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    championnewspaper championnewspaper champnewspaperchampionnews

    thechampionnewspaper.com

    Were Social FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 , 2014 VOL. 16, NO. 46 FREE

    A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS erving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.

    F REE P RESS

    See Snow on page 13A

    See re:loom on page 13A

    Unexpected snow paralyzes metro Atlant

    re:loom was started ve years ago to create jobs for homeless and low-incomepersons.

    by Andrew [email protected]

    Tousands o metro Atlantanswere caught off guard Jan. 28 when2.6 inches o snow and ice ell, para-yzing the region or several days.

    Snow Jam 2014, as the storm isbeing called by many, resulted inhundreds o accidents and thou-sands o Georgians being strandedovernight in their cars, hotels or inthe homes o benevolent strangers.

    Although the National Weather

    Service issued several watches andwarnings be ore the rst snowake

    ell, Gov.Nathan Deal said two daysafer the storm, As you know, wehave been con ronted with an unex-pected storm that has hit the metro-politan area.

    DeKalbs responseIn DeKalb County, interim coun-

    ty CEO Lee May issued a state oemergency declaration Jan. 28.

    DeKalb County has enduredheavy sleet, reeing rain and snow,May said in a statement. Many o

    by Gale Horton Gay

    Fred Brown was in desperateneed o a job, and when opportunityame his way he jumped at it. Ten heearned the work involved weaving.

    I didnt know i I was going to last,Brown said.

    Not only has Brown held the posi-ion or almost two years, now he lovest.

    You get to pick your own stuff out,

    reate something, he said.What Brown and eight others dos weave cloth and plastic into rugs,

    placemats, bags, clutches, wine carri-rs, IPad sleeves, bracelets, hammocks

    and more. Te merchandise is maderom discarded materials such as bolts

    o abric, used plastic bags and donatedworn clothing.

    Tis trans ormation rom recycla-bles into handcrafed goods takes placeat the Weavers Warehouse, 1434 ScottBoulevard in Decatur. But while thegoods may be impressive, the trans or-mation o lives is the goal o re:loom.

    Lisa Wise , executive director ohe Initiative or Affordable Housing

    Inc., said re:loom was started in 2009as a means o creating employmentopportunities or homeless and low-income persons who cant nd work.A $750,000 ederal grant has kept theprogram running, unding the salariesand benets o nine weavers and onesupervisor.

    Te rst loom came rom AgnesScott College and had sat unused ina basement or 30 years. Once theproject got under way, other looms

    were donated by people who wantedto give the instruments a second li e.Now the project has 15 looms. And theChattahoochee Hand Weavers Guildprovided a weaving instructor to trainthe workers in how to use them.

    Brown, 30, o Decatur, said it didnttake him long to learn how to weaveand that he most enjoys nishing apiece, laying it out or inspection by hisco-workers and hearing their compli-ments. He said he also enjoys the in-dependence and creativity o choosingthe materials and color combinations.

    Donna Scott , 42, o Atlanta, hasbeen working at the warehouse weav-ing or a year. Although she had no

    Weaving new lives one strip of fabric at a tim

    Left, A minivan was left in a ditch along Peachcrest Road where it slid during the recent snows torm. Right, a block away, another vehicle was left overnight in the middle of the road.hotos by Andrew Cauthen

    SPORTS, 19A

    Business ........................16AClassied .......................17AEducation .....................15A

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

    QUICK FINDERCOUNTY TOREBUILD AVONDALEFIRE STATION

    CHAMBLEE, LAKESIDEWIN SWIM, DIVECHAMPIONSHIPS

    SNOWSTORMHEROESHONOREDLOCAL, 3ALOCAL, 6A

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    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 LOCAL NEWS

    County moves forward withcapital improvement projects

    by Daniel [email protected]

    DeKalb County officials saidts capital improvement planCIP) is progressing and expen-

    ditures show that the county iswithin the budget for the five-year program.

    According to DeKalb CountyCommissioner Stan Watson ,chair of the Public Works andnfrastructure CommitteePWI), the county has spent

    approximately 6 percent of the$1.3 billion slated for the list ofprojects.

    It seems that were comfort-ably within the budget that weassumed for the five-year pro-gram, said Ken Saunders , CIPdirector.

    Saunders said the 83 con-truction projects listed in the

    original program, introduced in2010, have remained the samewith a few slight variations inprice estimates.

    Additionally, Saundersaid the CIP program has cre-

    ated 388 jobs/projects wherecontractors are working 100percent of their time on a spe-cific county project. Saundersestimated there are 863 people

    working on county CIP proj-ects, 23 percent of whom areDeKalb County residents.

    At a Jan. 21 PWI meet-ing, Saunders said the countywill begin the second phase ofconstruction at the SnapfingerWastewater reatment Facilityin June, if everything goes asplanned. Currently, he said, thecounty is finalizing up the scopeof each CIP project and willplace an request for proposalfor CIP project managers in thenext 45 days.

    he construction of theSnapfinger plant will cost ap-proximately $250 million. It isthe largest project of the 83 onthe CIP list and possibly, Saun-ders said, the largest construc-tion contract in the countyshistory.

    he first phase of construc-tion was halted when the countyordered all work to stop on theproject after allegation surfacedabout shoddy construction andwater contamination at the site.Saunders said much of the workin Phase I has been added to thePhase II construction list.

    We know that the work hasstopped there and thats still in[the] legal [department] and

    hopefully well resolve thoseissues soon, Saunders said.Weve been detailing the stepsfor this project all the way upto groundbreaking and beyondand I really feel good about howthings have progressed on thisproject.

    Other ongoing constructionprojects include the building ofpump stations on North Shal-lowford and illy Mill roads,which Saunders said are almostcomplete, and the demolitionand rebuilding of a water intakestructure adjacent to the Chat-tahoochee River. All of theseprojects are in District 1 of thecounty.

    Saunders said he is alsoworking with the countys work-force development departmentto ensure that DeKalb Countyresidents have an opportunity toparticipate on CIP projects.

    Additionally, Saunders saidonce the office of the CIP man-ager is established the countyexpects it to house a staff of ap-proximately 70.

    he Snapfinger facility isexpected to be discussed at thenext meeting of the DeKalbCounty Board of Commission-ers.

    Commissioners ll lastseat on ethics boardby Daniel [email protected]

    After debating nominees for severalmonths, the DeKalb County Board ofCommissioners appointed Clara BlackDelay as the last member to make up thesix-member ethics board.

    Commissioner Elaine Boyer , chair ofthe Employee Relations and CommunityServices Committee, recommended Delay.

    I will say that this has been a very in-teresting process and we have received verygood nominees, Boyer said. However,I think there was one clear nominee thatstood out. [Delay] gave a very impressiveresume and shes actually done [ethics]training and I think she would be a verygood fit for the board of ethics.

    Five commissioners voted in favor ofDelay, with only Commissioner KathieGannon voting no.

    Since last year, appointments and fund-ing for the ethics board has been a conten-tious issue after a special purpose grand jury recommended increased ethics over-sight at the county level.

    At a recent local delegation meeting ofthe General Assembly, Rep. Mary Marga-ret Oliver said she plans to propose a billthat may help deal with some of the dif-ficulty of appointing members. Currently,

    See Board on page 8A

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    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014

    by Daniel [email protected]

    The DeKalb CountyBoard of Commissionerselected Commissioner Lar-ry Johnson to serve as pre-siding officer of the boardand Commissioner StanWatson to serve as deputypresiding officer Jan. 28.

    Johnson said he looksforward to serving theresidents of DeKalb Countyand continuing to move theboard of commissioners inthe right direction.

    This county and thethings that we face are big-ger than these seven indi-

    viduals. Weve got bigger is-sues we need to talk about,Johnson said. Weve gotcityhood; weve got the bud-get in front of us and wevegot the economic develop-ment plan were workingon.

    Commissioner ElaineBoyer said she supportsanyone who was willing tostep into the role of presid-ing officer.

    Its really a thankless jobtheres no extra moneyor prestige. If youre willingto go to all the trouble to doit then Im happy to supportthat. Youve served in thepast and I think you servedwith honor, Boyer said ofJohnson.

    Some commissionerswere vocal in their opposi-tion of Johnson however.

    Commissioner Jeff Rad-er said he couldnt supportJohnson because of the lackof commitment to reestab-lish an independent auditcommittee. Rader said hisdecision wasnt personal.

    Ultimately, elections areabout peoples platformsand what they say theyregoing to do and you haveto vote for someone who isgoing to fulfill your aspira-tions, Rader said. This isreally about the platformand the agenda of the pre-siding officer and not par-ticularly about the personwho fills that role.

    For reasons similar to

    Raders, Commissioner Ka-thie Gannon also stated shewouldnt be voting in favorof Johnson.

    Im looking for op-portunities in leadershipthat will reach out to all ofDeKalb County, leadingwith openness and inclusiv-ity so that our county cansee opportunities for us tocome together, Gannonsaid.

    Johnson served as pre-siding officer in 2009 andwas reelected to consecutiveterms through 2012. He hasbeen the District 3 commis-sioner since 2002.

    Commission Stan Wat-son was elected to District7 in 2009, after 12 yearsof service in the GeorgiaGeneral Assembly, where hechaired the local delegation.

    Commissioners electpresiding offi cer, deputy

    See School on page 9A

    ohnson

    Watson

    Boyer

    Rader

    Gannon

    by Andrew [email protected]

    Several of the DeKalbCounty heroes of SnowJam 2014 were recognizedduring the February 2014DeKalb County schoolboard meeting.

    hey represent the tensof thousandsof stakehold-ers, parents, communityleaderswho came togetherin a very unique way to sup-port, help and assist oneanother during this chal-lenging time, said DeKalbCounty School Superinten-dent Mike Thurmond .

    he school board rec-ognized several PeachtreeCharter Middle Schoolpersonnel for their roles instaying with students whodid not make it home Jan.28 when nearly three inchesof snow crippled metro At-lanta.

    hose honored fromPeachtree Charter MiddleSchool included ScottHeptinstall , principal; Joe Harris , campus supervisor;and teachers Scott Shrader ,Anne Dirden , NancyBustamante

    ,Lisa

    Magness

    ,and Terry Shores .Also honored were bus

    drivers Lin-Sheng Lee andMignon Cobb .

    Lee, a DeKalb school busdriver since 1994, becamestuck with seven studentsin gridlocked traffic onI-285. Lee and the students

    were rescued by police nearmidnight and taken to theschool district police pre-cinct on Memorial Drivewhere they spent the night.Lee helped police take thestudents home the nextmorning.

    Cobb had two studentson her bus and was wait-ing at the intersection ofClairmont Road and I-85 totransfer them to an AtlantaPublic Schools bus that nev-er arrived. Cobb stayed withthe students until they wererescued by police.

    hurmond said morebuses were not stuck dur-ing the storm because theschool district made an earlymorning decision to keepbus drivers near schools incase of inclement weather.Despite reports to the con-trary, hurmond said, Ev-ery bus driver that waitedwill be compensated fortheir time.

    hurmond also recog-nized Dr. Cedric Alexan-der , the countys deputychief operating officer forpublic safety, for goingabove and beyond the call

    of duty.At approximately 10:30p.m. Jan. 28, we becameaware that we had sevenstudents marooned on [In-terstate 285] and we had thestudents [stuck] at PeachtreeMiddle, hurmond said.

    Alexander immediatelydirected two four-wheelers

    DeKalb school district honorssnowstorm heroes

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    ONE MANS OPINION

    Let it snow!

    Sorry for the delay, dealing with thiswinter weather thing . schoolsclosed in Savannah due to freezingain?? a rare occurrence. Will be all

    better by hursday. rom an 11a.m. email on uesday, Jan. 28, romGEMA Executive Director CharleyEnglish to local o icials in westGeorgia.

    Im a native Atlantan. I stillmile when I see snow, as it is sucha relative rarity. I spent the weekprior to Snowmageddon 2014 inNew York City while Manhattanu ered a sizable winter storm and

    an overnight accumulation o 10-14 inches, depending on where youwere in the city, outer boroughsor over in New Jersey. New NYCMayor Michael De Blasio had the

    irst real test o his administration,and passed it with lying colors. But

    or New York, Chicago, Bostonand dozens o other cities acrosshe Northeast, Midwest and Rust

    Belt, their snow response teams area cost o doing business in thosehigh-cost, low-temperature states.

    here is no question thatmistakes were made here in thepreparation, communication,ogistics and response to theapidly un olding winter storm

    which swept in mid-morning onuesday, Jan. 28, but there is an

    adage as it relates to weather inmetro Atlantajust call Annistonand Birmingham, and pretty muchwhatever theyve got, we will haven about two hours. Clearly, it wasn many ways a per ect storm, with

    an imper ect and interconnectedogistical cluster on the responseide. My personal avorite

    nickname or this storm is ClusterFlake.

    And just as clearly, a ter beingmade a national laughing stockon the news and late night V,and being beaten, bloodied andchallenged repeatedly by the localmedia, our Atlanta Mayor KasimReed, Gov. Nathan Deal and manya local area school superintendentall get that they are not receivinga passing grade or this test. Loss

    o li e was extremely minimal,as were serious injuries, and theproperty damage rom this stormis primarily banged up cars andtrucks. However, given the gridlockon interstates, exit ramps and over-passes and thousands stranded intheir cars, on school gymnasium

    loors or miles rom home withtheir cars being abandoned, wein many ways truly dodged abullet. And true to Southern orm,the kindness o strangers andrandom acts o charity, assistanceand support were truly inspirational,and or many restored their aith inhumanity.

    Like you, I look orward to therecommendations o Gov. Deals30-member task orce, composed ogovernment and business leaders aswell as weather orecasters, to betterprepare and plan or the next time.

    During the winter o 2000,Harts ield Airport experienced ahorri ic winter storm. Flights werelate being cancelled, and dozenso planes pulled away rom theirgates ully loaded, only to sit on thetarmac or as many as 12 hours.Restrooms illed with waste, oodand water supplies were exhaustedIt was in many cases the next day

    when the planes returned to the jetway and unloaded weary, thirstyand uncom ortable passengers. heanger was palpable.

    Within a month, urged byDelta Airlines and then AviationCommissioner Ben DeCosta theairport began a process to developa standard operating proceduresmanual or dealing with inclementweather and particularly winterstorms, and the inconveniencedpassengers received re unds. Andyou havent seen overlapping jurisdictions until you begin toreview the roles and sometimescon licting authorities andresponsibilities that exist amongthe FAA, SA, Immigration, aircarriers, the airport, gate agents andeven the National Weather Service.And since that year, and thatstorm o 2000, there have beenmultiple blasts o winter, includingthe Snow Jam o 2011 andSnowmageddon, which groundedand/or cancelled hundreds o

    lightsbut no more planesstranded on the tarmac illedwith passengers and over lowingwaste. here is a manual and aprocess, and somebody wrote downan action plan, which now gets

    ollowed.Gov. Deal was just being

    inaugurated during Snow Jam 2011, so he gets a pass or that stormosorts. Snowmageddon is the oolme once, shame on you . Anothermishandled winter storm becomes ool me twice, shame on me. Whenyou admit mistakes, apologize, andseek a de ined and corrective path,Georgia voters have demonstrated,time and again, that they can be

    orgiving. But three strikes is out,and suddenly those re-electionchances start to look a bit more likethat melting snowball in hell. Planwell and execute, sir, plan well andexecute. Let it snow.

    Bill Crane also serves as a politicalanalyst and commentator for Channel2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as acolumnist for The Champion, Cham-pion Free Press and Georgia Trend.Crane is a DeKalb native and businessowner, living in Scottdale. You canreach him or comment on a column [email protected].

    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 OPINION

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    Letter to the Editor

    Let Us Know What You Think!THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encourages opinions fromits readers. Please write to us and express your views. Lettersshould be brief, typewritten and contain the writers name,address and telephone number for verication. All letters willbe considered for publication.Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347,Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send E-Mail to [email protected] To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior topublication date.

    EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editorsdo not necessarily reect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The Pub-lisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. ThePublisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

    Publisher: John HewittChief Finan cial Offi cer Dr. Earl D. Glenn

    Managing Editor: Kathy MitchellNews Editor: Andrew Cauthen

    Production Manager: Kemesha HuntPhotographer: Travis Hudgons

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

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

    www.championnewspaper.comDISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110

    F REE P RESS

    STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHERWe sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding thisand any issue of interest to DeKalb County. The Champion was founded in 1991 expressly to provide a forum fordiscourse for all community residents on all sides of anissue. We have no desire to make the news only to reportnews and opinions to effect a more educated citizenry thatwill ultimately move our community forward. We are happyto present ideas for discussion; however, we make everyeffort to avoid printing information submitted to us that isknown to be false and/or assumptions penned as fact.

    Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper

    Kathy [email protected]

    Editor

    Slavery story changes when told from slaves point of vie

    I started Black History Monthhis year by watching the movie 12

    Years A Slave. I you havent seen itand plan to, be warnedits intense.I actually heard a woman in theheater sobbing out loud as the lm

    was shown.Coincidentally, the 1939 classic

    Gone With the Wind was on televi-sion that same weekend. Te con-rast between depictions o slavery is

    marked. Te loyal, content, happy-go-luckysometimes even sassyslaves o Gone With the Wind andother movies o its time rame were

    nowhere to be ound in 12 Years ASlave.

    Te difference, in addition to theact that in the 75 years between the

    two movies the overall culture hasbecome more sensitive to depictionso minority group members, is pointo view.Gone With the Wind is told

    rom the Southern plantation own-ers point o view while12 Years ASlave is told rom a slaves point o view. With the shif in point o view,movie audiences see slaves whosometimes pretend as a survivaltechnique to be loyal and happybut in act are ear ully scheming tochange their situations.

    One depiction o slavery in anold (pre-1960s) movie that standsout in my mind as a departure romthe usual is the 1947 movie TeFoxes of Harrow. I read the bookbe ore I saw the movie on television.Tere was an incident in the book

    that I was rankly surprised moviemakers kept in their rendition. Aslave woman gives birth to a boy she vows will never be a slave; she de-cides to drown him instead, scream-ing, My babys not a slave. My sonis a prince. My son is a warrior. Hesnot a slave! In the movie as in thebook the master and the babys slave

    ather rescue the in ant, but themother drowns.

    Te Foxes of Harrow , while toldrom a slave owners point o view,

    was based on a novel by Black au-thor Frank Yerby , which perhapsexplains why slaves in that moviearent the two-dimensional stereo-types ound in so many pre-1960smovies.

    What I love about 12 Years ASlave is that it shows slavery as acomplex institutionpopulatedwith complex people, slaves andmasters. Te movie doesnt show

    mean slave owners and kind ones. Itshows slave owners who could at apoint show some kindness then, be-cause o a change in circumstancesor mood, commit acts thatcer-tainly rom the slaves perspectiveare harsh and terri ying.

    Slaves in 12 Years A Slave makea variety o choices rom becom-ing the masters lover to pretendingto be ar less intelligent than theyareto stay alive and receive as littlepain as possible. Every choice a slavemakes is a risky choice as his or herli e is always in the hands o peopleto whom he or she is ultimately aneconomic asset.

    History is probably never drama-tized with 100 percent accuracy.Perspective always plays a part, butwhen all perspectives are allowed tobe part o the conversation, perhapswe get closer to the truth.

    Does the end justi y themeans? When the living is easy,the answer is always yes. Whenthings are going south, however,we ponder how we didnt see thewarning signs. his is not one othose times.

    hese days, we celebrate theaccomplishments o the DeKalbCounty School System. Believeme, there is nothing better orour children and the greater com-munity than to have the SACSschool accreditation threat li ted

    rom our shoulders, at least ornow. he school superintendenthas done a yeomans job, with theappointed school board members,good and competent people all,

    inishing the job properly. Indeed,it was a job well done.

    he trouble is how it was done.SACS made an arbitrary decisionwhich had the cascading e ecto usurping the will o the elec-torate, one o the most reveredprivileges in our constitution andsacrosanct principles o the CivilRights Movement that many oour ore athers died or. Withoutthe standards o due process, rea-sonable doubt or even the Open

    Records Act to constrain them,SACS allegations and subsequentretribution o probation went un-challenged.

    his led Gov. Deal , no strangerto hijacking the will o the demo-cratic voters, to bend anotherlaw. Not that it was constitutionalto begin with, but he removedmysel and ive other board mem-bers. Circumstances notwith-standing, his choice under the lawwas all or none.

    he State Constitution, Article8, section 5 reads, Each schoolsystem shall be under the man-agement and control o a board oeducation, the members o whichshall be elected as provided bylaw. As it pertains to appointedmembers o the school board, itsays, Members o such appointedboard until Dec. 31, 1993, onwhich date the terms o o ice oall appointed members shall end.As we know, the state supremecourt ignored this.

    Meanwhile, the governor hadto break the law which he used toremove a partial board, and in do-ing so he scored the winning goal:SACS backed away nicely, praising

    School Superintendent Michael Thurmond all the way. he ap-pointed school board didnt haveanything to do with that choice;

    hurmond was the guy the elect-ed board hired. he people re- joiced and the governor shored uphis re-election bid in the process.With the chorus o accolades stillin the air, has anyone noticed thatthe promises o transparency withSACS complying with the OpenRecords Act are still unkept?

    One o the things we teach ourchildren is that it is not whetherwe win or lose, but it is how weplay the game. We should do theright thing the right way. Whilethere is victory in the air or theDeKalb school district and all oits top managers, the communityand even Gov. Nathan Deal, I sub-mit to you that the rulebook hasbeen tossed aside. his becomesa problem the next time our stateconstitution is circumvented, orthe next time the olks under thegold dome want to expand theirreach into local government.

    Gene Walker

    DeKalb School Accreditation:

    The Right Thing, the Wrong Way

    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 OPINION

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    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014

    COMMUNITY

    For 18 years, BettyJohnston volunteeredat Rockdale Hospitalin Conyers. When herdaughter and son-in-lawdecided that her Conyershome was too much forher to maintain alone,they moved her intotheir Decatur home.

    hen Johnston began volunteering in DeKalbMedicals cancer centerwhere she greets peopleas they come in, answersphones and makes pack-ets for the breast cancercenter. A volunteer theresince 2006, she also putstogether the newsletterfor the DeKalb MedicalAuxiliary and is on theorganizations board ofdirectors.

    Betty is a joy to bearound and her enthusi-asm and positive attitudeis contagious to thosearound her, said LeighMinter , executive direc-

    tor of the DeKalb MedicalFoundation and Volun-teer Services.

    When youve beenthere for quite a while likeI have, you kind of bondwith the patients, John-ston said. Youd be sur-prised at DeKalb Medicalwhen these people comein and theyre sad lookingand you greet them witha smileyoud be sur-prised how it brightensthem up.

    Johnston also volun-teers in the VA HospitalsEagles Nest, a nursinghome for veterans, whereshe goes to visit, listen,play cardsjust be there.

    Some of them wantyou just to be there,Johnston said. hey justlike to have people comein and say hello. A lot

    of them in the nursinghome part dont have anyclose relatives. We have alot of fun. We have a lotof laughs.

    Before retiring, John-ston worked for 34 yearsin a drug wholesale housein Louisville, Ky. Whenshe retired she had beenthe manager of the data

    processing departmentfor 25 years.All of those years that

    I was working, I alwaysmade a promise to my-self that when the timecame and I retired, I wasgoing to give back, saidJohnston, a member ofClairmont PresbyterianChurch where she is sec-retary for the seniorsSunday School class.

    I spend all my timedoing things, Johnstonsaid. Like here in theneighborhood, Ive got aneighbornext door. Sheloves to have me comeover and visit her. Shecant get around as [well]as I can.

    Life has been good tome, Johnston said.

    If you would like to nominate someoneto be considered as a future Champion

    of the Week, please contact KathyMitchell at [email protected] or

    at (404) 373-7779, ext. 104.

    BETTY JOHNSTON

    Championofthe Week

    County to rebuild re station,mayor chides commissionersby Daniel [email protected]

    Avondale Estates Mayor Ed Rieker saidhe thinks the reason it has taken so long toeplace a fire station in disrepair which isocated in unincorporated DeKalb County

    may have been political.he DeKalb County Board of Commis-

    sioners recently voted to approve the use ofapproximately $1.9 million in federal funds

    t has received to demolish Fire Station #3and build a new one.he fire station, located off North Clar-

    endon Avenue, provides service to residentsof the county and Avondale Estates. Riekersaid the station has needed repairs for years.

    Its a rotted out building with asbestosn it and the roof caving in, Rieker said.

    he females there dont have their own re-stroom and the [firefighters] live and workhere.

    According to county officials, the stationserves approximately 80 percent unincor-porated DeKalb County residents and 20percent Avondale Estates residents. Riekersaid the city pays an estimated $1.3 mill iona year in taxes to DeKalb County.

    Rieker said he believes the repeateddeferrals have been political because thecounty wants Avondale Estates to buy theproperty but Commissioner Sharon BarnesSutton said that isnt true.

    he question that I asked is whether wecould have an intergovernmental agreementso if the law changes and allows the presentcities to acquire county property at a deepdiscount, we could require them to paymarket value, Sutton said.

    I dont understandif the opportunityever came upwhy [Avondale Estates]wouldnt agree to pay fair-market value forthe property. Youd have to question theintegrity of the leadership if they chose to

    do that, Sutton said. here was never anyneed to start the nasty rhetoric. Youd thinkat some point in this county wed stop doingthat. You can blog it all you want.

    However, Rieker said the answer issimple: the city doesnt want to enter intoany agreement with the county because italready pays county taxes.

    Were all in the county and I think thiscity versus county thing is being pushedtoo far; we all are county taxpayers and arerepresented by our commissioners, Riekersaid. Sutton is the district commissionerwho serves Avondale Estates.

    heyve approved it but Im not surethat is making anything happen, Riekersaid.

    Commissioner Kathie Gannon , who voted in favor of the station, said the newstation has been under discussion since shebecame a commissioner.

    DeKalb County commissioners recently voted in favor of demolishing and rebuilding an old re stationocated in unincorporated DeKalb County. The re s tation borders the city of Avondale Estates and

    approximately 20 percent of those serviced by the station live in Avondale Estates. Photo by DanielBeauregard

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    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014

    COMMUNITY

    ATLANTA

    Morris Brown women to hold schol-

    arship luncheonhe Women for Morris Brown

    College Inc. will hold the organi-zations 33rd annual scholarshipuncheon, honoring founder Helen

    Kilpatrick Threatt . he event will beSaturday, March 8, at St. Philip AMEChurch, 240 Candler Road, SE, At-anta, beginning at noon .

    his years luncheon will behosted by Miranda Mack McKenzie of the Morris Brown class of 77 andcurrent UNCF Southeast regionalecruitment director. ickets are $65;

    a table of 10 guests is $650. Contri-butions are tax deductible. For morenformation on tickets, in-kind dona-ions and sponsorships, visit www.

    womenformorrisbrowncollege.comor call Willene White-Smith at (404)243-8081.

    Author, sports lawyer to speak onhe marketing of Super Bowl

    Sports law specialist KennethShropshire will give a lecture onhe marketing of the Super Bowl on

    Friday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. in the RobertW. Woodruff Librarys Jones Roomon the Emory University campus.

    he event, which follows Super Bowlweekend, is free and open to the pub-ic.

    Shropshires lecture, he GreatSports Spectacle: Marketing the Su-per Bowl, is part of Emorys Raceand Sports in American CultureSeries. he annual series exploresace and sports in American culturehrough the lens of history, sociology,

    politics, medicine, business, market-ng and other fields, and seeks to fos-er interdisciplinary discussion and

    collaboration. It also encourages re-search on the topic of race and sportshrough the African Americans in

    Sports collection held by Emorys

    Manuscript, Archives, and Rare BookLibrary. he 2013-14 series focuseson professional football.

    Shropshire will discuss the SuperBowl, the sports business in general,and the role of race in the sportsbusiness in particular. A sports lawattorney, Shropshire is a professorof legal studies and business ethicsat the University of PennsylvaniasWharton School, and the author ofhe 1996 book In Black and White:

    Race and Sports in America.he Robert W. Woodruff Library

    s located at 540 Asbury Circle inAtlanta. Parking is available in theFishburne deck.

    BROOKHAVEN

    Library to host cupcake decoration

    sessionSari McIntyre of Saris Flair will

    host a Valentine cupcake decorat-ing class for teens ages 13 17 Feb.10 at the Brookhaven Library, 4:306p.m. Te class is to open to the rst15 participants. o register, call (404)848-7140. Funding is provided by theFriends of the Brookhaven Library.Te library is located at 1242 N. Dru-id Hills Road.

    CLARKSTON

    New date announced for South

    DeKalb business breakfasthe 2014 Annual South DeKalb

    Business Association (SDBA) Schol-arship/Appreciation Breakfast,originally scheduled for Jan. 30, wasrescheduled because of inclementweather. he new date is Friday, Feb.7. he event will be 8:30-10:30 a.m. atthe Georgia Piedmont echnical Col-lege Conference Center, 495 NorthIndian Creek Road, Clarkston.

    he scholarships are an awesomeaspect of this breakfast because weare making a difference in the livesof young students who are moving inthe right direction, said LoyLene-Jefferson-Shaw , president of theSDBA. hese students will also getan opportunity to meet large/smallbusiness owners, DeKalb commis-sioners, and other government enti-ties.

    he keynote speaker is AlishaMorgan Thomas and television andradio host Reggie Gay will be themaster of ceremonies. For tickets ormore information, email [email protected].

    Clarkston Festival receives $9,000

    he Clarkston Festival Commit-

    tee received a six-month grant for$9,000 from the Community Founda-tion of Greater Atlantas Neighbor-hood Fund.

    he Clarkston Festival, which willbe held April 26, is focused on edu-cating, celebrating and appreciatingthe diversity of Clarkston. he grantincludes $5,000 to support the festivaland $4,000 in community coach-ing for the committee.

    he Clarkston Festival Committeewas formed in 2012 in response toan expressed interest throughout thecommunity for residents, neighbors,and stakeholders to come together fora common festival.

    he first thought of a festivalcame through a community con- versation with the youth, said KimAult , a lead committee member. he

    youth were from all over the com-munity. hey talked about the festivalas a way to create a positive alterna-tive to gang violence and fight bully-

    ing. hey wanted to highlight theircultures and increase understanding.Angela Moore , another commit-

    tee member, said, he grant willhelp the committee to produce an ef-fective and successful festival. Festivalplans include a variety of activitiesfor all ages, live culturally diverse en-tertainment, storytelling, a childrenscorner with pony rides, henna dem-onstrations, a dunking booth, food,arts and crafts, a soccer exhibitionand so much more.

    he festival will be April 26 at theAtlanta Area School for the Deaf andwill include a 5K race.

    DECATUR

    Author to discuss book on longtimewomen pals

    Author Edward Kelsey Moore will be at the Decatur Library Mon-day, Feb. 10, 7:15-9 p.m. to discuss hisbook The Supremes at Earls All YouCan Eat . he library describes Mooreas an admitted eavesdropper from ayoung age and notes that he also isan accomplished cellist who residesin Chicago.

    Earls All You Can Eat Diner ishome away from home for the in-separable trio of Odette, Clarice andBarbara Jean. Dubbed the Supremesby high school pals in the tumultu-ous 1960s, they weather lifes stormstogether for the next four decades.

    hrough marriage, children, hap-piness and the blues, these strong,funny women gather each Sunday atthe same table at Earls Diner for deli-cious food, juicy gossip, occasionaltears and uproarious banter, states anannouncement from the library.

    he Decatur Library is located at215 Sycamore St., Decatur. For more

    information, call (404) 370-3070.Porter Sanford center to host sec-ond annual Race for the Arts

    Runners, walkers and those whowant to support the arts can partici-pate in the second annual Race forthe Arts 5K Run/Walk on Saturday,March 29, 8-10 a.m. he race willbegin at the Porter Sanford III Per-forming & Community Center, 3181Rainbow Drive, Decatur.

    Registration is under way untilMarch 27 and the fee to participateis $25 per person or $20 per personfor a group of five or more. Event-dayregistrations will be accepted alongwith cash or a money order payableto the Porter Sanford III PerformingArts & Community Center.

    In addition to the race, the eventwill include free food, beverages,health screenings, music and gifts foreach registered participant.

    For more information, call David Manuel , executive director, at (404)687-2737.

    Citys Eat Well Indie-caturcampaign returns

    his month, Decatur Active Liv-ing and Decatur Visitors Centerteamed up again with local restau-rants for the Eat Well Indie-caturCampaign. Restaurant goers can visita participating restaurant any dayduring February, choose one of theirfeatured healthy entrees and get theirEat Well Indie-catur card signed.Cards will be available at participat-ing locations and at the Decatur Visi-tors Center.

    hose who participate three timeswill earn a recipe book featuringsome of Decatur restaurants healthi-est recipes. Recipes will be availableat the Decatur Visitors Center, 113Clairemont Avenue. Participating res-taurants includes Victory, 246, ChaiPani, wains, Parkers on Ponce, Cor-ner Pub, Colbeh, Cakes and Ale andSapori di Napoli. For more informa-tion, visit www.VisitDecaturGeorgia.com or call (678) 553-6541.

    Commissioners to hold county bud-

    get town hall sessionResidents will have an opportunity

    to discuss the 2014 DeKalb Countybudget with county CommissionersKathie Gannon and Jeff Rader dur-ing an upcoming town hall session.

    he event will be Monday, Feb.10, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Avis G WilliamsLibrary, 1282 McConnell Drive, De-catur.

    LITHONIA

    Sorority to present Heart Monthevent

    Te Alpha Kappa AlphaSorority, Chi au Omega chapter,will present Pink Goes Red on theRunwaythe Heart Is A SeriousMatter on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2-3:30p.m. at the Mall at Stonecrest.Te event will include free bloodpressure screenings, door prizes,and a fashion show featuring itemsfrom Macys, Phoebes Boutiqueand Cach. Donations of cannedgoods will be accepted. Lisa Rayam of Fox 5 News will be the guestcommentator. Te Mall at Stonecrestis located at 2929 urner Hill Road,

    Lithonia. For more information, visit www.chitauomega.com.

    AROUNDDEKALB

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    Labor commissioner talksabout wages, unemployment

    only the board of commissionersnd the CEO are allowed to present

    nominations. his proposal suggests that

    he other constitutional officers ofDeKalb Countythe tax commis-ioner, probate court chair and oth-rs, would also have appointmentsnd you all would share those ap-

    pointments with other elected of-icials, Oliver said.

    Oliver said the bill is just a draftbut will be published within thenext few weeks.

    Commissioner Sharon BarnesSutton , deputy chief presiding of-icer of the board of commission-rs, agreed with Oliver that the bill

    might be a good idea.We have appointed six mem-

    bers already and were trying tomake sure that we limit that prob-em to make sure that we dont have

    political operatives on the ethicsboard, Sutton said.

    Commissioner Jeff Rader , anoutspoken proponent of the ethicsboard and the countys hiring of

    n internal auditor, said the boardsuffered under a great lack of re-ources and attention.

    Interim DeKalb County CEOLee May has designated $118,000

    to fund the ethics board in thecountys 2014 budget. Previously,the budget was $15,000. Addition-ally, May said he is transferringthree positions to the board ofcommissioners to begin the processof developing an internal audit de-partment.

    he countys recent ethics con-troversies, while painful and em-barrassing, give us the opportunityto build more transparency intoour county government and to cre-ate meaningful changes in our eth-ics policies, May said.

    During his State of the Countyspeech, May said trust in govern-ment is dependent upon officialsplacing the publics interests aheadof their own. May said he is also ap-pointing a blue-ribbon commis-sion to do a comprehensive reviewof the countys ethics policies.

    However, the budget is far frombeing finalized and what May hasproposed might not be what endsup in the budget, as commissionershave input in the process.

    he grand jury report that calledfor stronger county ethics policiesalso detailed years of alleged cor-ruption spanning several adminis-trations.

    Board Continued From Page 2A

    by Daniel [email protected]

    Georgia Labor Commissioner MarkButler faced tough questions about the stateof the workforce in DeKalb County andthroughout Georgia at a Feb. 1 communitymeeting hosted by Commissioner Stan Wat-son .

    Butler, who said the economy in thestate and DeKalb County is on an uptick,was questioned by residents as to whetherhe supports increasing the states minimumwage.

    I think you need to pay workers whattheyre worth, Butler said. Minimum wage jobs are not meant to support families;theyre not.

    Raising the minimum wage, Butler said,would be a one-size-fits-all solution to ar-eas of the state that were facing completelydifferent problems.

    I do not support raising minimumwageraising the minimum wage will stillresult in having some winners, and somelosers, Butler said. Atlanta is not the sameas Moultrie; its not the same as ifton.

    Additionally, Butler was chided on hisdecision to not reinstate jobless benefitsfor seasonally unemployed workers such assome teachers, school bus drivers and caf-eteria workers. Butler argued that his posi-tion had been misrepresented in the media

    and his decision advocated for seasonalemployees.

    he whole reason for doing thisoneof the things I ran on three years agowasto go after fraud and abusethis all cameabout because we found out there were busi-nesses that were abusing the unemploymentsystem, Butler said.

    Butler said some companies, such as theones that hire seasonal workers in schoolcafeterias, were knowingly defrauding thestates unemployment system. he compa-nies, Butler said, would encourage employ-ees to seek unemployment benefits duringthe off-season so other companies wouldhave to pick up their bill. Eventually, be-cause of laying off so many employees eachyear, Butler said, the companies would reach

    the highest tax rate. hen what happens is they know whattheir bottom line is going to be, Butler said.One company was paying $300,000 in taxesand we were paying out every year $1.2 mil-lion in benefits because they were using thispractice; and you know who has to [coverthat]? he other companies who are not lay-ing people off all the t ime.

    he decision to not reinstate unemploy-ment benefits for seasonal workers, Butlersaid, was one to stop fraud and abuse andencourage other businesses to pay their em-ployees a reasonable salary year-round.

    She serves as the captain of thecheerleading squad and in this lead-ership role she motivates her squad she encourages them to be lead-ers and role models in the school.

    hats how DeKalb Countyschool Superintendent Mike Thur-mond described 13-year-old stu-dent Imani Davis .

    Imani is an eighth-grader at Li-thonia Middle School where she is astraight A student and a member ofthe math team.

    She served as a student represen-tative on the school board on theevening of Feb. 3.

    It helped me understand a lotabout DeKalb County School Dis-trict, she said, and the things thatare going to improve the quality ofeducation.

    Imanis dream job is to becomea dean of a major university or col-lege.

    Caleb Wade

    Champion student: Imani Davis

    Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler spoke toDeKalb County of cials and residents at Commissioner Stan WatsonsCommunity Cabinet Breakfast Feb. 1. Photo by Daniel Beauregard

    Imani Davis and her mother Dacia Davis.

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    Old House Fair

    Decatur police working to curb robberies in 20by Carla [email protected]

    If one goes by news re-ports online, it may seemhat Decatur did not have

    a good 2013 in regards topublic safety.

    However, Decatur PoliceChief Mike Booker said thats not the case.

    I think we had a suc-cessful year, Booker said.I think a lot of times inaw enforcement, people

    measure you by [UniformCrime Reporting] clearancesometimes and thats whathe FBI monitors. But there

    are a lot of other things thatgo into law enforcement be-ides that.

    According to the FBIsUniform Crime Report-ng numbers, Decatur just

    had three more robberies28) in 2013 than it had in

    2012. However, there were35 more burglaries in 2013127) than in 2012. Overall,he city had 38 more overall

    crimes (818) in 2013 thann 2012. hat number istill smaller than the 1,181

    crimes that took place in2000.

    For us, the size of thecity and the numbers thatwe havesometimes we canhave three more of one thingand it makes it looks likewe had a gigantic increasewhen really the numbers arevery small in comparison toome other places, Bookeraid.

    Booker said the depart-ment attributes some ofobberies to the snatching ofPhones. here were a num-

    ber of cases where crimi-nals, specifically teenagers,were stealing iPhones frompeople around the businessdistrict of the city during

    ummer.We had a rash of thatast year and it kind of came

    in spurts and that causedan increase in some of ourcrime, Booker said.

    After the rash in robberyand burglary crimes, De-catur officials noticed thatsimilar crimes were hap-pening elsewhere in DeKalbCounty and Atlanta. hethree agencies began work-ing together and sharinginformation to put a stop tothe crimes.

    Zone 6 Atlanta andSouth precinct DeKalb be-gan having a burst in bur-glaries and robberies andwere getting the spill overs,said Sgt. Jennifer Ross , thedepartments communityinformation and educationofficer. Its rare when wecatch a burglar that theyrefrom Decatur. What we findis that they are from DeKalbor somewhere else and findtheir way to our city.

    Booker said he believes

    Decatur has been specifi-cally targeted by criminalthat was the case.

    Some of the folks that

    weve interviewed that wehad in custody would tell usthat you all have nice thingsto steal, or its easy for usto come in here and do it,Booker said.

    he police departmentalso noticed that the juve-niles that were committingthe crimes were not beingheld long in juvenile deten-tion.

    Some of the folks aregetting right back out thereto what they were doingand would come back in thearea, Booker said.

    he juvenile justicesystem is geared toward notincarcerating kids becausethey dont want them tobecome prisoners of thesystem but its not clickingfor some of these kids, Rossadded.

    o help spread the wordto residents about what washappening and how to bet-

    ter protect themselves, thedepartment hired Ross.Were trying to get in-

    formation out there so that

    the community understandswhat were dealing with andthat they can help keep aneye out for us on some ofthose things and secure theirphones, Booker said.

    Booker said the depart-ments call volume beganincreasing after the depart-ment started sharing crime-related information to thepublic.

    When calls go up, thearrests goes up, Bookersaid. So we understand the value of getting informationout to the people and try-ing to get the communityto understand we need as-sistance.

    If any positive came outof the perfect storm thissummer is that we havepeople that want more infor-mation and know that whatthey see and how they callthings helps us, Ross added.

    he department put anumber of measures in placelast year to get the commu-nity involved to help put astop to crime. Some of thosemeasures include appoint-ing Citizens Assisting PublicSafety volunteers, hosting astreet smart seminar and aself-protection workshop forresidents. he departmentalso got license plate readersthrough a grant.

    Its an automatic camerathat is mounted into the

    patrol cars and it scans thetag, Ross said. Weve re-covered stolen cars with thescanner.

    Ross said the departmentis in the planning stages ofputting together a workshopfor residents on what theycan do to make it harder forhomes to be broken into.

    Booker said he wantsDecatur residents to knowthat the police departmenthas an interest in their safetyand is doing all it can tocombat crime.

    We have their best inter-est at heart, he said. Wedo a lot of things internallyas far as policing to buildtheir trust so that they un-derstand what kind of policedepartment they have. Weare truly service-oriented.

    School Continued From Page 3Aout to [Interstate 285] in the snow to res-cue students on a school bus, hurmondaid. hen he volunteered to go himselfo Peachtree Middle School and ultimatelyransported four students home personally

    and walked them to the door to the safe andoving arms of their parents.

    On that particular night, what I did wasminimal in comparison to what these menand women in uniform across this countydid, Alexander said, referring to the coun-ys first responders.

    School board member Marshal Orson

    thanked school district employees, parentsand students for working together to makethe most of a trying situation.

    he past week posed a challenge to ev-ery sector of our community, Orson said.

    he storm ground our education systemto a halt, stopped our economy in its tracksand caused inconvenience and real hardshipfor thousands.

    In DeKalb, we fared better than mostneighboring school systems and for that weare thankful, Orson said.

    The Decatur Police Department is working with other agencies and Decatur residents to minimize the numberof robberies and burglaries in the city.

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    by Daniel [email protected]

    For nearly two decades, residents and countyofficials have been coming together once a montho talk about the community at DeKalb County

    Commissioner Stan Watson s Community Cabi-net Breakfast.

    Watson, who has hosted the event for 17 years,aid Feb. 1 that the breakfasts have served as anmportant event over the years.

    Stories have been written, [and] weve madeegislation based on what goes on in here, Wat-on said. One thing thats important is its always

    been informationalyou can always take the in-ormation back to your respective communities.

    hroughout the past 17 years the communitycabinet has been held, Watson said he has alsoearned a lot.

    Attendees such as former Gov. Zell Miller ,ormer Attorney General Thurbert Baker and

    other notable officials have made it a point tocome to the breakfast and talk about the issues ofDeKalb County, Watson said.

    Formerly chair of the DeKalb County local

    delegation of the General Assembly, Watson saidhe started the community cabinet because whenhe was first elected to the General Assembly in

    1997.Former Attorney General Baker was electedthe same year Watson was and he said they bothwanted to have a forum to address the concernsof the community. At the first meeting, Watsonsaid he served coffee and donuts to about 30 resi-dents.

    Now, the forums have grown to include hun-dreds of attendees and a full breakfast of grits,eggs, sausage and toast. Officials such as DeKalbCounty Superior Court Clerk Debra DeBerryhelp scoop eggs onto the plates of the hundredsthat line up for a hot meal and to learn whatshappening in the county.

    You can come to the meeting and see your judges, police department, representatives, com-missionersit has provided many in the commu-nity a forum to see and speak with officials theymight not have been able to otherwise, Watsonsaid.

    Each year Watson hosts 10 community cabi-netshe takes the months of January off for

    New Years and July for Independence Day. Eightof the meetings are held at Chapel Hill MiddleSchool, located in Decatur. he other two meet-

    ings are held at different locations throughoutthe county because Watson represents one of twosuper districts.

    I try not to bill it as a partisan breakfast be-cause I think its about relationships, Watsonsaid.

    During this cabinet, Georgia Department ofLabor Commissioner Mark Butler spoke aboutthe state of the economy. Additionally, countyofficials discussed the details of a new sanitationpilot program aimed at streamlining the countystrash pickup.

    Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May saidWatson has supported him since day one whenhe was elected as District 5 commissioner in2006. At the time, May was the youngest commis-sioner ever elected in DeKalb County, and he saidWatson helped him become more involved in thecommunity.

    He brought me alongside to partner with himwith this community cabinet, May said.

    Commissioner celebrates long-running community breakfastOnce a month, residents and public of cials come together for Commissioner Stan Watsons Community Cabinet Breakfast. Watson said its a way for residents to learn about the issueshe county faces and interact with their elected of cials. Photos by Daniel Beauregard

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    Once-a-week trash pick-up coming

    Searching for Our Sons and Daughters:

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

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

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

    Photos brought to you by DCTV

    WEEKPICTURESIn

    Southwest DeKalbs Tynice Martin (23) dribbles past a Stephensondefender. Martin scored 21 points and had 14 rebounds in SouthwestDeKalbs 81-67 victory over Stephenson. Photo by Travis Hudgons

    A DeKalb County Public Works salt truck was out monitoring the roads Jan. 30 looking for trouble spots after thenow storm. Photo By Travis Hudgons

    aden Robinson, a student at DeKalb School of the Arts, was recognized for his role as Tiny Tim in The ChristmasCarol , a production at the Alliance Theatre. Photo by Caleb Wade

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    Congressman named ranking memberof judiciary subcommittee

    Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) wasecently named the ranking member ofhe House Judiciary subcommittee onegulatory reform, commercial and an-itrust law.

    As the former chairman of the sub-ommittee on courts and competition

    policy, I have long supported competi-ion, consumer welfare and workersights, Johnson said. I look forwardo continuing my work on these issues

    as ranking member of the regulatoryeform, commercial and antitrust lawubcommittee.

    In addition to the subcommittee onegulatory reform, commercial and an-itrust law, Johnson serves on the sub-ommittee on the constitution and civil

    ustice.he subcommittee on regulatoryeform, commercial and antitrust law

    addresses bankruptcy and commercialaw, bankruptcy judgeships, administra-ive law, independent counsel, state tax-

    ation affecting interstate commerce, in-erstate compacts and antitrust matters.he subcommittee on the Constitution

    and Civil Justice has jurisdiction overonstitutional amendments, constitu-ional rights, federal civil rights, ethicsn government, tort l iability, including

    medical malpractice and product liabil-ty and legal reform.

    County recreation department to holdadult softball registration

    Registration for the adult coed andmens softball leagues will be openhrough Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    at the athletics office located at 4898 LaV-sta Road, ucker.

    he season begins in March and willnclude 10 regular games. he registra-ion fee is $420 per team and a $20 fee

    will be included per person for non-DeKalb residents. All checks and moneyorders should be made payable to DeKalbCounty Parks and Recreation & CulturalAffairs. Registration is on a first come,irst served basis.

    For more information, call the Ath-etics Office at (770) 414-2111.

    Commissioners sponsors AffordableCare Act enrollment sessions

    DeKalb County CommissionerLarry Johnson is sponsoring a seriesof enrollment events around District 3or residents who are uninsured/under-nsured or have questions about the

    Affordable Care Act. rained navigatorswill be on site at each event to assistwith enrollment and to answer ques-ions.Health insurance enrollees should

    bring their Social Security numbers,mployer and income information,

    policy numbers for any current health

    insurance plans and completed employ-er coverage tools, which are available atwww.healthcare.gov.

    Enrollment sessions will be held: Saturday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m.1:30 p.m.,

    Midway Recreation Center, 3181 Mid-way Road, Decatur. Saturday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m.2 p.m., Wes-

    ley Chapel Library, 2861 Wesley Cha-pel Road, Decatur.

    Thursday, Feb. 13, noon3 p.m.,Gresham Library, 2418 GreshamRoad, Atlanta.

    Saturday, Feb. 15, 11 a.m.2 p.m.,Scott Candler Library, 1917 CandlerRoad, Decatur.

    DeKalb County Commissioner Ka-thie Gannon will hold an AffordableCare Act Enrollment event on uesday,Feb. 4, 6-8:30 p.m., Northlake-BarbaraLoar Library, 3772 Lavista Road

    ucker.Licensed navigators from Oakhurst

    Medical Center will be available atthis event to help residents enroll andanswer questions about the insuranceexchange system. he event is cospon-sored by state Rep. Michele Henson .

    Three DeKalb officials sponsoringfood drive

    he plight of local food banks hascaught the attention of three DeKalbCounty officials who are sponsoring afood drive to help replenish the shelvesat the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

    Commissioner Kathie Gannon ,Solicitor General Sherry Boston andClerk of Superior Court Debra De-Berry are teaming up to sponsor a fooddrive through Valentines Day.

    In this day and age, no one inDeKalb County should go hungry, De-Berry said.

    According to a news release from theofficials, hunger remains a persistentproblem in metro Atlanta. Roughly 17percent of the households and 28 per-cent of children in the area served bythe Atlanta Community Food Bank,which includes DeKalb, do not alwaysknow where their next meal is coming

    from.Food collection barrels will beplaced in the following county build-ings: Maloof Center, 1300 CommerceDrive; DeKalb County Courthouse, 556McDonough Street, in the solicitor gen-erals and clerks offices; Clark HarrisonBuilding, 330 West Ponce de Leon; and

    ax Commissioners Office, 4380 Me-morial Drive.

    Among the most needed items arecanned tuna, peanut butter, fruit juices,canned vegetables and paper products.

    No one should have to choose be-tween paying the rent, paying for theirprescriptions or paying for food, De-Berry said.

    by Carla [email protected]

    Before the snowstorm hitmetro Atlanta Jan. 29, Krogerofficials and staff along withBrookhaven city officials andresidents were scheduled to cel-ebrate the grand reopening ofthe Kroger store on PeachtreeRoad.

    Instead of a celebrationparty, the newly expanded storewas used as a safe haven forthose who were stranded onroads during the snowstorm.Store manager Bobby Smith said he wants the Brookhavento be the type of store that isthere for the community.

    We are in the perfect posi-tion to be that cornerstone for

    this community, Smith saidduring the grand reopeningcelebration Feb. 2. o be therewhen anybody needs us to help,to serve the public like you guysdid the other nightwe can bethat store for this community.

    he Brookhaven Kroger,which originally opened in1999, was expanded from30,000 square feet to more than89,000 square feet. he $11 mil-lion project began 16 monthsago, around the time Brookhav-en officially became a city.

    In my 36 years of serviceto Kroger, the excitement ex-pressed from the Brookhavencommunity and Kroger as-sociates as we celebrate there-grand opening of this storesurpasses anything Ive experi-

    enced before, Smith said.he expanded Kroger fea-

    tures a variety of new amenities,including an expanded naturalfoods department, a bistro withchef-prepared meals, Mur-rays Cheese Shoppe, a walk-uppharmacy window, fresh sushi,an expanded beer and winedepartment, an expanded meatand seafood department andsoft-serve frozen yogurt.

    We are proud to offer newand expanded services to ourloyal customers and provide amore convenient shopping ex-perience, said Glynn Jenkins ,director of communicationsand public relations for KrogersAtlanta Division.

    During the celebration,Kroger donated $3,000 to the

    Friends of Brookhaven Founda-tion to assist with the purchaseof defibulators.

    Brookhaven City Council-man Bates Mattison said thecity is extremely proud ofeverything Kroger is doing inBrookhaven.

    I must commend Krogerstaff for being willing to sitdown with the residents to heartheir concerns, Mattison said.We hope the city of Brookhav-en will continue working to-gether to improve some of theconcerns of some of the neigh-borhoods.

    he Brookhaven Kroger em-ploys more than 191 associateswith almost 1,000 years of com-bined experience.

    NEWS BRIEFS

    Newly expandedBrookhaven Kroger reopens

    Kroger of cials and Brookhaven elected of cials cut the ribbon on the newlyrenovated Kroger located on Peachtree Road in Brookhaven.

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    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 PAGE LOCAL NEWS

    ur county roads are impassable due to ice, tra -c gridlock or both, caused by the sudden andevere winter weather. I at all possible, I am urg-ng everyone to stay off the roads until conditionsmprove.

    By Jan. 29, the county police department hadesponded to more than 700 weather-related inci-

    ents, including 289 traffic accidents, 25 hazardsn road, 42 motorist assists, 91 traffic accidentswith injured/ trapped passengers, 270 motoristssist/hazards, according to a DeKalb Countytatement.

    Te re rescue department responded to near-y 400 calls rom noon Jan. 28 to 8 a.m. Jan. 29,ncluding ve calls or downed power lines; sevenccidents involving re rescue vehicles; three reescue vehicles that got stuck in the ice; and two

    working res.According to the DeKalb Emergency Manage-

    ment Agency, the agency normally receives 90alls per hour, but at the peak at 1 a.m. Jan. 28, itveraged 535 calls per hour.

    Our emergency plans are working, our gov-rnment is operating, and in a spirit o partner-hip we are getting the job done or our DeKalb

    County residents, according to a statement re-eased by the county Jan. 28.

    Te county opened all re stations and policetations as warming stations during the event.ocal Home Depot, arget and Publix storeslso allowed their locations to be used as warm-ng stations. Sheriff Tomas Brown opened theounty jails kitchen or hot meals or all employ-es working the weather event.

    Te DeKalb County School District and Citychools o Decatur closed schools Jan. 28 afer

    the snow started alling. Schools remained closedor the rest o the week.

    A Good SamaritanDaniel Palazzolo o Decatur became one o

    many Good Samaritans when he helped to rescuea pregnant woman during the winter event.

    I dont know i she was ull-blown there yet,but she was having contractions when we pickedher up, said the 33-year-old mechanic.

    Palazzolo came in contact with the woman on

    Briarcliff Road. Her vehicle was stuck in a groupo cars on a bridge at the bottom o a hill.

    I had been there all night helping people out,Palazzolo said. I had originally stopped to helpone guy out and people just started crashing lefand right. I ended up winching one car out o aditch and we pushed a bunch o cars up the hill.

    All o a sudden, the re department showedup, he said. Te reghters, seeing the traffic pile-up, stopped and got out o their re engine andbegan walking down the hill.

    Tey said, We have a medical at the bottomo the hill, said Palazzolo, who offered his as-sistance. Because o all the cars stuck in the iceand snow, the ambulance and re truck could notreach the woman.

    Te only other option would have been ithey just carried her up [the hill] when it was allicy, Palazzolo said.

    My truck is not stock, Palazzolo said o hisour-wheel drive oyota acoma. My truck is

    good or this kind o thing.So we drove down to the bottom o the hill,

    Palazzolo said. And this lady was having con-tractions and lots o pain. She was not happy tobe stuck in the snow. She was super pregnant.

    Palazzolos wi ePaula , who was in the cabwith him, gave up her seat or the woman.

    Her husband got in the back o the truck withthe re captain, Palazzolo said. I was in our-wheel drive and I drove up the hill.

    In all, Palazzolo spent three hours helping ap-proximately 20 motorists. He called it a nightafer helping the pregnant lady.

    It was pretty interesting, really, he said.

    previous sewing experience,he, too, gets satis action rom

    working with her hands andeeing a tangible result.

    I enjoy having people wanto buy things that you create,

    Scott said.Te job gives her the ex-

    bility she needs to work on abachelors degree in psychol-ogy at the University o Phoe-nix. Her goal, she said, is tobe a counselor and work withwomen and children affectedby domestic violence.

    Decatur resident RobinUpshur , 54, said her WeaversWarehouse income allows hero take care o her two chil-

    dren on her own.Be ore the weavers can

    begin their work, volunteersassist in sorting through thegoods, cutting plastic bags and

    abric into strips. Plastic stripsare piled into bins, and clothtrips are wrapped into color-ul balls.

    Even buttons, clasps anddecorative accents are cut romlothing and re-purposed.

    We are trying to not throw

    anything away, Wise said. Wery to upcycle as much as wean.

    Wise, who is also a weaver,aid she appreciates that the

    project is a bonus or the envi-ronment, diverting some waste

    rom going into the landll.Re:loom goods are sold at

    the Weavers Warehouse as wellas the Initiative or AffordableHousings office in Scottdale,Wild Oats and Billy Goats inDecatur and at Atlanta Madein west Atlanta. Rugs range

    rom $99 to $675, placematsets $43-$86, clutches and bags$35-$125. Tey also producecommission work or individ-uals who bring in sentimentalitems they want turned intosomething new or organiza-tions or special projects.Delta Air Lines commissionedre:loom to turn bright orangeand green sa ety vests intopassport holders, wine carri-ers, clutches and more. Wisesaid the items were a hit withDelta workers.

    Prot rom sales helpsunds the Initiatives homeless

    programs.Wise hopes to see expan-

    sion in 2014.Our goal this year is to

    have more retail space and do

    more commission work, shesaid.For more in ormation on

    the project, visit www.reloom.org.

    Tammy Carden, re:looms operations manager, cuts fabric

    into strips, the rst step in the weaving process.

    Fred Brown says he nds satisfaction innishing a piece, showing it to colleagues

    and getting positive feedback on hiswork. Photos by Gale Horton Gay

    One room at Weavers Warehouse is lled with donated boltsof fabric and clothing.

    Palazzolo and his truck.

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    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 LOCAL NEWSPUBLIC HEARING NOTICE FOR PHASING OUT OF INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES

    Revisions for Clifton Elementary Facility and Gresham Park Elementary Facility

    Note: This notice is an update to the previously published notice in the Champion Newspaper from February 14, 2013 to February 27, 2013, with changes (noted in bold, underline) tore ect the change in status for the Clifton Elementary Facility and the Gresham Park Elementary Facility.

    Public Hearings, 7:00 PM at:

    February 11, 2014 at Clifton ES 3132 Clifton Church Rd

    Atlanta, GA 30316

    February 18, 2014 at Meadowview ES1879 Wee Kirk RdAtlanta, GA 30316

    In accordance with SPLOST IV and the 2011, ten-year master facility plan*, the DeKalb County School District proposes to phase-out twelve (12) instructional facilities over the next ve years: 1) AustinElementary Facility, 2) Avondale High Facility, 3) Clifton Elementary Facility, 4) DESA/Terry Mill Facility 5) Fernbank Elementary Facility, 6) Meadowview Elementary Facility, 7) Midway Elementary Facility,8) Ronald McNair Middle Facility, 9) Pleasantdale Elementary Facility, 10) Rockbridge Elementary Facility, 11) Smoke Rise Elementary Facility and 12) Wadsworth Elementary Facility.

    Students from these schools will return back to their schools after construction as listed in Table 1 and Table 2. The date of phase-out, date of last instruction, and proposed use for each affectedbuilding is also listed below in Table 1.

    In Table 2, please note that Peachcrest ES and Gresham Park ES are two, new, 900-seat schools. It is envisioned that students from Clifton ES and Meadowview ES schools will move into the newGresham Park ES at the current Clifton site . Students from Knollwood ES and Midway ES will move into the new Peachcrest ES.

    Any attendance lines adjustments for any receiving schools and their adjacent schools in order to accommodate the relocated students within each schools capacity limits will be discussed the yearprior to phase out. Fernbank ES is presently scheduled to occupy Avondale MS during the construction period.

    * Ten-year Facility Master Plan (http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/vision-2020/master-plan.pdf)

    Table 1. Instructional Facilities to be Phased-out

    InstructionalFacility Facility Address

    Date of LastInstruction at

    Facility and Date ofPhase Out

    Resident Students Transferred and Where Future Use of Facility

    AustinElementaryFacility

    5435 Roberts DriveDunwoody, GA 30338

    June, 2018 All students to attend replacement AustinES facility

    Torn down and replaced by new facility

    Avondale HighFacility

    1192 Clarendon AveAvondale Estates, GA 30002

    June, 2016 All students to attend new ComprehensiveArts Magnet School at Avondale MS facility

    Declared surplus and possible reuse or disposal

    CliftonElementaryFacility

    3132 Clifton Church RdAtlanta, GA 30316

    June, 2016 All students to attend new Gresham ParkES facility at current Clifton site

    Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million,SPLOST IV

    DESA/Terry MillElementaryFacility

    797 Fayetteville RdAtlanta, GA 30316

    June, 2016 All students to attend new ComprehensiveArts Magnet School at Avondale MS facility

    Declared surplus and possible reuse or disposal

    FernbankElementaryFacility

    157 Heaton Park Drive NEAtlanta, GA 30307

    June, 2013 All students to attend Avondale MS duringconstruction and then return to replacementFernbank ES facility in Fall 2015

    Torn down and replaced by new facility

    MeadowviewElementaryFacility

    1879 Wee Kirk RdAtlanta, GA 30316

    June, 2015 All students to attend new Gresham ParkES facilityat current Clifton site

    Declared surplus and possible reuse ordisposal

    MidwayElementaryFacility

    3318 Midway RdDecatur, GA 30032 June, 2015 All students to attend new Peachcrest ESfacility Declared surplus and possible reuse ordisposal

    Ronald McNairMiddle Facility

    2190 Wallingford Dr.Decatur, GA 30032

    June, 2018 All students to attend replacement McNairMS facility

    Torn down and replaced by new facility

    PleasantdaleElementaryFacility

    3695 Northlake DriveDoraville, GA 30340

    June, 2018 All students to attend replacementPleasantdale ES facility

    Torn down and replaced by new facility

    RockbridgeElementaryFacility

    445 Halwick WayStone Mountain, GA 30083

    June, 2018 All students to attend replacementRockbridge ES replacement

    Torn down and replaced by new facility

    Smoke RiseElementaryFacility

    1991 Silver Hill RoadStone Mountain, GA 30087

    June, 2018 All students to attend replacement SmokeRise ES facility

    Torn down and replaced by new facility

    WadsworthElementaryFacility

    2084 Green Forrest Dr.Decatur, GA 30032

    June, 2015 All students to be housed at Knollwood ESfacility

    Declared surplus and possible reuse ordisposal

    Table 2. Receiving Instructional Facility, Proposed Size, Grade Confguration, and CostReceiving Instructional Facility Address

    Prop. FacilityCapacity

    (Students)Grade Expansion, Cost, and Funding Source

    Arts School at Avondale Middle Facility 3131 Old Rockbridge Rd Avondale Estates, GA30002

    1,100 K-12 Add auditorium, $4.0 million, SPLOST IV

    Austin Elementary Facility 5435 Roberts Dr Dunwoody, GA 30338 900 PK-5 Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOSTIV

    McNair Middle Facility 2190 Wallingford Dr. Decatur, GA 30032 1,200 6-8 Rebuild 1200 seat school, $34.6 million, SPLOSTIV

    Fernbank Elementary Facility 157 Heaton Park Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30307 900 PK-5 Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOSTIV

    Gresham Park Elementary Facility atClifton site

    3132 Clifton Church Rd Atlanta, GA 30316 900 PK-5 Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOSTIV

    Knollwood Elementary Facility 3039 Santa Monica Dr. Decatur, GA 30032 650 4-6 No expansion necessaryPeachcrest Elementary Facility 1530 Joy Ln Decatur, GA 30032 900 PK-5 Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST

    IVPleasantdale Elementary Facility 3695 Northlake Drive Doraville, GA 30340 900 PK-5 Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST

    IVRockbridge Elementary Facility 445 Halwick Way Stone Mountain, GA

    30083900 PK-5 Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST

    IVSmoke Rise Elementary Facility 1991 Silver Hill Road Stone Mountain, GA

    30087600 PK-5 Rebuild 600 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST

    IV****Cost for 600-seat school pending review.

    Note : This notice is an update to the previously published notice in the Champion Newspaper from February 14, 2013 to February 27, 2013, with changes (noted in bold, underline) to refect thechange in status for the Clifton Elementary Facility and the Gresham Park Elementary Facility.

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    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 EDUCATION

    Program draws teen girls into technology eldsby Andrew [email protected]

    Not all I guys have to be guys.hats what a technology program

    or metro Atlanta girls teaches its par-icipants.

    Since 2006, the een Girls in ech-nology ( GI ) program has focusedon helping girls become more interest-d in science, technology, engineeringnd mathematics (S EM). Participantsre recruited in middle school and cantay in the program through college.

    he program started with threechools and 50 girls, said Judy Brown-

    Fears , the GI program manager.Seven of the girls left the program.

    Out of [those remaining] 43 girls,42 of those girls graduated from highchool and majored in a S EM area,

    Brown-Fears said. My very first set ofgirls is in college now in their secondyear. Some participants have goneonto colleges such as Agnes Scott,UGA, University of ennessee, Spel-man and Georgia State.

    Now the program has 555 studentsn the metro Atlanta area, with partici-

    pants in many DeKalb County schoolsncluding Chapel Hill, Bethune,

    Columbia and Druid Hills middlechools.

    he program helps students cul-ivate an interest and competence in

    S EM subjects through various hands-on activities and field trips, Brown-Fears said.

    Instead of just teaching thembout math, science and technology,

    we apply something to it, she said.he participants learn a lot of thingshey dont think about that apply to

    one of the stem areas. hey dont know that when you

    work behind the scenes at a V station

    or a radio station, thats an engineering job, Brown-Fears said. Anything thatdeals with S EM in the real world, weteach them.

    In addition to the S EM exposure,the program teaches the participantsleadership and interview skills, eti-quette and how to dress for success,Brown-Fears said.We try to make it real holistic, shesaid. When they leave us and theyget ready to go out to the real worldtheyve touched a little bit of every-thing.

    he participants have gone on fieldtrips to the Kennedy Space Center,Disney World and to Delta for a train-ing flight.

    Some of these girls havent evengone out of the city, Brown-Fears said. hey get exposure; thats the bottomline.

    heyve been able to become bet-ter leaders, [make] better choices intheir activities, [and become] deci-sion makers, Brown-Fears said. Itskind of taken them out of their shelland theyve got to do things that theyhavent been able to do before.

    Free for students, the program relieson grants from various benefactors.

    GI recently received a $10,000 grantfrom Delta Community Credit Union.

    he organization was one of 15 toreceive part of the $70,000 the creditunion donated from its PhilanthropicFund.

    Brown-Fears said the $10,000 grantis almost like adopting a school, pro- viding curriculum, supplies and fieldtrips.

    It helps to serve 20 girls as well aspay for somebody to facilitate at a site,Brown-Fears said. his allows formore girls to go through the programand become leaders in S EM.

    Chapel Hill Middle School students participate in the YWCAs Teen Girls in Technology. The program has more than 500 metro Atlanta students. Photos provided

    Students participate in the Teen Girls in Technology programs annual kickoff eventat Georgia Power.

    A Delta training ight is one of the activities for the Teen Girls in Technology.

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    THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 BUSINESS

    The Voice of Business in DeKalb CountyDeKalb Chamber of Commerce404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

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

    Romper room goes supersizeby Kathy [email protected]

    When Cathy Lee was looking fora safe, fun indoor playground forher 2-year-old she was frustratedhat so many such places had beenaken over by teenagers and hadew areas where preschoolers and

    elementary school age youngsterscould romp freely without interfer-ence from older youth.

    Finally she decided that the solu-ion was to create such a place her-elf. With assistance from her father,

    a banker who helped arrange theinancing, and her brother, James

    Lee, who became the enterprisesvice president, she opened Kidz@play, an indoor recreation area ex-clusively for children from toddlershrough age 12.

    Lee Carbajal , Kidz@plays gen-eral manager, said that the playarea, which opened in December onRockbridge Road in Lithonia, is theargest such facility in Georgia. It

    may be the largest in the Southeast,she noted, But were pretty sure itsthe largest in Georgia.

    Carbajal said Kidz@Play is de-signed so that even the youngestguests can have a good time. Wehave areas that are just for toddlers.

    hey can play all they want withoutbeing bothered by older children.

    he more than 35,000-square-foot facility was converted fromwhat was once a grocery storeand offers a wide variety of enter-tainment for children. James Leepointed out that some childrens rec-reation centers have just inflatablesand some have only climbing equip-ment. We have a train, boats, bum-per cars, jungle gyms, a dance area,inflatables, slides and much more,he said, adding that a 5-D theater isin the works.

    We have a technician comingfrom China to set it up, James Leesaid. It should be up and runningin a few weeks.

    Parents who are concerned thattheir children dont get enough exer-

    cise will be pleased to know that theclimbing facilities are designed tobuild young muscles, Carbajal said. he children are having a goodtime while theyre doing things thatare good for their health.

    She said that cleanliness andsafety are top priorities. Everyonein the play are must wear socks, butnot shoes, Carbajal explained. Wesanitize throughout the day as well,she noted.

    We planned the place with theparents as well as the children inmind, James Lee explained. Wedont want the parents to stay awaybecause theyre bored. He notedthat the caf areawhich has a five-star chefhas free Wi-Fi along withfoods that adults like.

    We have the hotdogs andchicken fingers that the childrenlike, but we have pizza, sandwiches,hot wings and other foods thatadults like, said James Lee, addingthat the facility also has big screentelevisions where parents can watchsports while their children play.

    He said the area has been justperfect for the new venture. hereare so many families in this areawith young children. here has re-ally been a need for a place like this.Its actually worked out better thanwe expected, said James Lee, whoadded that the community has beensupportive with schools, churchesand other institution arranginggroups outings to Kidz@play.

    Parties are a specialty at Kidz@play. Its easy for the parents be-cause everything from set-up toclean-up is taken care of. he groupgets a private room for refreshmentsand activities, but the children get toplay on the equipment as well, ac-cording to Carbajal.

    I love the fact that Cathy [Lee]is willing to work with mothers whoare struggling financially, but stillwant to have a birthday party fortheir children, Carbajal said. Shehelps them figure out how to havetheir party and stay within the bud-get; thats one reason I like workinghere.

    Largest indoor playground in Georgia opens in Lithonia

    Designed just for children from toddlers through age 12, Kidz@play features a wide variety of play equipment, including slides,op left; a train that moves around the 35,000-square-foot facility, bottom left; an in atable teddy bear whirl-around, center;nd a house of numbers, bottom right. Vice President James Lee, top right, sits on the throne that is available for honorees inome of the birthday party rooms. Photos by Kathy Mitchell

  • 8/13/2019 FreePress 2-7-14

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