FreePress: 5-3-2013

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

1/20

www.championnewspaper.com

WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013 VOL. 16, NO. 6 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.

www.facebook.com/championnewspaper

www.twitter.com/championnewsLike Us On Follow Us On

by Daniel [email protected]

The North DeKalb Mall CommunityGarden began in the summer of 2012 as atrial run for an urban community gardenon mall property.

The trial run at the property, called thePeachtree Creek-Orion Drive Field, was toevaluate any potential problems with the soil,water supply, drainage and other problems anurban community garden might face.

After a year, the garden has proved to bea success and is in full bloom with fruits andvegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, peppers,okra, beans, watermelon and more.

The garden is a partnership effort among NorthDeKalb Mall, Keep DeKalb Beautiful, AtlantaCommunity Food Bank and the Global GrowersNetwork.

Keep DeKalb Beautiful provided the compostand mulch for the garden and the AtlantaCommunity Food Bank provided many of theeeds. The Global Growers Network, whichtarted in 2009 as a project of the local nonprofit

Refugee Family Services to connect internationalfarmers who now live in Georgia to agriculture,brings much of the produce from the garden tomarket.

This year, the 100-foot by 60-foot plot hasbeen expanded to include 30 plots, both for thosenterested in community farming on a small scale

or farming to sell produce in markets.According to North DeKalb Mall Marketing

DirectorMary J. Burdge, the majority of thegarden plots are maintained by refugees.

The garden has been very helpful to theefugee gardeners, Burdge said. The mission

of providing a venue for empowerment andproductivity for our refugee community goes hand-n-hand with the goal of turning an idle field into

productive land.Both the International Rescue Committee,

a nonprofit that helps relocate refugees from

conflict zones, and the Global Growers Networkhave played an integral role in identifying andcommunicating with qualified refugee farmers toparticipate in the garden.

Man Kumari Timsina and her family arefrom Bhutan and began working in the garden in2012. Timsina is from a small farming village andmoved in the 1990s because of political unrest inthe region.

Timsina and her family traveled back to Nepalin 1992 and began living in a refugee camp.

We immigrated to the U.S. in March 2009.We didnt have much of an idea what to expecthere but we really had no choice but to acceptresettlement, Timsina said. We had a lot ofanxiety about coming to the U.S. but our children

wanted to come here because they liked the ideasof freedom and opportunity.Both Timsina and her husband work in the

garden, sell their produce and weave baskets to makeends meet but they still struggle on a daily basis.

Many people have helped us and we aregrateful for that, but we have a lot of anxiety aboutthe future, Timsina said.

Currently, all of the garden plots are assignedbut more will become available this summer.Produce from the garden will be sold from a standin the mall parking lot this summer.

For more information on the garden and howto volunteer, visit www.northdekalbmall.com orcontact the mall management office at (404) 320-7960.

Garden at North DeKalb Mall continues to grow

Refugee and community members volunteer at the North DeKalb Mall Community Garden, located off OrionDrive next to the mall. Photos provided

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

2/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 3, 2013 Page 2ALOCAL NEWS

Church membersspruce up grounds,

nterior of senior centerThough it was a rainy day, World Mission Soci-ety Church of God (WMSCOG) members came toDeKalb Countys Bruce Street/East DeKalb SeniorCenter in Lithonia April 28 to give the centersgrounds a spring spruce up. WMSCOG broughtmore than 100 volunteers from its Norcross loca-tion to help improve the look and feel of the seniorcenter, which has been a part of the community foralmost half of a century.

The center is operated by the DeKalb CountyOfce of Senior Affairs and managed by SeniorConnections. Seniors are offered classes, activi-ties, a hot lunch and wellness programs Mondaythrough Friday.

Improvements around the front of the build-

ing included sanding and painting the centerssign, landscaping with owers and bushes, paint-ing benches, and general clean up. Work was alsodone in the centers interior.

MayorDeborah Jackson came out to greetthe volunteers and thank them on behalf of thepeople of Lithonia.

Debra Furtado, chief executive ofcer of Se-nior Connections said the WMSCOG volunteerscreated a wonderful outdoor space for the Litho-nia seniors to enjoy all year. We are very gratefulfor their caring efforts.

In todays society, we often nd that the sea-soned members of our community are overlookedand sometimes forgotten, said Hector Flores,church overseer for the WMSCOG. In every ef-

fort to keep the greatest commandment given byChrist, to love thy neighbor, The World MissionSociety Church of God would like to show loveand appreciation to those who have gone before usand made great strides in our communities.

Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson, front row center, joinsmore than 100 volunteers who came to the Bruce Street/East DeKalb Senior Center spruce-up event. Volunteersrepaired a pond, planted flowers and vegetables and per-formed general landscaping. Photos provided

by Carla [email protected]

The Tucker Civic AssociationTCA) and the Smoke Rise Com-

munity Association (SRCA) have

formed a steering committee to ex-plore issues related to forming a cityof Tucker.

Last month, a placeholder billwas led on behalf of Tucker by StateRepresentatives Billy Mitchell, Mi-chele Henson and Earnest CoachWilliams. However, the bill wasdropped. House Bill 677 would haveprovided time for discussions on thepotential of turning Tucker into anncorporated city.

According to TCAs website, thesteering committee will include rep-resentatives from Tucker BusinessAssociation, Tucker Historical Soci-

ety, Tucker Parent Council, TuckerPolice Precinct, MainStreet TuckerAlliance, and representatives from theFaith Community.

TCA memberHoney Van deKreke said the committee wasformed because of the Lakeside com-munitys initiative to form a city that

pulled in certain areas that are consid-ered to be in the Tucker area.

It was a 30-40 percent of theTucker boundaries and [TCA] andthe Tucker community felt that wedidnt have any say so in that, she

said. We also felt, after talking tothe community, that there was a fairamount of confusion and some fear asto what will happen or not happen.

Lakesides map includes the

Northlake area and north to Cham-blee-Tucker Road.

We [formed the committee] withthe intention of getting accurate in-formation into the hands of the publicso that they a better informed if this

decision ever came to fruition, Vande Kreke added.

The steering committee memberswill be responsible for setting com-munity meeting times, locations andspeakers, according to the website.The rst public meeting was heldApril 30 at St. Andrews Presbyte-rian Church. Representatives fromthe Carl Vinson Institute and publicsafety spoke at the meeting.

In 2006 and 2007, the TCA dis-cussed whether Tucker should in-corporate as a city and conducted

preliminary studies to gather residentinput. However, there was no initia-

tive put forward to proceed to thenext step in creating a city.Van de Kreke said she was un-

aware on initiatives to form a city be-fore the Lakeside group was formed.Ive been pretty active in communityaffairs for a long time and I dontthink anybody has ever addressed as

to whether or not we need to form acity.

On Feb. 27, Tucker business own-ers signed the papers to begin the pro-cess of establishing a Community Im-

provement District (CID). A CID is a

district in which commercial propertyowners vote to tax themselves to raisefunds for various community im-

provement projects.The proposed Tucker CID, which

is considering a three-mill tax, isplanning to use the funds for in-creased lighting, beautication androad improvements. The CID wouldalso allow the community to seekgrants and it would help attract more

businesses. Van de Kreke, vice presi-dent of Elrep Sales in Tucker and oneof the rst business owners to signthe consent forms, said she doesntthink the city exploratory process will

affect the CID.Were going with the CID re-gardless because people have signedup and were so close to getting thatnalized, which will be done some-time in May, she said. The CID isso important right now and we needto go ahead and do that.

Tucker community associations form a city exploratory group

...there was a fairamount of confusionand some fear as towhat will happen or not

happen.

Honey Van de Kreke

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

3/20

Page 3A The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 3, 2013

The Supreme Court ofGeorgia has unanimouslyupheld the convictions of aformer deputy sheriff for themurders of his wife and ayoung man he had hired todo yard work.

Former DeKalb CountyDeputy Derrick Yancey wasconvicted in 2010 of shoot-ng to death his wife, Lynda

Yancey, and a day laborerMarcial Puluc. Yanceyclaimed Puluc shot his wifewhile stealing money fromher and that he had beenforced to shoot Puluc in self-defense.

According to the April 29opinion, written by JusticeKeith Blackwell, on June8, 2008, Yancey, who at theime was a deputy sheriff

assigned to security at theDeKalb County courthouse,called work and said hewould not be in the next daybecause he had somethingo do. The couples daughteraid he and his wife were

having marital problems andwere talking about divorce.

On June 9, 2008, accord-ng to court records, Yancey

went to a local gas station,where men seeking day laborobs gathered. Yancey, who

frequently hired day labor-ers to work around the houseand yard, hired 19-year-oldPuluc, a native of Guate-mala who spoke no Englishand had been in this coun-ry about a month. Yancey

brought Puluc to his homewhere Puluc worked in theyard most of the morning.At approximately 12:30 p.m.

that day, Lynda Yancey ar-rived at the house, and herhusband instructed Puluc tomow the lawn. A little whilelater, Derrick Yancey called911 and reported that Puluchad robbed and shot his wife,and that he in turn had shotthe day laborer. Althoughcertied in CPR, Yancey al-lowed the 911 operator to in-struct him in how to performCPR on his wife. The opera-tor later testied that whileYancey was supposedly try-ing to resuscitate his wife, hewalked away to see if para-medics had arrived, whichthe operator said was unusualfor someone to do while inthe middle of CPR.

Police arrived to ndYancey in the driveway,

holding his service weapon,a Heckler & Koch semiau-tomatic handgun, accord-ing to court documents. Inthe basement they foundLynda Yancey and Pulucshot to death. She had beenshot three times with a .357Smith & Wesson, a revolverowned by her husband. Ap-

proximately $2,000 in cashlay on the oor near her feet.Pulucs body lay 10 feet fromhers, and he had been shotthree times with Yanceysservice revolver.

Yancey told police thatPuluc had probably taken hisSmith & Wesson from thetop of the refrigerator whereYancey said he usually keptit. That gun was found on theoor on the left side of Pu-lucs body. Yancey told para-medics he had hired Puluc to

move furniture, although Pu-luc was only 5 foot 3 inchestall and weighed less than120 pounds.

Yancey told police Pulucwas in the basement when hegave his wife a large amountof cash and Puluc pulled outthe revolver and told Lyndato give me all your money,although Puluc spoke noEnglish, according to courtdocuments. Yancey said Pu-luc then shot his wife and heshot Puluc in response.Later in the day, Yancey wentto the police station and gavea written statement, say-ing Puluc and his wife hadstruggled over the moneyand Puluc shot her during thestruggle.

As he was signing the

statement, a detective noticedvery small dots on his righthand, which were consistentwith blood spatter from acontact wound. Ofcers col-lected swabs of blood fromhis hand, shin and clothingwhich later turned out to behis wifes. Meanwhile, ac-cording to briefs led in thecase, fellow ofcers tookmoney out of their coffeefund and bought Yancey,who was still being treatedas a victim, a shirt and someshorts at Target to replace the

bloody clothes removed forevidence.

As law enforcement ana-lyzed the crime scene and theforensic evidence, they be-gan to realize that Yanceysstory was inconsistent withthe physical and forensic evi-dence collected at the scene.

If Puluc had shot his wife atclose range, her blood spattershould have been on him, butnone was found on Puluc,only on Yancey, accordingto court records. If Puluchad taken the money fromYanceys wife, as Yanceyhad said, it should have beenfound next to Pulucs body;instead it was found nextto hers. Finally, Puluc wasright-handed and would nothave shot the woman withhis left hand, as the crimescene indicated. At the po-lice department, a detectiveasked Yancey to help us

by mapping out or drawinga diagram of the scene. Atthat point, Yancey requestedan attorney and left the de-

partment without drawing a

diagram of the scene.Following the autopsies,which showed no signs thatCPR had been performed onLynda Yancey, Yancey wasarrested for her murder andPulucs. He was released on

bond and placed on homeconnement with an anklemonitor. In April 2010, heremoved the ankle monitorand disappeared.

He was found severalmonths later in Belize and

brought back to Atlanta tostand trial. In November2010, the jury convicted himof both murders and Yanceywas sentenced to two consec-utive life terms in prison.

In his appeal to the state

Supreme Court, Yanceyclaimed several errors weremade at his trial, includingduring closing argumentswhen the prosecutor improp-erly referenced Yanceysrefusal to draw a diagram ofthe crime scene.

In the April 29 opinion,the high court nds that itwas not improper to presenttestimony at trial about hisfailure to draw a diagram

because he was not in cus-tody when he refused to drawthe diagram. The evidence,the court says, was properlyadmitted because Yanceyvoluntarily came into the

police station, provided astatement and never invokedhis right to remain silent.And because evidence about

the failure to draw a diagramproperly was admitted, it wasnot improper for the pros-ecuting attorney to referencethat evidence in closing, theopinion states. The SupremeCourt also rejected Yanceysremaining arguments.

Georgia Supreme Court upholds Yancey convictions

TheMayorandCityCounciloftheCityofChamblee,GeorgiawillholdapublichearingonThursday,May16,2013,attheChambleeCivicCenter,3540BroadStreet,Chamblee,GA

30341at6:00p.m.toreceivepubliccommentsregardingthefollowingmatters:

1) AppendixA,ZoningOrdinance,Section207,Plannedunitdevelopmentprocedure. Thesubject

property

is

City

Farmers

Market

(fka

Buford

Highway

Flea

Market),

located

at

5000

BufordHighway. Theapplicantisrequestingtodevelopthepropertyasaplannedunit

development.

2) AppendixA,ZoningOrdinance,Section908,SitedesignandSection1402,Landscapestrips. Thesubjectpropertyislocatedat5000PeachtreeBoulevard. Theapplicantis

requestingavariancetoallowvehicularservicessuchasacarwashbetweenthebuildingand

street,andavarianceforrelieffromtherequired10landscapestrip.

3) AppendixA,ZoningOrdinance,Section1004,Spacedimensions. Thesubjectpropertyislocatedat1888DyerCircle. Theapplicantisrequestingavariancetotheminimumlotsize

requirementsforNR1zoningdistrict.

4) Thesubjectpropertylocatedat3223ClairwoodTerraceisrequestingthefollowingvariances:Section903,Streettypedimensionstovarythefrontyardsetback;Section512,Single

familyresidentialdetachedheightmeasurement,tovarythethresholdofunits;Section1004,

Spacedimensions,tovarytheminimumlotsizerequirements;andSection1004,Space

dimensions,tovarytheminimumlotwidthrequirements.

5) DiscusstheadoptionofanUrbanRedevelopmentPlan. AnUrbanRedevelopmentPlanisageneralblueprintforredevelopmentandtargetingofpublicinvestmentsintheredevelopment

area.

CALL NOW! 404-220-8610storageworldinc.com

$MOVEIN FO

R

Kermit is a super sweet

young, adult male, mixed breed.He may be a Lab/Terrier mix. He isfriendly, outgoing and playful. Heis very affectionate and wants tobe with people. He will play withtoys in the play yard, but if you walkaway from him hell be right behindyou; usually with his toy still in hismouth. Kermit is just learning hisbasic commands. He knows how tosit on command; especially if youhave a treat in your hand.

Kermit weigh about 45pounds. Hes neutered and up todate on vaccines; unfortunately, hesheartworm positive. His adopter orrescue will need to put him throughtreatment. His adoption fee will bewaived. Come visit Kermit and playball with him. He is very loving andplayful and just wants a home hecan call his own.

PET WEEKofthe

Dekalb County Animal Shelter404-294-2165

Jamie Martinez

[email protected] [email protected]

Name: Kermit Young Adult Vaccinated Neutered

If interested in adopting Kermit, send an email toboth addresses below for a prompt reply

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

4/20

Nearly 30 years in Atlantaelevision came to an end Thursday,

April 25, 2013, for Fox 5sAmandaDavis who announcedher retirement on the 10 oclocknews. The station handled theannouncement with style andensitivity.

Amanda was as usual beautiful,gracious and humble. But therewas nothing understated about the

ovely, power red dress Amandawore for the announcement, whichhad been heavily promoted byhe station on the air and in print.

There was no word on her futureplans, just the announcement of heretirement after 26 years at Fox 5.

I was never more proud ofa television station and how ithandled the misstep of one ofts key people. I was never more

proud of one of my former sistercolleagues who has handled hervalley experience with dignity, class

and a professed faith that will seeher through this difficult time.

The farewell includedvideotaped words from theGoodwill Ambassador himself,AndrewYoung , who said he andwife Carolyn think of Amanda andher daughter as family and vowedto continue being there for them.Amandas daughter, in case youdidnt know, is MeloraRivera, abudding Hollywood actress whohad a role in the 2012 remake ofthe movie Sparkle. Power D.J.RyanCameron chimed in withwords of encouragement alongwith the media maven herself,Monica Pearson. Thousands ofviewers have offered words ofencouragement to Amanda, a

respected media darling who was afixture at the annual Martin LutherKing Service aired each year byFox 5.

Amanda has covered everythingin the metro Atlanta area fromBuckhead to Bankhead and scoreda coveted one-on-one interviewwith President Obama. She wasas good a reporter on the streetswithout a prompter as she was at theanchor desk with one. A testamentto her reporting skills, Amanda wona prestigious Edward R. Murrow

Award for her continuous reportingof the Centennial Olympic Parkbombing during the 1996 Olympics.She will long be remembered forher Wednesdays Child segmentsand the impact that project madeon the lives of hundreds of fosterchildren who needed loving homes.

As most of us know, Amandawas arrested for her second DUIin November of 2012. She causedan injury accident going thewrong way on Piedmont Road inMidtown Atlanta. I was saddenedat the cruelty with which somepeople spewed their venom aboutthis human error. So many peoplereading this article perhaps havebeen driving while intoxicated; theyjust werent caught. Fortunately,

no one was killed in the accident,including Amanda.Not to excuse breaking the

law, but no one, unless you haveworked in the highly competitivepressure cooker called televisionnews, can understand the dailystress one endures with deadlines,dead bodies and deadbeats, not tomention the fishbowl existencewhere ones private life is intrudedupon and scrutinized on every turn,trying to raise normal childrennotwithstanding. It absolutely

requires a healthy relationship withthe Creator.

During her farewell message,Amanda smiled brightly as shetalked about the highs and the lowsshes experienced for 26 years atFox 5 and she quoted from theBibles 23rd Psalm, Yea, thoughI walk through the valley... Valleyexperiences are a part of life just asour mountaintops. It is not how wefall, but how we get up and get backinto the game. Amanda was on herA game Thursday, April 25. Onecould sense her genuine hope for abrighter day.

Its worth mentioning thatAmanda Davis retires after a DUI.MarthaStewart goes to federalprison for insider trading and gets a

high profile television show as soonas her time is served. Lets prayAmanda is able to bounce back aswell. In the meantime, her mediasisters and her fans are proud ofher. She could have merely faded toblack but instead gave us a tease forthe next chapter. Well stay tuned.

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

Amanda Davis farewell: Class personied

The Newslady

Page 4A The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 3, 2013OPINION

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

5/20

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. GlennManaging 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.

www.championnewspaper.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110

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

If you pick up a starving dog andmake him prosperous, he will not biteyou. This is the principal difference be-tween a dog and a man.author andhumorist Mark Twain (1835 1910).

A new deal and new model ofdoing the publics business under theheading of Animal Control is headingyour way soon. Following a scathingreport by an appointed public/privatereview commission regarding the op-erations of the existing DeKalb CountyAnimal Shelter off of KensingtonRoad, DeKalb County is contract-ing the shelter portion of its animalcontrol responsibilities to a privatenonprofit organization, theLifeLineAnimal Project.

LifeLine operates two no-killanimal shelter and service centers (inAvondale Estates and College Park),offering low- and no-cost spay/neutersurgeries as well as an array of otherlow-cost veterinary vaccinations andservices. The nonprofit is mannedalmost entirely by volunteers. FultonCounty government is finalizing a sim-ilar contract with LifeLine as well.

DeKalb County CommissionerKathie Gannon (Super District 6)was an early advocate for making

changes at the existing shelter, wherethousands of animals were being tem-

porarily sheltered and then euthanizedeach year. The report and committee,helmed by Susan Neugent, presidentof the Fernbank Museum of NaturalScience, found a poorly managed andfilthy facility without working air con-ditioning, and nearly two out of everythree animals entering the building,never leaving alive.

Despite a challenging budget cli-mate, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis andthe county commission responded,

providing immediate funding to aircondition the facility, hiring additional

personnel and amping up a site searchto build a new facility. That search isnow focused on a county-owned parceladjoining DeKalb-Peachtree Airport,and identified by DeKalb Commis-sionerJeff Rader (District 2).

There is a model here to be consid-ered, and if successful, potentially fol-lowed with other county services. In-stead of hiring seven more animal con-trol officers, and building a new facilityoff of Memorial Drive (the originalinclination of the CEOs office), this

public/private partnership will substan-tially reduce costs for county taxpayers,while increasing service levels and po-tentially saving the lives of thousandsof healthy animals.

This new model isnt free, how-ever; in exchange for managing theexisting shelter, and significantlyexpanding adoption and spay/neuter

programs countywide, LifeLines

two-year contract with the countywill slightly exceed $2 million. Thisis, however, substantially less expen-sive than additional full-time county

employee hires with the old servicemodel, including health care and re-tirement benefits as well as the oldmindset, more aimed at putting downanimals without a homeand an ani-mal population that exploded in manyways during the deep and lingeringrecession.

LifeLine offerings include spayand neuter clinics (more than 50,000surgeries already performed), andCatlanta, the only organized feral andstray cat assistance program in the re-gion (which has provided vaccinationsand sterilizations to a stray cat popula-tion exceeding 15,000). Annually, theLifeline Dog House and Kitty Motel

provides medical and behavioralrehabilitation services to nearly 500abandoned and abused pets. LifeLineworks closely with local animal rescuegroups and has a nationally recog-

nized shelter evacuation team pro-viding consultation and assessmentsfor animal control shelters across thecountry to improve operations, re-duce diseases and save more animallives. LifeLine also offers one of theregions largest online pet adoptionnetworks, offering animals from morethan 50 shelters and rescue groupswith a searchable database featuringmore than 1,500 animals available forimmediate adoption every day:

LifeLine website - http://www.atlanta-pets.org/

Pet Adoption database - http://www.

atlantapets.org/adoptable-animals

Or, to volunteer - Volunteer Opportu-nities: [email protected]

LifeLine Animal ProjectP.O. Box 15466Atlanta, Georgia 30333(404) [email protected]

And this model of matching pri-vate volunteer passions with neededcounty services bears further explora-tion. Imagine county parks, recreationand senior centers and even librarieseventually staffed with a smaller num-

ber of full-time managers and a largercadre of part-time volunteers, or eventeens, seniors and the under-employedworking for a modest monthly stipend.Some of these tasks could also be sup-

ported and assisted by communityservice hours, required by the courtsfor both juvenile offenders and thenewer accountability courts as a condi-tion of sentencing for non violent and

misdemeanor adult offenders. In an erawhere the demand and desire for localgovernment services seems almost nev-er-ending, a greater contribution (non-monetary) should be expected from thesame communities demanding theseservices. At least in one case, there isalready a lifeline in place.

Bill Crane also serves as a political

analyst and commentator for Channel2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as a col-umnist forThe Champion, ChampionFree Press andGeorgia Trend. Craneis a DeKalb native and business owner,

living in Scottdale. You can reach himor comment on a column at [email protected].

A lifeline and a new model

The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 3, 2013 Page 5AOPINION

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

6/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 3, 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.

Raj Mehta

Federal officials release scathingreport on VA hospital in Decatur

Raj Mehta said hedeveloped his passion forhelping others from hismother.

Mehta grew up in Gu-jarat, an area in northwestIndia.

It comes down frommy mothers side, Mehtasaid. She didnt havemuch education and shealways helped people,even when they wereafraid of receiving help.

When he was younger,Mehta said, his motherwoke up early in themorning and deliveredfood to an elderly womanin his village. The elderlywoman had no relativesto take care of her. Mehtasaid his mother delivered

the food early in the morn-ing because the elderlywoman was very pridefuland didnt want anyone tosee her being helped.

Mehta, who is blind,is the leader of the Tac-tile Growers Group at theClarkston InternationalGarden, located at the For-ty Oaks Nature Preserve.The growers in Mehtasgroup are also visually im-paired or totally blind.

Currently, Mehta worksfor the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention(CDC). Prior to his jobwith the CDC he was asocial worker.

Mehta recently submit-ted a grant proposal toDeKalb Opportunity Zoneto translate garden signsand training materialsinto Braille to make themmore accessible to visu-ally impaired communitygardeners.

Mehta began partneringwith the Global Growers

Network after attending aconference the group host-ed in Atlanta on organicgardening. Global Grow-ers connects internationalfarmers who now live in

Georgia to agricultureby growing food, train-ing farmers and creatingeconomic opportunities. Itstarted in 2009 as a proj-ect of the local nonprotRefugee Family Services(RFS).

In addition to his workwith Global Growers andthe Clarkston InternationalGarden, Mehta volunteersfor the National Federa-tion of the Blind, the larg-

est organization for theblind in the United Stateswith chapters throughoutthe state.

One of the majorcauses weve championedin the past was studentsnot getting their bookson time, when the schoolyear started, Mehta said.Sometimes it would takethree to four months to gettheir braille textbooks.

Mehta also said oncea year, members of theNational Federation ofthe Blind travel to Wash-

ington, D.C. and speakto members of Congressabout various issues, suchas the danger of hybridcars.


An in-depth report byhe Department of Veterans

Affairs has determined thatpoor oversight at the At-anta VA Medical Center in

Decatur may have causedhe death of several mental

health patients.The report, released

April 17, cites issues withhe hospitals inpatient

mental health services andfollow-up procedures.

According to VA of-cials, an inspection wasconducted at the medicalcenter located off ClairmontRoad after a condentialcomplaint alleged negli-

gence by mental health staffat the hospital contributedo a patients death.

The condential com-plaint alleged that thisnpatients death was dueo failure of [mental healthervices] leaders to estab-ish effective unit policies,

ensure monitoring of unitnpatients, staff the unit ap-

propriately and care aboutpatients, the report states.

Investigators from JohnDaighs ofce, assistantnspector general for health

care inspections, found thefacility was staffed ade-quately. However, the reportists a host of problems that

may have led to the deathof a male patient in his 20swith a diagnosed history ofalcohol and drug abuse.

According to the report,he patient died after abus-ng drugs he obtained with

another inpatient. At onepoint, a staff member re-ported he appeared drowsyand the patient was required

to undergo a drug screening,which was not monitored bystaff.

The day after the sub-ject patients death, anotherinpatient confessed to staffthat he provided the patientwith a clean urine sam-ple, the report states.

Additionally, the reportsaid the mental health facili-ties had no updated policiesrelating to contraband andpatient observation, andfound lapses in the leader-ships actions to follow upin response to patient inci-dents and staff concerns.

Another report issuedsimultaneously addressesconcerns related to mentalhealth care patient issues

and program mismanage-ment. It also describes sev-eral scenarios where pooroversight caused patients tofall through the cracks.

Much of the second re-port relates to patient refer-rals to community serviceboards (CSBs) after mentalhealth patients are releasedfrom the hospital. In thiscase, the report found in-adequate stafng levels,stating there were only 10employees to manage andprovide oversight for more

than 4,000 patients referredto CSB programs.We found that 21 per-

cent of our random sampleof CSB referred patientswere never provided care bythe CSBs, with no follow-up provided by the facility,the report states.

Three examples areoutlined in the report thatdescribe how better com-munication with patientsmay have prevented anaccidental overdose, a pa-

See VA on Page 12A

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

7/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 3, 2013 Page 7ACOMMUNITY

AROUNDDEKALBATLANTA

Church to present

childrens musical

Once Upon a Parable,a musical program presentedby the Childrens Choirs ofShallowford PresbyterianChurch will be Sunday,May 5, at 3:30 p.m. Theprogram is free and openo the community. It willnclude familiar stories fromhe Bible told and sung to

upbeat new tunes. Childrenages 6 to 12 will performand sing. ShallowfordPresbyterian Church is

ocated at 2375 ShallowfordRoad, Atlanta. For morenformation, call (404)

321-1844 or visit www.hallowford.org.

Book fair to supportchildhood literacy

Emory University Schoolof Medicine Departmentof Pediatrics Urban HealthProgram promises anaction packed day of artsand crafts, story time, musicand dancing for parentsand children at a community

book fair. They also willhave the opportunity tohobnob with Tiana fromThe Princess and the Frog.

On Saturday, May 4,pediatricians and third-year medical students fromEmory are teaming up at theBarnes & Noble Edgewoodo support Reach Out and

Read, a nationwide earlyiteracy program.

With so many electronicdistractions, fewer than halfof parents in the UnitedStates read to their young

children daily, said VedaJohnson, M.D., executivedirector of Emorys UrbanHealth Program. Readingaloud not only stimulates

language development,

it also builds motivation,curiosity and memorycognition. Events like thisoffer a fun way to introduceparents and caregivers to theimportance of reading aloudto children. We want tonurture a nation of readers.

By supporting ourprogram, we get closer toour goal of giving everychild between the ages of 6months and 5 years that wesee in our primary care clin-ic a new, developmentallyappropriate childrens book

to take home and keep.The event will be hostedat Barnes & Noble Edge-wood at 1217 Caroline St.,NE, Atlanta.

Fernbank to hold Birdsand Bees Day

The morning ofSaturday, May 4, will beThe Birds and the BeesDay at Fernbank ScienceCenter (FSC). This freeevent should be of specialinterest to those interestedin ornithology or apiculture.

Fernbank staff, as wellas representatives of theAtlanta Audubon Society,The Chattahoochee NatureCenter, and Wild BirdsUnlimited, will be on handto explain, show, and answerquestions on birds and bees.A bird photography contestwill be judged, and winnersannounced, during themorning. The program endsat noon. Fernbank ScienceCenter is located at 156Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta.

The schedule of events is

as follows: 8-8:45 a.m. - Bird Walk onthe FSC grounds

9-11:45 a.m. - Kids Birdsand Bees activities in theFSC exhibit hall (includinga live broad-winged hawk)

10-10:30 - Birding by Ear(bird lab)

1111:30 - Gardening forBirds (bird lab)

11:45 - Photo contestwinners announced.

For more information,see http://www.fernbank.edu/birdday/fsc.html.Bird Photography Contest

rules, and entry form, areavailable at http://www.fernbank.edu/birdday/rules.htm.

Signing event to feature

childrens butterfly book

AuthorVicki M. Fisherwill hold a book signingevent Saturday, May 4, 10a.m.-2 p.m. at FernbankMuseum of Natural History.Fisher, a resident of Doug-lasville, will sign copies ofher childrens bookCambio:The Best Blue Butterfly,the story of a butterfly wholearns that being yourself isthe best thing you can be.

Fishers daughter, Cha-rissa Cruz, a face painting

artist, will be there as wellto paint her one-of-a-kindbutterfly creations on thefaces of both children andadults. The event is in con-junction with a FernbankMuseum program to teachthe public about the migra-tion of butterflies. FernbankMuseum is located at 767Clifton Road Northeast, At-lanta.

AVONDALE

ESTATES

Academy Theater to hostSTEAMFest

The Academy Theaterwill host the fth annualCinco-De-STEAMFest onMay 4 and 5. This yearsevent includes a Latinair with new theaterpieces, new workshopsand new music. TheAcademy Theater is locatedat 119 Center Street inAvondale Estates. Formore information and topurchase tickets, visit www.

academytheater.org.

Fishing Derby to be heldat Avondale Lake

Avondale Estates willhost a shing derby onSaturday, May 4, from 8:30to 11:30 a.m. Prizes will beawarded for the largest shcaught; the most sh caught;the youngest and oldestsherman to catch a sh;and rst, second and thirdplace prizes for age groups4 and younger, 5-7, 8-10,11-17 and 18 and older.

Lake Avondale is locatedat 59 Lakeshore Drive. Formore information, visitwww.avondaleestates.org/events.html.

CLARKSTON

Clarkston Library to hostcomputer coaching class

The Clarkston Librarystaff will answer basiccomputer questions onMay 8. Staff will answerquestions regarding email,Microsoft Ofce and how tond something on the web.The one-hour session beginsat 1 p.m. and is limited tofour participants. The libraryis located at 951 N. IndianCreek Drive. To register,

call (404) 508-7175.

DECATUR

Movie night to have 80stheme

DeKalb Medicals Ma-ternity Services will screenthe second movie in its

2013 Movies on the Square

series on Friday, May 3, inDecatur Square, DowntownDecatur. Shes Having aBaby, starring Kevin Ba-con, will play on a image in-atable screen at sundown.The evening will have a80s theme.

DeKalb Medical physi-cians and staff are thrilledto connect with our neigh-bors through fun events likethese. We want couples con-sidering starting or addingto their families to remem-ber that they can deliver

their baby close to home inour world-class maternitycenter which provides anupscale, safe and quality en-vironment, said Dr. StuartPancer, a DeKalb Medicalobstetrician.

Dressed in robes to simulatencient times, more than 50hildren from Shallowford Pres-

byterian Churchs childrenshoirs sing and perform familiartories from the Bible.

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

8/20


Murder trial begins for accused Starlight Six shooter

MEETINGNOTICETheChambleeDowntownDevelopmentAuthorityhascalledaspecialmeetingforTuesday,May7,2013tobeginat6:00pm. TheBoardwilldiscussfindinganExecutiveDirector,LegalCouncil,andFunding. ThemeetingwilltakeplaceintheconferenceroomatChambleeCivicCenterlocatedat3540BroadStreet,Chamblee,GA 30341.

Walmart offers information at community meeting on soon-to-open storeby Kathy [email protected]

In anticipation of the

Walmart Supercenter that iso open in mid-June at Me-morial Drive and HairstonRoad, DeKalb County Com-missionerSharon BarnesSutton hosted an informationmeeting April 23 at Memori-l Drive Presbyterian Churchn Stone Mountain.

The store being built onproperty once occupied by anutomobile dealership will

help to continue revitalizinghe once-thriving Memorial

Drive corridor, accordingo material provided at the

meeting by Walmart, which

lso states that the build-ng will incorporate designnd architecture that reecthe neighborhoods and theountys site redevelopmentnd building standards.

The building is to be ap-proximately 149,000 squareeet with 592 parking spaces.Walmart has met with local

neighbors and business to en-ure that the additional trafcs managed for the safety and

convenience of shoppers anddeliveries, the written mate-rial states. It notes that a newtrafc signal will be installed

at the North Hairston Roadentrance and a right-turn lanewill be added on MemorialDrive. The existing right turnlane from Lauren Parkwayonto Memorial Drive will beextended.

Most of the approximately12 community members at-tending the meeting werelooking for jobs. Dan Fagan,manager of the new store, ex-

plained that a temporary em-ployment and training centerhas been set up at GeorgiaPiedmont College on NorthIndian Hills Drive so that on

opening day the store will befully staffed.

We will be open daytimeand evenings, weekendsand holidays, so its best to

be exible with the hoursyoure willing to acceptitimproves your chances of be-ing hired, said Fagan, whoadded that new store will hire250 full-time and part-timeemployees in a wide varietyof positions.

Fagan also recommendedexibility in the positionsapplicants seek. It might beyour dream to work in elec-

tronics, but there might notbe anything open there, whilethere may be openings in an-other department, he said.

Fagan said he took hisrst Walmart job when hewas a college student. Istarted out collecting cartsin the parking lot; then theymoved me up to cashier.I never dreamed I wouldend up coming back hereto work. If you want a job,Walmart has jobs, but if youwant a careersomethingthat will last 10, 20, 30 years,you can nd that at Walmart,

too, he said.The Walmart at Memorial

Drive and Hairston Road isscheduled to open June 12,Fagan said, but he added thatother Walmart stores will beopening in the area as well.That means not only jobopenings at those stores, butalso some people may betransferring from existingstores, creating vacanciesthere.


The trial for a man ac-cused of gunningdown a 28-year-old martial artsexpert when heasked for helpwith his vehiclestarted April 29.

QuentricWilliams, ischarged withmalice murder,wo counts of

felony murder,aggravatedassault, twocounts of aggravated as-sault against a police ofcerand possession of a rearm

during the commission of afelony.Williams has pleaded not

guilty to all charges.According to DeKalb

County Police, Williams

shot moviegoerMitt Le-nix May 15, 2012, at theStarlight Six Drive-in offMoreland Avenue. It was

later reported thatLenix interruptedWilliams while hewas having sexwith his girlfriendand that is why hewas shot.

After the shoot-ing, Williamsleft the drive-in;police said Lenixdied later at a lo-cal hospital.

Police spokes-woman Mekka

Parish said a witness called911 and followed Williamscar until police were able to

get behind the vehicle.Police then chased Wil-liams on I-285 into Gwin-nett County, where hewrecked his car and man-aged to run away from po-

lice ofcers. While policewere chasing him, Williamsallegedly threw nearly$10,000 in cash out of histruck.

Williams also tried tosteer his truck into severalof the police cars chasinghim, which is why he ischarged with aggravatedassault of a police ofcer.He was arrested May 16,2012, at Sun Suites on ClubDrive, where police founda gun and a large amount ofcash and drugs.

According to ofcials,Williams had previouslyserved two state prisonterms for drug convictions.

Another man, ClintonHightower, 27, was also

killed the night Lenix diedas he walked across Memo-rial Drive and was struckby DeKalb Police OfcerJason Cooper.

Cooper, who was rushing

to join the chase after Wil-liams, was later red afteran internal investigation bythe DeKalb County PoliceDepartment and the GeorgiaPeace Ofcers Standardsand Training Council.

Ofcer Cooper wasterminated following aninternal affairs investigationthat found him in violationof the departmental policies[regarding] property loss/damage and negligence/in-attention, Parish said.

The parents of Le-nix, known as a martialarts expert nationally andworldwide, began a fundin his honor to continuehis legacy. Both of Lenixsparents are also martial arts

experts and own the Uni-versal Martial Arts studioin Stockbridge, where theirson taught.

The fund, which wasoriginally set up to help

Lenixs family with the ex-penses associated with theirsons death, has now beenexpanded into a fund to of-fer scholarships to thosewho are less fortunate oraffected by similar circum-stances.

The elder Lenix saidthroughout the 21 yearsthat he, his wife and his sonhave been teaching martialarts in Georgia they havebeen helping people, evenat times teaching martialarts to those couldnt affordthe lessons.

Our son was well-known all over the U.S. asa martial arts champion butespecially in Georgia andFlorida, Bill Lenix said.

He was also a combatmedic in the National Guardand he had spent his lifeeven thought it was cut soshorthelping others.

Williams

Store manager Dan Fagan offers tips for nding employment atWalmart.

DeKalb County Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton welcomescommunity members to an information meeting on the soon-to-open retail store. Photos by Kathy Mitchell

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

9/20


PUBLICNOTICE

TheArchitecturalReviewDesignBoardoftheCityofChamblee,GeorgiawillhearandreviewthegroundmountedsignsubmittedaspartoftheoverallPlannedUnitDevelopment(PUD)for5000BufordHighway,CityFarmersMarket,onTuesday,May7,2013,atCityHall,5468PeachtreeRoad,Chamblee,GA30341at7:00p.m.

Decatur police working to

solve string of robberies

METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Notice of Public HearingsMay 14 & 16, 2013

Notice is hereby given that the Board o Directors o the

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority will hold public hearings

or the purpose o considering the

Proposed Fiscal Year 2014Operating & Capital Budgets

Tuesday, May 14

7741 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, 30350

NORTH FULTONSERVICE CENTERCommunity Exchange: 6-7p.m.

HEARING: 7:00 p.m.Riding MARTA: Bus route 87 from either the Dunwoody or North Springs rail stations.

also on Tuesday

1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, 30030

DECATURMALOOF AUDITORIUMCommunity Exchange: 6-7p.m.

HEARING: 7:00 p.m.Riding MARTA: Walk one block west of Decatur Station.

Copies o the proposed budget will also

be available at MARTAs Ofce o External

Aairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta,

Georgia 30324 during regular business hours,

Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For ormats (FREE o charge) in ac-

cordance with the ADA and Limited English

Profciency regulations contact (404) 848-

4037. For those patrons requiring urther ac-

commodations, inormation can be obtained

by calling the Telephone Device or the Dea

(TDD) at 404 848-5665.

In addition, a sign language interpreter

will be available at all hearings. I you can-

not attend the hearings and want to pro vide

comments you may: (1) leave a message at

(404) 848-5299; (2) write to MARTAs Ofce

o External Aairs, 2424 Piedmont Road,

N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324-3330; (3) complete

an online Comment Card at www.itsmarta.

com; (4) or ax your comments no later than

May 28, 2013 to (404) 848-4179.

All citizens o the City o Atlanta and

the counties o Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and

Gwinnett whose interests are aected by the

subjects to be considered at these hearings

are hereby notifed and invited to appear at

said times and places and present such evi-

dence, comment or objection as their interests

require.

Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO

Thursday, May 16

2424 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta 30324MARTA HEADQUARTERS BUILDING

Community Exchange: 6-7p.m.

HEARING: 7:00 p.m.Riding MARTA: Across the street from the Lindbergh Center Station.

also on Thursday

3201 Martin Luther King Jr., Drive SW, Atlanta 30311

ADAMSVILLE RECREATION CENTERCommunity Exchange: 6-7p.m.

HEARING: 7:00 p.m.Riding MARTA: Bus route 73 from H.E. Holmes Station.


The city of Decatur experienced an un-usual string of robberies in February andMarch, which the police department is stillrying to solve.

Since Feb. 6, there have been seven rob-beries in the city, including ve armed rob-beries, a robbery by snatch and a restaurantrobbery. The latest robbery happened onMarch 30 at the Wahoo! Grill on West Col-ege Avenue.

According to reports, three masked menwith pistols robbed the Wahoo! Grill after

closing time, knocking one male employeeunconscious and forcing other workers toie on the oor while they stole tip money

and four bottles of alcohol. The four otherrobbery victims were female pedestrianswalking in the city and the other was awoman at a Wells Fargo drive-throughATM.

Decatur Police Deputy ChiefKeith Leesaid no one has been arrested in the crimesexcept for the robbery by snatch on the De-catur square.

That was our very last incident whereseveral young men came by and snatcheda ladys phone off of a table, he said. Wecaught those individuals but we have notmade an arrest yet on any of the armed rob-beries.

Lee added that the majority of the vic-ims would not be able to recognize the

suspects if they see them again but they didhave a forensic artist come in on the caseon the chance that they discover somethingater.

We do have some leads on some of therobberies and theyre being actively pur-sued right now, he said. The investigatorsgot some new information so we hope and

are keeping our ngers crossed that well beable to develop these leads and identify thepersons responsible.

Police dont believe that the same personis committing these crimes, but believe thatthe suspects may know each other.

I dont think it has been the samepeople because the descriptions from ourvictims have differed, Lee said.

The one thing the suspects are stealing iscellphones. Lee believes its a part of a newtechnology that allows people to recyclecellphones into a machine in exchange forcash.

Its important to nd out what your se-

rial number is and keep it because that willhelp us if its ever stolen and they do use oneof those machines, he said. That will helpus recover it.

Lee could not say whether this is the rsttime Decatur has experienced this manyrobberies in a short span of time, but he didsay this spike in these types of crime is un-usual.

Decaturs crime rate has been droppingand stayed low for many years, he said.I dont know what caused the spike. I doknow weve have been in constant contactwith other metro agencies and there seemsto be an uptick in this type of crime allaround metro Atlanta.

The Decatur Police Department has in-creased evening patrols around the city forall ofcers.

We put in over 200 hours of overtimemandatory for ofcers from the rank ofdeputy chief on down, he said. That wasin addition to our regular patrol ofcers.

The police department has also put outnotices on Crime Stoppers and offeringrewards for information that leads to the ar-rest of the suspects.

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

10/20


The DeKalb CountyPolice Department sworein 26 new ofcers April25 during the graduationceremony of the 96thpolice academy.

The new ofcers werepresented their badgesfollowing 26 weeks ofintensive training at thepolice academy.

The class is the rst tograduate since Police ChiefCedric Alexander took thehelm of the DeKalb CountyPolice Department.

The new ofcers wereassigned among the vepolice precincts and willcomplete an additional 12weeks of instruction withField Training Ofcers.

Police departmentadds new officers Alcohol consumption by adolescents may result in possiblebraindamage and impaired intellectual development.

Consequences of Underage DrinkingYOUTH WHO DRINK ALCOHOL ARE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE School problems, such as truancy and poor or failing grades.

Social problems, such as fighting and lack of participation in youth activities.

Legal problems, such as arrest for drinking and driving or physically hurting someone

while drunk.

Physical problems, such as hangovers or alcohol poison.

Unwanted, unplanned, and unprotected sexual activity.

Disruption of normal growth and sexual development.

Physical and sexual assault.

Higher risk for suicide and homicide.

Alcohol-related car crashes and other unintentional injuries,

such as burns, falls, and drowning.

Memory problems.

Use or abuse of other drugs.Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects.Death from alcohol poisoning.In general, the risk of youth experiencing these problems is greater for those who drink than

for those who do not drink.

Alcohol is a drug that kills more kids than all i llegal drugs combined.Prevention Can Change This!

Funded by theGeorgia Dept. of

Behavioral Health and

Developmental DisabilitiesDiv. of

Addictive DiseasesOffice of

Prevention Services and

Programs

Prepared for you by Be Smart! Dont Start! Be Smart! Quit! (678-755-1033)

www.besmartdontstartbesmartquit.org [email protected]

Alcohol and

the Liver

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

11/20


Send your comments and/or concerns regarding Comcasts current performance underthe current franchise agreement and/or the future cable-related needs and interests ofyour community to www.dekalbcountyga.gov.

DeKalb County Wants to Hear From YouRegarding the Proposed Franchise Agreement Renewal

with Comcast Cable Communications

Possible new cities subject of DeKalb County town hall meetingMembers of the

DeKalb House and Senatedelegations, includinghose who have introducedegislation to create new

cities or annex new areas to

existing cities, will hold aown hall meeting May 6,6:30-8:30 p.m. at ClairmontHills Baptist Church, 1995Clairmont Drive, Decatur.

DeKalb residents willhave the opportunity toearn about the options

available to them for localgovernance and how theymay participate in theefforts that will be ongoinghis summer.

The Georgia GeneralAssembly rules require thata new city must be createdover a two-year period,

not in one year. Severalproposed legislations,isted below, were ledn the 2013 session that

ended March 28, to give anopportunity procedurally tocreate possible new DeKalbcities of Druid Hills,LaVista Hills, Lakeside,Stonecrest, City of DeKalband Tucker.

Also, annexation bills arepending for Chamblee andbeing discussed for Decatur,and legislative limitationson annexations options have

also been led.Representatives of

neighborhood associationsor groups that are reviewingcurrent legislation, orworking for or against

possible new cities willbe asked to report on theirefforts.

The meeting will provideinformation on the costsof planning for new citiesand the resulting possibletax implications. Ofcialswill also discuss proceduresfor legislative enactment,give a summary of ongoing

cityhood activities and learnabout other governanceoptions.

The following bills havebeen introduced and maybe reviewed on the General

Assembly website by billnumber:

HB 22, primary sponsorMary Margaret Oliver,sets out additionalprocedures and enhancednancial requirements forcreation of new cities.

HB 619, primarysponsorOliver, passed

in 2013 and allows an areain unincorporated DeKalbthat adjoins Chamblee tovote to be annexed intoChamblee.

HB 665, primary

sponsorOliver, is aplaceholder bill to createcity of Briarcliff/DruidHills.

HB 677, primarysponsorBillyMitchell,would create a city ofTucker.

HB 687, primarysponsorPamStephenson, limits the

ability to annex newareas to existing cities bygeography.

SB 270, primarysponsorFranMillar,would create city of

Lakeside. SB 275, primarysponsorJasonCarter,would create city ofLaVista Hills.

SB 278, primarysponsorRonRamsey,would create city ofStonecrest.

The Northeast will see mostly clear to partly cloudy skies today through

Saturday, with the highest temperature of 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Southeast

will experience mostly clear to partly cloudy skies with scattered showers and

thunderstorms today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 87 in Marathon Key,

Fla. In the Northwest, there will be mostly clear to partly cloudy skies today through Saturday,

with the highest temperature of 88 in Medford, Ore. The Southwest will see mostly clear skies

today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 100 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Weather History

May 2, 1929 - Virginias worst

tornado disaster occurred. Six

tornadoes, two of which were

west of the Blue Mountains,

killed 22 people. Twelve children

and a teacher perished near Rye

Cove, in Scott County. Four

schools were destroyed.

May 3, 1988 - Thunderstorms

brought much needed rains to the

drought-stricken central United

States. Evening thunderstorms

produced large hail in North

Carolina. Hail the size of

baseballs was reported just west

of Mooresville, N.C.

Weather Trivia

What were Benjamin

Franklins contributions

to meteorology? ?Answer:Heshowedthatlightning

iselectricity.

Detailed Local Forecast

Today we will see mostly cloudy skies with a

slight chance of showers, high temperature of

70, humidity of 60%. East wind 10 to 15 mph.

The record high temperature for today is 90 set

in 1942. Expect mostly cloudy skies tonight with

a slight chance of showers, overnight low of 55.

THURSDAYMostly Cloudy

High: 70 Low: 55

FRIDAYFew Showers

High: 70 Low: 53

SATURDAYFew Showers

High: 67 Low: 52

SUNDAYIsolated T-storms

High: 70 Low: 53

MONDAYPartly Cloudy

High: 71 Low: 55

TUESDAYMostly Sunny

High: 73 Low: 51

WEDNESDAY

Mostly SunnyHigh: 76 Low: 54

Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

Day

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

MondayTuesday

Wednesday

Sunrise

6:46 a.m.

6:45 a.m.

6:44 a.m.

6:43 a.m.

6:42 a.m.6:41 a.m.

6:40 a.m.

Sunset

8:21 p.m.

8:22 p.m.

8:23 p.m.

8:24 p.m.

8:25 p.m.8:25 p.m.

8:26 p.m.

Moonrise

2:13 a.m.

2:52 a.m.

3:28 a.m.

4:02 a.m.

4:36 a.m.5:10 a.m.

5:45 a.m.

Moonset

1:30 p.m.

2:33 p.m.

3:34 p.m.

4:33 p.m.

5:32 p.m.6:29 p.m.

7:26 p.m.

Last

5/2

New5/9

First

5/17

Full5/24

Last Week's Local Almanac

Date Hi Lo Normals PrecipTuesday 73 47 75/52 0.00"

Wednesday 76 53 75/53 0.06"

Thursday 71 45 75/53 0.00"

Friday 75 39 75/53 0.00"

Saturday 71 57 76/54 0.00"

Sunday 64 56 76/54 1.55"

Monday 74 56 76/54 0.00"

Rainfall.. . . . . . . 1.61" Average temp. . 61.2

Normal rainfall. . 0.80" Average normal 64.4

Departure . . . . . +0.81" Departure . . . . . -3.2

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 May 2, 2013Seven Day Forecast Todays Regional Map

Tonights Planets

Rise Set

Mercury 6:23 a.m. 7:30 p.m.

Venus 7:18 a.m. 9:04 p.m.

Mars 6:40 a.m. 8:03 p.m.

Jupiter 8:54 a.m. 11:08 p.m.

Saturn 7:47 p.m. 6:52 a.m.Uranus 5:22 a.m. 5:45 p.m.

National Weather Summary This Week

StarWatch By Gary Becker - Beastie Dragon Draco

One of my favorite constellations of the northern sky is Draco the Dragon. In early May, its tail begins just under the bowl of the Big Dipper. The BDs scoop and handle are

nearly at their culminating (highest) positions in the north at 10 p.m. Then Dracos tail curves downward over the cup of the Little Dipper and falls to the right of Polaris, the

North Star. Following the sinuous tail of the Dragon is like trekking along on the winding Yellow Brick Road in the Wizard of Oz. The eye just seems to hop, skip, and tumble

naturally from one star to another, but then there is a breakdown that occurs where the tail meets a small cadre of ve faint stars that outline the tiny body of this fearsome

sentinel. Where do you go from here? The secret during late April and early May is to look to the right and slightly above the ve body stars to nd an additional four stars that

create a trapezoidal gure. Thats the head of Draco. By connecting the star of the head that is closest to the star of the body, the picture of Dracotail, body, neck, and headis completed.Some people see Draco as a turtle, camel, alligator or a snake. Whatever works for you is ne; however, for more than two decades, Draco has been my mystery constellation when I instruct

classes under the real or electronic sky. I simply outline Dracos stars without any comment and let my audiences guess at the pattern. Whether the group is composed of kindergarten kids or

senior citizens, someone always, and I mean always, comes up with the Dragon. There has never been a miss. It gives credence to the concept that people separated by continents could have

envisioned the same star patterns without any communications. You can download a sky map showing Dracos current position by going to www.astronomy.org and clicking on this weeks

StarWatch. Scroll to the top and click on the North sky chart for 10 p.m. www.astronomy.org

Dunwoody

68/54Lilburn

69/55

Snellville

70/55Decatur

70/55

Morrow

71/55

Hampton

72/56

Union City

71/55

College Park

71/55

Atlanta

70/55

Doraville

69/55

Smyrna

69/55

Lithonia

71/55

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

12/20


Claudia Flowers-Vassell was indicted April18 for allegedly wavinga handgun at parents and

children in

the parkinglot of Ara-bia Moun-tain HighSchool.

Pros-ecutors saidFlowers-Vassell was

in an altercation Sept. 27with another parent in thedrop-off area at the highschool. She then allegedlytook out a handgun and be-gan waving it at the victimand children present in thearea.

Flowers-Vassell ischarged with three counts ofaggravated assault and onecount of carrying a weaponon school grounds.

Johnta Mackenzie Bak-er was indicted April 4 forchild molestation, relating to

an incidentthat occurredat a DeKalbCounty Li-brary.

Accord-ing to the

indictment,Baker ap-

proached a minor in a bath-room at Decatur City Li-brary. He then ed the sceneand was arrested by the De-catur Police Department at alocal MARTA station.

Baker is being chargedwith child molestation, pub-lic transit fraud, obstructionof an ofcer and enticing achild for indecent purposes.

Carlos Jerome Simpsonis accused of shooting and

killing hispregnantgirlfriendand motherof his10-month-old child.

Simpsonreportedlyshot his girl-

friend Shikhira Dunson inthe driveway of his familyshome after an argument.

Simpson was indictedApril 16 and charged withmalice murder, felony mur-der, feticide, aggravated

assault and possession of arearm during the commis-sion of a felony.


A 14-year-old girlwas indicted April 23 in

the stabbing death of her2-year-old half-sister.

She is being chargedwith malice murder, twocounts of felony murder, ag-gravated assault, cruelty tochildren in the rst degreeand making false state-ments.

The teen has beencharged and indicted as anadult. However, a spokes-man from District AttorneyRobert James ofce said itis up to prosecutors whetherto try the teen as an adult.

The teenager was baby-sitting her siblings Nov. 19,2012, at her familys homeon Waldrop Trail in Deca-tur.

DeKalb County Policesaid the teen called herparents, saying 2-year-oldSasha Ray was missing.When the parents returnedhome they began searchingfor the 2-year-old with theteens help.

Sasha was found by herfather, Shelton Ray, behindthe home.

According to police

spokeswoman Mekka Par-ish, emergency dispatchersreceived a call from Rayshortly before 1 p.m. Nov.19. Ray then put the phonedown and was taking thechild to the hospital himselfwhen an emergency vehiclemet him along the way.

Sasha was later pro-nounced dead.

The cause of death ismultiple stab wounds to thechest, Parish said. Wethink the child was assault-ed inside the home then the

girl moved her body outsidebehind the house.The teen is being

charged with making falsestatements for allegedlylying to detectives aboutknowledge as to whokilled [her sister] and bywhat means.

After the teen was takento the police station for fur-ther question, she called andconfessed to her stepfatherthat she was Sashas killer,according to reports.

Parish said she thinks theteen was upset about some-

thing.What she was upset

about has not been deter-mined, she said.

Brookhaven to hire more than 50 ofcers

Brookhaven is now recruiting to hiremore than 50 sworn police ofcers.

Brookhaven Police ChiefGary Yandurasaid he is looking to hire qualied policeofcers who match the makeup of the city,including bilingual ofcers.

Our goal is to have the best ofcers to

serve and protect Brookhaven, Yandurasaid. Our focus will be on hiring ofcerswho understand community policing, haveexcellent records of service, education andattitude.

The city has $3.15 million in reservedfunds for the startup of the police depart-ment, according to the citys budget. Yan-dura has already hired one ofcer DeputyChiefRon Freeman, who is assistingYandura with recruiting, interviews andbackground checks. The city is currentlyrecruiting patrol ofcers, sergeants andlieutenants, as well as detectives. The city isseeking candidates who are certied by theGeorgia Peace Ofcer Standards and Train-ing Council.

Yandura determined the manpowerneeds after conducting an assessment thatinvolved reviewing neighborhood boundar-ies, response times, business licenses andthe University of Georgia Carl Vinson Insti-tute of Government feasibility study.

The city is offering a comprehensivebenets and recruiting package, includinga monthly housing stipend for sworn policeofcers who choose to live in Brookhaven.The package also includes benets for edu-cation assistance and take-home patrol cars.

This will not only cut down on fuelcosts for ofcers, but help with the safetyand security of our neighborhoods, MayorJ. Max Davis said. A patrol car parked in a

driveway is a strong crime deterrent.Brookhaven reviewed dozens of othercity and county benets and recruitingplans across Georgia, and assembled acompetitive plan designed to attract the bestpolice ofcers.

Brookhavens plan also rewards tobacco-free employees. Under the plan, the citywill pay 90 percent of health insurancecosts for tobacco-free employees and theirdependents. If an employee or his or her

dependents uses tobacco, the city will cover80 percent of health insurance costs.

DeKalb County Police ofcers currentlypatrol Brookhaven. The city hopes to haveits own police ofcers on city streets thissummer.

Brookhaven hires independent auditor

An independent rm will provide auditservices to Brookhaven.The Brookhaven City Council voted

unanimously on April 23 to engage rmMauldin & Jenkins to audit the nancial ac-tivities of the city beginning with the scalyear ending Dec. 31, 2013.

They will look at the citys nancesand internal controls sufciently to renderan opinion on the accuracy of the nancialreports, City ManagerMarie L. Garrettsaid. We want to be transparent and havean outside party ensure that we are operat-ing in compliance with sound scal poli-cies.

In addition, the city will establish anaudit committee composed of residents and

city council representatives. The committeewill serve as an independent and objectiveparty to monitor the citys nancial report-ing process and facilitate an open avenue ofcommunication with the auditors.

This will allow the auditor to report anddiscuss ndings with the committee beforepresenting them to government leaders andcity management. The rm will begin workin the early fall.

The auditing rm will work closely withcity Finance DirectorBonnie Kline, whooversees the citys budget, revenue anddaily expenditures.

The city council approved Brookhavensrst budget last month and is scheduled to

set the citys initial millage rate in July.Mauldin & Jenkins was selected follow-ing a competitive bid process. They werealso the lowest bidder. The ve-year con-tract runs from 2013-2017 and is subject toannual review.

The rm audits more governments inGeorgia than any other rm and has auditedall of the new cities, including SandySprings, Dunwoody, Chattahoochee Hills,Milton and Johns Creek.

Vassell

Simpson

Baker

Recent DeKalbCounty indictments

Teen indicted forstabbing youngersister to death

VAContinued From Page 6A

Printed on 100% post-consumerrecycled paper

tients incarceration and in

one case, a suicide.The report concludes that

the lack of effective pa-tient care management andprogram oversight by thefacility contributed to prob-lems with access to [mentalhealth] care and may havecontributed to patients fall-ing through the cracks.

Atlanta VA Medical Cen-ter Chief of Staff Dr. DavidBower said the hospital iscommitted to providing the

best care possible for veter-

ans.The Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) con-curs with all of the Ofceof Inspector General Ofceof Healthcare Inspectionsrecommendations, Bowersaid in a statement. VA willmonitor the quality mentalhealth care and contractmanagement and will ensurethat veterans receive thehighest quality medical carefrom either the VA or its

partners.

VA recognizes theimportance of providingnational policy to all VAmedical centers addressinghazardous items, visitation,urine drug screens and es-cort services for inpatientmental health programs.

To report suspectedwrongdoing in VA programsand operation call (800)488-8244 or email [email protected].

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

13/20

by Andrew [email protected]

Although the DeKalb CountySchool Districts 2014 revenueprojections are nearly the same as

his years, the district has nearly$15 million in increased expenses.At just $400,000 more than

2013 revenue, 2014 revenueprojections are roughly flator almost exactly the same ashe current year, said Michael

Perrone, the districts chieffinancial officer.

Those projections werediscussed April 29 when thecountys school board held the firstof three public hearings on the 2014budget.

In 2014, Perrone said the schooldistricts revenue is projected to be$732.4 million, with $317.6 million

coming from state revenue sourcesand $360.8 million from localevenue.

The states portion is expectedo be a $10.3 million increase abovehe current fiscal year, while theres a 3 percent reduction, or $9.9

million, in local taxes, Perrone said.The final numbers for local

axes are subject to change afterhe county government finalizes itsevenue projections at the end of

May.Perrone said the district is facing

$14.7 million in increased budgetealities, which include $7.4

million in healthcare costs; a $3.8million increase in contributionso the Georgia Teacher Retirement

System; $2.2 million for a newcharter school; and $1.3 million in

state salary step increases.In good fiscal times, we

usually dont even mention thesebecause the revenue from the stateand the local tax base are usually

going up in good times and usuallycover these types of losses,Perrone said. We are going to haveto deal with these with revenues thatare projected to be flat.

LisaMorgan, a teacher whospoke on behalf of the Organizationof DeKalb Educators (ODE), saidboard members should not considerincreasing class size to cut costs.

Its really tempting to think,We can add two more children inthe class, Morgan said. Thatshappened in the past 10 years.

Morgan said that all over thedistrict there are kindergartenteachers with 28 or 29 students, andteachers in grades one-three with 30or more students.

The school board last yearcommitted to limiting kindergarten

class size to 24 per teacher and 26with a paraprofessional, Morgansaid.

I dream of that day happeningagain, she said.

Excessive teacher-student ratioshamper learning, Morgan said.My students did not learn as

much this year as they have in thepast. We are stretched to the limit.For our children, reject any increasein class size, she said.

DavidSchutten, president ofODE, told the school board thatreducing furlough days would be agreat morale boost.

I never thought I would seethe day that a teacher could leaveDeKalb and go to Decatur and makemore money, Schutten said. Thatis happening in some cases.

TimothyDavis, also speakingfor teachers, asked the board to lookat the number of furlough days.

Keep it to a minimum so thatit doesnt impact the instruction

and the teachers fair living wage,Davis said.

However, school bus mechanicGregDavis said district employeeswant to do our part.

If it means saving someones

job, please furlough us, Davis said.Well take another furlough day.If it means that everybody can takecare of their families and come towork and have a job, do that, Davissaid.

Interim Superintendent MikeThurmond said the input fromparents, faculty and stakeholderswould help us see the broadpriorities that should drive ourthinking as we develop the budget.

Thurmond said he wantsstakeholders to offer suggestionsabout what should we be lookingat and what should we cut andhow do we use the dollars that

we do have to enhance studentachievement.

Its very important at this pointto hear from those parentsandothers who have ideas, suggestions,input as how we canprioritizerevenue [expenditures] to enhanceeducation service to our primarycustomers, our students, Thurmondsaid.

The next budget hearingmeeting is set for 6 p.m. May8 at the J. David WilliamsonBoard Room, Robert R. FreemanAdministrative & InstructionalComplex, 1701 Mountain Industrial

Blvd., Stone Mountain.We look forward to continuingthis conversation, Thurmond said.

School district looking for $15 million in budget cuts


The DeKalb County school board must weigh budget realities and stakeholders expectations as it decides where to cut $15 million from the 2014 budget. Photos by Andrew Cauthen.

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

14/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 3, 2013 Page 14AEDUCATION

Middle-agers win full scholarships to Alabama StateIt could be the theme of

a reality show that GeorgiaPerimeter College (GPC)middle-age students OliverPeterson and Tyrone Mat-hews plan to share a dormi-ory room at Alabama State

University (ASU) in the fall.Josette Ivory might rent aoom nearby. But all three

are about to make history ashe oldest students to evereceive full academic schol-

arships from the institution.Were probably going to

be the oldest students ever toive on campus, said Peter-on, 58.

But thats OK, addedMatthews, 45. The kidswill just have to get used tous.

Peterson, Matthews andvory, 42, students at Geor-

gia Perimeter College De-catur Campus, have earnedfull scholarships to attendAlabama State in the fall.Matthews will graduate fromGeorgia Perimeter in May;Peterson and Ivory will fin-sh this summer.

All three students aremembers of Phi Theta Kap-pa, the national communitycollege honor society. Ivory,Matthews and Peterson de-erve top honors, said chap-er advisorTerry Bozeman.

When the call came infrom Alabama State Univer-ity asking about meeting

with a group of our best stu-dents, I immediately thoughtof these three. They areeach very hard workers whohave shown the dedicationt takes to make substantial

changes to their individualife circumstances, Boze-

man said. No matter a stu-dents age or background,Georgia Perimeter College isa transformative place. I amconfident that the founda-ion they have gotten here at

GPC will serve them well ashey move on in their lifesourney.

And all three werehocked to learn that Ala-

bama State was willing topay tuition, fees, room andboard to get them to attendhe institution.

We are very excitedabout these future Hornetsoining the Alabama State

University family, saidFreddie Williams Jr., di-ector of admissions andecruitment. We set out toecruit the best of the best,

egardless of race or age. Weknow that these students willadd value and diversity toASU, and we are confidenthat they will fit right in.

Josette IvoryIvory had been a stay-at-

home mom to seven children

for years, putting everyoneelses needs before her own.As her children got older,Ivory ran a successful homerepair business, but it stilldidnt feel like enough.

I was feeling incom-plete, like my life lacked di-rection, she said. I realizedthat the one goal I alwayswanted to accomplish wasto earn a college degree. Idecided to go for it.

The full ride to AlabamaState came as a shock. I feltunworthy of the rewards thatI was being given, but at the

end of day I realized that Iearned it like any other stu-dent, Ivory said.

She lives two hours awayfrom the Montgomery, Ala.,

campus, but Ivory plans torent a room and commutehome on weekends. Shewill major in education and

business administration withhopes of becoming a schooladministrator.

Though excited aboutthe opportunity, Ivory ad-mits to some nervousness.It makes me feel better toknow Tyrone and Oliver will

be there, she said. And Iwould love to see more ofmy fellow classmates takeadvantage of these opportu-nities. This challenges me tospread the word to tell otherGPC students that this is

possible for them as well.

Tyrone MatthewsMatthews found out just

how costly not having a col-lege degree can be. His com-

pany, which contracted with

the state of Georgia, lost abid and was forced to lay offworkers. Matthews saw anopportunity to transfer to an-

other position, but he didnthave the required education.

A light bulb went off,and I became determined tonever hear that again, hesaid. I was deprived of a

position that I could do, butdidnt have the degree for.But the job loss has allowedme to see possibilities that Inever imagined for myself.So, in the long run it was a

blessing.Nervous that he would

repeat a less than stellar highschool career, Matthewsthrew himself into his class-

es at Georgia Perimeter. Thepsychology and criminaljustice major plans to earna masters and doctorate sohe can eventually become an

academic counselor for at-risk youth.

Though two of Matthewschildren also attend GPC,its his 13-year-old son whohas been most impacted bydads success.

My son now says thingslike, Man, Im going toget me a scholarship andearn a college degree,Matthews said. Coming

back to school and beingoffered a full scholarship toa four-year institution hasallowed us to be pioneersand trailblazers for our ownchildren and especially fornon-traditional students. We

prove that its never too lateto put in the hard work andreap the reward.

Oliver PetersonPeterson worked in col-

lections for 15 years whenhe received a call from awoman desperate to settle asix-figure bill. There wasno way she could pay thefull amount and I knew thatit would ruin her life if shetried, Peterson said. In anact of kindness that he stillcant explain, Peterson al-lowed the woman to settlethe bill for a fraction of theoriginal debt.

I was fired and black-

balled from the industry,Peterson said. I couldntget a job anywhere and Icouldnt collect unemploy-ment benefits. So, I decidedto go to college.

Peterson, a sports man-agement major, jumped intocollege life with both feet.He is serving a second termas president of the DecaturCampus Student Govern-ment Association, is anhonors student and was the

physical trainer for the GPCcheerleaders. He is the old-est person to attend Alabama

State on a full scholarship.Petersons son, a para-legal, and daughter, whograduates from the Univer-sity of Georgia School ofLaw in May, are supportiveof their fathers impendingdeparture.

I am so happy, but mychildren are even more ex-cited for me. My son anddaughter plan to ride withme to Alabama State andhelp me get settled intomy dorm room, he said.I knew I had the gradesand the ability, but I never

thought a college wouldgive me a free education. Awhole new world of oppor-tunities has opened for me.

Surrounded by his daughter, son and grandson at a recent ceremony, Oliver Peterson displays thefull scholarship award he received to attend Alabama State University. Along with Josette Ivory andTyrone Matthews, Oliver is one of three Georgia Perimeter College students that received full scholar-ships. Photo provided

7/30/2019 FreePress: 5-3-2013

15/20

The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 3, 2013 Page 15A

Tanya Arrington becamenterested in teaching after

working with the NationalCouncil of Negro Women.She oversaw a partnership

with NASA and introducedcience, engineering andmathematics to students fromdisenfranchised areas. I sawhow excited and engagedhey were in being exposedo new concepts and ideas,he said. Their excitement

was palpable and endear-ng. That experience led

Arrington to earn a graduatedegree in elementary educa-ion and into the classroom

at Murphey Candler Elemen-ary.

Arrington is one of veDeKalb County School

District (DCSD) RegionalTeachers of the Year. She isoined by Mario Miner of

Stephenson High, AlyssaMontooth of Druid HillsHigh, Keandria Foreman-Edwards of Clifton Elemen-ary and Bryan Boucher of

Dunwoody High. The overallDCSD Teacher of the Yearwill be announced May 20 athe Academy of Educational

Excellence Awards, sched-uled for 5:30 p.m. at Lake-side High.

Miner joined DCSD in2006 after pursuing un-

dergraduate and graduatedegrees at the University ofMichigan. In his application,Miner named his third-gradeteacher as the person whorecognized his potential andconsistently encouragedhim. I was fortunate to haveteachers who believed in mewhen others did not, he said.I wanted to encourage stu-dents the same way that Mrs.Flowers inspired me.

Montooth, currently pur-suing her Ph.D. in EnglishRenaissance literature, joinedDCSD in 1997.

Language facility is pow-er, Montooth wrote in herapplication, and it should beavailable to all people, not

just the privileged. That iswhy I teach English at a pub-lic school. I am devoted toshowing my students that, inthis country, success is avail-able to anyone with a consis-tent work ethic and positiveattitude.

Foreman-Edwards, a spe-cial education teacher, got herstart by watching her mother,who also was a special edu-cation teacher: She served

children, especially thosewith disabilities, for years asa special education teacher inthe DeKalb County SchoolDistrict. Seeing how much

joy she experienced workingin this capacity really moti-vated me to seek a job in thesame profession.

It was also a family con-nection that also led Boucherto education. His fathertaught high school for morethan 30 years, and his brotheris an English professor. Itwas the challenge, however,that kept him engaged.

A new teacher soon re-alizes that there is nowhereto hide in front of a class ofeager, or less-than-eager,students, and it is up to that

educator to have preparedenough to get the best outof their students. This is theconstant challenge of teach-ing, and one I look forward toon a daily basis with a varietyof students.

Each DCSD school se-lected a school-level Teacherof the Year. Those honoreesinterested in applying forthe regional honor submittedapplications. Three nalistsfrom each of the districtsve regions were selectedfrom the pool of applicants to

be interviewed by the Teach-

er of the Year Selection Com-mittee, a group of educational

professionals and communitymembers.

The selection committee

was composed of: MarciaCoward, president, DeKalbCounty Council of PTAs; JoeLouis Floyd, 2012 DCSDTeacher of the Year; PhillipParker, Stephenson Highemployee and DCSD parents;Dr. Sue Sehgal, presidentand co-founder of CampusCommunity PartnershipFoundation; Dr. AnnetteWaller, former DCSD prin-cipal and regional superinten-dent; and Rebecca Williams,Brookhaven City Councilmember.

DeKalb schools announce Regional Teachers of the Year

DSA, Chamblee ranked among 10

best high schools in Georgia

Arrington Boucher Foreman-Edwards Miner Montooth


Two DeKalb Countyhigh schools were ranked inhe top 10 of the Best High

Schools in Georgia.U.S. News and World Re-

portranked DeKalb Schoolof the Arts (DSA) at No. 2and Chamblee Charter HighSchool was ranked No. 5.Gwinnett School of Mathe-matics, Science and Technol-

ogy was ranked No. 1.U.S. News based its rank-

ngs on student performanceon state prociency tests andpreparedness for college.

DSA was also ranked no.25 in the magnet rankings and

No. 75 nationally. The schoolreceived a College Readinessrating of 81.5 based on thenumber of students who tookadvance placement and inter-national

Date post:	14-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	champion-newspaper
View:	221 times
Download:	0 times

FreePress: 5-3-2013

Documents