mirroring what Georgia is looking like,Wilson said.

I liken that to what we see happening inour public education system, she said. For thefirst time ever the majority o children in ourpublic education system are children o color. Ithink thats a reflection o our state and the wayour state is going. I think its pretty awesomebecause we are representing that diversity we seehappening.

Wilson said she is very proud to bethe Democratic nominee or state schoolsuperintendent, but doesnt believe there is aplace in education or politics.

Little boys and girls dont come into our

classrooms as little Democrats, Republicans, eaPartiers or Independents, Wilson said. Teycome as little boys and girls looking to be taught,with a yearning or education and we need toanswer that and meet that.

I am looking orward to representingchildren and being their chie advocate, she said.

he mouth o Kelvin Walton whenhe testified.

He perjured himsel beorehe grand jury. He didnt do that

with the CEO, Tomas said. Heook moneycash moneyrom

vendors, but he didnt do that

with the CEO. He came in thiscourtroom and he misrepresentedhe acts in this case. He didnt dohat with the CEO.

Prosecutors have the burden toprove beyond a reasonable doubthat CEO Burrell Ellis acted with

criminal intent, Tomas said.Kelvin Walton is the key or

he state in their effort to provehat, Tomas said. And they ailed

miserably.You did not hear anything

about Ellis lining his pockets,Tomas told jurors.

I told you at the very beginning

o this case that there would beno evidence in this case that CEOBurrell Ellis stole one dime omoney. I told youthere wouldbe no evidence o any kickbackscheme.

Tomas said prosecutors

hitched their wagon to Walton,an admitted liar, admittedperjurer.

Ellis saw Walton as atrustworthy riend, but the realKelvin Waltonabused the trustgiven to him by Mr. Ellis, Tomassaid.

Tomas told jurors thatprosecutors want you to find Mr.Ellis guilty andpronounce him acriminal.

Mr. Ellis is ar rom a criminal,Tomas said. He has not done anycriminal act thats alleged in thisindictment.

Tomas asked the jury to do theright thing and end the torment oMr. Ellis.

DeKalb County DA RobertJamessaid, Tis case is not abouthis public service. Tis case is abouthis public corruption.

Te trial is about lies, Jamessaid. Flat out lies. Lies to thepublic, lies to the grand jury, lies tohis staff, lies over and over and overagain.

Liar, liar, pants on fire, Jamessaid.

Ellis uses his influence, hispower, county resources [and]county employees, to urther hiscampaign goals o paying back a$150,000 campaign, James said.

Tats public corruption, Jamessaid.

Ellis dangles his power in ronto vendors to exchange one avor

or another avor, James said,because he owes a lot o money toa lot o people and he hopes thati he helps these olks with theircontract issuesthey will help himget his problem resolved.

It aint a public service, Mr.

CEO. Its a Burrell Ellis service,James said during his closingarguments.

You ask yoursel, Why is hedoing this stuff? James said tothe jury. Well, because hes chieexecutive officer o DeKalb County,and he believes that entitles him todo whatever he wants to do.

All youve heard [is], Respectthe CEO, respect the office. I theCEO calls you, youve got to callthe CEO back, James said. Whois he? He aint God. Hes just a man.Hes just a servant.

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Page 18A The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014

LOCAL

Students serve in Lithuanian summer campby Lauren Ramsdellauren@dekalbchamp.com

Lithuania has had a long andstoried history. Once a largeempire, it was ravaged by the

Holocaust, subsumed under the

USSR, then a satellite nation and isnow a free member of NAO. Itseconomy is expanding, and theresmore opportunity than ever in thisBaltic country.

However, the economy hasntaffected everyone equally. heres amall middle class making up the

gulf between the rich and poor.Well-educated Lithuanians fre-quently move elsewhere in the Euro-pean Union, contributing to a braindrain in the country.

he aftershocks of communistule are theorized to contribute tohe high degree of post-traumatic

tress disorder among young Lithu-anians, particularly those who comefrom economically disadvantagedbackgrounds. he Decatur RotaryClub, along with the Vilnius, Lithu-ania Roatary Club and the Lithua-nian Rotary District 1462 sponsoredfour Decatur-area students to volun-eer at a summer camp for children

who come from these backgrounds,as well as those in the foster systemor from single-parent homes.

Decatur High School studentsVito Antinozziand LyndsayMorrowand Agnes Scott Collegetudents Ijaaz Kingston and

Celeste Whitmanspent one weekiving with host families and one

week at the summer camp in July2014 at Camp Vasara near Vilnius,Lithuanias capital. All four servedas camp counselors alongsideLithuanian peers.

hough none of them spokeLithuanian, many Lithuanians speakEnglish

Neither of us spoke Lithuanian,we learned some basics alonghe way but not enough to really

communicate, Kingston said.Especially trying to figure out what

was going on around the camp, wehad to rely a lot on translators.

But, through gestures andignals, the counselors got to know

the kids at camp. Some pointed to

objects around the campgroundand got the counselors to say thename in English. Kingston said shespent time with one girl who lovedto tell her Lithuanian words. Otherswanted hugs, or to play sports, orhave their hair braided.

he biggest difference, Whitmansaid, was both the children and thecounselors looked and acted olderthan she would have guessed. Mostof the Lithuanian counselors wereunder 18, but looked and acted likeadults.

I have worked with kids before,in Costa Rica, Whitman said.But I was interested in working

with children in a different setting.Kids in Europe are going to be a

lot different than kids in Central

America and I love traveling, and Ihad never been to Lithuania before.I thought it would be interesting,because Eastern Europe, a lot ofpeople dont go there.

Whitman and Kingston aremembers of Agnes Scotts RotaractClub, the collegiate affiliate ofthe Rotary Club. Antinozzi andMorrow are members of DecaturHigh Schools Interact club, the highschool Rotary affiliate.

Decatur Rotary Club memberBarbara edrowspearheadedthe idea. edrow has familyties to Lithuania, where she hasdone genealogical research with

academics in that country.edrow and her husband,

photographer Bill Boley,

accompanied the students anddocumented the experience.his service learning

project ties together the studyof community issues, personalobjectives, appropriate and relevantaction, and the projects impact onthe community and the individual

volunteer, edrow said.Whitman said that they were

able to see the difference made withmany of the campers.

Our goal was to show thechildren that they could besuccessful and to encourage themto be themselves because they maynot have experienced that, she said.

hey gained a lot of confidence.

Students marching in a parade with the Rotary Summer Camp ag are, from left, Ljaaz Kingston, Agnes Scott College; LyndsayMorrow, Decatur High School; Celeste Whitman, Agnes Scott College; Nico, a Lithuanian Jesuit Gymnasium high schoolstudent; Vito Antinozzi, Decatur High School; and Alina, another Jesuit Gymnasium high school student from Vilnius, Lithuania.The Jesuit Gymnasium, which has a highly regarded school, rented the conference site for the Rotary project and the summercamp. Photo provided

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The Champion FreePress, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 Page 20ABUSINESS

The Voice of Business in DeKalb CountyDeKalb Chamber of Commerce

404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

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

by Kathy Mitchell

Katerina aylorsaid one of the things sheikes about her new position as president of the

DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce is that itenables her to use skills she honed in the corpo-ate world along with her passion as a commu-

nity advocate.Te chamber is the one place key players in

he building of our community come together.Education, tourism, government, workforce de-velopment, community service and many otherelements all work together to build a countywhere people will want to live, work and play. Iwas a banker for 16 years, and Im the daughter ofa successful entrepreneur. I started my own busi-ness in 2009. I have a deep appreciation for howeveryone works together to build a community,aylor said.

Since the resignation of Leonardo McClarty

n May, aylor had served as interim chamberpresident. She was named president in Septem-ber. Te first woman to head the DeKalb CountyChamber in its 76-year history, aylor said shebrings a perspective that may make DeKalbschamber unlike typical chambers of commerce,which are traditionally male-driven.

Were not going to be conventional. Weregoing to be forward thinking. Were going to tryome things that havent been tried before. I dont

mean I plan to turn DeKalb upside down, butf I have to turn it upside down to make it place

where existing businesses can thrive and newbusinesses will want to come to, then well turn it

upside down, she said.Were going to be aggressive in recruit-

ing business to DeKalb County. We have manywonderful assets. We have great colleges such asEmory, Oglethorpe and Agnes Scott. We havethe CDC and Stone Mountain is the top tourismattraction in the state. We need to make sure peo-ple know these are in DeKalb, she said. We needto let people know DeKalb is open for business.

A native of Kansas, aylor has lived in Geor-gia 11 years. She joined the executive team ofthe DeKalb Chamber of Commerce in 2012 asthe director of memberships and programs; in2014,she was promoted to director of operationsand investor relations, giving her oversight of allchamber staff and responsibility for the budget.

She said that now is a great time to help leadDeKalb County, noting that her overarching goalis to drive progress in DeKalb through busi-ness advocacy, collaboration, community and a

diverse, high-performing staff. We have a highlydiverse countymore than 200 languages arespoken hereI want to reflect that diversity inthe chamber staff.

She acknowledged that DeKalb County hasan image problem stemming from legal problemsin both the school system and county govern-ment. But I think were now moving in the rightdirection. Superintendent Michael Turmanisdoing a phenomenal job with the school systemas is [Superintendent] Phyllis Edwardsin thecity of Decatur. [Interim DeKalb County CEO]Lee Mayis being very responsive to problemsin government that may be hindering business.

He is urging our members to let him know whenthey see problems with doing business in DeKalb.He said, We cant fix a problem unless we knowabout it, aylor said.

Te key to future progress, she added, istransparency. We have to start operating inan environment in which there are no secrets.People have to know where money comes fromand how its being spent. Te hiring and promot-ing process, the rules for doing business with thecounty have to be out in the open.

aylor also noted that county unity will beimportant to DeKalbs future. In the years Ivelived here, Ive been hearing about rivalries be-tween different areas of the county. Tat needs tostop. We have to stop dividing the county up, shesaid. When something good happens in DeKalb,we should see it as a victory for whole countyand not be concerned about whether it happenedon the north side, the south side, the east side or

wherever.Tere are unique communities within thecounty, and thats a good thing. Tats somethingwe should embrace, but neighborhoods shouldnot see each other as rivals, aylor said.

Te new chamber president said she wantsevery corner of DeKalb to be physically attrac-tive. I have nothing but praise for the work theCIDs [Community Improvement Districts] aredoing to build their areas of the county. It makesa huge difference when areaswhether theyrecommercial, industrial or residentialare cleanand well cared for. Tat creates a place wherepeople want to be, she said.

New chamber president plans to drive progress in DeKalb

We need to

let people

know DeKalbis open for

business.

The rst female president of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, Katerina Taylor says she will be aggressive in building the countys business environment.

Katerina TaylorPresident, DeKalb County

Chamber of Commerce

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