Free Press 11-4-11

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

1/24

WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2011 VOL. 14, NO. 32 FREE

FREEPRESS A PUBLICATION OF ACE III C OMMUNICATIONS

www.championnewspaper.com

www.facebook.com/championnewspaper

www.twitter.com/championnews

Follow us.

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

See Election on Page 15A

See Spills on Page 15A

Low turnout projected in Nov. 8 electionby Andrew [email protected]

Alow turnout is expected on Nov. 8as voters decide on school taxes,Sunday alcohol sales and fourmayoral races.

Maxine Daniels, elections board directorn DeKalb County, said turnout is expectedo be very light with less than 10 percent of

voters participating in unincorporated areas.As of Oct. 28, only 242 early ballots had beencast and 551 ballots mailed out.

That is typical for special elections,Daniels said.

Turnout in cities could be higher be-cause you actually have people campaign-ng, Daniels said.

Voters in all the cities in the county willdecide whether to allow the Sunday sale ofalcohol and in Avondale Estates, Doraville,Dunwoody and Lithonia, voters will selectheir next mayor. In Decatur, MayorBill

Floyd is running unopposed for his citycommission seat. The Decatur mayor is se-ected by the city commission.

In addition to selecting a mayor,

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday at 2 a.m.

Cancer Walk3-Day for the Cure

Hundreds of area residents participated in the 3-Dayfor the Cure walk through metro Atlanta to raiseawareness and support for breast cancer researchand to honor those affected by the disease. The60-mile walk began Oct. 21 at Stone Mountain Parkand the route took walkers through Decatur andAvondale Estates. Supporters along the way, manydressed in outlandish costumes, cheered on the par-ticipants along the route. Walkers stopped for lunchjust outside Avondale Estates on Oct. 21 beforeheading into Decatur. Photos by Robert Naddra

Countys sewer spills already highest since 2007y Andrew Cauthen

[email protected]

Sewer spills in DeKalb County

or 2011 are already the highestince 2007, with two months left inhe year.

As of Oct. 20 there have been66 sewer spills reported in theounty, six more than reported in

2007. The spills total 1.6 milliongallons, and of those spills, about70 percent were caused by fats, oils,and grease (FOG) in pipes.

FOG is everywhere, said JoeBasista, the countys director of thewatershed management department.Its everybody preparing their

meats every day.The main concentration of

FOG-related sewer spills is imme-diately downstream of multifamily

omplexes, Basista said.To reduce these sewer spills Ba-ista said the county is considering

ways to encourage or require multi-amily complexes to do something

about their FOG problems. Possibleways to address the issue at the com-lexes include increase education,tarting a grease collection service

and installing a grease interceptor.Basista said his department

would not seek a mandatory, blanketgrease requirement and would notnecessarily seek legislation.

Because most multifamily com-lexes have private sewer systems

on their properties, it is to their ad-

vantage that they keep grease out oftheir pipes, Basista said.

Since 2007, the county has hada FOG ordinance that requires all

food service establishments to main-tain grease interceptors to preventfats from entering the sewer system.

The grease traps are routinelyinspected by county FOG compli-ance inspectors who also check therestaurants permits and records forthe grease interceptors to ensureregular maintenance and disposal.

The FOG ordinance has ef-fectively reduced spills, Basistasaid. DeKalb had 256 sewer spills in2006, the year before the ordinancewas passed,

Basista said the county hasreceived two unsolicited proposalsfrom companies seeking to makemoney by helping the county keep

FOG out of its pipes.FOG can be readily convertedinto biodiesel fuel, Basista said. Itnow has commodity value, [but] itshard to determine the market.

One local company that is try-ing to reduce the FOG problem andmake some cash is Curbside Recy-cling.

We have a solution to the prob-lem, said Curbside Recycling co-ownerTodd Williams.

Curbside Recycling, which hasbeen in business since March 2010,is concentrating on rolling out itsGRO Well (Grease RemediationOil Well) program to small cities.

GRO Well is a free residential FOGcollection program performed on amunicipal level. The company holdsa registration event during which

it distributes a collection containerfor the monthly used, cooking oilpickup.

Curbside rolled out the programin Clarkston in August. The city ofLithonia joined in September andStone Mountain implemented it onOct. 22.

The city supports any effortthat will redirect this troublesomeFOG and keep it out of our sewersand landlls, said Clarkston MayorEmanuel Ransom in a statement.

To draw potential registrants,Curbside Recycling pays cash on thespot for metal-based recyclables.

The trash-to-cash is a featureevent of a free oil [collection] reg-

istration, Curbside Recycling co-ownerRichard Younge said. Thatbrings the people out.

Younge said the countys FOGprogram may keep some grease outof pipes, but it does not address thefull environmental impact of FOGs.

What the county is telling peo-ple is put grease into a container andthrow it in the trash, Younge said.But those containers are dumpedinto garbage trucks where the greasecontainers are compacted andsqueezed on the streets.

Curbside Recyclings goal is tocreate a market for biodiesel use inschool buses and fleets.

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

2/24

Page 2A The Champion Free Press, Friday November 4, 2011

DeKalb solicitor-general kicks off new pre-trial diversion programby Daniel [email protected]

Nearly 150 offenderscrowded into a room athe DeKalb County Mag-

strate Court on Oct. 21 toparticipate in the rst-everpre-trial diversion programchampioned by SolicitorGeneral Sherry Boston.

First-time defendantscharged with shoplifting,disorderly conduct, affray[ghting in public] or otherminor offenses are eligiblefor the program. Some of-fenses, such as driving un-der the inuence, vehicularhomicide and family vio-ence battery are excluded

from the program.I am grateful to the

Board of Commissionersfor approving this new pro-gram because it will offeran efcient, centralizedmethod of resolving misde-meanor charges committedby low-level offenders,Boston said.

Earlier in the year theDeKalb County Board ofCommissioners appropriat-ed $103,064 to the solicitorgenerals ofce to fund thenew program, which alsocreated four new positionswithin the ofcetwo at-

orneys and two administra-ive assistants.Establishing a much-

needed diversion programike this was one of my

goals for the ofce. I be-ieve smart prosecutioneads to a better quality ofife and this program is part

of that approach because itmakes DeKalb safer whilencreasing offender ac-

countability, Boston said.In addition to increasing

quality of life in the county,Boston said the programwould also save taxpay-ers money by reducing thenumber of days low-leveloffenders spend in jail.

To participate, offenderswill be charged $300. Kei-sha Storey, deputy chiefof the program, said themoney will be depositeddirectly into the DeKalbCounty general fund.

The defendants that areaccepted in the programmust complete activitiespersonalized for that of-fender. If they were arrestedfor shoplifting, theyll un-

dergo counseling to addresshat If they were arrestedfor obstruction, theyll berequired to attend angermanagement classes, Sto-

Sure a state-o-the-art acility close to home would be appreciated. But what was equally important was building a place

that would remind patients o the care that had disappeared rom healthcare. So beyond simply launching the rst all-

digital master planned hospital in Georgia, we set out to give patients everything rom access to a talented pool o doctors

and dedicated support staf, who would engage them in their treatment, to ree parking and amazing ood. See, beore

DeKalb Medical at Hillandale was even established, we asked ourselves, What can we do diferently? What can we do

better than them? And we still ask ourselves those two questions every day. Because as ar as were concerned, good could

never be good enough.

The last thing the community needed was just another hospital.

To learn more, visit www.dekalbmedicalhillandale.org

rey said.Those who complete the

program successfully willreceive a dismissal of anymisdemeanor charges fromthe solicitor generals of-

ce and their case may beeligible for expungement.As a result, the offender canavoid developing a criminalrecord.

We are projecting thatall of our future calendarswill average about 150

people each month, Storeysaid.

This is the second inno-vation Boston implementedsince taking ofce. Earlierthis year, she created the

ofces rst special victimsunit, which handles pendinghigh-risk domestic violence,stalking, sex offense, child-victim, elder and disabledabuse, vehicular homicideand animal cruelty cases.

Nearly 150 people crowded into a DeKalb courtroom earlier in themonth to take part in Solicitor General Sherry Boston's new pre-trial diversion program. Photo by by Daniel Beauregard

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

3/24

Page 3A The Champion Free Press, Friday November 4, 2011Local News

Live easy with your

Live easy withdiabetes management.

Publix Pharmacy

Diabetes Management System

FREE lisinopril,* FREE metformin,**

and more! Chat with your

Publix pharmacist or visit

publix.com/diabetes for details.

Aprons AdviceComplete your meal with steamed broccoli,brown rice, and unsweetened applesauce.

Ingredients1 lb flank steak (or chuck roast)1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped1 teaspoon minced garlic1 (14.5-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

(undrained)1 (8-oz) package tri-pepper mix

(fresh diced green, red, yellow bell peppers)1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon chili powder1 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon pepper1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakesAluminum foil1 (15-oz) can fat-free pinto beans

(drained and rinsed)

Prep Preheat oven to 350F. Cut steak across the grain into 2-inch strips

(wash hands). Chop onion.

Steps1. Place meat in a baking pan.

Combine tomatoes (undrained), onions,garlic, peppers, oregano, chili powder,cumin, salt, pepper, and red pepperflakes; pour over meat. Cover with foil;bake 23 hours or until tender.

2. Add beans to roast; bake, uncovered,5 more minutes, or until beans are hot.Shred meat, using two forks. Serve.

CALORIES (per 1/6 recipe) 240kcal; FAT 6g; CHOL 40mg;SODIUM 340mg; CARB 17g; FIBER 5g; PR OTEIN 25g;VIT A 8%; VIT C 35%; CALC 8%; IRON 20%

Source: Publix Aprons Simple Meals

Southwest Pot Roast With Pinto BeansActive Time - 20 minutesTotal Time - up to 3 1/2 hours(Makes 6 Servings)

. - . - . - . - .

This is just one of the recipes weve createdto help you manage meals.

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

4/24

Guest Columnist

Tax Wall Street to heal America

Sheriff urges voters tosupport sales tax for schools

The nations nurses are calling for a tax on financial transactions to begin

raising the revenue needed to fix the nations growing social crisis.by Deborah Burger

National Nurses United, Ameri-cas largest union of RNs, is sound-ng an alarm.

Weve organized rallies in NewYork, Boston, Washington, LosAngeles, Chicago, San Francisco,and Las Vegas, as well as in Minne-ota, Michigan, Texas, Florida and

other states and cities. Weve helddemonstrations at 60 congressionaleld ofces. And weve joined theOccupy Together movement as rstaid volunteers in more than a dozenites, including on Wall Street,

where it all started.Through these actions and oth-

ers, were drawing attention to anational emergency and calling for ainy but potentially powerful tax on

nancial transactions. This simpletep would amass up to $350 billion

annually in this country as part of aglobal push for revenue desperatelyneeded here and elsewhere aroundhe world.

Why are we making this tax ahuge priority? For nurses, patientcare extends beyond the bedside.

Consider this heartbreakingtory. StevenCross, a single dad,

departed his Lakeville, Minn., home

last month after it was seized by thebank. He was one of the millions ofAmericans through a combina-tion of stagnant wages, massiveunemployment, Wall Street goug-ing, and bank fraud forced out oftheir homes in recent years. He lefthis 11-year-old son behind with hisneighbors, telling them in a note,I dont want him to remember meas homeless. Actually, more thanmemories were at stake. Accord-ing to a recent survey conducted inCalifornia, two out of ve homelesspeople are at risk of dying a pre-mature death.

The richest 1 percent is doing usin. No one knows that better than usnurses. People are getting sick as aresult of the systems collapse. Pov-erty and nancial demise are engulf-ing communities while the wealthof a tiny minority continues to grow.

Early heart attacks, stomach ail-ments in children, acute anxiety inall age groups, and strokes are onthe rise. All of these conditions arestress-related, induced by the con-ditions imposed on a society dedi-cated to fullling the needs of therichest 1 percent.

There was a 39-percent increasein suicide attempts in families expe-

riencing foreclosure in four hard-hitstates, according to a study conduct-ed by researchers at Princeton andGeorgia State universities. The 1percent is bad for our health. Nursessee it every day in our hospitals andcommunities, and even in our ownfamilies. Thats why were protest-ing. Well keep it up for the dura-tion, until we see progress towardgetting crucial new resources intoour communities.

Americas child poverty rate of22 percent and rising is morethan a national disgrace. Its a recipefor disaster. But it can begin to be

addressed by revenue from a taxon stocks, bonds, derivatives andspeculative activity.

President Barack Obama mustdecide which side he is on, WallStreet or Main Street. If hes onMain Streets side, he needs to jointhe global movement in supportof a tax on nancial speculation.National Nurses United is sponsor-ing a major protest at the TreasuryDepartment on Nov. 3, where wellsend this message to Obama, aswell as to Treasury Secretary Timo-thyGeithner, whos been tellingEurope not to institute a nancialtransaction tax.

We need a tax like this. It wouldbe a small amount for Wall Street topay back to a reeling Main Street.It would be a down payment onthe larger sum needed to put thiscountry on its feet to get thechronically jobless back to work,reduce school overcrowding, andprovide quality health care for allAmericans. To do all that, wellneed to nd new sources of revenue.Theres no other way to rescue ourcommunities, save our families, andmake our children healthy.

The alternative is bleak for usall for those struggling like Ste-

ven Cross in Minnesota and for the1 percent. Our protests are for ourpatients and for our country. Wewont stop until an agenda to re-build Main Street is secured.

Deborah Burger, RN, is co-pres-ident of National Nurses United, thelargest union and professional as-sociation of U.S. registered nurses,with 170,000 members. She willattend the G-20 Summit in Cannes,France, to express support for ameaningful global tax on nancialtransactions. nationalnursesunited.org.

Letter to the editor:

For the past 15 years we have beenasked to go to the polls three timesand vote yes or no for a 1-cent SpecialLocal Option Sales Tax for new con-struction or major renovations for ourDeKalb School System.

The first five years we renovated andconstructed new elementary schoolsthroughout DeKalb County.

In the years six through 11 we saidyes again to major renovation andnew construction to middle and highschools.

In year 12 to date, we again said yesto our children and upgraded exist-ing schools throughout the systemwith new HVAC systems, new roofs,new multipurpose buildings andPhysical Education infrastructureimprovements.

Now we are being asked to go backon Nov. 8 to continue what we started.Make no mistakes, I have followed the

improvements closely the last 10 yearsas your sheriff and five years beforeas your public safety director. Ourchildren have been well served. Theschool system deserves another vote ofconfidence and I will give them mineand ask that you give them your vote aswell.

Voting yes on the 1-cent salestax for education will help build newclassrooms, new auditoriums, new vo-cational classrooms and other improve-ments in many schools and will makemuch needed repairs, renovations andimprovements in many other schoolsthroughout DeKalb County. Allschools will get updated with improvedtechnology and our children will havenew buses to get to school safely. Allof our children will benefit.

Please join with me on Nov. 8and vote yes to continue the 1-centSPLOST. DeKalb County will be abetter and safer place to live.

Thomas E. BrownSheriff of DeKalb County

The Champion Free Press, Friday November 4, 2011 Page 4AOpinion

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

5/24

One Mans Opinion

Why yes on E-SPLOST IV

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) 373-7779

Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week priorto 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: Robert Naddra

Production Manager: Kemesha Hunt

Graphic Designer: Travis Hudgons

The Champion Free Press is published eachFriday 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

Intelligence plus character, thats the true goal of education.Dr.

Martin Luther King, during a Wash-ngton, D.C. speech, March 26, 1964.

Advance voting for our Tuesday,Nov. 8, general election began onMonday, Oct. 17. To say that turn-out so far, in DeKalb and across ourtate has been light would be akino saying that the current state of

our economy has many mildly con-erned. The biggest ballot questionn metro Atlanta will be near the bot-om of your ballot, and is known as

E-SPLOST IV.Voters in DeKalb and Fulton coun-

ies, as well as the cities of Atlanta andDecatur will decide Nov. 8whether toontinue a dedicated penny of local

options sales tax toward school con-truction, renovation, expansion andmprovements. If passed, SPLOST IVs expected to generate nearly $2 bil-ion, ranging from $17 million for City

Schools of Decatur to $912 million forAtlanta Public Schools.

Voters initially passed the E-

SPLOST in 1997, with renewals in2002 and 2007, resulting in more than

$1 billion to date in school system im-provement projects, renovations andnew schools. Unfortunately all hasnot been rosy in SPLOST-land, anddiscontented voters are not as likelythis election cycle to automatically re-peat the E-SPLOST.

Punish local school boards?Some voters may want to punish

system superintendents, administra-tors and some school board membersfor what they view as lax oversight,or even outright mismanagement ofsome prior SPLOST funds. In DeKalbCounty, the prior superintendent aswell as the construction programsdirector are awaiting trial followingindictments concerning the allegedmisappropriation of $80 million inSPLOST III funds. Another multi-million lawsuit is being waged byDeKalb County against Heery Inter-national Construction, which precededthe internal staff management of theprogram, and is alleged to have mis-managed millions more.

Fortunately though, those formersuperintendents, as well as severalof their deputy superintendents arenow gone. Voters have already madechanges to several school boards, in-cluding DeKalbs. Holding back sup-port from E-SPLOST IV now wouldhardly punish those folks. No votesnow only really hurt children sittingin older, dilapidated school buildings,trailers or in facilities having long out-lasted their design life-span.

Even with last years school clo-

sures, DeKalb County Schools stilloperates more than 140 campuses.And in less than two months on thejob, our new Superintendent,Dr.Cheryl Atkinson, has already visitednearly half. That sort of initiative andhands-on oversight deserves support.

New oversight and procedures inplace

Dr. Atkinson and the current schoolboard are taking additional steps tomanage the resources that may begenerated by SPLOST IV. A citizensoversight and advisory committee,composed of industry professionals,will be monitoring the budgeting andexpenditure of the SPLOST millions.An external auditing firm will be se-lected and hired to oversee all countyschool spending, as well as conduct aseparate analysis of all system salariesand positions, starting with the admin-istrative offices, with an already statedgoal of moving more dollars and re-sources into schools and classrooms.

Greater transparencyThe new superintendent and

school board indicate that the om-budsman/auditor will not report to thesuperintendent and board, but insteadto all DeKalb taxpayers, and that fu-ture projects and multi-million dollarsschool system expenses may soonbe available online, as opposed to aprotracted and bureaucratic series ofpublic information and open recordsdocument requests. All of this greater

oversight and transparency should go

a long way toward restoring publicconfidence in the process.

Plan B?No votes on SPLOST IV will

not take away the leaking roofs, non-functioning HVAC, or asbestos issuesin need of abatement or respond toschool overcrowding exacerbated bystudents moving from non-performingannual yearly progress (AYP) schoolsto better performing schools in thecounty. As DeKalb County has lostnearly $1 billion in the value of its taxdigest over the past year, and morethan 18,000 homes to foreclosure, asmaller DeKalb Schools budget canonly be changed by the SPLOST or aperhaps evenless-popular increase inthe millage rate to raise additional rev-enue from property tax.

Either way, come the Wednesdaymorning after this low turnout elec-tion, DeKalb County will still have thethird-largest school system in the stateGeorgia, and nearly 100,000 childrenwill be living every day with yourchoices. A penny for their thoughts?Im willing to toss quite a few millionmore in that big cookie jar. I hope thatyou will consider doing the same, andtaking a like-minded friend or twoalong with you to the polls.

Bill Crane is a DeKalb County nativeand business owner, living in Scottdale,Georgia. He also serves as chief politicalanalyst and commentator for 11Alive Newsand WSB Radio, News/Talk 750. Contact

Bill Crane at [email protected].

The Champion Free Press, Friday, November 4, 2011 Page 5AOpinion

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

6/24

The Champion Free Press, Friday November 4, 2011 Page 6AOpinion

GOP debates aremore entertaining

than GOP policiesWhen you get a chance to have one lessGaddaf in the world, you should take it.

I was out of the country for acouple of weeks and came back to

be greeted by yet another Repub-lican presidential debate. I was sopleased.

I hadnt realized how much Imissed that goofy bunch of crazykids.

Ive grown especially fond ofRon Paul, the congressman fromMars. Hes against all governmententerprises, up to and includingpainting yellow lines on the high-way. (Im not sure whether hesphysically shrinking or his suits aregetting bigger, but when he answersa question he sort of twists his necklike a turtle coming out of its shell.More and more, hes come to re-

semble the crazy uncle you hide inthe attic when company comes.)

And then theres Michele Bach-mann, the Gracie Allen of thegroup. She stands there with herwide, unblinking stare and keepssaying remarkable things. In the lastdebate she made a moving appeal tothe moms out there who are try-ing to keep things together.

I will not fail you, she said.Hold on, moms out there. Its nottoo late.

Funny? I thought Id die. Whileurging the moms to hold until shearrived, she neglected to tell them

that she was going to cut the ropethey were holding on to when shegot there.

I was surprised to learn that inmy absence, Herman Cain, thePizza baron, had moved into a lead-ership position in the race. I thoughthe was in it for the laughs. (Youhave to admit, his 9-9-9 plan,which would raise taxes on the mid-dle class and lower them on upper-income types, is worth a chuckle.)

And Newt Gingrich is always ahoot with his superannuated Dennisthe Menace act.

However, I must confess that Idont understand what Rick Santo-

rum is doing in the race. The realstars of the show are the duelinggovernors, Mitt Romney and RickPerry. Theyve raised their profes-

sional wrestling act to the level ofart.

Romney adopts a stance of jovialcondescension while Perry visiblyseethes at his rival. He looks asthough hed like to crush Mitt likea grape or, even better, shoot thesidewinder with the six-gun he car-ries while jogging. Romney would

probably settle for strapping Perryto the roof of his car and drivinghim to Maine.

I was disappointed that Gov.Chris Christie of New Jersey de-cided he didnt want to be a can-didate. Hes something of a brute,but he comes across as an hon-est politician who doesnt mincewords, which would be a refreshingchange. (Also, it would be good tohave a fat person in the race, sincefat people are the last disadvantagedminority that its kind of OK tomake jokes about.)

Ill be frank with you, though: Idont see how any of these peopleexpects to be elected.

To one degree or another, theyrun as surrogates of the tea party.The movement is supposed to bepopulist in character, but prettymuch every item on their agenda fa-vors the wealthy few at the expenseof the not-very-wealthy many.

When populism was last in fullflower 100 years ago, for example,free silver was the battle cry. Thatwas code for easy credit. Silverwas the inflationary currency andit favored people in debt (becauseyou could pay off debts with moneyworth less than the money you bor-

rowed).Were still a nation of debtors,and the Republicans are clamoringfor a deflationary policy one thatwould force people to pay off debtswith money more expensive thanthat which they borrowed.

They want to cut public assis-tance to the elderly and poor. Theywant some version of a flat tax onincome that would fall more heavilyon those with less. They want to doaway with the protection govern-ment gives the public against corpo-ration malfeasance.

They expect to win with that?I dont get it.OtherWords columnist Donald

Kaul lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.otherwords.org

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

7/24

The Champion Free Press, Friday November 4, 2011 Page 7ALocal News

Reporters reminisce on

the Watergate scandal

If you would like to nominate someone to

be considered as a future Champion of theWeek, please contactKathy [email protected] or at

404-373-7779, ext. 104.

Champion ofthe WeekJulie Childs

DeKalb resident JulieChilds has been volun-teering at the DeKalbRape Crisis Center(DRCC) since it was justan idea considered by theDecatur Cooperative Min-istry (DCM).

In 1988, the DCM pre-sented the findings of astudy it had conductedfor the Junior League ofDeKalb County. The studywas to determine if thecounty had a need for arape crisis center, and

according to the DCM itabsolutely did.The Junior League

committed several volun-teers and donated around$10,000, Childs said.

Childs was one of thecenters first volunteers.She and several othersunderwent training tooperate the crisis call lineand later she became aboard member for thecenter.

We hired a part-timedirector and did our firsttraining class in 1989.

Then we added a coun-selor shortly after thatand we had someone whodid group sessions for adiscount, she said.

Several years later,the center became morefinancially stable andChilds said it was able tohire a full-time counselorand group therapist.

Childs is an attorneywith her own practice, but

she still finds the time tovolunteer with the centereach month. Althoughshe no longer works thephones, Childs said shekeeps busy by helpingorganize fundraisers theDRCC has each year.

Right now Im chair-ing a wine tasting andauction Nov. 17, Childssaid. Its at the DruidHills Golf Club and there

are 16 wines for tasting.Tickets are only $55 andtheres good food.

Childs said her parentswere very active in thecommunity, volunteeringat church and PTAs, aswell as Boy Scouts andbooster clubs, and thatservice made an impres-sion on her.

Probably my firstrecollection volunteeringwas working with HeadStart one summer when Iwas 12 or 13, but at campwe did volunteer stufflong before that, Childssaid.

Childs said shesgrateful for the opportuni-ty to work with the centerand meet the people shedoes.

There are lots of dif-ferent opportunities. Noteverybody wants to do thecrisis line and you have togo through some prettyintensive training and beable to drop everythingto go to the hospital andbe with someone if youreneeded, Childs said.But theres plenty of of-fice work and helping outfor the fundraisers.

Childs said thatthrough working at thecrisis center she has alsolearned a lot about hercommunity.

Its a great cause andit helps women put theirlives back together after ahorrific event, she said.

y Daniel [email protected]

Legendary reporters BobWoodward and Carl Bern-tein told a full auditorium oftudents, teachers and politi-al junkies that if the Water-

gate scandal had happenedoday, their investigative tac-ics would remain the same.

The pair had been invitedo speak at the university

on Oct. 26, as part of theGoodrich C. White lectureeries and spoke for nearlyn hour about Watergate,

American politics and thetate of the media in todaysechnology-driven age.

People think the internets a magic box that can give

you the truth, Woodwardaid. If you look at how to

get information in any storywhere its hidden, and mosttories are hidden, you haveo develop human sourcesnd a relationship of trust and

get people to tell you things

hat, believe me, are not onhe internet.Were on the edge of a

risis about where we are inerms of getting knowledgebout our government,

Woodward said.Addressing an audience

member who asked howdiscouraged and fearful theywere of the ability of Ameri-ans to get objective infor-

mation to make real choices.Bernstein answered, Im notn optimist.

Bernstein then describedjournalists or editors most

mportant responsibility asmaking a decision about

what is news.One of the things about

he internet is we know more

and more people are lookingfor information to conrmtheir already-held beliefs,

prejudices and ideologies,rather than to be well-in-formed, Bernstein said.

Woodward and Bernsteinexplained in detailal-

beit sometimes tongue-in-cheekhow they managedto break one of the biggeststories in American historyin 1972. The pair uncoveredthe political scandal that ledto the resignation of PresidentRichard Nixon.

Its great to be here; weasked Gordon Liddy to ar-range the microphones andonce again Gordon has failedus, Woodward said with achuckle as both he and theshorter Bernstein adjusted themicrophones.

In 1972, Liddy superviseda group of men now knownas the White House Plumb-ers who broke into the Wa-tergate Hotel in 1972, wherethe Democratic National

Convention Ofces were, togather intelligence on Nix-ons political opponents.

Bernstein ad-libbed thatat one point, he got lists of

people from an ex-girlfriendin Washington that enabledthem to begin their investiga-tion.

We worked at night,Bernstein said. We got holdof some lists of people whoworked for the committee ofthe re-election of the presi-dent in the White House andwe started methodically togo out at night and knock onsome doors and nd out whatit was they had to say.

The Washington Postreporters described the rstyear of their work on the Wa-

tergate story as one that wasvery methodical.

We went about this cov-erage very incrementally, a

piece at a time. We wrote acouple hundred stories in therst year after the break in,Bernstein said.

Both described the Nixon-White House as one that

portrayed itself as a fueled,well-oiled White House ma-chine presided over by Nix-ons deputies that could do nomechanical wrong.

Woodward said they be-came interested in followingthe money and Bernsteintracked down the presidents

bookkeeper. After that, hesaid, everything began to fallinto place.

The duo also treated theaudience to a brief reading ofsome excerpts of the Nixontapes, apologizing for the lan-guage before reading quotesfrom Nixon telling FBI Di-rectorJ. Edgar Hoover to

blow up a safe at the Brook-ings Institution, a popularWashington think tank.

In closing, Woodward tolda clever anecdote of when heinterviewed former PresidentGeorge W. Bush for one ofhis books about the Iraq war.After the interview, Wood-ward said he asked the presi-dent how he thought historywould judge his Iraq war.History, we wont know,well all be dead, Bush said.

Later, Woodward said hereturned home and his wifeasked him how the interviewwent. Well, he answered allof my questions, he said,but more importantly, I thinkIve got the ending for the

book.

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein spoke to students, teachers and political junkies at Emory Univer-ity on Oct. 26. Photo by Daniel Beauregard

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

8/24


CALL FOR AND NOTICE OF CITY OF DUNWOODY, GEORGIA

NOVEMBER 8, 2011 BOND ELECTION

TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY OF DUNWOODY, GEORGIA:

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that on the 8th

day of November, 2011, an election will be held in the City of Dunwoody, Georgia (the City) at which time there will be submitted to the qualifiedvoters of the City for their determination the question of whether or not City of Dunwoody General Obligation Bonds in one or more series (the Bonds), payable from the levy of a tax, resulting from anincrease in the millage rate imposed on all property subject to ad valorem taxation within the territorial limits of the City, shall be issued by City in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $33,000,000for the acquisition and remediation of land to be used for parks and greenspace and the costs associated therewith (Land Acquisition Project).

The Bonds relating to the Land Acquisition Project, if approved by the voters, may be issued in whole or in part in one or more series in the aggregate principal amount of not to exceed$33,000,000, and would bear interest at a rate or rates not to exceed 7.0% per annum, payable semiannually until paid. Such Bonds, if approved by the voters, shall mature or have principal payable inthe years and the principal amounts as follows:

Year PrincipalAmount





2012 -

2013 645,000.00 2019 720,000.00 2025 885,000.00 2031 1,150,000.00 2037 1,540,000.00

2014 655,000.00 2020 740,000.00 2026 925,000.00 2032 1,205,000.00 2038 1,625,000.00

2015 665,000.00 2021 765,000.00 2027 960,000.00 2033 1,265,000.00 2039 1,710,000.00

2016 675,000.00 2022 790,000.00 2028 1,005,000.00 2034 1,325,000.00 2040 1,795,000.00

2017 690,000.00 2023 820,000.00 2029 1,050,000.00 2035 1,395,000.00 2041 1,890,000.00

2018 705,000.00 2024 850,000.00 2030 1,100,000.00 2036 1,465,000.00 2042 1,990,000.00

The Bonds, if approved by the voters, shall contain such other provisions for redemption, registration and other matters as may be specified by the City in a subsequent resolution or ordinance.

If the Bonds are authorized by the requisite number of qualified voters, then the City shall levy, a tax, resulting from an increase in the millage rate imposed on all property subject to ad valoremtaxation within the territorial limits of the City in sufficient amount to pay the principal of and interest on said Bonds and their respective maturities and the proceeds of such Bonds shall be held by the Cityseparate and apart from all other of its funds and shall be used by the City for the purposes and to accomplish the undertakings hereinabove set forth.

The ballots to be used at said election shall have written or printed thereon substantially the following:

YES [ ]

NO [ ]

Shall land be acquired and remediated for parks and greenspace by the City of Dunwoody through the issuance of generalobligation bonds in the amount of $33,000,000?

The regular places for holding said election shall be at the regular and established voting precincts and election districts of DeKalb County, Georgia within the City and the polls shall be openfrom 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the date fixed for the election.

Those residents qualified to vote at said election shall be determined in all respects in accordance with the election laws of the State of Georgia.

THE CITY WILL NOT CONDUCT ANY PERFORMANCE AUDIT OR PERFORMANCE REVIEW WITH RESPECT TO THE BONDS AS SUCH TERMS ARE DESCRIBED IN SECTION 36-82-

100, OFFICIAL CODE OF GEORGIA ANNOTATED.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 36-82-1(d) of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, any brochures, listings or other advertisements relating to the Bonds issued with theknowledge and consent of the City, as evidenced by a resolution adopted by the City, will be deemed to be a statement of intention of the City concerning the use of the bond funds.

This notice is given pursuant to a resolution of the City adopted on July 25th, 2011.

CITY OF DUNWOODY, GEORGIABy: Ken Wright, MayorBy: Sharon LoweryClerk of the City of Dunwoody,Georgia, as Municipal Election Superintendent

CALL FOR AND NOTICE OF CITY OF DUNWOODY, GEORGIA

NOVEMBER 8, 2011 BOND ELECTION

TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY OF DUNWOODY, GEORGIA:

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that on the 8th

day of November, 2011, an election will be held in the City of Dunwoody, Georgia (the City) at which time there will be submitted to the qualifiedvoters of the City for their determination the question of whether or not City of Dunwoody General Obligation Bonds in one or more series (the Bonds), payable from the levy of a tax, resulting from anincrease in the millage rate imposed on all property subject to ad valorem taxation within the territorial limits of the City, shall be issued by City in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $33,000,000for the improvement to the park system in the City and the costs associated therewith (Parks Project).

The Bonds relating to the Parks Project (the Park Bonds), if approved by the voters, may be issued in whole or in part in one or more series in the aggregate principal amount of not to exceed$33,000,000, and would bear interest at a rate or rates not to exceed 7.0% per annum, payable semiannually until paid. Such Bonds, if approved by the voters, shall mature or have principal payable inthe years and the principal amounts as follows:






2012 -

2013 645,000.00 2019 720,000.00 2025 885,000.00 2031 1,150,000.00 2037 1,540,000.00

2014 655,000.00 2020 740,000.00 2026 925,000.00 2032 1,205,000.00 2038 1,625,000.00

2015 665,000.00 2021 765,000.00 2027 960,000.00 2033 1,265,000.00 2039 1,710,000.00

2016 675,000.00 2022 790,000.00 2028 1,005,000.00 2034 1,325,000.00 2040 1,795,000.00

2017 690,000.00 2023 820,000.00 2029 1,050,000.00 2035 1,395,000.00 2041 1,890,000.00

2018 705,000.00 2024 850,000.00 2030 1,100,000.00 2036 1,465,000.00 2042 1,990,000.00

The Bonds, if approved by the voters, shall contain such other provisions for redemption, registration and other matters as may be specified by the City in a subsequent resolution or ordinance.

If the Bonds are authorized by the requisite number of qualified voters, then the City shall levy, a tax, resulting from an increase in the millage rate imposed on all property subject to ad valoremtaxation within the territorial limits of the City in sufficient amount to pay the principal of and interest on said Bonds and their respective maturities and the proceeds of such Bonds shall be held by the Cityseparate and apart from all other of its funds and shall be used by the City for the purposes and to accomplish the undertakings hereinabove set forth.

The ballots to be used at said election shall have written or printed thereon substantially the following:

YES [ ]

NO [ ]

Shall the park system of the City of Dunwoody be improved by the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of$33,000,000?

The regular places for holding said election shall be at the regular and established voting precincts and election districts of DeKalb County, Georgia within the City and the polls shall be openfrom 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the date fixed for the election.

Those residents qualified to vote at said election shall be determined in all respects in accordance with the election laws of the State of Georgia.

THE CITY WILL NOT CONDUCT ANY PERFORMANCE AUDIT OR PERFORMANCE REVIEW WITH RESPECT TO THE BONDS AS SUCH TERMS ARE DESCRIBED IN SECTION 36-82-

100, OFFICIAL CODE OF GEORGIA ANNOTATED.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 36-82-1(d) of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, any brochures, listings or other advertisements relating to the Bonds issued with theknowledge and consent of the City, as evidenced by a resolution adopted by the City, will be deemed to be a statement of intention of the City concerning the use of the bond funds.

This notice is given pursuant to a resolution of the City adopted on July 25th, 2011.

CITY OF DUNWOODY, GEORGIABy: Ken Wright, MayorBy: Sharon LoweryClerk of the City of Dunwoody,Georgia, as Municipal Election Superintendent

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

9/24


DeKalb has neweconomic developmentteam leader

by Andrew [email protected]

DeKalbs new director ofeconomic development likenshis job to that of a coach.

Youre not on the eldmost of time, said CharlesWhatley, who took over theposition on Oct. 3. Youvegot to have a strong team,and we do have a strongteam.

And by team, Whatleydoesnt just mean the vemembers of his staff.

Theres no economicdevelopment staff in Americathats large enough to take onthe real challenge of a city ora state or a county, What-ley said. The partnershipswith the private sector andwith the departments withingovernment are all critical.Every department in DeKalbCounty is tied in to economicdevelopment directly or indi-rectly.

Whatley, who has a bach-elor of arts degree in eco-nomics from Yale University,brings to DeKalb County 20

years of professional experi-ence in economic develop-ment, including six years asthe manager of the businessdevelopment division and asthe director of commerce andentrepreneurship with the At-lanta Development Authority.

Whatley also worked for15 years as an independentconsultant specializing inbusiness models, strategicand marketing plans, oppor-tunity and economic feasibil-ity studies, and market fore-casts for clients in the UnitedStates, Malaysia, India andCanada.

The Atlanta area native isan advisor to the Green LoanFund for the Access to Capi-tal for Entrepreneurs. TheGreen Loan Fund gives loansto small businesses to start orexpand an eco-friendly prod-

uct or services. Whatley isalso a member of the UrbanLand Institute, the Interna-tional Economic Develop-ment Council, the Councilfor Development FinanceAgencies, the InternationalCouncil of Shopping Centersand Lambda Alpha Interna-tional, the Honorary Societyfor the Advancement of LandEconomics.

Whatley and his wifeHeather have two teenage

boys.We are excited to wel-

come director Whatley toDeKalb County and I amcondent that director What-leys extensive background ineconomic development willenhance the quality of lifefor all stakeholders who live,work and play in this greatcounty, said CEO BurrellEllis.

With its Perimeter area,which has become the central

business district for metroAtlanta, signicant industrialareas, small town centers,and urban redevelopmentopportunities, Whatley said,

DeKalb is an interestingplace with a lot of potential.DeKalb County has an ad-

vantage over cities, Whatleysaid.

Cities are built envi-ronments that have limitedland, he said. A county likeDeKalb brings all of thatcities with limited land, moresuburban areas with moreopen space as well as land forindustrial and distribution aswell as rural. That combina-tion is really what allows fora more diverse economy andopportunity to attract a widerrange of business types.

The county also has anopportunity to implementsome key sustainability ini-tiatives, Whatley said.

DeKalb over the yearshas made pretty strong in-vestments in infrastructure,

Nearly 30 shops and restaurants all around theCity of Decatur stay open late with refreshments

and deals, Terrific Thursdays through Dec. 15

decaturga.comvisitdecaturgeorgia.com Downtown

Decatur

Advertising funded by the Decatur Craft Beer Festival.

Alexia Gallery

335-B W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

The Bakery at Cakes and Ale

151 Sycamore St.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

For November 10, 2011

The City of Chamblee, Georgia will hold a public hearing to accept comments onFEMAs proposed Flood Map revisions. The maps will contain information on the draftfloodplain boundaries as a part of Georgias Department of Natural Resources UpperChattahoochee River Basin remapping project. For more information on proposedchanges, you may view maps at www.georgiadfirm.com or at www.chambleega.com.The public hearing will be held on November 10, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at the ChambleeCivic Center, 3540 Broad Street, Chamblee, GA 30341.

Whatley said. Its hard to begreen without a strong grayinfrastructure.

A key challenge forDeKalb is the world econo-my, Whatley said.

Everyone is facing thesame challenge, Whatley

said. The uncertainty glob-ally makes it difcult to con-vince investors to put theirmoney anywhere. Its notunique to DeKalb.

Whatley believes countyleaders have a commitmentto make sure that DeKalbis business-friendly in thesense that businesses under-stand what the rules are andthe rules dont change in themiddle of a project.

Whatley said he is glad tobe working in DeKalb andis excited about the potentialhere.

Theres a real desire, youcan tell, on all levels to keepDeKalb strong and reallymove it forward, Whatleysaid. Its a pretty challengingtime and nobodys backingdown, and thats critical forfuture success.

Charles Whatley, the countysnew economic developer with20 years of experience, saysDeKalbs business-friendly en-vironment makes it attractiveto investors. Photo by AndrewCauthen

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

10/24


County breaksground on renewablegas facility

A groundbreaking cer-emony was held Oct. 27

for a renewable natural gasRNG) processing facility athe Seminole Road Landlln Ellenwood.

Through the Clean CitiesAtlanta Petroleum Reduc-ion Program and Energy

Systems Group, the DeKalbCounty Sanitation Depart-ment will convert 70 ve-hicles to run on RNG thats produced by the DeKalb

County Renewable FuelsFacility, providing a fuelhat is cleaner and less ex-

pensive than diesel fuel.

Compared to the cost ofdiesel fuel, DeKalb Countys forecasting fuel savings

of $3 million over the nexteight years. The countysgoal is to eventually replaceor adapt its entire eet of306 sanitation vehicles withnatural gas vehicles over thesame time period.

The program is fundedby DeKalb County and aU.S. Department of Energygrant made possible throughPresident Obamas fed-eral stimulus program, theAmerican Recovery and Re-

nvestment Act of 2009.

Fireghters raisemore than $50,000

DeKalb County FireRescue employees raised$51,132 for the GeorgiaFireghter Burn Foundationecently during the annual

Give Burns the Boot fund-

raiser.Fire Station 1 C shift

near the Emory corridor ledthe countys donation ef-forts, raising $3,200. FireStation 20 A shift inDecatur raised $2,423 and

Fire Station 23 A shift inClarkston placed third, rais-ing $2,369. All proceedssupport fire safety educationand burn survivor programs.Ten percent of the totalfunds collected go directlyto DeKalb County Fire Res-cue to be used for fire safe-ty/burn prevention programsin DeKalb County.

Gannon appointedto nationalenvironmental board

DeKalb County Com-missionerKathie Gannonhas been appointed to theGreen Government Boardof the National Associa-tion of Counties (NACo).Formed in 2007 to provideeducational opportunitiesand technical assistance toAmericas counties on abroad array of sustainabilityissues, the board impartsleadership on the mostcutting-edge initiatives. Asa board member, she willprovide expertise on county

sustainability issues, as wellas raise awareness of sus-tainability solutions, accord-ing to NACo. She bringsexperience to this boardthrough her leadership ofthe DeKalb Green Commis-sion and her involvementwith the development of acounty sustainability plan.

Gannon was also ap-pointed to the NACo Envi-

ronment, Energy and LandUse Steering Committee(EELU). This commit-tee oversees the legislativeagenda of NACo to developpolicies pertaining to suchmatters as air, water, and

noise pollution, solid andhazardous waste disposal,preservation of water re-sources, and energy ef-ciency.

Gannon has served onthe DeKalb County Boardof Commissioners sinceJanuary 2005 representingSuper District 6, the westernhalf of the county.

City of Chambleeemployee indicted onracketeering charges

A city of Chamblee em-ployee was indicted Oct.20 by a grand jury on rack-eteering charges.

According to the indict-ment, Bobbi Jean Farrellaltered Chamblee PoliceDepartment traffic cita-tions and bond refund formswhile she was an employeewith the city. The docu-ments were altered so thatit appeared that people pre-viously accused of crimeswere due bond refunds. Asa result, the city of Cham-

blee issued bank checks torefund bond amounts, whichFarrell acquired and depos-ited into her personal bankaccount, according to theindictment.

Farrell is charged withracketeering, two counts offalse official certificates orwritings and four counts oftheft by taking. The allegedincidents occurred between

N E W S B R I E F S

420-302934 11/3,11/10,11/17,11/24,12/1NOTICE OF SALE UNDER POWER

Georgia, DeKalb CountyBecause of a default in the payment of the indebtedness secured by a

Security Deed executed by Diana Edmunds and Keith B. Edmunds toMortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. dated April 4, 2003, andrecorded in Deed Book 14441, Page 200, and Deed Book 17316, Page 94,DeKalb County Records, said Security Deed having been last sold, assigned,transferred and conveyed to Midfirst Bank, by Assignment, securing a Notein the original principal amount of $134,284.00, the holder thereof pursuant

to said Deed and Note thereby secured has declared the entire amount of saidindebtedness due and payable and, pursuant to the power of sale contained insaid Deed, will on the first Tuesday, December 6, 2011, during the legalhours of sale, before the Courthouse door in said County, sell at publicoutcry to the highest bidder for cash, the property described in said Deed, to-wit:

All that tract or parcel of land lying and being in Land Lot 34

of the 16th District, DeKalb County, Georgia, being Lot 48,

Block B, Redan Station Subdivision, Phase Two-A, as per platrecorded in Plat Book 91, Page 86, DeKalb County Records,

which said plat is incorporated herein by this reference and

made a part of this description.Said property is known as 5312 McCarter Station, Stone Mountain, GA

30088, together with all fixtures and personal property attached to andconstituting a part of said property, if any.

Said property will be sold subject to any outstanding ad valorem taxes(including taxes which are a lien, whether or not now due and payable), theright of redemption of any taxing authority, any matters which might bedisclosed by an accurate survey and inspection of the property, anyassessments, liens, encumbrances, zoning ordinances, restrictions, covenants,

and matters of record superior to the Security Deed first set out above.The sale will be conducted subject (1) to confirmation that the sale is not

prohibited under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and (2) to final confirmation andaudit of the status of the loan with the holder of the security deed.Notice has been given of intention to collect attorney's fees in accordance

with the terms of the Note secured by said Deed.Said property will be sold as the property of Diana Edmunds and Keith

B. Edmunds, the property, to the best information, knowledge and belief ofthe undersigned, being presently in the possession ofDiana Edmunds andKeith B. Edmunds, and the proceeds of said sale will be applied to thepayment of said indebtedness and all the expenses of said sale, includingattorney's fees, all as provided in said Deed, and the balance, if any, will bedistributed as provided by law.Midfirst Bankas Attorney-in-Fact

for Diana Edmunds and Keith B. EdmundsFile no. 08-005566SHAPIRO & SWERTFEGER, LLP*Attorneys and Counselors at Law2872 Woodcock Blvd., Duke Building, Suite 100

Atlanta, GA 30341-3941(770)220-2535/CPwww.swertfeger.net*THE LAW FIRM IS ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANYINFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

April 7 and June 28, the in-dictment stated.

Authorities searchingfor man charged withsexual assault

The DeKalb CountySheriffs Office fugitivesquad is searching for aDecatur man in connectionwith the rape of a 70-year-old woman.

Donnie Bess, 54, hasbeen charged with ag-gravated sodomy, robberyand aggravated assaultagainst the woman, who iswheelchair-bound, accord-ing to DCSO spokesmanSgt. Adrion Bell. In addi-tion to the sexual assault,

Bess is accused of chokingthe victim and punching herin the face, police said. Heis also accused of stealing a32-inch television, jewelryand an unspecified amount

of money from the victim,according to police.

Bess has a long criminalhistory, according to inves-tigators. He was convictedfor burglary in 1978, 1979and 1982, arson in 1983,

aggravated assault in 1994and manslaughter in 2000.He is 6 feet tall and weighsbetween 180 to 220 pounds.He is known for doing lawnwork and small maintenancejobs in DeKalb and sur-rounding metro areas.

Any information onthe case can be submittedanonymously to the CrimeStoppers Atlanta tip lineat (404) 577-TIPS (8477),online www.crimestop-persatlanta.org or by textingCSA and the tip to CRIMES

(274637). Persons do nothave to give their name orany identifying informationto be eligible for the rewardof up to $2,000.

CITY OF DUNWOODYPUBLIC NOTICE OF ELECTION

Notice is hereby given that on November 8, 2011, in conjunction with the GeneralMunicipal Election, there shall be conducted in the City of Dunwoody, Georgia an

election for the purpose of submitting the question of Sunday package sales by retailersof malt beverage, wine, and distilled spirits in the City of Dunwoody to the electors of

the City of Dunwoody for approval or rejection. The ballot shall have written orprinted thereon the words:

( ) Yes Shall the governing authority of the City of Dunwoody, Georgia beauthorized to permit and regulate package sales by retailers of malt

( ) No beverages, wine and distilled spirits on Sundays between the hours of12:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.?

This notice is given pursuant to a resolution of the City adopted on June 20th

, 2011.

CITY OF DUNWOODY,GEORGIA

By: Sharon Lowery

Municipal Elections Superintendent

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

11/24


Community gardens a natural fit for Burundi refugeesby Robert [email protected]

A group of refugees from the eastAfrican country of Burundi haveaken up farming again, as they didn their native country, with the help

of the Stone Mountain nonprotRefugee Family Services.

Susan Pavlin, director ofpolicy with RFS, has set up theGlobal Growers Network (GGN)o support the refugee communityn DeKalb County. With guidance

from experienced Burundi farmers,a group of about 15 Burundi womenare growing the food and gainingknowledge about urban farming inGeorgias climate.

Pavlins latest project is aroughly half-acre plot of land atEast College Avenue and NewStreet in Decatur. The groupmanages a total of six communitygardens and one farm, primarily inDecatur and Clarkston.

Global Growers reached an

agreement with the owners of EastDecatur Station, which also owns

the land where the group has a farmon Sams Street.

They have given us a verygenerous lease agreement sobetween the two plots we haveabout an acre of land, Pavlinsaid. Some of the women haveother jobs, but many of the womenhavent had the opportunity to workbecause they either have smallchildren or speak limited English.But this is supplemental income forthem.

The Sams Street farm iscompleting its second growingcycle, Pavlin said. The women takethe produce that is grown and sell itat the Grant Park Farmers Marketin Atlanta.

GGN will celebrate its secondHarvest Festival on Oct. 22, noon-3 p.m. at the farm at 121 SamsStreet. The event is a fundraiser forthe group that includes a WinterStew and Chili Cook-off, withinternational music, dancing andfresh-grown produce.

This is a unique opportunityto celebrate the tremendous

contributions that internationalnewcomers can make to our localfood system, and to share in thesuccess of these incredible womenas producers for our local markets,Pavlin said.

The newest plot of land will beplanted with a cover crop later thisyear to keep weeds away, Pavlinsaid. The soil will be turned over inFebruary 2012 and be ready to grow

by early spring.Pavlin said she started the GGN

after the Sams Street project.We had a handful of different

projects in Clarkston and it was away to make sure to get everybodyconnected, Pavlin said. Plus, itsa way to provide education andsupport for everyone.

Pavlin worked with the SouthernRegional Risk ManagementEducation Center to provide trainingfor the farmers for the rst year.Also, the GGN receives fundingfrom the Federal Ofce of RefugeeResettlement. The money helps buyequipment and pay for training andtechnical support, Pavlin said.

Most of the women hadexperience farming in Burundi,which is near the equator. However,the training has enabled the womento learn how to cultivate cool- andwarm-weather vegetables.

A chance meeting with a Burundirefugee who was an agronomist inhis home country sparked the ideafor the gardens, Pavlin said.

I met a guy who was a trainedagronomist, and had a job similarto an extension agent here, Pavlinsaid. He wanted to get back intofarming and I told him my idea.He said, If you nd the land, I cannd the people. Thats how it gotstarted.

With the dirt freshly tilled atthe corner on New Street and EastCollege, Pavlin already is lookingfor more opportunities.

We have applied to DeKalbCounty for another garden spaceand we hope to enroll in a farmtraining program in the spring,Pavlin said.

A group of Burundi refugees, left photo, work on a community garden at the corner of New Street and East College Aveune in Decatur. Volunteers help, right photo and be-ow, at another garden on Sams Street in Decatur. Photos provided

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

12/24


Receive our Jumbo Fried Shrimp Platter for $9.99. Please present coupon attime of order. Not valid with daily specials, other coupon or holiday offers, giftcard purchases, for alcoholic beverages, or in conjunction with our GiveBackprogram. Limit one coupon per check. Duplicated or altered coupons will not

be accepted. Tax and gratuity excluded. Valid for dine-in only. Coupons cannotbe resold or traded and have no cash value.

CJY1MJ6

Valid: November 3 - 13, 2011

$9.99

ShrimpJumbo Fried

Platter

www.Marl inAndRaysSeafood.com

3025 Turner Hill Rd. Lithonia, GA 30038

(678) 323-8223

THINK AGAIN! Every jumboshrimp is hand-breaded with a

dusting of signaturespices then fried to goldenperfection. Served up right

with our house-madecoleslaw and shoestring fries.

ThinkAll

ShrimpAre

CreatedEqual?

Commissioners may support extendingproposed transportation tax

Cooking competition highlights

international festival

by Andrew [email protected]

DeKalb County leadersare considering a way tosqueeze some extra moneyfrom the proposed transpor-tation sales tax.

As it stands, the pro-posed transportation pennysales tax would automati-cally expire when the pro-ected $6.1 billion is col-

lected, even if that is beforethe 10-year sunset of thetax.

But the DeKalb Board ofCommissioners is consider-ing joining other agencies

in supporting an automatic10-year collection of thetax even if the anticipatedfunds are collected early.That proposal would allowmore tax funds to be col-lected.

If we collect the taxfor the full 10-years, if it

should pass, we could thenhave the opportunity to goback andprovidefunding forthose proj-ects likethe I-20MARTAproject thatdid not getenoughfunding,

said CommissionerKathieGannon.

The actual cost of theprojects and the estimation

of how long it will take toraise the $6.1 billion is re-ally a guestimate, Gannonsaid.

The board is consideringasking the states GeneralAssembly to adjust the end

date for the proposed tax.There is almost $30 bil-

lion worth of infrastructurein our region, if not more,said Com-missionerLee May.Everypenny thatwe can getover the10-yearwindow isdenitelyneeded.

If the end-date adjust-ment is approved, May saidthe legislature and regionalstakeholders will have to

determine how to priori-tize projects which will bethe benefactors of this ad-ditional revenue that willcome forward.

In August, the AtlantaRegional Roundtable unan-

imously approved a motionto ask the governor and

state legislature to extendthe proposed tax to the full10 years.

On Oct. 13, the round-table approved a project listthat will go to voters nextyear in a referendum ap-proved by the state legisla-ture last year.

Voters in the 10-countymetro Atlanta region willdecide whether they wantto pay a penny-sales tax tofund various transportationprojects, including transit,roadway safety, and bicycle

and pedestrian improve-ments.

Among the $1.1 bil-lion in proposed DeKalbCounty projects are a $700million Clifton CorridorTransit that would run fromLindbergh Center to EmoryUniversity and a $225 mil-lion I-20 corridor project inwhich several park-and-rideexpress bus stations wouldbe constructed, connectingthe Indian Creek MARTAstation to the Wesley Cha-pel area.

by Robert [email protected]

A battle of top areachefs is among the drawsat the inaugural DeKalbCounty International Foodand Music Festival.

The event, Nov. 12at the General Motorsproperty in Doraville,celebrates the countysdiverse culture with aninternational mix of

music, entertainment andfood. Organizers hope thefestival, which runs from2-8 p.m., will become anannual event that sparkseconomic development andtourism.

Culinary Fight Night(CFN) is a cookingcompetition that pitschefs against each otherfor prizes. The festivalsversion of Culinary FightNight is an abbreviatedversion that will feature 10chefs and ve head-to-headbattles, according to the

festivals Facebook page.The chefs will be requiredto cook one course in 20minutes for a panel of local

celebrity judges. The chefwith the most points at theend of the nal battle willwin either $500 or airfareand entry to the New Yorkinstallment of CFN.

The meal will be judgedon taste, presentationand creativity, with eachcategory counting 25percent of the total grade.An audience vote countsfor the nal 25 percent.

County commissioner

Stan Watson, organizerof the event, said his goalis to get 25 restaurants toserve as vendors at theevent. Asian, Indian andCaribbean restaurants havecommitted to participate,and Watson said he isattempting to add Hispanicand Greek cuisine, as wellas other types of restaurantsto the bill.

Wed like to getrepresentation from someof the restaurants indowntown Decatur, andwe have the Romanian

consulate coming totown so that might be apossibility, Watson said.Were looking at other

types of cuisine as well.And Liane (Levetan,honorary chairwoman) isreaching out to the Jewishcommunity.

In addition to thefood, there will bemusic, dancing and otherentertainment on threestages. The entertainmentincludes Chinese,Taiwanese and Caribbeandancing, a martial artsdemonstration, and

Jamaican music as well asjazz, gospel, rhythm andblues and country music.

Admission to thefestival is free, and thereis a $5 parking fee pervehicle. All entertainmentis free and visitors can buyfood tickets to sample theinternational cuisine.

Also, there will bea childrens play areawhere arm bands can bepurchased for $5, whichallows kids to play all day.

All proceeds afterexpenses will benet the

Police Athletic League andthe DeKalb Police Alliance.

Gannon May

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

13/24


Champion Newspaperkicks off holidayphoto contest

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

by Gale Horton Gay

The Champion Newspa-peris seeking funny, quirkyand heartwarming photo-graphs that capture the holi-day spirit in DeKalb County.

Photos taken this year orduring the past two years areeligible for the ChampionsHome for the HolidaysPhoto Contest. The papers seeking photos that show

what makes the holidayseason special to individu-als during Thanksgiving,Chanukkah, Christmas,Kwanzaa, New Years Eve

or other special days duringhis season.

Is it your friends andfamily gathered together,decorations in your home oryour car, little hands in thekitchen, preparing for a re-igious service, shopping athe mall or a one-of-a-kindradition? We want you to

capture the essence of theseason in pictures, states anad for the contest.

The contest is open toamateur and professionalphotographers.

Winning photos will bepublished in the newspapern December, and winningphotographers will receive$100 for rst place, $50 forsecond place and $25 forhird place.

Contest rules and proce-dures are as follows:

1. Pictures must be submit-ted by original photog-rapher and photographermust have sole ownershipof the copyright/right forthe image.

2. Each photographer cansubmit no more than threeimages.

3. All submitted photosmay be published in TheChampion Newspaperand Champion FreePress.

4. Only high-resolution digi-tal images are eligible.

5. By submitting images toThe Champion Newspa-per, permission is givento reproduce images inprint and online at pub-lishers discretion. Indi-

viduals submitting imagesassume any and all re-sponsibility for copyrightsthat may be in effect.

6. Photos must be e-mailed

to Travish@dekalbchamp.

com with Holiday PhotoContest in the subjectline by Dec. 11 at 11 p.m.

7. Photos must be accom-panied by photographersname, phone number, ad-dress and e-mail.

8. Each photo must have acutline describing whatstaking place in photo-graph, and where andwhen (month and year) itwas taken.

9. Each photo must havenames of individuals inphotos (from left to right,including ages if 18 and

younger).

Full

11/10

New

11/25

The Northeast will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with a few showers today and

Friday, mostly clear to partly cloudy skies Saturday, with the highest temperature of

63 in Washington, Pa. The Southeast will see isolated showers and thunderstorms

today and Friday, mostly clear skies Saturday, with the highest temperature of 84 in Punta Gorda,

Fla. The Northwest will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered rain and snow today through

Saturday, with the highest temperature of 62 in Colville, Wash. The Southwest will see mostly clear

skies today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 84 in Gila Bend, Ariz.

THURSDAY

Few Showers

High: 63 Low:52

Last

11/18

The Champion Weather Nov. 3, 2011Seven Day Forecast

Local UV Index

WEDNESDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 70 Low: 49

TUESDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 72 Low:54

MONDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 72 Low:51

SUNDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 65 Low:53

SATURDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 66 Low:51

FRIDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 65 Low:51

In-Depth Local Forecast Today's Regional Map

Sunrise

7:58 a.m.

7:59 a.m.

7:59 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:01 a.m.

7:02 a.m.

7:03 a.m.

Sunset

6:43 p.m.

6:43 p.m.

6:42 p.m.

5:41 p.m.

5:40 p.m.

5:39 p.m.

5:39 p.m.

Moonset

1:28 a.m.

2:25 a.m.

3:21 a.m.

3:15 a.m.

4:10 a.m.

5:04 a.m.

5:59 a.m.

Moonrise

2:48 p.m.

3:19 p.m.

3:47 p.m.

3:16 p.m.

3:45 p.m.

4:16 p.m.

4:50 p.m.

First

12/2

www.WhatsOurWeather.com

Weather History

Nov. 3, 1989 - Cold weather

prevailed in the central United

States. Six cities in Texas,

Minnesota and Michigan report-ed record low temperatures for

the date. The low of 7 above zero

at Marquette, Mich. was their

coldest reading of record for so

early in the season.

Weather Trivia

Tonight's Planets

Is it ever too cold to

snow?

Answer: No, no matter how cold

it gets, there is always moisture in

the air.

?

Day

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

National Weather Summary This Week

Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

StarWatch By Gary Becker - Christmas and Telescopes

Today we will see partly cloudy skies with a 40%

chance of showers, high temperature of 63,

humidity of 82%. South wind 5 to 10 mph. The

record high temperature for today is 82 set in1974. Expect mostly cloudy skies tonight with a

30% chance of showers, overnight low of 52.

Nov. 4, 1927 - A great Vermont

flood occurred. Tropical rains

deluged the Green Mountain

area of Vermont, causing the

worst flood in the history of the

state. Torrential rains, up to 15

inches in the higher elevations,

sent streams on a rampage,

devastating the Winooski Valley.

Telescopes and Christmasthey go together like ham and cheese, but most people buying a scope for under the tree will make the wrong decisions. All telescopes are a

compromise in one way or another, but all experts agree that scopes are not built strictly for magnification. If a manufacturer hypes the power that a telescope can attain as

the chief reason for purchasing the scope, stay away from that item like the plague. The most important aspect of a telescope is its ability to gather light and to bring that

light to a sharp focus in as comfortable a manner as possible. The eye, acting as the receptor of the photons being gathered by the lens or mirror, is essentially enlarged to

the diameter of the light-gathering element of the telescope. Telescopes also need to produce crisp, vivid images of what the viewer is observing. This requires optics that meet criteria for

producing astronomically acceptable images. Im sorry to say that K-Mart specials or scopes sold at Wal-Mart stores are a joke. Telescopes need to produce quality images so the observ-er can actually see detail on the moon, planets, and other objects in the sky. They also need to produce acceptable fields of view, so that the object under scrutiny can be seen in its entire-

ty. Atelescope must also be attached to a sturdy mounting system to dampen unwanted vibrations when moved around to find sky objects or to hold steady if the wind kicks up a little.

When all of these criteria are met, then the topic of magnification can be discussed; but there are still limits. Agood telescope will not tolerate more than 50-power per inch of aperture. A

quality, reflecting telescope with a 4-inch mirror should not be pushed beyond 200-power. Where can you find a first-rate, fairly priced instrument? I would first suggest Orion Telescopes

which produce economical scopes that meet astronomical criteria. Go to www.telescopes.com. www.astronomy.org

Rise Set

Mercury 9:43 a.m. 7:40 p.m.

Venus 9:40 a .m. 7:49 p.m.Mars 2:01 a.m. 3:25 p.m.

Jupiter 6:22 p.m. 7:33 a.m.

Saturn 6:30 a.m. 5:58 p.m.

Uranus 4:50 p.m. 4:56 a.m.

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

Atlanta

63/52

Decatur

63/52

Doraville

62/52

Dunwoody

61/51 Lilburn62/52

Snellville

63/52

Lithonia

64/52

Morrow

64/52

Smyrna

62/52

Hampton

65/53

Union City

64/52

College Park

64/52

*Last Weeks Almanac

Date Hi Lo Normals Precip

Tuesday 75 44 70/50 0.01"

Wednesday 76 45 70/49 0.00"

Thursday 77 49 69/49 0.00"

Friday 70 49 69/49 0.37"

Saturday 58 40 69/48 0.00"

Sunday 61 33 68/48 0.00"

Monday 63 37 68/48 0.00"Rainfall . . . . . . .0.38" Average temp . .55.5

Normal rainfall . .0.74" Average normal 58.9

Departure . . . . .-0.36" Departure . . . . .-3.4*Data as reported from De Kalb-Peachtree Airport

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

14/24

The Champion Free Press, Friday November 4, 2011 Page 14AHealth

CDC: Add $2 per drink for U.S. excessive drinking

Food Day activities focus on nutritious food for all

by Mike Stobbe

ATLANTA (AP) The tollof excessive drinking worksout to about $2 per drink, inerms of medical expenses

and other costs to society,according to a new federalresearch.

The Centers for DiseaseControl and Preventionstudy calculated societalcosts from binge and heavydrinking beyond what con-

sumers pay at the bar or li-quor store. Its the first suchfederal estimate in morehan a dozen years.

The study looked at costshat includedamong otherhingslost work produc-ivity, property damage from

car crashes, expendituresfor liver cirrhosis and otheralcohol-associated medicalproblems, and money spenton incarceration of drunkdrivers and criminals using

alcohol.The CDC estimated

excessive drinking cost so-ciety nearly $224 billion in2006, the most recent yearfor which all necessary sta-tistics were available. Thatworked out to about $1.90per drink, 80 cents of whichwas spent by federal, stateor local governments, theresearchers estimated. Therest came from drinkers,

their families, private healthinsurers, employers, crimevictims and others.

Most of that was relatedto binge drinking, in whichfour or five alcoholic bever-ages are consumed on oneoccasion.

Binge drinking resultsin binge spending, saidCDC Director Dr. ThomasFrieden.

CDC officials noted thatwhile some health benefits

have been associated with,say, a glass of wine eachday, there are no healthbenefits linked to excessivedrinking. They also said thenew study likely represents

an underestimate of the totalcost.

Smoking has been esti-mated to cost society about$193 billion annually. Anolder study estimated the

cost of not exercising to bearound $150 billion.

The study was releasedOct. 17 by theAmericanJournal of Preventive Medi-cine.

by Kathy [email protected]

The world observed Food Dayacampaign focused on healthy diets andcommunities food problems on Oct.

24. DeKalb County celebrated all weekwith a variety of activities, including anOct. 22 picnic in Panola Mountain StatePark and a Nourish DeKalb! forum,hosted Oct. 27 by the DeKalb CountyBoard of Health at the Maloof audito-rium in Decatur.

The forum brought together electedofcials and representatives from school,health, faith and community-based or-ganizations to discuss such issues asthe fact that in some DeKalb Countycommunities more than half of the resi-dents must drive outside their neighbor-hood to nd fresh fruits and vegetables.These food deserts and other barriersto healthful eating were addressed in apreliminary report on food availability inthe county presented by report committeechairwoman Memorie Nichols, a Ph. D.student at Emory University.

Among the approaches discussed atthe forum were farm-to-table programsfor schools, community gardens andeducation programs aimed at teachingpeople the importance of choosing goodquality food, as well as teaching themhow to prepare such foods. The initiativeis partnering with the Strategic Alliancefor Health effort to establish more farms,

farmers markets and community gardensin the county.

A full report about DeKalbs food sys-tem and recommendations for improve-ment will be released in 2012. The reportis part of the community action plan of

the Board of Healths grant-funded Com-munities Putting Prevention to Work ini-tiative to address obesity in DeKalb.

The picnic, sponsored by the DeKalbCounty Board of Health and GeorgiaState Park Systems Tons of Fun initia-tive, showcased healthy living, outdoorrecreation and fresh, local food. A freelunch was created by celebrity chefToddEnglish and cooked by students of LeCordon Bleu on donated Big Green Egggrills. More than 400 people attendedthe picnic, where activities includedguided hikes, yoga classes by Seren-ity Yoga, camping displays by REI andEdge of Night Camping Club, archery, aclimbing wall and geocaching clinics.

With more than 25 percent ofDeKalbs adults overweight or obese,clearly it is time to move beyond cook-ing demonstrations and exercise classes,said District Health Director Dr. S.Elizabeth Ford. If were going to movethe needle in our ght against obesity, wemust take a look at local food policiesand the decisions being made in neigh-borhoods and cities that affect healthyeating choices and future health.

Celebrity chef Todd English, far right, gets ready to prepare lunch for thepicnickers. Photos by provided

Archery is among the activities chosen for outdoor recreation at the picnic.

PUBLIC NOTICE OF ELECTION

Notice is hereby given that on November 8, 2011, in conjunction with the GeneralMunicipal Election, there shall be conducted in the City of Dunwoody, Georgia an

election for the purpose of submitting the Redevelopment Powers Law Act to the

electors of the City of Dunwoody for approval or rejection. The ballot shall have writtenor printed thereon the words:

( ) Yes Shall the Act be approved which authorizes the City of Dunwoody to

exercise redevelopment powers under the Redevelopment Powers Law

as it may be( ) No amended from time to time?

This notice is given pursuant to a resolution of the City adopted on June 20th

, 2011.

CITY OF DUNWOODY,GEORGIA

By: Sharon Lowery

Municipal Elections Superintendent

8/3/2019 Free Press 11-4-11

15/24

The Champion Free Press, Friday, November 4, 2011 Page 15ALocal News

ElectionContinued From Page 1A

SpillsContinued From Page 1A

Helping hand

Kohnen cuts down large tree branchesat the home of Ida Thomas.

From left, homeowners Minnette Beckford, Elaina Freitas and Ida Thomas; Com-missioner Larry Johnson; Kerry Kohnen, president of Kaiser Permanente; and AnnBrown, community activist and member of the Belvedere Civic Club, stand in frontof the home of Elaina Freitas. Photos by HIP Incorporated

Three homes in the Belvedere community got facelifts Oct. 29 thankso A Brush with Kindness, a new neighborhood improvement project

funded through a $90,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente of Georgia.The goal of A Brush with Kindness is to help elderly or disabled

homeowners maintain the exterior of their homes. It is a partnership be-

ween Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb,Healthy Belvedere Initiative and Belvedere Civic Club. Through volun-eer labor and donated materials, A Brush with Kindness offers painting,andscaping, weather stripping and minor repair services for homeown-

ers who qualify through Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb.

Doraville voters will decide whether tochange their form of government to a citymanager form of government with a part-time mayor and a full-time city manager.Currently, Doraville has a fulltime mayorand no city manager. In July, DoravilleMayorDonna Pittman was elected in a

special election to fill the remaining termof former mayorRay Jenkins, who diedin office.

Dunwoody voters will select the cityssecond mayor and will decide whether toissue a $33 million bond to improve thecitys parks.

All county voters participating in theelection will have the opportunity to votefor a one-cent sales tax to raise up to $645million for schools in the DeKalb County,Decatur, and Atlanta Independent schooldistricts.

The funds will be used to constructnew elementary schools; install syntheticturf and replace lighting at stadiums;improve existing technology equipmentand infrastructure; make improvements to

comply with the Americans with Disabili-ties Act; upgrade the bus and service vehi-cle fleet; invest in security cameras, closedcircuit televisions and other improvementsto the security systems; allocate funds to a

program that allows each school to makeits own capital improvement requests; andcontinue a capital renewal program thataddresses the replacement of critical sys-tems on an annual rotation.

This is the fourth Special PurposeLocal Sales Tax (SPLOST) for countyschools since 1997. If passed, the taxcould net up to $18.1 million for Decaturschools, $19.5 million for the Atlanta Pub-lic Schools and $607.3 million for DeKalbCounty Schools.

The DeKalb County School districts

portion would fund $475 million in proj-ects.

The $600 million on the ballot isthe max we could collect, said WalterWoods, the executive director of com-munications for DeKalb schools. Butwe would never budget for that high anamount.

SPLOSTs in other counties are col-lecting under budget, Woods said. Oursare generally right on what we budgeted.In the case of SPLOST III, we budgeted$466 million and are projected to come inslightly over.

The approval of the SPLOST referen-dum carries with it the approval of generalobligation debt of up to $200 million forDeKalb County schools and up to $10

million for Decatur city schools.

We can signicantly reduce the costof fuel, Williams said.

Pauline Daily, a member of the aresidents advisory group monitoring thecountys upcoming $1.345 billion inwatershed capital improvement projects,said she is considering getting her HiddenHills subdivision in the oil recycling pro-gram. Hidden Hills recently had its ownsewer spill.

Daily said that before studying theFOG problem for the advisory group shewould pour hot grease down the garbagedisposal with the hot water running andsimultaneously squirting Dawn [dish de-tergent] to break up the grease.

Locals go for the gold on TV reality and game showsy Gale Horton Gay

Local viewers of televisiongame and reality shows may

be doing double-takes thesedays, wondering if that face

on their screen is someone they know.

Thats because eight DeKalb Countyesidents have recently competed forrizes and cash on three different tele-

vision shows.Five members of the Breech and

Penn families of Stone Mountain re-ently appeared onFamily Feud, whilehe Young siblings, also from Stone

Mountain, are trying their best not tobe the next team eliminated from TheAmazing Race. And a Decatur mantepped up to the middle podium on

Jeopardy to challenge a formidableontestant.

ForDrew Denton of Decatur, hisappearance onJeopardy was a one-timeaffair. He came in second on the show,which aired in mid-October.

Dentons shining moment waswhen he made it a true daily doubleand wagered everything on one ques-ion and got it right, bringing his mid-

game tally to $5,200. However, Dentonouldnt come close to the champion

who had accrued $32,400 going intohe final round. Denton, a graduate stu-

dent, gave the correct final question andook second place with $7,040.

The Amazing Race is a show inwhich 11 teams of two travel aroundhe world for 25 days searching forlues and fighting their way through

puzzling and arduouschallenges in the questto win $1 million.

So far Young sib-lings Justin, 31, a doctorwho took a year off fromresidency, and Jennifer,

26, a special educationteacher, have made itfrom Los Angeles to Tai-

pei to Indonesia to Thai-land, squabbling a good

bit along the way, butavoiding coming in lastin any of the challengesand possible eliminationfrom the race.

And just how did the Breech/Pennfamily fare onFamily Feud? On theshow, which aired on Oct. 18, the par-ents and three children were heading to

best their competitionjust six pointsaway from reaching 300 pointswhenthe other family pulled a turnaroundthat led to a sudden death face-off.

When asked to name a place that aman goes with his buddies and doesnttell his wife, Eric Breech rang in firstand answered bar, however, the num-

ber one answer was strip joint, whichthe other family answered correctl

Free Press 11-4-11

Documents

Transcript of Free Press 11-4-11