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FRIDAY, Dec. 26, 2014 VOL. 17, NO. 37 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
by Carla [email protected]
A legislative committee divided the Northlakecommercial district between two DeKalb Countycityhood groups that were fighting to include thearea in its proposed map.
Te DeKalb County Cityhood Subcommitteeof the House Governmental Affairs Committee re-leased new proposed city maps with new boundar-ies for ucker and LaVista Hills Dec. 19 and voted3-1 to approve the maps. Te subcommittee had un-til Dec. 31 to produce a boundary map because thetwo cityhood groups could not come to an agree-ment on boundaries lines by the deadline date set bythe committee.
Each of the original proposed maps for bothcities included the Northlake commercial districtand residential areas on both sides of I-285 and inthe corner of I-85, I-285 and the Gwinnett Countyline. Te subcommittee split the area down LaVistaRoadLaVista Hills map has areas north of LaVistaRoad and west o I-285 including Northlake Mall,and the ucker map has areas south o LaVista Roadon the west side o I-285.
Rep. Buzz Brockway(R-Lawrenceville), chair-man o the committee, said the reason or splitting
the Northlake commercial area had to do with finan-cial viability.We were trying to give both areas enough com-
mercial properties to have a good mixture o the taxbase, Brockway said.
Representatives rom LaVista Hills were notpleased with the new map. LaVista Hills originalmap had a population o approximately 72,000 resi-dents. Te new map decreased the population to anestimated 64,000 residents.
Mary Kay Woodwortho LaVista Hills said thecommittee did not listen to property and businessowners in the Northlake area, nor residents outsidethe perimeter.
By splitting the commercial district, when theywere requested not to by both business owners o
See Cityhood on page 13ASee Santa on page 13A
New LaVista Hills,Tucker maps released
A subcommittee split Northlake down LaVista Road. TheLaVista Hills map has areas north of LaVista Road and westof I-285 including Northlake Mall, and Tucker map has areas
south of LaVista Road on the west side of I-285.
by Andrew [email protected]
On Dec. 17, DeKalb Coun-ty sheri s deputiespicked upIrish Wright, o Stone Moun-tain, her grandson and twograndchildren and took themto the DeKalb County Jail.
But they werent in trouble.hey had been selected toreceive gits rom the DeKalbCounty Sheris Oice as parto the sheri s annual holidayparty.
oday they sent the [sher-is deputy] to come and getmebecause I didnt have away, Wright said. Im on thebus.
Approximately 15 childrenand their grandparents romGeorgia Division o Familyand Children Services amiliesreceived gifs, played games
and enjoyed rereshmentswith sheriffs deputies andpersonnel and the DeKalb Jailchaplaincy.
Wright said the gif eventwas a surprise to her.
I didnt know nothingabout this; I sure didnt, shesaid, adding that she didntknow how her amily wasselected or the gifs.
When her grandchildrenlearned about the deputycoming to pick them up, theyboyswere sort o shockeda little bit because they said,Grandma, what I did? What
I did?She said she assured them
that they werent in trouble.Wright, who has been rear-
ing the boys since birth, saidthe Sheriff s Office holidayevent is very helpul to heramily, providing things that Icould not buy or them.
Its a season o giving,said DeKalb County SheriffJeffreyMann. Its our honorand pleasure to do this eachyear. Many o us have beenblessed all our lives and con-tinue to be blessed.
Sheriffs deputies play Santa
More than a dozen children received Christmas gifts from the DeKalb CountySheriffs Ofce. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
Education .....................16A
Business ........................15A
Sports...................... 18-19A
Opinion ...........................5A
Classified .......................17A
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Page 2A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014
LOCAL
75-acre expansion toFernbank Museum
y Ashley [email protected]
Fernbank Museum of
Natural History announcedxpansion plans, which in-lude 75 acres of outdoorxperiences. The announce-
ment largely focuses on0 acres of new outdoorxperiences, environmentsnd activities, set to open inummer 2016 along with ex-
panded access to FernbankForest.
The new outdoor adven-ure experience will occupy
mature woodlands behindhe museums terrace over-ook.
According to the an-
nouncement, the outdoorxpansion will offer newxperiences for all ages;
visitors can explore extraor-dinary landscapes alongwith a five-story changen elevationfrom vantage
points high in the trees toootpaths winding throughver-changing terrain.
Experiences will includeree pods, play areas, groundrails, sensory stations,dventure nets, hands-on
water cycle activities, a re-tored wetland and floating
walkways.We are thrilled to ex-pand our offerings with thisnew outdoor attraction,
usan Neugent, museum
president and CEO said.
This is a rare opportu-nity to connect our visitorswith a truly authentic natureexperience, right here insidethe city, she added. This isthe most significant devel-opment at Fernbank sincethe museum opened, andwe cant wait for our visitorsto experience this fun andinvigorating encounter withnature.
The new permanentfeature highlights the muse-ums environmental legacy,which began 75 years agowhen trustees organized topreserve the forest, one ofAmericas largest old-growthurban forests.
The outdoor adventure
area will open in conjunc-
tion with increased access tothe 65-acre forest. Construc-tion for the outdoor ad-
venture will not impact theforest, where the museumis leading a research-basedrestoration that includesremoval of more than 45harmful invasive species andrestoration of many nativespecies that have largely dis-appeared.
The museums outdoorexpansion area will be in-cluded with museum ad-mission at no extra chargeand will be free for museum
members. To learn moreabout the forest restorationand the upcoming experi-ence, visit www.fernbank-museum.org.
by Ashley [email protected]
Ananonymousangelhas made the holidays bright-er for local families after do-nating new athletic wear toCommunities In Schools ofAtlanta (CIS), an organizationthat partners with DeKalband Fulton counties publicschools to remove barriers
that hinder students fromsucceeding.
Some of these kids havenever had a pair of brand newshoes, Dr. Demona Warren,CIS site coordinator at West-lake High School said.
Donations are muchneeded because the kids weserve arent the ones who livein million-dollar homes. Dur-ing the holidays we receivereferrals from families whosimply want one piece ofclothing item so that they cangive to their child on Christ-mas, she said.
The organization placesstaff members called site co-ordinators in schools to assistin building strong relation-
ships with students, educatorsand community members.
The coordinators aretrained to identify problemsthat prevent students fromsucceeding and devise bench-marks to help the studentsovercome those issues.
Our goal is always toimprove attendance, improvebehavior, support academicperformance, increase pa-
rental involvement, increasecommunity partnerships andsupport families that are incrisis,Nona Franklin, direc-tor of programs said.
CIS site coordinators arealso providing the donationof athletic shoes, socks andclothes as an incentive forstudents who make improve-ments in their behavior, at-tendance and/or academics.
The donation of shoesmeans a lot to our studentsbecause they dont have a lotof things, Warren said. Theyare working hard toward get-ting great grades because theyknow they have a chance toreceive these premier incen-tives.
Donation helpsimpoverished students
Visitors eat around the Giganotosaurus in the entrance of the Fernbank Museum.
Sneakers from an anonymous donor benets local families.
Fernbank Museum of natural history outdoor expansion area is 75 acres.
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 3ALOCAL
MARTA revenues and ridership upby Carla [email protected]
MARTA has seen vast improvementsn multiple areas since Keith Parkertook
over as general manager and CEO in De-
cember 2012.Ridership is up, revenues are up, Clay-on has joined, crime is trending in theight direction, [and] we have some tech-
nology improvements that we think are go-ng to put us in the forefront in the nation
for public transportation systems, Parkeraid at a Dec. 11 media brieng. Our per-
ception among our customers is improvingdramatically.
Just a couple of years ago, MARTA wasoperating in a decit, according to ChiefFinancial Ofcer Gordon Hutchinson.
Every year the agency ran a decit ashe nancial reserves declined, and they
were declining to the point that the agencywas projecting what Mr. Parker referred to
as a scal cliff, Hutchinson said.However, in scal year 2013, MARTA
began running a surplus and increasingts reserves, and it continued in scal year
2014. MARTA ofcials expect that surpluso continue into 2015.
In fact, its increasing reserves to thepoint that were really quite comfortablewith the reserve level, and as a result, Mr.Parker has been reinvesting in the businessby increasing services, Hutchinson said.
The services include reopening rest-ooms with state-of-the-art niceties.
MARTA revealed the pilot restrooms athe Lindbergh station. Parker said one ofhe biggest issues with the restrooms in the
past was that they were expensive to moni-or and maintain.This is a state-of-the-art, brand new
pilot restroom that is automatic, he said.A person can come press the button, acentrally located individual will let thatperson in.
With the restroom being automatic,MARTA ofcials will be notied if theoilet paper is reduced so it can be relled.
Parker said the restroom is also hard-ened, meaning it is vandal proof.
The structure in there cannot be dam-aged, he said. So this is a pretty neatdeal for us. Were going to try it out here
and maybe a couple of other places. If itworks, we might expand it throughout thesystem. This will reduce our costs over-all.
Along with the increase in revenueswere increases in ridership. Ridership
has increased in scal year 2015 throughOctober, according to MARTA ofcials.The combined ridership of the agency hasincreased by four million riders in the rstfour months. Edward Johnson, chief ad-ministrative ofcer, said there were severalof reasons for increase in ridership.
A lot of it has to do with the leader-ship of Mr. Parker and our board of direc-tors, but very importantly, we believe thatthe passenger has more condence in thesystem now, Johnson said. What werecognize from the operation standpoint isthat on-time performance has improved.So, our passengers are really feeling thesystem is more reliable.
MARTA also increased the frequency
of the rail system, and established theride with respect code of conduct, whichcurbs knucklehead behavior.
The customer experience has been alot more pleasant, Johnson said.
Crime is also decreasing at MARTAfacilities, on trains and buses, according toMARTA Police Chief Wanda Dunham.
The percentage of crime is decreasingand were trending in the right direction,Dunham said. MARTA continues to bea safe system and were happy that thecrime trends are showing that at this time.
MARTA also plans to install new tech-nology, a video analytics program.
Its in a testing phase currently, Dun-
ham said. Its a system where if some-thing is going on in MARTAa ght orif someone is on the trackthen it willdetect that and alert our radio communica-tion operators and let them know that thereis an anomaly in the system.
MARTA is in the testing phase of add-ing video cameras on trains and expectsthe project to be completed in January.MARTA is also planning on adding wire-less Internet service to buses, trains andtunnels. They are also looking at a pilotprogram that would turn smart phones intoBreeze cards.
The new pilot restrooms are state-of-the-art and automatic. Photos byCarla Parker
MARTA CEO and General Manager Keith Parker talks about the new pilotrestrooms, which opened at the Lindbergh station.
MARTA Board Chairman Robbie Ashe discusses the improvements ofMARTA.
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The Champion Free Press, Friday Dec. 26, 2014 Page 4AOPINION
@AndrewChampNews
Andrew [email protected]
Managing Editor
What Black males are taughtOn Dec. 4, dozens o
peoplestudents, aculty,alumnae and othersheld adie-in at Agnes Scott Col-ege. For 4.5 minutes, theyay, silent and motionless,
on a patio in the collegesquad. Te protest was stagedo symbolize the 4.5 hours
MichaelBrownsdead bodyay on the street in Ferguson,
Mo., afer the unarmed Blackeenager was shot to death
by a White policeman in Au-gust.
A gathering outside Can-dler School o Teology atEmory University drew morehan 300 protesters whohanted, Black lives matter.cannot breathe. I want to
ive. I cant breathe wereeportedly the final words
o Eric Garner, an unarmedBlack man who died ollow-ng a police chokehold inuly.
Regionally, other protests
were held at Columbia Teo-logical Seminary, Georgiaech and Kennesaw StateUniversity and various loca-tions around Atlanta.
Hundreds o protests havesprung up around the coun-try this year in response to
these and other Black malesdying in encounters withWhite police officers.
While there are no easyanswers to the problems o
racism in law enorcement,the best deense or Blacksparticularly Black malesisto work hard not to get in-volved with the police. Whenyou do illegal things, the
police can get involved andthings can get ugly.When those encounters
do occur, we Black malesare taught to be extra polite,keep our hands visible, dontmake sudden movementsand answer the officers ques-tions.
No its not like it was dur-ing slavery or even duringthe 1960s. Many advanceshave been made in racial rec-onciliation, but Dr. MartinLuther King Jr.s dream hasnot been ully realized.
Even when they are doingnothing wrong, Black malescan grab the attention o thepolice. When I was in collegein the late 1980s, I was oncesurrounded by university
cops as I took a midnightstroll across campus to getrelie rom a migraine thatwas being aggravated by late-night partiers in my dorm.
Even here in DeKalb
County, I get stopped everytime I get a new-to-me carwith a drive-out tagwhichis not illegal. In act, I will begetting a new car soon andully expect to get stoppedby the police. Once, when Igot pulled over by a cop orhaving a drive-out tag, thereobviously had been somepolice activity nearby involv-ing a dozen police cars. Aferthe first cop pulled me over,the others all decided to stop.Tat was a little unnerving.
Once I had car trouble atnight on Glenwood Road insouth DeKalb. I was able toget my car off the road intopark. Minutes later a police-man pulled up and askedor the usual documents.
He said they had received acomplaint call rom neigh-bors about a lot o peoplein the park. I was the onlyperson there. When he dis-covered that all o my docu-
ments were in order, the coplef me in the park with mybroken down car, without o-ering any kind o assistance.
Every time I encounterpolice in possibly negativesituations, I keep calm, com-ply with the police, neverargue and am very polite
A quick look at the staticsor citations, arrests, courtcases and incarcerations willshow that Black males comeinto contact with policemore than their White coun-terparts. How Black malesreact when these situationsarise can ofen determinehow high the tensions willescalate.
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OPINIONThe Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 5A
Lt 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 [email protected] 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 HwittChief Financial Ocer: Dr. earl D. GlnnManaging Editor: Andrw cauthnProduction Manager: Kmsha HuntPhotographer: Travis HudgonsSta Reporters: carla Parkr, Ashly Oglsby
The Champion Free Press is published each Friday by ACE IIICommunications, Inc., 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA.
30030 Phone (404) 373-7779.
www.hampionnwspapr.om
DISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110
FREEPRESS
STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER
W sinrly appriat th disussion surrounding this andany issu of intrst to DKalb county. The Championwasfoundd in 1991 xprssly to provid a forum for disours
for allommunity rsidnts on all sids of an issu. W havno dsir to mak th nws only to rport nws and opinionsto fft a mor duatd itiznry that will ultimatly movour ommunity forward. W ar happy to prsnt idas fordisussion; howvr, w mak vry ffort to avoid printinginformation submittd to us that is known to b fals and/orassumptions pnnd as fat.
ONE MANS OPINION
Thanks, Virginia, for still believingYes, Virginia, there is
a Santa Claus. He exists asertainly as love and gen-
rosity and devotion exist,and you know that theyabound and give to your lifets highest beauty and joy,
an editorial response, writ-en by New York Suneditor,
Francis Church, to a letterquestioning the existence ofSanta Claus from 8-year-oldVirginia OHanlon, printedas an unsigned editorial onSept. 21, 1897.
Born July 20, 1889, Vir-ginia OHanlon led a fulland interesting life. She willhowever be remembered byhistory as the little girl whoasked about the existenceof Santa Claus, and whoeceived a response fromhe then prestigious New
York Sunnewspaper declar-ng definitively that Saint
Nick was alive and well, andwould likely be around toher house later that sameyear. Ms. OHanlon mar-ied Edward Douglasin the
early 1910s and she left himhortly prior to the birth of
her daughter, Laura. In theU.S. Census of 1930, shewas listed as divorced. She
eceived her bachelor of artsdegree from Hunter Collegen 1910, and later a masters
degree in education fromColumbia University in1912, and still later a doctor-ate from Fordham Univer-
sity. A lifelong educator, shestarted teaching in 1912, andfinally retired in 1959. Shepassed at the age of 81 inValatie, New York.
In 2008, Macys depart-ment stores, long a symbolof Christmas themselves,in part due to the flagshipstores presence in several
versions of the film,Miracleon 34th Street, launchedtheir multimillion dollarBelieve campaign, in part-nership with the nonprofitMake-A-Wish Foundationand the U.S. Postal Service,collected more than 1.1 mil-lion letters to Santa from
red Santa Mail letterboxeslocated in Macys stores. Theretailer made a gift of $1
million to Make-A-Wish inrecognition of the large pub-lic response.
Among the benefits ofaging is a growing appre-ciation for tradition, and anopen-mindedness and per-spective often pushed asideduring our youth. I shouldhave realized this a few de-cades ago, but the desire forour children to still love andbelieve in Santa Claus reallyisnt about them,its aboutus. We grownups still needSanta, or at least the hope,unquestioning love andgiving spirit of the seasonwhich he represents. Andthough Macys and otherretailers have a vested inter-est in the commercial sideof this season, the smartestones also understand thatthe best gifts cannot actuallybe bought.
In fact, what I am mostlooking forward to thisChristmas morning is thelook of awe and wonder-ment I know that my young-est daughter Oliviawillshare when she finds the
gifts which Santa has left forher (she had a very shortlist this year). I still smile
ear to ear when I see the ex-citement on her face as sheexplains to a new friend or
classmate that Santa broughther Bruno the Cat last year.Our Olivia is nearing
Virginias age back in theday, and witnessing her joyon Christmas morning, aswell as the destruction ofwrapping paper is easily thebest gift of the season. Myolder daughter, Barclay, isnow 22, and though it hasbeen some time since shegraduated past the age ofbelieving, I can still remem-ber each of those Christmasmornings as if they wereyesterday. Watching childrenwho still visit with Santashelpers at the mall, or maketheir first donation into aSalvation Army Kettle, orplace their first star atop aChristmas treethese areamong the most preciousand priceless of holidaymemories. And as much aswe might love this years flatscreen or tacky tie, it is thosedays of wide-eyed innocencewhich many of us quietlystill yearn for.
I cant speak for all ofmy readers, but I know that
the warmth of the holidayseason and spirit quite oftentakes the nip and chill out of
the air and helps warm ourhousehold, inside and out.
Whether you and your
family are celebrating Ha-nukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaor just reflecting back on theyear behind us before pre-paring for the year ahead, Ihope that that you also getto experience somewherethis year the joy of believing.
I want to thank VirginiaOHanlon for her ratheroutsized role in all of this,as well as thank my owntwo children, Barclay andOlivia, for making so manywarm and loving memo-ries and for believing in thethings which matter most ofall. Merry Christmas to youall.
Bill Crane also serves as apolitical analyst and commen-tator for Channel 2s ActionNews, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as wellas a columnist forhe Cham-pion, Champion Free PressandGeorgia rend. Crane isa DeKalb native and businessowner, living in Scottdale. Youcan reach him or commenton a column at bill.csicrane@
gmail.com.
Bill [email protected]
Columnist
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Page 6A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014
LOCAL
If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Andrew Cauthenat [email protected] or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.
LINDA COTTEN-TAYLOR
Avondale Estatesto annex Stratford
Green Townhomes
Avondale Estates releases statement
on potential Druid Hills annexation
by Carla [email protected]
Avondale Estates citylimits will expand come inJanuary.
The Board of Mayorand Commissioners votedunanimously Dec. 15 toannex the Stratford GreenTownhomes into the city,effective Jan. 1. Stratford
Green is located east ofAvondale Estates City Hallon Covington Road.
Built in the mid-1980s,the community is madeup of 154 townhomes. Theannexation will bring innearly 400 new residents,increasing the citys popula-tion to approximately 3,360.In October, residents ofStratford Green petitionedfor annexation into the city.
According to the peti-tion, annexation requires 60percent of the ownership ofthe land, 60 percent of the
registered voters, and 1/8th(12.5 percent) of the prop-erty to abut the city limits.More than 75 percent of theownership of the land mass,
78 percent of propertyowners and more than 74percent of registered voterssigned the petition.
The residents of ourcommunity currently havean Avondale Estates mail-ing address, attend eventshosted by the city and of-ten have Avondale Estatespolice resources respondto our calls for assistance,
Stratford Green petitionerswrote. We recognize theseservices are not included inthe taxes we pay as unin-corporated DeKalb County.Being so close to AvondaleEstates we already feel likepart of the community andwant to pay our fair share ofthe services we already use.
We have closely fol-lowed the direction Avon-dale Estates has been mov-ing [in] and want to bepart of a forward thinking,resident focused city, thepetition states. Addition-
ally, because we are adjacentto the current city limits,Avondale Estates is a per-fect fit.
Linda Cotten-Taylor of Deca-tur said volunteering gives her anopportunity to give back.
It gives me an opportunity re-tired volunteers to come and helpand be a part of something that willgive our children a safe place to goand play, said Cotten-Taylor, who is
the leader and a founding memberof the Friends of Chapel Hill Parkgroup, a Parks Pride partner groupthat provides community supportfor the park.
On Dec. 9 Cotten-Taylor wasrecognized as the facilities andgrounds section volunteer, an awardbestowed by the Georgia Recreationand Park Association, at the DeKalbCounty Board of Commissionersmeeting.
I was very humbled, said Cot-ten-Taylor, who has lived in DeKalbfor approximately 40 years. Itsnot just about me; its about all thepeoplewho unconditionally come
[and] participate.Cotten-Taylor started volunteer-
ing at parks when her daughter wasa member of the Friends of Wash-ington Park in Atlanta.
I would go and help her withher park all the time, Cotten-Taylor said. And when I saw in the[newspaper] they were coming toDeKalb County, I called them and
submitted an application to [start] afriends group.When we first started we didnt
have [a] park, Cotten-Taylor said.We didnt have [a] bathroom, soI started inquiring to the county,What happened to the originalplans for Chapel Hill Park? Thatshow it got started.
Since its inception, the friendsgroup has built a kiosk fromscratch, put in an exercise stationand new childrens playground.With grants from Park Pride andCommissioner Larry Johnson,three picnic areas were made.Theres something in our park for
everyone, Cotten-Taylor said.Currently the Friends group is
in the process of raising money for abutterfly garden. A fishing pier andoutdoor classroom are the last two
things on their bucket list, Cotten-Taylor said.
Cotten-Taylor said she leads agroup of volunteers who help allthe time.
Retired guys monitor the parkevery day, Cotten-Taylor said.They go through and pick up thetrash. And if theres anything hap-pening they usually give me a calland I go over there and check it out.
If I think I need to call thecounty, I will, but if its something Ithink the members of the commu-nity can do, thats what happens,she said. We have cleaned the bath-rooms, we do whatever we want todo to keep our park clean. Its one ofthe cleanest parks in the county.
Cotten-Taylor also is a memberof Families of Chapel Hill Park andChapel Hill Neighborhood Associa-
tion. She is also a master gardener.I like to encourage people to
reinvest in their communities, getinvolved, find a group thats a pas-sion to you, Cotten-Taylor said.
by Carla [email protected]
Avondale Estates city officials releaseda statement Dec. 19 saying they will moni-or the proposed annexation of Druid Hillsnto Atlanta.
The city said it has received emails andcalls from residents about the potential an-nexation and how it will affect residents,pecifically children in DeKalb County
School District. Together in AtlantaTIA)a group of parents and residentsrom the neighborhoods near Emory Uni-
versity and within the Druid Hills HighSchool clusteris calling for a referendum
on annexing those neighborhoods into At-anta.
The boundaries of the proposed an-nexation include Briar Vista ElementarySchool, Fernbank Elementary School, Dru-d Hills High, Fernbank Science Center,
Adams Stadium, the International Student
Center and other DeKalb County Schoolsproperties.
TIA says there is precedence for theseproperties to be transferred to AtlantaPublic Schools (APS), the statement read.TIA stated on their Facebook page theysubmitted their proposed annexation mapto the state legislature and will work withofficials to support a resolution that incor-porates the map and puts it to voter refer-endum in 2015.
Only residents of the proposed annex-ation area vote on their own annexation--City of Avondale Estates residents wouldnot get a vote, the statement continued.DCSD announced at their December 8
school board meeting they disagree withTIA and will fight for these properties toremain in DCSD.
Avondale Estates said it will continueto monitor the proposed annexation andwill send updates to residents.
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 7A
COMMUNITY
AvondaleEstatesCity to recycle Christmas trees
Avondale Estates will pick up Christmas treesfrom homes Dec. 29 through Jan. 2. Trees will bechipped Jan. 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residentsmust place their trees on the curb the week afterChristmas. On Jan. 3, the day of the chipping,rees should be brought to the old compost area
by the lake, near Wiltshire Drive and BerkeleyRoad, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.Signs posted by the lake will mark the drop-off lo-cation. Christmas trees left up past Jan. 3, should
placed it on the curb and City Public Works as-sociates will pick it up. For more information, callCity Hall at (404) 294-5400.
Chambleeim Tysinger breakfast forum se
SenatorJim Tysinger breakfast forum meetseach Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the PaneraBread in Briarcliff Village, 2100 Henderson MillRoad at LaVista Road for legislative and govern-mental reports by candidates, public officials anddiscussion of current events.
The forum is nonpartisan, open to the publicand free of charge. No reservations are required.Coffee, breakfast fare available for purchase.
Decatur
Realty firm supports sex trafficking survivors
Each year during the holiday period, realtorsaffiliated with Atlanta Fine Homes Sothebys In-ernational Realty are asked to nominate a charity
of their choice to receive donations to celebratehe companys sales successes.
This year agents Paige Girardotof the Pine
Hills neighborhood in north DeKalb and SandraStorrarsuggested Wellspring Living, a nonprofit
organization whose mission is to end domesticminor sex trafficking and their suggestion was ap-proved for support.
Wellspring Living operates Toco Hills Trea-sures, an upscale consignment shop located onNorth Druid Hills Road which helps providefunding for their programs as well as opportuni-ties for sex trafficking survivors to be positivelyengaged in the communities while they are inWellsprings recovery programs.
Realtors Girardot and Storrar recently pre-sented a $5,000 donation check on behalf of theircompany to representatives of Wellspring Livingat a holiday dinner.
Druid HillsGone Digital: 100+ years of Emory yearbooksnow online
Now through March 7, Emory University willhold an exhibit on the digitization of Emory Uni-
versity yearbooks from 1893-1999, which are nowonline, with more recent years to be added soon.The show features digital access to the yearbooks,a narrative on how the annuals show societalchanges over time and an oversized yearbookimage with face cutouts so visitors can pose inthe fashions of yesteryear. The digital collection
documents not only the history of the university,but also of changes in education, popular cul-ture, politics and economicsits also a good wayto research family members and friends in theiryounger years. Emory University, 540 AsburyCircle Atlanta; (404) 727-6861. For additional in-formation visit: web.library.emory.edu.
Dunwoody
State of the City event set
The City of Dunwoody, the Rotary Club of
Dunwoody and the Dunwoody Chamber of Com-merce have announced the sixth annual State ofthe City event. The event is scheduled to take placeat the Crown Plaza Ravinia Hotel, 4355 AshfordDunwoody Road on Feb. 12 from 6 9 p.m.
The State of the City is a city sponsored eventshowcasing the accomplishments and the visionfor the City of Dunwoody.
The Dunwoody State of the City draws rep-resentation from the community, ranging fromresidents to business leaders and governmentrepresentatives.
Donations gathered at the event will be usedto support the Chamber and Rotary charitablethroughout the year.
LithoniaCounty jobs bus to stop at library
DeKalbs Mobile Career Center, known as thejobs bus, will be stationed at various locationsduring December.
The mobile unit provides residents with vari-ous services, including job search assistance, adultworkshops and training, resume writing pointersand interviewing tips. Businesses are also able touse the mobile unit for recruiting, pre-employ-ment screenings, interviewing and training. Morethan 2,500 DeKalb residents have used the mobilecareer centers services since its launch in Febru-ary 2012. The mobile center is funded throughthe Workforce Investment Act grant and all ser-
vices offered are free.On Dec. 30, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., the bus willbe at Salem Panola Library, 5137 Salem Road,Lithonia. The next day, Dec. 31, from 10 a.m.-4p.m., the mobile career center will stop at Stone-crest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia.
CountywideDeKalb to offer Christmas tree pickup
DeKalb County will have free curbside Christ-mas tree pickup service for county residents Dec.
26, 2014 to Jan. 16, 2015.The service, sponsored by Keep DeKalb Beau-tiful (KDB) and the DeKalb County Departmentof Sanitation, offers county residents an opportu-nity to dispose of Christmas trees sustainably andfree of charge. All trees are converted into mulch.
To participate, residents must remove alldecorations from trees and place them curbsideon their regularly-scheduled recycling day. Treeslarger than 7 feet tall cannot be collected. Formore information about free curbside Christmastree pickup or how to plan a beautification proj-ect with KDB, contact KDB at (404) 371-2654or [email protected], or visit www.keep-dekalbbeautiful.org.
AROUNDDEKALB
From left, Sandra Storrer, Mary Frances Bowley, strategicofcer at Wellspring, Paige Girardot, and April Henderson,girls program coordinator for WellSpring Living.
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 9ALOCAL
Covington Highway resort gets commissioners OK
Prior Years (June
30, 2013 or
earlier)
Current Fiscal Year
(July 1, 2013 -
June 30, 2014) Total
1. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Improvements $2,342,500.00 $2,067,991.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Dec 2018
2. Stadiums $9,557,400.00 $9,434,240.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Dec 2018
3. Capital Renewal Program $84,892,200.00 $85,384,898.74 $53,651.31 $1,740,327.74 $1,793,979.05 $0.00 Dec 2018
4. Code Requirements $2,342,500.00 $1,920,248.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Dec 2018
5. Coralwood Diagnostic Center Addition $9,932,200.00 $9,804,210.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Dec 2018
6. Early Learning Center $2,717,300.00 $2,682,284.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Dec 2018
7. Arts School at former Avondale MS $4,029,100.00 $3,977,167.00 $0.00 $27,500.00 $27,500.00 $0.00 Jan 2017
8. Renovation of Southwest DeKalb HS4and Stone
Mountain HS $11,056,600.00 $33,224,366.00 $3,055,173.61 $12,190,508.19 $15,245,681.80 $0.00 Feb 2017
9. Replacement of Austin ES, Fernbank ES, Gresham Park
ES, Pleasantdale ES, Peachcrest ES, Rockbridge ES, Smoke Rise
ES $135,021,700.00 $138,173,953.00 $454,579.93 $1,870,396.86 $2,324,976.79 $0.00 Jul 2018
10. Henderson MS Renovation/Addition $14,992,000.00 $16,280,446.91 $29,000.00 $602,612.55 $631,612.55 $0.00 Aug 2016
11. Redan HS Renovation/Addition $20,988,800.00 $21,018,330.00 $0.00 $713,123.75 $713,123.75 $0.00 Oct 2015
12. Chamblee HS Replacement $55,001,900.00 $54,992,632.00 $251,839.54 $5,366,020.73 $5,617,860.27 $0.00 Jun 2019
13. McNair MS Replacement $35,043,800.00 $34,592,213.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Dec 2017
14. Local School Priority Requests $5,153,500.00 $3,202,479.00 $0.00 $31,338.75 $31,338.75 $0.00 Jul 2016
15. Demolition $2,342,500.00 $2,312,309.00 $10,783.00 $252,418.80 $263,201.80 $0.00 Jan 2016
16. Safety/Security Systems Upgrade $2,342,500.00 $2,312,313.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Jun 2016
17. Technology Equipment and Infrastructure Refresh $36,261,900.00 $34,244,407.00 $3,039,288.42 $18,351,886.97 $21,391,175.39 $0.00 Dec 2017
18. School Buses $9,463,700.00 $9,341,747.00 $381,097.50 $2,332,895.11 $2,713,992.61 $0.00 Jul 2016
19. Service Vehicles $1,592,900.00 $1,572,373.00 $19,620.00 $1,458,929.33 $1,478,549.33 $0.00 Oct 2015
20. Other capital improvements and supporting services
$29,925,000.00 $67,461,392.35 $3,173,415.62 $4,264,263.25 $7,229,833.87 $0.00 Jun 2019
All Projects $475,000,000.00 $534,000,000.00 $10,468,448.93 $49,202,222.03 $59,462,825.96 $0.00 Jun 2019
n compliance with O.C.G.A. 48-8-122
DeKalb County School District
Projects Constructed with SPLOST IV Sales Tax Proceeds
Fiscal Year 2014 (July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014)
2012 Sales Tax - Authorized Projects
FY 2013
Original Estimated
Cost1
FY 2014
Current Estimated
Cost2
Expenditures3
Excess
Proceeds
Not
Expended
Estimated
Completion
Date
1 - $475 million is each of the first 19 projects minus the 6.3% taken off and the sum of the 6.3% dollars provided to Project #20, as described in the literature provided to the public prior to
the November 2011 SPLOST vote at http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/splost-iv/referendum.
2 - Current estimated revenues increase from $475 million to $534 million by the increase of $21 million from the Georgia DOE reimbursements expected plus the $38 million in bond
revenues for partial program financing.
3 - Total expenditures as presented in this SPLOST report will differ from the annual financial audit report due to timing differences not included in this SPLOST expenditures report, relative
to contracts payable, retainage payable, and accounts payable.
4 - The Board of Education moved the Southwest DeKalb HS project from SPLOST III to SPLOST IV, increasing its total project budget by $22.3 million, in accordance with the SPLOST
Corrective Action Plan approved on April 27, 2012. This Board action can be found at https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/ViewMeetingOrder.aspx?S=4054&MID=25181.
by Andrew [email protected]
A resort could soon be comingo Covington Highway.
The DeKalb County Board ofCommissioners on Dec. 16 ap-proved a rezoning request to makeway for Panola Slope Resort, a pro-posed resort which will include anupscale seafood restaurant as well as, steakhouse and tapas restaurant.
Plans also call for a barcadeaestaurant/bar with various simula-ion and virtual reality games.
The 10.15-acre project also willhave 24 fully furnished villas whichwill be marketed to vacationers,onventioneers, family reunions andhose seeking a staycation option.
The resort, which is beingdeveloped by the APD Solutionsneighborhood revitalization firm,s expected to create 150 jobs with
n average income of more than$50,000.This is an opportunity for us
o join in leading metro Atlanta, thetate and the nation to progressive,
noteworthy and fiscally responsibledevelopment, said CarlMcCluster,managing director for APD Solu-ions.
McCluster said that not a singledollar of public funds is requestedor this site which will bring three
dining establishments bringing thewhite linen and the other stuff thatwe want in our community.
With a 10,000-square-feet meet-ing facility, the resort will create 150
jobs and have a $46 million impactin the first year, McCluster said.
Commissioner Sharon BarnesSutton said she is so pleased tosee that investors are putting somemoney in our community.
This is how we do things, Sut-ton said. We invest in our com-munities. We invest in areas to makethem better. Why would we wantthe status quo?
Sutton said private investors areputting their money on the line,their reputations on the line and we
get the benefit.All of us need this, Sutton said.The project, said Leonard
Brown, representing homeowners inthe Hidden Creek subdivision, willhopefully bring positive energy toour surrounding area. APD has been
a good neighbor to us and to oursubdivision and we look to continuethis relationship.
Panola Slope will spur devel-opment and create jobs and makethe quality of life that we all havebeen pushing for in east DeKalb,said Doreen Carter, president of theGreater Lithonia Chamber of Com-merce.
James Tsismanakis, executivedirector & CEO of Discover DeKalb,
said the high-end villa in DeKalbbrings economic development. The10,000-square-foot meeting facilitywill make this property the largestconvention or conference hotel insouth DeKalb between Augusta anddowntown Atlanta.
It helps our business corporatemarket, Tsismanakis said. It helpsour reunion market. It brings ad-ditional product development to thecounty as well as the employmentand jobs.
A few residents opposed the de-velopment, including Joel Edwards,who called the proposed resort aparadise in the ghetto.
Resident Rhea Johnson said,We need economic development onthe south side and we need reformall over the county, but we needsomething better than this.
In response to the opposition,McCluster said, Were business
people. Were not stupid. If we wantto lose the money, then let us losethe money.
If you go to places where re-sorts are developed, people alwaysask the question, Can somethinghappen in this place? McClustersaid. What weve decided is to jointhe rest of our investorsand resi-dents in DeKalb and say, Yes. It canhappen here. It will happen herewith your support.
Supporters say this proposed 10-acre resort could help revitalize Covington Highway.
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Page 10A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014
LOCAL
404.373.7779TheChampionNewspaper.com
by Andrew [email protected]
The General Assembly
hould establish a com-mission to review DeKalbCountys charter, the docu-ment which outlines howhe county is organized andhould operate.
That was one of theecommendations of the
Operations Task Force, aemporary group created bynterim DeKalb County CEO
LeeMayto study variousssues affecting the county
government. Dec. 19 was theast meeting of the task force
which was charged with
making recommendationshat can be forwarded to theGeorgia General Assembly.
That should be its pri-mary focus: to design a formof government that worksor DeKalb County, saidommission member Jim
Grubiak, general counsel,Association of County Com-missioners.
Commissioner SharonBarnes Suttonsaid theountys Organizational
Act has been amended andhanged several times, but
now the whole thing has to
be rewritten, reconsidered.I think we should fund
his properly, she said abouthe charter commission.If we really want to fix the
problems, we have to delven and identify what they are.
We need to make this right.We dont need to do it piece-meal.
The charter commis-ion would review the entire
Organizational Act, payingparticular attention to thessues that the [operations]ask force has raised but for
which no recommendationswere developed, accordingo the proposed task forceecommendations.
The task forces recom-mendation is that the charterommission be comprised
of non-elected residentsnominated by various busi-ness and civic organizations,uch as the DeKalb County
Chamber of Commerce,League of Women Votersand Leadership DeKalb,among others.
Jim McMahan, vicehairman of the DeKalb
County Board of Educa-ion, said the idea is for theharter commission to be a
diverse, community-drivenbody.
The state of Georgiawants DeKalb to take careof DeKalb, McMahan said.This will be a blueprint
for future generations ofDeKalb to be able to takecare of DeKalb withinDeKalb.
The operations task forcealso will recommend that thecountys ethics board lose theauthority to remove electedor appointed officials fromoffice.
Rep. MikeJacobssaidthe countys organizationalact currently is giving theboard of ethics much more
power than in the statescheme.
Even state law reservesremoval from office for onlyindictments and things ofthat nature, Jacobs said. Idont think we should give alocal ethics board the powerto go that far.
Task force suggestscounty reforms
The countys operations task force holds its nal meeting. Photo byAndrew Cauthen
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 11AWEEK IN PICTURES
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
The 16th annual Tree of Love was a great success, thanks to the powerf collaboration, states an announcement from the ofce of Commissionerarry Johnson.
On Dec. 20, approximately 500 DeKalb County children were showeredwith gifts after making their requests known to Johnson and the Tree of Lovenitiative.
The Gallery at South DeKalb Mall was transformed to a haven of lovend giving as resident associations and various community groups openedheir hearts to make Christmas brighter for those who, otherwise, may notave been so fortunate, the news release stated.
The event was sponsored by various District 3 community andeighborhood associations, DeKalb NAACP, Walmart, Simply United Together,elta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., DeKalb Board of Health, Iota Phi Thetaraternity, DeKalb Tax Assessors Ofce, State Rep. Rahn Mayo, and Joshowells 21 Reasons to Give Foundation.
This Little Free Library, located in front of Decatur City Hall, is a special edition drawn by MikeLuckovich of the AJC. Photo by Travis Hudgons
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 12ALOCAL NEWS
Library celebrate New Years Day early
NOICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGTe Mayor and City Council of the City of Chamblee, Georgia will hold a public hearing on Tursday, January 15, 2015,
at the Chamblee Civic Center, 3540 Broad Street, Chamblee, GA 30341 at 6:00 p.m. to receive public comments regarding the following matters:
1.Wayne Stubbs, on behalf of Churchs Chicken, requests 2 variances from the City of Chamblee Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance in order to install 2building signs on property identified as parcel 18-297-03-007 also known as 4995 Buford Highway. Te subject parcel is zoned Corridor Commercial (CC) consisting of atotal of 0.64 acre(s) located within Chamblee, GA. Te following variances are requested:
Section 1307(B)(2)(a): Properties occupied by a single business or multiple businesses sharing common space (i.e., not a planned center): one principal freestanding signand one principal building sign on each street frontage with a curb cut.
Section 1308 - e aggregate total area of all building signs on a wall (including the principal building sign, miscellaneous building signs and incidental signs) shall notexceed one square foot of sign face area per linear foot of the length of the wall or tenant frontage on which the sign is affixed.For single-occupant buildings, the maximum allowed area for a principal building sign shall be 200 square feet.
2.Scott Peters, on behalf of Value Place Hotel, requests 5 variances from the City of Chamblee Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance in order to install 2building signs on property identified as parcel 18-267-02-004 also known as 2877 Dresden Drive. Te subject parcel is zoned Corridor Commercial (CC) consisting of atotal of 2.08 acres located within Chamblee, GA. Variances are requested from the following:
Section 1307(B)(2)(a): Properties occupied by a single business or multiple businesses sharing common space (i.e., not a planned center): one principal freestanding signand one principal building sign on each street frontage with a curb cut. (wo variances.)
Section 1307(C): Automatic changeable copy signs. Automatic changeable copy signs are only allowed on commercial and industrial properties developed in the VC, CC,IT or I zoning districts and places of worship, public buildings or at public or private schools on properties zoned NR-1, NR-2, CR, VR, NC-1, NC-2; provided that, suchsigns may be located on arterial and collector roads. Te signs are only allowed as part of a principal freestanding sign, except that the following are prohibited:1.Electronic signs that display a message for less than one-half of one second;
2.Electronic signs that repeat messages at intervals of less than two seconds; 3.Electronic signs that display segmented messages which last longer than ten seconds; 4.Electronic signs with traveling messages that travel at a rate slower than 16 light columns per second or faster than 32 light columns per second. Section 1308(B)(2)(a): Monument signs shall be constructed with a brick, stucco or stone base and frame within which advertising panels are contained. Section 1308(B)(3): Principal freestanding signs. Maximum height shall be 8 feet.
3.Miguel Yelos San Martin on behalf of Landmark Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Atlanta requests a variance from the following provision of the City of Chamblee Codeof Ordinances, Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance in order to construct an entrance feature for an existing building located at 5745 Peachtree Blvd. being tax parcel 18-323-05-035 in Chamblee, GA:
Section 905.A.: No exterior wall or faade of any metal building visible from any public street shall have the appearance of a metal building. Such exterior wall and facadesshall be architecturally designed to have the appearance of brick, glass, wood, stucco or stone.
4.Text amendments to Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance to add a new zoning district, Commercial Village Corridor (CVC) as follows: Add a description of the purpose of the new district to Article IV., Section 404., Establishment of Zoning Districts. Add Commercial Village Corridor (CVC) to the list of zoning districts in Article X., District Regulations, Section 1002. Permitted Uses. Add a list of appropriate uses for Commercial Village Corridor (CVC) in the Permitted Use Table; Amend various provisions of Appendix A., Articles II., III., IV., VI., VIII., IX., XI., XII., and XIII. to establish standards applicable to the CVC zoning district; Amend Chapter 6, Article IV., Retail Package Sales of Distilled Spirits. to apply to the CVC zoning district. 5.Text amendment to Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance, to repeal all existing text of Article VI., Section 617. Institutional uses and places of worship and replace it with a
new Section 617 to be titled Religious institutions and other places of worship and accessory facilities. 6.e Mayor and Council proposes adoption of a new Unied Development Ordinance (UDO) for the City of Chamblee that will provide standards and regulations for
zoning, subdivision, development, and environmental protection throughout the City. e adoption of the UDO will replace and repeal conicting ordinances includingChapter 34 Environment; Chapter 93 Development Regulations; Appendix A - Zoning Ordinance; Appendix B Subdivision Regulations; Appendix C: Airport RelatedProvisions; Tree Preservation Ordinance Administrative Guidelines; Streetscape Guidelines and Street Designations Map, as well as other conicting provisions ofthe City Code of Ordinances.
by Kathy Mitchell
There are people inhe community who wanto celebrate the coming of
a new year but are leery
about being out in the earlymorning hours when theremay be celebratory gunfireor drunken drivers about.Others simply prefer to benug in bed when the clocktrikes midnight.
The Chamblee Libraryfor the third year is hostinga New Years Eve party forust such folks. The librarys
New Years Eve Book Drops designed as a safe, fun
way to say goodbye to theold year, according to Se-nior Library Specialist MarcGrace, who is in charge ofhis years event.
A co-worker who hasnow retired came up withhe idea and it has worked
wonderfully, Grace said.We hold the celebrationn the afternoon so people
get home while its still day-ight and safe to be on thetreets.
The fact that the event isduring the day doesnt meanpartygoers miss out on suchraditions as the countdown
and the tossing of confetti,
Grace explained. People areused to something droppingon New Years Evea ballin Times Square, a peach inUnderground Atlantasowe drop a book as we sym-
bolically check out of the oldyear and check in to the newyear. We take a heavy booksuch as a dictionary and tieit to a string, then we actu-ally count down to 3 p.m. Atthe stroke of 3 p.m., we dropthe book, throw confetti andsing Auld Lang Syne.
The party starts at 1:30p.m. and before the bigbook drop there are crafts,games, singing, stories, re-freshments and more. Par-ticipants are asked to writea letter to themselves abouttheir plans for the comingyear. We save the lettersand mail them to the letterwriters the following De-cember so they can comparetheir plans with how theiryear actually went, Gracesaid. Partygoers also puttogether a time capsule ofitems from the year thatsending and open it at thenext years party.
This is specificallydesigned as an intergenera-tional event. There arentmany community activi-
Chamblee Library employees Marc Grace and Vivian Alford prepare for the librarys afternoon New Years Evecelebration.See Library on page 14A
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LaVista Hills and by Rep.Scott Holcomb, amongothers, they created a realdifficult situation as ar aspolicing, zoning, and landuse permitting licensing,she said. Te other thinghat I find troubling is thatheir role is to create eco-
nomical viable cities, and byeaving Executive Park andChildrens Healthcare o
Atlanta]which are now inBrookhavenin our map,and thats about a milliondollars in revenue thats im-mediately removed. Andhey also took out some
significant commercial prop-erty on our southwesternborder.
Brockway said the com-mittee made a little mis-
ake by eliminating thatsouthwestern area.We probably inadver-
ently lef that off, but well
get that fixed, he said.Brockway said he under-
stood that the subcommitteewas dealing with an imper-ect process.
We wouldve muchrather had the olks who livein that area come up witha solution by themselves,but talking to a lot o olksI could see why, he said.Tey are very passionate.For us, financial viability wasa major concern, and whilewe cant take into accountevery opinion that olkshave, we tried to look at asort o areas where the ma-jority was that didnt neces-sarily really cut deeply in theother proposed city. Tosewere kind o the two majoractors that were important.
Frank Aumano uckersaid he is pleased that uckerhas the opportunity to createa city.
Its ar rom our ideal,but its a better map than anyweve had an opportunity
with beore, Auman said.Were moving right ahead.Tere is widespread supportor it.
When the legislative ses-sion starts Jan. 12, 2015, thetwo groups can introduce a
bill or a reerendum to bevoted on by residents in eachproposed city. Woodworthsaid LaVista Hills cityhood
group has not made a deci-sion on whether to go or-ward with a bill.
Were going to discusswhere we move orward,she said.
Santa Continued From Page 1A
Cityhood Continued From Page 1A
The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 13ALOCAL NEWS
Rep. Buzz Brockway (R-Lawrenceville), chairman of the DeKalb County Cityhood Subcommittee, explains thenew boundary map to Mary Kay Woodworth (right) and Allen Venet of LaVista Hills. Photo by Carla Parker
Mann said the gifs weredonated by Sheriffs Officepersonnel who so generous-y give their time and moneyo make this happen.
Te generosity o themen and women just as-ounds me, Mann said. Tiss something they want to dovery year. Im just so ortu-
nate to work with men and
women who are community-oriented and want to giveback to those who may ormay not have a good holiday.
CurtisCrocker, leadhaplain at the Sheriff s
Office, said the holiday gifvent is a wonderul pro-
gram that we do every year.Sheriff Mann and his
taff and all o us comeogether. We try to give toysor the needy kids or people
who may be incarcerated,Crocker said.
Te event is the SheriffsOffice way o reaching outo the community to helpamilies in need during this
Christmas season, Crockeraid.
Te recipients are chosen
by various social and com-munity programs, Crockersaid.
Were going to enjoy thekids and watch them opentoys, Crocker said as ami-lies were entering the room.
In this season o givingits not always about us, butits about that spirit o giv-ing, Crocker said. Te Bible
says i we do this or the leasto these, you do it or [Jesus].Its about giving and having aheart to give.
Tirteen-year-old Har-rison Watson, Wrightsgrandson, thought he wasin trouble when he learnedabout the deputy coming tohis house.
We were going to thejuvenile thing, said Watson,a student at Stone MountainMiddle School.
Nasir Watson, a 10-year-old Rockbridge Elementarystudent, said, I eel happyand proud that Im gettingpresents. I love Christmasbecause its the birth oJesus.
From left, Troy Bush, pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church, and DeKalbCounty Sheriff Jeffrey Mann helped bring joy to children at the jail.
A child is surrounded by gifts.
A student, center, thanks the DeKalb County Sheriffs Ofce for gifts she received. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 15ABUSINESS
Accountant offers tax preparation tipsby Kathy Mitchell
The holiday season isquickly followed by the taxeason, the period during
which individuals and busi-nesses are to file state andfederal income tax returns.While the 2015 deadline forboth is April 15, there arehings taxpayers can do nowo reduce their tax liabilities
and make the process easier,according to Lisa Robinson,a certified public accountantfor more than 20 years. Herfirm, which specializes inworking with small businessand nonprofit clients, is lo-cated in Tucker.
Robinson answeredquestions that may be on theminds of many taxpayers.
What are some thingsaxpayers should do to in
preparation for filing their2014 tax returns?
Taxpayers should takehe time to get organized.recommend they set up
a folder or a place whereall tax-related documentscan be assembled. As thedocuments are receivedhey should be placed in the
folder. This will take a littleanxiety out of the process.
Also, take advantage ofhe low hanging fruit [ben-
eficial activities that are easyo do].
Support your favoritecharity by making a dona-ion (cash or noncash) be-
fore the end of the calendaryear. Many taxpayers arediscouraged by the require-ment to provide additionalnformation for noncash
donations greater than$500. Both Goodwill (www.goodwill.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Donation_
Valuation_Guide.pdf) andSalvation Army (satruck.org/donation-value-guide)provide guides for valuingyour donation. Spend a littleextra time to maximize yourdeduction.
Reduce your tax liabilityby contributing to your taxadvantage retirement ac-counts (IRA, 401k, SEP etc.)
Be sure not to exceed themaximum allowable contri-bution.
Small business ownersshould take advantage of theSection 179 deduction onequipment purchased or fi-nanced during the calendaryear. The deduction limit for2014 is $25,000.
What are commonmistakes taxpayers make?
The most common mis-takes I see relate to small
business owners. Thosewho dont make estimatedtax payment throughoutthe year often end up witha nasty surprise at tax time.Careful planning during theyear can help business own-ers anticipate and minimizetheir tax burden.
Whats new this year that
taxpayers should watchfor?
The biggest change thisyear is The Affordable CareAct. Its one of the largestchanges in tax code in 20years. Employers with morethan 50 employees who failto provide affordable healthcare coverage may face apenalty. Individuals whofailed to purchase cover-age may also be subject to apenalty.
Should taxpayers hire aprofessional tax preparerrather than try to preparetheir own returns?
The best answer to thatquestion is it depends.There are so many factorsthat can complicate onestax situation. It depends on
the taxpayers circumstancesand their level of under-standing of current tax law.Tax professionals stay cur-rent on tax law changes. Italso depends on whetherthey have the preparationtime to invest and whetherthey would feel comfortabledefending their return ifselected for an audit. A taxprofessional can recommendways to save on taxes andhelp you plan all year andfor future years.
If you decide to haveyour return prepared pro-
fessionally, take the time toensure you hire a qualifiedprofessional.
Do you have advice fortaxpayers who believethey will owe thegovernment money thisyear?
Even if you believe youowe this year you shouldstill file your tax return ontime (or file an extension).If not, the IRS will assessboth a failure-to-file and afailure-to-pay penalty. Thefailure-to-file penalty isgenerally higher than thefailure-to-to pay penalty.Once your return is filedon time you can negotiatean installment agreementwith the IRS to pay the taxesowed over time. Whateveryou do, dont bury yourhead in the sand. Your tax
problems will eventuallycatch up with you.
If you find yourself witha tax liability this year, un-derstand the cause of theunderpayment and makechanges to ensure you dontend up in the same positionnext year.
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
CPA Lisa Robinson says now is the time to start organizing tax documents.
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 PAGE 16AEDUCATION
Gala funds to assistDeKalb students
by Ashley Oglesby
DeKalb County Inter-m CEO Lee Mayand theWe Need 2 Read Foun-
dation hosted its BlackTie Holiday ScholarshipBall on Dec. 14 at theThalia N. Carlos HellenicCommunity Center.
The fundraising eventaised money to providecholarships to DeKalb
County high school se-niors.
According to theNov. 24 press release, theGatsby Affair themed
ball featured perfor-mances from GrammyAward-winning vocalistFantasia, an R&B/soulinger who rose to fame
as the winner of the thirdeason ofAmerican Idoln 2004.
The role we can playn our community to pro-
vide support to our youthas they move from highchool to institutions of
higher learning and voca-
ional schools can be thedetermining factor in theype of citizen they be-
come and their contribu-ions to the betterment of
our society, May said.Professionals from a
cross section of industrieswere invited to networkand be honored for ex-cellence in their fields inDeKalb County.
Ryan CameronofV-103 and Cynn Simp-onof Fox 5 served as
master and mistress ofceremony.
The 2014 honoreeswere DeKalb Chamber ofCommerce President andCEO Katerina Taylor,Pattillo Industrial RealEstate CEOLarry Cal-ahan, DeKalb Medical
President and CEO JohnShelton, APD SolutionsCEO Vaughn Irons,V-103 hip-hop DJ GregStreet, Hollywood pro-ducer Will Packer, andEmory University Hos-pital.
May said community
activists can help shapefuture leaders.
Honorees celebrate at DeKalb fundraising event.
Actor and E! News co-anchor Terrence J recognized for his support of DeKalb County.
Interim CEO Lee May welcomes guests to the We Need 2 Read Foundation fundraising event.
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 17ALOCAL
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 18ASPORTS
Three Paideia athletessign with Rhodes College
www.thechampionnewspaper.com
by Carla [email protected]
Paideias athletic departmenthad a historic moment Dec. 15when three athletes from differentports signed letters of intent to
Rhodes College.Hannah McCarty(volleyball),
Patrick Wilkerson (soccer) andBen Sigel(baseball) will be head-ng to Rhodes College in Mem-
phis, Tenn., next fall. Each of thetudent athletes said they did not
plan to go to the same school.It happened simultaneously I
guess, Wilkerson said.McMarty led the volleyball
eam with 284 assists this pasteason. Going to a small school
played a factor in McCartys deci-ion to go to Rhodes.
I knew that Ive always want-ed the small liberal arts experi-
ence, and Rhodes has the nice bal-ance of education and competitiveathletics, McCarty said.
Wilkerson, who plays goaliefor the Paideia Pythons, said stay-ing in the South and the atmo-sphere at Rhodes is what attractedhim to the school.
At the time I was looking at alot of colleges. Most of them wereup North, but I kind of realizedthat I wanted to stay in the south,Wilkerson said. I really like thecoach at Rhodes, I really enjoyedthe guys on the team, and its apretty good school so that kind ofsealed the deal for me.
They just gave me the bestopportunity to be able to play forfour years and to get a good edu-cation and stay close to home,Sigel said about his decision to goto Rhodes.
Sigel finished last season
with a .324 batting average, 15RBIs and 15 stolen bases on 15attempts. Sigel said he will addmore than just his offensive skillsto Rhodes baseball team.
Ill bring good defense in thefield, Sigel said.
Rhodes currently has a start-ing senior goalie, but Wilkersonbelieves he can get a starting spoton the team soon.
Ill really press for his start-ing spot and hopefully start by mysophomore year, possibly fresh-man year, Wilkerson said.
For McCarty, Rhodes volley-ball team will be getting a leader.
I really hope to bring theteam together because I think theteam has a lot of potential, and Iwould like to lead to somethingbetter, McCarty said.
Young golfer hassuccessful 2014
by Carla [email protected]
Ayanna Habeelwas busy this yearcompeting in a number of golf tourna-ments.
The junior golfer from Decatur playedin 16 tournaments on the Hurricane Ju-
nior Tour, Junior PGA of Georgia Tourand the Georgia State Golf AssociationJunior Sectionals. Habeel had five wins,eight top 5 finishes, and one top 10 finishwhile finishing 33rd at the GSGA GirlsChampionship and 38th at the UnitedStates Golf Association (USGA) Juniorqualifier.
Habeel was selected to play in theDoral-Publix Junior Golf Classic, the pre-miere tournament for junior golf playedin Miami, Fla., Dec. 20-23. More than690 junior golfers from around the worldrepresenting more than 45 countries par-ticipate in this tournament every year.Contestants have to be exceptional golfers
and demonstrate academic excellence inthe classroom to participate in the tourna-ment.
Habeel said competing in all the dif-ferent tournaments this year was fun.
I worked hard and made newfriends, she said. I want to one day playcollege golf, and I know that I have tocontinue to work hard on the golf courseand in the classroom to reach my goals.My parents always tell me success doesntcome without the help of others, and Iappreciate everyone that has encouragedme.
Ben Sigel (baseball), Hannah McCarty (volleyball) and Patrick Wilkerson (soccer) all signed with Rhodes College. Photo by CarlaParker
Ayana Habeel had ve wins in 2014.
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 Page 19ASPORTS
West beats East in DeKalb All-Star football game
he West team successfully executed a game winning hook-and-ladder play late in the fourth quarter to give the West a 21-14 victory over theast. Photos by Travis Hudgons
A sack by Stephensons Drew Harris contributed to him being named defensive MVP.
The West All-Stars coach ScottJackson, head coach of Decatur HighSchool, holds the trophy.
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Page 20A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Dec. 26, 2014
LOCAL
10, 9, 8, 7, 6,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Hoppin John!
Enjoying black-eyed peas and rice for luck in the coming year is a tradition passed down through
generations. When making your plans to ring in the New Year, youll find everything you need to
prepare the dishes that have a special meaning to you, your family, and your community at Publix.
