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WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2013 VOL. 15, NO. 50 FREE

FREEPRESS A PUBLICATION OF ACE III C OMMUNICATIONS

Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.

Latino students visit Frida and Diego exhibit at High Museumby Daniel [email protected]

A group of 85 SequoyahMiddle School students en-rolled in the Latin AmericanAssociations (LAA) after-school program visited theHigh Museums bilingual

Frida and Diego exhibitMarch 1.

Isabel Perez, the man-aging director of academicachievement for LAA, said its important students are ex-

posed to work such as that ofMexican artists FridaKahloand DiegoRivera becauset embraces Latin American

culture.Its the first bilingual art

exhibit for our students and itembraces our culturethis isfabulous and we can identify

so its really important forus, Perez said.

The exhibit, which runshrough May 12, features

more than 120 paintings anddrawings by Kahlo and Ri-vera, two of Mexicos mostfamous painters.

Sequoyah Middle is lo-cated in an area of DeKalbCounty with a large LatinAmerican population. Perezsaid approximately 70 per-cent of Sequoyahs studentsare Latin American; neigh-

boring Cross Keys HighSchool has 80 percent.Perez said the LAA

decided to begin the after-school program to close the

achievement gap and helpchildren struggling in school.The program now meetsthree times a week and stu-dents receive tutoring, men-toring and cultural enrich-

ment. There is also a summerprogram.Recently, LAA hired a

high school program man-ager who will help the stu-dents in the eight grade atSequoyah transition to CrossKeys.

TeacherOscar Gonzalezsaid he has been preparinghis students for their visit tothe High by discussing withthem the cultural and historiccontext that both artists wereworking in at the time. Theexhibit, titled Frida andDiego: Passion, Politics andPainting focuses on a rangeof periods in the revolution-ary artists lives.

I told them what theycould expect and what wasgoing on historically, suchas the Mexican Revolution,Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said he also

discussed the meaning iden-tity with his students andasked them to think aboutwhat it means to be LatinAmerican. Kahlos fatherwas a German who traveledto Mexico in the late 1800s,and her mother was of Amer-ican Indian descent. Riverasmother was a converso,a Jew whose ancestors hadbeen forced to convert to Ca-tholicism.

Although both artistswere born in Mexico, theycame from diverse back-grounds and Gonzalez saidhe discussed with his stu-dents why their backgroundis important, and why it is

important to not focus toomuch on race but more onidentity.

Sequoyah student AshleyGarcia said she had beenlooking forward to seeing theexhibit because she thoughtit would help her become

more immersed in the arts.Its about politics and

passion and its important

because of how we expressourselves and were proud ofwho we are. I want to showhow I think and how I seethe world, Garcia said.

Approximately 90 student from the Latin American Associationsafter-school program at Sequoyah Middle School attended the ex-hibit at the High featuring the work of Mexican artists Frida Kahloand Diego Rivera. Photos by Daniel Beauregard

Students from Sequoyah Middle School stand in front ofAtlantas High Museum of Art.

See Judge on Page 13A

Judge rules against DeKalb school boardby Andrew [email protected]

A federal judge has decided thefate of six DeKalb school boardmembers who sued to keep theirobs.

Federal Judge RichardStorydecided March 4 to lift a temporaryestraining order and deny an in-unction against Gov. Nathan Deal.

The decision allows the governor to

remove the board members.The harm from the loss of ac-

creditation to the school district andthe resulting harm to the studentsin the district are profound, Storystated in a court document. To per-mit the board members to continueto serverisks substantial conse-quences for the school district andits students.

The board membersSarahCopelin-Wood, Jesse Jay Cun-ningham, Donna Elder, Nancy

Jester, Pamela A. Speaks andEugene P. Walkerwere removedFeb. 25 by Deal on the unanimousrecommendation of the GeorgiaBoard of Education (GBOE).

In December, the DeKalbCounty Board of Education wasplaced on accreditation probation bySouthern Association of Collegesand Schools (SACS), the agencythat accredits the school districtthrough its parent company, Ad-vancED.

The probation triggered enforce-ment of a state law that allows thegovernor to remove school boardsthreatened with loss of accreditationdue to school board governancerelated reasons.

The interest of the public in ahealthy system outweighs the inter-ests of board members in serving intheir positions, Story stated.

The judge acknowledged the

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 8, 2013 Page 2ALocal News

by Andrew Cauthen

[email protected]

Rep. DarshunKendrick(D-93), a self-proclaimed champion offoreclosure reform, wantshe state government to

study the problem.Foreclosures are high

n this state, Kendricksaid Feb. 28 during ahearing in front of theBanks and Banking SubCommittee of the statesHouse of Representatives.We keep teeteringbetween rst and sixth

[place]. DeKalb County,which I represent is secondhighest in the state. Forus to not recognize it as aproblem is a big issue forGeorgia.

Kendrick has introduceda resolution callingfor the creation of astudy committee on theforeclosure crisis to studyhe state foreclosure laws

and processes so that we canprovide recommendationso the Georgia General

Assembly about

egislatively [preventing]foreclosures.The state representative

said she hopes the proposedcommittee would, whetherittle or big, [make]

recommendations abouthow we improve theprocess. There is no harm inmproving our process for

foreclosure.I dont think there is any

harm in making sure peopleget due process when youreaking their biggest asset,

Kendrick said. We need tostreamline the processto

make sure the homeowners very clear about the

process.Some attendees at the

hearing were concerned

that the committee would

recommend requiredjudicial foreclosures, inwhich all foreclosureswould be brought before a

judge.The reasonwe go to

a nonjudicial foreclosureis that the home has beenabandoned, said MikeCulbertson, a lobbyistrepresenting credit unions.The longer that [home]stays abandoned, the moreproperty damage and theless the value is. Thatsone of the reasons whywe really defend the rightto go through nonjudicialforeclosures because mostof the time when we get into

that position, the house hasbeen abandoned.Banks and credit unions

need to be able to get in thehouse, repair and sell it,Culbertson said.

The normal foreclosureprocess in Georgia takesapproximately 21 months,he said.

In a judicial foreclosure,it could take 37 monthsbecause the dockets andthe courts themselves are sofull, Culberton said.

The last thing the creditunion wants to do is to be

in possession of the houseitself, Culbertson said.Thats not the businesswere in.

Well try to work along

with the consumer to gure

out a way, if in fact theyhave the capacity to bringthe account into some kindof a current status and keep

the family in the home,Culbertson said. Theforeclosure process itself is

one of last resorts.

Steve Bridges, alobbyist for communitybanks and a former bankingcommissioner, agreed.

We usuallywait quite sometime before wewould go throughthat processbecause we aretrying to work withthe borrower,Bridges said. Wedont want thatproperty. We dontwant it back.

Mortgage

banking industry lobbyistMo Thrash said theforeclosure problem has

been traumatic.

We have had a terrible,terrible time in real estatein this state, probably since2007, Thrash said. Everylending institution, everybank, community bank,credit unioneverybodysbeen affected by this.

Kendrick said herresolution does not advocatefor judicial foreclosures.

Doing nothing is notan option, she said. Atthe end of the day, its upto the committee to providerecommendations or notprovide recommendations.

There might be somethingwere missing.

Legislator proposes foreclosure study committee

Foreclosures are high in this

state. DeKalb County, which

I represent is second highest

in the state.

- Darshun Kendrick

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Page 3A The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 8, 2013

Georgia Piedmont Techpresident inauguratedby Andrew [email protected]

There was much pompnd circumstance as a Dr.

JabariSimama ofciallyook the helm of Georgia

Piedmont Technical CollegeGPTC) Feb. 27.

In introducing his goodriend, DeKalb CEO

BurrellEllis said, Its abeautiful day to celebratehe dawning of a new era at

Georgia Piedmont TechnicalCollege.

The vision, passionnd leadership of Dr. Jabari

Simama, which I have per-onally beneted from and

witnessed on countless oc-asions, reafrm my beliefhat the future of this schoolnd the overall region isn good hands, Ellis said.

Simama was Ellis chief oftaff before leaving county

government to run GPTC.Georgia Piedmont Tech-

nical College, or as I likeo remember itDeKalb

Tech, has always servedtudents who are not afraido live their dreams, Ellisaid. At this unique mo-

ment in time, I can think ofno person better to lead thisprestigious institution thanDr. Jabari Simama.

Simama was namedpresident of GPTC after theetirement of former presi-

dent Robin Hoffman lefthe position vacant. Simamas the third president and

rst Black president in the

colleges history.Simama worked for El-

lis from 2009-12, servingas chief policy adviser anddeputy chief operating of-cer of development.

Additionally, Simamawas the vice president forcommunity development and

external relations atBenedict Collegein Columbia, S.C.,from 2005-2009.Before that, he wasthe executive direc-tor of communitytechnology for thecity of Atlanta,2000-2005, and

served as Atlantaschief of the ofce ofmarketing and com-munications from1998 to 2000.

His career inhigher educationincludes teaching

positions at theGeorgia Institute ofTechnology, ClarkAtlanta University,Morgan State Uni-versity, Universityof Cincinnati, andAtlanta Junior Col-lege (now Atlanta

Metropolitan College).Simama held elected

ofce as a member of theAtlanta City Council from1987-93. He also served asan appointed member of theMetropolitan Atlanta Olym-

pic Games Authority, whichprovided nancial oversightfor the Atlanta OlympicGames Committees $2 bil-lion budget.

Im ready to move thiscollege to the next level,Simama said during his ad-dress.

Were it not for this col-lege and others like it inour system and elsewhere,many of our children, our

parents, our sisters andbrothers would not be ableto attend college, Simamasaid. Were not just educat-ing students and preparing ahighly qualied workforce,were redeeming the soulsof our students. Were pro-viding a bridge for manyof them to cross over to themiddle class.

Simama encouraged at-tendees to join him in help-ing this college and othercolleges bring the blessingof higher education to thosewho need it.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department2012 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)

The DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department is preparing to submit itsConsolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) to the United StatesDepartment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The report covers the status of activitiesand programs carried out through the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG),HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) fundsduring the most recently completed program year that ended December 31, 2012.

The Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report is available for citizens reviewand comments from March 7, 2013 through March 21, 2012 at the following address:

DeKalb County Community Development Department150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330

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

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

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

Please contact the libraries for hours of operation.

Chamblee Branch4115 Clairmont Road, Chamblee(770-936-1380)

Decatur Branch215 Sycamore Street, Decatur(404-370-3070)

Redan-Trotti Branch

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

Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Branch

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

(Written comments should be submitted to the 150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue address.)All locations are accessible to persons with disabilities.

All fellow Georgianswho dont have the skills tomeet the workforce needs

of the 21st century are likefamily members being left

behind, he said. We must

always look back and helpbring those behind us withus as we move forward.

Were not justeducating students

and preparing ahighly qualifiedworkforce, wereredeeming the souls ofour students.

Jabari Simama

Jabari Simama gives his inaugural speech as president of Georgia Piedmont Technical College as hisformer boss, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis, looks on. Photo by Kerry King

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Letter to the Editor

It was the usual pomp andcircumstance at the recent inaugu-ation of Dr. JabariSimama, the

first Black and third president ofGeorgia Piedmont Technical Col-ege (GPTC), but there was so much

more. There was a genuine air ofanticipation for great things shep-herded by a decent, ethical man whoknows who he is and where he isgoing.

Dr. Simamas former boss,President DavidSwinton of SouthCarolinas Benedict College, duringhis remarks counseled Dr. Simamao stay true to his faith and his fam-ly and that he would continue to

excel. What sage advice. Severalhundred people were on hand forhe event, which included scores of

other college presidents, elected of-ficials, and other civic and businesseaders.

There were commendations andaccolades by everyone, from GPTCBoard Chairwoman Dr. SusanEck-ert of Emory University to AlumniAssociation representatives JanetteMiles-Kendall and JohnFrechette

to readings of Dr. Simamas writingsby students PatriciaDunsha, AlixGarcia and KaiRouillier. Dr. Si-mamas best friend from kindergarten,Rev. Dr. G. A. Miller from Oberlin,

Ohio, brought the invocation.One of the more touching mo-

ments in the two-and-a-half-hourprogram was the tribute from Dr.Simamas eldest daughter. NdeleaSimama, like her father an educatorand poet, traveled from Brooklyn,N. Y., to share a poem she penned inhonor of her father with whom shehas an obvious special bond. Nde-leas words were blended with oneof her fathers poems in a verbalduet reminiscent ofNatalie Colestechnologically edited video duet ofthe song Unforgettable with herlate fatherNat King Cole.

Ndeleas moving performancedrew a standing ovation. ReishaLauren drew another standing ova-tion with her hauntingly beautifulsoprano voice-instrument that tookones breath away. And, in a lovelygesture, the faculty presented Dr.Simamas wife Nisha with a hugebouquet of yellow roses.

Included among the tributesto Dr. Simama was a video fromCongressman JohnLewis whoselate wife Lillian gave Dr. Simamahis first job at Clark College. Vid-eotaped remarks were also playedfrom Congressman HankJohnson.Impressive was the eight-point

vision Dr. Simama flawlessly laidout in his remarks. His number onepriority is to elevate the college inthe community; 2) increase studentenrollment; 3) support student suc-

cess; 4) attract visionary leaders 5)open communications; 6) make datadriven changes; 7) develop new, in-novative industry-needed programsand after accomplishing all the othergoals; 8) become a Best-In-Classinstitution of higher learning. Dr.Simama ended his remarks with anoriginal poem written for the oc-casion and delivered with the kindof passion summoned only from afirm belief in the power of personalconviction.

GPTC serves more than 8,000students in DeKalb, Morgan, New-ton and Rockdale counties. It is the11th largest institution among the25 schools in the Technical CollegeSystem of Georgia (TCSG). Themain campus is in Clarkston. Thecollege recently changed its namefrom DeKalb Technical Collegeto better reflect the wide area thatit serves. Dr. Simama has been atthe helm of GPTC since last fallafter serving as chief of staff forDeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis.The respect CEO Ellis holds forDr. Simama was evident during theCEOs remarks, which were upbeatand laced with humor about hisscholarly former chief of staff.

Dr. Simama has also held

elective office himself. He was anAtlanta city councilman from 1987to 1993. He helped start PeoplesCable Access Station in Atlanta andserved as an appointed member of

the Metropolitan Atlanta OlympicGames Authority, which providedfinancial oversight for the AtlantaOlympic Games. Dr. Simama hasimpeccable credentials with a Ph.D.from Emory, a masters from ClarkAtlanta University and bachelorsfrom the University of Bridgeport.

TCSG CommissionerRonJackson says he is impressed withDr. Simamas vast experience,knowledge of the community, andvision for the college. You couldhear his pride at the inaugurationceremony as he introduced hischoice to head GPTC. Ladies andgentlemen, please give a warm wel-come to Dr. Jabari Simama, presi-dent of Georgia Piedmont Techni-cal College. It was a welcomedrespite to witness a gathering ofwhat makes DeKalb County great.The diversity of the good peoplein that GPTC conference room, thesmiling faces, the laughter, the hopein a county that needed some goodnews. Yes, the right man for theright job at the right time.

Steen Miles, The Newslady, is aretired journalist and former Geor-gia state senator. Contact SteenMiles at [email protected].

Simama: Right man at the right time

Constitutional and civil rights at stakeI am dismayed but not deterred, following

our setback in federal court Monday. I respectful-y but wholeheartedly disagree

with the judges decision, and Iplan to continue to seek justicehrough the court system untilhis matter with the governor isesolved. This is why:

I was born in Thomaston,a small town in Upson County,Ga. The indignity of segrega-ion and racism was the back-

drop of my youth. I swore athat time that I would stand up for my rights no

matter the cost. I have not swayed from the self-commitment, and virtually all my adult life hasbeen dedicated to service to my fellow man, witha special dedication to education.

I preface this to explain, again, why I amobligated to engage the governor in the court sys-em. It is morally abhorrent to sit idly by and al-ow the usurping of the one man one vote rightshat has been bought and paid with the blood,weat and tears of my generation. It is impera-

ive that public servants preserve and protect theconstitution and adhere to all laws, including theprecept of a citizens right to choose their repre-

sentative government. With the current assaultof Section V of the voting rights act and the per-petual gerrymandering to disenfranchise races ofpeople, I am compelled to employ every meansavailable to me to protect citizens rights. Thegovernor is using SACS and the State Board ofEducation as a hammer and chisel to chip awayat the progress we have made.

No one on the DeKalb County Board of Edu-cation, myself included, has committed a crimeor misappropriated, misused or misspent fundsentrusted to us. Quite the opposite: We haveserved with honesty and integrity. In fact, thisboard under the severe stress by the downturnof the economy has worked tirelessly to providea quality education to our children with a mini-mum amount of adverse impact on the home-owners of this county. It has not been easy, andthere has not always been a consensus. There isno crime in that, rather it is an inherent ingredi-ent in the democratic process.

I dont feel the governor is personally attack-ing me. This is not about Eugene Walker. WhenI step aside through my own actions or through

the wisdom of the electorate, I believe I will ul-timately be judged on my legacy as an educator,coach, administrator, state senator, state commis-

sioner, pardon and parole board member, in ad-dition to my role now as a school board member.I believe the greatest gift I can bequeath to thechildren of this school system at this time is acontemporary lesson on civics, civil liberties andstanding up for what is right.

If this unconstitutional act is to stand, thenwhat is next? It will only be a matter of time

before another constitutional right will be takenaway by another wayward and self-perpetuatingpolitico under the guise of the greater good.Minorities should not feel secure if contrived al-legations from anonymous sources with hiddenagendas can go to private agencies and to havetheir civil rights stolen away. This cannot andshall not be allowed to stand.

Leadership calls for tough and sometimesunpopular decisions. Such it is with standing upto the power brokers who seek to systematicallyerode, divide and conquer the voting strength ofpartisan and racial minorities. If I lose, so be it.But I cannot and will not go down without a fighton the principles at stake here.

Dr. Eugene WalkerDeKalb Board of EducationDistrict 9

Page 4A The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 8, 2013Opinion

The Newslady

Walker

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Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinionsfrom its readers. Please write to us and express yourviews. Letters should be brief, typewritten and containthe writers name, address and telephone number forverification. All letters will be 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]

FAX To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior

to publication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributingeditors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers.The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement atany time. The Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher: Dr. Earl D. Glenn

Managing Editor: Kathy Mitchell

News Editor: Andrew Cauthen

Production Manager: Kemesha Hunt

Graphic Designer: Travis Hudgons

The Champion Free Press is published each

Friday by ACE III Communications, Inc.,

114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA. 30030

Phone (404) 373-7779.

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FREEPRESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER

We sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding this and any

issue of interest to DeKalb County. The Champion was founded in1991 expressly to provide a forum for discourse forallcommunityresidents on all sides of an issue. We have no desire to make thenews only to report news and opinions to effect a more educatedcitizenry that will ultimately move our community forward. We arehappy to present ideas for discussion; however, we make everyeffort to avoid printing information submitted to us that is known tobe false and/or assumptions penned as fact.

One Mans Opinion

Fear is the main source ofsuperstition, and one of the mainsources of cruelty. To conquer fearis the beginning of wisdom.Bertrand Russell(1872-1970),British aristocrat, philosopher, his-torian and social critics.

I was born in DeKalb County,educated in our public schools,and graduated from Lakeside High

School. Im among thousands whograduated from the DeKalb CountySchool District during its glorydays. So it is hard not to look at thecurrent quagmire enveloping theleadership of the system with a mixof pity, despair and disgust. Howdoes a school system, with annualrevenues approaching $1 billion,with nearly 100,000 students andso many things going for it get soscrewed up?

The DeKalb County SchoolDistrict is facing multiple chal-lenges, many of them are real, someare reversible, and some are trendsoutside of the systems control. Stillhaving a daughter currently en-rolled in the system, I can say thatI regularly witness or hear about a

point of pride, major or minor ac-complishment by a student or edu-cator and daily demonstrations ofexcellence emanating from severalof our nearly 150 schools and cen-ters in the DCSD.

DeKalb County governance istroubled on many levels, admittedlysome businesses and individualfamilies will begin the process ofbailing out. Clayton County expe-rienced an outward bound flood ofthis nature after its school systemlost accreditation. But whether youare reading these thoughts in Ellen-wood, Dunwoody, Stone Mountain,Chamblee or downtown Decatur,dont kid yourself. Further sub-dividing our county or its schoolsystem into a series of fiefdoms isno guaranteed path to success. And

creating new schools systems inGeorgia will require an amendmentto the Georgia Constitution. Creat-ing a new Dunwoody school dis-trict or city of Lakeside will notimprove student outcomes in thoseclusters; it will only add costs, inexchange for less fear and a percep-tion of greater local control.

Four of Georgias perpetuallyhighest performing school systemsare Forsyth County, Fayette Coun-ty, Trion City and City Schoolsof Decatur. Smallness is not theirsimilarity, or path to greatness. Par-ticipation and community leader-

ship are their keys. Look at theschool boards of those systems, aswell as their senior administrationstaff. Read the resumes. You see

achievement, academics and educa-tors with proven track records, civ-ic, community and business leadersof standing (the bank or hospitalpresident, head of the Chamber ofCommerce), business and educationprofessionals and occasionally aparent activist. What you dont seeare superintendents on a downwardprofessional spiral having left theirprior system under a cloud, boardmembers who are extremely paro-chial or who often have no othersource of income or employment orwho began their service as a com-munity activist or retired educator.

Splitting our DCSD into threeor four smaller systems is guaran-teed only to increase costs, with noguarantee of improved resultsandonly the potential possibility of

greater local control. In commu-nities where the leadership, fami-lies, churches and schools are fullyvested, those schools are alreadysuccessful. If you look at the his-toric divide and complaints of dis-proportionate resources being spenton DeKalbs schools on the northside, what you will actually findare parents, teachers, coaches, stu-dents and siblings invested in thoseschools. PTAs, booster clubs andcommunity businesses routinelysponsor school teams and events inDunwoody, Lakeside, Druid Hills,Chamblee and elsewhere. The same

dollars per student are appropri-ated by the county and the state toschools on the south side, but thatother support is not identicaland

over time the gap widens.Dunwoody school parents al-

ready have some pretty good toolsat their disposal in the new charterschools amendment that voterspassed last year. There are alsomethods in place, as well as op-portunities for school accreditationwithout school system accredita-tion. However, if the folks pushingthe city of Lakeside and for a newDunwoody school district want tomove full speed ahead, they mightwant to take note that those schoolbuildings now, as well as their sur-rounding grounds still belong to thepeople of DeKalb County and theDCSD. The Lakeside campus justcompleted in excess of $20 millionin improvements last year. Perhapsthe way out of DCSDs deficit hole

and toward creating a nice tidy sur-plus would be to sell the Dunwoodyand Lakeside clusters to these twonew systems for, say, $200 mil-lion. Thats a whole lot of bandcandy folks.

Bill Crane also serves as apoli tical analyst and commenta-tor for Channel 2s Action News,WSB-AM News/Talk 750 and now95.5 FM, as well as a columnist

forThe Champion, ChampionFree Press andGeorgia Trend.Crane is a DeKalb native and

business owner, living in Scott-dale. You can reach him or com-ment on a column [email protected].

The wrong way to go

The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 8, 2013 Page 5AOpinion

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 8, 2013 Page 6ACommunity

Champion of the Week

If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a

future Champion of the Week, please contact Kathy Mitchell at

[email protected] or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 104.

Lisa Y. Kinnemore

When the Georgia Boardof Education (GBOE) re-cently voted unanimouslyto recommend to Gov.Nathan Dealto removesix members of the DeKalbschool board members,Stone Mountains own Lisa

Y. Kinnemore was there.Kinnemore, who was ap-

pointed by Deal in Februaryto the state board, said theposition gives her the op-portunity to represent not

just the kids that are edu-cated in public schools, butthose in the homeschooland charter school arena.

The 14-hour GBOEmeeting gave Kinnemorean opportunity to hear

some of the different prob-lems that are going on andmore of an in-depth oppor-tunity to see where I can beof help.

Kinnemore and herhusband Garryhave threesons, Kristopheran elec-trician; Joshua a studentat the Georgia Institute ofTechnology; andJonathana student at Georgia StateUniversity and in the ArmyReserves.

A homeschooling fam-ily for 15 years, Kinnemoresaid that experience willhelp her role on GBOEbecause she believes allkids, regardless of the edu-cationwhether publicschool, charter school orhomeschoolcan advanceto do well in life.

Kinnemore said shewants to engage communitymembers to hear whatconcerns they have and takethose back to GBOE.

My ears are here andmy heart is open, she said.

In addition to GBOE,Kinnemore volunteers fora homeless shelter, theDeKalb GOP and TruthTabernacle of Praise inStone Mountain. She was

on the board of NortheastIndependent PreparatoryAcademy for five years. Sheattends Briarlake BaptistChurch.

A DeKalb County native,Kinnemore was the seventhof nine children ofJohnnyand Catherine Carr.

She graduated fromChamblee High School andattended West Georgia Col-lege before transferring toGeorgia State University

where she earned her bach-elors degree in political sci-ence. Upon graduating, sheworked in sales and as anaccount manager for variouscompanies before decidingto leave the workplace toraise her boys.

In 2012, Kinnemoremade an unsuccessful bidas a Republican for thestate house District 86 seatagainst incumbent Demo-crat Michelle Henson.

Kinnemore said shepursues community involve-ment to help those who

are in need of help and tobecome personally familiarwith people in the area sothat I can help them meetneed that I can help with.

ubrookhaven

New manager alreadysaved $1.5 million

Veteran government leaderMarie Lewis Garrettwill become Brookhavens rst city manager.

The Brookhaven City Council voted unanimouslyFeb. 26 to appoint Garrettas permanent city managerfor the citys rst yearof operation. Garrett hasserved as interim citymanager since December2012.

The city conducteda national search andreceived 79 applicationsfrom 23 states. The mayorand council interviewed10 candidates and selectedGarrett because of herexperience and knowledge

of Georgia municipalities.The job she has done and her expertise have beennvaluable to the city, and we want that to continue,

MayorJ. Max Davis said. For Brookhaven right now,here was no other choice. She gives us the best chanceo succeed and excel. We are extremely excited she will

continue to be our partner in building this city.The mayor credits Garrett with already saving the

new city more than $1.5 million through strategiccontract negotiations for city services.

Garrett has spent the past 30 years working withgovernments in Georgia, including working as aop-level administrator or consultant in the cities

of Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Canton and Milton.Since 1996 she has run a business providingconsulting services in planning, development, publicadministration and budgeting for a wide range of

governments and organizations. In addition, she hasaught government courses at Georgia State University

and served on numerous boards and committees.This is an opportunity to build the framework

and structure for the city and enable it to serve thecommunity at large, Garrett said. You only get onechance to create a rst impression. Brookhaven has theopportunity to come out of the gate and get it right, and

want to be part of this.Garrett, who comes from Alpharetta, has a masters

degree in public and urban affairs from Georgia StateUniversity and a bachelors degree from the Universityof Georgia.

Garrret

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 8, 2013 Page 7ACommunity

AROUNDDEKALBAVONDALE ESTATESPug Meet and Greet to be held atSecond Life

Pugs and pugs mixes looking for ahome will be available for a Meet andGreet Saturday, March 9, at SecondLife Upscale Resale in Avondale Estates.

Dog lovers can meet the dogs noon-4 p.m. All dogs are up for adoptionhrough Southeast Pug Rescue & Adop-ion.

Second Life is an upscale resalestore that was created with the mis-sion of giving homeless pets a secondchance at life. Second Life Upscale

Resale is located at 1 N. Clarendon Av-enue. For more information, visit www.secondlifeatlanta.org.

ATLANTA

Carlos Museum to honorcontributions of Michael Graves

The Michael C. Carlos Museum cel-ebrates the 20th anniversary of the 1993expansion designed by famed architectMichael Graves, paying tribute to hisdirect and lasting contribution to EmoryUniversity. Graves will serve as honorarychairman of the museums signature an-nual fundraiser, Veneralia, to be held on

Saturday, March 16.When Graves agreed to come toEmory in the early 1980s to design theenovation of a historic campus build-ng, it was considered an architecturalcoup, according to a statement from theuniversity. One of the New York Five,Graves was a rising superstar in archi-ecture and design.

What followed was a long and fruit-ul relationship between Graves and theCarlos Museum, leading to a 1993 ad-dition, several gallery renovations, andmultiple visits and creative conversationsabout the museums facility and future.Winner of a National AIA Honor Award,Graves projects for the Carlos Museumnvolved historic preservation and adap-

ive re-use of a landmark law school de-signed by Henry Hornbostel in 1916.Graves commented, I am pleased to

eturn to Emory University and the Car-os Museum. Its a joy to see firsthandhow this institution continues to playan important role within the Universityand the larger Atlanta community in thesame way that the building contributeso the character of Hornbostels historicquadrangle.

BROOKHAVEN

Library hosts writers forum withWayne Smith

Writers of every skill level can shareheir original creative writings at theBrookhaven library on Wednesday,March 13.

Readings will be followed by audi-ence feedback and discussion led by

writing coach Wayne Smith. Limitworks to 500 words or five minutes ofreading time. All readings must be ap-propriate for family audiences.

The 2-3 p.m. event is opened to thefirst 20 participants. No registration re-quired.

Brookhaven library is at 1242 N.Druid Hills Road, NE in Atlanta. For moreinformation, call (404) 848-7140.

DECATUR

Decatur Active Living to hostTouch-a-Truck

Children of all ages can to touch,explore and see their favorite trucksor equipment on wheels at the annualTouch-a-Truck event on Saturday, March9, in Decatur.

The 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. event will fea-ture city of Decatur and DeKalb Countydump trucks, fire trucks, tractors, policecars and motorcycles and many othertypes of vehicles will be on display.

Touch-a-Truck takes place in the Cal-laway Building Parking lot located at 120West Trinity Place. In case of inclementweather, the event will be rescheduledfor Saturday, April 20.

For more information, contact CherylBurnette at (678) 553-6541 or [email protected].

Author to give lecture on Churchill

Author Michael Shelden will give alecture at the Decatur Library Wednes-day, March 13, 7:15-9 p.m., about hisnew book, Young Titan: The Makingof Winston Churchill, an exploration ofChurchills life between 1901 and 1915.Pulitzer Prize-winner Jon Meachamcalls it a memorable portrait ofChurchills life and loves in this period.Shelden, who teaches at Indiana StateUniversity, is a former writer for theLondon Daily Telegraph and the authorof four honored biographies, includingMark Twain: Man in White and Orwell:The Authorized Biography. Decatur Li-brary is located at 215 Sycamore Street,Decatur. For more information, call (404)370-3070.

Basketball game to raise funds forbrain injury clubhouse

The GFWC Stone Mountain Wom-ans Club and the GFWC Lilburn Wom-ans Club are again helping to sponsor afamily-oriented fundraising event for Sideby Side Brain Injury Clubhouse in StoneMountain.

The lawyers (Jawbones) will chal-lenge last years basketball game win-ning doctors (Sawbones) on Saturday,March 16, at the Decatur High Schoolgym for bragging rights for a full year.Doors open at 6 p.m. and the gamestarts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. Lastyears event raised more than $20,000,all of which went to the programs atSide by Side. A silent auction will beadded to the festivities this year.

At Side by Side Clubhouse peopleliving with the lifelong effects of trau-matic brain injury go from being medicalpatients to living full and satisfying life,according to a statement from the spon-soring organizations.

To purchase tickets or to learn moreabout the Side by Side Brain Injury Club-house, visit www.sidebysideclubhouse.org or contact Marian Dickson, Sideby Sides resource development direc-tor, at [email protected] or at (770)469-9355.

Bluegrass Evening to be fundraiserfor the library system

An evening of pickin and proseawaits those attending Bluegrass Eve-ning at the Decatur Library on Saturday,March 9, 7-10:30 p.m. Proceeds willbenefit DeKalb County Public Library.

The evening will include Bridge Ca-terings Southern fixins shrimp andgrits, fried chicken, cornbread, collardswith smoked turkey, berry tarts and Ken-tucky buttercakea silent auction, withitems that include four passes to DisneyWorld in Orlando, Fla.; an opportunity tomeet and mingle with Southern authorsJoshilyn Jackson and Karen Whiteand a concert by Atlanta bluegrass bandDappled Grays.

Dappled Grays will perform originalmusic played by vocalist and fiddlerLeah Calvert, banjoist Greg Earnest,bassist Keith Morris, mandolinistMichael Smith and guitarist CaseyCook. Named best bluegrass band inAtlanta by Creative Loafing magazine,this American bluegrass band has re-leased two albums, In the Gaitand DoinMy Job. Most recently, the band scoredseveral songs for the Clint Eastwoodmovie Trouble with the Curve.

Jackson will sign copies of herbooks, including her recent book AGrown Up Kind of Pretty, and White alsowill sign copies of her books, includingher latest work of Southern womensfiction, Sea Change.

Tickets are $65 online at dekalbli-brary.org/foundation or $75 at the dooror send a check to the DeKalb LibraryFoundation. For more information, con-tact (404) 370-8450, ext. 2238 or [email protected].

Ken Ford Foundation to host UnityConcert

Award-winning musician Ken Fordand the board of directors of The KenFord Foundation are joining forces withdrummer Jorel JFly Flynn and HowBig Is Your Dream? Foundation to hostthe second annual Unity Concert andfundraiser on Saturday, March 23, at ThePorter Sanford III Performing Arts Cen-ter. This concert will provide a platformwhere talented newcomers and profes-sionals share the stage as they learn andpractice major aspects of music diversitythrough live entertainment. Also, a teengala called U-N-I-TY will be hosted byteens as a leadership project to designand implement all the aspects of concert

and event programming.The VIP reception and the teen gala

start at 6 p.m.; the concert starts at8 p.m. General admission tickets are$35 in advance, $45 at the door; theVIP reception is $75 advance only; andthe teen gala is $10. Proceeds fromthe concert will benefit programs andservices offered by both foundations,including donation of musical instru-ments, mentorships, music advocacyand scholarships.

The Porter Sanford III PerformingArts Center is located at 3181 RainbowDrive, Decatur. For more information,visit www.howbigisyourdream.org andwww.thekenfordfoundation.org.

Cafeteria to donate proceeds tohelp neighbor

The Peach Cafeteria at4437 Cowan Road in Tucker, justacross from the burned out HandyHardware, will have a fundraiser forHandys more than 30 displacedemployees. On Friday, March 8, 11a.m.-8 p.m., Peach owners will do-nate 50 percent of the proceeds fromall the food sales. To ask about thebenefit details or the food, call theladies at (770) 558-2166.

Chili cook-off to benefit Rape Cri-

sis Center

The second annual Tucker ChiliCook-off to benefit the DeKalb RapeCrisis Center will be held Saturday,March 16. Sponsored by the Old

Town Tucker Merchants Association,this years event is expected to bebigger than last years, which drewmore than 3,000 guests.

Guests can sample 75 differentrecipes of chili and listen to live music1-5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown

Tucker. The chili cook-off will be heldrain or shine. Admission will be $5per person at the gates. Official en-trance gates will be located at Mainand Railroad outside Local 7, and atLynburn and Main outside Tucker PetSupply.

Volunteers are also needed to as-sist with the event. Those interestedin volunteering at the event shouldemail [email protected]. Those interested in participatingas chili cook-off contestants shouldvisit www.tuckerchilicookoff.com.For more information on the DeKalbRape Crisis Center, visit www.dekal-brapecrisiscenter.org.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 8, 2013Local News

North DeKalb cities considerforming own re department

Ofcials say city will not raise taxes or cut service

Printed on 100%

post-consumerrecycled paper

TheMayorandCityCounciloftheCityofChamblee,GeorgiawillholdapublichearingonThursday,March14,2013,attheChambleeCivicCenter,3540BroadStreet,Chamblee,GA30341at6:00p.m.toreceivepubliccommentsregardingthefollowingzoningmatters:1) AppendixA,ZoningOrdinance,Section207,Plannedunitdevelopmentprocedure.ThesubjectpropertyisTurnburyGatessubdivision,locatedat2401JohnsonFerryRoad. TheapplicantisrequestinganamendmenttothePlannedUnitDevelopmenttoreducethetotalnumberofunitsandmakeminorsitemodifications.

2) Thesubjectpropertylocatedat5647PeachtreeBoulevard(formerPiccadillysite)isrequestingthefollowingvariances:Section905,toallowmetalbuildingmaterials;Section1203,toallowingadditionalparkingspacesabovethemaximumpermitted;Section1201,toallowparkingbetweenthebuildingandthestreet;Sections1205and1208,toconstructaparkingdeckwithoutrequiredlandscaping;andSections1101and1102,toallowconstructionofasmallerbuffer.

3) Thesubjectpropertylocatedat5805PeachtreeBoulevard(existingautodealer)isrequestingthefollowingvariancesandwaiver:Section905,toallowmetalbuildingmaterials;Section1004,toallowexistingparkingdecktoencroachwithintherear20setback;Section1203,toallowappropriateparkingforanewautomobiledealership;Section1201,toallowparkingandaccessbetweenthebuildingsandthestreet;Sections1205and1208,toconstructaparkingdeckwithoutrequiredlandscaping;andaWaivertoSection93,toallowthefacilitytobedesignedusingLEEDstandardswithoutgoingthroughtheLEEDapplicationandcertificationprocesswithUSGBC.

by Carla [email protected]

The cities ofBrookhaven, Chamblee,Doraville and Dunwoodycould have their own NorthDeKalb re department.

Dunwoodys PublicRelations DirectorBobMullen said the discussionof a Dunwoody redepartment was broughtup among Dunwoody cityofcials during a retreat.

The topic of there department and thefeasibility of that werediscussed among council

members, as well as thepotential for a partnershipbetween the four NorthDeKalb cities of Dunwoody,Brookhaven, Doravilleand Chamblee, he said,possibly working togethero form sort of a North

DeKalb re service.

Mullen said they haveinitiated discussion withthe other cities about a re

department, but they havenot received an ofcialresponse from the cities.

The next step willprobably be to nd a wayover the next severalmonths to perhaps set uptimes for meetings and startdiscussions, he said.

Mullen added thatthe idea of a new redepartment has nothing todo with the current servicesthey are receiving fromDeKalb County. There arethree stations in Chamblee,and one each in Dunwoodyand Brookhaven.

I think it is about anopportunity for additional orenhanced service that led tothe possibility of exploringa re department, he said.

DeKalb County FireChiefEddie OBrien said

he has heard about thediscussion of a new redepartment but is not aware

of details.I dont know what their

plan is or what theyretalking about, he said.

He added that the countydepartment works well withthose cities and they haventreceived any complaintsfrom them.

We really provide alot [of services] acrossthe county, he said. Imanxious to hear what theymay have and what theirthoughts are.

OBrien said if a newre department is created hecould lose some employees.

If I had some thatapplied and they took themI would lose them, but theywouldnt just assume allof our people, he said.Theyre our employees.


Brookhaven city of-cials are united in denying atatement made by a council

member that the city couldaise taxes or cut services

because of a budget short-fall.

In an email sent Feb. 25,District 2 city councilmanJim Eyre said BrookhavenMayorJ. Max Daviss pro-posed budget will result in aevenue shortfall for 2013.

The dilemma we have ishat the [city of Brookhav-

en] revenue for 2013 isubstantially lower than it

will be in later years as theiming of the city start up as

detailed in our city charterdoes not allow us to collect$7 million to $9 million inaxes and fees until 2014,

he said. Therefore, we arefacing a one year budgethortfall that can only be

made up in one of two ways a property tax increase asnoted above or cuts in ser-vices to be provided by the[city of Brookhaven] duringour rst year of operations.

When asked for a re-sponse to Eyres statement,Davis and the city council,including Eyre, decided toanswer in a unied voice.

Council and even staffrmly believe that over thelong term, the incorporationof Brookhaven will lead tohigher service levels with-out it costing the citizensmore than unincorporatedresidents pay, Davis said.The residents would bebest served through adher-ence to a long-term visionand plan.

In January, Davis pro-posed a $15,715,000 budgetfor the 2013 scal year.In a memorandum sent tothe city council on Jan. 25,Davis said the budget an-

ticipates enough revenue tosupport a responsive andtransparent organizationand provides economic sta-bility to create a well-main-tained, safe and nanciallysound city.

The proposed budgetincludes funds that will beused for such service en-hancements as parks andrecreation, community de-velopment, public worksand the start of the police

force in 2013, which is ex-pected to be budgeted at$2.25 million.

The budget also recom-mends remaining within the3.35 millage rate cap.

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A new nightclub maybe coming to city

NEWSBriefs

FinAncing Government ContrActsSince 1993

JLC-FiNANCiAL.COM404.229.7743

DeKalb school board gets RottenApple award

The DeKalb County Board ofEducation has been awarded theRotten Apple Award by Americansfor Prosperity-Georgia (AFP).

The award, bestowed duringa news conference Feb. 28 inhe state Capitol, was given after

Gov. NathanDeal was forced toremove six of 10 board membersafter a report revealed rampantpolitical gamesmanship and scalrresponsibility that has contributedo the decline of what used to be a

well-functioning district, accordinga statement from AFP.

I am frustrated and disheartenedby the reprehensible conduct of ourDeKalb County Board of Education,

which forced Gov. Deal to act inhe best interests of students and

remove six of them from theirposts, said AFP-Georgia StateDirectorVirginia Galloway.

Our students are the ones thatsuffer the most when adults putheir own desires ahead of a childs

education, Galloway said.As if it werent enough that

heir embarrassing behavior wasbrought to light, these so-called

public servants are mounting legalaction to preserve their jobs, shesaid. These shameful actions haveled us to award them the RottenApple.

County recreation departmentaccepting summer campregistration

The DeKalb County CampSuperstars summer campregistration is now open at 12recreation centers.

Camp Superstars is a summerday camp for ages 5-15 and runsJune 3 to Aug. 2, 7 a.m. 6 p.m.,Monday through Friday, at a chargeof $55 per week. Breakfast andlunch are provided.

Children who participate in

the Camp Superstars summer daycamp will experience a variety ofactivities, including eld trips, swimlessons, arts and crafts, nature,sports, health and wellness clinics,team games and more. Registrationis under way at all centers. Thecamp will not be held at N.H.Scott Recreation Center because ofrenovations.

Early registration is encourageddue to the limited number of slots

available.Applications are available online

at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks.Applications can be printed andsubmitted to a recreation centeralong with the rst weeks fee.

For more information, call theDepartment of Recreation, Parks &Cultural Affairs at (404) 371-2711.

Community garden named forfallen officers

A park in unincorporated Decaturwill be named for two DeKalbCounty ofcers killed in line ofduty.

The DeKalb Board ofCommissioners voted unanimouslyFeb. 19 to name the propertylocated at 2309 Hillside Ave.

the Barker Bryant MemorialCommunity Garden at BuenaVista Lake. Thenaming resolutionwas introduced byCommissionerLarryJohnson, who used districtgreenspace funds to purchase theproperty.

OfcerRickyBryantJr. wasa Marines veteran and had servedwith the police department for twoyears and OfcerEric Barkerwas an Army veteran who had

served with the department for fouryears before they were killed at anapartment complex on GlenwoodRoad in January 2008.

It is a pleasure to continueto honor the memory of the twoofcers whose lives were taken in2008, Johnson said about the park,which has been adopted by theEast Lake Terrace Community asa community garden. The ofcersBarker and Bryant were well-knownin the community and I am glad tohave sponsored this resolution.

Ofcers Barker and Bryantgave the ultimate sacrice of theirlives in serving the community. Itis our privilege to name this gardenin their honor as it will serve asa lasting tribute for their valiantservice to the community, Johnson

said.We are working steadily to

make the garden a success and I amhappy that Commissioner Johnsonwas able to name the garden inhonor of the two ofcers whopatrolled our area, said VeronicaGilyard, an East Lake Terraceresident.


Nightlife entertainment could be expanding inBrookhaven.

The Suntan Shopping Center at 2847 Buford Highways seeking to rezone to accommodate a 4,835-square foot

nightclub. The shopping center, represented by TungLin Wang, came before the DeKalb County Board ofCommissioners on Feb. 12 with its rezoning request.

The countys planning commission had recommended

approval of the rezoning with conditions after the districtscommunity council voted 11-0-1 to deny the request,claiming that there are too many nightclubs in the areaand because of the shopping centers close proximity toresidential properties.

However, the center withdrew its rezoning requestafter the countys planning commission was informedthat the shopping center is located in Brookhaven cityimits. Brookhaven City ManagerMarie Garrett said the

shopping centers rezoning and special land use permitrequest were transferred from the county and they are in theprocess of reviewing them.

In the appropriate zoning district, a business must havea special land use permit to open a nightclub, according toGarrett.

Before this can be done for the specic parcel inquestion, they must get the rezoning request approved, she

said. This will go through the planning commission andultimately be voted on by the mayor and city council.

There are currently three nightclubs in Brookhaven.Nightclubs are controlled by zoning maps and theordinances controlling zoning.

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Bill would allow conversion of failing schools into charter schoolsby Daniel [email protected]

Rep. Edward LindseyR-Atlanta) proposed a billecently that would allow

parents to petition to convert

existing schools into charterchools or imposed models to

help failing schools.House Bill 123 calls for the

mplementation of the Parentand Teacher EmpowermentAct, which allows parentsor teachers to petition a lo-cal school board to convert afailing school into a charterchool.

The act also provides foreveral turnaround processes

for a schools administrationf the school is low-achieving

and the parents or teachers

feel such steps are necessary.As I have said in the past,charter schools are not themagic silver bullet to x Geor-gias education problemshere is no silver bullet, said

Lindsey.Lindsey, who represents

parts of north Atlanta, said thebill reects his approach toerve beyond his district andepresent the best interests of

all Georgias residents.This bill will further the

viability of options for parentsand teachers across the state,Lindsey said.

According to the bill, if anypetition, conversion or turn-around, is supported by morehan 60 percent of parents oreachers, the board must have

a 2/3 vote to reject the petitionwithin 60 days of receiving it.

This bill simply offers theopportunity to place the powerof our childrens education inhe hands of those closest tohe children, their teachers and

parents, added Lindsey.Rae Harkness, whose

daughter attends Ivy Prepara-ory Academy in Kirkwood,

aid she likes the legislationbecause it allows both parentsand teachers to initiate chang-es in public schools.

Harkness said it might beeasier to implement the teach-er turnaround method ratherhan converting a school into a

charter school.It is not a simple task to

get signatures from half of theparents in an enrollment area,Harkness said.

Teachers at failing schoolswith poor parental involve-ment, Harkness said, wouldhave the ability to implement

changes including replacingneffective teachers, bringingn a management or monitor-ng team, implementing anntensive student achieve-

ment improvement plan andrequire restructuring of theschools internal organiza-tion.

This act will give parentsand teachers the fundamentaltools they need to exercise

true local control of theirschool, Harkness said.

Verdaillia Turner, presi-

dent of the Georgia Federa-tion of Teachers, said in anopen letter to the House andSenate education committeesthat the bill is creating a riftamong parents, teachers andthe community.

Turner said that a col-laborative and sustainable

plan should be in order to

improve schools and calledfor an alternative to HB 123.She said that throughout thecountry, the trigger bill hasallowed some improvementto lower-income communi-ties, but also opened the door

to private and for-protcompanies.

A similar bill, SB 162, is

working its way through theSenate for approval.

We have nationally fol-lowed the success or lack ofthereof of these companies,Turner said. We must becareful to avoid any for-

prot motives as it relates toour children and our futures.

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Man accusedof murdering,disfiguringgirlfriendsentenced to life

Judge candidate arraigned for theft charges

For a programming guide, visit www.yourdekalb.com/dctv

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

Nominate a 2013 CEOs Community HeroNomination forms, criteria and additional information are available by

visiting www.dekalbcountyga.gov orhttp://thechampionnewspaper.com/nominate

A hard copy of the nomination form is also available in the current issue ofThe Champion Newspaper and The Champion Free Press.

y Daniel [email protected]

A DeKalb County man

who was found guilty ofmurdering and sexually as-aulting his girlfriend in

February 2007 has been sen-enced to spend the rest of

his life in prison.Delroy Booth, 31, was

ound guilty March 1 of tor-uring and beating to death

his mentally handicappedgirlfriend. Booth will servewo consecutive life sentenc-s and 20 years in prison.

Booth was charged withmalice murder, felony mur-der, aggravated assault, two

ounts of aggravated battery,ggravated sexual batterynd aggravated sodomy.

According to prosecutors,Booth beat Shantle Visono death and sodomized her

with a candlestick. One ofhe aggravated battery charg-s is for seriously disgur-ng Visons face.

According to the indict-ment, Booth killed Vison bystriking her about the headnd body and maliciouslyausing bodily harm to Shan-le Vason by rendering herrain useless.

This was an immenselyroubling case, District At-orney Robert James said.

James did not seek thedeath penalty in the case.However, when Booth wase-indicted in 2011, Jamesaid the level of violencen Booths case was gratu-tous.

Its a scenario we seear too often in DeKalb. Do-

mestic violence situationshave various [results]. In thisase, Shantle lost her lifend Delroy will spend the

emainder of his life behindars for these heinous acts.We hope that this victim will

e another step in the healingrocess for Shantles lovednes, James said.

Booth

by Daniel [email protected]

A former candidate forDeKalb Superior Courtcharged with felony theft

waived arraignment March4.Michael Rothenberg,

was indicted in July 2012,on six felony counts of theftby taking. Prosecutors al-lege that Rothenberg stole$440,000 from a campaigninvestor.

According to the DistrictAttorneys Ofce, Rothen-berg received more than$1.3 million in funds from aColorado-based investmentgroup named Winterhawk

Energy and DevelopmentCorporation for an invest-ment deal.

Michael Rothenbergunlawfully transferred$440,000 into accounts thathe controlled and then il-legally used those funds forhis own personal use, Dis-

trict Attorney Robert Jamessaid. He would frequentlocal DeKalb County spotssuch as Farm Burger, J.Christophers and Walmarton other peoples dimes.

Rothenberg, a Decaturattorney, was running tounseat Superior Court JudgeGail Flake.

Some of those fundswere redirected into vari-ous accounts controlled byRothenberg, including acampaign account and a per-

sonal banking account, ac-cording to the indictment.

Between March and No-vember 2010, Rothenbergallegedly used the funds atvarious businesses including

the Marcus Jewish Commu-nity Center of Atlanta, Mas-sage Associates of Atlanta,Walmart, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, three local newspapersand various restaurants.

The Northeast will see mostly clear to partly cloudy skies with scattered rain and snow

today and Friday, mostly clear skies Saturday, with the highest temperature of 52 in

Cincinnati, Ohio. The Southeast will experience mostly clear skies today through Saturday,

with the highest temperature of 71 in Ft. Myers, Fla. In the Northwest, there will be scattered rain and

snow today, mostly clear to partly cloudy skies Friday and Saturday, with the highest temperature of 58 in

Medford, Ore. The Southwest will see mostly clear to partly cloudy skies today, scattered showers Friday

and Saturday, with the highest temperature of 81 in Artesia, N.M.

Weather History

March 7, 1990 - A major

ice storm left much of Iowa

under a thick coat of ice. It

was the worst ice storm in at

least 25 years for Iowa. Up

to two inches of ice coated

much of western and central

Iowa, with three inches

reported in Crawford County

and Carroll County.

March 8, 1717 - On Fishers

Island in Long Island Sound,

1,200 sheep were discovered

to have been buried under a

snow drift for four weeks.

When finally uncovered, 100

sheep were still alive.

Weather Trivia

What U.S. city holds the

record for the lowest high

temperature? ?Answer:Eureka,Calif.,witha

recordhighofonly87degrees.

Detailed Local Forecast

Today we will see sunny skies with a high

temperature of 57, humidity of 40%. Northwest

wind 10 mph. The record high temperature for

today is 80 set in 1974. Expect clear skies

tonight with an overnight low of 34. The

record low for tonight is 21 set in 1966.

THURSDAYSunny

High: 57 Low: 34

FRIDAYSunny

High: 62 Low: 37

SATURDAY

SunnyHigh: 65 Low: 42

SUNDAYPartly Cloudy

High: 67 Low: 47

MONDAYFew Showers

High: 66 Low: 45

TUESDAYFew Showers

High: 68 Low: 49

WEDNESDAYMostly Cloudy

High: 64 Low: 46

Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

Day

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

TuesdayWednesday

Sunrise

6:57 a.m.

6:56 a.m.

6:55 a.m.

7:54 a.m.

7:52 a.m.

7:51 a.m.7:50 a.m.

Sunset

6:39 p.m.

6:40 p.m.

6:41 p.m.

7:42 p.m.

7:42 p.m.

7:43 p.m.7:44 p.m.

Moonrise

3:47 a.m.

4:32 a.m.

5:14 a.m.

6:52 a.m.

7:27 a.m.

8:02 a.m.8:37 a.m.

Moonset

2:35 p.m.

3:41 p.m.

4:46 p.m.

6:49 p.m.

7:51 p.m.

8:52 p.m.9:51 p.m.

New

3/11

First

3/19

Full

3/27

Last

4/2

Last Week's Local Almanac

Date Hi Lo Normals Precip

Tuesday 51 36 60/39 1.11"

Wednesday 58 41 60/39 0.00"Thursday 47 36 60/40 0.00"

Friday 42 34 61/40 0.00"

Saturday 40 34 61/40 0.00"

Sunday 41 29 61/40 0.00"

Monday 58 27 62/41 0.00"

Rainfall. . . . . . . . 1.11" Average temp.. 41.0

Normal rainfall. . 1.24" Average normal 50.3

Departure . . . . . .-0.13" Departure . . . . . -9.3

Local UV Index

3 50 - 2 4 6 8 107 9 11+

UV Index

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

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

11+: Extreme Exposure

The Champion Weather March 7, 2013Seven Day Forecast Todays Regional Map

Tonights Planets

Rise Set

Mercury 6:30 a.m. 6:08 p.m.

Venus 6:51 a.m. 6:11 p.m.

Mars 7:26 a.m. 7:20 p.m.

Jupiter 10:59 a.m. 1:07 a.m.

Saturn 10:44 p.m. 9:42 a.m.

Uranus 7:55 a.m. 8:10 p.m.

National Weather Summary This Week

StarWatch By Gary Becker -Drinking Gourd on the Rise

If you go outside about 8 p.m. and look towards the NE, youll notice the familiar pattern of the Big Dipper, beginning its springtime ascent, handle downcup up, rising above

the tree line of your local neighborhood. The bright moon may hamper seeing its seven stars at the beginning of the week, but by weeks end, Luna will be gone from the early

evening sky. The Dipper is purely American, not even a constellation, possibly originating from the Drinking Gourd song taught to slaves by itinerant carpenter and abolitionist,

Peg Leg Joe. Its lyrics gave slaves in Mississippi and Alabama, where Joe worked, a coded message to follow the Tombigbee and Tennessee rivers to the Ohio River, and across

it to Illinois and their freedom. The song began with, When the sun comes back, and the rst quail calls which signied mating season and starting the journey during the

spring. It told slaves, The riverbank will make a mighty good road, /the dead trees show you the way with markings of Joes left foot, peg foot, indicating that they were on the correct route.

Every verse ended with Follow the Drinking Gourd, which always kept people in a general northbound direction. At the headwaters of the Tombigbee, between two hills, /Theres another

river on the other side, the Tennessee. So Follow the Drinking Gourd. And When the great big river (Ohio) meets the little river (Tennessee), /Follow the Drinking Gourd. The dangerous

trip along the hundreds of miles of snaking riverbanks, took escapees about a year to traverse, bringing them to the Ohio, hopefully, when it was frozen and easier to cross. Newer interpretations

of the Drinking Gourd song say that it is all folklore, but even in a tale there is usually an element of truth. For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom, /If you follow the Drinking

Gourd. That was written 80 years after the Civil Wars end. www.astronomy.org

Dunwoody

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Hampton

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Group revises boundaries ofproposed Lakeside city

Humantraffickingcase set to

beginby Daniel [email protected]

A DeKalb County man ac-cused of forcing minors intoprostitution will be asked to an-swer to those charges March 12.

Darryl Curry was indicted in2011 for allegedly transportingwo girls under the age of 18 for

sexual servitude and running aplace of prostitution.

Curry will appear in DeKalb

County Superior Court JudgeGail Flakescourtroom. Hefaces 18 charges, which includerafcking of persons for sexual

servitude, pimping, false impris-onment, cruelty to children andkeeping a place of prostitutionfor persons under 18.

John Anderson, a codefen-dant charged with keeping aplace of prostitution and pro-viding a false name to police,pleaded guilty.

The indictment states thatsometime between Septemberand October 2011, Curry trans-ported two girls younger than 18for the purpose of sexual servi-ude.

According to court docu-ments, a 17-year-old girl escapeda home in Decatur where shewas being held against her willand being forced into prostitu-ion. The girl also told police an-

other 16-year-old girl was beingheld there.

The 17-year-old girl reported-y called 911 and told police she

was being held against her will at2113 Miriam Lane.

Curry is also charged withsexual exploitation of a minor for

possessing sexually explicitphotographs and material depict-ng a minor engaged in touching

another female while naked inhe shower. Curry is also accused

of unlawfully conning bothgirls and causing them unduemental anguish.

Additionally, Curry is chargedwith two counts of aggravatedassault for allegedly beating bothgirls, once with a belt and oncewith a coat hanger.

Curry is also charged withwo counts of contributing to the

delinquency of a minor for forc-ng both girls to purchase the

drug MDMA (ecstasy) for him.At the time of their arrest,

Curry was held on a $510,000cash-only bond and Anderson ona $120,000 cash-only bond.

by Andrew [email protected]

The tentative map of the proposedcity of Lakeside has changed.

That doesnt mean it wont changeagain, said Mary Kay Woodworth,chairwoman of the Lakeside City Alli-ance (LCA), a nonprot citizens groupstudying the possibility of establishinga new city in north DeKalb County.

The revised boundaries includethe areas between Interstate 85 on thewest, North Druid Hills Road to thesouth, and Chamblee-Tucker Road onthe north and east.

Drawn into the proposed bound-aries are Sagamore and Leafmore

neighborhoods and parts of Toco Hills,based on conversations and feedbackof people in that area, Woodworthsaid.

It is still a draft map, Woodworthsaid.

The new boundaries, which wouldencompass a city of approximately60,000 residents, removed areas westof I-85, including Century Center,Clairmont Terrace and areas in theDresden East Civic Association.

Residents in these areas are ac-tively pursuing annexation into Cham-

blee, so were listening to them,Woodworth said.

We have been listening to our fel-low residents since our rst meetingand exchanged ideas through emails,telephone calls and various socialmedia outlets, Woodworth said. Wehave made some signicant changes

from our rst draft based on the feed-back that we have been getting andlook forward to continuing to ne-tune the map in the weeks and months

ahead.Several hundred people attended

the alliances second public meetingin February. Woodworth said it was anolder crowd with good questions andvery good points.

Its exciting to see so much inter-est and support in this community forthis proposal, and I look forward tokeeping the conversation going as wemove ahead with our study, Wood-worth said.

LCA is in the process of forming aboard of directors and soliciting dona-tions to fund a cityhood study.

The goal is to get as much infor-mation to as many people as we can,Woodworth said.

More information about LakesideCity Alliance can be found at www.lakesidealliance.org.


State Reps. Tom Taylor, MikeJacobs and others have proposed alaw that will allow cities created onor after Jan. 1, 2005, to establish anindependent school systems.

Taylor introduced HouseResolution 486 on Feb. 25, the sameday Gov. Nathan Deal announcedhis decision to suspend six DeKalbCounty school board members. Theproposed law would allow new cities

such as Dunwoody, Brookhaven,Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Miltonand Peachtree Corners to establishan individual or collective schoolsystems.

According to reports, the billwas originally written for the city ofDunwoody, but Taylor expanded thebill for other cities after receivingsupport from representatives inFulton and Gwinnett. The bill wouldallow cities to form a school systemacross county lines.

Brookhaven ofcials said the city

has not formally discussed creationof a city school system but they havebeen in communication with DeKalbdelegation representatives.

Our focus is on our citizensand their families, Brookhavenspokeswoman Michelle Erste said.We want to stay close to the issueand be in tune to explore potentialoptions for K-12 education especially for our residents and theirchildren for the long term.

Proposed law would allow new cities to form school systems

Lakeside cityhood proponents look forward to continuing to ne-tune the map, said Mary Kay Woodworth, a leader of the move-ment.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, March. 8, 2013 Page 13ALocal News

Judge Continued From Page 1A

chool district had refutedome [of] SACS allegations

which served as part of the ba-is for the recommendation ofGBOE].

But Story found that there

was sufcient evidence that theDeKalb school board was inviolation of applicable stan-dards and policies.

During the hearing on thepreliminary injunction, BobWilson, an attorney represent-ng the six school board mem-

bers in their legal battle, arguedhat there are some very seri-

ous constitutional issues sur-ounding this statute. I dont be-ieve for a minute that citizens

want elected ofcials removedby unconstitutional means. Thatquestion has to be answered byhe courts.

Wilson said his team arguedhat for a multiplicity of rea-ons that it is unconstitutional

both as to the Georgia Constitu-ion and the U. S. Constitution

and because of that, the stat-ute is void.

Wilson said there are ques-ions whether due process has

been properly followed.We do not accuse people

of things and then deny themhe right to face their accusers,

Wilson said. We do not takeproperty rights from peoplewithout them having due pro-

cess. We do not deny citizenshe privilege of citizenshipwithout due process. Those areerious issues.

There are very serious con-equences when an elected of-

cial is removed from ofce,Wilson said.

These people sitting onhat school board, no matter

how you feel about them, wereelected, Wilson said. Theywere elected by their communi-ies to serve. Whether theyre

doing it well or not, thats up tohe community to decide at the

next ballot box unless you have

constitutional laws that allowemoval.

I have no beef against thetate board of education , Wil-on said. I have no beef againsthe prosecutor who handled that

case. I have no beef against thegovernor. Theyre trying to fol-ow a law thats been passed byhe General Assembly, but the

question is, Is that law consti-utional?

The cnsequences of loss ofaccreditation could be wide-pread, said BonnieHolliday,

executive director of Georgia

Charter School Commission.Holliday told the judge thattudents who attend unaccred-ted schools face signicantmpediments when they apply

for college and are ineligiblefor certain scholarship funds,including HOPE.

Parents generally dont wantto live in districts that are unac-credited, said Holliday, a former

public school teacher and for-mer head of the Governors Of-ce of Student Achievement.

StephanRitter, a seniorassistant attorney general rep-resenting the GBOE, said theschool district would not be inits current accreditation quan-dary if it had another accredita-tion.

There are many schoolboards that have multiple ac-creditations, Ritter said.DeKalb chose not to do that.

Responding to argumentsthat the six board membersshould have been suspended

individually for specic rea-sons and not as a group, Rittersaid the problem was about theboards governance as a group.

We are talking about howthat board has functioned, Rit-ter said. It is entirely appropri-ate to treat them as a group forthat purpose.

Gov. Deal has formed anominating committee thatwill recommend replacementmembers for the DeKalb schoolboard. That creates even moreuncertainty in the school dis-trict, said StephenQuinn, an

attorney representing schooldistrict.We simply dont know

what the appointed replace-ments will do in ofce, Quinnsaid. Its the citizenswhohave the right choose who isgoing to represent them on theschool board, he said.

In a statement after thejudges decision, Deal said,The courts decision today willallow us to take the next stepstoward protecting the futures ofDeKalbs students and main-taining the school systems ac-creditation.

Time is of the essencebecause we cannot have thiscloud hang over the countyor the state, Deal said. Thenominating panel appointed lastweek will continue to collectapplications through [March 6],and it will get to work quicklyon lling the open seats so theboard can become a functioningbody.

Deal also announced thatRobertBrown, a state trans-portation board member fromDeKalb County, will join BradBryant, executive director of

the Georgia Foundation for Ed-ucation for the Georgia Depart-ment of Education, as a secondliaison to the school board tomonitor progress.

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News BriefsPolly Meriwether Lewis tobe laid to rest March 7

Retired chimps may cost Emory millionsby Melissa Abbey

ATLANTA (AP) EmoryUniversity might have tospend tens of millions ofdollars to renovate the homeof its research chimpan-zeesall for aging chimps itdoesnt necessarily need.

The National Institutes ofHealth, Yerkes only sourceof chimp-research funding,s phasing out biomedical

chimpanzee researchnowdeemed largely unneces-saryand may soon raisestandards for the housing

of chimps that do remain inesearch.Only ve of the 78

chimps at Yerkes NationalPrimate Research Center arebeing used for NIH-fundedesearch right now, but nd-ng another retirement home

for many of the others is aproblem: The only chimpsanctuary Yerkes is willingo send them to doesnt havehe money to make room forhem.

Unless Yerkes nds newfunds or abandons chimpesearch altogether, it must

meet NIH standards, andhats what could cost mil-ions.

The NIH will decide athe end of March or early in

April whether to adopt pro-

posed, costlier standards forchimpanzee housing.

Yerkes is one of eightNlH-funded national pri-mate research centers. Thecenters two campusesoneat Emory and one in Law-rencevilleare home tonearly 3,400 nonhuman

primates. Researchers therestudy topics that have practi-cal implications for humanhealth, like progressive ill-nesses, memory, vaccinesand immunizations, brainactivity and behavior.

We are very concernedabout what it will costour center to adhere to therecommendations for theethologically appropriate

physical and social envi-ronments, Yerkes spokes-woman Lisa Newbern saidin an email.

She said the new recom-mendations would providelarger space per chimpanzeethan many humans have intheir own homes.

Requests for a phoneconversation or a visit toYerkes were made, but New-

bern insisted on email com-munication only.

Based on recent con-struction costs, we estimatethis will be in the tens of

millions of dollars for space

that will have limited usegiven our aging colony andour hope to send additionalchimpanzees to Chimp Ha-ven, Newbern wrote.

Chimp Haven, a sanctu-ary in Louisiana, is the onlyone meeting a lab-animal ac-crediting agencys standards.But it has no vacancies.

How did Yerkes cometo have so many excesschimps? In the 1980s, the

prevailing thinking was thatchimpanzees would be the

best animal model for HIV/

AIDS research, said New-bern. As such, the NIHasked the research centerswith chimpanzees to breedthem.

And so they did. But nowother primates are preferredfor HIV/AIDS research.

Yerkes was among therst centers to send retiredchimpanzees to Chimp Ha-ven, said Newbern, but re-quests to send moremanymorehave been denied.

The sanctuary is full, andthere are no federal funds toexpand or build a new one.The federal ChimpanzeeHealth Improvement, Main-tenance, and Protection Act,

passed in 2000, places a capof $30 million on sanctuary

construction and mainte-

nance.Jim Anderson said that

cap will be reached in Julywhen the NIH renews itscontract with Chimp Haven.Anderson is the deputy di-rector for program coordina-tion, planning and strategicinitiatives at NIH.

There are other sanctuar-ies, but Chimp Haven is theonly federal sanctuary, andthe one accredited by theAssociation for Assessmentand Accreditation of Labora-tory Animal Care. All feder-

ally owned chimps must beretired there. Yerkes, whosechimps are federally funded,wants the same standards forits animals.

We would want ourchimpanzees to be guaran-teed the same level of carewe provide as well as regu-latory oversight to which weare subject, said Newbern.Yerkes has been AAALAC-accredited since 1985.

But since then Yerkeshas been cited by the UnitedStates Department of Ag-riculture for the accidentaldeaths of multiple animalsand unclean or unsafe hous-ing. In 2007 Yerkes wasned $15,000 for willfullegal violations.

A lack of retirement op-

tions isnt a problem onlyfor Yerkes: Its a major con-cern for the NIH.

IfFrancis Collins, direc-tor of the NIH, approves the

proposed new standards,about 300 NIH-ownedchimps will be retired.

But right now they alsohave nowhere to go. Feder-ally owned chimps can only

be retired to Chimp Haven.Raising the $30 million

cap would require congres-sional action, Anderson said.For the time being, the NIH

could continue using taxpay-er money to maintain feder-ally owned retired chimpan-zees where they are.

Chimp Haven is trying toexpand without federal dol-lars. The sanctuary is work-ing with the Foundation forthe NIH to raise $5 million,said Cathy Willis Spraetz,enough to expand and covercosts for 110 retired chimpsfrom a research center inLouisiana. Willis Spraetz,a native Atlantan, took overas president of the sanctuaryrecently.

To expand the sanctu-ary and care for additionalchimpslike those fromYerkeswould require a lotmore fundraising.

Clarkston begins streetscapeprogram

The city of Clarkstonis preparing to develop

a $6 million streetscapeimprovement project withfunding provided by theGeorgia Roadway andTollway and Federal HighwayAdministration authorities.

The funding will providefor streetscape and pedestrianenhancements on severalstreets including portionsof East Ponce de Leon Ave,Church, and Market streets,and Norman Road.

City ManagerKeithBarker said the project isexpected to begin no later than

summer and it was a largerpart of an effort to strengthenthe vitality of the town-centerdistrict.

According to a pressrelease, the project willinclude a decorative safety

fence between the edge of theroad and CSX right of way,decorative pedestrian lighting,mast arms at intersections,new ADA sidewalks,

replacement of wooden powerpoles, new bus shelters andimprovements at the CSXtrack crossovers.

Decatur offers free Wi-Fi

The city of Decatur beganoffering free wireless March1 in several areas throughoutthe city including downtownDecatur, the Oakhurst businessdistrict, Oakhurst Park,Glenlake Park, McKoy Parkand Adair Park.

To use the service, residents

and visitors can connect to thenetwork named Decatur FreeWi-Fi.

For more information visitwww.decaturga.com.


The life of southDeKalb County com-munity activist PollyMeriwether Lewis willbe celebrated Thursday,March 7, at Greater Trav-elers Rest Baptist Churchn Decatur.

Lewis, 63, was founddead in her Decatur homeon March 1.

Born in Clarksville,Tenn., Lewis was a grad-uate of Burt High Schooland Austin Peay StateUniversity in Clarksville.She also graduated from

Georgia State University.Lewis served in

DeKalb County for morehan 30 years. She was a

charter member of AlphaKappa Alpha - Eta MuChapter sorority at Geor-gia State University. She

was also a former liaisonand corporate secretaryfor Grady HealthcareSystem, and retired fromthe Fulton-DeKalb Hos-pital Authority as an ex-ecutive liaison.

She was active atGreater Travelers Rest

Baptist Church, whereshe was a member for 39years. She served on lo-cal boards including theSouth DeKalb YMCAAcademies, the SouthDeKalb Business Associ-ation, DeKalb EOA Inc,

and Leadership DeKalb.Lewis served as a

board member of the

YMCA Academies from1993 till the time of herdeath. YMCA Academiesexecutive directorTamraShepherd said Lewiswas instrumental inopening the two academylocations on SnapngerRoad and Evans MillRoad.

She was a true vol-unteer, Shepherd said.I will miss her presence.She was always there totalk to you. We both haveboys and we would al-ways talk about them.

She is survived by twosons, Barry Lewis ofNew Jersey; and JustinLewis of Atlanta. Her 11a.m. service will be heldat Greater Travelers RestBaptist Church, 4650 FlatShoals Parkway.

Lewis

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 8, 2013 Page 17ABusiness

La Tagliatella brings European-based Italian concept to Emory Pointy Kathy Mitchell

[email protected]

AlthoughLa Tagliatella has more than 130estaurants across Europe and Asia, the one thatpened earlier this year at Emory Point is onlyhe second in the United States. The rst openedn December 2012 in Atlantas Midtown area.

The European-based restaurant chain featurestraditional Italian recipes served in a relaxed,

yet distinctive atmosphere, according to mate-ial provided by the restaurant.

The dcor, designed to suggest a northerntalian home, is eye-catching with heavily

wooded walls, ceilings and oors, Old World

tyle mirrors and stained glass. Its easy to forgethat outside the restaurants doors is one the busi-st sections of Atlanta. For the American debutf the concept, the restaurant owners engaged

Atlanta rm ai3 to assist European designers ofDecoRetro to create a special ambiance with aich tapestry of textures, colors and patternsransporting guests to a real and true experiencef European dining, a restaurant news releasetates.

Were thrilled to introduce this populartalian concept to the Emory and Decatur com-

munity. The thriving neighborhood is an idealocation for our expansion in the Atlanta area,

Mike Muldoon, president of La Tagliatella LLC,

said. Europeans have been enjoying the uniquecuisine, warm hospitality and generosity of LaTagliatella for the past two decades; now Ameri-cans can enjoy them, too.

According to information released by thecompany, La Tagliatella draws inspiration fromItalys rustic culinary traditions with a menu fo-cused on fresh ingredients and eclectic avors,all served in large, sharable portions that foster amore communal dining experience.

Key ingredients are imported from the north-ern region of Italy.

La Tagliatella also offers a wide selection ofspecialty cocktails and more than 50 wine variet-ies.

Although basics such as pasta and pizza thatAmericans often associate with Italian food areon the menu, many are prepared in ways differ-ent from what the typical American pizza parloror spaghetti house will offer. The restaurant seeksto infuse the genuine tastes of Italy with artisanhomemade avors, Daniel Gibson, the generalmanager, said.

Gibson recently hosted a media dinner at therestaurant and offered journalists the opportu-nity to taste such dishes as spiedino Napoletanowith skewered pork tenderloin, Sole di Pugliatomatoes and balsamic onionslayered with freshwhole-leaf basil and served with a special Taglia-tella sauce and fried gnocchi. The group agreed

the pork was tender and tasty and the tomatoeswere unusually avorful.

An ultra-thin crust p

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